ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not get his five hundredth landing cross Sunday, however he nonetheless made historical past in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium — a defeat so lopsided that it left a few of his teammates questioning if gamers had give up.
Rodgers was sacked 4 occasions to deliver his profession whole to 568, passing Tom Brady (565) because the most-sacked quarterback in NFL historical past.
“Yeah, I acquired Tom on that,” Rodgers stated with a weak smile, feigning a touch of pleasure.
Gallows humor.
The day was so dangerous for Rodgers and the Jets (4-12) that the longer term Hall of Famer advised his coaches to play his backup initially of the fourth quarter with the Jets trailing 40-0. In got here Tyrod Taylor for mop-up obligation.
It was the primary time in Rodgers’ profession that his group had confronted a 40-point deficit in a sport he began.
It was an terrible outing in a bitterly disappointing season, one which started with Super Bowl aspirations.
“Yeah, I imply, it is sort of just like the season — it simply acquired away from us,” stated Rodgers, who threw two interceptions and recorded a 1.2 Total QBR, the bottom of his profession. “Too many video games acquired away from us. This sport acquired away from us. We had been shifting the ball properly, after which we simply hit a wall. And that is been sort of the season too.”
The Rodgers-led offense has gone 14 straight possessions with out a landing, leaving him caught at 499 landing passes. (Taylor did lead two scoring drives in rubbish time.) Rodgers will attempt to change into the fifth participant to succeed in 500 within the season finale in opposition to the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.
Rodgers acquired inside placing distance on his first two drives in opposition to the Bills.
He missed an open Kenny Yeboah on a third-and-1 cross at Buffalo’s 24-yard line, and the Jets didn’t convert on fourth down.
On New York’s subsequent possession, Rodgers threw an interception from the Bills’ 12-yard line. It was a display cross to Davante Adams, who had three blockers ready to escort him to the tip zone, however the cross was tipped on the line and picked off by defensive deal with Jordan Phillips.
“We should execute that play,” stated Rodgers, who added that he wasn’t fascinated about 500.
After his second interception, Rodgers (12-for-18, 112 yards) dedicated the primary pointless roughness penalty of his profession with a late shove out of bounds on Bills cornerback Christian Benford. That was one in all New York’s 16 penalties, together with 5 private fouls, for 120 yards and contributed to the Jets’ most accepted penalties in a sport since 2018.
“I do not assume I pushed him very onerous,” Rodgers stated.
Rodgers has misplaced 12 video games this season, tied for the second most by a former MVP quarterback because the award was first introduced by the Associated Press in 1957. Bert Jones of the Baltimore Colts went 2-13 in 1981.
Afterward, Rodgers selected his phrases rigorously; he did not query the group’s effort. Other Jets gamers did, although.
“You ask me, clearly we’re not going to the playoffs, some folks may be checked out,” cornerback Sauce Gardner stated. “That’s simply me going off hypothesis.”
Asked if he sensed an absence of effort from anybody, cornerback D.J. Reed stated, “I will not communicate on that.”
Reed pointed a finger on the offense for its lack of manufacturing. The Rodgers-led unit has scored just one landing prior to now two contests.
“It comes right down to complementary soccer, bro,” Reed stated. “We’re taking part in a high-powered offense. Josh Allen is the MVP runner-up, no matter — an incredible participant. We should get s— going — on offense, on particular groups. You preserve having our protection go on the market. Eventually, they are going to do one thing good.
“So sure, protection, we must be higher, however we’ve got to play complementary soccer.”
Wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who scored a landing but additionally misplaced a fumble, stated the result was “embarrassing. … It was as dangerous as it could get.”
When these groups met in Week 6, Jeff Ulbrich’s first sport as Jets interim coach, New York was 2-3 and taking part in for a share of first place. The Jets misplaced that sport 23-20. They’re now 2-9 underneath Ulbrich, who changed the fired Robert Saleh.
“It’s irritating. It’s embarrassing. It’s maddening,” Ulbrich stated. “Yeah, it is all that.”
Adams stated the Jets’ expertise compares favorably with that of the Bills (13-3).
“On paper, it will seem like it will be a shootout — and it must be — nevertheless it’s about execution,” Adams stated. “It does not matter who you could have on the roster.”
Gardner echoed that sentiment.
“We enhanced our roster in all areas, in order that simply tells me — I do not know, bro — we will not be taking part in as a group,” Gardner stated. “We’re most likely simply people. Last yr and the yr earlier than, we had a roster that wasn’t as proficient, however we discovered methods to win. So, what’s stopping that now with a extra proficient roster?”
