Three takeaways from the Jets' Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, right, reacts as he is tackled during the second half of an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London. Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
1. The offense looks terrible.
The Jets are relying on their defense to keep them in games again. This wasn’t supposed to be the case this year with Aaron Rodgers running the offense, but it is.
Rodgers didn’t help things by throwing three interceptions. All three were bad throws. He gets credit for toughing out knee and ankle injuries and finishing the game, but that’s it.
There is definite concern about Rodgers’ health and whether he’s still a top quarterback. These last two weeks make you wonder how much he has left.
It’s an offense-wide thing, though. The running game has disappeared and the pass protection has been poor. Rodgers has been hit a total of 25 times the last two games. That’s way too much for any player, let alone a 40-year-old.
Neither of the Jets’ touchdown drives was impressive. They benefited from Xavier Gipson’s punt return that gave them the ball at Minnesota’s 31 and Brandin Echols’ interception at the Vikings’ 42.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
2. Slow starts stifling the Jets.
This was another thing that Rodgers was supposed to change. The Jets got off to an awful start again. Their first first down came in their fifth series. They had two three-and-outs, two turnovers and a turnover on downs in their first five possessions.
The Jets were down 17-0 by the time Rodgers got the ball for the sixth series. The Jets went four-and-out on that series.
It’s time to throw out these scripts to start the game and come up with something different and effective. The Jets finally fed Garrett Wilson early and often, but they never could establish the run. Breece Hall needs to be a factor but hasn’t been the last two games in either the running or passing game. They have to get Hall and the running game going early.
3. Davante Adams isn’t going to fix this.
The Jets will pursue Rodgers’ former teammate, and there is growing belief around the league that the receiver will be traded this week. The Jets’ issues won’t be solved by adding another big-time target. It doesn’t hurt to have another weapon, but the Jets’ issues go deeper than that.
The coaching staff, and Robert Saleh in particular, may start feeling some real heat if the Jets don’t start putting something together. They were expected to be a contender and don’t look like one at all. They don’t look prepared. Having to play catch-up all the time and being undisciplined from a penalty standpoint reflects poorly on the coach. Things need to change for Saleh and the Jets or things could really change for Saleh and the Jets.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
