Aaron Rodgers, Jets sink to new levels of ineptitude in loss to Bills
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, center, stands on the sidelines after he was pulled from the game during the second half against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
ORCHARD PARK — The Jets’ season has been over for a long time, but on Sunday they looked like a team that can’t wait to clean out its lockers.
This was the Jets’ worst performance in a season that has been littered with them. They played undisciplined, sloppy, turnover-filled football and were humiliated by the Bills, 40-14, at Highmark Stadium.
The Jets were down 40-0 before two garbage-time touchdown passes by Tyrod Taylor, who replaced Aaron Rodgers.
“Embarrassing? I don’t even know if that’s the word,” Sauce Gardner said. “It’s 40-0. If you ask me, that means it’s the end of the season; obviously we’re not going to playoffs. Some people might be checked out.”
Garrett Wilson called it “just an all-around bad performance from us. It was as bad as it can get.”
Rodgers was the main culprit in a loss that dropped the Jets to 4-12 with one game remaining. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 112 yards, threw two interceptions in Buffalo territory and was flagged for an unnecessary-roughness penalty.
His first interception was in the red zone on a pass intended for Davante Adams. Greg Rousseau deflected it and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips picked it off at the Bills’ 15. After his second pick at the Buffalo 23, Rodgers pushed Christian Benford on the return when he already was out of bounds. The 15-yard penalty led to one of Josh Allen’s two touchdown passes.
“I don’t think I pushed him very hard,” Rodgers said. “I was just chasing down the play.”
When Wilson fumbled deep in Bills territory, Matt Milano recovered it, leading to Allen’s second touchdown pass.
The Jets had 16 accepted penalties — five of them personal fouls — for 120 yards.
“I have not communicated that well enough, the impact of some of these penalties,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said.
The Jets will close out this underachieving season next week against the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. An offseason of change will follow, and deservedly so. The Jets were expected to contend for the playoffs but failed to qualify for the 14th consecutive year.
Rodgers remains one touchdown pass shy of 500 for his career. He will try to achieve that in next week’s finale. Ulbrich said he intends to play him, barring injury.
It could be Rodgers’ last game as a Jet and in his 20-year NFL career. He hasn’t decided if he wants to play next season. The Jets haven’t said they want him back, either.
Things got so lopsided in this game that Rodgers was pulled in the fourth quarter. According to Rodgers, he said something to passing game coordinator Todd Downing about putting in Taylor with the Jets down 33-0. Moments later, the Bills scored on a 69-yard screen pass from Mitchell Trubisky, who replaced Allen in the fourth quarter, to Tyrell Shavers. It was Taylor’s turn.
Taylor, playing for the first time since Week 1, led touchdown drives on his two series. He threw a 9-yard TD pass to Wilson and a 20-yarder to Tyler Conklin. Taylor was 11-for-14 for 83 yards and also completed a two-point conversion pass to Conklin.
Wilson had seven catches for 66 yards, giving him his third consecutive 1,000-yard season. The only other Jet to do that was George Sauer (1966-68).
Allen was 16-for-27 for 182 yards and also had a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
The Jets, who trailed 12-0 at halftime, moved the ball on four of their first five drives and had nothing to show for it. Their first three offensive series ended with them getting stopped on fourth-and-1, the interception of Rodgers in the red zone, and a safety, as A.J. Epenesa sacked Rodgers in the end zone.
The second half started similarly for Rodgers and the Jets.
On their opening drive, the Jets had a fourth-and-5 at the Buffalo 37. They took a delay of game and then punted.
The Jets began their next series at the Bills’ 45 after Buffalo punted from its own end zone. Rodgers completed a 13-yard pass to Wilson on first down to the 32, but a false start on second down was followed by a sack. He was intercepted by Benford on third down.
The 15-yard unnecessary-roughness flag on Rodgers gave the Bills the ball at the Jets’ 38. Five plays later, Amari Cooper made a brilliant catch for a 30-yard touchdown. It was the first of four straight touchdown drives by Buffalo (13-3).
“It’s kind of like the season, just got away from us,” Rodgers said. “Too many games got away from us . . . We were moving the ball well and then we just hit the wall, and that’s kind of the season.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
