The New York Jets’ Week 4 game versus the Denver Broncos was not Aaron Rodgers’ finest hour. The 20-year veteran quarterback struggled in adverse conditions on Sunday, completing just 57.1% of his passes for 225 yards and scoring no touchdowns in a 10-9 loss.
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After the game, fans ripped Rodgers for mentioning the weather’s role in New York’s woes. On Monday, FOX Sports’ radio/TV personality Colin Cowherd joined the party, admonishing the Jets’ offensive line for performing atrociously in both, the run game and pass protection on his personal podcast.
“Denver brought enormous pressure; Aaron Rodgers got banged all day… [the offensive line] could not protect him… [they] looked out of sync. Aaron [Rodgers] had no time… [he] took a beating.”
Broncos’ defense turned New York’s blockers into mince meat, recording five sacks, eight tackles for loss and 14 QB hits on Rodgers. Jets’ running backs combined to average a paltry 2.1 yards per carry behind the unit, which also committed a trio of false start penalties.
The first of those three whistles came on 4th-and-Goal from Broncos’ 1-yard line early in the second quarter. The five-yard backward trot led New York to attempt a field goal instead of trying for a touchdown, and may have been the deciding factor in the game’s final result.
Cowherd is Concerned about the Jets
As Cowherd continued assessing New York’s Week 4 performance, he expressed worry about the Jets’ rest-of-season outlook. They had three extra days of rest as compared to Denver after playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 3, yet looked unsettled all afternoon.
In Cowherd’s mind, this was a “layup” that New York missed. Co-host John Middlekauff echoed his sentiment, saying it was a contest the Jets simply couldn’t afford to lose.
“You cannot lose a game at home – I don’t care what the weather is – when the opposing quarterback… throws for 60 yards and they score 10 points.”
Cowherd eventually got more blunt in his analysis, wondering if New York’s offense will ever be able to ramp itself up to the level of Rodgers’ past high-flying groups.
“Let’s be honest about this. The Jets’ offense, outside of a couple plays, was abysmal against the [San Francisco] 49ers. It struggled against Tennessee, and it was pretty awful today… [it] looked good on a short-week game against Jacoby Brissett and a rookie head coach at home.”
Rodgers and Co. get the opportunity to change the narrative next Sunday morning, when they face the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings in London.
