New York Jets Aaron Rodgers Struggling Mightily in One Key Area Offensively

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not been good in this one area this season.

Oct 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws a pass against the New England Patriots in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Not a lot has gone well for the New York Jets during the 2024 season.

But, they did save their season from going over the brink by defeating the Houston Texans on Thursday night, 21-13, to improve to 3-6 and snap their five-game losing streak.

It could be the start of their turnaround, as the Texans have cemented their status as one of the premier teams in the AFC. New York was able to take advantage of being at home on a short week to pick up a victory in a must-win game.

For them to keep on track, they need some of their key veterans to find their groove and play up to the level we are accustomed to seeing them. Atop that list is quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

There have been some flashes of his brilliance, but they have been few and far between. He has not always been on the same page with his receivers, which has led to some frustrating stretches.

The addition of Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders will hopefully put some of that to rest. There is optimism that they can rekindle the chemistry, cohesion and other-worldly production they had with the Green Bay Packers.

To climb out of this hole, New York needs the future Hall of Famer to up his level of production. Right now, one of the statistics that has defined the team’s first half is Rodgers’ inability to protect the ball.

“Rodgers has seven interceptions. You're talking about a quarterback who has hit double digits in three of his previous 16 seasons as a starter. At his current pace, he will finish with 15, which would be a career high. You know things are rough when Rodgers, a four-time MVP, is throwing picks at a Zach Wilson-like pace,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote in the midseason report.

Turnovers are bad enough, but some of those interceptions have been truly backbreaking. He threw three against the Minnesota Vikings, including one that sealed their fate to stop the comeback attempt in its tracks.

Against the Buffalo Bills, an interception was thrown to end the game and Rodgers placed the blame on wide receiver Mike Williams for not running the correct route.

Through the first eight weeks of the season, there had been four games in which he didn’t throw any interceptions. However, two of them came against the lowly New England Patriots, who defeated New York 25-22 in Week 8.

Rodgers has certainly not been giving the team enough, but everyone knew the risks that were involved. He is 40 years old coming off a serious Achilles injury and his production was already slipping during his final season with the Packers.

Cutting back on the turnovers will certainly help the Jets, but the blame cannot solely be placed on the future Hall of Famer. Had New York’s kicking game been a little better, they could easily have at least four victories.