Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are rolling for one of the first times since the Mark Sanchez era. After struggling against the 49ers and heating up against the Titans and Patriots, the team has an air of confidence about them. While many are still congratulating Rodgers on putting the Jacoby Brissett era on ice, one analyst zeroed in on one specific aspect of the 40-year-old quarterback’s game worth celebrating.
Writing in a September 27 article for Bleacher Report, analyst Brad Gagnon took back some of his criticism of the quarterback.
“I’ve ragged on him a lot, but a 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers deserves credit for a 145.0 passer rating on deep attempts. There’s an opening here for the Jets, but they’ll be tested immensely in October,” he wrote.
Their last matchup of September may test them as well. They face the Denver Broncos, who are coming off a massive upset against the 2-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield came into the game leading the league in touchdown passes, tied with Derek Carr. However, he failed to throw for more touchdowns than interceptions in the contest, earning just one in garbage time.
Patrick Surtain II will be a tough test for whoever his matchup is. Conventional thinking would place him against Garrett Wilson, but with Allen Lazard serving as a key target deep, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph may line Surtain up against him instead on some plays.
New York Jets in line for stress-laden October
Following that, the Jets face the red-hot Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and Pittsburgh Steelers. If they look past the Broncos and lose, they;ll have to make it up during the gauntlet. That said, if they fail to tread water against those three teams, the Jets might be in trouble by November.
The Vikings await the Jets overseas while the Bills and Steelers await in primetime. It will be Rodgers’ first battle against the Vikings since leaving the NFC North after the 2022 season. Then, the Jets will face Josh Allen, who just uncorked a 47-10 win over the Jaguars. Lastly, the Steelers await with what could be an undefeated record. If the Steelers do not have an undefeated record by then, they still could be in first place in the AFC.
Put simply, October easily could be the most stressful month of the regular season for New York Jets fans.
