Aaron “Relax” Rodgers has heard this music plenty of times during his 20 seasons in the NFL. But should the Jets and their tortured fan base think this season is any different following their 32-19 loss at San Francisco on Monday night?
David Dennis Jr. says yes, Jets fans. The time to panic is now.
“I think we’re all being a little bit too calm on what we saw from Aaron Rodgers,” said Dennis on Tuesday’s edition of ESPN’s Around the Horn.
Dennis, who also writes for Andscape, pointed out that 62 of Rodgers’ 167 passing yards came on one drive, an impressive 70-yard march that gave the Jets an early 7-3 lead on Bryce Hall’s 3-yard touchdown run. And 68 of those passing yards came on New York’s third-quarter touchdown drive, which ended with a free-play, 36-yard connection from Rodgers to Allen Lazard.
Unlike the touchdown pass to Lazard, Dennis said, the other Jets drives were not pretty.
“That offense did not look good and Aaron Rodgers did not look like a guy who can carry this team,” Dennis said. “And I would be concerned if I’m one of those people who’s been saying this Jets team is one Aaron Rodgers away from a Super Bowl, Super Bowl contention, because they are not.”
Head coach Robert Saleh is taking the patient, big-picture route with his future Hall of Fame quarterback. Reporters asked Saleh whether an 0-1 Jets team with Rodgers feels better than a 1-0 club without Rodgers a year ago.
“You know what? Unfortunately, it does,” Saleh said after returning to New York following the red-eye flight home, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
Saleh vowed to address Dennis’ concerns, looking forward to putting Monday night behind the Jets (0-1) as they prepare for Week 2 at Tennessee (0-1) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
“It’s definitely going to get fixed,” Saleh said. “I’m not discouraged in any way. Obviously, they executed a hell of a lot better than we did, and we’ll be better for it.”