Aaron Rodgers Struggles for Jetlag Jets in London
Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions for only the sixth time in his career, and the New York Jets looked flat in a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.
The Jets were fighting an uphill battle all day.
Rodgers had easily his worst game in a Jets uniform as the offense was listless. Through three quarters the Jets managed only 168 yards of offense, and 11 first downs.
Rodgers’ two early interceptions were killers. His first pick went into the hands of linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle who dashed untouched for a 63-yard score to put the Jets in a 10-0.
On the ensuing drive, Rodgers was picked again.
It also didn’t help that running back Breece Hall was again non-existent with only 23 yards on nine carries. Rookie running back Braelon Allen was also invisible, struggling to amass 13 yards on five carries.
Defensively, the Jets didn’t have a great game. Yes, they sacked ex-Jet quarterback Sam Darnold a few times, but penalties and mistakes once again hurt them. Both Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed were called for defensive holding penalties that helped put Minnesota in position to score on a C.J. Ham one-yard plunge to make it 17-0 with 3:58 to go before halftime.
To add insult to injury, Rodgers appeared to roll up on that bad ankle he injured a week ago against Denver. He lay on the ground for about a minute before the Jets training staff helped him up. He would return after one play, but the lack of protection by the Jets’ offensive line is eating Rodgers alive.
Yet, the future Hall of Famer had a shot to pull out a shocker in London and silence a pro-Vikings crowd. He guided the Jets on a 42-yard scoring drive, culminating in a slant to Garret Wilson with 6:04 to go in the game.
Later with less than a minute to go, Rodgers had the Jets at the Viking’s 26-yard line. Still, he sailed on three straight passes, including the final dagger picked off by Vikings corner Stephon Gilmore, on a misread between Rodgers and receiver Mike Williams.
At 2-3, the Jets face an uncertain future. Next week they will play a very good Buffalo Bills team that has also lost two in a row. That game is going to be huge next Monday night. The winner will be back in control of the division. The loser will feel like the season is on life support.
LONDON TRIP
From a personal standpoint, this was my first trip ever to London, England. What a week it was. When the Jets’ schedule came out last May, and their trip was confirmed, it was a no-brainer to go for it. Give the NFL and their partners On Location credit, they know how to put forward a great product and vacation.
They offered two packages, the Ted Lasso package, which as one can imagine is a tour of various soccer stadiums. The other package was a tour of the historic sites in the U.K. like Westminster Abby and Windsor Castle.
Well, this was a no-brainer to me as well. If you enjoy history, have been exposed to shows like Netflix’s The Crown, and just generally follow International news, and the U.K. has had a lot of news in recent years, hitting the historic sites is an absolute must.
Beyond that, The whole city is beyond incredible; a friendly environment, with nice people. England was great.
The fan interaction on Sunday was off the charts.
Imagine a football stadium in the middle of a suburban neighborhood (Green Bay we are looking at you). Tottenham Stadium is absolutely a terrific location for the NFL’s brand of football, and this will only get bigger and better here in the U.K. If you haven’t been, I definitely recommend it.