Popular Post KRL Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Good to hear that what I saw in camp never missed a beat once Rodgers got back in his spot: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39317477/how-aaron-rodgers-practices-refueled-new-york-jets-hope FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- In their final three practices of the season, the New York Jets were reminded of what might have been. And what might be. Late-season practices can be a slog for teams out of the playoff picture, but they juiced it up by incorporating a "competition" period into each day and having Aaron Rodgers lead the way. The Jets didn't publicize it -- practices were closed to the media -- but soon word started to leak because players were buzzing about what they saw from Rodgers. Until then, Rodgers had been limited to scout-team work -- running the opponents' plays -- but he was moving so well on his surgically repaired Achilles that the coaches decided to let him cook. It was first-team offense against the first-team defense, no coaches, just Rodgers calling plays for the offense and linebacker C.J. Mosley calling plays for the defense. "It's like watching Picasso paint," tackle Mekhi Becton after one of the practices. Everyone was transported back to a happier time. Early in training camp, when Rodgers' left Achilles was healthy and their Super Bowl dreams were whole, the Jets conducted a handful of practices that included competition periods. Best-on-best always raises the energy level, and so they tried to recreate that vibe before everyone scattered for the offseason. By all accounts, Rodgers was magnificent. "At some points, he was picking us apart and throwing dimes in there," Mosley said. "You kind of catch yourself, looking at it again, like, 'Dang, that's Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball.'" The end-of-the-year surprise produced mixed emotions. There was a hint of melancholy, as players witnessed what was taken from them in 2023 -- a future Hall of Fame quarterback with the ability to galvanize the team. Without Rodgers, the Jets started four different quarterbacks, finished 31st in total yards and went 7-10, eliminated from the postseason with three games to play. Mostly, they saw the last three practices as a sneak preview of 2024, a Rodgers trailer, so to speak -- something to dull the disappointment of a lost season and inspire hope for next year. Rodgers, too, said there was excitement, but he also acknowledged, "The 'what if?' kind of hits you in the face pretty hard because, obviously, if you saw what we were able to do, there's a lot of what could have been." Operating from a wristband that included six to eight different plays each day, Rodgers was in total command on Wednesday (mixed downs), Thursday (third down) and Friday (red zone). Players said Rodgers was so into it that it seemed like he was trying to make up for lost time, slinging the ball around the field, pointing out would-be blitzers and even calling plays that weren't on the script. He challenged Sauce Gardner -- not many quarterbacks do that -- and completed a back-shoulder throw that amazed the All-Pro cornerback. Rodgers being Rodgers, he couldn't resist a brag. "(I) proved I can maybe still play a little bit," he said, grinning. SEVEN OF THE 32 teams are looking for a head coach, but the Jets -- with the NFL's fourth-worst record over Robert Saleh's three seasons (18-33) -- are running it back with Saleh because ownership believes the formula it created last year with Rodgers still can work. Indeed, his anticipated return has fueled optimism. Maybe "refueled" is a better way to put it. "It's really not as far away as it looks right now," general manager Joe Douglas said. The Jets are counting on Rodgers to make a full recovery and perform at a level closer to his 2021 MVP season (74.1 QBR) than to his 2022 Green Bay farewell (a career-low 41.3 QBR). That's a big ask, considering his age (40) and the severity of his injury, but they believe the commitment is there. "He's on a mission," Saleh said, "and he's not going to stop until his mission is complete." Rodgers isn't a magician, though. As he said, "We need some pieces." Specifically, he mentioned wide receiver and the offensive line, where they could add two or three new starters. The Jets allowed 64 sacks (tied-28th), including league highs at center (8.5), right tackle (14) and left guard (9.5, tied for the most), according to Next Gen Stats. A quadragenarian quarterback behind a leaky offensive line is bad news waiting to happen. And yet there's a sense in the locker room that Rodgers will make everything better, that his experience and expertise will elevate those around him. They still believe in his leadership; his teammates voted him the Dennis Byrd Award for the most inspirational player, moving him to the verge of tears when it was announced. "I do think Aaron is going to come back and make some big changes to the team, for lack of a better explanation," center Connor McGovern said. "It was kind of built around him. The offense is tailored to him." Wide receiver Garrett Wilson took it one step further, saying in a radio interview, "Aaron is the offense." Indeed, some talk about Rodgers as if he's the offensive coordinator, not Nathaniel Hackett. McGovern used a Formula One racing analogy to describe Rodgers' importance to the offense, saying it's akin to a Red Bull racing car driven by someone other than world champion Max Verstappen. The car, customized for Verstappen, isn't as fast with someone else behind the wheel, according to McGovern. With Rodgers behind center, the Jets have a "fixer" -- or at least that's how he's viewed internally. Without the use of pre-snap motion, he can take a still photo of the defense with his mind's eye, diagnose potential issues and make adjustments before the snap. The Jets prepared this way for five months, from OTAs through training camp. It was a race against the calendar, knowing Rodgers -- with his sophisticated hand signals and cadences -- needed all that time to get the offense installed to his liking. The all-in approach conjured up memories of a famous quote from former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore. Once asked why Peyton Manning's backups didn't get more reps, Moore replied, "Fellas, if 18 goes down, we're f----d. And we don't practice f----d." THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT happened to the Jets when Rodgers was injured on the fourth play of the season. They were painfully slow to adjust on the fly, as the offense hit an eight-game stretch where it failed to produce more than one touchdown in any one game. The desperation reached a crescendo when Zach Wilson was replaced in Week 12 by Tim Boyle, a former practice-squad player. Eventually, Hackett tweaked a couple of things over the second half of the season. He utilized running back Breece Hall as a pass catcher, sometimes splitting him wide in empty formations. He finished with 76 receptions, tops among all backs. Hackett also utilized more pre-snap motion with Wilson and Trevor Siemian at quarterback. In the last six games, they used some form of motion on 27.5 plays per game, up from 19 plays in the first 11 games, per ESPN Stats & Information. One problem that never got solved was the rash of pre-snap penalties; the Jets tied for the league lead with 52. They're convinced that Rodgers, with his command at the line of scrimmage, will be able to cure that epidemic. The coaching staff recognizes it could've done a better job in the aftermath of the Rodgers injury and it will study ways to make the offense more quarterback-friendly for quarterbacks not named Rodgers, who sounded eager to take part in the process. "Nate and I will spend some time really taking a deep dive into the offense and kind of what we want to do moving forward," he said. There's a sense among players that they can build on the foundation set last offseason, that they've already moved past the get-acquainted stage with Rodgers and can focus on fine-tuning. One area that needs attention is the offensive line, with some players saying there needs to be a better sync between Hackett's system and line coach Keith Carter's blocking scheme. Rodgers' attendance for voluntary workouts will be critical. A year ago, he attended every workout as he assimilated into his new surroundings and tried to rebuild the culture. He hasn't mapped out his offseason yet, but he said he'd like to attend as many days as possible. Once again, the expectations will be massive. Rodgers fueled them last spring by famously noting the "lonely" Lombardi Trophy in the team's showcase -- a 55-year-old trophy, lonelier than ever. "It's still sitting in the same spot," Rodgers said. "By itself." 4 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Integrity28 Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Nobody celebrates practices the way Jets fans celebrate practices. 3 1 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OilfieldJet Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 The first of many articles which will build confidence to a crescendo just prior to opening day…. …….and we will see where that gets us. I’m hopeful, but also hopeful to get 30 minutes with Olivia Dunn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HawkeyeJet Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 The most positive reminder of all this is that next year our OC will be Aaron Rodgers. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Larz Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Not gonna fall for it this time 11 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Larz Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Yeah I’m totally going to fall for it this time 1 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Augustiniak Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 “It’s not that far away as it seems” said douglas, about jupiter 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SomebodytoAnybody47 Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Let’s win this offseason baby!! 1 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HawkeyeJet Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Also, this quote from Tom Moore, Iowa Hawkeye is both hilarious and true. And no amount of hand wringing about roster builds and backups QBs will change that. Once asked why Peyton Manning's backups didn't get more reps, Moore replied, "Fellas, if 18 goes down, we're f----d. And we don't practice f----d." 5 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustiniak Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Kinda reminds me when tannenbaum was trying to get the fanbase excited about guys who could develop out of nowhere, when the giants just found victor cruz. Tanny said, you never know, that guy could be Caleb schlauderlaff 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantasy Island Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 They could practice everyday from now to the start of next season and still suck with this CS. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy 2 Times Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy 2 Times Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I couldn’t decide which to post so you get both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Adoni Beast Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 Biggest eye opener from that piece was that Becton apparently knows who Picasso is. SHOCKED. 1 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoni Beast Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 20 minutes ago, HawkeyeJet said: Also, this quote from Tom Moore, Iowa Hawkeye is both hilarious and true. And no amount of hand wringing about roster builds and backups QBs will change that. Once asked why Peyton Manning's backups didn't get more reps, Moore replied, "Fellas, if 18 goes down, we're f----d. And we don't practice f----d." HAHAHA Tom Moore is the man and absolutely correct. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoni Beast Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I do think there will be a greater sense of urgency and a higher standard from the team with Rodgers actually practicing and playing....which is only a benefit to our team. So it is good to hear this but it does not breathe any sense of confidence into our coaching staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirorob Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Get excited!! Buy season tickets for next year!! Only 25% increase. Well, maybe 30% 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trotter Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 30 minutes ago, OilfieldJet said: The first of many articles which will build confidence to a crescendo just prior to opening day…. …….and we will see where that gets us. I’m hopeful, but also hopeful to get 30 minutes with Olivia Dunn. 30 minutes is a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trotter Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Just now, chirorob said: Get excited!! Buy season tickets for next year!! Only 25% increase. Well, maybe 30% got my email receipt yesterday for 1st payment - here we go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjasi Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Really excited to win our 3rd straight offseason championship. 3 peat! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32EBoozer Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 14 minutes ago, Adoni Beast said: I do think there will be a greater sense of urgency and a higher standard from the team with Rodgers actually practicing and playing....which is only a benefit to our team. So it is good to hear this but it does not breathe any sense of confidence into our coaching staff. Rodgers needs to be reminded CONSTANTLY that we don't need him being a hero and trying to outmaneuver a 260 lb. LB/Edge who runs a 4.6 You are allowed 2.5 seconds (especially with this OL) to get rid of the ball. Throw it to a WR/TE/RB or throw it away. With our defense, you need to play smart.... not being foolish. We cannot have a repeat of the 2023 season! When practicing, no defensive player comes within 5 yards of Rodgers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Augustiniak Posted January 17 Popular Post Share Posted January 17 27 minutes ago, Adoni Beast said: I do think there will be a greater sense of urgency and a higher standard from the team with Rodgers actually practicing and playing....which is only a benefit to our team. So it is good to hear this but it does not breathe any sense of confidence into our coaching staff. I believe rodgers looks good. The problem with the whole thing is that the jets are clearly still delusional that he’s going to 1) be an mvp again, 2) play most of the season, and 3) be good enough to compensate for what is now a below average OL. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbt Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBJ Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 hour ago, Integrity28 said: Nobody celebrates practices the way Jets fans celebrate practices. Playoffs <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Practice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpain Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Doing what the Jets do best .... off season marketing and PR and letting the Kool Aid drinking begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetPotato Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 The NFL really should do something about making practice count in the standings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbatesman Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 hour ago, KRL said: "It's like watching Picasso paint," tackle Mekhi Becton after one of the practices. sweet merciful crap 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustInFudge Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Bunch of haters, trippin, acting like Rodgers presence in practice didnt have a positive impact on the team. The Jets won their last 3 of 5 games and are undefeated in 2024. Check ya'lls heads fools, Rodgers is in control! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustInFudge Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 54 minutes ago, Adoni Beast said: Biggest eye opener from that piece was that Becton apparently knows who Picasso is. SHOCKED. Not just knows him, watches him paint! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewilly12 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 54 minutes ago, chirorob said: Get excited!! Buy season tickets for next year!! Only 25% increase. Well, maybe 30% Get a free Zach Wilson bobble head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets Things Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 hour ago, OilfieldJet said: The first of many articles which will build confidence to a crescendo just prior to opening day…. …….and we will see where that gets us. I’m hopeful, but also hopeful to get 30 minutes with Olivia Dunn. Whoa, marathon man over here!! Gonna pork her 60 times?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoni Beast Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 The story is lightly encouraging because Rodgers not 100% is beating Sauce on throws and his presence clearly having a positive impact on the players effort. This however is the first of an endless series of puff pieces to sell the fanbase and media into accepting positivity and hope…without any other tangible differences or changed made by the team. Since they’re not changing GM, HC, or any assistant coaches they’ll be throwing rainbow colored sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks for fans. Next will be the uniform / logo change to hype up the fan base…docuseries on Rodgers’ road to recovery…turf replacement…and some sort of Joe Namath + Aaron Rodgers one on one exclusive interview titled “Legend Talk” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebuzzardman Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 hour ago, Adoni Beast said: Biggest eye opener from that piece was that Becton apparently knows who Picasso is. SHOCKED. I imagine when Becton eats a lot the result is like Jackson Pollock 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redlichtie Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I’d love to hear more from Mekhi about all the times he watched Picasso paint! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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