New York Jets Aaron Rodgers adds to this one big offensive battle

Not much has gone right for the New York Jets during the 2024 season.

But they kept their season from going over the edge by beating the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night, improving to 3-6 and snapping their five-game losing streak.

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

To stay on track, they need some of their key veterans to find their feet and play at the level we’ve come to expect from them. At the top of that list is quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

There have been some flashes of his genius, but they have been few and far between. He hasn’t always been on the same page with his receivers, which has led to some frustrating situations.

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 otherworldly production they had with the Green Bay Packers.

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

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

The turnovers are bad enough, but some of those interceptions have been truly debilitating. He threw three against the Minnesota Vikings, including one that sealed their fate to stop the comeback attempt.

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 a single interception. However, two of them came against the lowly New England Patriots, who defeated New York 25-22 in Week 8.

Rodgers certainly didn’t give the team enough, but everyone knew the risks that came with that. He is 40 years old and has a serious Achilles injury and his production already dropped during his final season with the Packers.

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