Michael Lombardi: A look ahead to Week 7 in the NFL

It was not a secret Davante Adams wanted out of Las Vegas. Even though he and Maxx Crosby were instrumental in getting Antonio Pierce the head job by meeting with owner Mark Davis. Adams felt betrayed by the organization when they wouldn’t honor his request for an enhanced contract. Once his pleas for a new contract fell on deaf ears, Adams wanted out. The only place he desired to go was to New York to rejoin his former Packers teammate, Aaron Rodgers. Back in July, when Rodgers was walking off the golf course at the Lake Tahoe event, he told everyone cryptically that Adams would one day be with the New York Jets.  

That day has finally arrived. So now, the Jets are spraying the pot, Teddy KGB style, going all in. Like Teddy, they are leaving nothing behind. It’s all or nothing. This move and their moves this offseason make it clear it’s either Super Bowl or bust. Is this doable? Not right now, especially with how their offensive line has performed. Although they are ranked 15th in sack percentage allowed, that number can be deceiving because Rodgers is so good at getting rid of the football before taking the sacks. What he cannot avoid, and what doesn’t show up in the numbers, is the amount of legal hits he takes each week. His 41-year-old body is getting battered. How long can this hold up? And how exactly does adding Adams make this better?  

 

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And is Aaron Rodgers even as good as we once thought? Is he playing like the Rodgers from 2022, or can he get to the MVP Rodgers of 2021? To Jets fans, it’s clear his movement and ability to scatter away from defenders isn’t the same. And how could it be? He is 41 years old, coming off a major lower-body injury. His movement isn’t going to return to that form, but he isn’t a dead duck in the pocket. He can still slide and make throws from different launch points with precise accuracy. His declining movement would be offset if the Jets line was better—which isn’t going to be the case.  It must be scary to all Jets fans that they scored the same number of points in six games this season as they did in 2023. That’s right, Zach Wilson and Rodgers have something in common.  

From his last season in Green Bay until now, Rodgers’ numbers look similar, except his yards per attempt have gone down from his career low in 2022 to even lower in 2024. He averaged 6.8 yards per attempt in 2022 and now is down to 6.4—which is telling, considering how often he has been hit and disruptive in the pocket. His Hall of Fame career average is 7.7. In 2022, his quarterback rating was 91. Now it sits at 84. His career rating is 103, which is significantly higher than his current Jets performance. Currently, he ranks 23rd in the analytical grades based on EPA, expected completion percentage, and success rate. Rodgers sits slightly ahead of Andy Dalton and not much higher than Will Levis. Ouch!  For the record, the bottom of the quarterback ranking is Bo Nix at 31,  Deshaun Watson at 30, and Jacoby Brissett at 29.  

These numbers lead us to the next question: Is Rodgers not playing well due to the receivers, the scheme, or the line? We know the scheme is what he wants and was familiar with going back to his Green Bay days. Adams admitted he knew the plays from their time together, so Rodgers’ lack of production isn’t design-related. The receivers can’t seem to make plays down the field, but neither could Adams as the last two seasons in Las Vegas, he has been below 12 yards per catch. Garrett Wilson is still the best receiver on the team, and he is below 10 yards per reception. Allan Lazard has outperformed Adams in terms of yards per catch and has been consistently over 13 yards a catch—which is what he averages for the Jets. 

Does Adams solve this problem? No, because for Rodgers to be back into 2022 form, he needs to hold the ball a tad longer to let the routes expand. This lack of protection isn’t going to change with Adams in the huddle.

As the Jets attempt to convince everyone they can rebound and make the playoffs, the reality is making the playoffs isn’t an “all-in.” They need to do more than make the playoffs; they need to get to the Super Bowl, or else this year will be a failure. Next year offers no hope with a 42-year-old quarterback who may decide enough is enough. And when he does, where are the Jets?

2024 NFL POWER RATINGS 

  1. Detroit
  2. Baltimore
  3. Green Bay
  4. Minnesota
  5. Kansas City
  6. San Francisco
  7. Buffalo
  8. Chicago
  9. Pittsburgh
  10. Washington
  11. Tampa Bay
  12. Houston
  13. NY Jets
  14. Denver
  15. LA Chargers
  16. Cincinnati
  17. Indianapolis
  18. New Orleans
  19. Atlanta
  20. NY Giants
  21. Philadelphia
  22. Dallas
  23. LA Rams
  24. Seattle
  25. Cleveland
  26. Miami
  27. Arizona
  28. Tennessee
  29. Las Vegas
  30. New England
  31. Jacksonville
  32. Carolina

Enjoy the games.  

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