Predictable, conservative offence putting Jets in early holes

The New York Jets have gone from overwhelming optimism to the brink of desperation in just two games.

Aaron Rodgers has a sprained ankle, the offense is sputtering and the coaching has left plenty to be desired.

It's just five games into the season, but the 2-3 Jets have some major issues to fix — and fast.

“I said it last week: The NFL is built for chaos,” coach Robert Saleh said Monday after his Jets returned following a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday. “Either the sky is falling or you’ve got Super Bowl aspirations. There’s no in-between anymore. The reality is, what the standings look like now are going to be completely different at the end of the season.”

The Jets can change things in the AFC East next Monday night when they face the Buffalo Bills (3-2) with a chance to share the division lead.

“There’s so much football to be played,” Saleh said. “There’s so many things that we can get better at and there’s so many things that we can continue to build on, the things that we are doing well. So, I’m not panicked. Nobody in the building is panicked.”

Frustrated Jets fans, on the other hand, might not share that sense of calm.

After a dominant performance in a 24-3 victory over New England on Sept. 19, New York's offense has regressed. Granted, it has been against two of the league's top defenses, but Rodgers has been a big part of that — and far from the only reason.

The 40-year-old quarterback struggled against Denver in a 10-9 loss, then had his worst performance with the Jets in London, throwing three interceptions — including one to seal the outcome in the closing moments.

He has also been hit hard — eight sacks and 25 hits — in the last two games. Rodgers tweaked his left knee in the game against the Broncos and then suffered a low ankle sprain Sunday. He acknowledged he's “banged up,” but Saleh said Monday that Rodgers should be “fine” to play against the Bills.

But Nathaniel Hackett's offense looks predictable, conservative and, in some ways, broken. The offensive line isn't protecting the quarterback and the running game can't get going. Rodgers isn't stretching the field and his 6 yards per passing attempt rank near the bottom of the league.

And, much as it did last season without Rodgers, that has all led to the Jets putting themselves in holes early in games.

“We need to be playing from the lead,” Rodgers said. “So we’ve got to start faster. We say it every week, what’s the magic recipe for that? And we're going to go spend some time this week trying to figure that out.”

What’s working

The pass rush. There were concerns about how the Jets were going to get to the quarterback with Jermaine Johnson out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and Haason Reddick still in what seems to be a never-ending contract holdout. But they're providing consistent pressure and rank fourth in the NFL in sacks with 18, led by Will McDonald's six.

What needs help

The run game. Breece Hall entered the season considered one of the league's elite do-it-all running backs, but he has been rendered a nonfactor lately. He is averaging just 3 yards per carry, far off his career average of 4.5. Hall ran for just 23 yards on nine carries against Minnesota, and rookie Braelon Allen had 13 on five attempts.

“Obviously, the last two weeks have been disappointing, but I’m not discouraged,” Saleh said. “We’ll find a way to get back on track.”

Stock up

WR Garrett Wilson. After a slow start and his connection with Rodgers needing work, Wilson caught a career-high 13 passes for a season-high 101 yards on a personal-best 22 targets. While rumors swirl about the Jets having interest in Las Vegas wide receiver Davante Adams, Rodgers' former Packers teammate, Wilson has shown he can be a go-to guy for the quarterback.

Stock down

Rodgers. The quarterback pinned a lot of the blame on himself after the latest loss, saying his performance while tying a career high with three interceptions is “below my standard.” But the inability to stretch the field and make big plays is glaring. He had a shot at one on the final drive but badly overthrew Wilson on what would've been an easy touchdown.

Injuries

Other than Rodgers, CB Michael Carter II is dealing with a hamstring injury that will be evaluated through the week. ... DL Leki Fotu returned to practice last week after four weeks on IR with a hamstring injury, but he wasn't activated. “Felt like he needed at least another week,” Saleh said. “Not saying that this will be the week he comes up, but hopefully he progresses better.” ... RT Morgan Moses (knee) missed his second game in a row and LB C.J. Mosley (toe) his third.

Key number

6 — That's how many penalties were called on the Jets' defense against the Vikings, including three on CB Sauce Gardner and two on CB D.J. Reed.

What’s next

The Jets have a chance to change the narrative against the Bills before another prime-time game at Pittsburgh on “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 20.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll end up finishing off these games to the level that I expect us to,” Saleh said, “and we’ll get this thing turned around.”

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This story has been corrected to show the Jets and Steelers play on “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 20.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL