Aaron Rodgers and the Jets conceded their fifth straight loss Sunday against the Patriots. And the four-time MVP no longer seems to inspire fear in his opponents.
“He’s a Hall of Famer, it’s hard to see him go like that. He really doesn't seem the same anymore.”explained Patriot Davon Godchaux (DL) to MassLive.com.
“He kept going backwards. I could have caught him. He doesn't look mobile at all. »
Rodgers is 40 years old and returning from a serious Achilles tendon injury. This perhaps explains it.
Factually, Godchaux is not wrong. Rodgers hasn't attempted a single carry in the Jets' last four games. If he was never a running quarterback strictly speaking, he always knew how to use his good mobility.
In Green Bay between 2008 and 2016, he attempted between 50 and 67 carries per season. On average a little more than three races per meeting.
This year, the Jets quarterback has run 11 times in 8 games, or 1,375 times per game.
Aaron Rodgers already on the decline in Green Bay?
But Aaron Rodgers' injury may not be the only reason for his more static position. Already, during his last years in Green Bay, he stayed more in his pocket. From 2020 to 2022, he only attempted between 34 and 38 carries per season, or about two carries per game. Its current immobility therefore seems to be a continuation of a decline that began in Wisconsin.
ProFootballTalk.com also recalls a statistic that goes back even further and is painful: Rodgers has not thrown for more than 300 yards in a game in 31 games. So that makes 23 in Green Bay and 8 in New York.
In terms of interceptions, it's a bit the same thing. Already intercepted 7 times this season, number 8 is far from the cleanliness of his great years with the Packers. From 2011 to 2021, he had never been intercepted more than 8 times in a season.
But in 2022, in Green Bay, opposing defenders had captured 12 of his balls, his highest total outside of his first season as a starter (13). This year, he's set to do worse.
And now, the four-time MVP no longer seems to panic defenders.
