"Packers Coach Matt LaFleur uses presnap motion and other window dressing to help inexperienced receivers get open for short passes, and Rodgers has never been fond of motion, inexperienced receivers, short passes or head coaches."
I love this post! I mean, I love all of Mike’s posts, but I’m glad he did the equivalent of an “emergency podcast” to address the Saleh firing. My sincere question is how good is Rodgers right now as a QB? In the 12th-20th range or lower? Obviously not worth his salary and the DRAMA, but is he still at least somewhat competent/average?
DVOA has the Jets' offense ranked 23rd. I don't have access to how their passing game ranks or how Rodgers' ranks versus all QBs, but I doubt it's any higher than the 12th-20th range you suggested. Rodgers had one really good game, against NE, where he looked like did in his prime, so he can still flash brilliance.
Rodgers has made some amazing decisions and throws over the last 3 weeks. Plays where he just flicked the ball at the last moment to a WR in the one spot where he could catch it.
Rodgers' lack of mobility has become a bigger and bigger issue, and Hackett's offense doesn't appear to have a solution to blitzers firing right off the edge. I am guessing that opponents (Broncos, not Vikings) who would not have dared blitz Rodgers in that way 4 years ago are doing it now, in search of easy sacks.
He is not a BAD QB now by any means. He's like a top 10-20 guy. But fading.
The number of Faustian bargains involved in creating this tangle of Jets Pride and Jets Sin would require John Constantine or Stephen Strange to unravel.
A few years ago Aaron was making goofy Doritos commercials and angling for a spot next to the Manning brothers on ESPN-Ocho or whatevs. He had a Super Bowl win over alleged human Ben Rothlesberger, isn’t that enough? Football is a team sport, but Aaron Rodgers turned it into a vanity project, a reality show about his quest for more sprinkles on the remains of his once perfect sundae
Rodgers quietly lost the StateFarm endorsement. He is obviously being passed over for other endorsements. No way he gets to host a major game show now. But of course ... that's because of woke.
LOL. My "anti-Herbert" bit only calcified when Acho called him a Social Media QB in December of 2022. And social media got inordinately insulted. Proving Acho right.
It is easy to dislike Aaron Rodgers. But Mike, here's what I'd like to know: is this article based on information from your sources or are you just having a rant based on a guess? It's an honest question. There are plenty of commentators who have been skeptical of Saleh's head coaching ability for a while.
That being said, the timing of this firing is pretty strange.
I kept reading all these preview pieces in the summer about how awesome the Jets were going to be and marvelled at the cognitive dissonance - even the Almanac was at it to an extent. I was really hoping the team would fail, maybe by falling agonisingly short in week 17 or something, but this implosion has been more delicious - and thoroughly deserved - than I could ever have imagined.
I used to refer to Rodgers as “Super Kirk.” A once great statistical QB whose greatest accomplishment has been proving once and for all the invalidity of statistics as the measure of quarterbacking immortality.
Sports is performance art not science. Rodgers never truly measured up to the greats and we have witnessed at least 3 better QBs extant during his under performing career.
The best play Rodgers made during his lone Super Bowl run was the midfield tackle of Urlacher to deny a pick six in what became the first of several poor NFCCG performances. The final score was a pick six by Raji against the Bears 3rd stringer.
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: One vast and Achilles-less leg of stone
Stand in the swamp. Near them, on the land,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And hairy lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The arm that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Rodgmandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
No thing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal stadium, with wins bare
The lone and level fans stretch far away.
"Packers Coach Matt LaFleur uses presnap motion and other window dressing to help inexperienced receivers get open for short passes, and Rodgers has never been fond of motion, inexperienced receivers, short passes or head coaches."
Excellent line
Almost as a good as "he looked like a cross between a Star Wars cosplayer and a young billionaire who just started jarring his toenail clippings".
This may be the greatest thing I’ve read on Substack.
Thanks to everyone who enjoyed it!
"Marshmallow-brained multimillionaire" is glorious prose
Oh man. Mike going full, unrestrained snark on Aaron Rodgers is pretty much why I pay the monthly vig. Pure gold!
This column is a work of art. He ought to have it bronzed
and now to watch, with popcorn, as the Jets self immolate for the favor of a man who just threw 3 INTs.
I love this post! I mean, I love all of Mike’s posts, but I’m glad he did the equivalent of an “emergency podcast” to address the Saleh firing. My sincere question is how good is Rodgers right now as a QB? In the 12th-20th range or lower? Obviously not worth his salary and the DRAMA, but is he still at least somewhat competent/average?
DVOA has the Jets' offense ranked 23rd. I don't have access to how their passing game ranks or how Rodgers' ranks versus all QBs, but I doubt it's any higher than the 12th-20th range you suggested. Rodgers had one really good game, against NE, where he looked like did in his prime, so he can still flash brilliance.
Rodgers has made some amazing decisions and throws over the last 3 weeks. Plays where he just flicked the ball at the last moment to a WR in the one spot where he could catch it.
Rodgers' lack of mobility has become a bigger and bigger issue, and Hackett's offense doesn't appear to have a solution to blitzers firing right off the edge. I am guessing that opponents (Broncos, not Vikings) who would not have dared blitz Rodgers in that way 4 years ago are doing it now, in search of easy sacks.
He is not a BAD QB now by any means. He's like a top 10-20 guy. But fading.
The number of Faustian bargains involved in creating this tangle of Jets Pride and Jets Sin would require John Constantine or Stephen Strange to unravel.
A few years ago Aaron was making goofy Doritos commercials and angling for a spot next to the Manning brothers on ESPN-Ocho or whatevs. He had a Super Bowl win over alleged human Ben Rothlesberger, isn’t that enough? Football is a team sport, but Aaron Rodgers turned it into a vanity project, a reality show about his quest for more sprinkles on the remains of his once perfect sundae
Rodgers quietly lost the StateFarm endorsement. He is obviously being passed over for other endorsements. No way he gets to host a major game show now. But of course ... that's because of woke.
You try finding a good chamberpot sanitizer in this economy. the labor market's too tight! people have options!
Thay 2022 quote is the nicest thing Mike has ever said about Justin Herbert
LOL. My "anti-Herbert" bit only calcified when Acho called him a Social Media QB in December of 2022. And social media got inordinately insulted. Proving Acho right.
Fantastic scathing hilarious wonderful article.
I notice Rodgers hasn't said "R-E-L-A-X" in quite some time.
It is easy to dislike Aaron Rodgers. But Mike, here's what I'd like to know: is this article based on information from your sources or are you just having a rant based on a guess? It's an honest question. There are plenty of commentators who have been skeptical of Saleh's head coaching ability for a while.
That being said, the timing of this firing is pretty strange.
I kept reading all these preview pieces in the summer about how awesome the Jets were going to be and marvelled at the cognitive dissonance - even the Almanac was at it to an extent. I was really hoping the team would fail, maybe by falling agonisingly short in week 17 or something, but this implosion has been more delicious - and thoroughly deserved - than I could ever have imagined.
I used to refer to Rodgers as “Super Kirk.” A once great statistical QB whose greatest accomplishment has been proving once and for all the invalidity of statistics as the measure of quarterbacking immortality.
Sports is performance art not science. Rodgers never truly measured up to the greats and we have witnessed at least 3 better QBs extant during his under performing career.
The best play Rodgers made during his lone Super Bowl run was the midfield tackle of Urlacher to deny a pick six in what became the first of several poor NFCCG performances. The final score was a pick six by Raji against the Bears 3rd stringer.
Today I regret ever demeaning Kirk by comparison.
All these comments are too high minded. I selfishly wish the Jets had waited one week or the Bills had their 2022 roster. I fear the new coach bounce.