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Instant analysis: Aaron Rodgers, NY Jets’ comeback falls short in loss to Vikings in London

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2 months ago

October 6, 2024

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Instant analysis: Aaron Rodgers, NY Jets’ comeback falls short in loss to Vikings in London

Nine yards away.

That’s how close the Jets were to pulling off a miraculous come-from-behind victory after trailing by 17 points in the first half.

Instead, QB Aaron Rodgers third interception proved to be costly, as the Jets come up just short in a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

With the loss, the Jets fall to 2-3 on the season as they now head back home with a huge divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night at MetLife Stadium in Week 6.

For the Vikings, they become the first team in the NFL to move to 5-0 on the season as they now head into their bye week following the victory.

Here was our live analysis of Jets vs Vikings in this Week 5 contest from London:

What a whirlwind of a game for Gang Green.

After being outplayed for the entire first quarter, the case could be made the Jets seemingly were the better team over the course of the final three quarters.

The defense, which was without Sauce Gardner for a majority of the second half due to a head injury, held former Jets’ QB Sam Darnold in check all game long, holding him to below 200 passing yards and completing less than 50 percent of his passes and sacking him four times.

However, they just couldn’t overcome their own mistakes. As it’s been a good chunk of the young season: two steps forward, one step back repeatedly for this team through the first five weeks.

Penalties continue to be a problem as they have been throughout the first four weeks, ending their own drives or extending drives for their opponents, which was case in point when Minnesota made it 17-0 late in the first half thanks to three defensive penalties — including two from Gardner — inside the red zone.

QB Aaron Rodgers was under siege all afternoon for a second consecutive game. He was hit on 11 different occasions, sacked three times and threw three interceptions — including a pick-six to open the scoring — the most in a single game for the four-time NFL MVP since he was a member of the Packers on Nov. 6, 2022.

There’s no doubt Rodgers and the Jets offensive line have to do a better job of keeping him upright, as he was noticeably hobbled and playing through pain for a second straight game.

With today’s loss, the Jets have now dropped 97 straight games they’ve trailed by 17 or more points, with their last win coming all the way back in 2001.

Instead of opting for a bye week, Gang Green now has an extra day of rest before the huge matchup against the Bills on Monday night from MetLife in Week 6.

Minnesota extends it’s lead to six points with another field goal from Will Reichard, this time from 41 yards out.

Now time to see if Rodgers and Co. can go down the field and win the game after being down 17 in the first half.

It’s now a three-point deficit as Aaron Rodgers finds Garrett Wilson for a one-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

With the rain starting to come down in London, Minnesota extends its lead to double digits with another 50+ yard field goal from Vikings’ place kicker Will Reichard.

Wow, what a turn of events.

After QB Aaron Rodgers got rolled up on and seemed as if he suffered another injury to his left leg/ankle, the 40-year-old jogged back on the field after a roughing the kicker penalty extends the Jets drive.

Following the injury scare, Rodgers led the team down the field on a whopping 17-play, 83-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes of the third quarter.

While it might have only resulted in a 32-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein, the Jets are now right back it in it as it’s now only a one-possession game heading into the fourth quarter.

The first half had to seem never ending for the Jets given how one-sided the first half was for the first 29 minutes.

Thanks to a short field from Xavier Gipson, who returned a punt 31 yards into Minnesota territory, Gang Green was able to breakthrough after not being able to get much done at all offensively through the first two quarters.

However, concerns still loom large here.

The Jets were thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the ball. On their first six drives, they only totaled 63 yards.

If the consistent issues of penalties and slow starts weren’t enough, turnovers became a problem, with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing two in the first half alone, including a 63-yard pick-six.

The offense still cant find a consistent rhythm, especially facing one of the league’s best defenses.

If the Jets are to have any chance of a comeback, they need to sustain longer, more successful drives and get consistent stops on defense without taking more penalties than they already have.

With the first half coming to a close, the Jets finally get on the board as QB Aaron Rodgers fires a 14-yard strike to wide receiver Allen Lazard to get Gang Green on the board.

The points were dire given the offense’s inability to get anything going leading up to the scoring drive.

The Jets were given great field position after punt returner Xavier Gipson recorded a 30-yard return to the Vikings’ 31-yard, setting up the lone touchdown drive for Gang Green.

Minnesota extends its lead to three scored as full back C.J. Ham scores from two yards out.

The Vikings were given plenty of opportunities to punch with the Jets taking three penalties on the drive, including two on Sauce Gardner inside the red zone.

To have any hope of making a comeback, Gang Green needs to put points on the board before the end of the half or this one will be over way before the final whistle.

After having their best offensive drive so far, the Jets’ gamble on fourth and short doesn’t pay off with Braelon Allen not gaining a single yard on fourth-and-two, turning the ball over on downs.

The big play of the drive came from Rodgers to tight end Tyler Conklin over the middle of the field for a gain of 25 yards.

The nightmare start continues, with Rodgers sailing a pass intended for wide receiver Allen Lazard and is picked off by Vikings’ Camyrn Bynum.

As it’s been the case through the first month, the chemistry is still clearly not there between the Jets’ signal caller and his wide receivers.

It’s Rodgers’ first multiple interception game with the Jets and his first with two or more interceptions since Nov. 27, 2022 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s worst case scenario for Gang Green. QB Aaron Rodgers tries to complete a pass over the middle but is intercepted by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who takes it 63-yards for a touchdown to give Minnesota a two-score lead.

This is a brutal start for the Jets, who were set up with great field position after they recovered a fumble and returned it to Vikings’ territory looking to tie the game or potentially take the lead.

Ironically enough, Van Ginkel now has two pick-sixes this season, both coming against MetLife counterparts in the Giants and Jets.

Minnesota open’s the scoring with a 54-yard field goal from place kicker Will Reichard.

After the Jets’ had a quick three-and-out holding the ball for just over 90 seconds, the Vikings go 52 yards on 11 plays, with the big play coming from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson for 26 yards to get the ball in Jets’ territory.

The drive stalled when Jets’ Will McDonald IV sacked the Vikings’ QB on third and short to force Minnesota to settle for three points.

The sack is McDonald’s is now his sixth of the season, tied for second most in the NFL, only half-a-sack behind Detroit Lions Aidan Hutchinson, who has 6.5 sacks.

Playing in his 20th season, the four-time NFL MVP has set plenty of records along the way, and will likely break another on Sunday morning in London.

If Rodgers throws for 96 yards, he will eclipse 60,000 passing yards, becoming only the ninth QB to ever do so in NFL history.

Rodgers has had quite the history against Minnesota in his career.

In 29 games, he sports a 17-11-1 record and has thrown for 7,157 passing yards, the most against any opponent in his two decades in the NFL.

Now dawning the green and white, he could arguably be his toughest against this version of the Vikings, who rank top-five in both scoring offense and defense through the first month of the regular season.

One of the notable headlines of this matchup across the pond is Darnold facing his former team. Originally drafted third overall by Gang Green in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the former USC product has flourished in Minnesota.

Going into Week 5, Darnold’s led the NFL with 11 touchdown passes and is second in yards per attempt (YPA) averaging 8.8 yards per throw this season. There’s no denying he’s in a very QB friendly offense led by head coach Kevin O’Connell and has one of, if not the best wide receiver in the NFL in Justin Jefferson, who’s the only player in the NFL to score a touchdown in every game so far this season.

Still, Darnold’s shown off the ability of why he was drafted with a top three selection and is now surrounded in undoubtedly the best system and talent surrounding him in his seventh year in the league.

The 27-year-old signal caller is the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week and NFC Offensive Player of the Month after getting off to this hot start after replacing QB J.J. McCarthy, who the Vikings selected 10th overall in this past April’s draft but is out for the season after he tore his meniscus in his first preseason game.

JETS

LB CJ Mosley
OL Morgan Moses
RB Israel Abanikanda
OL Max Mitchell
DE Braiden McGregor
WR Malachi Corley
CB Jarrick Benard-Converse

VIKINGS

QB Brett Rypien
WR Trishton Jackson
CB Fabian Moreau
CB Dwight McGlothern
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez
OT Walter Rouse
DL Jalen Redmond

NY Jets vs Vikings injury updates

NY Jets: Morgan Moses (knee) has been ruled out, while linebacker C.J. Mosley and Leki Fotu are both doubtful to suit up on Sunday despite getting in a limited practice on Friday.
Vikings: Tight end TJ Hockenson has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

NY Jets vs Vikings time today

Date: Sunday, Oct. 6
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England

What channel is NY Jets vs Vikings game on today?

Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

NY Jets vs Vikings history

Series record: Jets lead, 8-4
Jets’ last win: Oct. 11, 2010 (29-20)
Vikings’ last win: Dec. 4, 2022 (27-22)

NY Jets vs Vikings prediction

The pick: Vikings 27, Jets 17

Here’s why: The health and status of Aaron Rodgers plays a major factor here. The Vikings have shown through the first month of the season that they may be one of, if not the most complete team in the NFL. Can Rodgers, who is clearly not 100 percent, defeat a Minnesota team that he’s done fairly well against in his career (17-11-1 vs. Vikings)? Potentially. However, I don’t see that happening with the Vikings being in full control across the pond, earning a double-digit victory and sending Gang Green under .500 for the second time this season.

Watch Jets vs Vikings live on Fubo (free trial)