Aaron Rodgers has been accused of making a crucial error of judgement in the dying minutes of the New York Jets’ defeat to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
The Jets failed to get off to a winning start under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who has taken temporary charge of the team after last week’s firing of Robert Saleh.
While they showed positive signs offensively, they still came off second best in a dramatic 23-20 loss to Buffalo at MetLife Stadium, which leaves them 2-4 for the season.
It proved a mixed night for Rodgers; who produced a sensational 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass and had 294 yards, but also threw a costly late interception that ended any hopes of a late Jets victory.
The four-time MVP – who took aim at NFL referees after the defeat – attempted to pick out Mike Williams around 50 yards downfield with just under two minutes on the clock, only for the wide receiver to slip before Taron Johnson picked him off.
Aaron Rodgers has been accused of making a huge error in the Jets’ defeat to the Bills
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It was a devastating moment for the Jets, yet fans are convinced that Rodgers had a better option wide open on that snap in running back Breece Hall.
Replays show that Hall was in acres of space to his right just before he launched the ball to Williams, a pass which could have earned a first down at a pivotal moment.
One user wrote on X: ‘Blame Mike Williams all you want, but Rodgers had Breece Hall with no one in the zipe code to the right.’
‘Look at Breece Hall leak out,’ said another. ‘Nobody within 15 yards of him Rodgers got greedy, wanted to be the hero It was 4 down territory man’.
A third commented: ‘Aaron Rodgers suck. Why throw the long ball for Williams to catch. I could see a wide open Breece Hall.’
‘Blame Mike Williams, But What About Breece Hall?’ asked another. ‘While it’s easy to blame Mike Williams, let’s not forget that Aaron Rodgers had Breece Hall wide open with no defenders in sight. This raises questions about decision-making on the field.’
While one joked: ‘Imagine if Aaron Rodgers had drastically underthrown it even more and it landed in Breece Hall’s hands’.
Rodgers failed to spot Breece Hall (top left) in acres of space before throwing an interception
Fans took to social media to hit out at the four-time MVP quarterback on Monday night
After Monday’s defeat – the Jets’ third on the bounce – Rodgers accused them of ‘giving away’ the game against the Bills due to ‘terrible’ failings on the field.
He admitted there was now ‘concern’ about their prospects this season, with New York now 2-4, but insisted ‘that’s important. We need to get going’.
Rodgers said: ‘This was a golden opportunity. Some games you win in the NFL, some games you give away. This was a giveaway.
‘We were terrible in the red zone. We missed two field goals, we didn’t convert on a two-minute drive.
‘We had plenty of chances. We had the momentum. We had good drives, we moved the ball up and down the field, so (it’s) disappointing.’
The Bills now hold a two-win advantage over both the Jets and the Dolphins in the AFC East.
