Aaron Rodgers proves his leadership despite poor showing in NY Jets loss

Aaron Rodgers stepped up to the podium following the NY Jets' 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and put the weight of the loss on his shoulders immediately.

The first question posed by a reporter was how Rodgers differed after today's game vs. after the last game he played in London in 2022. He immediately pivoted to taking the blame for the loss.

""They all hurt. You just got to be, you know, honest with your performance every single week. And hold yourself to a standard...obviously that was below my standard." "

- Aaron Rodgers

He went on to elaborate, "I just found out I've never thrown two picks in the first quarter before...one of them cost, obviously, seven. And the other could have cost three. Three turnovers for me is definitely out of character and I'm disappointed."

It's true. This was not a great Aaron Rodgers game. And he's right, his two interceptions in the first quarter were not only ugly, but they were also extremely costly. One was returned for a touchdown, and the other cost them a chance at a field goal or more. That's a potential 10 to 14-point swing right there.

As Rodgers said about those interceptions, "In a game where you lose by six, plays like that are exponentially highlighted."

It wasn't all on Rodgers. He was hit consistently, even scaring everyone by grabbing the back of his leg on a third-down sack in the third quarter. He was limping around the rest of the game, suffering an apparent ankle injury. The offensive line did him no favors, and neither did Allen Lazard who dropped multiple passes.

Aaron Rodgers took accountability for NY Jets' failures in Week 5

But just the fact that Rodgers, who many have seen as unhappy with his teammates and coaches, stepped up to take the blame, says a lot about his leadership and the state of the Jets' locker room.

He even made sure to clarify, on the following question, that the final interception was his fault and not miscommunication with Mike Williams. He was asked very simply, what happened on that last pass. He looked in the air, thought for maybe half a second, and grimaced.

"I just kind of underthrew it a little."

This team will go as Aaron Rodgers goes. And it's good to see that, at least publicly, he is putting on a happy face. He even cracked a few jokes during the press conference.

After a week of "cadence gate," a lot of talking heads felt that there was some divide between Robert Saleh, Rodgers, and other players. Even after this game, linebacker Quincy Williams made a comment about "accountability."

It is unclear what or who Williams is referring to, but he isn't the leader of the team. That is, for better or worse, Aaron Rodgers. This entire team was constructed for and around him. The Jets' linebacker wants someone to take accountability. Well, it looks like someone has -— the team's leader.

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