Jets could be in for equally bad offensive line showing against blitz-happy Vikings

The NY Jets were handed a hard dose of reality against the Denver Broncos. Just 10 days after crushing the New England Patriots, the Broncos were able to squeak by the Jets 10-9 despite a historically bad day from Bo Nix. The Jets were simply overwhelmed in the trenches.

The shocking regression of the offensive line was the most alarming part of the loss. With rookie Olu Fashanu moving over to right tackle to replace Morgan Moses, the Jets let Rodgers get sacked five times and hit 14 times. Things won't get easier in London against the Minnesota Vikings.

Not only have the Vikings raced out to a 4-0 record with former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold under center, but they have one of the most ferocious defenses the game has to offer. Brian Flores will not make life easy for Rodgers and an offensive line that looks much worse than it did one week ago.

The Broncos blitz on almost half of their dropbacks, which leads the NFL. The only team even close to them in blitz percentage is Minnesota, which ranks second by blitzing on 41% of their dropbacks. Without major improvements, Rodgers could be on his back once again.

NY Jets could be in for rough game against blitz-heavy Vikings

While Rodgers has shown to be unusually mobile for a quarterback with his age and injury history, the Jets have also largely not done a good job protecting him against good defensive fronts like San Francisco and Denver. Rodgers needs a clean pocket at this stage of his career.

Tyron Smith has regressed, as he is merely above average instead of superhuman like he was in Dallas. Olu Fashanu was bad in pass protection, but this was his first NFL game and it came at right tackle instead of his preferred left tackle. The interior has been excellent, but it faltered against Denver.

Not only will the Vikings blitz heavily, but Brian Flores has proven to be a mastermind when it comes to varying his coverages. Against a Jets team with a struggling offensive line and a group of pass-catchers that are not totally in sync with Rodgers, Minnesota could have a field day.

Rodgers will be good enough to keep the Jets in this game, but the offense around him still hasn't clicked just yet. Perhaps the Jets will be able to somehow pull off the upset of all upsets against Sam Darnold and a complete Vikings team, but don't bet on it after the Denver nightmare.

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