Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets given huge reality check by the Denver Broncos as they suffer 10-9 defeat after dismal offensive performance

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets got a brutal reality check on Sunday after suffering a miserable 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 50-yard field goal with just 44 seconds left to cap a dismal day for Robert Saleh’s team, which looked far from a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

The Jets turned in a terrible offensive performance that was eerily similar to last season’s struggles in the wake of Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury.

That frustration seemed long gone after the returning Rodgers led them to a 2-1 start. But ten days after dismantling the New England Patriots here at MetLife Stadium, the Jets suffered their second loss of the season.

Courtland Sutton scored the only touchdown of the game as Denver emerged from a tough doubleheader on the road with blowout wins over the Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Jets were terrible offensively and delivered performances similar to last season’s problems

Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton scored the game’s only touchdown in the third quarter

It’s a reality check for New York, whose offense was so bad it felt like they had gone back in time to when Zach Wilson seemed lost in the wreckage of Rodgers’ Achilles injury.

The only way Jets fans knew for sure they had moved on was that Wilson was now in white on the Broncos’ sideline. He was probably loving every minute of this.

So did his coach, Sean Payton. Payton made headlines before last season when he said former Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett did “one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history” during a 4-11 stint in Denver in 2022.

Hackett, now the Jets’ offensive coordinator, did little to dismiss Payton’s claims on this point.

The Jets set the tone for the day on the opening drive when Rodgers was sacked on the very first play. He then overthrew a pass to Tyler Conklin before Garrett Wilson uncharacteristically looked for a Broncos turnover.

On their second drive, the Jets gave up three penalties. It was no start to energize the fans, who sat in their ponchos as the rain poured down.

Rodgers completed just eight of 16 passes for 81 yards in the first half. He was also sacked three times in the rain, but showed glimpses of good footwork when flushed from the pocket.

The Broncos were no better, however, with their starting quarterback Bo Nix completing just seven of fifteen passes for a staggering negative seven yards in the first half.

Things got worse for Denver when running back Tyler Badie was backboarded and carted off the sideline before the start of the second quarter.

Badie caught a pass from Bo Nix on a third down play and was immediately hit by Quincy Williams for a loss of four yards and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Michael Carter II for the Jets.

Badie came off the field but was then seen on his back as he was watched by trainers on the sidelines. He was then secured to a board and lifted onto a cart before being taken from the field.

Two Greg Zuerlein field goals put the Jets up 6-0 going into halftime. It was a lead they did not deserve.

It wasn’t good enough for a team with Super Bowl aspirations and while it looked like the Jets would be the team to come out in the second half and assert themselves, it was Denver who struck first.

Nix found Courtland Sutton for an eight-yard touchdown three minutes into the third quarter to stun the home fans. The Jets’ response was hardly emphatic. More drives ended abruptly and more penalties were called.

As the clock ticked into the fourth quarter and the Jets were down a third in a promising position, Rodgers had no choice but to run the ball out of bounds. He looked around in frustration and stopped himself from hitting the ball in anger.

Zuerlein put the Jets back in front 9-7, but a Broncos drive, sparked by Javonte Williams’ running in response, produced a field goal that put the visitors back in front.

More to follow.