New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh has told Aaron Rodgers that they might need to change the way they run their offense, something the legendary quarterback did not agree with.
Rodgers has mastered the art of hard counting, a tactic to get the team’s defensive line to jump offsides before the offense snaps the ball and runs a free play – while also seeing the defense react slower off the snap and limit the oppositions pass rush.
A risky tactic, it can see the offensive line instead react and cause a false start to the play – something which the Jets had called against them five times in their loss to the Denver Broncos this past Sunday.
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Groans could be heard around MetLife Stadium as three different lineman had false started on the day, with Saleh stating that the team might have to change how they approach the play pre-snap to avoid such instances.
“We gotta figure it out, whether or not we’re good enough or ready to handle all of the cadence,” Saleh said. “Cadence had not been an issue all camp. Felt like our operation had been operating pretty good. Obviously, today took a major step back.”
However, the hard count is something that Rodgers has expertise in over the years, regularly leading the league in drawing the defense offsides to create free plays – while being a master of diagnosing the defensive system until the last second before getting the ball out where it needs to be.
The Jets lost to Nix, who passed for just 60 yards (
Getty)
And Rodgers was not afraid to openly disagree with Saleh, suggesting he won’t be looking to limit their hard counting prior to the snap.
When asked on whether they would cut back on the hard counts to stop the offensive line false starting, Rodgers said: “That’s one way to do it. The other way is to hold them accountable. I mean, we haven’t had an issue. We’ve had one false start. Morgan [Moses] had one false start, I believe, until this.
“It’s been a weapon. We use it every day in practice. We rarely have a false start. And to have five today … Yeah, it seems like an outlier. I don’t know if we need to make mass changes based on kind of an outlier game.
The Jets lost 10-9 in a defensive game at Met Life, with both offenses struggling in the rain, both moving to a 2-2 record to begin the season.
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