For Aaron Rodgers, the bad news just keeps on coming. Just just hours before their Thursday Night Football game against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it was announced the New York Jets had placed Allen Lazard on injured reserve.
Rooted at the bottom of the AFC East, the Jets haven’t returned a win since September 19. In subsequent matches, they lost to Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and, most recently, to the New England Patriots.
Lazard did not attend practice all through last week and he did not feature in the defeat to the Patriots. He was “listed as a non-participant on all three injury reports” since the start of the week. Having now been placed on injured reserve, he will be sidelined long-term with the situation making it far more likely the Jets will keep Mike Williams around rather than seeking a trade, ESPN reports.
Aaron Rodgers instructs New York Jets on what to do if they want to salvage season
Aaron Rodgers makes brutally honest New York Jets admission
Lazard’s absence may be felt by Rodgers and the Jets as Lazard is the team-leader when it comes to receiving touchdowns, with five. He’s also contributed a lot in receiving yards with 412, and has 30 catches.
Lazard is one of Rodgers’ most trusted receivers. They played together for four years at Green Bay Packers and share a strong on-field connection.
But a Jets team without Lazard is just one of many problems unearthed this season. And even Rodgers himself knows change must happen if they are to salvage the campaign.
For Rodgers, they must first buck the losing skid they’ve embarked on as winning is contagious and it might not be long before they’ve got positive momentum on their side. They require great leadership, too, and a morale boost, he said.
“What you do is you try and set up a lot of different things that are part of the structure and the foundation of a winning culture, but until each of those things clicks in, you’re fighting against some of the ghosts of years past, and it’s in every organization, it’s in every season,” he recently told reporters.
After welcoming the Texans to New Jersey, the Jets have only two games in November a trip to the Cardinals on November 10, before a game back at MetLife against the Colts.
There are only so many chances the franchise will have to get momentum back on their side before their season is ruined. The injury to Lazard won’t help things, either. In other news, the Jets announced that Riley Patterson will be the kicker for the Texans game.
Leave a Reply