Aaron Rodgers, Jets regrets penalty shootout, missed chances in loss to Bills

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For the third straight week, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was left to explain a loss in which his team missed a chance to win the game on its final possession. This time, he seemed more frustrated and anxious than ever.

“We need to move on,” Rodgers said Monday night after the Jets — in their first game under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich — fell to 2-4 with a 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. “This was a golden opportunity. Some games you win in the NFL, some games you give it up. This was a gift.”

Not only was he critical of the Jets’ performance, but Rodgers also questioned the management. The teams combined for 22 penalties and 204 yards, including 11 for 110 yards by the Jets, who had the same problems under former coach Robert Saleh.

“It seemed a bit silly,” Rodgers said of the officiating. “Some (of the calls) seemed really bad, including the bystander roughing me (by AJ Epenesa). That’s not considered roughing up the bystander. Maybe you better play Sarcastaball (reference to the TV show ‘South Park’) if we’re going to call that stuff “And I thought the person who was on (Javon) Kinlaw wasn’t abusing bystanders either.”

Rodgers also bemoaned a “fake holding call” on tackle Tyrone Smith that negated a score by Braylon Allen that would have given the Jets a 27-20 lead going into the third quarter. They didn’t get any points from it, as Greg Zuerlein missed his second field goal of the night.

The Jets, who fired Saleh last Tuesday, capped a turbulent week with a performance that rivaled many others. There were a lot of penalties and a lot of missed opportunities.

Under new kicker Todd Downing, who replaced demoted Nathaniel Hackett, the offense was able to produce 393 total yards, but went 1-for-4 in the red zone. One of those two touchdowns was a miracle play — a 52-yard Hail Mary from Allen Lazard at the end of the first half that cut the Bills’ lead to 20-17.

“Frustrating” was how much receiver Garrett Wilson described the penalties, fouls and missed opportunities. “We have to find a way to score goals because I don’t want to keep feeling like this,” he said.

The Jets have lost three straight by a combined 10 points, the last two ending with Rodgers interceptions on their final possession. For the first time in his 20-year career, Rodgers has a losing record after six games.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I’m here to win those games.”

This time, Rodgers got the ball on his 30 with 3:43 left in the game — a 70-yarder away from a touchdown that would have pushed the Jets into a tie for first place with the Bills (4-2). The last time the Jets shared first place after Week 6 was in 2012 — the longest drought in the NFL.

There was no Rodgers magic.

The drive exploded with a sack and two Jets penalties (one offset), and ended with a deep third-and-16 ball to Mike Williams that was picked off by Taron Johnson on the Bills’ 18-yard line. Rodgers indicated that there was a misunderstanding between him and Williams, who suffered a head injury while playing.

Rodgers (23-for-35) threw for a season-high 294 yards, including two touchdowns, but he wasn’t happy with the offense’s overall execution. Attention to detail must improve, he said. He can improve too. In the red zone, he was just 3-for-8, including four passes that were tipped or defended.

“I thought we were going to have a big night offensively,” he said. “Again, this should have been a 30-plus point game offensively, and this shouldn’t be a conversation.”

Owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh in hopes of creating new energy under the fiery Ulbrich. It worked – for a little while. After a Hail Mary to Lazard to Rodgers — the fourth touchdown of Rodgers’ career — the Jets entered halftime with momentum. But they left it in the locker room, only scoring a field goal in the second half.

Now they are in danger of being eliminated from the competition.

“We’re not out of this by any means. By no means,” Ulbrich said. “I know what this locker room is like. And I know how we’re going to respond… We’ve got to start putting in these weeks of exceptional preparation. I promise you it will start to produce results on Sunday.”