The NFL is in London, and there might not be a pair of hotter storylines than the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings.
While everything is plain sailing for the perfect Vikings after a four-game win streak to start the season, the Jets are under a different sort of pressure.
Robert Saleh and Aaron Rodgers shared an awkward embrace
Robert Saleh and Aaron Rodgers shared an awkward embrace
13 seasons without a trip to the playoffs doesn’t usually bring the expectation the Jets find themselves under – but a four-time MVP at quarterback brings pressure.
Playoff pressure. Maybe even Super Bowl pressure.
“Pressure?” Head coach Robert Saleh smiled in front of the assembled media at the team’s facility. “In New York?”
“You could be an expansion team. It doesn’t matter. It’s New York. Expectations to win, to go to the Super Bowl, to lose, to fire everybody.”
With Aaron Rodgers under center, a defense that has been carrying the offense for at least a couple of seasons, there is weight of expectation that doesn’t fit the longest postseason drought in the four major North American sports leagues.
One or two cracks have been beginning to show.
So perhaps getting away from the spotlight helps, a week in the UK with a welcoming fanbase, an eager media, and some friendly questioning.
Not so, as Saleh felt the heat deep in the heart of the English countryside
Everything seems to be on a knife edge for the Jets, an organization that never seems to far away from a fully blown crisis.
With Rodgers on board, and expectations rising on Saleh in his fourth year – none of which have been a winning season – the extremes seem to have tightened the tension
“That’s the world we live in, that’s the world we embrace. We attack each week as we win a week. Every week comes with the extremest amount of pressure,” he said.
“But we are made for it.”
Saleh and Rodgers’ relationship has come under the spotlight over the last few weeks.
New York Jets arrive in London ahead of their clash against the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
An awkward hug on the sidelines, a dispute over Rodgers’ cadence at the line of scrimmage, an offense battling some high highs, and some low lows.
A near-perfect Rodgers led a humming Jets offense past the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football in Week 3, only for Week 4 to deliver a monumental letdown in the same stadium on Sunday after a 10-9 defeat to the Denver Broncos.
That defeat prompted the question over cadence.
Rodgers made it clear to the media on Friday that there was nothing in it – and directed his comments at external parties.
“I think there’s some driving force trying to put a wedge outside the facility between Robert and I,” he said.
“We’re really good friends. We enjoy each other. We spend time almost every day in his office talking about things.”
Rodgers is still trying to get his offense on script. Chemistry with Garrett Wilson has been hard to find, Mike Williams is getting up to speed after missing training camp and
Links with one of Rodgers favourite Green Bay Packers targets Davante Adams are understandable.
Rodgers and Adams enjoyed a spectacular partnership in Green Bay
Rodgers and Adams enjoyed a spectacular partnership in Green BayCredit: Getty
The Jets are a team who probably need to swing big – Adams’ arrival would not be a surprise and would be welcome, although Rodgers did not give much away.
“I don’t know how much I can say about it,” the quarterback said.
“I still have a close friendship with him. We spend time in the off-season together. He’s a great guy and a great player.
“The rest of that is out of my hands.”
So what about those he is working with for the time being? “We’ve been up and down,” Rodgers freely admits.
Rodgers is hoping to claim a first win in London
Rodgers is hoping to claim a first win in LondonCredit: Getty
“We came off a good Thursday night game. We were efficient in all areas and then we just didn’t play well at the moment.
“We’re still trying to find a way to get the ball in space to our guys. Get our best 11 on the field. Be efficient.
“It’s just the details. We have to be on the same page. I don’t think it’s big changes. Things are close. I want us to put it all together.”
So as the Jets prepare for their second trip to London in the last three years – the theme is pressure again.
When asked about why the neutral UK fans should root for the Jets, his answer underlined his belief in his squad
“I’ll go back to New York. It’s the big stage. We’ve got a fun group, a really fun group,” he said.
“We’ve got a group that plays hard. They love one another. They appreciate one another. They play for one another.
“And if you just turn it on, you can feel the energy that they give off. And because of it, jump on the wagon now.”
Win, and everything looks rosy at 3-2. Lose and it’s all doom and gloom at 2-3.
Leave a Reply