The New York Jets beat the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, 32 – 25, coming from behind with less than four minutes left in the game. Davante Adams exploded at the end for 135 receiving yards and two touchdowns to lead the Jets to victory. It was the first Jets win since Halloween.
Now the Jets are home to take on the 8-6 Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They have won three straight games and seven of their last nine. Included in that stretch are signature victories over the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings, as well as wins over the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, all teams that defeated the Jets this season. This is a game the Jets have no business winning, on paper. However, late season upsets aren’t unheard of. If Aaron Rodgers can pull another throwback performance out of his hat perhaps the Jets have a shot.
Compared to other grizzled veterans around the league, including the guy Matthew Stafford will see on the opposing sideline this weekend, the Rams quarterback might have 2-3 good years in him. I’d lean toward the lower end of that prediction but you never know. Stafford has been a rollercoaster this season, yet he hasn’t lost any velocity in his spectacular right arm. He’s been a mixed bag for sure, but only because he lost his top two playmakers early in the year and endured countless changes along the offensive line. With the offense around him getting healthier, Stafford has been able to produce at a high level like he was in the second half of 2023. Stafford has a 16-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio during LA’s current 6-2 stretch. The guy can still sling it, and there aren’t many signal callers I’d take over him.
The Rams have addressed Stafford’s future on a year-to-year basis which is an incredibly smart approach. When the front office decides to address his successor, it’ll likely come either this offseason or next. I’m leaning toward the 2026 offseason since there isn’t a great crop of quarterbacks in next year’s draft. In all likelihood, I could see the Rams trading for a promising young QB instead of turning to the draft. My thinking is that it worked with Stafford, why couldn’t it work with someone else? The problem is trying to capture lightning in a bottle and there are no guarantees with that approach.
Considering how aggressive the front office has been in the Les Snead-Sean McVay era, I could see a trade as the most likely option in a post-Stafford world. Who that player will be is anyone’s guess, but I think Kirk Cousins might be available pretty soon. (Insert eye roll.)
2. Each team’s fanbase knows their team much better than other fans. Usually there are a few guys who your team’s fans know about and love, but other fans might not be too familiar with. Could you let Jets fans know a few unsung heroes on the Rams, if possible at least one on both offense and defense?
While Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua rightfully get all the fanbase’s love and admiration, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson also deserves his flowers. The veteran has started all 14 games this season and leads the team with 7 touchdown receptions. Robinson has been quiet the last couple weeks, but that might mean he’s in for a surprise score this weekend. In back-to-back games against the Vikings and Seahawks earlier this year, Robinson had 4 TD receptions, including the game-winner in Seattle. Without his overtime snag, the Rams would not be in first place right now.
Defensively, undrafted rookie safety Jaylen McCollough has been a strange study. The rookie leads the team in interceptions despite not starting a single game this season. McCollough has 4 interceptions on the year, including a 4-yard pick-six in LA’s Week 5 loss to the Packers. He has mainly played on special teams, yet is a ballhawk that Mr. Rodgers should watch out for whenever the Tennessee product takes the field.
3. The Rams have taken a completely original approach to team building. They had no first round draft picks for a seven year stretch from 2017 through 2023. Conventional wisdom says that’s suicide for building any kind of long term success. Yet the Rams won a Super Bowl in that stretch, played in two Super Bowls, made the playoffs five out of seven years, had just one losing season, and are once again in first place in the NFC West this year. Have the Rams found a better way to build a winning franchise, and what lessons can other NFL teams take from their success?
Yes and no. I believe the Rams found a team building approach that worked for them but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach as evidenced by the teams that have struggled to replicate it. *cough J-E-T-S cough*
One of the best moves the Rams made early in the McVay era was signing Andrew Whitworth who churned out an All-Pro campaign in his first season with the team. It’s amazing how an offensive lineman can impact an offense as Whitworth was a cornerstone of the Rams’ resurgence, and it’s even more astonishing how many teams fail to address the trenches as they should. Both the Broncos and Jets traded for Hall of Fame-level quarterbacks within the last few seasons, yet had no way to protect them. Similar thing going on with the Bears and Caleb Williams, but I think that organization is too incompetent to ever figure that out. Inserting a high-level QB is fine and dandy unless he’s constantly running for his life. That’s lesson number one Jets. Were you paying attention, Woody?
Lesson number two, and Woody, write this down in permanent marker. Teams must be certain that their roster has as few holes as possible before acquiring a franchise passer. Yes, I realize how obvious it sounds, but you’d be stunned at how many teams have a severe case of head-up-their-butt-itis when it comes to this. The 2020 Buccaneers were a great example of a team that was truly Super Bowl-ready. Everyone wants to shower Tom Brady with praise by saying he was the only QB who could’ve done that. Tampa had two elite wideouts and a defense viewed as a sleeping giant. What the Bucs really needed was a halfway decent passer who wouldn’t throw 30 bone-headed interceptions in a season. Brady was an excellent leader who made intelligent decisions, that was the reason they won the big game, not just TB12 alone. That was probably the last Super Bowl-ready team that I can think of. Again, teams like the Jets, Broncos and Bears had several glaring holes to address, but their idiotic front offices felt that a high-level QB would cure all their woes. Whoops.
Finally, teams must be careful not to bend over backward to their new quarterback’s demands. The Jets learned that the hard way by acquiring as many of Aaron Rodgers’ buddies to please him. The Broncos gave Russell Wilson his own office, signaling that he’s above everyone on the team. You better believe Peyton Manning never had his own office while he was in Denver. If a front office is doing that much ass-kissing, their fans should send them a crate of chapstick. I hate to say this, but the Jets have deserved every bit of what they’ve gotten with Rodgers this season. If they had paid attention to the drama he caused in Green Bay and his final season with the Packers, they should’ve known it wasn’t about to go well. I feel zero sympathy for the turmoil the franchise has gone through this season. However, my heart goes out to the fans. They don’t deserve this crapshow as they’ve suffered long enough.
P.S. – Hiring Nathaniel Hackett to do anything besides being a waterboy is also a recipe for disaster.
4. If you were the head coach of a rival team, how would you go about attacking this Los Angeles Rams team on offense and on defense?
After putting on my coaching cap and headset, I would attack the Rams’ offense up front. Matthew Stafford has only been sacked 28 times this season, which is quite a feat given the injury bug that has ravaged the offensive line for much of this season. Putting enough pressure on that line will force Stafford into making mistakes he normally wouldn’t, and the Jets have the personnel to make it happen.
As for attacking the defense, Aaron Rodgers and company must go after the secondary. Surprisingly, that unit has largely held up its end despite all the youth and lack of depth. However, they’re prone to allowing big plays and again, the Jets have the pieces to stretch the field. It’s very possible, but given what we’ve seen from New York in 2024, I highly doubt they’ll be able to do it.
5. Who wins the game on Sunday, and why?
This game has the makings of a trap game, but the Rams shouldn’t be afraid of a Jets team that could barely beat Mac Jones last week. Not that LA shouldn’t take New York seriously, they shouldn’t overlook anyone since they basically have to win out to make the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers has had the Rams’ number throughout his career, but those days are over as LA’s young defensive line takes over the game and makes the veteran uncomfortable. The Rams are also much better on offense as they’re getting healthy at the right time. Matthew Stafford should pick apart the Jets’ secondary at will as Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have a big day.
