FLORHAM PARK, NJ – A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:

1. Blue Moon: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a sore ankle. And hamstrings. And knee. It wouldn’t be a surprise if his right arm is also a little sore, considering how much he’s used it.

The Jets need more balance in their offense to take the pressure off Rodgers, and that’s where new playcaller Todd Downing comes into the picture. His first priority is to revive the dormant rushing attack, which will save Rodgers from having to drop back an absurd number of times. .

In last week’s 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers fell back on 57 of 71 plays, including 19 in a row during a stretch in the fourth quarter. The one-dimensional offense earned offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett a spot on the bench as he was stripped of his play-calling duties after a week of coaching shakeups.

Exposing a 40-year-old quarterback to so much pass rush isn’t a smart strategy, and it contributed to one of the worst games of Rodgers’ career (three interceptions). They expect a rebound on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills.

“A game like that only happens once in a while, so if we play the odds, it won’t happen again,” wide receiver Allen Lazard said.

Rodgers has completed fewer than 60% of his passes in consecutive games, an unusual occurrence. He has only played three games in a row once in his career (2015). It’s probably because he’s throwing too much: 96 attempts in the past two games.

“In a career spanning 20 years, he has had very few blips on the radar,” Downing said. “I know that Aaron himself has said that the past few weeks have not been up to his standard, but that is not necessarily a red flag.”

Entering the season, the plan was to run the offense through running back Breece Hall, but his production has disappeared as the offensive line has struggled to win at the point of attack. Hall is averaging 3.0 yards per rush, second-worst among players with at least 30 rushes.

A little patience from the playcaller, not to mention some creativity, would help matters.

Downing, the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022, ran a run-heavy offense. In fact, they led the league in rushing attempts in 2021. It helped to have Derrick Henry, one of the greatest power runners in the history of the sport.

Now Downing has a future Hall of Famer at quarterback, and he needs to lighten his load.

2. Revolving door: The Jets’ offensive coordinator position has to be one of the toughest and most unstable jobs in sports. They have had nine coordinators in the last 13 years, including Downing, who does not have the title but does have the powers of a coordinator.

For the record, the list since 2012: Tony Sparano, Marty Mornhinweg, Chan Gailey, John Morton, Jeremy Bates, Dowell Loggains, Mike LaFleur, Hacket and Downing.

3. What about Douglas? Robert Saleh’s firing and its immediate fallout dominated the news this week, but one storyline worth watching is the future of general manager Joe Douglas, whose six-year contract expires after the season.

He will be a free agent – ​​a coveted player if the Jets can somehow turn their season around.

Douglas did not play a major role in firing Saleh, as owner Woody Johnson made it clear that “the decision was mine and mine alone.” He informed Douglas before firing Saleh, but that was it.

“I have plenty of experience with these things,” Johnson said.

It makes you wonder how Douglas feels about being a secondary voice on a decision so important. After all, he led the coaching search that resulted in Saleh’s hiring in 2021. Will Saleh’s ouster factor into Douglas’ decision-making at season’s end?

Interesting.

4. Inexplicable: The Haason Reddick fallout is getting weirder by the week. He was dropped by CAA, the agency that represents him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. CAA reportedly had discussions with the Jets, but the Pro Bowl edge rusher wouldn’t budge from his position. If he sits out the season, which is starting to look like a possibility, his contract would take a toll and the Jets would retain his rights through 2025.

After Monday night, Reddick will have forfeited more than $4.7 million in game checks, plus another $5 million in fines imposed by the NFL.

5. Choose a mentor: Shortly after being elevated to interim head coach, Ulbrich reached out to some of his mentors for advice. He spoke with Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers) and Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons). He spoke with Morris at length. Not only is Morris a good friend, but he also served as interim head coach for the Falcons in 2020. He understands the challenges that await someone with the interim tag.

“He gave me a lot of advice,” Ulbrich said.

6. Brady, who? Ulbrich, 47, played 10 years in the NFL as a starting linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. He was a third-round pick in 2000 (No. 86 overall), 113 spots ahead of someone named Tom Brady.

“My claim to fame is that I was drafted before him,” Ulbrich has said. “That’s the only thing I’ve done better than him.”

7. Another Brick in the Wall: Ulbrich prefers to be called ‘Brick’. While speaking to reporters, safeties coach Marquand Manuel accidentally called him “Jeff” – and caught himself.

“I’m not allowed to call him that,” Manuel said, smiling.

Ulbrich isn’t the first Brick in Jets history. D’Brickashaw Ferguson was the starting left tackle from 2006 to 2015. Then there’s Brick Johnson, the teenage son of owner Woody Johnson.

8. Sympathetic Ear: Several players contacted Saleh after his sacking, including gambler Thomas Morstead, who shared his own experience of being sacked with his former coach. Morstead was cut by the New Orleans Saints after 12 years, which he called “devastating.” It happened again three years ago when he was released by the Jets.

“We talked about that,” Morstead said. “It’s just hard. It reminds us that this business is about winning.”

9. Wisdom of a wise man: Middle linebacker CJ Mosley, who was hoping to return Monday night after missing three games with a toe injury, made the most of his time on the sidelines. The captain is like an extra coach, providing information and insight to his replacement, Jamien Sherwood.

“For me, it was really cool because I was able to sit back and kind of see what we’ve built all these years,” Mosley said, speaking of the linebacking corps.

Mosley, a selfless leader, was enthusiastic about Sherwood’s achievements. He leads the team with 22 tackles against the run and six run tackles, according to Next Gen Stats. Sherwood will likely return to his role as the LB3 with the return of Mosley.

10. The Last Word: “I talked to him before practice. I just told him, ‘Man, the way you’re handling this inspires me. You motivate me.’ It was a sudden change and he was prepared for it.” — cornerback sauce Gardner on Ulbrich