As Expected, Aaron Rodgers' Week 16 Was Historic. Historically Awful.

Let's get one thing clear up front. I root for a franchise that has degenerated from the greatest Dynasty in history to the worst team in the NFL in the span of six short years. That is the objective truth:

It's happened before our very eyes. Bad personnel move by bad personnel move. Draft bust by draft bust. And I'm not about to shy away from that reality or try to put a coat of varnish on that turd. 

But as I've admitted before, in difficult times like these, I have somewhere to turn for comfort. Most recently, the beginning of the month when I wrote:

The New York Jets are my shelter from the football storm. They always have been, and nothing has changed. If anything, this year has brought me the most joy when I've been most in need. As long as the Patriots struggle, I can always find peace and contentment in the warm, loving embrace of the Jets failures.

I wrote that when it was rumored the Jets were contemplating benching Aaron Rodgers, as owner Woody Johnson had reportedly suggested back in Week 4. And I'm saying it again, after yesterdays' debacle at Buffalo proved they should have. Once again, the Jets are the emotional rock I cling to as I weather the Patriots storm. 

What makes this one so comforting is the fact it was being celebrated as the game where Rodgers' was going to join Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre in the ultra-exclusive 500 Passing Touchdowns Club. This was going to be one to remember. The sort of game that would've made grown men in worn out, threadbare No. 12 Green Bay jerseys save their ticket stubs, if anyone still has an old Rodgers Packers jersey or if ticket stubs still existed.  

Instead, the ones who wasted their discretionary income on No. 8 Jets jerseys were treated to this other piece of history. A record that may never be broken:

And then, incredibly, on the very next snap, not only threw a pick, but tacked his own Unnecessary Roughness penalty onto it:

I suppose somewhere in the annals history there's a qu6arterback who threw a pick-6 followed immediately by another pick-6; I don't remember. But you'd almost have to do that to have worse back-to-back snaps than setting the all time record for getting sacked, then throwing an interception, then committing a 15-yard penalty. It almost reminded me of the time in the mid-90s when John Valentin pulled off an unassisted triple play, then hit a home run on the very first pitch of the bottom of the inning. Which is literally the best you could accomplish on consecutive pitches. Except Rodgers set the record for back-to-back failures. 

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And these accomplishments were the main course. The appetizer-soup-salad servings were the possessions that came before it. The first ended with a turnover on downs in field goal range. Followed by an interception. And then this safety, that brought him closer to the record:

But it goes so much further. In his 247 career regular season start, Rodgers managed to:

--Post his third fewest passing yards (112) of any game in which he had 18 or attempts

--Post his sixth lowest passer rating (44.0) in any start, including the 0-for-1 Week 1 game last year where he got injured

--Pull off this little statistical gem:

By way of comparison, in the above referenced games, Mills was 11-for-21 for 87 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs and 3 sacks. Darnold was 11-for-32 for 86 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs and 1 sack. Those are the depths you have to plumb to find a statistical comparison to Aaron Rodgers futility yesterday. 

But the day wouldn't have been complete if he hadn't pulled off the Daily Double of making a terrible throw and then bitching out a teammate:

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As a fun aside, this was A-Rod's 17th game as a Jet, making it one full season for him in New York. And here's what the savior of the franchise has done in that time:

W-L: 5-12

Comp-Atts: 345-for-549

Comp %: 62.8

Yards: 3,623

TDs: 24

INTs: 10

Sacks: 37

Passer rating: 88.9

QBR: 48.2

Virtually every one of those numbers represent his worst for a full season in his 20 year career. And most put him in the bottom third of the league this year. It's almost as if the Jets made a terrible mistake by giving up as much as they did to trade for a 40 year old ayahuasca enthusiast with a long history of being high maintenance with his coaches and aloof with his teammates and who's only been to one Super Bowl in his two-decade career. As certain aging Patriots fanboys told them when the trade was made. 

It would take a heart of stone not to laugh. 

You did it again, Jets. And for that, a grateful Patriots nation thanks you.