Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, smarting from consecutive losses and feeling a "bit banged up" after being blitzed and hit along the way, put things in perspective on Thursday – there are 12 games remaining and even with a 2-3 record, a victory over visiting Buffalo on Monday night would vault the Green & White to the top of the AFC East.
But first, Rodgers acknowledged that he and his teammates share responsibility for recent events, which include Tuesday's dismissal of Robert Saleh, the elevation of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to interim head coach, plus the change in playcallers from Nathaniel Hackett to Todd Downing, which were announced on Thursday.
"I think we need to do everything we can to maximize this opportunity," Rodgers said. "You know, the idea of manifestation involves attention and intention, and then a word that goes along with that is accountability. We need to be accountable to each other.
"When something like this happens, it's a reset for everybody. When you make a change on the offense, it's a mirror that's held up for all of us who played and we all feel terrible about the opportunity that we had, that we squandered, that led to Robert getting fired and Hack getting demoted. I play better, this doesn't happen. We play better on offense, this doesn't happen. So I think it puts a spotlight on us, and now it's on us to do this. You know, we need to be accountable to each other. We got to raise the level of our play to the standard that we set during training camp."
The past two games -- the 10-9 loss at home to Denver and last Sunday's 23-17 defeat against Minnesota in London -- ended the offense's string of scoring three touchdowns in each of the first three games of the season. In the loss to the Vikings, a game in which the Jets had a chance late, Rodgers was intercepted three times including a pick-6 by Vikings LB Andrew Van Ginkel and Stephon Gilmore's deep in Minnesota territory with less than a minute to play.
Rodgers also spoke about the team's struggling rushing attack that has averaged 2.7 yards per carry the last two weeks after picking up 4.0 yards per rush the first three weeks. The Jets rank No. 32 in the NFL in rushing with 80.4 yards per game and Breece Hall leads the team with 65 carries and 197 yards.
"We have to run the ball better," he said. "I got to play better, and we got to be better on first, second down."
He added: "Like I said yesterday [Wednesday], I've seen a lot in 20 years in the league, and it's a beautiful profession and a really tough business, so these decisions are part of it. It was obviously the direction that [Chairman and CEO] Woody [Johnson] wanted to go. And all we can do now is get behind it, break and move forward."
While things have changed in a matter of days, Rodgers said it's near impossible to make many drastic changes in less than a week. He did, however, offer an early positive review of Ulbrich, the interim coach who will carry on through the rest of the season.
"I think his two team meetings have been just right on brand for him," Rodgers said. "Personality wise, he played the game. He knows how to talk to the guys. Defensive guys have really enjoyed his meetings over the year, and the two that I've been a part of have been really good."
He was clear that the weight is squarely on the shoulders of the men between the lines.
"We got to lock arms and raise our level of play. I think the spotlight's on the players. Now, you can change coaches, but we're the ones out there on the field playing. So we got to play better, but we gotta stick together and get behind Brick and move forward."
And when it comes to accountability and responsibility, No. 8 did not minimize his part.
"I take that very personally," he said. "That's what I can control. I have the ball in my hands every play. So obviously, it's been on my mind with a heavy heart for the last few days, for sure. Because just as in life, there's, you know, there's opportunities and choices and parallel universes with each choice you make or didn't make. And the same thing with this business, you make this throw, you make that throw -- you're sitting at four and one. This isn't a ... we're not here right now."
