The New York Jets offense would be forgiven if they struggled in the first few weeks of training camp.
The defense they go up against is one of the premier units in the entire NFL. The offense includes a litany of new veterans, especially on the chemistry-dependent offensive line. Their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is coming off of an Achilles tear. And yet, despite all this, the Jets offense is showing signs of rounding into form.
Garrett Wilson has been dominant since Day 1 of camp. Wilson does not have mind-boggling statistics or All-Pro nods expected of a receiver of his ilk, likely due to the consistently poor quarterback play he has endured in his two years with the Jets. However, in those two years, he has been perhaps the lone bright spot in this unit and doesn’t seem to be slowing down in year three.
“I’m blessed to be here in this situation and have a quarterback like we have, to [the point] where I can play football as free as I’ve ever played,” Wilson said in an interview on Up and Adams with Kay Adams.
Behind Wilson, Malachi Corley stood out, highlighting his good showing with an incredible one-handed catch on the sideline. Corley was the first pick of the third round out of Western Kentucky in the most recent NFL Draft and has seized an opportunity to prove himself with both Xavier Gipson and Alan Lazard out of practice. He also caught a touchdown in the red zone drill, which Rodgers dominated with six touchdowns.
A hot topic has been the seemingly heated exchanges at practice from the offense between Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, as well as Rodgers and Joe Tippmann, the Jets’ second-year center. Rodgers cooled any speculation of beef between him and Wilson saying, “What it appears to be is not always what the reality is.”
Rodgers asserted that they have a great relationship, and he thinks the world of Wilson as a player, “If [Wilson] can figure out the little details in the offense that matter the most, then I think he can have as good a season as he wants.”
“You could have a perfect, flawless day but Aaron’s the type of guy where it’s always detail-oriented,” Wilson told Adams. “He doesn’t let me slide on any of that.”
As for his run-in with Tippmann, Rodgers stated, “There’s a certain point where you have to get on guys.” The exchange between the quarterback and his center was due to the amount of high snaps Rodgers was receiving from Tippmann.
While some fans may take these incidents as signs of rifts in the team, it is clear that Rodgers is holding a team filled with big-game inexperience to a high standard. A playoffs run type of standard. While high standards are nothing new to the defense, it is refreshing to see it on the offensive side of the ball.
It is only training camp, but the Jets are competing with perhaps the league’s best defense daily. If the Rodgers-Wilson connection is strong enough to succeed at camp and in practice, it has the potential to be one of the best in the league. With Rodgers, Wilson, and the defense raising the standard for the rest of the unit, for once it could be the offense putting on a show in East Rutherford on Sundays.
