There is an old belief that, when the weather turns cold around here, you run the ball.
That’s one belief to which Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers does not subscribe.
The Jets had just 19 designed runs and 44 dropbacks in Sundays’ 19-9 loss to the Rams.
But Rodgers bristled at the idea that a team would want to run more when it is 23 degrees.
“I didn’t expect it to be a run-heavy game, no,” Rodgers said. “I mean, maybe if it’s snowing. Cold weather, we throw the ball in cold weather all the time.”
The Jets had some balance in the first half with 12 rushes and 20 passes, but in the second half they went pass heavy.
Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich indicated that there may have been some more runs called, and Rodgers changed the play to a pass.
“Some of those are called runs that [Rodgers] just sees heavy boxes and he rips the run alerts and RPO stuff,” Ulbrich said. “There definitely would have been more runs had we done that. Again, we’ll look at it. I’ll say this, especially that first half, we were very efficient offensively moving the ball. As always, we’ll take a hard look at what we did and we’ll be better.”
But Rodgers said there were only two plays where he switched a run to a pass.
“I don’t think I really checked out of any runs,” Rodgers said. “I threw two run solutions, one was an illegal man downfield on a play that would’ve been minus-five. And then the other one I threw it to Davante on the right. Other than that, I didn’t check out of any.”
The Jets entered the game with the fewest rushing attempts in the NFL.
Running back Breece Hall had 14 rushes for 52 yards.
Hall also had five catches for 38 yards.
“Not really a surprise,” Hall said of the pass-run imbalance. “We’re more so of a passing team. I get involved in the pass game, as well, so I don’t have a problem with it.”
Rookie LT Olu Fashanu left the game in the fourth quarter with what looked like a serious leg injury.
After the game, Ulbrich would not say if they think it was an Achilles injury.
But Fashanu needed to be helped off the field and then was taken to the locker room on a cart.
He was on crutches after the game.
CB Sauce Gardner left the game with a hamstring injury.
Gardner missed the Dolphins game two weeks ago with the same injury.
S Tony Adams injured his ankle and exited the game, although Ulbrich said he could have returned in an emergency.
DT Quinnen Williams (hamstring) did not play.