Aaron Rodgers is missing the magic in the fourth quarter as Davante Adams leaves for the Jets

The Jets lost their third straight game on Monday, a 23-20 loss to the division rival Bills. The Jets are now 2-4 and looking for answers.

Here are some thoughts and observations about the game:

1. There were many reasons for the Jets to trade for Aaron Rodgers in 2023, but a big reason was that he could win the tight games for the Jets. When the team had the ball in the final two minutes, he wanted to deliver. The Jets would have reason to believe, unlike when Zach Wilson was the quarterback.

So…

This is now three weeks in a row where the Jets had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter and Rodgers failed to do so. It's probably unfair to blame everything on him.

Of course, if Greg Zuerlein makes all of his field goals, the Jets win the Broncos game and this one. Who knows what will happen if they are not asked to do some punishment?

But that's part of the deal when you're a quarterback, especially on Rodgers' resume. Everyone expects you to win these games.

During Robert Saleh's first year as Jets coach, the team frequently broke down. He talked about the team needing to get to a point in the fourth quarter where they could win close games. You are that team now. They play close games. You just don't win them. They have now lost their last three games by a total of 10 points.

It still looks like Rodgers isn't on the same page as some of his receivers. He said Mike Williams took the wrong route on the Jets' last offensive play, which ended in an interception. This is the second week in a row that the Jets' hopes ended with Rodgers being intercepted on a pass that went the way of Williams. I'm not sure how you get that chemistry during the season. That will be developed in the spring and summer and Williams missed all of it. The newly acquired Davante Adams can help in this regard, as the chemistry between him and Rodgers clearly already works. Those last-minute targets for Williams can now be shifted to Adams.

The Jets are close. That's the good news for them. The bad news is that they have now lost three winnable games.

2. The biggest improvement under new play-caller Todd Downing has been the Jets' number of explosive plays. They had nine plays that went for 20 yards or more on Monday night. This was seriously lacking under Nathaniel Hackett. This should help loosen up the defense against the Jets. It was clear that the Broncos and Vikings had no fear that the Jets could beat them with a big game. That changes on Monday evening.

Overall, the offensive showed clear progress. The line opened up holes and Breece Hall looked like himself again. Garrett Wilson looked energetic. I think the change in game manager will have a bigger impact than the change in head coach.

3. This is the second Monday night game this season where news arrived before the game that the team's top running back would be inactive.

On Monday it was James Cook. In Week 1 it was Christian McCaffrey. It's also the second time an unknown backup has gone wild with the Jets, which has to be a concern for Ulbrich.

On Monday, rookie Ray Davis had 139 yards heading into Monday's game against the Jets. Jordan Mason had 147 rushing yards for the 49ers in Week 1.

You can't blame this loss on the Jets' defense, but this unit needs to start playing better against the run. How can two guys most fans have never heard of get out of hand on this Jets defense? I think this team really misses John Franklin-Myers. That was a terrible trade by Joe Douglas.

Ulbrich, the head coach, needs to instruct Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator, to resolve this issue quickly.

4. I know this isn't a new thought, but man screwed up the Jets by not signing Josh Allen in 2018. It's great to watch him. That throw to Davis from the end zone was ridiculous.

Now some will argue that Allen wouldn't be Allen if the Jets had drafted him and they screwed him up the same way they screwed up Sam Darnold. Maybe they're right, but maybe he has the skills to overcome the Jets' organizational dysfunction that has driven other young quarterbacks to ruin. We'll never know because Mike Maccagnan chose Darnold, a choice that was praised at the time. Six years later, with Allen leading the division, it looks like one of the biggest mistakes in Jets history.

Insightful statistics: Aaron Rodgers has now gone 29 straight games without throwing for 300 yards. On Monday, he came close, throwing for 294 yards. It's a crazy series that dates back to December 2021.

SURPRISING SNAP NUMBER: CJ Mosley only played nine snaps (13 percent). It could be that Mosley still isn't at 100 percent to play more, or that the Jets think the defense is better with Jamien Sherwood on the mike. It will be something to keep an eye on in the future.

GAME BALL: Breece Hall looked like himself again. He ran for 113 yards and had 56 yards receiving. Yes, he should have scored in the long run, but there wasn't a single Jet who had a flawless game.