There is a lot of hype around the New York Jets this season with Aaron Rodgers under center. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” is only adding to that.
However, even with a four-time MVP at quarterback and both the reigning offensive and defensive player of the year, some aren’t sold on the Jets.
NFL Insider Jason La Canfora of Audacy’s original podcast “In The Huddle” explained why he isn’t buying into the hype but is “fading the hell out of the Jets” instead.
“I think you need to look at this for what it is. The Jets have a really tough early schedule in part because they’re playing a lot of primetime games,” La Canfora said (1:35 in player above). “The league is looking to make money off the Jets. NFL Films is an arm of the league.”
Rodgers in New York was always going to be one of the big storylines this season. The fact that the Jets are featured on “Hard Knocks” only adds to that.
“There’s a lot of people in the business of gassing this up, hyping this up, making the Jets must-see TV. Why would the Jets be must-see TV? Because you’re not going to be able to avoid them the first six weeks of the season!” La Canfora exclaimed. “They’re going to jam ‘em down your throat. That’s all one hand washes the other.”
While some are hyping up Rodgers and the Jets, La Canfora is going in the other direction.
“Look at Vegas (sportsbooks) at some of the numbers on the Jets. I think they’re overinflated,” he said. “I’m fading the hell out of the Jets.”
La Canfora detailed the hype machine going on in New York because while Woody Johnson wants to win football games, he also wants to sell a “bleep-load” of jerseys and other merchandise.
“So yeah, this is whipping everybody into a frenzy about Gang Green turning the corner and this guy who won back-to-back MVPs a couple of years ago being in Gotham and being the savior. I get it,” he said. “There are narratives you can run wild with if you haven’t watched this guy play last year or you want to pretend it didn’t happen.”
It’s safe to say that La Canfora is out on the Jets this season.
“I’m fading them. You can get plus money on the Jets to miss the playoffs. I’m going to repeat that,” he emphasized. “You can get plus money on the Jets to do what they always do, miss the playoffs! +125!”
The AFC is going to be tough and the AFC East still has the Bills clearly ahead of the Jets. La Canfora also isn’t sold on Rodgers playing behind a lackluster offensive line.
“The part I love about the Jets – I bet you don’t hear a whole lot about this on ‘Hard Knocks’ – how Mekhi Becton still looks like a stiff. How Duane Brown’s a 36-year-old starting left tackle,” he said. “This ain’t David Bakhtiari in his prime when this cat was winning back-to-back MVPs and didn’t have to worry about anything.
“I defy people who are betting on the Jets and are hyping up the Jets and crushing their popcorn and beer while they watch ‘Hard Knocks’, who’s behind Mekhi Becton on the depth chart? Max Mitchell. I bet you don’t know him at all! So that’s what I’m looking at. The best teams in football are built from the inside out. This guy at this stage of his career needs to be incubated.”
La Canfora then compared Rodgers to another veteran quarterback who may have hung on a bit too long.
“It’s like late-stage Ben Roethlisberger,” he said. “It’s also like late-stage Ben Roethlisberger because there were no checks and balances. Big Ben had Randy Fichtner there calling the plays, except he wasn’t calling the plays, Big Ben was calling the plays. And this is the same thing with Nathaniel Hackett – can’t spell Hackett without hack…
“Again, ride the hype train. Enjoy the theatre. Enjoy the television. Get yourself all amped up for Week 1,” La Canfora reiterated. “When they’re below .500 at the early bye, we’ll see how Aaron Rodgers handles that.
“We’ll see how up for the fight Aaron Rodgers is. We’ll see how much he wants to push the ball downfield to Garrett Wilson behind this offensive line. Let’s see it. Bring it on.”
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