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Aaron Rodgers was at the top of his game when Jon Gruden was at the bottom of his. One NFL analyst blamed getting selected by Hard Knocks as the catalyst. Using that logic on First Take, NFL analyst Chris Russo braced for a similar catastrophe for No. 8 this season. Here's how he put it:
"[The] expectation level for the Jets is going to be very high this year and fans if Rodgers plays poorly, they get off to a bad start, [fans] are going to kill the Jets... With the Lions, everybody got all wrapped up in it. Gruden, a few years ago, we all got wrapped up in it."
He continued, outlining expectations for the team to potentially lose its first three games:
"We all thought Marvin Lewis was Paul Brown when they went into Cincinnati a few years ago and expectations will be raised because of Hard Knocks. Everybody says, 'Wow, look at the Jets. Rodgers is not a bad guy' and next thing you know, they lose their first three games."
What happened when Jon Gruden got chosen for Hard Knocks?
The Oakland Raiders, at the time, were in their second season under the head coach. After a tough 4-12 season in 2018, many viewed it as a make-or-break season for the team. The first year of a new coach often comes like a rookie quarterback's introduction as everyone gets on the same page at the cost of wins.
However, 2019 was his second year and many expected big things from the organization. Well, it was selected for the HBO show and the result was a 7-9 season. If the Jets go 7-10 or 8-9, most would call the year a failure, as that is roughly the same record they had in 2022.
Expectations are sky-high for the organization and for No. 8 to give the starving fans a taste of caviar in February. Of course, the downfall of Gruden didn't come in 2019, but in 2021, when discovered derogatory and controversial emails essentially sent him packing.
Some may interpret differently whether Russo was alluding to this end of the head coach or simply the 2019 season in a vacuum, but either scenario would be bad news for the Jets' new hope.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.
