SHANNON Sharpe took issue with Dan Orlovsky during an animated First Take tirade on Monday.
The rant on ESPN concerned New York Jets star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had an underwhelming showing in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London.
ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe called out Dan Orlovsky during a sequence on Monday’s edition of First Take[/caption]
The rant concerned New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had a disappointing Week 5 game in the team’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London[/caption]
Rodgers threw two interceptions, including a pick-six, in consecutive drives during the first half against the Vikings.
His two passing touchdowns in the second half were too late as the Jets’ struggles in their Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos trickled on to the overseas game.
On Monday, Sharpe appeared on First Take and sent a strong message to his colleague Orlovsky, telling him to hold Rodgers accountable.
“Why are they losing, D.O (Orlovsky)? Because you keep saying, ‘inept offense.’ Talk about the quarterback play…” the NFL Hall of Famer ranted to Orlovsky.
“I’m not gonna let you blame the offense because you didn’t blame the offense when they had those other quarterbacks, you blamed the quarterback.”
Sharpe referenced his belief that Orlovsky blamed New York’s past quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, and Mike Flacco when the team struggled on offense and that he isn’t doing the same with Rodgers.
“But you wanna stay in good graces and you won’t call Aaron Rodgers out!” He’s playing awful! You know it, everybody in New York knows it and everybody around the NFL knows it. He’s playing terrible! Call it like you see it,” he continued.
Orlovsky argued that he “never blamed the quarterbacks in New York” and won’t say that “Aaron [Rodgers] has played well the past two weeks.”
He did bring up that he won’t speak down on a legend like Rodgers due to the fact “he was a backup quarterback.”
Orlovsky does have a history of giving certain quarterbacks favoring treatment, however.
And Sharpe seemed unimpressed with the former NFL signal-caller’s argument.
Throughout the sequence, Stephen A. Smith found the sequence amusing and let his two colleagues rip with their takes.
Sharpe’s two-minute rant concerning Rodgers comes a day before the Jets stunningly fired Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start to the campaign.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will take over as the interim head coach.
The 40-year-old Rodgers seen after Sunday’s loss[/caption]
There had been rumblings of discontent between Rodgers and Saleh.
The quarterback was spotted pushing his coach away when he attempted to hug him on the sideline in the squad’s Week 3 win over the New England Patriots.
New York will face the Buffalo Bills in a Monday night showdown at MetLife Stadium in Week 6.
Their offense has looked out of sync and struggled to find any life in 2024.
