Aaron Rodgers avoids serious injury after scare in Week 5

A new shade of green hasn't been the smoothest fit for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has struggled to take flight over his first five games in New York. After flashing a ton of potential with strong offensive performances in Weeks 2 and 3, Rodgers and the Jets have looked out of sync for most of the past two games, leading to a pair of losses that have their season at an early inflection point.

Fans have also shown concern over how Rodgers has looked physically after taking a beating in those defeats. Rodgers briefly left Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings with an ankle injury but was able to return, although he lacked the mobility to extend most plays in the pocket.

Aaron Rodgers appears to have dodged a bullet on the injury front

Head coach Robert Saleh met the media in New York on Monday and confirmed that Rodgers is dealing with a low-ankle sprain, which is the best-case scenario given how he looked physically on Sunday. Saleh also indicated that Rodgers should be good to go when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills on Monday night in a game that will determine first place in the AFC East at a critical early juncture of the season.

While it is good that Rodgers should be able to play, the Jets need to help protect him better in order to ensure he can make it through the season. The offensive line has been sloppy for the past two games and New York has been unable to establish its running game, leaving Rodgers to drop back a combined 203 times while taking 13 sacks on 57 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, which is a bad formula for a 40-year old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles' tendon.

Providing better protection and a strong running game should allow the Jets to give Rodgers the best chance to succeed. It is still early enough in the year for the Jets to turn their season around and challenge for a division title, although they will need an upright Rodgers to make that happen.