The New York Jets might be dealing with an opponent even tougher to overcome than their poor play, missed opportunities and ill-timed mistakes.

Wide receiver Garrett Wilson suggested last Sunday a losing “gene” might be an explanation for the Jets’ inability to pull out victories after the team dropped to 3-10 with a loss at Miami.

On Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers presented another perhaps more sinister reason.

“I mean, it might be something like that,” the quarterback said of Wilson’s theory. “It might be some sort of curse we’ve got to snap as well.”

Generations of frustrated Jets fans have half-jokingly insisted there have been negative forces at work against the franchise since Joe Namath delivered on his Super Bowl guarantee in January 1969. It remains the team’s only appearance in the NFL’s biggest game.

Gastineau vs. Favre

Former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre last year at a memorabilia show and angrily accused the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback of deliberately going down on a record-breaking sack.

The tense exchange is shown in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange,” which premieres Friday. It chronicles the Jets’ fearsome foursome defensive line of the 1980s that included Gastineau, Hall of Famer Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and the late Abdul Salaam.

Gastineau set an NFL record with 22 sacks in 1984, but Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan broke the mark when he sacked Favre in 2002 in a game between the Giants and Packers. It was a controversial play on which many have accused Favre of purposely taking the sack so Strahan could set the single-season record with 22 1/2.

The documentary shows Gastineau approach Favre during a show in Chicago. The two shake hands, with Favre saying he thinks they’ve met previously. Gastineau then tells the former quarterback: “Yeah, right, when you fell down for him. I’m going to get my sack back. I’m going to get my sack back, dude.”

Favre tries to make light of the situation, joking that Gastineau “probably would hurt me.”

The former sack king fired back: “Well, I don’t care. You hurt me. You hurt me! You hear me? You really hurt me. You really hurt me, Brett.”

The situation was quickly defused when Favre was escorted from the area.

In an interview shown in the documentary, Gastineau reiterates what he told Favre in person.

“Anybody will tell you that Brett Favre took a dive,” he said.

Briefly

Raiders >> Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who injured his left knee in Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay, went through a walkthrough practice and hopes to play against Atlanta.

Giants >> With Drew Lock in a walking boot with a heel injury, the New York Giants may have Tommy DeVito back at quarterback Sunday when they try to break an eight-game losing streak in a game against Baltimore.

Jets >> New York special teams ace Irvin Charles was placed on season-ending injured reserve after tearing a knee ligament last weekend.

NFL >> The league will play its first regular-season game in Berlin in 2025, the league’s fifth game ever in Germany.

NFL >> League officials indicated at the winter meetings hat they will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties.