Aaron Rodgers needed an extra split second for the play he wanted to come to fruition Thursday night. At this stage of his career, Rodgers can’t afford to take extra hits, and definitely not on the night he played his first regular-season game for the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium since tearing his Achilles tendon on that same field 12 months ago.
The four-time MVP made a risky decision, but it’s not really a gamble when the greatest processor of his generation was sure the play would be there against the New England Patriots. Rodgers looked right to move the linebacker away from the middle of the field. Then, he made a subtle hitch to buy time before flicking the pass to tight end Tyler Conklin for a 22-yard gain, barely missing the swipe at his legs from a Patriots defender.
Rodgers was all right on the play, mentally and physically, thanks to his rapid mind and trigger hand, two areas that still make him one of the league’s best quarterbacks—even at age 40. It looked easy for the Jets during Thursday night’s 24–3 victory, but there was nothing simple about what the Jets pulled off to highlight the strengths that remain for Rodgers.
New York waited more than a year to put together what it displayed in its home opener. The Jets were crushed by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 and needed a few mistakes from Will Levis to get by the Tennessee Titans last week. Yes, the Patriots likely won’t win many games this season, but they beat the Cincinnati Bengals and hung with the Seattle Seahawks last week. On Thursday night, the Jets (2–1) dominated the Patriots (1–2) in every way, finally proving they have the roster, coaching staff, and most importantly, the quarterback to end their 13-year playoff drought.
And we can’t forget about the role reversal that took place after years of the Jets losing to the Patriots during the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era. That has to be good from a mental standpoint.
Rodgers’s quick release and impeccable accuracy commanded the spotlight, but his vintage performance wouldn’t have occurred without the protection from a revamped offensive line and contributions from running back Breece Hall and Braelon Allen for a balanced attack. Once Rodgers picked apart New England with the quick game, he took a few shots downfield in the second half, showing he still has enough in his legs to punish teams away from the pocket, a skill set he leaned on heavily in his prime years. Rodgers finished 27-of-35 for 281 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
The Jets likely don’t want Rodgers on the run often, but it must be nice to know that all of the traits that made him a surefire Hall-of-Famer are still there in his 20th season. What happened Thursday night might have been worth the wait for Jets fans because this roster is well-suited for the veteran quarterback, which didn’t appear to be the case last season with a shaky offensive line and lack of weapons. Perhaps the Jets would have disappointed many had Rodgers stayed healthy last year, similar to Brett Favre’s lone season in New York when they missed the postseason in 2008 with a 9–7 record.
The Jets prioritized the offensive line in the offseason, giving Rodgers three new tackles, with veterans Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and rookie first-round pick Olu Fashanu. Jets GM Joe Douglas might have found something in Allen, this year’s fourth-round pick. And the addition of Mike Williams could aid star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who caught a two-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 21–3 in the third quarter. Williams made a few acrobatic catches, something he did often with the Chargers.
Time will tell whether the Jets need the game script to go their way to beat the best teams in the NFL—Rodgers looked his age in an ugly loss to the 49ers. The offensive line probably won’t be tested against the 0–2 Denver Broncos next week, but there are many tough games on the horizon, including the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers in October. Perhaps after that three-game stretch we’ll learn whether the Jets are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
But it sure does look like the Jets are on their way to starting the season 3–1 if they can handle business against the Broncos. They haven’t done that since 2015, when Ryan Fitzpatrick started 16 games and led them to a 10–6 record, just missing the playoffs.
That might have been the last time the Jets had quality quarterback play because they had failed stints with former first-round picks Sam Darnold, who’s now thriving with the 2–0 Vikings, and Zach Wilson, a backup with the Broncos. Those two quarterbacks must have been jealous seeing the kind of help Rodgers had Thursday night.
Rodgers finally showed his elite gifts, but the team effort against the Patriots could be a strong indication that the Jets are ready to end their playoff drought.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jets Finally Unleash Aaron Rodgers in Dominant Win Over Patriots.