Aaron Rodgers isn't a savior just yet, but QB could be just what Jets ...

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The oldest player in the National Football League took off to his left, and an entire fanbase once again held its collective breath. Aaron Rodgers slid on the MetLife Stadium turf – where his 2023 season ended after four plays – for a first down and gain of 5 yards on the game’s second play.  

If salvation is a Super Bowl victory, then Thursday night was a salve for New York Jets fans. Rodgers, for the first time since he experienced the cruelest of season-ending injuries during his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills Sept. 11, 2023, took the field at MetLife. He led his team to a 24-3 victory over the New England Patriots while looking like the type of quarterback who can bring the Jets to the postseason for the first time in 14 years.

By the end of the third quarter, the chants of “J-E-T-S!” had turned into “Aa-ron Rod-gers!”  

Rodgers didn’t carry an American flag during pregame introductions like he did last year. Instead, he carried the early-season hopes of a starving franchise and delivered. Rodgers was 27-of-35 for 281 passing yards and two touchdowns. He completed eight of his first nine passes to six different receivers. 

On the first play of the second quarter, he saw pressure from Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo’s defense coming in his face and he escaped the pocket left to find wideout Allen Lazard, who broke away for an explosive 27-yard gain. 

Lazard scored the game’s first touchdown by beating Pats cornerback Marcus Jones with a move at the line of scrimmage. 

Early, Rodgers was content to let his receivers do the work. He delivered them the ball at all different arm angles with velocity, including one sling on a slant to Wilson on a third-and-5 for a first down that put the Jets on the cusp of the red zone. He threw one side-arm pass to running back Breece Hall, who picked up more yards after the catch. Hall punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to put the home team up 14-0 and cap off a drive that lasted 7:47. Rodgers and head coach Robert Saleh had an interaction on the sideline worth further examination following the score. 

By halftime, the Jets had 17 first downs. They averaged 15.3 per game in 2023, when they were stuck on a carousel of Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian once Rodgers went down. The Jets outgained the Pats 252 yards to 40 in the opening 30 minutes, and Rodgers was 15-of-20 with 170 yards. New York ended the game with a 66.7% conversion rate on third down (10-for-15).

There is room for improvement, of course. Rodgers and receiver Garrett Wilson were clearly not on the same page regarding alignment and pre-snap motion on the series before halftime. They missed an open connection on an intermediate out-route and twice on back-shoulder throws, but Rodgers found Mike Williams early in the fourth quarter to set up a field goal. 

The clearest sign of a new day for Gang Green came on the first drive of the second half. Once again, the Jets drove for more than seven minutes (7:10). Rodgers ran for another first down early in the series. He threw on the run to his right to Conklin for a first down. New York did need to burn a pair of timeouts on the drive, but Rodgers put kerosene on the blowout by sticking with Wilson and completing a dart to him on a route to the front pylon that beat New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who broke hard on the ball.

Later in the third, Rodgers rolled to his left, flipped his hips and completed a pass over the middle of the field to Conklin while taking a hit from Patriots cornerback Alex Austin. Rodgers responded by immediately popping up under Austin’s facemask. 

The Jets hadn’t held a 21-point advantage over the Patriots since Oct. 15, 2000, in Bill Belichick’s first season coaching in New England. The Jets have also never had a quarterback like Rodgers. They finally found out how much fun that could lead to.

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