Last season, in Week 1 on Monday Night Football, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made his Jets’ debut against the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles tendon in the first series of his first game with the team and missed the rest of the season.
The Jets would beat the Bills in that game, but they would finish the season a disappointing 7-10.
On Monday night, Rodgers, who grew up in Northern California, and the Jets (0-1) got a second chance on Monday Night Football, this time on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. While Rodgers would finish the game this time, the Jets would get beat up and defeated by the 49ers (1-0) 32-19.
The four-time league MVP, who showed flashes of his old self, finished the game 13/21 for 187 yards, atouchdown, and an interception, but the Jets could not get their running game started and turned the ball over twice.
While Rodgers’ performance was not bad, there is certainly room for improvement.
“I can play better,” he said after the loss. “I missed a couple of throws. I missed the one to [WR] Garrett [Wilson]. The last drive I was in, the pick. I missed slightly inside on that one. I felt overall I was getting the ball out pretty good. We had some opportunities I’d like back.”
Jets head coach Robert Saleh believes the team did not give Rodgers an opportunity to find a rhythm.
“We never really gave him a chance to get in the rhythm,” he said. Defensively, credit to San Francisco; they did a great job running the ball. They were very efficient in the pass game.”
The Jets struggled defensively, allowing 401 total yards, including 180 yards on the ground; they had difficulty containing the 49ers’ running game, and that was without an injured Christian McCaffrey. New York lost this game on defense, an area they will need to work on in the coming games.
Despite the loss, this game marks a promising start for Rodgers. The team is determined to learn from this experience and improve in the next game. However, it’s important to remember that the defending NFC champions, the 49ers, are a formidable team. The Jets have some work to do to reach their level, and that journey begins next Sunday on the road against the Titans.
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