Aaron Rodgers zipped passes between defenders. Aaron Rodgers exploited matchups and prolonged performs along with his legs and made everybody on his offense higher. Aaron Rodgers lastly regarded like Aaron Freakin’ Rodgers, the four-time MVP and future Corridor of Fame quarterback worthy of the choice at hand his the keys to the Jets franchise.
He didn’t appear to be that participant final season, in fact, throughout the 4 snaps earlier than he tore his Achilles tendon. However he additionally didn’t appear to be that participant because the Jets break up their first two video games in his second try because the franchise savoir.
Oh, positive, he regarded … high quality. The Jets didn’t go all-in on Rodgers for a merely good quarterback. They didn’t deliver him right here in that April 2023 commerce with the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the hopes that they’d get an improve over Zach Wilson. A JUGS machine could be higher than the turnover-prone former No. 2 general decide who was like an anchor on this workforce’s hopes.
“I count on greatness each time I step on the sphere,” Rodgers had mentioned earlier than this season, and perhaps that was an excessive amount of to count on for a 40-year-old quarterback given the wear and tear and tear of 20 NFL seasons on his proper arm.
However approaching greatness?
That’s what the Jets acquired from their quarterback on Thursday evening in a 24-3 victory over the New England Patriots. Rodgers accomplished 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and if you wish to add the qualifier that the Patriots are a foul soccer workforce, go proper forward. Jets diehards will word what number of instances this offense has made unhealthy defenses appear to be the ‘85 Bears.
No one with a inexperienced jersey hanging of their closet with names like Sanchez or Tebow or Nagle or any of the failed quarterbacks ought to overthink this one. They need to merely get pleasure from it. That is what good quarterback play appears to be like like, Jets followers. This was the lacking ingredient for an in any other case top-notch workforce. Fear about whether or not it can final one other day.
That it got here in opposition to the Patriots made it much more particular. For many of this century, New England had the participant who outlined quarterback greatness, and whereas Tom Brady packed his luggage for Tampa after which the TV sales space a very long time in the past, the recollections linger. The Patriots had received 39 of the final 47 video games on this sequence, in any case, and eight straight on this constructing.
The mystique of the Patriots Approach is a distant reminiscence now that Invoice Belichick has his personal TV gig hanging out with Eli Manning. Few rosters within the NFL have as little top-line expertise because the Patriots, who began a quarterback in Jacoby Brissett who a placeholder for the No. 3 general draft decide, Drake Maye, ready within the wings.
The Jets need to beat groups like this to have any likelihood at a particular season. For Rodgers, although, this was extra than simply certainly one of 17 video games on the schedule. This was his first time stepping onto the MetLife Stadium discipline since that disastrous opening evening 373 days in the past. He wanted a efficiency to erase the reminiscence of that second, and perhaps show one thing to this fan base.
He acquired it. He discovered previous pal Allen Lazard for a 10-yard landing cross within the first quarter because the Jets used an up-tempo assault to maintain New England off steadiness. He zipped a 22-yard cross down a seam within the protection to tight finish Tyler Conklin to arrange a second landing drive as he accomplished 13 of his first 15 passes.
His greatest throw of the evening went for simply 2 yards within the field rating. He left his ft as he whipped a cross to the objective line for Garrett Wilson, placing the ball simply over the outstretched hand of the cornerback for the Jets third landing. It was the primary time Rodgers had ever thrown a landing cross to a receiver drafted within the first-round, and the Jets can solely hope it’s the starting of a productive Rodgers-Wilson partnership.
Then once more, it’s clear Rodgers won’t be enjoying favorites. He accomplished at the very least two passes to eight totally different targets, and in case you’re nitpicking, most of these had been brief throws. Rodgers tried to stretch the sphere a pair instances and failed, together with as soon as when Wilson had a step on his defender. Hey, the man isn’t good.
He’s, nonetheless, higher than any quarterback that the Jets have had in years. Aaron Rodgers was, in the end, Aaron Freakin’ Rodgers on Thursday evening. The followers at MetLife Stadium can solely hope this model sticks round for some time.