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Aaron Rodgers’ first game back at MetLife Stadium since torn his Achilles tendon in Week 1 of the 2023 season was a classic.
With the same mobility and accuracy that helped him win four MVP awards, Rodgers led the New York Jets to a 24-3 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday night, as the Jets recorded their second win of the season. The 40-year-old posted a 118.9 passer rating on Thursday night while his defense limited New England to just 2.9 yards per play.
Long after fans began chanting Rodgers’ name in the third quarter, the Patriots opted to play rookie quarterback Drake Maye in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with the game spiraling out of control. The third overall pick made his debut with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
The AthleticsZack Rosenblatt and Chad Graff explain the key findings.
Rodgers celebrates with Allen Lazard after a touchdown in the first quarter. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Peak Rodgers on display
That was vintage Aaron Rodgers. The 40-year-old didn’t look like a 40-year-old — especially when he went out on the move three times — twice for first downs. Rodgers thrived in the pocket and got rid of the ball quickly — but somehow managed to dominate even when the Patriots pressed.
Robert Saleh on Aaron Rodgers’ mobility: “He may not be what he used to be, but he’s got plenty in his legs.”
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) September 20, 2024
The Jets came out on offense, throwing nearly every play on their first possession. That drive was marred by an ill-timed holding penalty that killed any chance of scoring. But unlike years past, the Jets quickly came back, and the Rodgers-led offense dominated the first half.
For the third straight game, the Jets scored at least three touchdowns — something they’ve only managed in two games in all of 2023. The ceiling for this Jets team is much higher if Rodgers can keep going like this, especially with a much-improved offensive line and a group of weapons that are better than anything the Jets have fielded in a long time. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets reporter
Much needed achievement for the defense of New York
After a few weeks of inconsistent defensive play, especially on the defensive line, Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich came up with a clever game plan that embarrassed the Patriots.
New England’s offensive line may be one of the worst in the NFL, but the Jets still needed to show they could dominate up front against lesser opponents, and that’s exactly what they did.
Ulbrich blitzed more Thursday than he did most of his time as defensive coordinator and defensive end Will McDonald, helping the Jets feel a little better about the loss of Jermaine Johnson — and the absence of Haason Reddick — with a stellar first-half performance. Through three quarters, the Patriots had just 118 yards of offense. A few minutes into the fourth quarter, that dropped to 85 net yards. Things didn’t get much better from there. The Jets may not face an offense as bad as the Patriots’ again this year — but the Jets haven’t always clobbered opponents the way they should have in years past. They certainly did that on Thursday. — Rose leaf
What did Maye look like?
The Patriots were cautious with Maye, not wanting to put their beloved rookie quarterback on the field with a poor cast of supporting players.
But in the event of a major defeat, the plan changed.
Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft, made his NFL debut in garbage time on Thursday night with just four minutes to play. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards and, like Jacoby Brissett, was under constant pressure. Maye was sacked twice on his lone drive.
His first pass was nearly intercepted, and his second dropback ended with a big hit on a scramble. But Maye settled down after that and improved with a couple of short completions. The 46-yard drive he led was the team’s second-longest of the night. — Chad Graff, Patriots reporter
Patriots have serious protection problems
It will be difficult for the Patriots to mount even a semblance of a functioning offense behind the O-line they have constructed.
Both coach Jerod Mayo and de facto GM Eliot Wolf insisted for weeks leading up to the season that there were no concerns about the offensive line, all of them claiming that any talk of problems there was greatly exaggerated.
Now, three weeks later, there’s no greater concern for the Patriots. The front five was so bad Thursday night that Brissett hit nearly half of his dropbacks. The group entered the game ranked 31st in pressures allowed, and they could become the new last-place team after this performance.
What’s crazy about it is how predictable it was. The Patriots had a terrible offensive line last year, and only tried to fix it by signing veterans Vederian Lowe and Chukwuma Okorafor and drafting a right tackle (Caedan Wallace) in the third round to play left tackle.
It has been a total and complete disaster. Graff
Pats have trouble tackling
The Patriots’ defense is supposed to be their backbone. Maybe that’s what made Thursday such a disaster for the Patriots. It’s not surprising that the offense stunk or that the O-line had issues, but the area the Pats trusted was a total mess.
Earlier this week, they lost linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, who was a rock-solid tackler, to a torn pectoral muscle. Without him on the field, the Pats somehow couldn’t tackle anyone.
They missed more than a dozen tackles and were completely torn apart in every way. This will be a big test for Mayo, an early setback as he tries to repair his beloved defense — especially since the next game is a trip to the San Francisco 49ers. — Graff
Required reading
(Photo: Robert Deutsch / Imagn Images)
