2 weeks Ago By Evan Bruner
Aaron Rodgers had his best showing as a Jet on Thursday, showing the league he still has it. Rodgers was accurate, but most importantly, he showed that he can still move despite his age and injury history. Rodgers elevates the Jets' offense to new heights, making them a strong all-around team.
The New York Jets took down the New England Patriots 24-3 on Thursday Night Football to open Week 3. The game itself was rather forgettable. The Jets got out to an early lead, and the Patriots struggled to sustain drives against New York’s stellar defense.
However, the biggest revelation of the contest wasn’t the score; it was the performance of one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. In his third game back from a torn Achilles, Aaron Rodgers was excellent. The four-time MVP showed the league that he isn’t done yet.
Brandon Aiyuk will finally have his breakout performance in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. Aaron Rodgers Had Many Doubters Entering the Year Few players faced as many questions entering the 2024 season as Rodgers. Not only was he coming off a serious injury that caused him to miss all but four plays of the 2023 season, but he had also posted the worst statistical season of his career the year before that.
To find the last time Rodgers was a truly elite quarterback, one would have to go back to 2021, which was a full three years ago. In addition to his older age, Rodgers no longer had head coach Matt LaFleur and wide receiver Davante Adams , who were paramount to his success in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Aaron Rodgers 2022 Stats Passing Yards 3,695 Passing TDs 26 INTs 12 Comp% 64.
6 Passer Rating 91.1 There was reason to be skeptical of Rodgers being the Jets’ savior. Between his age, health, and situation, it felt like something was bound to go wrong.
Rodgers Was Outstanding Against the Patriots After underwhelming showings in Weeks 1 and 2, Rodgers delivered a vintage performance on Thursday. He threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns while completing 77.1 percent of his passes.
The numbers, though, were only part of the story. It would’ve been one thing if Rodgers’ production was inflated by screens and schemed-up targets. But the Patriots’ defense did a good job of taking away reads.
Notably, Garrett Wilson was held in check for much of the night by Christian Gonzalez . This forced Rodgers to work for explosive plays and first downs. His quick release and pinpoint accuracy were on full display throughout the night.
Most importantly, Rodgers flashed his playmaking. He was far more comfortable throwing on the run than he was against the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans . This is especially promising, considering Rodgers is only one year removed from his Achilles injury.
GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: Aaron Rodgers completed all five of his passes on the run for 62 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, according to Next Gen Stats. While it’s just one game, everything Rodgers did felt entirely sustainable. Against a quality defense, he was sharp throwing to all areas of the field and looked fluid in and outside the pocket.
Rodgers Can Take the Jets to New Heights Thursday’s game was a reminder of what the Jets' offense had been missing for so many years. After Zach Wilson and Sam Darnold , even an average quarterback would be considered acceptable. Far too often the media labels teams as being “a quarterback away,” but New York actually fit that description a season ago.
The Jets stayed relatively competitive with arguably the worst quarterback situation in the sport. Going from Wilson to Rodgers is one of the biggest upgrades imaginable. Now, the Jets appear to be a strong all-around team.
The defense continues to be stellar, the offensive line is much improved, and the quarterback is already looking the part only three games after suffering a severe injury. This isn’t to say that Rodgers is guaranteed to be sensational from here on out, but it’s clear that he still has all of the traits to be a high-level quarterback. It’s now up to the Jets to bring that out of him on a weekly basis.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise Patrick Mahomes remains the frontrunner in the NFL MVP race, but Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud have seen their odds get much shorter.
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