EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The New York Jets picked up their second win of the season Thursday night against the New England Patriots, 24-3. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers impressed in his return to MetLife Stadium, throwing for two touchdowns in the first half as the crowd chanted his name.
Here are the most important things for both teams to know from Thursday night:
In short, it was vintage Rodgers, whose second home opener with the Jets was far more joyous than his first.
This time, Rodgers dazzled the MetLife Stadium crowd with uncanny accuracy and a variety of off-the-platform passes, throwing for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Jets' second straight win.
By the end of the third quarter, the sellout crowd was chanting his name. Now, think back to last season's season opener on Sept. 11. The stadium was eerily silent when, on his fourth field goal of the season, Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon and was helped off the field.
On Thursday night, Rodgers (27-of-35) looked like a point guard, distributing the ball to everyone around him. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Notably, the 40-year-old quarterback moved well in and out of the pocket, much better than he did in the first two games. The fact that he did this on a short week (only three days off) bodes well for the rest of the season.
The Jets entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. When Rodgers plays like this, anything seems possible in the Jets universe.
Describe the game in two words: Absolute domination. The Jets controlled the ball for 40:04 and outscored the Patriots 400-139.
Promising trend: The Jets' quarterback pressure, without Jermaine Johnson (season-ending Achilles injury) and Haason Reddick (who did not play), was intense. Led by defensive end Will McDonald IV (2.5 sacks), who now has 5.5 on the season, the Jets steamrolled quarterback Jacoby Brissett. They finished with seven sacks, bringing their season total to 14.
Does this mean the defense is back in the top five? No. For perspective: They faced two mediocre offenses, the Patriots and Tennessee Titans, the past two weeks.
Buy performances by Allen Lazard and Tyler Conklin: A year ago, Lazard was such a non-factor that he was benched after signing a four-year, $44 million contract. He appears revived with Rodgers as his quarterback, giving the offense another weapon on the perimeter.
The former Green Bay Packers teammates connected in the first quarter for a 10-yard touchdown, Lazard's third of the season. He finished with three catches for 48 yards. Conklin, who was a non-factor in the first two games, broke out with five catches for 93 yards. In games where Garrett Wilson isn't playing well, Conklin and Lazard can be good secondary options in the passing game.
The biggest hole in the game plan: Maybe we're nitpicking, but Rodgers and Wilson seem to be working out some chemistry issues. On a couple of routes, they didn't see eye to eye.
Wilson scored a touchdown on a 2-yard pass (a laser pass from Rodgers), but it was a quiet night for the star receiver, who was covered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Rodgers avoided that matchup, as he targeted Wilson nine times. He’s gotten off to a slow start in his third season, drawing more attention from opponents.
Next game: vs. Denver Broncos (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 29)
All the good vibes the Patriots had generated in two competitive games to open the season evaporated in a minute for New York on Thursday night. The scoreboard didn't reflect how one-sided it was.
While Rodgers made it look easy for the Jets, it was a tractor pull for quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots, whose four first downs in the first half were the fewest the franchise has had in a half since 2000. The Patriots had 40 yards of offense in the first half as they were outscored by 212 yards in the first 30 minutes.
Brissett was fired five times At times it looked like he wasn't comfortable in the pocket. The Patriots put rookie Caedan Wallace at left tackle because Vederian Lowe was out with an ankle injury, and his growing pains were evident on a second-half drive in which he was called for two consecutive holding fouls. At times it looked like everything was going to go his way.
Describe the game in two words.: Completely outclassed. From the kick-off, the result never seemed in doubt.
The biggest hole in the game plan: Blocks and tackles. It sounds simple, but head coach Jerod Mayo said Thursday’s games are usually decided by which team plays with better fundamentals. That had been an area of strength during the first two games, but there were too many free attacks allowed on offense and too many missed tackles and bad angles on defense.
QB Breakdown: Brissett was frequently running for his life as a result of the shaky protection. If there was one pass he wanted back, it was in the first quarter, when he had tight end Austin Hooper down the left sideline and fumbled.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his NFL regular-season debut with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, trailing 24-3. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards and was sacked twice.
Worrying trend: This is the second straight week in which the Patriots' defense has been unable to find decisive answers against the pass. Rodgers' ability to get the ball out quickly and throw it accurately made it difficult to generate pressure for a seven-man line that played without linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley (torn pectoral muscle).
And the coverage in the secondary, which featured all available starters, was not up to par. Mayo had stressed the importance of keeping quarterbacks in the pocket after Week 2, and the Patriots had the same issues against Rodgers.
Next game:at San Francisco 49ers (4:05 pm ET, Sunday, September 29)
