Jets supporters enjoyed a delightful Aaron Rodgers prelude on Saturday evening.
The new Jets quarterback made his debut for the team against the Giants in the preseason finale at MetLife Stadium, throwing a crucial touchdown pass and playing nine snaps. Most importantly, the team achieved a convincing 32-24 victory.
On September 11th, at MetLife Stadium, the Jets commence the regular season against the Bills, thus Rodgers can now retreat into protective covering for a fortnight.
Rodgers said, “It was a good night, the game. When asked if he achieved his goal, he replied, “Yeah, I didn’t get hurt, I got scored in.”
The thirty-nine-year-old went five-for-eight for forty-seven yards and that one touchdown throw in his short appearance.
He competed in two matchups against the Giants’ substitute defense and was only slightly contacted twice by defenders.
The highlight occurred when he threw a perfectly placed ball to Garrett Wilson for a 14-yard touchdown pass on Rodgers’ last play of the evening.
When Rodgers stepped onto the field, he was greeted with a warm reception despite it being a Giants home game.
In that sequence, Rodgers went 3-for-5. The strategy for Rodgers and the Jets was evident in the initial sequence: expeditiously release the ball from his grasp.
Following a penalty for wearing a face-mask by the Giants, he initiated the game with a swift throw to Wilson for a distance of 10 yards, which was further elongated by an additional 15 yards.
He quickly tossed a play-action pass to tight end Tyler Conklin for a 14-yard gain, but the play was moved back 15 yards due to a personal foul penalty on Randall Cobb.
Rodgers then threw another rapid pass to Wilson for 6 yards before tossing two incomplete passes.
Martindale, the defensive coordinator of the Giants, brought down Rodgers by implementing an aggressive all-out blitz in the second quarter, which sailed just to get rid of it.
On third-and-12, the recently acquired Giants linebacker Isaiah Simmons rushed from the side and successfully bypassed running back Michael Carter.
The possession came to a halt when Rodgers, in a stumbling manner, threw the ball out of bounds. Oshane Ximenes managed to make contact with him, causing Rodgers to scramble out of the pocket. He successfully disrupted Rodgers’ pass attempt.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh stated, “It’s beneficial for him. He requires that. He requires a small amount of that activity. It was advantageous to demonstrate that he still possesses agility, he still possesses limbs. We’ve been observing it throughout the training camp. You can rush him, but he still possesses ample mobility to evade the pocket and generate plays in an unscheduled manner.”
Rodgers guided the Jets to the touchdown area on his second sequence.
It was a five-play drive that was aided by a pass interference penalty on the Giants.
Rodgers threw the ball to the sideline, but the receiver could not catch it in reel. On the second down, Rodgers overthrew Uzomah C.J. On the first down, Carter ran after.
Amani Oruwariye, the cornerback for the Giants, was penalized for pass interference, resulting in the Jets being awarded a first down on the Giants’ 24-yard line.
On the initial down, Rodgers passed the ball to Mecole Hardman on a deceptive play-action pass for a gain of 10 yards.
On the next play, Rodgers threw a beautiful pass down the sideline to Green Gemon, a rookie who covered 14 yards for a touchdown.
When Wilson saw the Giants bringing a blitz, he called an audible that he knew could be a run play, but Rodgers said it was supposed to be a pass.
“He’s quite simple to throw that ball to,” Rodgers said of his primary wide receiver.
Since joining the Packers in 2018, Rodgers had not participated in a preseason match and had not taken part in any of the other three preseason games this season when Saleh astounded individuals this week by choosing to initiate him.
Saleh clarified that he desired Rodgers to have a dress rehearsal at MetLife Stadium prior to participating in a regular-season match.
He sought advice from Rodgers before making the decision and the four-time Most Valuable Player was on board with participating.
Rodgers stated, “definitely, I had a few butterflies.” “Every time I put it on, that’s consistently typical, I believe. Whether it’s my first game against the San Diego Chargers in my rookie year or my 19th year in preseason game No. 4, that’s the usual. When you step onto the field for the first time, there are always some butterflies. As I started playing, I began to feel quite relaxed. It was a special moment to have that kind of backing.”