Jets overcome Aaron Rodgers injury to stun Bills in overtime
The dark cloud that hung over the Jets sideline during the first half seemed to threaten not just the season that was more hyped than any in the last few decades, but also the opening game against a divisional rival. Aaron Rodgers injury will be spoken about at length for the next few weeks including […]
The dark cloud that hung over the Jets sideline during the first half seemed to threaten not just the season that was more hyped than any in the last few decades, but also the opening game against a divisional rival.
Aaron Rodgers injury will be spoken about at length for the next few weeks including by me.
But there will be time for that. Right now, we need to bask in the silver lining of last night which was the Jets winning without Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson looking like the player that forced the Jets to get Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets were visibly shaken after Rodgers was carted off. Anyone watching the game broadcast saw Robert Saleh’s 1,000-yard stare as he watched Rodgers helped off the field and heard how flustered he was in the sideline interview with ESPN.
Saleh looked like a general who knows the battle is lost. But to his credit, the Jets rallied in the second half and in the fourth quarter in particular, to edge out the Buffalo Bills in overtime 22-16.
The Jets defense looked like the beast we knew they could be. The Jets registered five sacks and were harassing Josh Allen all night. Quincy Williams looked like a man possessed and was making tackles all over the field.
The Jets also registered three interceptions all from safety Jordan Whitehead who already hit his interception bonus for the year. In the end, Josh Allen completed more passes to the Jets than Aaron Rodgers did.
On the offensive side of the ball, the two star rookies from last year looked like they were only getting better in their sophomore season. Breece Hall looks like he is fully recovered from his ACL injury and was making plays every time he touched the ball including an 84-yard run. He ran out of gas and was eventually tackled before he could score and I’m convinced if he makes that same run four weeks from now, it’s going all the way for six points. Hall gained +81 rushing yards over expected on 10 carries, the fifth-most RYOE in a game by a running back since the start of last season.
Garrett Wilson must hate playing with Zach Wilson. He saw only five targets in the game and caught every one of them for only 34 yards and he had to work for every single catch. No throw was put where it needed to be.
Hopefully Zach Wilson trusts Garrett more after seeing that touchdown catch. I would put that catch up there with the famous Odell Beckham Jr. Sunday Night catch. It was that pretty. That was one of the worst throws on a fade route I have ever seen and Garrett still managed to haul it in for a score when it was needed.
But the man of the hour was undrafted rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson, who became somewhat of a fan favorite thanks to Hard Knocks. Gipson took the ball out of Zach Wilson’s unsteady hand in overtime and won the game himself.
Gipson's 65-yard punt-return touchdown gained +55 punt return yards over expected, the third-most PRYOE since the start of last season. Gipson had just a 0.8% chance of scoring when he initially fielded the punt, per NFL's Next Gen Stats.
Xavier Gipson's punt return touchdown was the third overtime punt return TD in NFL history, joining Patrick Peterson (Week 9, 2011 versus St. Louis Rams) and Tamarick Vanover (Week 6, 1995 versus San Diego Chargers).
He also joined Tyler Lockett (Week 1, 2015 at St. Louis Rams) as the only players in the last 10 seasons to score a punt return touchdown in their NFL debut.
The Jets may have lost their quarterback for the year, but this isn’t a team that can be counted out of any game. They proved that on Monday Night.
Jets HC Robert Saleh provides update on team’s future in light of Aaron Rodgers’ injury
Still a lot of football left.
Featured image via Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
