Aaron Rodgers shines in the Jets’ defeat against the Patriots in their first home game

Aaron Rodgers’ return to the New York Jets was exactly what fans wanted: healthy and dominant.

The Jets beat their AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots, 24-3, and are now 2-1 on the season, while the Patriots are now 1-2.

Rodgers didn’t score any points with the Jets’ offense on the first drive, but fans will still count this as a win after what happened in Week 1 last year. He tore his Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of the game against the Buffalo Bills, ending his 2023 season before it could really begin.

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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) attempts a pass against the New England Patriots in the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner-Images)

But the four-time MVP looked lively on Thursday night, confidently running around the pocket and, surprisingly enough, running to score first downs.

He got hit, he sprinted, and Jets fans probably held their breath every time he had to run out of the pocket, but Rodgers looked like his old self all night and the numbers proved it.

AARON RODGERS FINALLY REACHES A JETS MILESTONE IN FIRST GAME AT METLIFE STADIUM SINCE TETRALA

Rodgers finished the game with 281 yards on 27 of 35 aerial passes, two touchdown passes and no interceptions thrown in his best night as a Jet.

On his team’s second drive, he finally scored his first touchdown as a Jet at MetLife Stadium. He marched down the field and found his old Green Bay Packers teammate Allen Lazard, who ran a screen for 10 yards and put the Jets up 7-0.

After forcing another punt, the Jets drove 91 yards in 13 plays, where running back Breece Hall ran the ball into the net from the goal line for a decisive 14-0 lead.

Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots offense finally got something going on their third drive, scoring on a 44-yard field goal by veteran kicker Joey Slye. But those were the only points this group would score all game, as the classic Jets defense we’ve seen over the past few seasons was swarming all over the field.

Tyler Conklin (83), tight end of the New York Jets, signals the first down after a catch against the New England Patriots in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner-Images)

The Jets knew they hadn’t beaten the Patriots at home since 2015, when Ryan Fitzpatrick reigned supreme at quarterback. They simply wanted to beat their rival, and Rodgers knew exactly how to do that on their first drive of the second half.

Once again, Rodgers was mobile outside the pocket, extending plays and running the clock by finding open receivers for first downs and running the length of the field to get a first-and-goal play from the two-yard line.

Instead of letting Hall run up the middle to score again, Rodgers rolled to the right and made a pass to Garrett Wilson, who deftly finished the ball to make it 21-3. It was the first of what Jets fans hope will be many Rodgers-to-Wilson touchdowns at MetLife.

While Wilson might be Rodgers’ biggest target on paper, it was veteran tight end Tyler Conklin, who hadn’t stood out for New York in the previous two games, who took the lead in pass receiving on Thursday night.

Conklin finished the game with five catches and 93 yards (a team-high), contributing to the sustained touchdown drives.

In the running game, the Jets really do seem to have a two-headed monster right now with Hall and rookie Braelon Allen, who last week became the youngest player in the Super Bowl era to score a touchdown.

The Jets defense recorded six sacks on the night, and it was Will McDonald IV, the team’s first-round pick a year ago, who recorded two on the night, bringing his total to five sacks this season, up from just three last year.

The Patriots sent No. 3 pick Drake Maye into the game late in the fourth quarter after Brissett had thrown for just 98 yards on 12 of 18 passes. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards in the first regular season game of his young career.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) spins the ball on his finger while warming up before a game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner-Images)

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To look at the Jets’ dominance from a team perspective, they held the Patriots’ offense to just 139 total yards, while Rodgers and the offense totaled a whopping 400 yards on the night.

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