The New York Jets opened Week 3 of the NFL season by wrecking the New England Patriots 24-3 behind the 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers playing like his vintage self, going 27-35 with 281 passing yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns. Moreover, the Jets hadn't just blasted a lowly Patriots team–this is a team that upset the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 and lost a nailbiter to the Seattle Seahawks the week after. This win must have made the Jets players feel so good that wideout Allen Lazard blurted out an NSFW comment after the game.
“Our defense played their f**king ass off tonight,” Lazard said to the media, as posted by Connor Hughes on X, formerly Twitter.
Week 3: Jets vs. Patriots
The Jets' Allen Lazard had himself a solid game, too, with three receptions and 48 rushing yards, along with a touchdown. True to his comments, the team was simply clicking on both sides of the ball, outclassing the Patriots on every play.
For instance, the Jets had already amassed 400 yards of offense with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, while the Patriots only had 93. Their defense had always been a consistent positive, but its job became easier when a quarterback on Rodgers' level called the plays on offense.
Before Rodgers, the Jets were consistently mediocre, winning seven games in the last two seasons but failing to qualify for the postseason for 13 straight years. They also have the NFL's longest active playoff drought, and they hoped the addition of Rodgers would reverse their fortunes.
An Achilles tear kept Rodgers from delivering on the team's hopes last season, but he's making up for lost time. His play on Thursday earned him raucous “Aaron Rodgers!” chants from the home crowd, which he even had to try quieting down because their offense had the ball.
While Rogers might not be as mobile anymore thanks to his age and Achilles injury, he can still see the field well and his arm can still deliver 90-mph rockets to his receivers. He could also go outside the pocket and throw on the move, but only when he needed to.
The Jets also saw positive contributions from Tyler Conklin, Mike Williams, and Lazard as the Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was giving one of NY's best receivers Garrett Wilson some trouble. Likewise, the offensive line carved up the Patriots' defense for the running game and protected Rodgers throughout.
Outlook
In the first two weeks of the NFL season, the Jets might have looked like laughingstocks for trading for an old Aaron Rodgers with a busted leg. This Week 3 game might not be enough to convert the naysayers, but it should turn some heads.
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