Aaron Rodgers impressed everyone with a rooting interest in the New York Jets in a Thursday Night Football win over the New England Patriots. Even LeBron James was talking Jets and Rodgers. Receiver Garrett Wilson spoke for millions in the Big Apple's metro area when asked if he thinks about the new offense compared to the old offense.
“Yeah,” Wilson smiled. “I ain’t gonna fake it. I do. It's a great opportunity for me and the whole receiver group, everyone that's a skill position on offense to have fun.”
Rodgers was 27-for-35 passing, good for 281 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Jets' second-straight win with plenty of time to rest for a Week 4 visit from the Denver Broncos.
New York controlled the ball for 40:04 and outgained New England by a substantial margin (400-139) on offense. Rodgers had time to complete passes to eight different receivers, and Wilson made sure to get in on the action.
Wilson did have a hard time cashing in on the nine targets outside of a two-yard touchdown. Rodgers and Wilson are in the same section of the library but not quite on the same page far too often. Wilson finished with five catches for 33 yards. Moving the chains is enough for now, but the Jets will need to squeeze a bit more juice out of this pairing to make noise in the NFL Playoffs.
There was no faking an answer from Rodgers in the postgame press conference either.
“It felt great,” Rodgers said. “I was feeling real good out there; I felt good in pregame. I told you guys after Week 1 that it's going to be a process, and I'll continue to extend plays once I feel more comfortable. This was kind of a first step in playing like I know I'm capable of playing…I felt like I was, you know, myself.”
Jets get Garrett Willson some help
Rodgers did well in spreading the ball around. Wilson is getting far more attention in the way of double teams and safety help in zone coverages. The targets will remain a staple even if fewer passes wind up being successful.
Allen Lazard and Tyler Conklin helped pick up the slack, not that anyone wearing green was worried about Rodgers. Coach Robert Saleh was full of compliments for the old man in the locker room.
“He may not be what he used to be, but he still has plenty in those legs,” Saleh said. “His arm is still 30, and his mind is still operating at a high level.”
Lazard had three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Conklin finished with 93 yards on five catches. Breece Hall managed 83 yards from 20 touches (four catches). With Rodgers and Wilson getting help from the supporting cast, the Jets' offense should have plenty of room to operate as they build chemistry.