EAST RUTHERFORD — An improbable overtime victory to move to 1-0 on a young season against a division rival should be enough to excite any fanbase.
For the New York Jets, however, the win came at a massive cost that could sink their entire season. The loss of Aaron Rodgers for the year (potentially) means that the team will be without an All-Pro talent at the one position they need to have to compete in a loaded AFC.
While most of the coverage will be based on the outcome of Rodgers’ MRI Wednesday morning, there are still plenty of takeaways from a stunning win in front of the Jets’ home crowd.
New York’s defensive line is elite
Outside of Rodgers’ injury, the defensive line for the Jets lived up to their dominant expectations. The group totaled five sacks, seven tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. Truly a dominant night for the Jets’ top-position group.
Whether it was Quinnen Williams looking like the best defensive player in football, Jordan Whitehead collecting three interceptions, or Quinton Jefferson with two sacks on the night, it was a dominant showing from the Jets’ defense.
Without Aaron Rodgers, they’ll need to be a lot better for the remainder of the year.
Zach Wilson was not bad in replacing Rodgers
We’ll get more into the debate of whether the Jets should look for another quarterback now that Rodgers is lost for the season, but Zach Wilson played much better than normal in relief Monday night. While the quarterback was hard to watch for most of the game, he made key throws and plays to keep the team in the game and eventually win it.
His final line of 14/21 passing for 140 yards was respectable and important. If he can have the confidence to show his skill set and play within Nathaniel Hackett’s system, the Jets could have a chance to be a hard out for the rest of the year.
He may not be the long-term option, but the Jets can at least have some solace in knowing Wilson wasn’t terrible in relief on Monday.
Rely on the ground game
It was only one game, but the Breece Hall/Dalvin Cook duo was as good as advertised Monday night. Let’s start with Cook. The former Viking was the bell-cow on the day for the Jets: totaling a team-high 13 carries for 33 yards. His 26 yards on the receiving end also helped New York move the ball effectively.
The big winner though, was Breece Hall. Coming off a Torn ACL the year before, the former second-round pick had 127 yards rushing on just 10 carries (12.7 yards per carry!) and a 20-yard reception. He was the best offensive player for the Jets on Monday and propelled the team to a win.
If the Jets are going to have a winning season this year without Rodgers, they need to go all-in on running the football with Cook and Hall.
Jets Special Teams Continues to be Special
A game-winning punt-return touchdown, 4/4 on field goals, and two punts inside the 20 of four on the day.
New York’s defense was sensational on Monday night, but they don’t get the win without their special teams units continuously making plays to keep them in games. With the quarterback advantage now gone, it seems that all three phases of the Jets will need to step up in major ways.
Gang Green showed that can happen against a very good AFC contender.
Grass over Turf
The league was almost laughed out of their facility when they came out with a study that showed that there were the same amount of injuries on grass fields instead of turf. The NFLPA came out with further studies that showed that grass fields were safer, but the NFL has moved forward with cost-cutting measures.
In the end, their cost-cutting measures may have cost the career of one of their best quarterbacks.
Rodgers’ Achilles injury was suffered when his leg got caught in the MetLife turf – a place that several players later pointed out was a breeding ground for serious leg injuries. Hall went as far as to say “We want grass. I busted my knee on turf. I want grass.”
Roger Goodell’s NFL has always looked for ways to cut cost in different points but their incessant use of trying to throw the players on turf continues to look completely ridiculous.
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Read more: Rodgers’ Calf Injury Raises Concerns for Jets’ Season
