The New York Jets pass the test proving that they are not a fluke and are the real deal as they came to Lambeau Field and beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for a dominating 27-10 victory as Robert Saleh keeps collecting his receipts.
The Jets came into today’s matchup after defeating the QB injury-riddled dolphins 40-17 last week at MetLife Stadium and were looking for a more proven test in back-to-back MVP champ Aaron Rodgers. Today’s matchup is the Jets’ first win against the Packers since 2006, when Chad Pennington was at the helm at QB for gang green.
Rodgers is someone that Jets QB Zach Wilson idolized throughout his football career as he tried to emulate his game after Rodgers. This matchup meant a lot to Jets offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur whose brother is Matt Lafleur, who has been at the helm as Packers head coach for the past four years now. This was Fox’s America’s game of the week, with Kevin Burkhardt and former NFL Tight end Greg Olson announcing the game with Erin Andrews on the sideline.
To start the game, Defensive rookie of the year candidate Ahmad Sauce Gardner almost had his first career pick-six, but that got overturned after the replay showed that the ball hit the ground and not Packers tight end Robert Tonyan.
The Jets defense looked solid in the first two drives of the game, as it’s rare for Jets fans to see any opponent have two straight three-and-outs to start a game, especially against hall-of-fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Throughout most of the first half, the game was a defensive matchup as both teams’ punters, Jets Braden Mann and Packers Pat O’Donnell, were having a field day punting non-stop. The latter had ten receptions for a 90-yard game.
Throughout the game, announcers Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olson pointed out that Rodgers was having issues with his thumb, nagging him throughout the week leading up to Sunday’s Jets matchup.
Rodgers seemed to have injured his thumb on the last play of last week’s matchup against the New York Giants in London.
Rodgers was looking very unstratified with how the Packers’ offense was playing. Robert Saleh’s defense continued to show out as unsung players like Jacob Martin, and Vinny Curry gave Rodgers pressure early in the game. Vinny Curry was activated from injured reserve and finally made his long-awaited Jets debut after missing the 2021 season due to complications in the aftermath of a splenectomy. After the Packers failed to secure a first down and were ready to punt, the Jets got a random, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the special teams’ bench that gifted the Packers offense back the ball. Luckily the defense still managed to hold the Packers’ offense to no points and force a three-and-out. The Jets’ offense wasn’t doing anything better either, as they were limited to only one first down.
Zach Wilson showed how the Jets offense was slacking to start the game as he ran right into Packers Edge Rusher Rashard Gary for a sack forcing a Jets Punt. The end of the first quarter showed how the game was a defensive matchup as Quinnen Williams continued to show why he is up there with the best defensive linemen in the league by sacking Rodgers. He would later continue to add to his case, but he stopped Mason Crosby from getting the Packers on the board with a blocked field goal on special teams.
Later, the Packers blocked a Braden Mann punt putting the Packers in a good field position. It was not an easy day for either Packer running backs Aaron Jones or AJ Dillion, as Jones had a 20-yard run called back for a holding call, then AJ Dillion fumbled the ball as it bounced off his shoulder pads for Lamarcus Joyner to recover.
That fumble recovery would help the Jets get on the board with a 32-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal. Later on, throughout the half, a Jets missed 53-yard field goal led to the packers tying it up before the half, making the score 3-3.
At halftime, everyone was shocked to see how the game had turned out. Most people thought the game would be a shootout between Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers; meanwhile, both defense and special teams units stole the show at first. The jets running game was decently efficient, but it was hard for Zach Wilson to get anything going in the passing game as the Packers were getting to Wilson non-stop.
Quinnen Williams returned to the game after being poked with a visor in his facemask. Randell Cobb had to leave with an ankle injury, being carted into the locker room. Finally, the Jets started to get the ball rolling on offense as Zach Wilson was able to connect with Corey Davis for a couple of catches, his only catches of the game, but one of them was a 41-yard reception off a Zach Wilson play-action bootleg.
Next play Braxton Berrios put the Jets in front of the Packers off of a 20-yard reverse end around getting blocks from CJ Uzomah and Duane Brown. After a Quinnen Williams sack for the second time, Willie Parks would force a blocked punt extending the Jets’ lead to 17-3.
The Packers would then, later on, answer back with an Allen Lazard 25-yard touchdown reception bringing the score 17-10.
The Jets would then answer back as up-and-coming rookie running back Breece Hall scored off a 34-yard rushing touchdown bringing the Jets up 24-10. As the Jets were able to hold off the Packers’ offense for the rest of the game, The Jets would come up on top by defeating the Packers in Lambeau Field 27-10, as the Jets kept showing the league that they were for real and are ready to go toe for toe with any team that comes across them. The defense looked great, getting to Rodgers four times and forcing AJ Dillion and Aaron Jones to only 60 rushing yards.
The offense showed that even when the passing game is not working, the running game can pick up the slack and put points up on the board. The star players on each side of the ball go to Breece Hall and Quinnen Williams, as Breece Hall had another 100-yard game rushing for 116 yards. Quinnen Williams keeps adding to being a top-five defensive tackle as he recorded two sacks, a blocked Punt, five tackles, and a forced fumble.
As the Giants keep shocking people, the Jets are doing the same thing as no one could’ve predicted they would be 4-2 for the first time since 2015. The Jets look like they can play consistent football throughout all four quarters and compete with the best of the best in the league. Next week should be fun.
The Jets travel to Denver to face Russell Wilson and the let’s ride Broncos, hoping to extend their winning streak to four games.
