ATTACK: C-
Aaron Rodgers showed some of his trademark plays, including his first touchdown pass as a Jet on a free kick after putting the 49ers on the sidelines, but the best part of his performance (13-of-21, 167 yards) was that he physically endured the night. On to Week 2! The two key TD drives were refreshing and perhaps the most inspired football we’ve seen from the Jets in a decade, but there were far too many deficiencies elsewhere. Two turnovers – a fumble by Breece Hall and an interception after a deflected pass to Rodgers – were painful, as was the last chance at a comeback when the Jets trailed 26-13 on third-and-1 near the center line in the fourth inning. The third-down handoff to Hall was defended and a fourth-down pass from Rodgers to Garrett Wilson was intercepted.
DEFENSE: F
The Jets’ supposed strength turned out to be their biggest weakness, even with the reigning Offensive Player of the Year on the bench. Replacing the inactive Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason ran all over and through the Jets’ front line (147 yards and a TD on 28 carries) and the 49ers scored on eight consecutive possessions. Something, or maybe someone, was missing from the pass rush, and even when they pressured Brock Purdy, the quarterback was able to make plays (19 of 29, 231 yards). The 401 yards allowed were more than the Jets allowed in all but one game last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Perhaps an incompletion would be more appropriate here. Xavier Gipson had three kickoff returns for 77 yards and returned a punt for 4 yards. Thomas Morstead placed two of his three punts inside the 20. The Jets did not attempt a field goal, while the 49ers made six.
TRAINING: D
Robert Saleh has had months to plan against his old boss’s offensive scheme, and he can’t think of anything to stop Kyle Shanahan’s running system. The finer points like foul penalties and extra time for first downs continue to elude the Jets. One oddity: Whenever they showed offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on the broadcast, he didn’t seem to say anything into his headset. Maybe that was for the best.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. Previously, he was Newsday’s Giants sportswriter beginning in 2008.
