Jets struggle in opener, but Saleh says 0-1 with Rodgers feels better than 1-0 last year without him

Published Sep. 10, 2024 1:32 p.m. ET

Associated Press

Aaron Rodgers being back on the field healthy — albeit a bit rusty — made even a rough loss in front of a national TV audience sting just a little less for the New York Jets.

They're 0-1 after falling flat in San Francisco on Monday night, a 32-19 defeat that made all the Super Bowl chatter from fans, the media and even the Jets themselves seem way premature.

But coach Robert Saleh acknowledged Tuesday it still somehow feels better than being 1-0 last year after Rodgers was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

“You know what?" Saleh said during a video call. “Unfortunately, it does."

That's because after one game last year, Rodgers' injury had the Jets' heads spinning and their frustrated fans coming to grips with the inevitable reality that their team was going to miss the playoffs for a 13th straight season.

This time around, Rodgers made it far beyond just four snaps and showed glimpses of what New York's offense could be with him running things all year. But the Jets' offense was on the field for only 49 plays compared to 70 for the 49ers because their highly touted defense was stunningly a mistake-prone mess that couldn't get off the field.

“I know we’re going to get the defense fixed,” Saleh insisted. "That is not a problem. If that’s a problem, it’s not a problem. I know we’re going to get a lot better from Week 1 to Week 2.”

Rodgers finished 13 of 21 for 167 yards with a touchdown and one interception that came on a deflected pass. Those were modest numbers for the four-time NFL MVP, who also got over the mental hurdles of taking his first sack and needing to move around in the pocket. But Rodgers also bemoaned missed opportunities on some throws, clearly looking at times like a quarterback who needed to shake off a year's worth of rust.

“We were just bad on first and second down, I think for a lot of the game,” Rodgers said after the loss. “A lot to correct, but overall I feel good about our guys.”

Saleh said the 40-year-old quarterback came out of the game feeling good physically. But Rodgers said he could play better.

The Jets are counting on it.

“I think our offense is in a really good place,” Saleh said. “I thought it was a good first outing in terms of, you know, for the quarterback, he hadn’t played in so long. But there was a lot of encouraging things and I know it’s going to be a lot better once we balance out this team.”

What’s working

The Jets went 6 for 10 on third downs, including converting three on their most impressive possession of the night with Rodgers — a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by Breece Hall's 3-yard touchdown run. Rodgers' pre-snap cadence was also on display on a third-and-8 in the third quarter when he drew Leonard Floyd offside and connected with Allen Lazard for a 36-yard TD on the free play.

What needs help

The run defense was sieve-like. Even with Christian McCaffrey sidelined with a calf injury, the Jets got rolled over by Jordan Mason, who rushed for a career-high 147 yards on 28 carries. San Francisco finished with 180 yards rushing, helped in large part by missed tackles and a lack of an edge presence by New York.

“When you’re playing a precision offense like this, it’s precision versus precision,” Saleh said. “And if you start to try to second guess yourself and do too much, you can end up getting gashed. And we did.”

Stock up

Lazard. After a bad first season in New York after signing as a free agent, Rodgers' former Packers teammate had a terrific training camp but got off to a shaky start when he dropped a third-down pass on the opening drive.

But Lazard bounced back to catch six passes for a team-leading 89 yards with two TDs, including one from Tyrod Taylor — with Rodgers sitting out in garbage time — to cap the Jets' final possession.

“He had a really nice game,” Saleh said of Lazard.

Stock down

The main issue was the run defense, but with Haason Reddick still a holdout while locked in a contract stalemate with the Jets, New York's pass rush against San Francisco was pedestrian. The Jets got three sacks, but two came from defensive backs — cornerback Sauce Gardner and safety Tony Adams — when Brock Purdy fell short of the line of scrimmage.

Injuries

CB Michael Carter II left with an ankle injury, but should be OK to play Sunday at Tennessee. Saleh said Carter could've finished, but the Jets opted to keep him out. Carter missed a few weeks during training camp with a high ankle sprain.

Key number

20 years, 233 days — Rookie running back Braelon Allen, a fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin, became the youngest player to catch a pass since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Allen had a 9-yard reception and an 8-yard run in his pro debut.