NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Surely, Aaron Rodgers is going to have better games this season than the one he played Sunday.
He’s going to throw for more than the modest 176 yards he amassed. He’s going to complete more passes than the 18 he connected on with seven different receivers. He’s going to throw more touchdowns than the two he delivered.
The Jets defeated the Titans 24-17 Sunday at Nissan Stadium to even their record to 1-1 entering their home opener Thursday night against the Patriots.
The victory was Rodgers’ first in a Jets uniform — unless you count the four plays he got in before rupturing his left Achilles in last year’s season-opening win over the Bills.
It was hardly a work of art by any means considering this was a game the Jets should have won — superior in talent across their roster, beginning at quarterback.
Aaron Rodgers or Will Levis?
Who are you taking?
Rodgers, of course. By a landslide.
But style points be damned, this might end up being one of the most important read-between-the-lines games Rodgers plays for the Jets this season because it was a game that symbolized the no-panic, stay-calm, no-overreaction vibe Rodgers hopes permeates the locker room.
Sept. 15, 2024. AP
This game was a grinder. It was stressful. The offense sputtered and stalled early. The defense was getting gashed on occasion by the Titans.
The Jets trailed 7-0 and 10-7 in the first half. After they finally took the lead at 14-10 and were gifted the ball on the Tennessee 30-yard line after an Irv Charles blocked punt, they failed to lay the hammer down and were held to a field goal, keeping the Titans within a score.
They lost linebacker and team captain C.J. Mosley for the game with a toe injury in the second quarter. Then they lost defensive end Jermaine Johnson likely for the season to what appears to be a ruptured Achilles suffered in the third quarter.
Throw these things into the mixer and what you’d have in years past was a certain Jets loss.
But not with the calm, cool, collected and unaffected Rodgers behind center.
When it was time to win this game, Rodgers spearheaded the deal, completing 5 of 5 passes for 60 yards on the winning drive in the fourth quarter, climaxed by a 20-yard Braelon Allen TD run with 4:31 remaining.
There are so many tangible things Rodgers brings to the Jets. The greatest intangible of all is the confidence he breeds in the players around him.
“The biggest thing football is confidence — in sports in general, in life,’’ Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “To have confidence in what you’re doing you’ve got to have some affirmations to be able to continue to build all that confidence.’’
Rodgers has more of those “affirmations’’ than any player the Jets have had in memory — maybe ever.
“We’re a young team and an organization that that’s been through it for the last 13 years,’’ Saleh said, referring to the playoff-less streak. “And to have a guy like Aaron, that just gives that calm presence at quarterback position.’’
Saleh called Rodgers’ presence “priceless.’’
“Having Aaron back there at the helm gives you a sense of peace,’’ tight end Tyler Conklin said.
“With Aaron there in the huddle, just the way that he talks, the way that his cadence is with calling the play, when you hear it you just believe it,’’ receiver Allen Lazard said.
“When you’ve got a Hall of Famer behind you, there’s no need to panic … ever,’’ defensive lineman Solomon Thomas said.
Among Rodgers’ many gifts is his ability to read the room, to read his teammates.
“When you’re in a situation like [Sunday], a lot of times people freak out,’’ Rodgers said. “You’ve got to be the calming force in there.’’
Rodgers’ preaching on remaining even-keel is not restricted to game days.
“It’s every day,’’ he said. “It’s how do we stay loose and then be able to lock in when it’s time to lock in? There’s been some times, I think last year, where some negative vibes were going. At times, we felt like, ‘Here we go again, and we’re not going to win this one.’
“I just don’t want us to ever get in that spot. So, I think there’s ways of doing that. Some of it is through humor, some of it is through stoicism, some of it has to do just taking charge at times.
“It’s just kind of putting your pulse on the team, on the energy, and trying to do the right thing as the leader.’’