2024-09-10 15:55:02
Aaron Rodgers made his season debut Monday night at San Francisco, returning to game action after an Achilles tendon tear limited his first Jets’ season to four plays. Rodgers threw a touchdown and led 2 TD drives, but the 49ers, playing without injured star RB Christian McCaffrey, played like the NFC defending champions in a convincing 32-193 victory.
The Jets finished -2 in turnover margin and the Niners controlled the ball throughout, scoring on each of their final eight possessions while rushing for 181 yards. With McCaffrey on the sideline, Jordan Mason turned in a career performance, amassing 147 yards on 28 carries with 1 TD as HC Kyle Shanahan’s club totaled 401 yards.
“Credit to them,” HC Robert Saleh said. “They executed a lot better than we did. We have to be better.”
Rodgers (13-21-167-1TD-1INT) tried to will the Jets back into the game in the third quarter. Faced with a 26-7 deficit, he uncorked a perfect pass to Allen Lazard down the visiting sideline for 26 yards. Then the master of the free play drew Leonard Floyd offside before going back to Lazard for a 36-yard TD. After a failed 2-point attempt, the Jets had inched closer, 26-13. It was Rodgers’ 18th TD pass on a free play and the 476th of his Hall of Fame career.
The only things that stopped Rodgers in the first quarter were a Lazard third-down drop and a Breece Hall fumble. On the Jets’ third possession, Rodgers looked vintage and led a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive that culminated on Hall’s 3-yard TD. He connected on 7 of 8 for 60 yards and was masterful on third down, keeping the chains moving with 16-, 14- and 8-yard gains to Garrett Wilson on third-and-8, third-and-7 and third-and-7, respectively. Hall’s TD gave the Jets a 7-3 lead with 3:37 left in the opening stanza.
With both clubs exchanging momentum early, the 49ers turned to the punishing ground game on a 12-play march that ended with Deebo Samuel’s 2-yard score as home team grabbed a 13-7 lead. Minus McCaffrey, the Niners were able to get great production from Mason, a powerful third-year back who established a career high with 74 yards on his first 11 carries. The 49ers totaled 210 yards in the first half and scored on their final four possessions as they grabbed a 16-7 lead at intermission.
