The New York Jets didn’t provide much to get excited about with their Week 1 opener on the road against the San Francisco 49ers.
They were defeated 32-19 despite the 49ers being without their star running back Christian McCaffrey. The Jets didn’t even have veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers finish the game as he was pulled for the final offensive possession in favor of backup Tyrod Taylor.
On a positive note, Rodgers made it through the game unscathed after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury on the fourth offensive play from scrimmage last year.
New York also saw the version of wide receiver Allen Lazard they had hoped they were getting when they signed him ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Lazard inked a four-year, $44 million deal with the Jets as a free agent, leaving the Green Bay Packers. A few weeks later, he was excited to reunite and continue working with Rodgers.
Alas, the injury to the future Hall of Famer had a massive impact on Lazard’s ability to produce. He was the least efficient wide receiver in the NFL in 2023, and many people questioned whether he should have a role in 2024.
On the opening drive of the game, those doubters had more ammunition to work with.
On third-and-short, Lazard dropped a catchable pass, leaving Rodgers visibly frustrated as the team had to punt.
He found his stride in the third quarter on a play the veteran quarterback has perfected.
With Leonard Floyd jumping offside, Lazard knew the drill; go deep. Rodgers hit him running up the seam with a perfect pass for a 36-yard touchdown.
“When they jump offside, I’m just thinking touchdown,” Lazard said, via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. “What’s the easiest path to get there? Middle of the field was wide open so I just took it.”
During their tenure together with the Packers, Rodgers completed eight passes in such a situation with two touchdowns. During the offseason, the Iowa State wide receiver revealed they discussed him getting his first one.
He got it on a play the veteran quarterback was impressed by, calling it a “great adjustment”.
“To be honest, I thought they were going to blow the play dead,” Rodgers said. “They do that a lot of times, but I guess it was slow enough to where he (Floyd) was trying to get back. I just looked over to the left to make sure he was offsides. The next thing I saw was Allen putting his hand up, so I threw the ball.”
What has led to the potential bounce-back campaign?
The answer is “pretty simple” with him simply responding, “Aaron Rodgers.”
He finished the game with six receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns. He caught his second score from Taylor from three yards out, making the final score a little more respectable.
