I think a lot of NFL fans need a smoke after the insanity that came with week 1. So much happened with just Monday Night Football that the Lions Chiefs game last Thursday felt like forever ago. Week 1 came with many dominant performances, upsets, and a changing of the guards as teams’ Super Bowl hopes were at an all time high, and a crushing all time low after this weekend. Here are the cliff notes in case you missed the action of the opening weekend of the NFL season.
Thursday:
- No Kelce, no hands as the defending champs quite literally dropped the ball against the knee biting Detroit Lions.
Sunday:
- Joe Burrow and the Bengals can’t seem to get a win in Cleveland, losing 9 of the last 11 to the Browns.
- The 49ers bent Steel in Pittsburgh as they dismantled the Steelers.
- Tua and the Dolphins might just be the most exciting team in the NFL while the Chargers only lose in Chargers like fashion.
- The Broncos are already in mid season form, blowing the home opener to the Raaaaaiiiiidddaaaasss.
- The Eagles look like a regression is in order while there is new found like in the New England Patriots.
- The Ravens will again be the most injured team in the NFL (don’t worry we’ll get to the Jets)
- Derek Carr: Does just enough to give you hope for the Saints. Titans need to move off Tannehill.
- Baker Mayfield might just have that DAWG in him. The Vikings will always be good but not great.
- No one watched The Commanders play The Cardinals and for good reason.
- Atlanta has a potential Offensive Rookie Of The Year with Bijan Robinson while Carolina is in for a looooooong season.
- Colts fans seemingly have their future franchise QB in Anthony Richardson. The Jags could have a cake walk to the playoffs.
- Turns out The Rams aren’t in a rebuild like we all thought and are the Seahawks already fraudulent?
- No Rodgers, no problem for the Packers as the era of Looooove has started in proper Packer fashion. Beating the breaks off the Chicago Bears in Chicago.
- Dallas looks like this could finally be their year as they dismantled a pathetic New York Giants leaving more questions than answers for the G Men.
Monday:
Monday doesn’t get bullet points as it deserves its own breakdown.
The Jets looked to finally move forward and become a proper contender in this year’s season. They bring in Super Bowl winning QB and 4 time MVP Aaron Rodger from the Green Bay Packers, signaling they are ALL IN on the next two seasons. The second Rodgers landed in New York, there was a new energy injected into the team. Hype and lofty expectations surrounded this team all offseason especially when HBO’s (or MAX I guess) Hard Knocks selected the Jets to their dismay. Yet despite that the Jets had new found life as Rodgers looked locked in for this season. They even restructured his deal making it more team friendly so they could sign more skill players to the roster (former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook)to surround him. The stage was on Broadway as the Jets would start their season in New York against the division rival Buffalo Bills on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11.
Monday night was like a movie. As Rodgers carried the US flag through the tunnel in an electric entrance. Metlife stadium was erupting as New Yorkers and Jets fans finally felt like they had something truly special they could look forward to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZn_Zcd8wZY
Sadly, the Jets and disaster go hand in hand. On their opening drive of the game, Aaron Rodgers had a total of four dropbacks. On his fourth drop back a blown cut block led to him being sacked. Rodgers got up to only then drop back onto the turf. The stadium went silent. Fear began to rise in the hearts of Jets fans as Rodgers was helped off the field and carted toward the locker room. At first, it was described as an ankle injury which, okay, maybe a couple of weeks, tread water and Rodgers comes back when the schedule gets a little softer for a late playoff push. As the game went on the speculation began to get worse as footage showed Rodger’s achilles basically popping up into his calf. Jets and footballs feared the worst. With X rays being negative, all they could do was hope until more information was released in the upcoming days.
To say this was a heavy blow to the momentum of the game was an understatement. The next drive for the Bills led to the first points of the game, and before you knew it the game was at the half.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38385791/sources-jets-aaron-rodgers-torn-achilles-tendon
Bills 13-3 over the Jets.
Now I’ll never know what was said in that Jets’s locker room at halftime, but head coach Robert Saleh must have cooked up the most inspiring halftime speech of his life because the Jets showed serious fortitude. The Jets defense was relentless. Forcing 3 interceptions and a late fumble in the fourth quarter to give the Jets something most of us never thought they’d get. A chance to take the lead. After wide receiver Garett Wilson made the catch of the year (as of week 1) to tie the game. Newly anointed starting QB Zach Wilson did his best to kill clock and score to win the game. The Bills managed to get a crucial stop to hold the Jets to a field goal.
The Jets take the lead 16-13 with a minute left in the game. Metlife erupts.
Now it is all up to Josh Allen and the Bills to find a way to save the game. After a horrendous second half, Josh drives the Bills down the field and into field goal range for Bills kicker Tyler Bass to force the game into overtime. The kick is up, it’s on its way and it HITS THE UPRIGHT… AND STILL GOES IN.
16-16 Overtime.
The atmosphere in Metlife stadium was palpable. The Jets defense felt as if it had channeled the life force of the entire city. Holding one of the most dangerous offenses to only three points in the second half. They had become New York strong with all of what felt like the football world cheering them on. Just one more stop, that’s all everyone kept thinking.
Jets hold the Bills to a three and out. The defense holds.
4th and 12 at the Buffalo 23 the Bills punt to the Jets. What comes next is something that can only be described as pandemonium. Punt returner Xaiver Gibson, who on the last day of Hard Knocks found out he was making the team, catches the ball and breaks left. He finds space and blockers down the left side of the field. He sheds a tackle, and scores the game winning 65 yard punt return.
New York City runs wild. Ball game.
Final score: Jets: 22 Bills: 16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eWPm5ZGtdk
Monday night was a night that will forever live in New York Jets history. Was it the most important game ever played? No. Will the Jets have a successful season after the injury to Rodgers? Probably not. Does anyone have faith in the Jets post week 1? Absolutely not, just ask Vegas. According to Yahoo Sports Writer Nick Bromberg, “The New York Jets’ Super Bowl odds are now much longer following Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles injury. The Jets entered the 2023 season at +1800 to win the Super Bowl and are now at +6600 at BetMGM following Rodgers’ injury on the first offensive drive of the season.” With all that said, for a franchise that continually feels cursed, and on a day as important and impactful as 9/11 is to the city of New York, The Jets reminded us that New York has an indomitable spirit. That they are strong regardless of what you throw at them, they will punch, bite, and claw their way through adversity. It was a game that can inspire and remind us that sports can bring us together.
This year’s Week 1 Super Bowl Winners: J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS.
