Aaron Rodgers had a near-perfect game for the Jets, throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns at MetLife Stadium on Monday night. However, with 2 minutes left in the game, Rodgers was intercepted by Taron Johnson. It dashed the Jets’ hope for a win, as they lost to the Bills 20-23, after putting up a strong fight.
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The game saw a total of 22 penalties handed out, something Rodgers thought was a “little ridiculous.” Reflecting on the absurd numbers of referee calls from the game, including the one against Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa for roughing the passer, Rodgers said,
“Yeah, some of them seemed really bad. Including the roughing the passer on me. That’s not roughing the passer. Might as well play Sarcastaball if we’re gonna call those things. And I thought the one on [Jets defensive tackle Javon] Kinlaw was not roughing the passer, either.”
Further, A-Rod broke down his Hail Mary pass — fourth of his career– and called it a “pretty good feeling”
“We had all day to do it. The wind was a bit swirly at night, but lost just one and saw Allen come down. So, pretty good feeling.”
The Jets QB delivered the play of the week (or perhaps the season) by connecting with Allen Lazard for a 52-yard Hail Mary. This shifted the momentum to the Jets, who staged a stunning comeback after initially trailing the Bills by 10 points.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen said, the Bills “found a way to win” while admitting that they got sloppy in the second half during the post-game presser.
The Bills QB was equally impressive in the game, tossing two touchdowns and 215 yards. While Allen continued his consistent run, Rodgers stole the show with his iconic Hail Mary, which became the highlight of the Monday Night Game.
Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who spoke in the press conference, admitted the team needed more “red zone efficiency”, to pull out wins in tense situations. He added the Jets needed to be “more aggressive” in the run game.
Meanwhile, the Jets’ loss does not take away A-Rod’s stunning effort in the initial part of the game, which included the Hail Mary pass.
Rodgers’ 52-yard pass was a special effort
Earlier, NFL star Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James were among many who praised the veteran QB’s ability to make big plays. Notably, Rodgers has thrown four Hail Marys in his career, the most by any QB in NFL history.
Interestingly, the 52-yard Hail Mary traveled 61.4 yards in the air, the longest completion by a Jets QB since 2016. With exciting plays like this Hail Mary in his repertoire, Rodgers aims to improve his consistency, mentor the young Jets team, and ultimately win his second Super Bowl. However, his most immediate goal would be a comeback win against the Steelers next week.
