The Jets learn their leaders were there all along

Confetti from an NFL weekend, part 1.

Aaron Rodgers

There have been 57 Super Bowls. The New York Jets played in the third one. You may have heard of it.

The first two Super Bowls and the last 54 have been played without the Jets. Their whole franchise experience was based on a savior, an all-points celebrity named Joe Namath. Having enjoyed that experience, which included that Super upset of the Baltimore Colts that equalized the AFL and NFL and led to the merger that has triggered the oligarchy we watch today, the Jets have needed another hero.

Lord knows they’ve searched. From Bill Parcells to Boomer Esiason to Brett Favre to Le’Veon Bell to Eric Mangini to Rex Ryan, the Jets have become addicted to Great Man solutions. The latest, of course, was Aaron Rodgers, who came to the Jets over the summer and charged onto the Met Life Stadium turf Monday night, carrying a flag to honor the 9/11 victims and their families. He was wearing No. 8, not his No. 12 from Green Bay, because 12 is a holy number. It belonged to Namath.

Still, for one moment in time, there could be no better symbol. Rodgers wasn’t a quarterback, he was the leader of Seal Team Six.

Then they started playing football, always a troublesome development for the Jets. Rodgers was besieged by incoming Buffalo Bills. In his fourth snap, the duress got to him and he was dumped by Leonard Floyd. He stood up for a second, then sat on the turf and stonily waved for the training staff. He wound up with a boot on his foot and rode off on a cart. He had snapped his Achilles tendon. That flatbed truck might wind up in a museum.

What to do when the Messiah leaves? The Jets were stumped for a while. Eventually and dramatically, they found an answer within themselves.

Zach Wilson, the man who needed replacing, played safe and inspired quarterback. Garrett Wilson made a TD catch that, in the Ed Sullivan Show days, would have gotten him permanent employment as a juggler.

Jets’ safety Jordan Whitehead suddenly became the favorite target of Buffalo’s Josh Allen, with three interceptions.

Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass doinked the tying field goal off a crossbar and through. The Jets got into overtime, stopped the Bills and watched a punt sail toward Xavier Gipson, an undrafted rookie from Stephen F. Austin. Gipson caught it, saw the Bills were overpursuing to their left, went against the stream, got to the sideline, swerved back toward the field and made it to the end zone, a 65-yard joyride. Jets 22, Buffalo 16. 

Gipson routinely did things like that in college, but he was in the FCS, the Triple-A tier. He had committed to SMU, but academics got into the way. He said, on the field, that it was difficult to watch Rodgers limp off the stage, but there was a lot of game left.

Now there’s a lot of season left for the Jets. Breece Hall is not far from supremacy as an NFL running back. When the defense walks into a saloon, everybody else gets the heck out. Once Rodgers left, entitlement and inevitability left the building. The fun part will be seeing what replaces them.

Other confetti from Week 1 in the NFL.

Detroit 21, Kansas City 20

– Chris Jones didn’t play and the Chiefs sacked Jared Goff only once. Travis Kelce didn’t play and Patrick Mahomes hit only 21 of 37 passes, and the Chiefs had only two field goals in two second-half possessions. As Jeff Van Gundy said, “‘Next man up’ doesn’t work because if the next man was that good, he’d be playing.”

– Mahomes’ QB rating was 77.5, lowest since a Week 8 win over Denver in 2021.

– Detroit got production from its rookies: Jahmir Gibbs with seven carries for 42 yards, including an 18-yarder, and tight end Sam LaPorta, with five catches. However, Lions’ fans are still waiting for the Chiefs to send in a slate of fake electors. They’re pessimistic that way.

Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 3

– According to Joe Burrow’s new contract, the Bengals are on pace to pay him $9.17 million per first down. Burrow was hit ten times on Sunday, the Bengals went 2 for 15 on third downs, punted 10 times, and ran the ball 20 times.

– Myles Garrett was out front, hitting Burrow four times, as did Za’Darius Smith. Cincinnati’s average drive start came from its own 19 yard line.

– The Bengals are reportedly bringing in Venus Flytrap and Dr. Johnny Fever for offensive line auditions, but the Browns’ offense wasn’t space-age either. DeShaun Watson had ten completions, rushing for a 13-yard touchdown that made it 10-0 at halftime. There was a time when that wasn’t insurmountable for Cincinnati.

San Francisco 30, Pittsburgh 7

– Pittsburgh went three-and-out on its first five possessions and lost a net minus-9 yards. By then the Steelers were buried to the point that they ran the ball 10 times all day.

– .Nick Bosa’s hand was sore from signing the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history, so he played only 35 snaps. Drake Jackson filled in with three sacks that sent Kenny Pickett back 20 yards.

– T.J. Watt had three sacks for Pittsburgh and tied James Harrison’s career franchise record, but basically this was a snatch-and-grab operation by the Niners, as if the Steelers were a Walgreens branch.

Miami 36, LA Chargers 34

– The Chargers rode the roller-coaster that is cornerback J.C. Jackson and eventually fell off. Although Jackson intercepted Tua Tagovailoa in the end zone, he tried to run it out and only got to the four-yard-line. Miami regained the ball on the Chargers 35 and Tagovailoa drilled Tyreek Hill with a 35-yard touchdown. Jackson also committed a needless pass interference at the end of the half that gave the Dolphins three points, and he was the unfortunate soul who was asked to guard Hill one-on-one in the red zone, a situation Tagovailoa turned into the winning score.

– Tagovailoa was the most impressive quarterback of the weekend, by a nautical mile. He went 28 for 45 for 466 yards. But his uniform needed no Wisk at the end of the day. He was never sacked and was only hit twice. Such renowned disrupters as Joey Bosa, Derwin James and Khalil Mack couldn’t get through Miami’s security. Faced with the choice of rushing Tua or keeping Hill controlled, the Chargers opted for neither. Miami’s defensive backs coach is Renaldo Hill, who used to be L.A.’s defensive coordinator.

– New play-caller Kellen Moore has the Chargers rooted on the ground, as promised. Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley each had 16 carries. But it didn’t keep Miami from sacking Justin Herbert three times. The third one was on the game’s final play as L.A. couldn’t overcome a grounding penalty.

Dallas 40, NY Giants 0

– Although Coco Gauff was on the sideline, there were no comebacks for the Giants.  Dallas led 16-0 even though it had only two first downs at a time. They blocked a field goal for a touchdown, which delighted special teams coach John Fassel, and Noah Bland took a deflected pass and ran back the interception for a touchdown.

– Someone named Matthew Berry on NBC’s pregame show predicted the Giants would win because “Daboll will beat McCarthy,” a reference to the coaches. Dallas’ Mike McCarthy has won a Super Bowl and has coached 275 NFL games. Brian Daboll is in his second year as the Giants’ coach. Beyond the fact that coaches don’t block field goals or return pick-6s, this was a typical gambler’s perspective. You lose, and somewhere along the line you blame the coach. NBC also has a new show coming, called The Irrational, and it will be hard to distinguish it from its football coverage.

— Daboll inexplicably and cruelly had Daniel Jones playing QB when it was 40-0. The unblockable Cowboys had 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks and 12 QB hits. At last report Jones was in good shape, although in his dreams he was being chased by giant stars.

Green Bay 38, Chicago 20

– The Packers have this line-of-succession thing down pat. Jordan Love was ready for his closeup, in his third year, and got three touchdowns for Green Bay before Chicago got its first. Love spread the ball around, wasn’t intercepted, and was responsible for 8.5 yards per pass attempt. The Packers also were 3-for-3 in the red zone.

–  Second-year linebacker Quay Walker was last seen pushing a Detroit Lions trainer in last year’s season finale at Lambeau Field, a loss that kept the Packers out of the postseason. That penalty was a big part of that. Walker began his absolution by returning an interception 37 yards for the final touchdown.

– Chicago’s Justin Fields was sacked four times and was by far the club’s leading rusher. Neither thing is good, but at least the Bears got through the day without announcing yet another exploratory stadium plan.

Philadelphia 25, New England 20

– The Eagles got a 16-0 lead in the first quarter and didn’t score another touchdown. Without Darius Slay’s 70-yard pick-6 they would have scored only one. Jake Elliott saved the day with field goals of 56, 48 and 51 yards in the second half. The Birds also seemed to miss runner Miles Sanders, now at Carolina.

– The final New England drive died at the Eagles’ 20-yard-line. But the Patriots could have tied it with a field goal had Calvin Anderson not been whistled for holding on a two-point conversion attempt.

– Ezekiel Elliott had 29 yards on seven rushes for New England, and rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez had seven tackles, a sack and a pass defended. The Patriots also inducted Tom Brady into their Hall of Fame, with owner Bob Kraft buzzing him past the official restrictions. Good call, I’d say.

Las Vegas 17, Denver 16

– A roughness penalty by 14-year veteran Kareem Jackson, who had stopped an earlier drive with an interception, allowed the Raiders to hang onto the ball and run out the clock at the end. Las Vegas also got a boost on its go-ahead possession when Essang Bassey roughed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, setting up the second TD pass of the day to Jacobi Meyers.

— It was the second consecutive year Denver lost the opener by that score. A missed point-after by Will Lutz, who was summoned to Denver by Sean Payton, his old Saints coach, was the ultimate difference.

– Russell Wilson’s comeback showed promise, with a 27-for-34 passing day, but he misfired twice in the red zone, and Payton, on fourth-and-goal from the five, chose a field goal that put Denver up 16-10 with nine minutes left.

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Washington 20, Arizona 16

– Rule No. 1: When you’re trying to make a new owner like Josh Harris feel at home, and when you’re trying to expunge the last stinking vestiges of ex-owner Daniel Snyder, the best thing to do is schedule the Cardinals.

– Washington QB Sam Howell was sacked six times and completed no pass over seven yards,, but he remained upright. He also remains the most viable long-term solution at QB in Washington since Kirk Cousins. The Team To Be Nicknamed Later again showed up on defense, giving up no TD drives and getting two fumble recoveries and two tackles for loss from Montez Sweat.

– Podcaster and former scout Daniel Jeremiah says the Cardinals’ slogan for the season should be “With The First Pick….” If that’s the plan, maybe they should tell linebacker Dennis Gardeck to cool it. He stripped Howell to set up the only Arizona touchdown, and had another sack. He’s from Sioux Falls, after he transferred from West Virginia State, and was undrafted six years ago. He’s underrated and, considering where he’s playing and for whom, is a good bet to stay that way.

Baltimore 25, Houston 9 

– The sight of J.K. Dobbins limping off with an Achilles tear, and the thought of a year’s worth of work evaporating on Opening Day, was a cloud over this Ravens’ victory. The sight of rookie Zay Flowers frolicking for nine catches and 78 yards helped dispel that cloud.

— Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud threw his first NFL pass and caught it after it was deflected, which reminded some of how Brett Favre began. Otherwise, the Ohio Stater soon realized he wasn’t playing Rutgers anymore, getting sacked five times and going 28 for 44.

– Roquan Smith participated in 16 tackles for Baltimore, which drew 13 penalties and lost tackle Ronnie Stanley. Meanwhile, coach John Harbaugh’s brother Jim, serving a suspension at Michigan, was handling the first down chains at his 10-year-old’s game, which was true to form.

Tampa Bay 20, Minnesota 17

– This is Baker Mayfield’s fourth stop on the NFL carousel, and he flies a little closer to the ground each time. It was about time for him to remind folks why he was a first-overall draft pick, and he did it in the fourth period, scrambling for a first down, hitting Chris Godwin for another, and running out the clock for Tampa Bay.

– He also got a score when Jay Ward of the Vikings jumped offside on a fourth-and-two, and Mayfield followed with a TD pass to Trey Palmer. Minnesota made enough of those mistakes to cost them a win, and without Dalvin Cook they couldn’t find a run game.

– Justin Jefferson caught nine of the 12 passes that came his way for 150 yards. The Vikings still haven’t signed him long term.

Jacksonville 31, Indianapolis 21

– Calvin Ridley left the Falcons in 2021 to work on his mental health, and he was suspended throughout 2022 for gambling on NFL games. He commemorated his return with eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Another redemptive story came from rookie Tank Bigsby, who lost a fumble that DeForest Buckner returned for a score and an Indianapolis lead. Bigsby responded with the touchdown that put the Jaguars up for good.

– Anthony Richardson’s breathtaking size-speed profile made him the most interesting rookie QB. He went 24 for 37 for the Colts with a damaging fourth-quarter interception that led to a 31-21 lead for Jacksonville, and he also banged up his knee on a zone read in the fourth quarter.

– Richardson already has a connection with receiver Michael Pittman. He threw to Pittman 11 times, good for eight catches, 97 yards and a touchdown.

Atlanta 24, Carolina 14

– Bryce Young was involved in a 10-10 game after three quarters in his NFL debut. Sacks and bad field position doomed his chances in the fourth, as the Falcons got two rush touchdowns from Tyler Allgier. Overall, the 2021 Heisman winner went 20 for 30 but threw two interceptions.

– Atlanta has a rookie who is ready now. Bijan Robinson, the back from Texas, ran for 56 yards and took Desmond Ridder’s swing pass 11 yards for a touchdown. But the Falcons still can’t harness the gifts of receivers Kyle Pitts and Drake London. Pitts had two catches for 44 yards, London one for zero.

– The Falcons tried to upgrade their defense, and ex-Bengals safety Jessie Bates intercepted Young twice. But the biggest indignity came from Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst, who caught Young’s first TD pass as a pro and promptly launched the ball into the seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Hurst was mortified and took steps to retrieve the ball from fans, but he’ll probably have other chances.

New Orleans 16, Tennessee 15

– The Titans appear to have a QB controversy – i.e., they lack one. Ryan Tannehill had a QB rating of 28.8 and threw three interceptions, including one to Paulson Adebo that set up the only touchdown of the game, a 19-yard pass from Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed in the third quarter.

– Titans coach Mike Vrabel caught some flak for choosing a field goal with 2:20 left, on fourth-and-6 from the Saints’ 11. He had all three time outs to get the ball back, and the Titans hadn’t scored a touchdown all day. Nick Folk’s kick cut the lead to 16-15, but the Saints foiled the plan by holding onto the ball, with Jamal Williams running 11 yards on a third-and-four to wrap it up. Vrabel’s call wasn’t wrong. The defense was.

– Carr’s first game in New Orleans was unspectacular but efficient. He hit 23 of 33 passes for 305 yards and one interception, and Chris Olave caught eight of the 10 passes Carr threw him, for 112 yards.