It was Aaron Rodgers’ debut with the New York Jets and the first glimpse fans get to witness a historic season from a championship roster. The Jets’ offense is still a mystery, yet their defensive reputation as one the best in the NFL was tasked with limiting the Buffalo Bills’ explosive offense.

The first offensive play for the Jets saw them handing the ball off to second-year RB Breece Hall for 15+ yards. The red flag for the team of course is the offensive line, which struggled mightily during preseason.

Week 1 Slay

In spite of the Jets giving young RB Breece Hall limited work in his journey back to full health, he is still a stud for this offense. Hall was able to break out for a huge 83-yard gain on his second rush attempt against a tough Bills front and secondary for a total of 127 yards on ten attempts, according to PFF.

Despite signing veteran RB Dalvin Cook, Breece Hall reminds the fans as well as the team’s organization why his skill set and approach to the game are so special even after his season-ending ACL injury last year. Aside from Hall’s impressive offensive performance, it was the defensive playmakers that stepped up. It is unrealistic to ask or expect the Jets’ defense to win games each week. These guys are elite players. There is no argument against their skills and performance, but the offense needs to show up.

 

The presence of DT Quinnen Williams, who had 11 sacks, his brother Quincy Williams, and Cornerback Sauce Gardner were never in doubt. However, the defense had their hands full, attempting to guard superstar Bills players like Stefon Diggs, Dawson Knox, and field general Josh Allen.

 Week 1 Bomb

New York Jets Week 1 Slay and Bomb

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (8) – Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports

QB Aaron Rodgers was sacked after only four plays and appeared to have injured his ankle on the tackle by Buffalo DE Leonard Floyd.

Zach Wilson quickly entered the game but did little to keep the Jets’ drive active. Wilson was able to complete a bullet pass to newcomer WR Allan Lazard for 22 yards, but once again, the Jets’ offensive line failed to protect their QB. As one of the NFL’s teams to receive nonstop media coverage during the offseason, Aaron Rodgers and the Jets have entered the new season with some bad luck.

Head coach Robert Saleh expects his offense line to pick up the slack and help the defense, but Week 1 turned into a dud for the fans with Aaron Rodgers exiting early. With Zach Wilson under center, the Jets were unable to get the passing game going effectively but still made key plays to put points on the board. Wilson is expected to learn and improve massively under Aaron Rodgers with his unique guidance and experience as a former MVP and Super Bowl Champion.

With a less-than-stellar offensive line, as mentioned before, Zach Wilson was under pressure the entire game, throwing an interception on his third drive. The young QB was not able to find his accomplished receivers core like Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard to build momentum until late in the 4th quarter. The offense lacks the cohesiveness that is expected by fans, coaching staff, and NFL analysts.

Are the Jets posers?

On paper, the Jets are constructed to compete as well as slay team defenses like the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Philadelphia Eagles under offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett. It seems, however, that fans will need to temper their expectations for at least a few more weeks if star QB Aaron Rodgers misses time due to injury.

Although the Jets tied the game late in the 4th with a 3-yard touchdown pass from QB Zach Wilson to WR Garrett Wilson, the Bills’ defense dominated the Jets’ offensive scheme or lack thereof most of the night.

The Jets Saved Gotham City

A game in which the team started disastrously concluded with a fairytale-ending overtime punt return by WR Xavier Gipson to help the Jets win their first game of the NFL season. Regardless, the team and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich have silenced doubters in Week 1 by holding the former Super Bowl contender Buffalo Bills to less than 20 points in a Week 1 overtime win.

See also: Pre-Draft Projected Starters: 2023 New York Jets