The New York Jets earned their first victory with Aaron Rodgers under center as they defeated the Tennessee Titans, 24-17, on Sunday afternoon.
It was another slow start for Gang Green, with penalties and minimal time of possession early on leading the team to trail 10-7 heading into halftime.
However, they came out with a spark in the second half: cutting down on the penalties, not turning the ball over and the offense clicking as the Jets outscored the Titans 17-7 over the final two quarters.
This is a huge momentum builder for the Jets, who finally have the first win with Rodgers, who still clearly wasn't in his best form (18-for-30, 176 passing yards), but still threw two touchdowns to running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.
It's a quick turnaround for the Jets, who will play their third game in 11 days as they host the New England Patriots for their home opener on Thursday night from MetLife Stadium.
Here were the highlights and our analysis from the Jets' win over Tennessee:
What a turnaround the Jets had in the second half. It seemed they were doomed for the dreadful 0-2 start but flipped a switch coming out of the half.
Aaron Rodgers showed up when needed, converting on big plays to his trio of top targets in Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, who caught his first and only pass of the day for 19 yards on the go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.
However, the unsung hero on offense has to be rookie running back Braelon Allen, who scored two total touchdowns, including the game-winning TD with 4:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.
With two huge pieces on defense going down, in C.J. Mosley and Jermaine Johnson, it was Will McDonald IV who stepped up on the defensive end with three sacks, including a huge takedown of Titans QB Will Levis on third and goal from the Jets' eight yard line for a loss of six yards with 29 seconds remaining in the game.
There's still plenty of work to do (faster starts, fewer penalties and how to replace Mosley and Johnson), but it's a positive start after the Week 1 loss and how the Jets played in the first half.
With the game on the line and the Titans at the Jets' 14-yard line, the defense comes up huge as it forces an incomplete pass to eliminate any chance of Tennessee tying the game and forcing overtime.
Allen has one on the ground and one through the air as he outruns everybody for a 20-yard touchdown run to give Gang Green a 24-17 lead with 4:31 remaining in the fourth quarter.
On third and short, Rodgers connects with Wilson, who beats his man one-on-one for a 26-yard, over-the-shoulder catch to put Gang Green near field goal territory now past the halfway point of the fourth quarter.
It's Ridley's second touchdown of the game as he beats Sauce Gardner deep for a 40-yard TD to even up this game late in the third quarter.
Gang Green starts their third drive of the second half in a great spot after Charles' blocking the Titans punt deep in Tennessee territory, which leads to a 33-yard field goal from kicker Greg Zuerlein to give the team a 17-10 lead after the midway point of the third quarter.
It's touchdowns on back-to-back drives for the Jets as Rodgers places a perfect throw to Hall over a defender for his second passing touchdown of the day.
Hall dominated on this possession, as they got deep in Titans' territory thanks to a 30-yard carry, the longest run of the season for him so far that put the ball all the way to the Tennessee 30-yard line.
It was a brutal start for Gang Green in Week 2. For a long stretch, they had more penalty yards than total yards.
Things finally got clicking after they forced their first turnover of the season, which lead to a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive from QB Aaron Rodgers, who threw his second touchdown in a Jets uniform.
Even though they're down only three, it feels like the Jets should be in a worse position. They already have six penalties for 65 yards. compared with the Titans' two penalties for 15 yards.
Before the five-minute scoring drive, the Jets were getting dominated in time of possession as the defense could not get the stops it needed or a costly penalty would extend the drive.
To turn things around, Gang Green has to come out hot with a solid drive after receiving the second half kickoff that leads in points and stop giving the Titans extra plays on offense.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett also needs to find a way to get running back Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson going, as they have only a combined 46 total yards on 11 total touches.
The make from the former Jets' kicker gives Tennessee a field goal lead at the end of the first half.
It's a receiving touchdown and the first of the career for Allen, who took a 12-yard screen pass from Aaron Rodgers to the end zone late, just under the two-minute warning.
The 2024 fourth-round selection showed flashes of his brilliance in the preseason as he looks to be a serviceable backup to starting RB Breece Hall.
Taking place of the injured CB D.J. Reed, Echols grabbed a 50/50 ball out of the air for an interception, giving Aaron Rodgers and Co. a chance to finally get something going on offense with the first half winding down.
Gang Green continues to be stuck in neutral on offense, currently having more penalty yards (50) than total yards (20) with halftime approaching.
The Jets defense struggles on the second drive, with penalties and Tennessee consistently moving the ball down the field leading to a Calvin Ridley 10-yard jet sweep rushing touchdown to give the Titans a 7-0 lead with the first quarter winding down.
Tennessee's TD drive went 68 yards on nine plays and took 6:38 off the clock.
On third and short, Gang Green gets off the field as they bring down the Titans' QB behind the line of scrimmage. Will McDonald IV gets credit for the sack, his first of 2024 and the fourth of his career.
A good start for the Jets' defense after last week's inability to get stops against the 49ers.
With kickoff minutes away, one must-see battle will be how effective Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson and Co. can be getting after Levis. In Week 1, the Jets defense was gashed repeatedly by the 49ers, who scored on eight consecutive possessions. Today, they should have an easier task compared with the San Francisco offense they faced this past Monday night.
Gang Green needs to get after Levis early and often, who had three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble lost) and was sacked three times against the Bears in Week 1.
Gang Green will be without starting cornerback DJ Reed, who plays opposite of Sauce Gardner. The Jets will need Brandin Echols and 2024 fifth round draft pick Qwan'tez Stiggers to play a larger role in stopping Titans' wide receivers Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins in Reed's absence this afternoon.
Here's the full list of inactives for both the Jets and Titans in Week 2:
NY Jets vs Tennessee Titans time today
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 15
- Time: 1 p.m.
- Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
What channel is NY Jets vs Titans game on today?
Streaming options for the game include Paramount+ , CBS's subscription streaming service.
NY Jets vs Titans history
- Series record: Titans lead 25-20-1
- Jets' last win: Oct. 3, 2021 (27-24, OT)
- Titans' last win : Dec. 2, 2018 (26-22)
NY Jets vs Titans prediction
The pick: Jets 24, Titans 13
Here's why: Tennessee miraculously found a way to lose in Week 1 despite being up three scores and not allowing an offensive touchdown. After facing the one of the best teams in the NFL in the 49ers, Aaron Rodgers and Co. should have a much easier time maintaining and moving the ball throughout the game to get the Jets their first win of the season, as the defense puts up a much better performance versus QB Will Levis and the Titans.
NY Jets vs Titans betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Sunday:
- Spread: Jets by 4
- Over/Under: 41 points
- Moneyline: Jets (-200), Titans (+165)
Jets vs Titans injury updates
- NY Jets : CB D.J. Reed (knee) is officially OUT while DL Micheal Clemons (triceps) is active.
- Titans: No players listed on final injury report.
NY Jets vs Titans weather update
Party cloudy, High of 84 degrees, 44 percent chance of showers.
NY Jets schedule 2024
- Sept. 9: at San Francisco, L 32-19
- Sept. 15: at Tennessee
- Sept. 19: New England
- Sept. 29: Denver
- Oct. 6: Minnesota (London)
- Oct. 14: Buffalo
- Oct. 20: at Pittsburgh
- Oct. 27: at New England
- Oct. 31: Houston
- Nov. 10: at Arizona
- Nov. 17: Indianapolis
- Bye
- Dec. 1: Seattle
- Dec. 8: at Miami
- Dec. 15: at Jacksonville
- Dec. 22: Los Angeles (N)
- Dec. 29: at Buffalo
- Jan. 5: Miami
Buy Jets football tickets this season with StubHub
Titans schedule
- Sept. 8: at Chicago, L 24-17
- Sept. 15: New York
- Sept. 22: Green Bay
- Sept. 30: at Miami
- Bye
- Oct. 13: Indianapolis
- Oct. 20: at Buffalo
- Oct. 27: at Detroit
- Nov. 3: New England
- Nov. 10: at Los Angeles (A)
- Nov. 17: Minnesota
- Nov. 24: at Houston
- Dec. 1: at Washington
- Dec. 8: Jacksonville
- Dec. 15: Cincinnati
- Dec. 22: at Indianapolis
- Dec. 29: at Jacksonville
- Jan. 5: Houston
Watch Jets vs Titans live on Fubo (free trial)
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Instant analysis: Aaron Rodgers, Jets defense come together in 24-17 win over Titans
Local News
Comments / 0