Jayden Daniels' first NFL completion sends fans wild as Aaron Rodgers watches on

It was a tail of opposites for the starting quarterbacks in the opening preseason game for the New York Jets and Washington Commanders , a game New York edged 20-17 at MetLife Stadium.

As the 40-year old Aaron Rodgers stood on the sideline with a headphone and a cap, Commanders 23-year old rookie QB Jayden Daniels donned the team's matte red helmet to sizzle in his professional debut.

In his third NFL play on a third-and-six from his own 34, Daniels stayed composed in the pocket against a Jets blitz and uncorked a deep strike to receiver Dyami Brown . The play went for 42 yards and sent any visiting Commanders fans into a frenzy.

Meanwhile, the Jets announced that Rodgers would not play in either team's first two preseason games. Head coach Robert Saleh is still mum if Rodgers, who only played four snaps last season after tearing his Achilles week 1, will play in the third and final preseason game.

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Daniels, who showed up wearing a vintage Doug Williams jersey, would only get one series with the Commanders offense. He would make it count, going 2/3 for 45 yards with his arm and rushed in a three-yard touchdown with his legs.

It was revealed shortly after that Daniels's bomb to Brown was not the original play call but an audible. "He made a check mid-play," said Washington offensive lineman Sam Cosmi during a midgame interview. . "It turned out to be a big gain."

"We bunkered down and really went in there. He was calm and collected, which is what you want to see, and it was really impressive. We all sat on the sideline and we were like, 'Dang, that was really fun.' So, I think everybody should be very excited just from that little sneak peek right there. I know I am. I know I am. I know the guys are fired up. I think we got a dude back there."

"Yeah. I mean it's just something throughout practice, throughout the time I've been here that [offensive coordinator] Kliff [Kingsbury] was like, 'Hey, if you don't like this look, check it,' " Daniels said postgame.

"So, they came out in a certain look and we were running a play, I didn't like it so I just checked it... it was going to be a dead play so I checked it and gave my guy a chance to make a play."

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn had a movie analogy for the play. "I thought of 'Top Gun.' Do I have permission to buzz the tower? No ghost rider, the pattern is full. So, I think on that one he wanted to ask for forgiveness and not permission, and then throw an absolute dime over the top to Dyami to go.

"It was a really cool play. I think it probably illustrates for him the awareness and checks and things that go into it. He did not ask for permission, so he went ahead and buzzed the tower anyway. It was a really cool play."

The Jets backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, did not have a strong day. In a game where New York played just one starter (center Joe Tippmann), Taylor went 1/2 for -1 yards in a lackluster showing for Aaron Rodgers's understudy .

Backups played the rest of the way for both teams. Austin Seibert kicked the game-winning field goal from 37 yards with 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Jets the victory.