NASHVILLE — The NFL did the New York Jets and their 40-year-old quarterback, four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers, no favors by scheduling their first three games of the 2024 season over the span of 11 days.
The Tennessee Titans have a different challenge.
Sure, they’re back in Music City for their home opener Sunday at Nissan Stadium. However, they go from facing a rookie quarterback making his first regular-season start — although Caleb Williams was the No. 1 pick of this year’s draft and the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner at Southern California — to taking on Rodgers, the Super Bowl XLV MVP who is in his 20th NFL season.
Rodgers can punish defenses that bite on his play-calling with a flick of his wrist for a touchdown pass, and his skills start before the snap. Two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said Rodgers probably has the best hard count outside of Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan, a guru for that position, and also knows how to avoid contact.
“He don’t give you the opportunity to hit him,” Simmons said.
The Titans opened with a 24-17 road loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday. Tennessee turned in the franchise’s best season-opening defensive performance in nearly three decades, allowing only 148 yards. A 17-0 lead disappeared, though, as second-year quarterback Will Levis committed three turnovers, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown, and a blocked punt was also returned for a touchdown.
The Jets lost 32-19 on Monday night to the San Francisco 49ers, the reigning NFC champions. Now both New York and Tennessee are trying to avoid 0-2 starts after missing the playoffs last season, but the Jets are back on the road again, facing an even quicker turnaround with the New England Patriots ahead next Thursday, Sept. 19.
“It’s going to be a great challenge,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said.
Rodgers watched the end of the Jets’ loss from the bench in his first game since his season-ending Achilles tendon injury in the 2023 opener. He was 13-of-21 for 167 yards, with his one touchdown pass coming off a free play when he got the 49ers to jump offside.
He wants the Jets to find a way to stay on the field for more than 49 offensive plays Sunday.
“We’ve got to help our defense out,” said Rodgers, in his second season with New York after being traded by the Green Bay Packers, the only NFL team he had ever played for. “You know, if it takes 30 (points) to win, we’ve got to score 30, so it wasn’t good enough on our part. I hope nobody’s getting frustrated. It’s one week.”
One of the biggest tests for Rodgers in his return was how mobile he could be when forced out of the pocket.
It’s a work in progress, but he moved around — even if he didn’t quite resemble the athletic playmaker who ran for more than 200 yards in nine of his NFL seasons, though not since 2018. Rodgers now moves around not to gain ground but to buy time to find someone downfield.
“The more comfortable I am out there, the more game reps I have, it’s just going to keep getting more confident to do those things,” Rodgers said. “I’ve always played with the ability to extend plays. Now it’s changed.”
Speaking of 30 points: Tennessee’s streak is at 36 consecutive games without scoring at least that many in a regular-season game. The Titans built their 17-0 lead at Chicago in the first half and were unable to add to it, extending the dubious streak.
Five-time Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was Levis’ favorite option as a rookie, is not on the injury report this week after a left knee injury sustained on July 31 led to him missing most of the team’s preseason work. He was able to play against the Bears, opening his 12th NFL season with one catch for 8 yards, but he said this week he’s good and has reminded teammates not to worry as long as they learn from the loss.
“That first game doesn’t dictate the season,” Hopkins said.
While the Titans had trouble on offense, defense let the Jets down against the 49ers despite being a team strength the past several years. New York allowed scores on eight straight San Francisco possessions and allowed backup running back Jordan Mason to run for a career-high 147 yards. Saleh called that surprising with the Jets’ usual attention to discipline.
The next challenge is Tennessee’s Tony Pollard, who ran for 82 yards on 16 carries against Chicago.
“That’s not the norm for us, and nevertheless, we put that on tape, right?” Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson said. “So we’ve got to go out the next week and put that to bed pretty quick, which I have full confidence that we’ll do.”
New York’s offense had a very bright spot in the opener with receiver Allen Lazard.
He signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Jets last year, then struggled mightily with 23 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown in 14 games before being inactive the final two games.
Lazard dropped a third-down pass from Rodgers, his former Packers teammate, on the Jets’ first possession at San Francisco. He bounced back by catching two touchdown passes — one each from Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor — and finished with six receptions for 89 yards, both single-game highs while with New York.
“Last year was definitely really hard for him,” Rodgers said, “but that’s the Allen that I think you guys have all seen in in training camp, and the Allen that I know and love on Monday night.”