Jets’ Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams get in sync, beat Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It felt like something from 2020 or 2021, with Aaron Rodgers throw the ball, Davante Adams catching him and the two old friends going wild throughout a New York Jets victory they will talk about long after their playing careers end.

The quarterback's receiver tandem helped the Jets earn a 32-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at EverBank Stadium, Adams catching nine passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns – all in the second half.

Adams totaled 135 yards in the final four minutes of regulation, the most of any player in a game this century.

“You're in trouble sometimes, and it's like your hand is a magnet for the ball,” said Adams, who scored the 100th and 101st receiving touchdowns of his career.

Adams' second half was historic – the most prolific half for a Jets player since the 1970 merger. The only player in the last 45 years to rack up more yards in the second half after Being shut out in the first half was Irving Fryar, who had 211 for the game. New England Patriots in 1994.

And to think that the day started with a thud.

Adams' first two targets eluded him, the last being a blatant fall. A little later, he was wide open on a third down, but the ball didn't get to him.

He let Rodgers hear about it.

“He kind of came back and said, 'Well, I guess you don't trust me anymore,' with a wry smile,” Rodgers said, smiling. “So I used that line against him a few times in the second half.”

Friends can tease friends. Rodgers and Adams spent eight seasons together with the Green Bay Packersculminating in 2020 and 2021 when they connected for 29 touchdowns and Rodgers won his third and fourth MVPs. They were reunited in October, when the Jets acquired Adams from Las Vegas Raiders.

The Jets are 2-6 since the trade (4-10 overall) and out of playoff contention – a bitterly disappointing season that led to the firing of coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.

Rodgers wasn't going to let that reality spoil his victory, which ended a four-game losing streak.

“Yeah, sure, it's too little, too late, but it's still special,” said Rodgers, who passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns. “It doesn't alter it at all. It doesn't take away from the joy. It doesn't take away from the pleasure.”

That day, Rodgers was young again. The 41-year-old quarterback rushed for a total of 45 yards, becoming the second 40-year-old player in NFL history to lead his team on the ground; Tom Brady was 44 years old when he did it in 2021. Rodgers became the first player in Jets history with three passing touchdowns, no interceptions and at least 45 rushing yards in a game.

Finally healthy over the past three weeks, Rodgers has racked up key distances in his races, joking afterwards.

“I take a lot of pride in my minimal athleticism,” Rodgers said. “But that's why I trained so hard all these months. … Obviously, I felt a lot better. You know that. You saw it in the last few weeks.”

The right arm worked pretty well too.

After a listless first half, Rodgers hit Adams for a 1-yard touchdown, a perfectly thrown fadeaway that gave the Jets a 17-16 lead. Adams was stopped short of the goal line on the previous play, so Rodgers wanted to give his buddy another chance, knowing it would be the 100th touchdown of his career.

“Historic. Magical,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “Getting his 100th TD today, it was — I feel honored to have seen it, to have been there for it. It was an incredible moment for both of those guys. Obviously, [there’s been] lots of ball between them and lots of touchdowns. For them to get that was special. »

They weren't finished. With 3:24 left in the fourth quarter, Rodgers found Adams for a 71-yard touchdown — a deep seam down the middle of the secondary. This allowed the Jets to regain the lead, 25-22. The Jaguars tied the game with a field goal, creating more Rodgers-Adams drama.

With less than two minutes to play, Adams made a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch on third-and-10 from the Jets' 30. Brece Room's game-winning touchdown with 1:05 left — a 1-yard plunge in which the Jaguars let him score on purpose.

Cornerback Sauce Keeper sealed the victory with his first interception in 37 games.

Rodgers said Adams' over-the-shoulder catch was the most important play of the game. Adams said they had a certain “telepathy,” and that was evident on the 71-yard touchdown run. It was a route from the Green Bay days, and the middle of the field was open.

“Then I look back and see the ball in the air and I'm like, 'Wow, that's really about to be a 70-yard touchdown,'” Adams said. “Lo and behold, we got it.”

Like the good old days.

“Today was one of those days,” Adams said. “In the second half it was really very, very similar to how we used to get things going.”