Are Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams the WR duo Aaron Rodgers needs at the end of his career? Jets are starting to find out

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.Y. – Facing third-and-19, trailing by three points early in the fourth quarter, Aaron Rodgers made a decision.

If the safety were to decline on the weak side, New York Jets quarterback Garrett Wilson would give a shot.

So Rodgers dropped back and sailed 47 air yards to his receiver, who would end up being just 0.8 yards away from the defender, according to Next Gen Stats.

Wilson extended his right arm into the air so spectacularly that his teammates would soon rush to compare him to Michael Jordan’s JumpMan, or Odell Beckham Jr.’s famous one-handed catch. in the same stadium, or both.

As Wilson brought his left hand forward to secure the ball, his left foot touched the end zone, his right foot still well above his hips. The Jets’ 2022 first-round pick fell to his left side, hesitant to celebrate as he wondered if he had adhered to the sometimes seemingly shifting NFL definition of a catch.

Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich disputed the ruling of an incomplete pass.

“Just for posterity’s sake, you should say it’s in,” Ulbrich told the official, half-jokingly. “That’s how it goes down in history.”

Progeny alone turned out to be unnecessary. Replay confirmed Wilson’s left shin hit the end zone.

Rodgers to Wilson, 26 yards, TD.

“A game-changing play,” Rodgers said.

The foibles of the first half faded into their memories as the momentum of a star athlete making a crunch-time play raced through the sideline. For the first time in more than three quarters, the Jets took the lead.

The Jets defeated the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night, snapping a five-game losing streak and securing their first win in four tries during Ulbrich’s tenure.

They improved to 3-6 to stay alive in the playoff race and found an offensive rhythm unlike anything the franchise had seen in a season and a half of the Rodgers era.

A MetLife Stadium crowd that booed and jeered heavily in the first half erupted into JETS chants as the night wore on. A home locker room that had gone quiet after a primetime loss to the Buffalo Bills earlier this month now turned up the speakers as they traded dejected looks for smiles and confusion for confidence.

One win over a productive but shaky Texans team isn’t the Jets’ ultimate goal. But winning had to start somewhere, and even Rodgers admitted how disheartening another loss would have felt.

“It was kind of a season-long game there in the second half,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, mathematically speaking, we wouldn’t have been eliminated. But mentally it would have been really tough to go to 2-7. Hopefully this gives us confidence so that we can beat everyone because we think we can. The way we played offensively in the second half is the way we waited for this offense to wake up.

“That was almost perfect, as I had to be. That’s the level I have to play at. There were a lot of incredible performances.”

At halftime that was all questionable.

After Rodgers struggled mightily in the first half, the Jets were on the brink

Rodgers failed to soften his 7-of-14 passing attempts for 32 yards before halftime.

On the first play of the game, Rodgers badly missed his old friend and receiver Davante Adams. Rodgers took aim at Adams as he faltered, but instead sailed the pass out of bounds.

Soon after, Rodgers threw to Adams and he wasn’t looking.

This was not the chemistry two players expected nine years (albeit not consecutive) into their partnership. This wasn’t the level of play a four-time MVP quarterback and a six-time Pro Bowl receiver intended to deliver.

Rodgers joked with Adams that they were “momentary” after blowing up a play.

“Although in reality it wasn’t, because, God, the first one was so bad,” Rodgers said. “I played about as poorly as I could in the first half and knew it had to get better from then on. … I mean, I was terrible.”

Rodgers was in good company and played poorly, as multiple receivers dropped passes on him and running back Breece Hall fumbled (the Jets recovered). Rookie receiver Malachi Corley nearly scored a 19-yard touchdown on a jet sweep before the replay review determined that Corley’s celebratory ball was just before crossing the plane and therefore a touchback rather than a touchdown.

Add in Jets defenders missing tackles and special teams giving the Texans a first down after roughing up the kicker, and Jets fans had even more reasons to be scared besides Halloween.

Thomas Morstead’s 75-yard kick to the two-yard line was the Jets’ highlight of the first half.

But the Jets had told themselves: adversity would come. How will we respond?

For the first time in six weeks, they found answers.

After two quarters with five punts and a fumble, the Jets scored touchdowns on three straight drives to close the game.

Hall continued to find rhythm. But this time, so did Rodgers.

That first half of seven of 14, 32 yards turned into a second half of 15 of 18, 179 yards and three touchdowns.

Wilson’s acrobatic JumpMan was his second integral touchdown, his first coming from 21 yards on the first drive after halftime that the Jets knew could dictate their momentum.

Wilson ran a drag route and saw Rodgers spying him “last second.”

Texans safety Jalen Pitre jumped in front of the ball and fell, clearing the path for Wilson to make another one-handed grab 14 yards into the end zone.

The Jets defense continued to take advantage of a porous Houston offensive line, holding them to a field goal and paving the way for the Jets to finally take a lead.

But then Rodgers and Wilson fell a yard short on third down.

So Rodgers trusted Adams 17 yards down the left sideline and fourth-and-1 melted into the continuation of a drive.

Wilson would finish this one.

And facing third-and-3, four points ahead with 3:02 to go, Rodgers would find Adams on course for a 37-yard touchdown.

The receiver’s first score as a Jet (after leaving for a neurological evaluation and then being cleared to return) gave New York the win.

What’s next for the Jets team trying to stop the spiral?

The stakes of this Jets victory are complicated.

There are implications for the team, broadly speaking, five days before the trade deadline. And there are ramifications for Rodgers, specifically about a month before he turns 41.

The expectations for the Jets’ first season are far from being met. The 6-2 Buffalo Bills are still 3.5 games ahead of the Jets in the division, with the Miami Dolphins just half a game back of New York.

Athletic’s playoff forecaster puts the Jets’ chances of making the playoffs at 17%.

And yet, only one of the eight remaining regular-season opponents enters above .500 this weekend. If the Jets find their way and get a slew of injured players healthy over the 10-day window they have now and the bye two weeks later, it’s not impossible to imagine a talented roster.

Expect the team’s track record and approach to impact Ulbrich’s chance to coach a group of players who highly respect him in 2025.

In the meantime, Rodgers will have to determine how much longer he wants to play and is able to.

Against the Patriots last week and in the first half of Thursday, he looked 40 years old. The mixture of cayenne pepper and water that he called his “fountain of youth” did not work in quarters one and two.

But Rodgers was more skilful in the second half, his decision-making and accuracy also sharper. He emphatically rushed a play in the red zone that was ultimately called back for a penalty, but still gave him energy.

“It was third down, I looked semi-athletic, I didn’t hurt myself doing it,” Rodgers said.

Then he had reflection.

“I wanted to bring the joy and the passion into the game,” Rodgers said. “This has been a frustrating season at times. But I love this game. This game did everything for me. And a little perspective, a little gratitude tonight.

“A little extra passion in the second half.”

Could that extra passion carry over into the second half of the season? The Jets will hope so.

Rodgers did not elaborate when asked if the next eight games could be his last as a pro.

Does he think about that?

“No,” he said after a pause and smiled.

For now, the Jets and the quarterback bet that moved closer to a loss will enjoy the franchise’s first win in a long time.

The high-priced quarterback, receiver and edge rusher that New York acquired over the past 18 months contributed meaningfully to this win.

Players felt like they were beginning to understand the culture they hoped to forge, even if they wished it had become a reality sooner.

“Pocket up that feeling we have and take that,” Adams said. “Not the feeling of being high on a victory; the feeling of what it feels like to execute and click and be on the same page.

Wilson, still processing his highlight reel catch, agreed.

“We definitely wanted to get back in the win column,” he said. “Losing five straight games feels like what you would expect. It doesn’t feel good. We are better than that, most importantly, and it was time to go prove it.

“We want to start our run. And the only way to do that is to win one.”