Aaron Rodgers and the Jets finally get their first real win together, with the QB's potential still untapped [Video]

Aaron Rodgers knew the Titans were in Cover 0.

The New York Jets quarterback knew that Tennessee's swarming line of scrimmage eliminated any concerns about a deep safety on that third-and-1 play call, with his attention instead redirected to star cornerback L'Jarius Sneed's tight coverage on receiver Garrett Wilson.

Rodgers watched his No. 1 receiver cut outside and looked back impatiently. Rodgers watched Wilson cut inside with his eyes still firmly on the ball. Rodgers unleashed a 26-yard pass, behind the shoulder, with an ease that such feats should not command.

Wilson caught it and the Jets' decisive drive survived to see another try.

“Based on Sneed's angle, I felt like the only way to finish him was to throw him back inside,” Rodgers said later.[Wilson]”He's so talented that it was probably an easy game for him, whereas for most people it's probably like a top-notch game.”

Two plays later, facing second-and-16, Rodgers found Mike Williams for a similar drop into the bucket on the other side of the field.

New running back Braelon Allen scored a 20-yard touchdown run with 4:36 left, sealing the Jets' 24-17 victory and Rodgers' first win in which he both started and finished the game for New York.

The victory gave the club a boost. But concern lingered as the Jets played a second straight game with a conservative game plan that rarely showcased Rodgers' talent.

“Unfortunately, we don't have the process in place yet,” Rodgers explained.

And yet the Jets are drawing confidence from the prospect of what they can become. They are clinging to flashes of a well-oiled offense amid performances against the San Francisco 49ers and Titans that otherwise showed they don't have it all figured out yet.

“I think we’re going to look back at the end of the season and know that these are two really good defenses, whether they’re top 10, top 15 or top 5,” Rodgers said. “Two really good defenses, two good schemes. Sometimes it’s bad throwing, sometimes there’s a missing point in the running game, sometimes the route concepts are messed up and we’re not running the right route. It’s just little things. It’s fixable.”

“But good teams can win games in difficult conditions. And we will be really grateful for this victory, I hope, in the future.”

Where were Rodgers' deep passes against the Titans?

Rodgers didn't earn his four MVP awards by exclusively passing near the line of scrimmage throughout his career.

The Jets traded multiple 2023 draft picks and paid Rodgers handsomely to acquire a decades-old magic show fueled by rare arm talent and rare processing ability.

Rodgers tapped into that potential on the Jets' final possession, combining an understanding of the Titans' coverages with an innate sense of his teammates' spacing to engineer what would become the game-sealing scoring drive.

Rodgers' success targeting Wilson and Williams in the infield this series has raised the question: Why did he test those waters so rarely throughout the game?

Rodgers attempted just five passes beyond 10 yards Sunday, his third-fewest attempts in a game since 2016, according to Next Gen Stats. (Rodgers has played more than 90 games during that span.)

Heading into the Jets' final drive, Rodgers had completed just one pass that traveled more than nine yards down the field.

The pass was the result of a recommendation from running back Breece Hall during a timeout called to counter Rodgers' near-delay of game. Hall called out to Rodgers during the timeout to warn his quarterback that he was paired with a linebacker.

Hall then separated from the linebacker and caught a 26-yard touchdown in a manner more suited to a receiver than a running back.

“I didn't really throw the best ball,” Rodgers said, “but he made a nice catch.”

To be fair to the Jets, part of their bubble, short-yardage game plan was intentional against a Titans defense that signed high-priced defensive backs this offseason and neutralized No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams in Week 1. The Jets prioritized the quick game, with Rodgers completing 13 of the 18 passes he threw in under 2.5 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats.

But Rodgers' 3-of-5 completions for 71 yards and a touchdown on attempts beyond 10 yards suggest this team still has a lot to unlock.

The Jets won't always face a team whose quarterback throws an interception and loses the ball, with the Titans also attempting a punt that the Jets blocked. New York needs its passing attack to bolster its running game and defensive assets.

With Rodgers, the team believes that will be the case.

“We’re working on some things, obviously,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “This guy is a first-time Hall of Famer who’s been around for a long, long time, so he’s seen it all. To have a presence in the group for a lot of guys who haven’t seen it all, it’s pretty cool.”

Why the Jets believe their latest win will lead to more wins

As a 15-year starter for the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers anchored a winning culture.

The Packers have won 10 times in those 15 years, and 10 of the 13 seasons in which Rodgers was healthy for most of the season. The Jets have recorded four winning seasons in that 15-year span.

Rodgers' Packers have qualified for the playoffs 11 times during those years; New York has qualified for the playoffs twice, the most recent visit coming after the 2010 season.

Saleh acknowledged after Sunday's game the impact that story had on his players, and the impact Rodgers' resume had on him.

“We’re a young team and an organization that’s been through this for the last 13 years, so we’re going to have to learn as we go,” Saleh said. “When you watch the game as it unfolds, the mindset of ‘we can score every time’ is ultimately going to take over this football team. And once that completely takes over, I think it’s going to be smooth and beautiful when it all comes together.”

“Having a guy like Aaron who has a calm presence at quarterback is priceless.”

Rodgers echoed Saleh's sentiment, confirming that he enters every offense confident he can score even though he knows the result doesn't always come. Winning games in which offenses are swinging is key, he said. Staying focused on trying to take over in the fourth quarter (and avoiding a counterattack, on defense) is a skill.

Rodgers compared the team's calm demeanor Sunday to what he considered negativity last season after the Jets lost him to a torn Achilles tendon. He explained why a Week 2 win against a non-division team that didn't make the playoffs last year is important.

“At the end of the season, when you’re trying to get to the playoffs, you look back,” Rodgers said. “It was a hot day, a short week, really good defense, really slow start, but you find a way to win. That’s what really good teams do. Great teams, when you’re up 14-10, you block a punt and score a touchdown to go up two points. So we’re not quite there yet.”

Teammates echoed that, pointing out plays where they didn't capitalize on opportunities while expressing a confidence that “like we've been there before.”

Take Hall, whose 114 scrimmage yards anchored a running backs room that increased its contributions from 100 scrimmage yards and a combined touchdown in Week 1 to 170 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2.

He celebrated – and anticipated better.

“We came together and got it done in the end, but we continue to get better,” Hall said. “We expected it today. We’re happy to get the win. But we still feel like we can get better.”