Aaron Rodgers season-ending injury: Cowboys first to benefit in Week 2 vs. Jets
The New York Jets have missed the playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons, the longest active drought in the NFL and tied with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres for the longest active among the four major US sports leagues. That drought is now favored to reach 13 in a row for Gang Green after QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a likely torn Achilles tendon in his #TakeFlight debut on Monday against Buffalo. The Jets shifted to +220 underdogs to reach the playoffs despite upsetting the #BillsMafia.
Rodgers went down on just his fourth offensive snap with his new team and while it hasn’t been ruled a season-ending injury as of this writing, the Jets already are preparing for that eventuality with an MRI this morning. With 10:56 remaining in the first quarter, Rodgers tried spin out of a sack by defensive end Leonard Floyd and twisted to the ground, with his left foot seemingly getting stuck in the turf. Coincidence or not, Rodgers injured the same lower leg -- a strained calf -- in OTAs during the spring.
No starting QB previously in the Super Bowl era had attempted only one pass in a season as might be the case for Rodgers. In 1991, Randall Cunningham was knocked out for the year after just four pass attempts in the opener for the Eagles.
Yes, the Jets still beat Buffalo 22-16 thanks to a walk-off punt return touchdown by rookie Xavier Gipson (so Rodgers has now won 10 straight Monday starts), but New York was only in that game because Bills QB Josh Allen had three picks and a lost fumble. The Jets offensive gameplan was incredibly conservative with former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson under center and it’s his job going forward – although expect the Jets to add a veteran like Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles or Carson Wentz. Tom Brady probably gets a call and says no.
Wilson is 8-14 as a starter and has completed just 55% of his passes with 15 TDs and 18 picks, a horrible rating of 70.9. He has lost his past three outings and been the NFL’s lowest-rated QB each of the past two seasons. Wilson was 14-for-21 for 140 yards with a TD and a pick in relief of Rodgers on Monday. For what it's worth, the Packers went 6-12-1 since 2008 when having to use Rodgers' backup QB as the starter. New York's updated season win total is 8.5 (was 9.5). The last Jets QB to start and play an entire season was Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015.
The Rodgers news is a big break for everyone on the Jets’ schedule, but Dallas benefits immediately with New York on a short week. It had been a 3.5-point underdog with a total of 45.5, but the Cowboys are now -7.5 with a total of 42. Dallas also won at MetLife Stadium in Week 1, destroying the Giants 40-0 on Sunday night.
It was the #DallasCowboys biggest shutout victory in any game, topping their 38-0 win over the Baltimore Colts in 1978. The Giants managed only 171 yards and turned it over three times against Micah Parsons & Co.