New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers
Final Score: SF 32 – NYJ 19
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
In our first Monday Night Football game of the season, we saw Aaron Rodgers and the Jets travel to the Bay Area to face the defending NFC champions. The big story for tonight’s game was the surprise inactivation of Christian McCaffrey, leaving backup Jordan Mason to tote the rock. Overall, the 49ers looked extremely crisp on both sides of the ball, while the Jets started competitively but just couldn’t keep up. The big hero of the night was Jake Moody, who made all six field goals he attempted and very likely was the reason many of you won (or lost) your fantasy matchups this week.
Three Up
- Jordan Mason, RB (SF) – What a night for the backup RB. Receiving the start minutes before the game as Christian McCaffrey sat with injury, Mason made the absolute most of it, going for 152 total yards and a TD. With CMC’s health up in the air, Mason is a must-roster in all leagues, regardless of whether McCaffrey suits up for Week 2 or not.
- Jauan Jennings, WR (SF) – Jennings was left open for what felt like the entire game against what was supposed to be a stout Jets secondary. He consistently found the open holes in coverage and led the Niners in receiving on the night, catching every target thrown his way.
- Aaron Rodgers, QB (NYJ) – Rodgers didn’t have the greatest day for fantasy purposes, but looked solid in his debut a year removed from an Achilles injury. He had great arm strength, zipping passes left and right and doing his best to keep the Jets alive on the night. His classic ‘Rodgers offsides bomb’ play was in full effect on a deep throw TD to Allen Lazard.
Three Down
- Breece Hall, RB (NYJ) – Hall had a decent outing overall, with his receiving game and a tough rushing TD salvaging his night in fantasy. But his early fumble and inefficiency on the ground hurt the Jets, helping to perpetuate the hole they found themselves in as the evening wore on. He was stuffed constantly by LB Fred Warner and co., resulting in an underwhelming performance in the season opener.
- Brandon Aiyuk, WR (SF) – Aiyuk, fresh off of his new extension, got plenty of targets but didn’t do much with them. Call it rust from a missed offseason, but his game was off and his connection with QB Brock Purdy was shaky at best. There’s certainly room for improvement here.
- The NY Jets Defense – The Jets’ defense started strong, but the game quickly unraveled and couldn’t get a stop seemingly on any drive. There was a point where the Niners put themselves behind the chains with multiple killer penalties, yet still found ways to march down the field, lighting up the Jets’ secondary for the eventual score. There were injuries to star players Sauce Gardner and C.J. Mosley at various points, but even with both in, the Jets weren’t stopping anyone in this game.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 13/21, 167 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 82.8 Passer Rating | 1 Carry, -1 Yards, 0 TDs
A solid return to action for the longtime star QB. I’m sure there were concerns about what Rodgers would look like a year removed from his frustrating injury, but the veteran did his best to put that to bed. He threw absolute bullets to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard, moving the offense down the field in a commanding fashion after a handful of stalled drives. Unfortunately, Rodgers really couldn’t muster much else on the night, with multiple miscues from various players killing drives against a seriously brutal defense. His O-Line oddly enough did hold up very well, considering the talent they were facing; the unit only yielded a single sack on the night. That’s a plus, certainly, given how much the Jets have invested in the position this past offseason and the health concerns present for their aging QB.
Missed Opportunities
- Rodgers only completed passes to three total players. Three. That’s wild. Even with the solid talent of those players, it would be ideal for Rodgers to spread the ball around more moving forward.
Tyrod Taylor: 6/8, 36 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 122.9 Passer Rating | 1 Carry, 7 Yards, 0 TDs
Some solid garbage time stats for the journeyman QB. His TD found Allen Lazard in the end zone for a late score to make this game appear a little more competitive than it was.
Running Back
Breece Hall: 16 Carries, 54 Yards (3.4 Average), 1 TD, 1 Fumble (Lost) | 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 39 Yards, 1 TD
An underwhelming Week 1 for the young superstar, albeit a decent night overall. Hall featured heavily in this game, but his miscues cost the Jets early on. His fumble on the first play of the second drive was brutal, setting up the Niners for an early field goal. He was continuously stopped for minimal gains most of the night, failing to find any real running room. Luckily, his volume in the passing game and his early goal line TD allowed for a decent outing, but more is certainly expected for the feature back on a promising offense as the season progresses.
Missed Opportunities
- There were several short yardage gains that just couldn’t materialize into more for Hall on the night. His 3.4-yard average was indicative of just how fast the holes in the defense would close up, and it was just tough sledding all around for the star playmaker.
Braelon Allen: 1 Carry, 8 Yards (8.0 Average), 0 TDs | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards, 0 TDs
The only other Jets RB to receive touches on the night. It wasn’t much, especially considering the game was well out of reach by the time he entered, but he did good work with what he was given. Allen is the clear handcuff (and a talented one at that) to Hall should anything happen throughout the season.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Garrett Wilson: 11 Targets, 6 Receptions, 60 Yards (10.0 Average), 0 TDs
The numbers weren’t all there, but the targets and opportunities are very promising. The potential for Wilson with a proper QB was fully hyped going into this season, and while the numbers don’t exactly show it on the night, there are signs Wilson will ball this season. 11 targets led the Jets on the night, and Rodgers made some quality throws to the young WR with strength and precision. The Niners secondary was able to keep the lid on him for most of the night, but the future looks bright at least for the time being.
Missed Opportunities
- Much like the rest of the Jets’ skill players, they just couldn’t get much going in San Francisco. I’m very optimistic for Wilson and his connection with Rodgers going forward, however.
Allen Lazard: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 89 Yards (14.8 Average), 2 TDs
The only other Jets WR to receive targets sure made the most of them. Lazard took a while to get going in this one, but once he did he looked solid in his season debut. He was the beneficiary of a classic Rodgers offsides play, gunning it down the seam for a 36-yard lob for his first score in the 3rd quarter. Later he caught another TD from Tyrod Taylor as the offense went into garbage time mode, ending the evening on a positive note. It’s clear he has Rodgers’ trust in this offense and might be a solid pickup for FLEX consideration if he isn’t already taken in your leagues.
Tyler Conklin: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards (6.0 Average), 0 TDs
Not much to say for Conklin against the Niners. He got one look from Rodgers throughout the game, an incompletion close to the end zone, and didn’t register a catch until Taylor got the ball to him late in the 4th. The hope is it was just an off night for the Jets overall, but a forgettable outing certainly for their TE1.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
Brock Purdy: 19/29, 231 Yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 89.9 Passer Rating | 1 Carry, 11 Yards, 0 TDs
This was a classic steady night to open the season for the young QB. Purdy looked efficient on the night, slicing what was supposed to be a difficult Jets secondary for multiple receptions to a multitude of receivers. He didn’t put up any gaudy numbers by any means, but he got the offense moving and did what was asked of him to get the Niners in scoring position time and time again.
Missed Opportunities
- His corner throw to Aiyuk in the endzone was perfect; Aiyuk just couldn’t bring it in. There may have been a bit of rust on a few of his connections to the Niners’ skill players, but it’s promising that he’s taking shots and making solid decisions with the weapons he has available.
Running Back
Jordan Mason: 28 Carries, 147 Yards (5.3 Average), 1 TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards, 0 TDs
Talk about a season debut. Mason had a monster outing on a last-second promotion with All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey out. He looked unstoppable, consistently churning out chunk-play rushes on physical carries, punishing the Jets run defenders and wearing them out early. Mason set the tone early for the Niners’ offense and allowed them to impose their will, opening up opportunities for various pass catchers with the Jets scrambling to try and contain the run game. It was a very impressive performance, and should at minimum make HC Kyle Shanahan consider a wider role for him this season. He’s a must-add this week.
Kyle Juszczyk: 0 Carries, 0 Yards (0.0 Average), 0 TDs / 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 40 Yards, 0 TDs
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Deebo Samuel: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 54 Yards (10.8 Average), 0 TDs | 8 Carries, 23 Yards, 1 TD
The “wide back” once again showed us how he can be a weapon in every facet of the game. Deebo looked thinner as noted by Troy Aikman in the ESPN broadcast booth, but that didn’t impair him from making physical catches and runs on the night against a tough defense. He was utilized in several ways, leading all Niners pass catchers in targets and being the only other player aside from Jordan Mason to rush on the ground, ultimately punching in a 2-yard score. It was great to see how broad his usage was, and encouraging from a fantasy standpoint going forward.
Missed Opportunities
- A few missed throws from Purdy would have made his night even better had they connected, but there was not much negative to say otherwise from the performance.
Brandon Aiyuk: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 28 Yards (14.0 Average), 0 TDs
There’s certainly room for improvement for the newly-paid receiver. Aiyuk was targeted a handful of times on the night but he and Purdy were clearly not on the same page. The most egregious of the disconnects was a short pass perfectly placed by Purdy that Aiyuk couldn’t wrangle in for a score before halftime. The lack of training camp reps is likely the cause of the issue, but with time, it’s highly probable that Aiyuk will shake off the rust and bounce back.
George Kittle: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 40 Yards (10.0 Average), 0 TDs
Kittle tied for second in looks and did well with what he was given, springing open on clutch plays and providing a safety net for Purdy in multiple tough situations. It wasn’t the flashiest of outings, but he put up decently serviceable numbers nonetheless.
Jauan Jennings: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 64 Yards (12.8 Average), 0 TDs
A very impressive and efficient showing for the fourth-year Niner. It felt like no matter the circumstance, Jennings was somewhere open downfield. Catch after catch it looked like the Jets just forgot about him, and he made the most of it, going 5 for 5 on the opportunities lobbed his way. His grabs weren’t just efficient but physical as well, boxing out defenders and earning the tough yards to lead all 49ers pass catchers in receiving yards on the night. A Shanahan favorite, it’s clear his QB and coaches trust him, and it’s interesting to see what he can do with the ball in his hands.
Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@justparadesigns on Twitter/X)