The veteran quarterback was unable to pull off one of his signature comebacks as Minnesota narrowly defeated the New York Jets 23-17 in the nation’s capital on Sunday.
With just three minutes left on the clock and his team down by six, Aaron Rodgers found himself in a familiar position. Throughout his illustrious career, he has orchestrated 32 game-winning drives, making this moment should have felt routine. However, this time it felt different.
As Rodgers began pushing the Jets down the field, fans likely hoped for one more magical moment from the experienced quarterback. But at 41 years old, he was unable to deliver. His first attempt was an overthrown pass to star wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Then, with only nine seconds left, the game took a heartbreaking turn when Stephon Gilmore intercepted his pass, sealing the Vikings’ victory.
“I just underthrew it a little,” a visibly frustrated Rodgers said after the game. He also disclosed that he had suffered a low ankle sprain earlier, noting, “I’m definitely banged up. I got my foot caught in the pile there. There were a lot of things that made some noises on the way down.”
The atmosphere at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was electric, with 61,139 fans in attendance—making it the second-largest sporting event in the UK that weekend. They soaked up the electrifying NFL experience, complete with fist bumps and celebratory moments, as the game unfolded into a slow-burning thriller.
The game’s first half took an unexpected turn when the Vikings quickly established a 17-0 lead, largely due to an uncharacteristically poor performance from Rodgers. He kicked off the night by throwing a pass that was intercepted by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who returned it for a staggering 63-yard pick-six. Another interception thrown to Camryn Bynum only added to the Jets’ struggles, much to the delight of the crowd, who could be heard cheering as the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away” played in the background. Amid the chaos, Rodgers simply shook his head before retreating to the sideline.
Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, proved his prowess by implementing a strategy that left the veteran quarterback looking confused. Social media commentators were unanimous in declaring that Rodgers, still recovering from an Achilles injury, appeared ineffective—too slow and hesitant when facing pressure.
However, as the game progressed, Rodgers began to find his footing. He connected with Allen Lazard for a 14-yard touchdown pass, closing the gap to 17-7 by halftime. A field goal from Greg Zuerlein brought the Jets within seven at 17-10, but frustration struck again when Lazard dropped a potential touchdown pass in the end zone.
Despite the Jets’ defense stalling, a long 53-yard field goal from Reichard gave the Vikings a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Still, a one-yard touchdown pass to Wilson made it a nail-biting contest at 20-17. With the Vikings extending their lead to 23-17, Rodgers took the field for what he hoped would be the game-winning drive. Unfortunately, his efforts fell short, leaving the Jets with a disappointing 2-3 record to start the season.
“We’re slow starters, and we make too many mental errors,” Rodgers reflected. He finished the game with 29 completions out of 54 attempts, totaling 244 yards, along with two touchdowns and three interceptions. “There are too many mistakes in general. But I still have a lot of confidence in this team. I believe we have the potential to make a run.”
A silver lining for the four-time NFL MVP came when he connected with tight end Tyler Conklin in the third quarter, making him only the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 60,000 career passing yards.
On the other side, the Vikings head into their bye week with an unbeaten 5-0 record—a feat few anticipated at the season’s outset, where they were predicted to finish last in the NFC North.
“You have to give credit to our defense,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. “We needed them today. It was a bit of a sloppy game with some drizzle, but our team didn’t look for excuses. We just kept playing. There are going to be days like this; that’s the nature of our game. I’m proud of the way our guys fought.”
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