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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterDec 15, 2024, 07:06 PM ET
- Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It was like something out of 2020 or 2021, with Aaron Rodgers slinging the ball, Davante Adams catching it and the two old friends razzing each other throughout a New York Jets victory that they will talk about long after their playing careers are over.
The quarterback-wide receiver tandem sparked the Jets to a 32-25 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium, with Adams catching nine passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns — all in the second half.
Adams had 135 yards in the last four minutes of regulation, the most by any player in a game this century.
“You get in a groove sometimes, and it’s like your hand is a magnet to the ball,” said Adams, who scored the 100th and 101st receiving touchdowns of his career.
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Adams’ second half was one for the ages — the most prolific half for a Jets player since the 1970 merger. The only player in the past 45 years with more second-half yards after getting blanked in the first half was Irving Fryar, who had 211 for the New England Patriots in 1994.
And to think, the day began with a thud.
Adams’ first two targets went off his hands, with the latter being a blatant drop. A little later, he was wide open on a third-down play, but the ball didn’t come his way.
He let Rodgers hear about that.
“He kind of came back and said, ‘Well, I guess you don’t trust me anymore,’ with a wry smile,” Rodgers said, grinning. “So, I was using that line against him in the second half a bunch of times.”
Friends can tease friends. Rodgers and Adams spent eight seasons together with the Green Bay Packers, peaking in 2020 and 2021 when they connected for 29 touchdowns and Rodgers won his third and fourth MVPs. They were reunited in October, when the Jets acquired Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Davante Adams caught nine passes in the second half from old friend Aaron Rodgers for 198 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Jaguars. “It’s still special,” Rodgers said. “[A bad season] doesn’t taint it at all. It doesn’t steal any of the joy of it.” AP Photo/Seth Wenig
The Jets are 2-6 since the trade (4-10 overall) and are out of playoff contention — a bitterly disappointing season that led to the firings of coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.
Rodgers wasn’t going to let that reality spoil their victory, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
“Yeah, for sure, it’s too little, too late, but it’s still special,” said Rodgers, who passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns. “It doesn’t taint it at all. It doesn’t steal any of the joy of it. It doesn’t take away any of the fun.”
On this day, Rodgers was young again. The 41-year-old quarterback rushed for a team-high 45 yards, becoming the second 40-year-old in NFL history to lead his team in rushing; Tom Brady was 44 when he did it in 2021. Rodgers became the first player in Jets history with three passing touchdowns, no interceptions and at least 45 rushing yards in a game.
Finally healthy the past three weeks, Rodgers picked up key yardage on his scrambles, joking about it afterward.
“I take a lot of pride in my minimal athleticism,” Rodgers said. “But this is why I trained so hard for all months. … Obviously, it felt a lot better. You guys know it. You see it the last few weeks.”
| Year | Receiver | Yards | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Irving Fryar | 211 | NE |
| Sun. | Davante Adams | 198 | JAX |
| 1981 | Kevin House | 178 | at OAK |
| 1988 | Carlos Carson | 162 | at NYJ |
| >> In last 45 seasons |
The right arm was working pretty well, too.
After a listless first half, Rodgers hit Adams for a 1-yard touchdown, a perfectly thrown fade that gave the Jets a 17-16 lead. Adams was stopped short of the goal line on the previous play, so Rodgers wanted to give his buddy another shot, knowing it would be the 100th touchdown of his career.
“Historic. Magical,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “To get his 100th TD today was — I feel honored to have seen it, to have been there for it. That was an amazing moment for those two guys. Obviously, [there’s been] a lot of ball between them and a lot of touchdowns. For them to get that was special.”
They weren’t done. With 3:24 left in the fourth quarter, Rodgers found Adams for a 71-yard touchdown — a deep seam through the middle of the secondary. It allowed the Jets to regain the lead, 25-22. The Jaguars tied the game with a field goal, setting up more Rodgers-Adams dramatics.
With under two minutes remaining, Adams made a brilliant, over-the-shoulder catch on third-and-10 from the Jets’ 30. That set up Breece Hall‘s game-winning touchdown with 1:05 to play — a 1-yard plunge in which the Jaguars let him score on purpose.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner sealed the win with his first interception in 37 games.
Rodgers said Adams’ over-the-shoulder catch was the biggest play of the game. Adams said they have a certain “telepathy,” and it was evident on the 71-yard touchdown. It was a route from their Green Bay days, and the middle of the field was open.
“Then I look back and I see the ball in the air and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is really about to be a 70-yard touchdown,'” Adams said. “And, lo and behold, we got it.”
Just like old times.
“Today was one of those days,” Adams said. “In the second half, it definitely felt very, very similar to the way we used to get it rolling.”
