Jordan Mason took center stage in a game anticipated as Aaron Rodgers’ comeback, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night. Mason, filling in for the injured Christian McCaffrey, showcased his prowess by rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown. The former undrafted free agent’s physical running style overwhelmed New York’s highly praised defense, enabling the 49ers to score on eight consecutive drives.
Coach Kyle Shanahan expressed his delight with Mason’s performance, stating, “I thought he runs like he always does. When you get him the ball, he breaks tackles and usually gets more than we block for. When we had the good lanes, he always hit them and got a bunch. But, JP was awesome today.”
Aaron Rodgers, in his return game, passed for 167 yards with one touchdown and one interception, exactly 52 weeks after his first appearance with the Jets ended abruptly due to a torn Achilles. Despite some mobility issues, Rodgers still displayed the arm strength that earned him four MVP awards with the Green Bay Packers.
“I can play better,” Rodgers admitted. “I missed a couple of throws. … I felt overall I got the ball out pretty good but there were some opportunities I’d like to have back.”
Mason, making the most of his first career start, capitalized on the chance provided by McCaffrey’s lingering injuries. Over his first two seasons, Mason had only 83 carries, but his impressive performance during the summer secured him a larger role. His 28 carries in this game marked the most for any 49ers player in a regular season game in 13 years.
“I’m really excited for him,” expressed quarterback Brock Purdy. “He’s earned it. He’s the kind of guy where it’s not given to him. To see him go out and do what he did tonight, I’m so happy for him.”
Deebo Samuel contributed a 2-yard touchdown run, while kicker Jake Moody matched a franchise record with six field goals, helping to solidify the 49ers’ dominance. Purdy threw for 231 yards, avoiding both touchdowns and turnovers against a Jets defense that struggled without holdout edge rusher Haason Reddick.
The turning point of the game came around halftime. The 49ers capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a field goal at the end of the first half and followed it with Mason’s 5-yard touchdown run after an 11-play, 70-yard drive to start the second half. This sequence extended their lead from 13-7 to 23-7, with the Jets managing only one kneel-down snap during that period.
“That’s a championship outfit, and they introduced us to some championship football,” said Jets coach Robert Saleh.
Rodgers’ subsequent drive ended in an interception, with a pass intended for Garrett Wilson deflected by Deommodore Lenoir and caught by linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. Despite this setback, Rodgers threw his first touchdown pass in 610 days on a free play, connecting with Allen Lazard for a 36-yard score that reduced the deficit to 26-13. Lazard later caught a second touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor in the closing seconds of the game.
“We expect greatness when we step on the field,” Rodgers said. “There were moments, moments that felt pretty good but not sustained. I felt like if we could just get a first down we’d be rolling. But we had those three-and-outs which hurt us. I think a lot of stuff is correctable.”
Rodgers’ second game with the Jets was significantly longer than his first, which ended with a season-ending Achilles injury after only four snaps in 2023. In this game, the Jets’ opening drive resulted in a three-and-out, culminating in a fumble forced by Fred Warner that set up a Niners field goal.
Rodgers showed promise on the following drive, completing three third-down passes to Wilson to set up Hall’s 3-yard touchdown run. He went 6-for-7 for 61 yards during that possession. However, the Jets failed to secure another first down for the remainder of the half, going into the break trailing 16-7.
