Aaron Rodgers has maybe lost a step. But one thing the 40-year-old quarterback hasn’t lost is his ability to throw Hail Marys.
With the New York Jets trailing the Buffalo Bills 20-10 with 8 seconds left until halftime, the four-time MVP uncorked a pass from midfield and launched it into the end zone, where 6-foot-5 receiver Allen Lazard reached up and came down with the 52-yard score.
The pass traveled 61.4 yards and was the longest completion by a Jets quarterback since 2016, when NFL’s Next Gen Stats began tracking those numbers.
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It was the fourth Hail Mary of Rodgers’ career and his first since the 2016 season. His previous three all came when he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
The first happened in the 2015 playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals, a 41-yard touchdown to Jeff Janis that sent the game to overtime (the Cardinals went on to win). The second, nicknamed “The Miracle in Motown,” was a 61-yard prayer to Richard Rodgers that gave the Packers a 27-23 win over the Detroit Lions in 2015.
The third came in the playoffs the next season in a wild-card matchup with the New York Giants. Right before halftime, Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb for a 42-yard TD that turned a 7-6 Packers lead into a 14-6 one — they went on to win 38-13.
On Monday night, in the Jets’ first game since Robert Saleh’s firing, Rodgers released that Hail Mary magic again. The Jets cut the deficit to 20-17 heading into the half.
Going into Week 6, Rodgers and the Jets offense have struggled to find consistency since he returned from tearing his Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023 season. Rodgers had the lowest passer rating (81.6) and TD percentage (3.8%) of his career as a starter through the first five weeks, and the New York offense ranked near the bottom of the league in both yards per game (286.6) and points per game (18.6).
Besides firing Saleh, the Jets also demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich gave play-calling duties to Todd Downing, the Jets’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
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