New York (AFP) – Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in a triumphant return to New York while Cincinnati and Tampa Bay won tight contests on the opening Sunday of the NFL season. Rodgers, a 41-year-old quarterback making his Steelers debut to open his 21st NFL season, led a late drive to give Pittsburgh a 34-32 victory over the host New York Jets.
Four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Rodgers completed 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and four scores without an interception against the club he played for the past two seasons following 18 years at Green Bay. “A lot of things happen in week one. It’s a crazy game,” Rodgers said. “They got after us at times. We had some opportunistic players and I thought there was a lot of teachable tape out there for us. But when we had to make a drive, we put a drive together.”
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Rodgers directed his 37th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, which ended when Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell connected on a career-long 60-yard field goal with 63 seconds remaining. The Steelers kicker improved to 11-of-14 on game-winning field goal kicks in the last three minutes or overtime in NFL games. That seventh lead change was the last as Pittsburgh’s defenders stopped the Jets on downs to secure the victory.
“I love them taking a chance on bringing me in and believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be out here with the guys,” Rogers said. “There’s no greater feeling than being on the field and being able to compete. I didn’t think it would be against my former team but really proud of our guys making clutch plays down the stretch.”
Rodgers dismissed any talk he might have trouble with the new system he was using from Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. “There’s a lot of garbage being talked about myself or Arthur or whatever, how we’re going to co-exist,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got a great relationship and he called a really good game. I’ve got to play a little better in spots but happy to be 1-0.” Rodgers led Green Bay to the 2011 Super Bowl title in his time with the Packers before joining the Jets, missing most of the 2023 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Former Chicago and Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields threw for 218 yards and a touchdown and ran for 48 yards and two touchdowns in a losing cause. New York fans booed Rodgers when he first walked onto the field and cheered when he was sacked on his first play. Rodgers threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Warren on the first play of the fourth quarter and two plays after a turnover on the ensuing kickoff, Rodgers tossed an 18-yard TD pass to Calvin Austin as Pittsburgh seized a 31-26 edge. Fields scored his third touchdown on a one-yard run with 7:01 remaining to put the Jets ahead, setting up the final heroics.
– Bucs win on Koo miss – South Korean kicker Koo Young-hoe of Atlanta missed a 44-yard field goal attempt with six seconds remaining, and Tampa Bay held on for a 23-20 victory. Evan McPherson’s 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter produced the winning points in Cincinnati’s 17-16 victory at Cleveland.
Jayden Daniels threw for 233 yards and a touchdown to spark Washington over the visiting New York Giants 21-6. Geno Smith threw for 362 yards and a touchdown, and Ashton Jeanty ran for a score to lead Las Vegas in a 20-13 triumph at New England. Kyler Murray threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns to lift Arizona to a 20-13 victory at New Orleans. Daniel Jones threw for 272 yards and a touchdown and ran for 26 yards and two touchdowns to spark the host Indianapolis Colts to a 33-8 rout of Miami.
Baltimore will visit Buffalo in a later game for a rematch of last year’s playoff showdown featuring star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson of the revenge-seeking Ravens and Buffalo’s Josh Allen, last season’s NFL MVP.
© 2024 AFP
