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Aaron Rodgers’ pick ends Jets’ comeback hopes in loss to Vikings
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Aaron Rodgers’ pick ends Jets’ comeback hopes in loss to Vikings

LONDON – The Jets got Aaron Rodgers for moments like Sunday.

Down by six points with three minutes remaining, the Jets had the Vikings right where they wanted them. Rodgers had the ball and two timeouts, but Rodgers didn’t deliver.

Instead, Rodgers threw an interception to Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore with 44 seconds left in the game, ending hopes of a comeback at Tottenham Stadium. Instead, the Jets lost 23-17 to Minnesota to fall to 2-3 on the season.

The Jets dug a huge 17-0 hole early, in part because of two Rodgers interceptions in the first quarter, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Despite the sloppy start, the Jets fought their way back and had a chance to win in the closing minutes.

Rodgers and the Jets got the ball with 3:07 left at their own 30. Rodgers hit Garrett Wilson for 16 yards and then Allen Lazard for two quick completions.

A slant to Wilson and a 7-yard run by Breece Hall moved the ball to the 26. After two incompletions, Rodgers tried to throw to Mike Williams along the sideline, but Williams didn’t seem to expect the pass and Gilmore picked him off. .

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) screams in pain as he is tackled by the Vikings during the third quarter in London on Oct. 6, 2024. AP

It was an anticlimax for the Jets, who controlled the game for most of the second half.

The Vikings had a 10-point lead and the ball with just over 10 minutes left, but they couldn’t move the ball and former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold turned back into the quarterback Jets fans remember all too well . Darnold threw high to Jordan Addison and Jets backup cornerback Brandin Echols made a diving interception to give the Jets the ball at the Minnesota 42 with 9:47 left in the game.

Rodgers, moving slowly after injuring his knee in the third quarter, then marched the Jets into the end zone. He completed a third-and-10 throw to Williams for 18 yards to get the Jets within 10.

The Vikings were then awarded a costly penalty when Gilmore was called for pass interference against Wilson on an incompletion on third-and-goal from the 2, giving the Jets another set of downs. On the first down, Rodgers hit a wide-open Wilson for a 1-yard touchdown. The Jets now trailed only 20-17 with 6:04 left in the game.

The Vikings got the ball back at their 30 and were able to drive to the Jets’ 23 before stumbling. Will Reichard made a 41-yard field goal, his third of the day, to make it 23-17 Vikings with 3:07 remaining.

The Jets got off to a terrible start and continued the poor play that plagued them in last week’s loss to the Broncos.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Jets in London on October 6, 2024. Simon Dael/Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock

Rodgers threw two interceptions in the first quarter, something he had never done before in his career. One of those was a pick-six that gave the Vikings an early lead. The offense struggled to get anything going and it looked like the Vikings could blow them out, but the Jets stabilized things at the end of the first half. On defense, penalties were the biggest problem for the Jets. Their secondary was penalized five times as they struggled to contain Viking star Justin Jefferson. But after some early success, the Vikings attacked and Darnold sputtered.

Jets defensive end Will McDonald sacked Darnold on third down to end the Vikings’ first drive. It was McDonald’s sixth sack of the season. The Vikings had to settle for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

The Jets defense got a takeaway on the Vikings’ second possession when Darnold’s throw to running back Ty Chandler was not caught. Jets linebacker Quincy Williams picked up the ball but was tripped by Darnold, preventing a likely touchdown.

Robert Saleh reacts during the Jets’ loss to the Vikings on Oct. 6, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

However, the Jets were unable to capitalize on the turnover. Instead, Rodgers gave the Vikings points. The Vikings shot on third down and Rodgers tried to throw quickly to Wilson. He didn’t see outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel fall and threw him into Van Ginkel’s arms. Van Ginkel then ran 63 yards for the touchdown and a 10-0 Minnesota lead.

On their next series, Rodgers sailed a third-down pass intended for Allen Lazard and Vikings safety Camryn Bynum picked it off.

The Jets finished the first quarter with two turnovers and zero first downs.

The Vikings had some success running the ball early, but lost star forward Aaron Jones to a hip injury.

The Jets finally moved the ball in the second quarter, but Braelon Allen was stuffed on fourth-and-2 for no gain at the Minnesota 26.

A view of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the Jets-Vikings game in London on October 6, 2024. Action footage via Reuters

The Vikings then controlled the field with some help from the Jets defensive backs and officials. Three penalties were called on the Jets secondary in one drive. Sauce Gardner was called for pass interference and holding and DJ Reed was called for pass interference. That helped the Vikings put together an eight-play, 74-yard drive that ended with Vikings fullback C.J. Ham scoring from the 2-yard line, putting the Vikings up 17-0 with 3:58 to go in the first half.

Xavier Gipson provided a spark for the Jets just before halftime with a 35-yard punt return that gave the Jets the ball at the Minnesota 31. Rodgers cashed in with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Lazard and the Jets only went into halftime. with 10 points despite playing terribly.

The Jets had a scary moment in the third quarter when Rodgers was hit by Jihad Ward on third down and twisted his left knee against several other players on the ground as he went down. Rodgers slowly got up and limped away. Rodgers was already dealing with knee pain from the beating he took from the Broncos last week. He was on his way to the blue medical tent when a big kicker penalty on the Vikings gave the Jets another set of downs.

Rodgers jogged back onto the field instead of going into the tent and the Jets put together a nice 17-play drive. They got stuck in the red zone and Greg Zuerlein cut the Minnesota lead to 17-10 with a 32-yard field goal in the final minute of the third quarter.

The Vikings pushed the lead back to 20-10 with 12:07 left in the fourth quarter on a 53-yard Reichard field goal.