3 players who led the NY Jets to victory in Week 1

On Monday night, the NY Jets' season kicked off at home against the Buffalo Bills. What was supposed to be a great night for a new era of Jets football ended four plays in when Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles.

This injury, of course, leaves a lot of Jets fans concerned about the future of the organization. While he wasn't perfect, Zach Wilson came into the game and held his own. He was tasked with a pretty impossible challenge against a really good defense and played very well.

The Jets would go on to defeat the Bills in overtime by a final score of 22-16 on a beautiful punt return by Xavier Gipson. Here are three players who led the Jets to victory.

3. Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

It's time to give Zach Wilson the props he deserves. There were many times last year when Wilson was a big reason the Jets lost a game. However, on Monday night, Wilson was a big reason the Jets won one.

Wilson faced a big challenge, making his way into a game he may not have been very well prepared for, and facing the Bills defense. Last season, Wilson had many issues under center, but in this game, it was apparent how much he has grown.

Despite the challenges he faced and not being fully prepared to play, Wilson finished the game, completing 14 of his 21 passes. He threw for 140 yards and led the team on a scoring drive to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

2. Breece Hall, RB, NY Jets

What a game for Breece Hall. This game marked Hall's first game back since he tore his ACL in Week 7 of last year. He showed few signs of rust in his return on Monday.

While it was announced that Hall would be ready for Week 1, many fans thought we'd see Hall ease back into the swing of things. However, he picked up exactly where he left off as a rookie.

Hall finished Monday's game with 127 yards on 10 carries. With the Jets pinned back toward their own goal line, Hall hit his longest run of the evening for 83 yards. This was a big momentum change for the Jets, and it led to a game-tying field goal that tied the game at three.

1. Jordan Whitehead, S, NY Jets

The star of the game for the Jets came on the defensive side of the ball. Jordan Whitehead, who more often than not was a player to blame for a loss last season, completely balled out on Monday and was the biggest reason the Jets won this game.

Whitehead had a difficult first season with the Jets in 2022. However, if Monday night is a precursor of things to come, Whitehead could very well be one of the stars of the Jets' defense this year.

Whitehead's big game began early in the second quarter when he picked up his first interception of the game, which led to the Jets tying the game at three. Toward the end of the third quarter, Whitehead recorded his second interception with the Bills up 13-6, changing the momentum of the game in the process.

While the Jets couldn't capitalize this time, Whitehead picked up another interception toward the beginning of the fourth quarter. This time, his interception led to the Jets scoring and tying the game at 13. Whitehead finished the game with two tackles and recorded three interceptions.

With the Jets' defense playing as well as they did in Week 1, all hope may not be lost for the season. One thing is for sure, though. Buckle up — it's going to be a wild ride for the rest of the year.