Protecting Aaron Rodgers and other keys to NY Jets victory over 49ers in Week 1

Aaron Rodgers and the NY Jets return to the gridiron on Monday night for a showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. It will mark the beginning of what is hopefully a healthy season where New York makes a strong push toward the franchise's second Lombardi trophy.

Let's take a look at what the Jets need to do for them to pull off the upset on the road in primetime.

The NY Jets must protect Aaron Rodgers

Unfortunately, Jets fans are all too familiar with poor offensive line play, especially last season. New York finished 2023 with 13 starting offensive line combinations and 64 sacks allowed. After an offseason full of much-needed upgrades up front, New York will face one of its toughest tests right away.

The 49ers finished third in the NFC in total defense and tied for first in sacks with 48 in 2023. Up front, they were headlined by Nick Bosa who tallied his third straight double-digit sack season finishing with 10.5. Along with Bosa, San Francisco will feature Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd.

Protecting Rodgers in his first game back from the Achilles tear is imperative on Monday night. Newly acquired veteran tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses need to be up to the task of containing Bosa and Floyd.

Gang Green has weapons all over the field and the only thing standing in the away from Rodgers and his weapons is a successful pass rush.

The NY Jets must contain Christian McCaffrey

Over the last two seasons, the Jets have turned into one of the elite defenses in the NFL. However, one of the only knocks on the defense has been its run-stopping ability.

Last season, the Jets finished 25th in run defense allowing 124 rush yards per game. These numbers are skewed a bit with the amount of rushing attempts teams had against the Jets defense while leading in games.

Either way, Gang Green faces a huge test on primetime against Niners star running back Christian McCaffrey. In 2023, McCaffrey finished with 1,459 rush yards and 14 touchdowns on 272 carries. The 28-year-old also remains a huge threat in the passing game, tallying 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven touchdowns last year.

Overall, the All-Pro finished 2023 atop the NFL in scrimmage yards with 2,023. Even if McCaffrey isn't 100% healthy, a few key pieces will need to step up in a big way for New York, and one of them is Quinnen Williams. While Williams is known for his pass-rushing ability he remains one of the best run-stoppers in football.

Last season, Williams tied for second-best in run-stop win rate among interior defensive linemen at 38%. Additionally, the 26-year-old finished 2023 with a 90.4 PFF run grade, ranking first among all interior defensive linemen.

Other names to watch for are Javon Kinlaw and Leonard Taylor III, one of three UDFAs to make the Jets' 53-man roster.

The NY Jets must feed Breece Hall

Even with all the hype and excitement surrounding Rodgers' return and what the passing game could look like, the offense is still built through the run game and specifically Breece Hall. Coming off a torn ACL in year two, Hall implemented himself as one of the best backs in the game.

In 17 games last year, Hall generated 994 rush yards and five touchdowns on 223 carries. He did this behind the league's worst offensive line. Hall also added 76 receptions for 591 yards and four touchdowns to his season. The 23-year-old finished second among running backs in scrimmage yards with 1,585 only behind Christian McCaffrey.

It is huge early on Monday night for New York to get Hall involved especially on the road. Easing Rodgers back into things while letting him knock off some rust would go a long way in the Jets coming out on top.

Fans can't count Hall out of the passing game either if New York looks for short quick completions for Rodgers early on.

The NY Jets must get pressure on Brock Purdy

When the Jets struck a trade for Haason Reddick back in March everyone thought this would be the game they would show him off for the first time.

Unfortunately, Reddick still has not reported to the Jets since his trade request. Even if Reddick doesn't take the field Monday night, New York needs to find a way to get pressure on Brock Purdy.

In 2023, Purdy completed 69.4% of his passes for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. 2022 Mr. Irrelevant proved himself to be a legitimate threat at quarterback. On top of that, after an offseason full of questions, Purdy will end up having his No. 1 wideout in Brandon Aiyuk alongside him in this game.

New York's pass rush has become elite over the last few seasons but going into Monday night, many pieces will need to play larger roles than previously. Quinnen Williams and Jermaine Johnson headline the group but others such as Javon Kinlaw, Will McDonald, Takk McKinley, and even UDFAs Braiden McGregor and Eric Watts.

Gang Green lost Bryce Huff, John Franklin-Myers, and Quinton Jefferson in the offseason. Adding on the fact that Reddick hasn't shown up yet puts even more pressure on this unit to perform up front.

If the Jets get to Purdy they will be on their way to a 1-0 start. If not, Tuesday morning will be filled with Haason Reddick discussions.

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