The injury to Aaron Rodgers early in the first quarter of Jets’ Week 1 matchup with the Bills sucked the life out of MetLife Stadium and, for a quarter or two, the entire offense. But the defense stepped up to play at an inspired and dominant level to keep the game close throughout the night.
Fortunately, the Jets offense managed to piece it together just in time, as a touchdown pass from Zach Wilson to Garrett Wilson in the fourth quarter tied up the score, eventually leading to overtime.
The defensive effort after Rodgers’s injury was nothing short of spectacular, and second-year star Sauce Gardner detailed after the game that the team “dedicated winning the game” to the quarterback following his exit.
“That’s my dawg. That’s my guy. He’s a great teammate, great leader. It caught us off guard, but we dedicated winning the game to him,” Gardner told reporters, per Harrison Glaser.
This inspired play caused fits for Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, who threw three interceptions and fumbled twice, losing one. He completed 29-of-41 passes for just 236 yards while the leading rusher for the Bills in James Cook managed 46 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
