I’m writing this strictly to look back on, as concrete evidence that the game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills on September 11th, 2023 actually happened. What a wild viewing experience from start to finish. It began as a classic American patriotic film, quickly turned into a horror show and concluded as a feel-good Disney movie. It’s the next day and I’m still in a state of shock. Who needs reality TV when football is providing this sort of theatre??
I can’t really call myself a real Jets fan, but I was giddy all day for that game. With the Aaron Rodgers anticipation, the Hard Knocks hype and the defense calling themselves the ’85 Bears, I couldn’t wait to see the product on the field. I was texting my diehard Jets friends, tuning into WFAN sports talk radio and scanning Twitter for all the spicy predictions.
People have their opinions on Rodgers and love to let you know about them. It’s the world we live in. ESPN featured a short interview with Rodgers and tennis legend John McEnroe, that I’m sure people rolled their eyes at, but I enjoyed it. Rodgers talked about how silly it is to dance around the “expectation” question with the media. He’s obviously in New York to win a Super Bowl, everyone knows it, so why not own it? I found it to be refreshing.
Objectively speaking, I hope everyone can agree how awesome the pregame theatrics were. The first Monday Night Football game of the year, on 9/11 in New York, with two teams that are confident they can represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The crowd was raucous, chomping at the bit to kick off a new era of relevance on a historic night. Out comes Aaron Rodgers, alone in the spotlight, hoisting the American flag to “Thunderstruck” blaring throughout the stadium, while the crowd noise climbs an octave higher. What an all-time moment.
Suddenly, everything became very real and the main event was about to begin. An uneventful drive for the Bills and Rodgers found himself under center for the first time as a New York Jet. Cue the chilling horror music.
Just awful. You never want to see anything like this. I can’t fathom the idea we’ll never know what Rodgers could have accomplished this year. Less than an hour prior, ESPN is showing footage of him telling McEnroe how he expects to win the Super Bowl and now it’s all over before it even started. What’s really spooky is Jets fans already suffered this same exact demented plot twist, almost 24 years ago to the day. In 1999, expectations were sky high and then QB Vinny Testaverde tore his Achilles in Week 1. Sports can be so bizarre sometimes and make you feel like everything is a simulation.
Quick side note, The MetLife Stadium powers that be need to rip up the turf and start anew. Like yesterday. It should have been done before the season and now they get royally screwed with the slippery, wretched surface taking their leader prisoner. I don’t care how much money it costs. Do it to prevent further injuries. Do it to be consistent with your plans for the World Cup. Do it out of respect! Rodgers’ former teammate David Bakhtiari was right on the money with what he came out and said.
When the attention was reluctantly turned back to the game at hand, it initially felt like a bore. Every Bills completion felt like homework to watch. The otherworldly energy was zapped right out of the building, the same way it was the night prior, when the Dallas Cowboys destroyed the Giants on the same field. Robert Saleh’s face on the sideline perfectly incapsulated the moment. Saleh was everyone in the stadium and watching at home. An incredulous gaze of existential dread.
Zach Wilson took a knee to end the first half and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with myself. Monday Night Football went from a barnburner to a snooze fest before I could process the events that transpired. I didn’t feel like unloading the dishwasher, some work I had to do could wait, so I just sort of sat there in stunned silence. Scott Van Pelt and the ESPN doom-and-gloom talking heads filled the interim and before I knew it, football was being played again. It felt like an alternate reality. Rodgers just isn’t coming back? That actually happened? l’m very glad I didn’t shut the game off, because the 2nd half morphed into a classic for the ages.
Down 13-3, Wilson fired a strike to Garrett Wilson for a crucial first down to open the 3rd quarter and the vibe started to shift. It felt like the Jets’ momentum slowly snowballed as the half wore on. What was supposed to be a beatdown at the hands of the Bills turned into a chess match. I told my friends in the group chat it felt like the world was going to end when this game ends. Something weird was on the horizon.
Josh Allen was pretty brutal all night and capped it off by delivering a viral moment that somehow didn’t go viral. With under 5 minutes to go in the 4th, he coughed up the football by slamming into his own teammate. Oddly reminiscent of that fateful Thanksgiving Day in 2012, involving the Jets, Mark Sanchez and a butt fumble. Sure enough, Sanchez seized the opportunity to come out of the wood works and rake in some numbies.
Prior to that, Garrett Wilson made everyone’s jaw drop with a freakishly athletic touchdown grab. Insane level of concentration to come down with the ball there. How about Lazard momentarily stealing the spotlight by leapfrogging Wilson? Joe Buck absolutely nailed the call too, always appreciate that.
That catch was sensational, Breece Hall had a few impressive gains, but the real story was the defense. They put forth a suffocating performance – five sacks and three interceptions, all by Jordan Whitehead. It felt like the Bills were terrified to be on the same field with them at times. That’s typically what the Bills do to other teams! The Rodgers loss is a devastating blow, but I have to think this intimidating defense will keep the Jets in the mix.
With less than a minute to go, it looked like maybe the Jets were on the verge of suffering a devastatingly familiar fate when the Bills started driving down the field. Stefon Diggs was everywhere all at once, before he was penalized for a decisive offensive pass interference that stalled the drive. The Jets defense was able to stand tall and force a field goal. Right on par with the dramatics of the night, Tyler Bass doinked in a 50-yarder to send the game to bonus time.
The grand finale was Xavier Gipson in OT. Remember that name! If you missed Hard Knocks – Gipson is a rookie, an unsung hero of sorts that squeaked his way onto the roster and won over the hearts of so many in the process. His story is one of self belief, perseverance and a positive attitude. He’s very easy to root for and beloved by his coaches and teammates. Gipson stood opposite Bills punter Sam Martin at his own 35-yard line and the rest is history. Pure electricity.
While I’m at it, I’ll give some love to Zach Wilson too. The guy deserves it. Benched, ridiculed by his own fanbase and mocked across the league. He took the demotion in stride and kept grinding. Last night, he was unexpectedly thrust into a berserk environment and held his own. I thought his comments after the game were pretty impressive, too.
Last night turned out to be the most watched Monday Night Football game on ESPN in history, drawing 22.64 million viewers. Who knows what the future holds for the Jets, but last night was special and deserves to be documented, before we convince ourselves it was just a figment of our imagination.
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