The San Francisco 49ers spoiled Aaron Rodgers' comeback party with the New York Jets on Monday, beating the quarterback in his first game since tearing his left Achilles nearly one year ago. The defending NFC champs opened up their season with a 32-19 win over New York, and they did it without star running back Christian McCaffrey -- who was surprisingly ruled out right before kickoff.
The 49ers were able to stifle Rodgers and the Jets while dominating the time of possession 38:40 to 21:20. As recently as Friday, McCaffrey said he had no doubts that he was going to play Monday despite his calf and Achilles injuries. Which is why it was a shock when McCaffrey was ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff.
But McCaffrey's absence also created an opportunity for backup Jordan Mason -- who had never played more than 27 offensive snaps in a game -- to start for the first time in his three NFL seasons. No matter, as Mason looked the part of a 10-year veteran running around, getting past and over Jets defenders all evening.
By the time Mason's work was done, the first look at the 2024 Niners bared a striking resemblance to San Francisco teams of recent vintage. After a bit of a slow start in the first quarter, the 49ers flipped the switch and physically dominated the Jets on both sides of the ball.
It was Mason who set the tone. He finished with career highs in carries (28) and yards (147). He added a touchdown and became the sixth Niner since 1970 to post 100-plus rushing yards in his first career start with the team.
The 2022 undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech also became the 10th undrafted 49er to rush for 100-plus yards in a game since coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017, the most in the NFL in that span. It's unclear how many games McCaffrey will miss, though with the next two on artificial surfaces (at Minnesota Vikings and at Los Angeles Rams), the Niners aren't going to rush him back, and Mason offered plenty of reassurance that they don't have to.
Purdy's Performance
With the running game rolling, the 49ers didn't need much from Brock Purdy. But he still delivered when needed, and his performance would have been better had it not been for some costly drops, including at the end of first half when wideout Brandon Aiyuk dropped a would-be touchdown. Purdy finished 19-of-29 for 231 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Defensive Dominance
The 49ers' run defense struggled down the stretch in 2023, giving up 4.8 yards per carry (30th in the NFL) from Week 14 through the Super Bowl. They attempted to correct that in the offseason by hiring Nick Sorensen as defensive coordinator and allocating resources to more big bodies on the defensive line such as tackles Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott and end Leonard Floyd.
Maybe it's a bit early to call it a trend, but the early returns were good Monday as San Francisco limited the Jets to 68 yards on 19 carries, an average of 3.6 yards per attempt.
Pivotal Play
With 8:56 left in the second quarter, the Niners trailed 13-6 and faced a second-and-19 from New York's 39 after a holding penalty wiped out an 18-yard run from Mason. Given a clean pocket and time to throw, Purdy ripped a throw to wide receiver Jauan Jennings running a deep crosser. Jennings hauled it in for a gain of 22 and a first down. The Niners scored three plays later and never relinquished the lead. -- Nick Wagoner
It took a year longer than expected, but the Jets finally got to experience almost a full game with Rodgers. Unfortunately, their defense did not rise to the occasion and hindered any chance of a triumphant return for Rodgers. The Jets led briefly 7-3 then allowed eight -- yes, eight -- straight scoring drives.
The Jets turned the 49ers' Mason into the nation's hottest new name for fantasy owners after his big performance. One of the reasons Rodgers wanted to play for the Jets was their formidable defense, which kept them in most games last season as they endured a quarterback roulette.
Jets' Troubles
This game got away from them, however, and coach Robert Saleh waved the white flag with 4:32 left, pulling Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor. And Rodgers still hasn't played a complete game in a Jets uniform.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Wide receiver Garrett Wilson was on fire at the start, with four catches in the first 11 minutes. Then he disappeared. He wasn't targeted again until the third quarter, and that resulted in an interception. The Rodgers-to-Wilson connection went cold, and so did the entire offense.
The lack of a consistent No. 2 option in the passing game loomed large. Wideout Allen Lazard's 26-yard reception late in the third quarter was the first offensive touch by a player other than Wilson or running back Breece Hall. Wide receiver Mike Williams, in his first game since ACL surgery, played only a handful of snaps and was a nonfactor. Tight end Tyler Conklin had no targets. If this becomes a weekly trend, the call to trade for Las Vegas Raiders wideout Davante Adams will get louder and louder.
Troubling trend: The Jets' defensive front, the supposed strength of the unit, got pushed around in the running game. Clearly, the Jets missed strongside end John Franklin-Myers (traded in the offseason). Big defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was supposed to make a difference, but he had a quiet night. All told, New York allowed 180 yards on the ground, most of it between the tackles. Holdout Haason Reddick probably wouldn't have helped the run defense, but he would've spiced up the lukewarm pass rush.
Troubling trend, Part II: Curiously, All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner was on the sideline for nine snaps in the second quarter. There was no medical issue, ESPN's Lisa Salters reported during the game. His absence was costly, as Brock Purdy completed 6 of 6 passes without Gardner on the field. -- Rich Cimini
The San Francisco 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey to see what a supercharged sports car looked like in Kyle Shanahan's offense. The results have been great.
But the hallmark of Shanahan's offense, going back to Kyle's dad Mike and his days with the Denver Broncos, has been taking running backs nobody else wanted and having a ton of success with them. Backs like Jordan Mason.
With McCaffrey a surprise inactive on Monday night with a calf injury and Eli Mitchell on injured reserve, it was Mason's chance to take on a huge role. And against one of the NFL's best defenses, the undrafted free agent had the best game of his career in his first NFL start.
Mason didn't carry the 49ers, of course. Deebo Samuel Sr. split backfield duties and had a touchdown. George Kittle made plays. Brock Purdy started slow but got hot as he settled in. Purdy hit fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 34-yard catch that set up a Mason touchdown early in the third quarter that effectively took the Jets out of the game. The 49ers' defense is one of the best in the NFL and it showed. But Mason lived out what every backup dreams of, getting his chance and shining when the spotlight was on him.
Mason's Rise
Curiously, Mason told ESPN's Lisa Salters in a postgame interview he found out he'd start "maybe Friday, Friday night, something like that." If true, he certainly had more time to get ready than scrambling fantasy football managers who had McCaffrey in their lineups.
"I never told Jordan he was going to start," Shanahan told reporters postgame. "I told him he had to be ready a bunch. That might've been [running backs coach] Bobby [Turner Jr.] or somebody trying to pump him up. I knew he was going to have to play a lot. I told him it wasn't going to be like usual. ... But he didn't know for sure he was doing that until today."
The 49ers' offense looked as good as ever, scoring on eight straight possessions after a punt to start the game. San Francisco's defense wrecked Aaron Rodgers' return to the lineup after he missed almost all of last season with a torn Achilles. Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The 49ers are still better with McCaffrey, clearly. But the 49ers are the rare team that can put an undrafted free agent in the place of the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year and look just as good on offense.
The night didn't start that bad for the Jets. Rodgers, playing just his second game with New York and his first that lasted more than four snaps, led an impressive touchdown drive late in the first quarter. Breece Hall scored at the end of it and the Jets led 7-3.
New York's defense looked good early on. The Jets pressured Purdy and contained the run. After a Hall fumble in Jets territory, New York got a quick three-and-out and the 49ers settled for a field goal. It seemed at that point like the 49ers might struggle to move the ball all night against a deep and impressive defense.
But the 49ers figured it out. They gave Purdy some time and he found the open receiver, like he usually does. Even with Brandon Aiyuk looking rusty after sitting out all of August looking for a new contract, Samuel, Kittle and Juwan Johnson made plays.
Mason scored to give the 49ers a 23-7 lead in the third quarter, and then Rodgers made his first big mistake. He hesitated under pressure, then tried to squeeze in a pass to Garrett Wilson. But 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir had great coverage, tipped the pass and it was picked off by linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. It was just past halfway through the third quarter but the game seemed over. It's not like the 49ers' defense was going to allow that much.
Looking Ahead
The season wasn't even three quarters old for the 49ers, but they looked like one of the best teams in football again. Even without McCaffrey, one of the best players in the NFL.
Monday night's performance had to be disheartening for the Jets. They came into the season with renewed optimism with Rodgers back, and they didn't look like they were on the 49ers' level. But it is just the first week of the season. Rodgers in particular should get better once he knocks off some rust. He had played only four regular-season snaps since January of 2023, after all. New York should end up fine this season.
The way the Jets got buried probably said more about the 49ers. The Jets will end up with one of the NFL's best defenses but the 49ers were able to move them on the line, opening up holes for Mason, and there always seemed to be some receiver open when Purdy needed it. The 49ers' defense is one of the NFL's best and that's a big reason Rodgers' first game back from injury was so quiet.
We'll see how the Jets bounce back. We know what to expect from the 49ers by now. They're a Super Bowl contender again. Just imagine how much better they'll look when McCaffrey is back in the lineup.
