What a way to start Monday Night Football.
The New York Jets and Buffalo Bills gave us a thoroughly entertaining opener to Monday Night Football to cap Week 1. Aaron Rodgers’ debut was hyped as the big story of the night, but instead the quarterback went down with a potentially season-ending Achilles injury on his first possession of the game. The game did not get any more normal from there.
Josh Allen, the other superstar quarterback in this game, had one of the worst performances of his career: he tossed three interceptions, all to Jordan Whitehead, and lost a fumble that allowed New York to take the lead late in the game. The Jets came back to force overtime when Greg Zuerlein hit the game-tying field goal after the ball bounced hard and loud off the upright.
A game like that deserves a memorable end, and Bills-Jets got one when New York’s Xavier Gipson took home a punt return in overtime for a walk-off touchdown. It was a stunning moment for Gipson, and the radio call from Bob Wischusen made it even better. Watch the play here with Wischusen’s call:
What a moment for the Jets, to beat a Super Bowl favorite like Buffalo after losing your newly acquired star QB. The Jets’ season may have changed permanently after Rodgers’ injury, but it’s still an incredible moment to star the new year.
Bills fans, we won’t blame you for being upset about the leg whip on that punt return that wasn’t called:
refs missed a tripping penalty on the game-winning punt return by the jets, but you can’t expect them to get everything. sometimes they’re just not in the right position to see the play pic.twitter.com/haqOltwSN2
— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 12, 2023
Zach Wilson was … fine in place of Rodgers, finishing 14-of-21 for 140 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Jets vs. Bills wasn’t exactly well played, but it sure wasn’t boring.
