With the season on the line, Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams lit up Aaron Rodgers for the Jets. So what now? (Video)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ. Facing third-and-19 down three points early in the fourth quarter, Aaron Rodgers made a decision.

If the weak-side safety falls, New York Jets quarterback Garrett Wilson will give him a chance.

So Rodgers dropped back and threw a 47-yard pass to his receiver, who ended up just 0.8 yards behind the defender, according to Next Gen stats.

Wilson extended his right arm in the air so spectacularly that his teammates were soon quick to compare it to Michael Jordan’s Jumpman or Odell Beckham Jr.’s famous one-handed move in the same stadium, or both.

As Wilson brought his left arm forward to make the tackle, his left leg entered the end zone with his right leg still well above his hip. The Jets’ 2022 first-round pick fell to his left side, he was hesitant to celebrate as he questioned whether he fit the sometimes seemingly changing definition of a catch in the NFL.

Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich disputed the incomplete pass decision.

“For posterity’s sake, you have to say that this is par for the course,” Ulbrich told the official, half-jokingly. “That’s how it went down in history.”

It turned out that offspring alone are not needed. The replay confirmed Wilson’s left shin was in the end zone.

Rodgers to Wilson, 26 yards, touchdown.

“A game changer,” Rogers said.

The weaknesses of the first half faded from their memories as the momentum of a star athlete in crunch time swept down the touchline. For the first time in more than three quarters, the Jets led.

The Jets beat the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night, snapping a five-game losing streak and securing their first win in four tries during Ulbrich’s tenure.

They improved to 3–6 to stay alive in the playoff race, finding an offensive rhythm unlike anything the franchise had seen in the season and a half of the Rodgers era.

The MetLife Stadium crowd, which had loudly booed and jeered in the first half, broke out into a JETS chant as night fell. The home locker room had been quiet since the prime-time loss to the Buffalo Bills earlier this month, and now the loudspeakers were on and they swapped dejected looks for smiles and confusion for confidence.

One win over a high-scoring but shaky Texans team isn’t the end goal for the Jets. But the victory had to begin somewhere, and even Rodgers admitted how daunting another loss would be.

“In the second half, the season was kind of on the line,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, mathematically we would not be eliminated. But mentally going to 2-7 would be very, very difficult. Hopefully this will give us confidence and we can beat anyone because we feel like we can. The way we played offense in the second half was the way we waited for this offense to wake up.

“It was as close to perfect as it should have been. This is the standard I need to play to. There were a lot of really incredible performances.”

At half-time, all this was in doubt.

After Rodgers struggled mightily in the first half, the Jets found themselves on the brink of collapse.

Rodgers didn’t sugarcoat his 7-of-14 passing attempts for 32 yards before halftime.

In Game 1, Rodgers really missed his longtime friend and receiver Davante Adams. Rodgers targeted Adams but instead knocked the pass out of bounds.

Soon after, Rodgers threw to Adams, who wasn’t looking.

It wasn’t the chemistry the two players expected in their nine-year (though not consecutive) partnership. It wasn’t the level of play the four-time MVP quarterback and six-time Pro Bowl receiver expected to produce.

Rodgers joked with Adams that they were “even” after every failed play.

“Even though it wasn’t really because, God, the first one was so bad,” Rogers said. “I played as bad as I could in the first half and knew it had to get better from there. … I mean, I was terrible.”

Rodgers was in good company, playing poorly as several receivers threw passes away from him and running back Breece Hall fumbled the ball (the Jets bounced back). Rookie receiver Malachi Corley nearly scored a 19-yard touchdown on the jet before a replay review showed that Corley’s celebratory drop of the ball just before crossing the jet and thus was a touchback rather than a touchdown.

Add to that, as the Jets’ defense lacked tackles and the special teams play gave the Texans their first loss in roughing the snapper, Jets fans had reason to be scared beyond Halloween.

Thomas Morstead’s punt from 75 yards to the 2-yard line was the highlight of the Jets’ first half.

But the Jets told themselves, “Adversity is bound to come.” How will we respond?

For the first time in six weeks, they found answers.

After two quarters with five punts and one fumble, the Jets scored touchdowns on three straight plays to close out the game.

Hall continued to find a rhythm. But this time, too, Rogers.

That 7-of-14, 32-yard first half turned into a 15-of-18, 179-yard second half with three touchdowns.

Wilson’s acrobatic Jumpman was his second targeted touchdown, his first a 21-yard touchdown on the first down after halftime that the Jets knew could determine their momentum.

Wilson ran a drag route and saw Rogers spot him “at the last second.”

Texans safety Jalen Pitre jumped for the ball and fell, clearing the way for Wilson to make another one-handed grab another 14 yards into the end zone.

The Jets defense continued to capitalize on Houston’s porous offensive line, holding it until the field goal and opening the door to finally taking the lead.

But then Rodgers and Wilson were 1 yard short on third down.

So Rodgers trusted Adams for 17 yards down the left sideline, and fourth-and-1 went smoothly to continue the drive.

This Adams would have finished.

And facing third-and-3 with a four-point lead with 3:02 left, Rodgers would find Adams with an easy 37-yard touchdown pass.

The receiver’s first score of the game as a Jet (after he left for evaluation for a concussion and was then cleared to return) gave New York a cushion for the win.

What’s next for a Jets team trying to stop this spiral?

The betting odds on this Jets win are tough.

Overall, there are implications for the team five days before the trade deadline. And there are implications for Rodgers in particular, about a month before he turns 41.

The Jets’ initial expectations for this season are still far from being realized. The Buffalo Bills, at 6-2, remain 3.5 games ahead of the Jets in the division, while the Miami Dolphins are just a half-game behind New York.

The Athletic’s playoff forecaster puts the Jets’ chances of making the postseason at 17%.

And yet, only one of the Jets’ eight remaining regular-season opponents is above .500. If the Jets do get their momentum going and the slew of injured players recover during the 10-day rest they have now and a bye in two weeks, one can imagine a talented roster coming together.

The team’s accomplishments and approach are expected to impact Ulbrich’s chances of coaching a group of players who highly respect him in 2025.

In the meantime, Rodgers will need to determine how long he is willing and able to play.

He looked 40 years old against the Patriots last week and in the first half on Thursday. The cayenne pepper and water mixture he called his “fountain of youth” didn’t work in the first and second quarters.

But in the second half Rodgers was more agile, his decision-making and accuracy sharper too. He fought hard for a red zone play that was ultimately called back due to a penalty but nonetheless energized him.

“He was third, I looked semi-athletic and didn’t get hurt doing it,” Rogers said.

Then he thought about it.

“I wanted to bring joy and passion to the game,” Rogers said. “This season has been frustrating at times. But I love this game. This game did everything for me. And a little perspective, a little gratitude tonight.

“A little more passion in the second half.”

Can this extra enthusiasm carry over into the second half of the season? The Jets hope so.

Rodgers did not answer questions about whether the next eight games could be his last as a professional.

Does he think about it?

“No,” he said after a pause and a smile.

For now, as the Jets and the quarterback they bet on edge toward a losing season, they will enjoy the franchise’s first win in a long time.

The high-priced cornerback, receiver and punter acquired by New York over the past 18 months was a major contributor to this win.

Players felt they were beginning to understand the culture they hoped to create, even if they wished it had materialized sooner.

“Pull back this feeling that we have and embrace it,” Adams said. “Not the thrill of winning; feeling what it’s like to perform actions, press buttons, and be on the same page.”

Wilson, still mulling over his catch, agreed.

“We definitely just wanted to get back in the win column,” he said. “Losing five times in a row feels the same as you would expect. It’s unpleasant. The most important thing is that we are better than this, and it’s time to prove it.

“We want to start our run. And the only way to do that is to win one.”