Jordan Mason ran for 147 yards, the best mark of his career, and scored a touchdown to help the San Francisco 49ers beat the New York Jets 32-19, spoiling Aaron Rodgers‘ return on Monday night in Santa Clara, California. Deebo Samuel also ran for a touchdown, and Jake Moody tied a franchise record with six field goals to propel the 49ers in the season opener for both teams.
Rodgers, 40, returned to the field two days before the first anniversary of the left Achilles tendon tear that ended his season, which he suffered in the first game of last year’s season. Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. His night ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down with 7:22 remaining in the game.
Mason replaced injured star Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles tendon). The third-year pro, an undrafted free agent from Georgia Tech, carried the ball 28 times. His previous career-high was 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2022 season, and his previous yardage high was 69 against the Dallas Cowboys last year. Mason took on the responsibility as RB1 and shredded the Jets’ defense, amassing 152 yards from scrimmage and scoring a rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
The rushing attack was shared with Deebo Samuel. The wide receiver carried the ball eight times for 23 yards and scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter. Through the air, he caught five of the nine passes thrown his way for 54 yards.
Brock Purdy had a quiet night. The quarterback completed 19 passes for 231 yards and also ran once for 11 yards to move the chains.
Rodgers was injured on the fourth play of the last season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Earlier this week, he indicated that he would likely react to the cameras after the fourth play on Monday. However, New York failed to make any plays on their first possession, and the Jets struggled on the first play of the next possession. Rodgers completed a reverse pass to Breece Hall before San Francisco standout Fred Warner stripped the ball from Hall, and Maliek Collins recovered it for the 49ers at New York’s 32-yard line. The turnover set up Moody’s 46-yard field goal with 10:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Rodgers then led the Jets on a 12-play, 70-yard drive that lasted 7:07 minutes. Hall capped the drive with a 3-yard run to give New York a 7-3 lead with 3:51 remaining in the period. Moody made a 51-yard field goal to bring the 49ers within one point with 56 seconds left in the second quarter. San Francisco went ahead thanks to Samuel’s 2-yard run with 6:54 remaining in the first half. Moody kicked a 31-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half, and the 49ers led 16-7 at the break.
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San Francisco opened the second half with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that took 7:18 minutes off the clock. Mason scored from the 5-yard line to extend the lead to 16. Moody hit a 53-yard field goal that bounced off the left post before going through to make it 26-7 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.
Rodgers threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard with 1:39 remaining in the third quarter. Hall’s two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Jets trailing 26-13. Backup Packers quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Lazard in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 49ers, who dominated New York in the trenches.
Jake Moody had an outstanding night at Levi’s Stadium with six field goals. The San Francisco kicker nailed field goals of 46, 51, 31, 53, 23, and 42 yards, mirroring his performance from last year when he made two kicks of over 50 yards.
The 49ers’ defense was instrumental in the victory, with key plays like Fred Warner’s strip of Hall and Maliek Collins’ recovery contributing to their control of the game.
Jordan Mason’s standout performance against the New York Jets concluded in an unexpected manner. The 49ers shocked the NFL world when star running back Christian McCaffrey was ruled out due to injury just 90 minutes before kickoff on “Monday Night Football.” During a postgame interview with Lisa Salters, Mason may have unintentionally hinted at a potential injury report violation.
However, post match, Mason revealed that he discovered he was starting on Friday, just three days before McCaffrey’s unexpected withdrawal. “When did I find out? Probably Friday night, something like that,” he mentioned. “I stayed ready. We had training camp, and I was RB1 during that time, so I’ve been prepared ever since.”
