Aaron Rodgers shines in Jets' home opener beatdown on Patriots

Aaron Rodgers' return home for the New York Jets went exactly how fans wanted it to: healthy and dominant. 

The Jets took down their AFC East-rival New England Patriots, 24-3, to move to 2-1 on the season, while the Pats are now 1-2.

Rodgers might not have gotten any points with the offense on the Jets’ first drive of the game, but fans will still count this as a victory after what occurred in Week 1 last year. He infamously tore his Achilles on just the fourth snap of the game against the Buffalo Bills, ending his 2023 campaign before it could truly get started. 

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But the four-time MVP looked spry on Thursday night, roaming around confidently in the pocket, and shockingly enough, taking off to run for first downs. 

He was hit, he was sprinting, and Jets fans were likely holding his breath every single time he had to run outside the pocket, but Rodgers looked like his old self all night long and the numbers proved it. 

AARON RODGERS FINALLY NOTCHES JETS MILESTONE IN FIRST GAME AT METLIFE STADIUM SINCE ACHILLES TEAR

Rodgers finished the game with 281 yards on 27-of-35 through the air with two touchdown passes and no interceptions thrown on his best night as a Jet thus far. 

He was finally able to throw his first MetLife Stadium touchdown as a Jet on the team’s second drive, marching down the field and finding his old Green Bay Packers teammate, Allen Lazard, for a screen that he took 10 yards to go up 7-0. 

Then, after forcing another punt, the Jets went a total 91 yards on 13 plays where running back Breece Hall punched it in from the goal line for a decisive 14-0 lead. 

Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots’ offense finally got something going on its third drive, cashing in on a 44-yard field goal by veteran kicker Joey Slye. But those were the only points this group could muster all game long, as the vintage Jets defense we've seen the past couple seasons was swarming all around the field.

The Jets, knowing they hadn’t beaten the Patriots at home since 2015 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was leading the way at quarterback, wanted to bury their rival and Rodgers knew just how to do that on their opening drive of the second half. 

Once again, Rodgers was mobile outside the pocket, extending plays and killing the clock as he found open receivers for first downs and drove all the way down the field for a first-and-goal look from the two-yard line. 

Instead of another Hall run up the gut for the score, Rodgers rolled out right and flicked a pass to Garrett Wilson for the nifty completion and touchdown to make it 21-3. It was the first of what Jets fans hope is many Rodgers-to-Wilson touchdowns at MetLife. 

While Wilson might be Rodgers’ top target on paper, it was veteran tight end Tyler Conklin, who had been silent in the two previous games for New York, leading the way in the receiving game on Thursday night. 

Conklin finished the game with a team-high five catches and 93 yards to help those sustained touchdown drives. 

In the run game, it appears the Jets really have a two-headed monster at the moment with Hall and rookie Braelon Allen, who became the youngest player in the Super Bowl era to score a touchdown last week. 

The Jets' defense was able to collect six sacks on the night, and it was Will McDonald IV, the team's first-round pick a year ago, who had two on the night. That marks five on the season already after having just three last year.

The Patriots sent No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye into the game late in the fourth quarter after Brissett threw for just 98 yards on 12-of-18 passing. He went 4-of-8 through the air for 22 yards in his first regular-season game action of his young career. 

To put the Jets' domination into a team perspective, they held the Patriots' offense to just 139 total yards, while Rodgers and the offense put together a whopping 400 on the night.

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Two dozen Florida school students arrested after allegedly making threats since start of academic year

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida has arrested 24 public school students since the beginning of the academic year, for alleged written or online threats, according to authorities.

Polk County School District Superintendent Fred Heid announced the shocking number of arrests during a news conference Thursday, just weeks after a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia.

"Students will be arrested. They will be charged with a second-degree felony," Heid said during the news conference covered by FOX 13 Tampa. "And from the school district's perspective, we will pursue the fullest extent of the consequences for any student or any non-student member of our community who phones these in or posts something online or social media or email."

Along with seeking criminal charges for students who make threats towards schools, Heid said the school district will seek restitution for any time and resources spent investigating the threats.

GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT'S MOM DEFENDS HER SON IN MESSAGE TO VICTIMS' FAMILIES

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd joined Heid during the news conference, and said there were 42 arrests made during the 2023-24 school year in which students made written threats against county schools.

So far this year, in just 28 days, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has made 24 arrests.

"That's why we're all standing up here today," Judd said. "Because we can't have any more of that."

GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING: SUSPECT'S FORMER NEIGHBORS RECOUNT HARROWING STORIES OF ALLEGED ABUSE, CHAOS

Judd praised the app, Fortify Florida, which gives students the ability to immediately report suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies and school officials.

FOX 13 reported that Heid provided an explanation on why he believes there have been so many threats recently.

"I think, unfortunately, many of our students believe that social media is an appropriate place for them to try to garner attention," the superintendent said. "As the sheriff put it, we investigate, and we complete more threat assessments than several others do because we do not diminish the expectation."

COLIN GRAY, FATHER OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT CHARGED WITH MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, CHILD CRUELTY

The sheriff echoed Heid, adding that some kids go with the latest social media trends.

"We end up with these TikTok challenges; well we'll TikTok you to jail if you follow those challenges. That's the bottom line to it," Judd said. "The overwhelming majority of the kids go, 'Well that's nuts, and I'm not going to do it.' But a few of the kids say, 'I'm nuts, and I'm gonna to do it,' and then, we're going to arrest them."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the school district.

Still, the alternative to speaking about proactive measures would be the tragic result of not doing anything.

"I would much rather be standing here talking about this today than you saying, ‘Sheriff, school board, superintendent, you did nothing, and this kid’s been sending messages for months? And now he's brought a gun to school and shot the school or shot up a kid at school,’" Judd said.