The sight of Aaron Rodgers running out of the tunnel carrying an American flag served as a reminder of what the Jets could be in 2023.
On Thursday night, Rodgers will come out of the tunnel again, a symbol of what's to come in 2024.
The Jets, now 1-1, will face the Patriots in their home opener, but MetLife Stadium is sure to be as excited as it was a year ago during Rodgers' rise as coach, and the stadium will be filled with cheers like it has never been at a Jets game before.
The frenzy lasted just four plays that night, and now the Jets are hoping for a Rodgers-esque experience in front of their hometown fans.
“It feels good,” Rodgers said. “It's been a while since I've been on the Jet Life field so there's going to be a lot of emotions going through it. But thankfully it's my third game of the season and I've played two full games. I feel good and I'm in great shape for a short week. It's going to be fun to play with a crowd and I love night games, so I'm excited.”
The Jets come into this game having had shaky performances in both of their first two games of the season.
They didn't have a great start against the Titans on Sunday, but they picked up steam in the second half and earned their first win of the season.
They are looking to start a season 2-1 for the first time since 2015.
The Patriots (1-1) come into this game with a better record than expected, having shocked the Bengals in Week 1 and lost in overtime to the Seahawks last week.
This will be the first time the Jets face the Patriots under coach Bill Belichick since 1999, and it will have a different feel with Jerrod Mayo back at the helm.
The Jets ended a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots in last year's season finale, bringing an end to a storyline that had dogged them for years.
This will be the Jets' third game in 11 days, and they should get some energy from the enthusiastic MetLife crowd.
“We're hoping for a great game,” coach Robert Saleh said. “Thursday is our home opener and I know our fans are some of the most passionate in football so I'm really looking forward to the atmosphere on Thursday night.”
