Rodgers Returns As Two Potentially Great Teams Square Off

Jets vs. 49ers, 8:15 ET

We are not quite a week into the football season, but I need to just mention that I have very mixed emotions about this season. On the one hand, I've already hit two 1st touchdown props and I nailed the Thursday game. On the other hand, yesterday went very poorly, and, thanks to Bijan Robinson, I missed a massive score on a 9-leg parlay. I had nine players for an anytime touchdown parlay, and eight of them hit, Robinson did not. Ultimately, it wasn't a huge loss for the investment, just the potential. Potential is what we have for the remainder of this season and tonight as the Jets take on the 49ers.

That word, potential, stands out for both of these teams. The Jets have one of the best defenses in football and should be competitive no matter which version of Aaron Rodgers or any other quarterback they have under center. All eyes are going to be on Rodgers in this one as he comes back from an injury that cost him all but four snaps last season. There are essentially two camps out there for Rodgers this season: he will be the MVP, or he will be terrible as a 40-year-old and look awful. Obviously there is a third scenario here where he could just be a league-average quarterback. But, in the era of talking heads and making bold statements, most have landed in one of those two camps. Personally, I'm not expecting him to be an MVP, but I do think he can return as one of the ten-best quarterbacks in the league. Rodgers has some decent weapons on the outside, and he does have Garrett Wilson who can be a reliable option. Allen Lazard is someone he has familiarity with from his days in Green Bay, and Mike Williams presents a mixed bag of potential as a receiver. The running game will feature Breece Hall who will likely enjoy a bit of extra space if Rodgers does return to form and brings back his great play-action ability. On defense, the key to this game is going to be stopping Christian McCaffrey. If they can limit his success, that will completely disrupt the San Francisco offensive attack. 

There doesn't need to be much of an explanation about potential for the 49ers. They've been two the Super Bowl, they've been to multiple NFC Conference Titles. They have a quarterback who was viewed as one of the best in the league last year and an MVP candidate. They have one of the most dynamic running backs in football, a guy who won the Offensive Player of the Year Award last season. On the outside, the offense features Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, two guys who can exploit you in the passing game and even a bit on the ground. George Kittle had a great season last year and is likely still a top-5 tight end. Trent Williams is one of the best players on the offensive line in the game. Their defense is no slouch either. With Leonard Floyd, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner, among others, the team is set on that side of the ball as well. I can't imagine this is a welcome sight for Rodgers as he returns from injury. I'd also expect Bosa to be as aggressive as possible, trying to give Rodgers no time to throw the ball. The 49ers also have one of the best coaches in the game - they rarely look unprepared, and almost always have a great game plan. 

I lost a parlay by one touchdown scorer yesterday. I lost my Rams play in overtime after a great game from Matthew Stafford and a breakdown of the Rams defense. I'm hoping the potential of a winning day here can salvage a mixed bag of a Week 1 in the NFL. For tonight, I'm taking the under. For the most part, teams didn't look very good on the offensive side of the ball. We have one quarterback returning from injury (they should be somewhat cautious with him) and I'm not a big Purdy believer, especially against a great defense. I'll back the under. 

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