NASHVILLE, Tennessee – For the first time in 623 days, Aaron Rodgers left the field as a winning quarterback.

It was by no means a productive game, but Rodgers delivered a flawless performance on the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to help the New York Jets to a dramatic 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

Afterward, he enjoyed everything about his victory, from his fast-paced plays that resulted in three touchdowns to his argument with Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who called Rodgers a “crybaby” during the game.

“It was great,” Rodgers, 40, said of the win that helped him avoid the first 0-2 start of his 20-year career. “This has been a long time coming.”

“These are the games that you look back on at the end of the season and are thankful that you won them. Because if we want to be a great team, we have to beat a team like that in that environment.”

Rodgers won on Jan. 1, 2023, his second-to-last start with the Green Bay Packers. He was technically credited with the win in the Jets’ 2023 opener, although he lasted only four snaps before his left Achilles tendon ruptured. This was his first complete game victory with the Jets (1-1).

The four-time MVP was at his best in the decisive period, leading a seven-play, 74-yard drive that ended with rookie running back Braelon Allen’s second touchdown, a 20-yard run with 4:31 left to make it 24-17. Rodgers was 5 of 5 passing for 60 yards on the drive, including 26- and 19-yard passes to Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, respectively.

“He’s like a conductor,” Allen said of Rodgers.

Tight end Tyler Conklin said, “Aaron did a lot for Aaron out there.”

After an ugly loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Jets desperately needed a win. Their defense, which lost defensive end Jermaine Johnson (Achilles) and linebacker CJ Mosley (toe) in Sunday’s game, pulled off a fourth-down stop in the final seconds to secure the win.

Rodgers’ teammates and coach Robert Saleh subsequently described his composure in the final minutes as one of the key factors.

“I mean, he’s an instant Hall of Famer and he’s been doing things for a very, very long time,” Saleh said. “He’s seen it all. To have that kind of presence in the huddle is huge for a lot of guys who haven’t seen it all.”

Rodgers (18 of 30) threw for just 176 yards, his 24th consecutive game under 300 yards – the longest drought of his career. But he did throw two touchdowns, a 12-yard screen pass to Allen and a 26-yard pass to Breece Hall. It was the first time since 1994 that two different Jets running backs had receiving touchdowns in the same game.

On the Allen touchdown, Rodgers said he suggested the call to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on the sideline – a pump fake for Hall, then a quick throw to Allen. The deception worked perfectly.

Rodgers said he and Hall came up with the final point.

“I’ll tell you exactly how it unfolded,” Rodgers said. “I blew the clock and we called a timeout. Breece came over and said, ‘Hey, throw me a go ball if there’s a backer out there.’ I said, ‘OK.'”

Hall swerved wide to the right and was covered by linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., which Rodgers recognized and made the Titans pay for.

“You know you’re going to win the game,” said the 20-year-old Allen, who became the youngest player to score an offensive touchdown since 1950. “I haven’t known him for a long time, but I’ve watched him for a long time. There’s been no one better in these situations in the last two decades.”

Allen grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and watched Rodgers play for the Packers, so it was a special moment for him when he scored the game-winning touchdown in Rodgers’ first win as the Jets’ quarterback. Allen dismissed the praise, saying the gap on his 20-yard run was so wide that “my grandma probably could have scored a point.” A pass play was called, but Rodgers said he checked a run at the line.

Rodgers capped off the day by laughing with Simmons, who received a costly penalty for “unnecessary roughness against the passer.”

“He was calling me some pretty mean names out there,” Rodgers said with a laugh, adding that he fired back at Simmons with a “crybaby” comment after the penalty.