Aaron Rodgers talks about the Jets' opening loss to the 49ers: “I have to play better”

Aaron Rodgers' return to the field after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last year's season opener was spoiled by the San Francisco 49ers as Brock Purdy and Co. defeated the New York Jets 32-19. The Jets' vaunted defense allowed the 49ers 401 total yards of offense without Christian McCaffrey, but Rodgers' offense didn't fare much better.

Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception before being replaced at quarterback by Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter after the game was no longer up for grabs. The Jets totaled just 266 yards of offense and had the ball for 21 minutes, 20 seconds, the lowest time of possession in Rodgers' 246 career appearances, including the playoffs.

Was Rodgers simply not on the same wavelength as his new playmakers? He rejects this claim.

“That's definitely an excuse. I'm not going to use that,” Rodgers said, via NFL.com. “I don't think we should. We expect great things when we step on the field. There were moments that felt really good but weren't sustainable. We felt like if we could just get a first down, we'd be on a roll. We had those three-and-outs that really hurt us. I think a lot of it is correctable, which is great for coaches but frustrating for players. We know how close we were/are, but there's no time for that. We're going to move on to Tennessee quickly and then we have a game four days later. That's a tough opener for us, travel-wise and schedule-wise, but no excuses. We've got to play better. I've got to play better. We're going to bounce back next week.”

There were moments when Rodgers looked like his old self again. He completed an impressive shoulder pass to Garrett Wilson in the first quarter and used a free kick late in the third quarter to connect with Allen Lazard deep in the middle of the field for a 36-yard touchdown. But overall, it was not a consistent performance from the four-time NFL MVP.

“I can play better. I missed a couple of shots. I missed the one to Garrett,” Rodgers said. “On my last drive, the pick, I just missed the ball inside. I felt like I got the ball out pretty well overall. We had some chances that I'd like to get back.”

Was Rodgers a little rusty? Sure. But the 49ers deserve a lot of credit – and they're not the easiest opponent to face in Week 1. San Francisco did a great job of running the ball with Jordan Mason and keeping Rodgers off the field with its talented defense.

Next up for Rodgers is a game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville in two short weeks. Despite losing to the Chicago Bears in Week 1, they held Caleb Williams' unit to 148 total yards. Heading into Week 2, the Titans have the best defense in the NFL statistically.