The San Francisco 49ers were shocked to see their star running back Christian McCaffrey sit out Monday night's game against the New York Jets.
But his backup, Jordan Mason, didn't disappoint in his first career start, leading the team to a 32-19 victory and getting the season off to a strong start.
All eyes were on Aaron Rodgers, who will be returning to an NFL field after rupturing his Achilles on the fourth play of the Jets-Buffalo Bills “Monday Night Football” game in Week 1.
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San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (24) runs during the second quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
But while Rodgers threw his first career touchdown pass in the game, it was Mason who stole the show at home in Levi's Stadium, scoring his first career touchdown as a starter and running 28 times for a career-high 147 yards.
The 2023 Jets' tough defense was nowhere to be found with the ball in Mason's hands, and he set the tone early on.
After the Jets scored their first touchdown of the game (a 3-yard rush by Breece Hall on a 12-point drive), Mason began to gain momentum on the team's fourth drive. San Francisco made two Jake Moody field goal attempts, one of which came after a Jets touchdown, to make it 7-6, but Mason continued to gain momentum with four consecutive running plays, eventually giving quarterback Brock Purdy plenty of opportunities.
49ers star Christian McCaffrey will miss the Jets game with a calf injury.
Mason appeared to score the team's first touchdown of the year, but on that drive, Deebo Samuel was called for offensive holding, and it was actually Samuel who ran in from the 2-yard line on a completed jet sweep a few plays later, just one play after Mason had run 11 yards to the Jets' goal line.
Mason finally scored a touchdown on the team's opening drive of the second half, an 11-play, 70-yard masterpiece that included an emphatic run from 5 yards out.
Mason's score made the score 23-7 and the game seemed out of reach, especially after Rodgers' pass was intercepted by Demetrius Flanigan-Fowles on the next drive.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. (Darren Yamashita – Imagn Images)
But Rodgers' first career touchdown pass couldn't have come at a better time, when a 49ers offsides penalty gave him a free play and he completed a 36-yarder to his old friend from his Green Bay Packers days, Allen Lazard, to make it 26 to 13. Hall couldn't convert on a two-point attempt, but the game felt a lot more exciting at the time.
But the 49ers shaved about seven minutes off the ensuing offense and added another Moody field goal, and yes, Mason was a big factor.
Moody made six field goals in six attempts in the game, tying a 49ers record.
Further looking at the box score, Purdy finished the game 19-of-29 for 231 yards, while Jauan Jennings was the leading receiver with 5 receptions for 64 yards. Samuel also had 5 catches for 54 yards and 8 rushes for 23 yards.
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (left) celebrates with offensive tackle Colton McKivitz (right) after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. (Darren Yamashita – Imagn Images)
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With the Jets, Rodgers completed 13 of 21 attempts for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception in what fans will call his true debut.
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