Jets lose to 49ers as Jordan Mason shines in place of injured Christian McCaffrey.

On Monday night, the New York Jets faced the San Francisco 49ers, who surprisingly did not have their star running back, Christian McCaffrey, on the field.

Jordan Mason, his backup, did not disappoint in his first career start, leading his squad to a 32-19 win and starting the season on the right foot.

Aaron Rodgers made his return to an NFL field after an Achilles tear on the fourth play of the Jets' "Monday Night Football" matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

Mason, who had his first career touchdown as a starter, stole the spotlight on his home turf at Levi's Stadium by rushing for a career-high 147 yards on 28 carries.

Mason set the tone early on as the Jets' stingy defense from 2023 was absent when the ball was in his hands.

On the fourth drive, Mason began to gain momentum after the Jets scored the first touchdown with a three-yard rush from Breece Hall on a 12-play drive. Despite San Fran converting on two field goal attempts by Jake Moody, including one following the Jets' touchdown, Mason's four straight run plays ultimately opened up a lot of space for quarterback Brock Purdy.

Samuel scored the team's first touchdown of the year after taking a jet sweep and running it in from two yards out, just one play after Mason took it 11 yards to the Jets' doorstep. However, Mason was initially credited with the score before Samuel was called for offensive holding on the drive.

Mason would witness the touchdown count on the team's second-half opening drive, a 70-yard masterpiece that he scored from five yards out.

The game seemed out of reach after Mason's score, especially after a tipped pass from Rodgers resulted in an interception by Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles on the next drive.

Rodgers' first career touchdown pass came at the perfect time, as he took advantage of a 49ers offside penalty and threw a 36-yard pass to Lazard, an old friend from the Packers, to make it 26-13. Although Hall failed to convert on the two-point try, the game felt more even after that point.

The 49ers scored another Moody field goal, adding seven minutes to the clock on the ensuing drive, thanks to Mason's efforts.

In this game, Moody set a 49ers record by making six field goals out of six attempts.

Purdy completed the game with a 19-of-29 record, accumulating 231 yards through his leading receiver, Jauan Jennings, who had 64 yards on five receptions. Additionally, Samuel contributed with five catches for 54 yards and eight rushes for 23 yards.

In his true debut for the Jets, Rodgers went 13-of-21 for 167 yards, including a touchdown and an interception.

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