The New York Jets vs 49ers match player stats from Week 1 paint a clear picture. Aaron Rodgers finally got his shot at redemption in Santa Clara, but Jordan Mason had already stolen the show before halftime rolled around.
Final Score: 49ers 32, Jets 19
The scoreboard actually flattered New York. This Monday Night Football clash at Levi’s Stadium turned into a clinic on ball control, with San Francisco owning every stat that mattered. Clear skies and perfect 72-degree weather meant no excuses for either team.
Let’s dig into what really went down when the NFL’s most anticipated Week 1 matchup finally kicked off.
Quarterbacks: Old Guard vs New Blood
Head to Head Numbers
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | Rating | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rodgers (NYJ) | 13/21 | 61.9% | 167 | 1 | 1 | 82.8 | 1 |
| Brock Purdy (SF) | 19/29 | 65.5% | 231 | 0 | 0 | 89.9 | 3 |
| Tyrod Taylor (NYJ) | 6/8 | 75.0% | 36 | 1 | 0 | 122.9 | 0 |
You know what’s wild? Rodgers threw for fewer yards (167) than Jordan Mason rushed for (147). That’s not supposed to happen to four-time MVPs. His best throw came courtesy of Leonard Floyd jumping early, giving him a free play to find Allen Lazard deep. Classic Rodgers move, but he only got to show it once.
Purdy played it smart all night. No hero ball, no forcing throws into coverage. Just move the chains and let Mason do the heavy lifting. Sometimes boring football wins games, and the 49ers were perfectly fine with that.
Running Backs: One-Sided Affair
Ground Game Breakdown
| Player | Team | Attempts | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Mason | SF | 28 | 147 | 5.3 | 1 | 24 |
| Breece Hall | NYJ | 16 | 54 | 3.4 | 1 | 16 |
| Deebo Samuel | SF | 8 | 23 | 2.9 | 1 | 6 |
| Braelon Allen | NYJ | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Brock Purdy | SF | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
Mason came into this prime time game with 302 career rushing yards. Total. In three seasons. Then he went out and dropped 147 on the Jets in one night. Dude was running through tackles like they were suggestions. His 5-yard touchdown run? Came after the 49ers marched 70 yards in 11 plays to start the second half. Talk about setting the tone.
Meanwhile, Breece Hall couldn’t buy a hole. Fred Warner introduced himself on the fourth play of the game, punching the ball out for a fumble that basically ended any hope the Jets had of controlling this game. Hall’s numbers (54 yards) don’t tell the story of a guy getting met at the line all night long. Jets O-line got straight up bullied.
Pass Catchers: Spreading the Wealth
Top Targets and Production
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen LazardNYJ | 9 | 6 | 89 | 14.8 | 2 |
| Jauan JenningsSF | 5 | 5 | 64 | 12.8 | 0 |
| Garrett WilsonNYJ | 11 | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Deebo SamuelSF | 9 | 5 | 54 | 10.8 | 0 |
| George KittleSF | 5 | 4 | 40 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Kyle JuszczykSF | 3 | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 0 |
| Breece HallNYJ | 6 | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 0 |
| Brandon AiyukSF | 5 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 |
Lazard’s two touchdowns? One came on that free play we mentioned (nice 36-yarder), the other with 25 seconds left when the 49ers were already planning their postgame meals. Garbage time stats are still stats, I guess, but context matters.
Garrett Wilson saw 11 targets and caught six. Sounds decent until you realize he couldn’t get loose all night. The CBS Sports play-by-play shows most of his catches came on short stuff with Charvarius Ward draped all over him.
Shanahan’s creativity showed up big time with that Kyle Juszczyk wheel route. The fullback (yeah, they still exist) slipped out of the backfield and found himself wide open for 34 yards. That’s coaching, folks.
Defense: Playmakers and Pretenders
Defensive Stats That Mattered
| Player | Total Tackles | Solo | Sacks | INT | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. MosleyNYJ | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony AdamsNYJ | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. ReedNYJ | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fred WarnerSF | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D. Flannigan-FowlesSF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fred Warner’s forced fumble changed everything before most fans grabbed their second beer. Fourth play of the game, he reads the screen, attacks Hall, and boom. Ball’s on the ground. Three plays later, Jake Moody’s kicking the first of his six field goals.
The Jets’ defense? They generated 10 total pressures all night. Ten. Without Haason Reddick (still holding out for that bag), they couldn’t sniff Purdy. C.J. Mosley made his tackles, sure, but most came after Mason had already gained five yards.
Special Teams Excellence
The Jake Moody Experience
| Kicker | FG Made | FG Att | FG % | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Moody (SF) | 6 | 6 | 100% | 53 | 2/2 | 20 |
| Greg Zuerlein (NYJ) | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1/1 | 1 |
Six field goals. Six makes. No drama. Well, except for that 53-yarder that kissed the upright before sneaking through. Moody scored 20 of San Francisco’s 32 points, proving you don’t always need touchdowns when your kicker’s automatic.
Quick Hits: Key Game Stats
Ball Control
- 49ers: 38:40 possession
- Jets: 21:20 possession
That’s not a typo. The Jets had the ball for barely over 21 minutes. Hard to win when you’re watching from the sideline most of the night.
Total Plays
- 49ers: 67
- Jets: 49
More plays equals more chances. Simple math that the Jets couldn’t figure out.
Stat of the Night
Jordan Mason’s 147 rushing yards Undrafted back. Third string on the depth chart. Drops nearly 150 on a Jets defense that was supposed to be elite. Sometimes football makes no sense, and that’s why we love it.
Ground Game Reality Check
| Team | Attempts | Yards | Average | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 38 | 180 | 4.7 | 2 |
| Jets | 19 | 68 | 3.6 | 1 |
The Jets’ ground game? Three first downs. Total. All night. That’s not a recipe for success against anybody, let alone the 49ers.
Game-Changing Moments
Early Disaster Strikes
Fourth play from scrimmage, Rodgers hits Hall on a screen. Should’ve been an easy gain. Instead, Fred Warner crashes the party, forces a fumble, and the 49ers recover. Jake Moody turns that gift into three points. Game script flipped just like that.
The Avalanche Begins
Starting with their third possession, the 49ers scored on eight straight drives. Not punts. Not turnovers. Points every single time. The ESPN game recap called it “methodical destruction” and they weren’t wrong.
Shanahan’s Chess Move
After missing Juszczyk on a wheel route earlier, Shanahan went right back to it in the third quarter. This time? 34 yards to the fullback. When you’re getting beat by fullback routes, you know it’s not your night.
Real Talk About These Numbers
Every Jets fan who watched this NFL season opener knows the truth. This wasn’t just a loss. It was a reality check wrapped in prime time embarrassment. The game stats tell one story, but watching it unfold told another. San Francisco never looked threatened. Not once.
Both teams entered Week 1 with playoff dreams, but this player performance analysis shows only one squad looked ready. The AFC East race just got tougher for New York, while San Francisco sent a message to the entire NFC West: they’re still the team to beat.
The 49ers showed they don’t need Christian McCaffrey to run all over teams. They’ve got a system that turns undrafted guys into 147-yard performers. Meanwhile, the Jets learned that Rodgers alone can’t fix an offense that gets pushed around up front.
Check out how this compares to other Jets divisional struggles and you’ll see a pattern. Teams that run the ball and control the clock own the Jets. It’s been that way for years.
Monday Night’s Cold Truth
This football statistics analysis reveals what Jets fans feared: they’re not ready for prime time. The 2024 NFL season opener at Levi’s Stadium exposed every weakness. Can’t run. Can’t stop the run. Can’t sustain drives. Can’t get off the field on defense.
The individual performances tell the whole story. Jordan Mason’s coming out party (28 carries, 147 yards) proved Kyle Shanahan can plug anyone into his system. Jake Moody’s perfect night (6-for-6 on field goals) showed the 49ers can score multiple ways. The defense forcing two turnovers while allowing just 13 meaningful points? That’s championship-level stuff.
For New York? Rodgers threw for 167 yards. That’s it. That’s the tweet. All that hype, all that anticipation, and he barely cracked 150 yards passing. The offensive line couldn’t create holes. The defense couldn’t get stops. Special teams didn’t make a difference.
FAQs
A: Mason went absolutely nuts. Carried the rock 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a guy most fans couldn’t pick out of a lineup before Monday night.
A: Rough night for the future Hall of Famer. Just 13 of 21 for 167 yards with one TD and one pick. That 82.8 passer rating? Yeah, that’s not gonna cut it against playoff teams.
A: Money Moody went 6-for-6, including a 53-yarder that had some drama when it bounced off the upright. Dude scored 20 of the 49ers’ 32 points. Talk about earning your paycheck.
A: San Francisco absolutely dominated the clock, holding the ball for 38:40 compared to New York’s pitiful 21:20. When you’re on the sideline that much, you’re basically a spectator at your own game.
Wrapping This Up
When you break down the New York Jets vs 49ers match player stats, one thing becomes crystal clear: the gap between these teams is bigger than the final score suggests. The 49ers played complementary football. The Jets played like 53 individuals trying to figure it out. In the NFL, that gets you beat every time.
Rodgers will bounce back. He always does. But until the Jets fix their offensive line and find a running game, nights like this will keep happening. The 49ers? They’ll keep rolling, with or without their stars, because that’s what good teams do.
