Those deliciously sinister NFL scheduling gods were working overtime when they designed the opening week schedule for the 2025 NFL season. Exhibit A would be placing Aaron Rodgers right back on the same toxic swampland where he began his previous two seasons, the two worst of his storied career. Much like his predecessor as a Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packer quarterback, Brett Favre, his attempt at a victory lap with the New York Football Jets ended in ignominy. Favre at least got eleven decent games out of his only season in the Meadowlands before the infamous Jets curse caught up with him; it took Rodgers only four plays into his stint for his season to end.
Now as a Pittsburgh Steeler after a noisy and rumor-filled off-season, the one-time candidate for Vice President and self-proclaimed health nut had much to prove yesterday afternoon. And as CBS SPORTS’ John Breech noted, he certainly did:
In the Aaron Rodgers revenge game, the 41-year-old QB definitely got revenge on his old team. Rodgers didn’t put up huge numbers — he only completed 22 passes for 244 yards — but he made every single one of those completions count in a game where he threw four touchdown passes. DK Metcalf and Rodgers already seem to have plenty of chemistry with the receiver catching four passes for 83 yards.
That reality check of modest PPR fantasy stats -did not stop him from gloating more than just a little bit, as per THE ATHLETIC’s Mike DeFabo:
In a stellar Steelers debut, Rodgers tossed four touchdown passes to four different targets, produced a 136.7 quarterback rating and, with time winding down, drove into range for the 60-yard, game-winning field goal from Chris Boswell. He was supposed to be just one part of a remade puzzle. Instead, Rodgers was the catalyst.
“It was nice to win, especially hearing some of the cat calls out there and the boo birds,” Rodgers said. “I’m not sensitive about that. I expected that, and I kind of liked that. There were probably people in the (Jets) organization that didn’t think I can play anymore. It was nice to remind those people I still can.”
If nothing else, the Jets demonstrated that they’re at least capable of scoring touchdowns and relatively often, something that they often were incapable of doing under Rodgers’ wing in 2024. And they displayed far more fight than their division rival Dolphins, who crapped the bed in Indianapolis with a 33-8 embarassment that saw another Meadowlands ex-pat get off to an even more stellar start in his Colts debut. Into the Breech once more:
This was a day of redemption for the Colts. On offense, Daniel Jones quieted his critics by playing a nearly perfect game that saw him total 283 yards and three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). Rookie tight end Tyler Warren showed that he could be a force this year by catching six passes for 61 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Lou Anuramo also redeemed himself. The former Bengals defensive coordinator, who was fired by Cincinnati in January, put together a game plan that essentially shut down the Dolphins’ high-powered offense. This was arguably the most impressive win by any team in Week 1. 
And both the Jets and Jones put out much more positive effort than did the Jints at the outset of their second century as an NFL member (at least in name), as Breech also detailed:
The Giants might already have a quarterback controversy. In his first game with the team, Russell Wilson was mostly off the mark, completing just 45.9% of his passes for 168 yards. The Giants played well enough to keep New York in the game, but the offense couldn’t get out of its own way, The Giants had TWO different drives where they got inside of Washington’s 5-yard line, but they only scored a total of three points.
But far and away the best was saved for last in the Sunday night lidlifter than actually was played within New York state limits. THE SPORTING NEWS’ Daniel Mader seemed to reflect the shock and awe that the final opening day crowd in the history of Highmark (nee Ralph Wilson) Stadium witnessed late last night:
The Bills looked done at multiple points in the second half of Sunday’s game. (T)hrough three quarters, Lamar Jackson had Baltimore fully in command. But then, Josh Allen did Josh Allen things. Buffalo overcame a 15-point deficit that it faced multiple times, using some incredible plays from Allen down the stretch to steal a victory from Baltimore. With the thrilling comeback, the Bills begin their quest for a Super Bowl at 1-0.
And they, of course, now hold a one-game lead over the rest of the AFC East. As G-d always intended it to be.
The same deity that can turn water into wine turned defeat into victory and the rubble of Rodgers’ career into the Fountain of Youth. And if He has as much excitement planned for the rest of this season, consider me a Believer.
Courage…