Football fans were treated to an exciting first weekend of the NFL, starting with the Kansas City Chiefs taking down the Baltimore Ravens in the opening game of the season all the way to the Detroit Lions outlasting the Los Angeles Rams in overtime on Sunday night. Now, all focus shifts to the Bay Area for the first Monday Night Football game of the year.
The New York Jets are heading out to the West Coast to take on the reigning NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams enter the NFL season looking to do damage come playoff time, giving this the feeling of a potential Super Bowl preview.
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Both sides have a long way to go before that can become a reality but Monday's game should answer some questions about each team. The Jets will have starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers back from the torn Achilles that he suffered in Week 1 last season on Monday Night Football.
He will be looking to silence any doubters and show that he is still among the elite signal-callers in the NFL. Rodgers has a plethora of offensive weapons to work with and a strong defense to put up a fight against San Francisco.
As for the 49ers, they come in as the favorite in the NFC. Following another loss in the Super Bowl, San Francisco is hoping that this season will be the year for them to get over the hump and win the title.
We should be in for a great contest to open up the Monday night schedule of games. Here is how the Newsweek Sports crew sees this game playing out.
Noah Camras: The 49ers and Jets will conclude an exciting Week 1 with one of the best games of the weekend. Aaron Rodgers will finally show Jets fans what they've patiently waited to see, while Brock Purdy and the 49ers pick up where they left off from a season ago. This will be a back-and-forth matchup, but one the 49ers take to open their season on a positive note.
Prediction: 49ers 27, Jets 17
Matt Levine: While the hype is around the return of Rodgers, it may take a minute for him to find his rhythm. He is coming off a major injury and is 40 years old. Plus, historically, Rodgers hasn't played that well against the 49ers, going 6-7 overall against them in his career, including the postseason. The 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFL for a reason and it'll show in this game. Their defense will rise to the occasion and the offense will do the rest.
Prediction: 49ers 30, Jets 20
Valentina Martinez: The San Francisco 49ers take on their former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and the New York Jets in a Monday Night Football showdown. Despite Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk returning to the team just days before the Week 1 matchup, the 49ers are going to start their season 1-0.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Jets 17
Ricardo Sandoval: Don't expect too much scoring in this contest as two of the best defenses will square off on Monday Night Football. The Jets will look to establish themselves as a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl title against another Super Bowl contender. While the 49ers are at home and looking to finally get over the Super Bowl hump this season, I have the Jets playing spoiler tonight with Aaron Rodgers under center.
Prediction: Jets 23, 49ers 21
Jeremy Hanna: The Jets are ready for a comeback after one of the most unfortunate starts in NFL history for their quarterback a year go. Now, Aaron Rodgers is back and has great options in Garrett Wilson and new wideout Mike Williams. The 2024 season should look a lot better than 2023. Unfortunately, they'll be starting that season against the 49ers, who are great at, well, just about everything. Rodgers will keep the Jets in the game, but the 49ers are going to come out on top in this one.
Prediction: 49ers 33, Jets 27
The Jets and 49ers game will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PT/8:15 p.m. ET.