Can Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams recreate their magic?

FLORHAM PARK, NJ – On Monday night, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a football to the stars and watched as it landed safely in the arms of wide receiver Allen Lazard for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills – a classic hail Mary.

Twelve hours later, owner Woody Johnson and his front office attempted their own Hail Mary, completing a trade for wide receiver Davante Adams to rescue their struggling 2-4 team. Will the stars smile on them again?

No one can say for sure, but it's clear that Johnson won't give up on this season full of great expectations. He changed coaches last week and this week he adds a dynamic playmaker to his coaches and Rodgers. Johnson explained his bold moves Tuesday at the league's annual fall meetings in Atlanta: “A lot of times you just have to follow your instincts.”

To make his point, Johnson quoted a line from the movie “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby.” It's the scene where Susan says to Ricky Bobby: “Ricky Bobby isn't a thinker. Ricky Bobby is a driver.” (There's something cool about a billionaire quoting from a Will Ferrell movie.)

“Thinking is overrated,” said Johnson, who is trying to lead the Jets to their first postseason in 14 years.

What the Jets are doing is part Ricky Bobby, part Tom Brady. Let's explain.

The Jets continued to copy the Brady/Tampa Bay Buccaneers playbook and gave Rodgers the reunion he wanted by trading him for his all-time favorite receiver. It's Brady and Rob Gronkowski again, except the trade compensation is higher and there's less time for it to work out.

The Bucs, of course, did so in 2020, signing Brady in March and trading for Gronk a few weeks later, restoring the lethal tandem that fueled the New England Patriots' dynasty. In Tampa, Gronk scored nine touchdowns (including the playoffs) in his first season as he teamed with Brady to win the Super Bowl.

The Jets have been dreaming of this for more than half a century. They tried to accelerate their recent rebuild last year by trading for Rodgers, and now they've gotten him the most productive pass receiver he's ever had.

Gronkowski said in a recent interview on the “Up and Adams” podcast that the Jets were “the best fit for Adams,” and he cited the same reasons he wanted to be with Brady and the Bucs: chemistry and familiarity, so rare telepathy between a great pitcher and a great catcher.

“I think he’s going to take the team to a whole different level,” Gronk said of Adams.

There are differences between the two situations. Brady and Gronk had a full offseason to prepare for their second trip. Rodgers and Adams, who have not played together since 2021, will have to spontaneously get to know each other again during the hot phase of the regular season – no easy task. It won't be easy for her or the team.

This Rodgers-Adams project has also become quite expensive, certainly more than what the Bucs gave up for Brady (a free agent) and Gronk (who was traded for a fourth-round pick). Essentially, the Jets gave up two second-round picks for Rodgers as well as a conditional third-round pick for Adams.

The Jets, who have all sorts of problems on offense (their 304.3 yards and 18.8 points per game each rank 22nd), are relying on the old magic of Rodgers and Adams. Oh, they worked beautifully together in eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers, racking up 615 receptions, 7,529 yards and 68 touchdowns. Rodgers was also named league MVP in their final two seasons together.

Rodgers, 40, hasn't been the same quarterback since losing Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. As of 2022 to date, he ranks 31st out of 35 qualified passers in Total QBR, ahead of only Aidan O'Connell and Mac Jones, Bryce Young and Will Levis.

The big question is how Adams' arrival will affect receiver Garrett Wilson, who was the focal point of the passing attack with 65 goals. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich expects Adams to have a positive impact on the young receiver by providing double coverage for Wilson and serving as a role model. Ulbrich experienced a similar situation as a San Francisco 49ers player in 2000, when the aging Jerry Rice mentored the young Terrell Owens.

“I think Davante will do the same for Garrett and all of our receivers,” Ulbrich said.

In theory, Adams' presence should level the field and help in the red zone, where the Jets went 4-1 in Monday's loss. When teams play soft coverage to prevent big plays, the Jets can run the ball. When teams want to play man-to-man and double Adams or Wilson, Rodgers can find the best matchup. On paper it looks good.

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Rodgers directs postgame comments about Mike Williams to McAfee

Aaron Rodgers joins Pat McAfee in providing some clarity on his comments about Mike Williams following the Jets' loss to the Bills.

Adams, Wilson and Lazard will be the three best receivers, Mike Williams' role remains questionable. The Jets dropped Williams for $10 million in hopes that he would return to form after ACL surgery, but it was a slow process. He disagrees with Rodgers, who took him to task Monday night for going the wrong way during the game-winning interception.

This is a slippery slope. If Rodgers starts favoring Adams, it could be seen as another example of the organization pandering to the quarterback's wishes, which could inflame feelings in the locker room. Or maybe it goes the other way around. Maybe the Xs and O's work so well that they override personal feelings.

Whatever the case, Rodgers got his wish. Adams too. Now all they have to do is turn the calendar back to 2021 and hope the Jets don't get in their way in 2024. Thanks to Johnson's announcements, everyone knows what is at stake.

“We'll kick – after that you can add the words,” he said.

If they don't get their way, everyone will be thrown out.