Peyton Manning and Eli Manning will never forget the 2023 season premiere of ManningCast. On the alternate Monday Night Football telecast, the Manning brothers watched and analyzed the game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills. And while seeing Aaron Rodgers go down with an Achilles injury was shocking, the way the game ended was something that rarely happens in the NFL. In overtime, Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson returned a punt 65 yards for a game-winning touchdown to give the Jets their first victory of the year.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Eli Manning said on the broadcast. “Walk-off punt return to win the game in overtime. [MetLife Stadium] is going crazy.” Peyton Manning asked where is Justin Timberlake, and former NFL QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was also on the broadcast and just laughed at the entire situation.
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Peyton Manning then gave credit to Jets quarterback Zach Wilson and head coach Robert Saleh for fighting through after the Rodgers injury. “Nobody can describe what they felt, Manning said about Rodgers going down. “Even the Bills were shocked after Aaron got hurt. It took the energy out of their offense as well. …The was some kind of win.”
After the game, Gipson talked about helping his team win after making the team following training camp. “It was meaningful,” he said, per NFL.com. “Knowing how hard I worked. Knowing my position. How fast it could’ve ended. Coach Saleh, I thank them guys for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to show what I can do.”
Saleh praised Wilson for making big plays when the team needed them the most. “I thought he was awesome,” Saleh stated, per the Jets’ official website. “He had a couple big third-down throws, clutch throws to extend drives and score points. I thought he commanded the huddle, line of scrimmage, he scrambled for a big one. He threw the interception, still bounced back. It didn’t snowball into anything big. We still have a lot of faith in him. I think we’ve proven that by keeping him here and continuing to invest in him. Excited for him and his opportunity.”
Not having Rodgers in the lineup is a big blow to the Jets since he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But a win against the Bills will give the team momentum for the rest of the year, which could lead to big things when the playoffs begin in January.
