Aaron Rodgers falls short as Vikings beat Jets in NFL’s latest London visit

We've been in this situation before. Aaron Rodgers has the football, facing the crowd and challenging weather, gearing up to be the hero once more. However, this time, there was a harsh turn of events.

When Rodgers limped onto the field with just three minutes left in the game, his New York Jets were trailing 23-17. However, given that he has led 32 game-winning drives throughout his impressive career, this situation wasn't unfamiliar to him.

He progressed steadily down the field, bringing the Jets close to the end zone. Maybe the younger Rodgers would have conjured up one last bit of brilliance. However, the veteran Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December, just couldn't pull it off.

Initially, he took down his top wide receiver, Garrett Wilson. Then, with just nine seconds left on the clock, his throw was picked off by Stephon Gilmore, giving the Vikings a chance to hold on for the win.

"I didn't throw it far enough," Rodgers confessed, adding that he had suffered a minor ankle sprain after being tackled earlier in the match. "I'm definitely feeling some pain. My foot got tangled in the pile. There were quite a few things that clicked and clanged as I went down."

A record crowd of 61,139 people filled the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, making it the largest audience for any sports event in the UK that weekend. The fans fully enjoyed the entire NFL atmosphere, complete with fist bumps, kiss cams, and oversized jerseys worn over hoodies. They also witnessed a suspenseful game that built excitement over time.

The first half didn't unfold as expected, with the Vikings jumping ahead to a 17-0 advantage, largely due to a surprising display by Rodgers. Initially, he tossed a pass right to Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who returned it for a 63-yard touchdown. To complicate things further, he threw another interception, this time to Camryn Bynum. As the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give It Away" blared through the speakers, he shook his head in disbelief and made his way to the sidelines.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is recognized for his exceptional ability to camouflage blitzes and throw off rival quarterbacks. However, there have been few moments when Rodgers appeared more unsettled.

At this point, the consensus on social media was clear: Rodgers, who was recovering from an Achilles injury, was done for. Critics claimed he was too sluggish, overly cautious about taking hits, and not the player he once was. However, the Jets quarterback slowly started to turn things around. He first connected with Allen Lazard for a 14-yard completion, narrowing the score to 17-7 by halftime. A field goal from Greg Zuerlein then brought the Jets closer, making it 17-10 at the end of the third quarter. Yet, Rodgers was left frustrated after Lazard dropped a pass in the end zone, but suddenly, the Jets were back in the game.

At this point in the game, the Vikings weren't making much progress offensively. However, Reichard managed to kick a 53-yard field goal, bringing the score to 20-10 with a little over 12 minutes left on the clock.

A one-yard touchdown pass to Wilson brought the score to 20-17. Although Reichard extended the Vikings' lead to 23-17, Rodgers took the field confident he could turn things around. Unfortunately, he fell short this time, and the Jets' record fell to 2-3 for the season.

"We tend to start off sluggish and we commit too many errors in our thinking," said Rodgers, who completed 29 out of 54 passes for 244 yards, along with two touchdown throws and three interceptions. "There are still too many overall mistakes. However, I have a great deal of faith in this team. I believe we're capable of making a strong push."

The sole bright spot for the four-time NFL MVP occurred in the third quarter when he linked up with tight end Tyler Conklin for a seven-yard completion, making him just the ninth player in history to surpass 60,000 career passing yards.

In the meantime, the Vikings head into their bye week with a perfect record of 5-0, which was unexpected by many at the start of the season when betting odds placed them at the bottom of the NFC North standings.

"You really have to commend our defense," stated Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. "We relied on them today. It was a bit messy out there with some light rain and various distractions. There were plenty of reasons to make excuses. But our team chose not to focus on that. We simply kept playing."

"There will be days like these. That's the nature of our sport, and I'm really impressed with how hard our team fought."