JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was like something out of 2020 or 2021, with Aaron Rodgers slinging the ball, Davante Adams catching it and the two old friends bonding in a New York Jets win that they lingered over long after their game will talk, each other’s careers will be over.

The quarterback-wide receiver tandem gave the Jets a 32-25 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, with Adams catching nine passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns – all in the second half.

Adams had 135 yards rushing in the final four minutes of regulation, more than any other player in a game this century.

“Sometimes you get in trouble and it’s like your hand is a magnet for the ball,” said Adams, who scored the 100th and 101st touchdowns of his career.

Adams’ second half was one for the ages – the most productive half for a Jets player since the merger in 1970. The only other player in the last 45 years to have more yards in the second half after he had in the first half The one suspended was Irving Fryar, who had 211 yards for the New England Patriots in 1994.

And to think, the day started with a thud.

Adams’ first two goals eluded him, with the latter a blatant loss. A little later, he was wide open on a third-down play, but the ball didn’t go his way.

He let Rodgers know about it.

“He kind of came back and said with a wry smile, ‘Well, I guess you don’t trust me anymore,'” Rodgers said, grinning. “So I used that line against him several times in the second half.”

Friends can tease friends. Rodgers and Adams spent eight seasons together with the Green Bay Packers, peaking in 2020 and 2021 when they scored 29 touchdowns and Rodgers won his third and fourth MVP. They reunited in October when the Jets acquired Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Jets are 2-6 since the move (4-10 overall) and eliminated from playoff contention – a bitterly disappointing season that led to the firing of coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.

Rodgers didn’t let that reality spoil the win that snapped a four-game losing streak.

“Yeah, sure, it’s too little, too late, but it’s still special,” said Rodgers, who rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns. “It doesn’t affect anything at all. It doesn’t steal any of the joy of it. It doesn’t take any of the fun away.”

That day, Rodgers was young again. The 41-year-old quarterback rushed for a team-high 45 yards, becoming the second 40-year-old in NFL history to lead his team in rushing. Tom Brady was 44 when he did it in 2021. Rodgers became the first player in Jets history with three passing touchdowns, no interceptions and at least 45 rushing yards in a game.

Rodgers has finally been healthy over the last three weeks, racking up important mileage in his competitions and joking about it afterward.

“I’m very proud of my minimal athleticism,” Rodgers said. “But that’s why I trained so hard all these months. …Obviously it felt a lot better. You know it. You can see it in the last few weeks.”

The right arm also worked pretty well.

After a listless first half, Rodgers hit Adams for a 1-yard touchdown, a perfectly thrown fade that gave the Jets a 17-16 lead. Adams was stopped short of the goal line on the previous play, so Rodgers wanted to give his buddy another chance, knowing it would be the 100th touchdown of his career.

“Historical. Magical,” said interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. “Getting his 100th TD today was – I’m honored to have seen that, to have been there. This was an amazing moment for these two boys. Obviously there was a lot of ball between them and a lot. For them to get that was special.

They weren’t finished yet. With 3:24 left in the fourth quarter, Rodgers found Adams for a 71-yard touchdown – a deep cut right in the middle of the secondary. This allowed the Jets to regain the lead at 25:22. The Jaguars tied the game with a field goal, creating more drama between Rodgers and Adams.

With less than two minutes left, Adams made a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch on the Jets’ third-and-10 of the 30th minute. This set up Breece Hall’s game-winning touchdown with 1:05 to play – a 1-yard jump on which the Jaguars intentionally let him score.

Cornerback Sauce Gardner sealed the win with his first interception in 37 games.

Rodgers said Adams’ over-the-shoulder catch was the biggest play of the game. Adams said they had a certain “telepathy,” and it was evident on the 71-yard touchdown. It was a route from her time in Green Bay, and the middle of the field was open.

“Then I look back and see the ball in the air and I think, ‘Wow, that’s really going to be a 70-yard touchdown,'” Adams said. “Lo and behold, we did it.”

Just like in old times.

“Today was one of those days,” Adams said. “In the second half it definitely felt very, very similar to what it used to be when we got it going.”