Scary angle of Aaron Rodgers injury shows just how close Jets were to disaster

If you only saw the replay of Aaron Rodgers being bent over backwards by the Vikings defense, you'd assume the New York Jets quarterback would be out of the game. Hell, you might reasonably think he'd be out for the season.

Rodgers took a hit after a throw and got caught up in a pile of bodies. His leg was planted as his body fell over at an awkward angle. It was a "hold your breath" moment.

Jets fans got to breathe a sigh of relief this time. But it was a very near miss.

@ArtButSports (the outstanding Twitter account that compares sports images to works of art) could put a screenshot of Rodgers sprawled out like that next to a depiction of the Pietà.

Aaron Rodgers and Jets fans surely thought this was the end

Rodgers on his hands and knees, crawling like this after a hit is the stuff of nightmares for Jets fans. Cue the traumatic flashbacks to the aftermath of the QB's Achillies injury.

Incredibly, Rodgers got back onto his feet after that one. He walked off the field and was almost to the blue medical tent when the refs threw a flag for roughing the punter. With the Jets' drive extended, Rodgers turned right back around and led his team out there.

Rodgers was clearly banged up, moving gingerly throughout the remainder of the drive. But he stayed out there, delivered darts and got New York into field goal range. He even took a few more hits along the way.

The Jets are going to have to do a better job of protecting Rodgers if they want him to make it through the rest of the season healthy. Hits like that put the 40-year-old in real danger of serious injury. The more he takes, the more likely it is he won't be able to get back up after the next one.

On the plus side, Rodgers is nothing if not tough. He's a competitor who wants to win football games, even if he's battered and bruised.