After a tough loss last week, the Jets could be forgiven for feeling disrespected. On Sunday, they entered as a double-digit underdog despite being the home team and holding a winning record. However, they proved themselves by stunning the AFC East-leading Bills on Greg Zuerlein’s 28-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining.
Unexpectedly, the Jets overcame an early 14-3 deficit to take a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter. However, Josh Allen isn’t one of the current favorites for the MVP award for nothing and he led them back downfield to tie the score. Allen passed for 205 yards on the day and rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two interceptions.
The Jets got the ball back with the score tied and their running game took over, as they drove the Jets downfield into scoring range to set up Zuerlein’s game-winning kick. Zach Wilson, who was an efficient 18-for-25 for 154 yards and a touchdown, threw just one pass on the drive as the Jets ended up with 174 yards on the ground.
The defense held firm at the end of the game as a Bryce Huff sack and Sauce Gardner’s fourth-down pass break-up preserved the win.
Here are the key takeaways…
- It’s hard to imagine a worse start than the Jets had with Braden Mann slipping over on the opening kickoff to give the Bills great field position and then Stefon Diggs blowing past star rookie Gardner for a deep catch into the red zone. However, the Jets escaped without giving up any points when Allen made an uncharacteristic mistake and was intercepted by Jordan Whitehead. Whitehead would later drop a potential crucial interception in the fourth quarter, though.
- The Bills still jumped out to a 14-3 lead, though, on two Allen touchdown runs. The Jets had him under pressure on 3rd-and-long in the red zone, but he scrambled for the first touchdown and then broke away for a 36-yarder on a 3rd-and-short designed run.
- Diggs had a monster first half, also having some success against D.J. Reed. He had five catches for 93 yards by halftime but the Jets shut him out completely in the second half.
- Wilson opened up with yet another three-and-out but was noticeably making the effort to hang in the pocket this week and had an efficient first half as a result, completing 11 of his 14 passes and leading the Jets on a 75-yard drive just before the half to cut the Bills’ lead to 14-10. Michael Carter’s touchdown run capped off the drive.
- Wilson was perhaps guilty of looking to Garrett Wilson too often early on, as six of his first eight completions went to the rookie. However, he completed consecutive first down passes to CJ Uzomah, Tyler Conklin and Carter to set up the touchdown. Other than Wilson, he didn’t complete a pass to a wide receiver in the first half though. Denzel Mims eventually had a clutch third-down catch with just over two minutes remaining, but Elijah Moore wasn’t targeted all game. Garrett Wilson had a quiet second half but ended up with 92 yards on eight catches.
- The Jets were on an impressive drive to start the second half and were potentially about to take the lead, aided by a fake punt, but then there was a lengthy delay due to a Sky Cam malfunction. With the Jets having settled into a nice rhythm, this couldn’t have come at a much more inconvenient time. The drive immediately stalled with a penalty and then Wilson was sacked by Von Miller and lost a fumble on third down, so they didn’t even get a field goal out of it.
- The defense responded though, as Quinnen Williams sacked Allen on first down and then an under-pressure Allen’s throw was picked off by Gardner to set the Jets up in the red zone again. This time, they got the go-ahead score on a nicely designed Wilson pass to newcomer James Robinson.
- After the Bills tied the score, the Jets were pinned inside their own five-yard line but put together an impressive drive by leaning on the running game. The Jets ended up having to settle for a field goal after driving down to the Bills’ three-yard line with Carter and Robinson picking up virtually all of the yards on the ground.