The New York Jets 2024 season can be summed up in one play: It's the downfall of Mike Williams.
The Jets, in their first game under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Robert Saleh, had a chance to beat the Buffalo Bills despite numerous mistakes, including a staggering number of penalties and several huge missed field goals. Aaron Rodgers found Williams downfield for what looked like a huge gain that would have put the Jets in the red zone. However, as Williams started to return to the ball, he collapsed. That allowed Bills linebacker Taron Johnson to pass Williams for the game-winning interception.
Here's the Jets this season. There was an opportunity for something special and they tripped over themselves trying to take advantage of it. After this interception, the Bills finished and won 23-20.
The Jets knew what was at stake in this game. If they win, they will have a 3-3 record and be in first place in the AFC East. If they lose, they will be two games behind the Bills with a disappointing 2-4 record. Even in mid-October, it felt like a must-win game for the Jets, especially after a coaching change rocked the organization.
No more coaching changes are expected. The Jets lost and now they have to dig a big hole. It doesn't help that they can't get out of each other's way.
The Jets say a huge Hail Mary
The Jets team was far from perfect, but they kept the ball, mainly thanks to the spectacular plays of their stars. Breece Hall has emerged from his slump and looks like the player we saw in the first two seasons. Garrett Wilson made a nice touchdown in the back of the end zone and had a productive first half. The Jets didn't just fire Salih. They changed the interviewers from Nathaniel Hackett to Todd Downing and the difference was noticeable.
The Jets' greatest skill in the first half was luck, although it's getting to the point where saying Hail Marys to Rodgers feels like a skill. On the final play of the first half, Rodgers turned the ball up and threw the ball into the end zone, and Allen Lazard scored a 52-yard touchdown. It was his fourth career Hail Mary and first with the Jets. Maybe he knows what he's doing in these plays.
This kept the Jets in the game despite a brilliant half by Josh Allen. He had a quarterback sneak for a touchdown, two other passing touchdowns, and made big plays all over the field. He jumped to the right side and threw a deep pass to Ray Davis for a stunning 42-yard gain.
The best player on the field was the Bills. But the Jets also have plenty of talent and were desperate. They just couldn't stop themselves from making critical mistakes.
The Jets keep making mistakes
The Jets have a new coach, but they still made major mistakes. The key sequence came in the third quarter when a holding penalty gave Braelon Allen a touchdown, Wilson had a touchdown in his arms but was tackled in the end zone and dropped it, and then on fourth down, Zuerlein kicked a 32-yard field goal off the crossbar . Then in the fourth quarter, Zuerlein, who had missed a final-minute field goal that could have beaten the Denver Broncos in Week 4, attempted a 43-yard field goal again. The game was tied 20-20, but the Jets missed an opportunity to score more points.
The Jets have been lackluster all season in terms of execution. Key penalties on both sides of the ball, some delays on the field, missed field goals at key moments – it all worked in the Jets' favor, and it didn't change on Monday night just because they had a new coach.
The Bills had their mistakes, too. Tyler Bass missed the extra point and missed a field goal. Buffalo's offense slowed down a bit in the second half. However, Buffalo kept driving and scored a field goal with 3:43 left. Jets defensive back Javon Kinlaw, who was called for questionable passer harshness on this pass, received a 15-yard penalty for inappropriate language towards an official after the field goal. Like the Jets, they needed more unforced errors.
New York had a shot in the final minutes, and the streak was kept alive by a controversial replay reversal that turned an obvious fumble by Rodgers into an incomplete pass and a defensive interference. However, a huge holding call caused Hall to go down first. Rodgers' deep pass to Williams was then made when Williams lost his balance.
Allen scored a first down on third down and the Bills ran out the clock.
It's not often that a football team makes so many mistakes in a close game. Saleh took the blame for the Jets' disappointing start. But the results didn't change.
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