The Jets controlled the game for most of it. But in the 4th quarter, they blew a 10-point lead, losing 20-17 in OT, dropping to 1-1.
Coming into the game, Week 2 vs. the Packers was the Jets’ most anticipated home opener in years. After winning their season opener 23-10 against the Tennessee Titans, the Jets rode momentum into Week 2. The Packers were missing star players; Micah Parsons was still recovering from an ACL injury, and Jacobs facing off-field issues.
The Jets leaned into a whiteout theme, unveiling their whiteout uniforms and urging fans to wear all white. Last week they played Tennessee in a complementary game, and fans looked forward to this home opener against the Packers.
Throughout the game, weather was an issue for both teams, as forecasted rain affected gameplay.
The Jets’ special teams had a rough day. Isiah Williams muffed two punts. Qwan’tez Stiggers luckily recovered both times.
A scary moment came on the first drive as Jayden Reed was carted off with a neck injury. He suffered the neck injury after a hard hit by Demario Davis. Bako-Bewele was carted off with a knee injury on a third down, and penalties affected the Packers’ start.
Jets and Packers offenses stalled early in the game. The Packers adjusted and drove downfield to score on a MarShawn Lloyd 6-yard TD catch. That gave the Packers a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Jets answered right back, driving 70 yards on a 7-play drive for a Braelon Allen 5-yard rushing touchdown. Garrett Wilson made a crucial third-down catch, and AD Mitchell drew a pass interference, setting up the Allen touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
Same as last week, the Jets failed to score any points in the final two minutes of the half because of poor late-half clock management. A trend that the Jets need to break.
Late in the third quarter, the Jets took the lead on a 5-yard TD catch from Garrett Wilson, taking a 14-7 lead.
A fumble by MarShawn Lyold put the Jets in strong field position at the 18-yard line. This set up a 32-yard field goal by Jason Sanders. The result was a 17-7 Jets lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Packers wouldn’t go down without a fight. They drove down the field in a three-minute drive. It ended with Christian Watson catching a 3-yard TD to shorten the Jets lead to 17-14.
As the Packers tied it up at 17-17, the Jets had full control of the outcome, as they could’ve easily driven downfield to win with 2:54 left. After a failed attempt on 3rd and 2, the Jets went for it on 4th down and, like the play before, were in shotgun formation, which made it easy for the Packers to make a 4th-down stop and secure the ball at the Jets’ 50-yard line.
The Packers couldn’t score within two minutes of the 4th quarter, so the game went into OT, where the Jets won the toss and chose to take the ball; under the new overtime rules, it’s wise to defer the ball, but the Jets wanted it first.
The Jets then went three-and-out, leading the Packers to drive downfield and set up Trey Smack to hit an easy 26-yard game-winning OT field goal, and the Jets lost 20-17 in their whiteout home opener.
Looking back, the Jets controlled most of the game as the defense made a ton of stops and got to Jordan Love. In the 4th quarter, the Jets just collapsed and failed to close out the game that was easily in their hands. A lot to learn from this game, as their clock management needs work, along with their play calling in the final two minutes.
The Jets look to bounce back in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field; kickoff is at 1:00 PM.
Jets Stars of the Game
- Azareye’h Thomas
- Garrett Wilson
- AD Mitchell
- Andre Ciso
