Another week, another defensive collapse.
This time, the Jets defense managed to fall apart twice, once in the fourth quarter and once in overtime. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 44-38 win with a 16-yard pass to Davante Adams in overtime.
The eight-play winning drive handed the Jets — who never got the ball in OT as the Packers won the coin toss and marched down the field — their seventh loss in eight games and dropped them to 4-11 this season. Rodgers threw for 442 yards and tortured the Jets defense, which committed huge penalties down the stretch again. Trumaine Johnson was called for pass interference for a 23-yard penalty that put the ball at the Jets’ 27 in overtime. Then, Buster Skrine was called for interference that put the ball inside the 10.
Rodgers, who some people thought earlier this week would miss this game, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard plunge with 1:12 left and then ran in the 2-point conversion in regulation, but the Jets answered with a game-tying 33-yard field goal by Jason Myers, set up by Andre Roberts’ 51-yard kickoff return.
Still, this was the fourth Jets for the loss after leading in the fourth quarter.
Green Bay put together an 11-play, 83-yard drive to go ahead in the game in the fourth quarter. Rodgers ran 23 yards to the 1-yard line and then needed four downs to get in. He jumped over the line, extending the football across the goal line on fourth down for the go-ahead touchdown. The Jets felt he did not get in but replay confirmed the touchdown. On the first two-point conversion try, Jets safety Darryl Roberts intercepted the Rodgers pass and returned it for a 2-point score, but the pick was nullified by a holding call on Roberts. Rodgers then ran it in for two points and the 38-35 lead.
The most encouraging sign for the Jets was the play of rookie quarterback Sam Darnold. The 21-year-old threw three touchdown passes, the second time he has done that this year. He continued the strong play he has shown since returning from a foot injury this month. He finished the game 24-of-35 for 341 yards with the three touchdowns for a 140.7 rating, his best of the season.
Rodgers, playing with an injured knee and groin, was not completely himself but did enough to keep the Packers in the game. He ended the day 37-of-55 for 442 yards with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
Darnold was not the only young Jet to have a good day against a dismal Green Bay team. Herndon had a touchdown and 82 yards receiving and made an unreal one-handed catch. Robby Anderson had his best game of the season, finishing with 140 yards and a touchdown on nine catches, continuing to show a developing chemistry with Darnold. Second-year running back Elijah McGuire scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.
Andre Roberts, who made his first Pro Bowl this week as a returner, returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to make the Jets’ lead 21-7. It was the Jets’ first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2012 when Joe McKnight did it.
Green Bay cut the Jets’ lead to 21-17 before halftime with a 7-yard run by Jamaal Williams and a 42-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.
The Packers drew to within one point, 21-20, when Crosby hit a 29-yard field goal at the start of the third quarter. But Darnold responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that finished with a 5-yard touchdown by Herndon to make it 28-20.
The Jets came up with a huge special teams play on the ensuing kickoff with Anthony Wint drilling returner J’Mon Moore to cause a fumble that Rashard Robinson recovered. Two plays later, Darnold found McGuire for a 20-yard touchdown pass and a 35-20 lead.
The game looked over but Rodgers would not go away. Green Bay kicked another field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the Jets’ lead to 35-23. Then Rodgers put together a 94-yard drive that was aided by three Jets defensive touchdowns. A pass interference call on Skrine gave the Packers the ball at the 1. Rodgers was able to run it in from there to make it a 35-30 game.
The Jets got the ball back, trying to run out the clock. After Darnold got stopped on third-and-1, Bowles showed some guts and called a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 31. The direct snap to Rontez Miles worked as he ran for 4 yards, but the Packers got the ball back again with 3:12 left to play, setting up the late-game drama.
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