Jets Winning With 9:25 Left in Regulation
The Jets were up by 10 points. The Packers were facing a 1st-and-25 on their own 37-yard line. The game looked to be in hand before the Jets came out in a single-high-safety man coverage. Jordan Love threw up an underthrown prayer to Matthew Golden. Azareye’h Thomas couldn’t get his head turned and committed a 38-yard pass interference to keep the drive alive.
The Packers needed to get 25 yards in four plays. It raises the question of why the Jets would be in a defensive formation that allows for deep shots. The Jets’ defense played a fantastic game, but stupid mistakes like coming out in single-high man coverage cost them the game.
The Packers scored a touchdown on the drive, and when the Jets got the ball back, they played way too conservatively. The drive started with an 11-yard pass to Adonai Mitchell, but two runs and a checkdown led to a punt that was returned 63 yards, setting up an easy Packers field goal to tie the game.
Last Drive of Regulation
The Jets’ last drive in regulation started hot. A couple of passes to Garrett Wilson left them with 3rd-and-two on their own 49. Then the stupidity reared its ugly head once again. The Jets — who had little success running the ball up the middle all game — decided to run two inside zones out of shotgun.
The lack of creativity on two plays that could have set the Jets up to win the game was astounding. There was no motion, misdirection, or anything to make the Packers think that it was going to be anything other than a run up the middle.
The sentiment of putting “your 11 vs. theirs” has stood throughout football history, but it works a lot better when teams are under center. Frank Reich looked uninspired as a coach when the Jets had the lead and didn’t step up when the game was on the line.
Overtime Rules 101
The last time Geno Smith quarterbacked the Jets in overtime, the rules were different. Getting the ball and scoring a touchdown would’ve ended the game. That is not the case in 2026. The Jets won the coin toss in overtime and made the biggest bone-head move of the game: they asked for the ball.
In this iteration of overtime rules, it makes no sense to ask for the ball first. The defense had looked good through regulation. The Packers had only two drives of more than 50 yards up to that point. Why would you give them a short field? The Jets left themselves in limbo, which killed any modicum of momentum they had left.
An abysmal opening drive in overtime, including back-to-back sacks, left the Jets’ defense in a terrible spot. The Packers ultimately got the ball back and won the game on a field goal. That should not have been the case. The Jets could’ve won despite all the lackluster play-calling and execution in the fourth quarter. Instead, they took the ball, pissed down their legs for a couple of plays, and gave the ball back to the Packers to win the game.
What Comes Next for the Jets?
If you had told a Jets fan last year they would be upset by losing to the Packers by three points, they would think you’re crazy. That anger shows the team’s growth. Not only can they compete with the league’s playoff hopefuls, but they should win some of these games.
The Jets will have to learn how to close games if they want to be relevant as the season continues. They have shown the league they are a force to be considered. Smarter decisions and play-calling can turn them into a force to be reckoned with.
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