Jets' 14th loss in a row to Patriots a gut punch: Punt-return TD in final seconds
Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones runs past Jets punter Braden Mann, not shown, on his punt return for a touchdown during the second half Sunday in Foxborough, Mass. Credit: AP / Michael Dwyer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Jets and Patriots stood toe-to-toe for nearly 60 minutes. Then the Jets took a crushing blow in a 21-second span as the game clock counted down to zero, leaving them with a dramatic, unbelievable and devastating defeat Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots’ Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with five seconds left to send the Jets home with a 10-3 loss, their 14th in a row against New England.
It was the first punt return for a touchdown in the NFL this season.
“It’s crazy,” Sauce Gardner said. “That’s something that happens in like a video game. We were just talking about it, playing Madden or something. Everybody lost in that way playing video games. We were thinking it was going to be overtime.”
After a third-down stop late gave the Jets the ball at their 20 with 1:52 remaining, quarterback Zach Wilson had a chance to play hero, but the Jets would have gone three-and-out if not for a defensive holding on third down.
After the Jets picked up 9 yards on two runs by Michael Carter, Wilson threw on third-and-1. Tight end Tyler Conklin was the first read, but Wilson said he was double-teamed. He had Denzel Mims open in the middle of the field but threw it to Carter on the far sideline for a 2-yard loss.
“I just tried to go across the board and just tried to find an outlet to somebody to make a play there,” Wilson said.
After a New England timeout, Braden Mann’s punt was meant to go toward the sideline but ended up in the middle of the field. Jones caught it, cut to the right sideline, then cut back and scored the gut-wrenching touchdown.
“It hurts watching something like that,” defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers said. “You don’t want to see anything like that. You just want a blade of grass to defend. We didn’t get that.”
This was a winnable game for the Jets, especially with how dominant their defense was. Wilson and the offense gave them no help, though.
In the end, the Jets found yet another way to lose to Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
The Jets had a chance to jump into first place in the AFC East with a win but wound up falling to last in the division. They’re 6-4 with two losses to the Patriots in the last three weeks.
“There’s still seven games to be played,” Robert Saleh said. “We have the whole season ahead of us. So we’re still right there in the thick of things and we’ve just got to get back on the horse and get ready to play another football game.”
It’s fair to wonder what lasting effect this loss will have on this team. The locker room was as quiet as it has been all season. There were signs of frustration during the game from receivers Mims and Garrett Wilson directed at their quarterback, who had arguably his worst game as a pro.
There is serious question as to whether Wilson is the quarterback who can get the Jets to the playoffs. Their defense has been terrific. He has not.
Wilson completed 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards, a career-low completion percentage and his fewest passing yards in a game that he didn’t leave with an injury. He was 4-for-11 in the second half for 12 yards. The Jets had 2 total yards of offense in the second half.
Saleh’s opinion of his team’s second-half offense? “It was dog[expletive].”
Wilson threw three interceptions when the Jets lost to New England on Oct. 30 and had been picked off seven times overall against the Patriots, but this can’t be considered progress. The Jets had only six first downs in the game, and one was by penalty.
“It’s super-frustrating,” Wilson said. “It was a frustrating day, of course. I had some balls that got away from me. We got to find a way as an offense.”
The Jets’ defense, on the other hand, played brilliantly. They sacked Mac Jones six times and came up with some big third- and fourth-down stops. They twice sacked Jones on third down, forcing kicker Nick Folk to attempt longer field goals. He missed both from 44 and 43 yards.
“Our defense was outstanding,” Saleh said.
When Wilson was asked if he and the offense let the defense down, he tersely responded, “No. No.”
He also made an excuse for not being able to get anything going down the field, blaming the elements.
“You got to put into account it’s windy as hell out there too, guys,” he said.
It has not been a good week for Wilson, who already had showed a bit of a thin skin. When a reporter asked about his emotions after the last New England game, he responded: “I still believe that nobody outside of this building knows what they’re talking about.”
Not a good sign, especially given that he will be under fire after this dreadful performance.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
