The Jets were rudely awakened from any delusions of national grandeur on Sunday
- New York Jets 12 (1-2)
- Cincinnati Bengals 27 (1-2)
- NFL, Week 3, Final
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Last Halloween, the New York Jets enjoyed the sweetest holiday treat in the form of a victory over the future AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.
Armed with the momentum of a come-from-behind victory in Ohio, the rematch proved to be nothing but a nightmare.
Four Greg Zuerlein field goals were no match for three Joe Burrow touchdown passes, as the Cincinnati Bengals demolished the Jets by a 27-12 final at MetLife Stadium.
Any hope that the MetLife Stadium crowd would be able to pace the Jets to an upset victory was perhaps immediately dashed when the Bengals marched 75 yards in 11 plays on their opening possession. Cincinnati took the early lead on Burrow’s first score of the day, a 12-yard toss to Samaje Perine.
Joe Burrow ➡️ Samaje Perine
(via @Bengals) pic.twitter.com/RP1qDrHiKG
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 25, 2022
To their credit, the Jets nearly swiped momentum back with a field on their first two drives (Zuerlein kicking from 50 and 40), which sandwiched C.J. Mosley’s recovery of a Ja’Marr Chase fumble.
We'll take that.#CINvsNYJ on CBS pic.twitter.com/Yo9xUJS6jt
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 25, 2022
But the Bengals took advantage of the mere triples, scoring a touchdown that broke a good part of the Jets’ will: Tyler Boyd scored on a 56-yard tally before the first quarter let out, putting the Bengals ahead 14-6.
The Jets did muster another field goal from Zuerlein, this one from 52, but the Bengals countered with two from Evan McPherson, one of which was set up by Joe Flacco’s interception to Logan Wilson.
TYLER BOYD KEEPS GOING AFTER THE CONTACT 😤
56 yard TD
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/GAinI0nM9w
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 25, 2022
Logan Wilson with the jump and the INT!! It's Bengals ball!! 🐯✈️#CINvsNYJ#RuleTheJungle #TakeFlightpic.twitter.com/awBD6JAKJv
— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) September 25, 2022
The Jets (1-2) also had further bad luck strike when Garrett Wilson, who caught all four of his targets for 46 yards in the first half, suffered a rib injury prior to halftime. Wilson returned but struggled to make the impact he made in the opening half-hour.
Hope Garrett Wilson is okay 🙏https://t.co/4Vq5LAzvyq
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 25, 2022
The desperate Bengals (1-2) capped off their scoring afternoon with one more Burrow scoring toss, this one being a redemption-serving pass to Chase. That drive was set up by Trey Hendrickson’s strip-sack of Flacco. No comeback awaited the Jets this week, as they could only muster one more Zuerlein boot.
Ja’Marr Chase ATTS (-120) ✅pic.twitter.com/flT0qBd3yI
— Lockard’s Locks (@SethLockard20) September 25, 2022
The Jets (1-2) will look to get back on the right track against the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
