EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ—Penalty-filled, topsy-turvy and downright manic is how Week 6’s version of Monday Night Football ultimately went down. Through it all, the New York Jets came up on the short end of the stick, as Josh Allen’s quarterback keeper beat Micheal Clemons to the outside to seal the 23-20 victory.
Amazingly, Greg Zuerlein didn’t just miss two field goals in the fourth quarter; he missed both while clanking it off the left upright. Several what-ifs will plague Jeff Ulbrich’s team all week, and it starts with Zuerlein and the rush defense.
From an offensive perspective, Todd Downing’s first game as the play-caller went pretty well. The Jets gained 393 yards of total offense (to the Bills’ 359), as both the rushing and passing game clicked from the start.
Aaron Rodgers led the way with 294 yards and two touchdowns (to zero interceptions) on 23 of 35 passing. His first score was a pretty one on third down to Garrett Wilson, whose body control overruled the initial call of incomplete on the field.
SPOILER: it's a @GarrettWilson_V touchdown!!!#BUFvsNYJ on ESPN pic.twitter.com/jjvYKJ7X8Q
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 15, 2024
After a strong response by Buffalo, capped off by a Josh Allen 1-yard touchdown run on a quarterback sneak, the Bills ultimately stretched the lead to 20-10 late in the second quarter.
Amazingly, Rodgers put up another patented Hail Mary, connecting with Allen Lazard to make the score 20-17 in favor of Buffalo, heading into the locker room for halftime.
HAIL MARY BEFORE THE HALF! @AaronRodgers12 let it fly!#BUFvsNYJ on ESPN pic.twitter.com/4Hf2aBmI5C
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 15, 2024
Breece Hall enjoyed his finest game of the year. On 18 carries, the Jets third-year back finished with 113 yards.
Breece Lightning 🏃♂️💨#BUFvsNYJ on ESPN pic.twitter.com/ilyXoskN0G
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 15, 2024
After a first half of allowing Josh Allen to escape the pocket, Jeff Ulbrich put his halftime adjustments into motion to start the second half. Overall, his defense did a much better job of containing the superstar quarterback.
Unfortunately, the Jets’ missed second-half opportunities kept both teams’ second-half scoring low, and the two teams simply exchanged a field goal apiece.
Josh Allen was the clear difference-maker in the game. He went for 215 yards and two touchdowns through the air while also chipping in for 18 yards and a score on the ground.
Ray Davis finished with 97 yards on 20 carries, but he also led Buffalo in receiving (with just 55 yards on three receptions).
The other major note of the night came from the officials. Incredibly, the refs threw the flags so often that the crowd was aside itself at times. A Joe Tippmann holding penalty essentially ended Rodgers’s comeback bid late in the fourth quarter.
Shortly after the Jets crossed midfield, Rodgers found Hall on a backyard check-down, who then scampered for a first down. Frustratingly, the play was called back thanks to the hold.
The drive ended in a Taron Johnson interception, as Rodgers had no choice but to take a vertical shot on third and long.
WELCOME BACK, TARON‼️
📺: @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/9s9ZTphPBQ
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 15, 2024
All told, both teams had 11 accepted penalties apiece, with the Jets yardage marked at 110, whereas the Bills finished at 94.
The 2-4 Jets now turn their attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in Week 7.
