On a rainy afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets survived an error-filled thriller and edged the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 on a game-winning field goal

The Falcons won the coin toss and elected to receive. Bijan Robinson made an early impact, as Atlanta opened with three straight outside-zone runs that picked up 21 yards. But on third down, New York finally got the stop it needed, dropping Tyler Allgeier for a loss on a third-and-one pitch to force a punt.

Starting at their own 15-yard line, Tyrod Taylor opened with a sharp throw toward the sticks for John Metchie III, but the pass slipped through his hands. On the next snap, Breece Hall set up a manageable third-and-two by ripping off nine yards on a toss. Taylor then found rookie tight end Mason Taylor on an out route to move the chains, and the two connected again on the very next play to pick up another first down. Taylor’s scramble attempt on third-and-11 near midfield ultimately landed short of the first down marker, and New York ultimately punted on their first drive of the game instead of going for it on fourth-and-two.

Austin McNamara pinned Atlanta at their own 10-yard line, but the Falcons quickly flipped the field with a 19-yard strike to Devin Tompkins on the opening snap. After crossing midfield, though, the drive fell apart. A near interception was followed by Micheal Clemons’ first sack of the season, forcing Atlanta to punt once again.

After a dart of a punt from Bradley Pinion pinned the Jets at their own five-yard line, New York caught a break. A 27-yard pass interference penalty on Atlanta corner A.J. Terrell Jr., drawn by Adonai Mitchell, immediately moved them out of the shadow of their own goal line. A few snaps after Taylor escaped a would-be huge sack and got the ball away, he found Adonai Mitchell again along the sideline for a first down, pushing the offense across midfield. After a Metchie end-around was blown up behind the line and a near interception on a ball to Mason Taylor, the drive fizzled, sending out the punt team with the game still scoreless entering the second quarter.

But New York caught a break. Jamal Agnew muffed the punt, and the Jets recovered at Atlanta’s two-yard line. On the next play, Breece Hall walked into the end zone, giving Gang Green a 7-0 lead with 13:58 left in the quarter.

After a handful of big gains from Robinson, who opened the game averaging a whopping 9.7 yards on his first six carries, a clutch tackle for loss by Jowon Briggs and a Tony Adams sack stalled the drive and sent Pinion back onto the field.

After three straight punts, Atlanta finally earned favorable field position near their own 40-yard line. Within seconds, the Falcons were across midfield as the clock ticked down toward the two-minute warning. Kirk Cousins was able to go through his progressions without much pressure, and he continued to march downfield before Allgeier muscled his way into the endzone, knotting the game up at seven entering the half.

Although the game was tied up entering the break, Atlanta outgained New York 172-71. The Agnew muffed punt was the sole reason Gang Green had points on the board entering halftime.

Receiving the ball out of halftime, Taylor and company went three and out once again, showing much of the same from the first half.

Despite a gorgeous punt from Austin McNamara that pinned Atlanta inside its own 5-yard line, the Falcons marched downfield and took a 14-7 lead with 9:36 left in the third quarter. Robinson capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown run, highlighted by a 42-yard catch-and-run on a screen and a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on Marcelino McCrary-Ball that tacked on even more yardage to the play.

Playing from behind for the first time all day, Taylor opened the Jets’ second drive of the half by firing a strike to Hall along the sideline for a first down, taking a big hit in the process. On the very next snap, he uncorked a deep ball to Mitchell for a 52-yard touchdown, tying the game at 14 with 8:58 left in the third quarter.

A crucial Will McDonald tackle behind the line of scrimmage set up a difficult 50-yard field goal attempt for Zane Gonzalez on a rainy afternoon, and the kick sailed right, leaving the game knotted up at 14 with 4:47 left in the third frame.

Despite starting with a favorable field position after Gonzalez’s miss, New York couldn’t capitalize. Nick Folk pushed a 55-yard attempt wide, his first miss of the season, giving Atlanta another prime opportunity to add to regain the lead before the fourth quarter. And they did just that, Gonzalez redeemed himself, hitting from 52 yards, giving the Falcons a 17-14 lead as time expired in the third quarter.

An 83-yard kick return from Isaiah Williams to open the fourth quarter gave New York picture-perfect field position inside Atlanta’s 20. On third-and-four, Taylor hit a wide-open Metchie across the middle, but it hit him squarely in the hands and fell to the turf for his third drop of the day. Instead of taking the lead, the Jets settled for a field goal, tying the game at 17 with 13:23 remaining.

Cousins and the Falcons marched down the field and retook the lead, aided by a string of missed tackles from New York’s defense. The most costly came from cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor, who whiffed at the line of scrimmage on the touchdown that capped the drive. Tight end David Sills V finished it off, putting Atlanta ahead 24-17 with 8:46 remaining.

On third-and-nine, Atlanta sent the house, and Taylor barely got the throw off in time. The pass sailed, but Allen Lazard somehow hauled it in through a jump-ball scrum, pushing the Jets safely across midfield and keeping the drive alive with just over two minutes to play.

Mitchell hauled in a bullet and came up just short of the first-down marker at Atlanta’s 11-yard line as the clock dipped under three minutes. Forced to go for it, New York converted when Taylor powered ahead on a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak, extending the drive.

As the pocket collapsed on second-and-goal, Taylor took matters into his own hands, scrambling 10 yards to tie the game at 24 with 1:53 remaining. It marked his first rushing touchdown since the 2021 season with Houston and capped a 15-play drive, New York’s longest drive of the year.

The Jets’ defense delivered when it mattered, forcing a three-and-out and giving the offense a chance to win the game in regulation with 1:36 remaining.

A huge play by rookie James Pearce Jr. on the first snap of the drive resulted in a nine-yard sack, setting up second-and-19 and forcing Taylor to throw out of his own end zone as Atlanta used its first timeout. A short four-yard gain prompted another timeout, leaving New York in third-and-15. One incompletion later, the Jets were staring at fourth down with 1:06 remaining, an offensive disaster.

A strong punt from McNamara left Atlanta with a long field, and a Jamien Sherwood pass breakup opened the drive on the right note for New York, setting up second-and-10 with 52 seconds remaining. A costly drop by Sills on the next play, one that could’ve sprung a catch-and-run past midfield, forced the Falcons into third-and-10 with 48 seconds left. The defense held again, breaking up another pass and bailing out the offense, which got the ball back at their own 43 with 35 seconds and two timeouts.

After a Taylor scramble for a first down and a completion to Mitchell near the sideline with 20 seconds left, the Jets moved into Folk’s field-goal range. Another throw to Mitchell pushed New York to Atlanta’s 33-yard line with 12 seconds remaining. A costly false start and two Taylor throwaways set up a final snap with five seconds left, bringing out Folk for a 56-yard attempt after he had missed from 55 earlier.

This time, the kick tailed inside the upright, sealing a 27-24 victory at MetLife Stadium.

Now, the Jets will look to build a win streak as they welcome the 5-7 Miami Dolphins to MetLife Stadium next Sunday.