The Jets decided to honor Zach Wilson when he returned to MetLife Stadium with the Broncos on Sunday. They looked just as rotten on offense as they did in the bad old days when Wilson was their quarterback.
The Broncos outscored the Jets 10-9 on a day when the Jets failed to reach the end zone for the first time this season.
The Jets lost 2-2 and are facing a tough schedule.
The last gasp came when Greg Zuerlein missed a 50-yard field goal that would have given the Jets the lead with 51 seconds left.
Those days were supposed to be over for the Jets' offense, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and Wilson currently the No. 3 quarterback in Denver.
Instead, they looked out of sync all day, unable to find the rhythm they showed a week ago against the Patriots.
The Jets committed a whopping 13 penalties in this game, an issue they need to fix if they're going to do anything this season. They were given five false start penalties, two of which were by running back Breece Hall, who had a bad day.
They continued to stall drives with penalties. Something happened early in the fourth quarter, when wide receiver Allen Lazard celebrated a catch by imitating a gun with his fingers, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
This penalty moved the Broncos the ball from 18 yards to 33 yards. They still got one more first down, but momentum was lost and the Jets had to settle for Zuerlein's 40-yard field goal to give them a 9-7 lead.
The Broncos responded with a field goal drive of their own as the Jets defense struggled to stop Denver's Javonte Williams drive. Will Lutz kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 10-9 lead.
After the defense forced the Broncos into a three-and-out, the Jets had a chance to clinch the win with 2:33 remaining. They moved the ball from the 33 to their own 45-yard line, but the drive was halted by two misses by Rodgers on Wilson and one on Xavier Gipson. On both second and third down, Wilson and Gipson never looked ready for the pass and never turned around. On fourth-and-10, Broncos safety P.J. Lock blitzed Rodgers, ending the drive.
Denver got the ball back, but Lutz missed a 50-yard field goal.
The Jets took over with 1 minute, 27 seconds left and were at their own 40 with no timeouts. Rodgers threw a 9-yard completion to Hall, and Broncos cornerback Riley Moss gave the Jets a gift: a pass interference penalty that moved the ball to the Denver 36. They gained four more yards but fell short and set up a 50-yard field goal, but Zelllein missed to the right.
The first half was painful to watch. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix managed to complete seven passes for -7 yards. The Broncos gained 46 total yards in the first half. The Jets were only slightly better with 101 yards.
The Jets' offense can be boiled down to one drive that spanned the first and second quarters. The Jets' defense forced a turnover when Quincy Williams drilled running back Tyler Vady, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Michael Carter II. The Jets then got help from the Broncos when defensive back Riley Moss was called in the end zone for pass interference on Lazard, giving the Jets the ball at the 1-yard line. But the Jets were packed. Hall rushed twice but for no gain, and Rodgers was incomplete. On fourth and goal from the 1, guard John Simpson made a false start, pushing the Jets back to six points, and Zuerlein made a field goal.
For some reason, the Jets didn't give rookie Braylon Allen a carry at the goal line, even though he's the right size for short-yardage situations.
The Jets made a field goal just before halftime to make it 6-0.
The Broncos took the lead for the first time with 3:08 left in the third quarter when Nix threw his first career touchdown, an 8-yard completion to a wide open Courtland Sutton.
The Jets are currently on a tough schedule. They play the Vikings in London next week, then play the Bills at home on Monday night before traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers on “Sunday Night Football.”
