NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Overtime was looming.
Trailing the Jets 24-17, the Titans got going in the closing seconds of Sunday's game at Nissan Stadium.
On third down and goal from the Jets' 8-yard line, Will McDonald broke through the Tennessee offensive line and sacked Titans quarterback Will Revis for a six-yard loss.
The Jets-Titans game would officially end on the next play, fourth-and-goal from the 14-yard line.
That's when Revis' desperation pass to Tyler Boyd was intercepted by safety Tony Adams, giving the Jets a 24-17 victory.
But a sack by McDonald put the Titans in a desperate situation.
“In my mind I was thinking, 'If I can win this one-on-one, I can win the game,'” McDonald said.
For McDonald, the sack on Levi was his third of the game, giving him three sacks in 16 NFL games played.
“I thought Will McDonald was unbelievable,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “You can't really tell until you see the video, but I felt like he played really strong today. I think he had a couple of sacks, at least one where he ran right through the right tackle.”
“If he continues to develop that ability, he's going to be a guy that can get double-digit sacks in his sleep.”
McDonald, the Jets' first-round draft pick in 2023, set the tone for the day by playing his best game to date as a pro, sacking Revis for a two-yard loss on third down on the Titans' first offensive series.
Then, midway through the second quarter, the Titans put the Jets in a bind, leading 7-0 and with the ball at the Jets' 7-yard line.
On third down and goal, McDonald was sacked after Revis tripped him as he attempted a lateral pass to running back Tony Pollard.
Pollard was unable to grab the loose ball, and Jets linebacker Quincy Williams recovered it.
The play prevented the Jets from losing 14-0, or at best, 10-0.
“I didn't even know he tripped me,” McDonald said, “I was just trying to get back out there, but I didn't see him come up behind me and trip me.”
McDonald's performance was especially significant with Jermaine Johnson likely out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
“We were all playing for him,” McDonald said of Johnson.
When asked if this was his best game, McDonald said, “I've got a lot more games to play before I can play my best game. I've got a lot more work to do.”
With Johnson likely retiring after this season and Haason Reddick still stubbornly pushing for a new contract, the Jets desperately need McDonald to play like he did Sunday.
Because suddenly there's a shortage of pass rushers.
“We're very proud of Will, very proud of what he's done,” Jets defensive lineman Solomon Thomas said. “We're proud of Will every day, the work ethic he has when he goes out there, his passion for life. He's got the energy of a little kid in a freakish body of a grown man.”
Thomas said the loss of Johnson was “very emotional” for the players.
“Jermaine is a player who gives his all every game,” Thomas said. “To see him go down is hard for him, hard for us, hard for his family. It just breaks my heart.”
