CHICAGO — The Jets broke their frustrating streak without an interception on Sunday when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent during the second quarter of Chicago’s 23-12 victory at Soldier Field.
This interception marked the end of the Jets’ 20-game stretch without a pick, a period that included 535 passing attempts. The last player to achieve an interception for the Jets had been Ashtyn Davis, who hasn’t been on the team since 2024.
Davis recorded two interceptions in the 2024 season finale, which was also his last game with the Jets.
“Honestly, I’m not really worried about that,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn remarked regarding the end of their interception drought. “We got an interception. Great. But we lost the game. That’s what’s on my mind — figuring out how we can improve.”
Fitzpatrick, who returned after missing the prior two games due to a groin injury, felt a bittersweet sense of accomplishment because of the final score. “You want to celebrate breaking a negative streak like that, but after a game like we had, there’s not much to celebrate,” he stated.
Interestingly, the Jets seemed to have three other interceptions during the game, but each was called back due to penalties. Defensive tackle D’Vondre Sweat intercepted Bagent in the first quarter, only for it to be nullified by an illegal hands penalty against Azareye’h Thomas. Later, cornerback Brandon Stephens had a pick that was called back because linebacker Demario Davis was flagged for offsides.
“That’s a bad mental error on my part that can’t happen,” Davis remarked.
Then, in the fourth quarter, rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted a pass, but his own defensive holding penalty erased that turnover as well.
“I’m honestly more upset about those penalties in moments when we had chances to give our offense another shot,” Glenn explained. “Everything else is just background noise. We need to improve.”
Despite a standout performance the previous week in Detroit, Garrett Wilson was oddly targeted just four times during this game, catching three passes for a modest 27 yards. Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who also had over 100 receiving yards against the Lions, was targeted the same number of times against the Bears but ended up with no receptions.
“It’s frustrating, but I believe you control what you can control,” Wilson said. “I take pride in making plays when the ball comes my way. As a receiver and someone this organization counts on — I’m under contract with them — I have to make plays when I get the opportunity. I definitely want more chances.”
Wilson joked, “I’m fine; I didn’t get hit,” in light of his limited involvement.
When asked about Wilson and Sadiq’s lack of targets, Glenn responded, “Good question. We need to look at the tape to figure out why. We need to find ways to get [Wilson] more involved. He’s one of the key players who drives our team along with those two.”
The Jets suffered some setbacks with edge rusher Braiden McGregor leaving the game due to a chest injury in the third quarter, and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee being taken out with a concussion. Neither player returned to the field.
Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood forced a fumble from Bears running back D’Andre Swift, which Stephens recovered. Davis recorded the only sack for the Jets during the game.
Bears running back Kyle Monangai, a former Rutgers star, had a standout performance against the Jets, racking up 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.
Chicago hasn’t been a favorable venue for the Jets; they haven’t won in the Windy City since 1997, which was Bill Parcells’ first year as head coach. Since then, they’ve gone 0-4 at Soldier Field.
The inactives for the Jets included running back Breece Hall (quad), wide receiver AD Mitchell (finger), edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare, cornerback Nahshon Wright, linebacker Kiko Mauigoa, left guard Dylan Parham (knee), and tight end Mason Taylor (thumb).
