JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Not this time.
The Jets found a way to win in the fourth quarter after repeatedly blowing those chances this season, beating the Jaguars 32-25 Sunday at EverBank Stadium.
It took two fourth-quarter comebacks for the Jets to win this one, but Breece Hall’s 1-yard touchdown with 1:05 left in the game sealed the victory for the Jets, who are now 4-10 this season. It is the first time the Jets have won in eight games that were decided by six points or less this season. They also snapped a streak of five blown fourth-quarter leads.
But it was not easy.
Aaron Rodgers threw a 71-yard touchdown to Davante Adams with 3:24 left to give the Jets a 25-22 lead that was short-lived.
Rodgers’ late-game heroics were set up by the Jets defense stopping Mac Jones and the Jaguars offense for one of the few times all day. The Jets got the ball back with 4:19 left at their own 13. After short completions to Adams and Jeremy Ruckert, Rodgers hit Adams with the long touchdown, his second of the game. The two then connected again for the two-point conversion to give the Jets a three-point lead.
But the Jets defense could not hold the lead. Jones threw a short pass to Parker Washington, who then ran 29 yards to the Jets’ 30 after Tony Adams missed a tackle. That set up a 43-yard field goal by Cam Little to tie the game 25-25 with 1:51 remaining.
Rodgers and Adams looked like their Green Bay selves late in this one. Adams made an insane catch on the sideline to gain 23 yards and convert a third down. Then, Rodgers found him wide open along the sideline and he ran 41 yards to the 1-yard line, setting up Hall’s game-winning touchdown. It appeared the Jaguars let Hall score in order to get the ball back. It was the first time this season the Jets scored 30 points.
The Jets sealed the game with a Sauce Gardner interception of Jones with 37 seconds left. It was Gardner’s first interception since 2022.
The Jets again entered the fourth quarter with a lead, this time 17-16. But the Jaguars went 73 yards on eight plays to open the fourth. The big play was a 28-yard screen pass from Jones to Devin Duvernay. Jones carved up the Jets defense all day. He hit Brian Thomas Jr. for his second touchdown of the game, this one from 19 yards to take a 22-17 lead before a failed two-point try.
The Jets looked like they were going to answer. They got all the way to the Jaguars’ 30 but then stalled. Rodgers hit Allen Lazard deep down the middle on third-and-6 but Lazard could not hold onto the ball when Jaguars safety Andre Cisco hit it out of his hands. That set up a 48-yard field goal attempt from Anders Carlson that sailed wide right.
The Jets played a terrible first half and allowed Jaguars drives of 18, 13 and 11 plays while getting outgained 203 to 104 yards.
Jacksonville opened up the game with a 13-play, 70-yard drive that featured plenty of screen passes from Jones and two defensive penalties by the Jets. Haason Reddick and Gardner each had costly flags. Jones connected with Thomas for a 3-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Jets looked like they were going to have another three-and-out on their first possession of the game but interim coach Jeff Ulbrich dialed up a fake punt and Ashtyn Davis gained 21 yards to keep the drive alive. Rodgers ended up throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson. It was the first touchdown the Jets scored on their opening drive this season and it tied the game at 7-7.
The Jets offense woke up in the third quarter with an assist from the Jaguars defense, which entered the game as the worst-ranked defense in the NFL. On the Jets’ first drive of the second half, Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown was called for pass interference that moved the ball 30 yards to the Jacksonville 12. The Jets could not reach the end zone, though, after Rodgers was sacked by Jeremiah Ledbetter on third down to force a 43-yard field goal by Carlson to cut the Jaguars lead to 13-10.
The Jaguars answered with another Little field goal, this one from 45 yards to make it 16-10 with 8:08 left in the third quarter. The big play of the drive was a 41-yard pass from Jones to Thomas.
The Jets took the lead with 4:33 left in the third quarter when Rodgers and Adams hooked up for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 17-16. The touchdown was set up by a 43-yard pass from Rodgers to Adams. The touchdown was the 100th of Adams’ career.
