JETS FALC UP
AFTER A fourth-quarter collapse in last weekend’s loss to the Dolphins, Todd Bowles said his Jets needed to find a “killer instinct.”
One week later, they’re still searching.
Despite another hot start from the offense in monsoon conditions at MetLife Stadium, the Jets fell to the Falcons, 25-20, Sunday for their third straight loss.
Now at 3-5, Todd Bowles’ squad must turn around and face the division-rival Bills in a Thursday night matchup in East Rutherford. A once-promising season highlighted by an expectation-shattering start is in danger of slipping away.
“It’s disappointing not to win. It’s disappointing we didn’t close it out,” Bowles said. “Too many mistakes in the fourth quarter. Can’t happen.”
With the Jets down by two points and seven minutes remaining in regulation, Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt deep in his own territory that the Falcons recovered at the 13-yard line. A booming kick from punter Matt Bosher sailed over Kerley’s head, and the Gang Green returner attempted to catch it. The ball went through his hands and bounced to the turf, where Kemal Ishmael recovered.
The Jets defense kept Matt Ryan and the Falcons (4-3) out of the end zone, but Matt Bryant nailed a 29-yard field goal to extend the lead to five points. Kerley admitted after the game that he “probably” should have let the ball go.
“But at the end of the day, you’ve got a job of trying to catch the ball and make a play,” Kerley said. “I’m always trying to do something and make a play. It just so happens to put the team in a bad situation.
“It definitely changed the momentum.”
A pass interference call on Austin Seferian-Jenkins — the Jets’ seventh flag of the afternoon — set the offense back on the next possession. Lachlan Edwards’ punt was then brought back for a touchdown by Falcons returner Andre Roberts. But the score was nullified by a block-in-the-back penalty.
The Falcons later converted a 3rd-and-5 on a 25-yard catch and run from Mohamed Sanu with just more than three minutes remaining. They ran the clock down to 1:16 before Bosher pinned the Jets at the 4-yard line with a coffin-corner punt.
Josh McCown and Co. took over with no timeouts but failed to advance past their own 40yard line before time expired on a false start penalty. For the second straight game, the Jets’ offense scored just three points in the final two quarters.
“We have to figure out what the heck we’re doing in the second half that’s not allowing us to the play the same way,” said McCown, who finished 22 of 27 passing for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jets didn’t trail until 12:22 remained in the contest. They carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and had the ball in Falcons territory. But on a 3rd-and-9 from the Atlanta 23-yard line, McCown was sacked for a loss of seven yards. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro then pushed his 46-yard attempt wide right in a torrential downpour for his second miss of the day.
“There’s no excuse,” GETTY Catanzaro said. “My teammates were counting on me to put it through the two yellow pipes, and I didn’t do that today.”
The Falcons took over at their own 38-yard line. On first down, Tevin Coleman rattled off a 52yard run. Juston Burris, who was playing in place of the injured Morris Claiborne (foot), missed a crucial tackle that allowed Coleman into the open field. Ryan then connected with Sanu for an 8-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 22-17 lead.
“I got to make that play,” Burris said.
Ryan dropped the snap on the ensuing two-point conversion try, keeping the disadvantage at five points. It was the fourth time in the game Ryan fumbled a snap from under center. The Jets recovered three of them, including two in the first half that produced three points.
The Jets scored on their opening drive for the third straight game when Eric Tomlinson hauled in a 23-yard pass from McCown. They found the end zone for the second time in the first half when McCown hit Robby Anderson for a 24-yard touchdown. Anderson led Gang Green with six catches for 106 yards