Jets beat Jaguars on overtime field goal

The EAST RUTHERFORD »

Jets won. Again.

While this goes against the hopes of many fans who were rooting for a better chance at the first overall draft pick instead of a dramatic 23-20 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, Gang Green actually looked like a team that could do some damage in a topsy-turvy AFC East.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said rookie safety Marcus Maye, who had five tackles. “It was a great team win; the offense did great, the defense pulled it together at the end. It’s just good to come out with a victory.”

Chandler Catanzaro’s field goal with 28 seconds left in overtime gave the Jets the win and a 2-2 record, which has them just one game behind the Buffalo Bills and tied with the New England Patriots.

Early on, it seemed like it might be a long afternoon for the Jets; after a three and out on the first drive, Jacksonville marched down the field on a tenplay, 5:15 drive that culminated in an easy touchdown pass by Blake Bortles to rookie running back Leonard Fournette that gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead just 6:58 into the game.

However, the tide seemed to turn 13 seconds later, when running back Bilal Powell, who saw more touches than usual with Matt Forte out (toe), was ruled to have not been touched on a 75-yard touchdown run in which he tripped while jumping over a Jaguars defender, got up and just kept running.

Jaguars kicker Jason Myers and Catanzaro traded field goals after that, but Powell’s backup, sixthround draft pick Elijah McGuire broke off his own long touchdown run early in the third quarter; his 69yard trip to the end zone marked the first time in franchise the history Jets have had two TD runs of 60-plus yards in same game and only the second time they’d ever had two runs of 60+ yards in the same game (Thomas Jones 64 and 71 yards vs. Buffalo in ’09).

“It was an outside zone, and the offensive linemen did a great job of getting on their blocks,” McGuire explained. “They made a crease for me, I saw the hole, I hit it, made one defender miss and took it to the house.”

Catanzaro added another field goal to give the Jets a 20-10 lead with 34 seconds left in the third quarter, but the game would unexpectedly tighten late.

With 10:20 left in the fourth quarter, McCown’s attempt to throw to Powell in the flat was dropped and ruled a lateral, making it a live ball. Jaguars linebacker Miles Jack returned it 81 yards for a touchdown, and Myers struck again from 22 yards out to tie the game, 20-20, and send it to overtime.

However, with the game seeming destined for a tie on several occasions, the Jets received several gifts from Jaguars receiver Marquise Lee, who dropped a sure first down completion that would have extended Jacksonville’s drive late in the extra session, and then muffed a punt that ultimately gave the Jets good field position on their final drive.

Catanzaro, who infamously missed a chip shot, overtime field goal last year while with the Arizona Cardinals that caused that game to end in a tie, came through this time around from 41 yards out to get both Gang Green and his recent overtime winningkick record to .500.

“I’ve failed on that stage, but I’ve also succeeded a bunch of times; I’ve had good moments and bad moments at the end of the game like that, but I’ve learned from both,” he said.

“I’ve learned and grown from that, but I’m thankful to have had the opportunity at the end to send us home with the win.”