Jets vs. Bills Game Recap 10/14/2024

The Jets’ Hail Mary prayer was answered before the half, but the Green & White (2-4) fell to the Bills (4-2), 23-20, as Buffalo K Tyler Bass kicked the game-winning 22-yard field goal with 3:43 remaining Monday night at MetLife Stadium.

In a game that saw both teams charged with 11 accepted penalties, Buffalo finished 3 of 4 in the red zone while the Jets went just 1 of 4. Aaron Rodgers was intercepted by Taron Johnson on a third-and-18 play with 1:52 remaining and Josh Allen secured the win for the visitors with a 6-yard third-down scramble that allowed Buffalo to end the game in victory formation.

There were plenty of storylines heading into the division battle. With the Jets playing their first game under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich and Todd Downing calling plays for the first time for the Green & White, first place was at stake. Rodgers threw for 294 yards and 2 TDs while the Jets had three players eclipse 100 yards. Breece Hall finished with 113 yards on 18 carries and Garrett Wilson pitched in with 8 receptions, 107 yards and a touchdown. WR Allen Lazard, who caught a 52-yard Hail Mary on the final play of the first half, led the team with 114 yards on 6 catches. That’s the first time since 2017 two Jets receivers had 100+efforts int eh same game.

With the ability to take command in the second half, the Jets had two opportunities to score inside the 5-yard line but only came away with 3 points. Hall ripped off a 42-yard gain run that put the Jets on the BUF 3, but the Green & White were forced to settle for a Greg Zuerlein 22-yard field goal, knotting the game at 20. RB Braelon Allen scored on third-and-2 from the Buffalo 4-yard line on the Green & White’s ensuing possession, but it was nullified when LT Tyron Smith was flagged for holding. Two plays later, Zuerlein missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt. He later missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt that would’ve put the Jets up, 23-20 in the fourth quarter.

For the first time this season, the Jets scored 10 points on their first two possessions. Finding balance and rhythm, the Jets rushed 7 times for 44 yards and Rodgers hit on 6 of first 9 passes for 72 yards. That included a 5-yard scoring pass to Wilson with 2:01 remaining in the first quarter as the Jets took a 10-7 lead. The offense’s 124-yard output in the opening stanza was the most for the club since Game 5 in 2022.