Jets Fall on Final Possession of the Game to the Lions

By Daniel Feuerstein | Detroit, MI | September 27th, 2026

The New York Jets headed to the Motor City to face a Detroit Lions team having issues on defense and had to find a way to earn that second win of the season. While they had a slow start to the game, they found a way to get back and found a way to tie it up. But once again, they found a way to lose the game on poor tackling on defense and failed third-down conversions, and Special Teams couldn’t tackle during kickoff returns. But after the game ended, the Lions squeaked out a win as the Jets fell to 1-2; the final score was 31-24.

Tight ends had a great game

This was the game where the Jets Tight End Room was on point and had multiple successful catches to move the chains. Kenyon Sadiq had his first 100-yard receiving game in his rookie season as he made flashy catches and big plays to move the chains and had an amazing touchdown grab that wowed the fans who traveled to Detroit or watched from home. Especially in the first quarter, when he made a diving catch in midair on a 24yd pass that Sadiq landed inside the end zone. He also tried to make a big play in the fourth quarter as he attempted to leap over a defender, but couldn’t get it done and landed on his feet, continuing his progression to the first-down marker.

For the first time since he was drafted, Long Island native Jeremy Ruckert got more involved with the offense than in the last four to five seasons as Geno Smith found him for five targets and caught all throws for 39 yards and scored a 4yd touchdown in the end zone. Ruckert did a better job, and hopefully, under offensive coordinator Frank Reich, he can progress and get better to be at or close to the level of Sadiq and Mason Taylor. Jelani Woods also had one target and completed it for 20 yards. As a whole, the Tight End room had 13 receptions for 164yds and two touchdowns.

Garrett Wilson had a monster game

Garrett Wilson earned his new contract extension by making fabulous plays and extraordinary catches that showed how amazing he is. For the first time this season, he had 100 receiving yards as well. Making several big catches and took big shots. He lined up with former teammate D.J. Reed and took advantage of him when he got the chance, including a 23-yard touchdown catch that was originally placed at the Lions’ 1yd line, and the flag came out for Pass Interference on Reed. But with a challenge flag from Aaron Glenn, Wilson landed just inside the goal line, and the placement of the ball was overturned, and he got the touchdown. On the final drive of the game, Wilson was sandwiched by two Lions, including former Jet Chuck Clark.

Wilson was down and had to be helped up. Thankfully, he was walking off on his own power; at the end of the game, Wilson was in Concussion protocol and passed, but many fans felt Clark should’ve been penalized for a hit to the head. He will be ready to go for the next road game at the Chicago Bears in Week 4. But once again, Wilson is that dynamic wide receiver the Jets haven’t had in a long time.

Defense was strong till the second half began

The Jets defense had a great first half. Got to Jarred Goff twice as Andre Cisco got a sack on a safety blitz, and Demario Davis ripped through the middle of the field and took down Goff for his first sack of the season. The Jets found ways to stop the Lions and forced them to punt. While they did allow a late touchdown at the end of the first half, their defense looked horrible in the second half and couldn’t stop a nosebleed. They had several chances to get tackles behind the line of scrimmage, but couldn’t wrap up their men and allowed chunk plays and two touchdowns.

When the offense got the touchdown and converted on the two-point conversion, they allowed the Lions to run down the field and get the game-winning touchdown before the final drive of the game. David Bailey had his first poor game in the second half, and Will McDonald looked invisible all game long. After their first two games of the season looking strong and playing solid, this one was not as crisp. While they did earn a turnover on downs to set up the Garrett Wilson touchdown, overall it wasn’t their best.

Special Teams was shockingly poor

For the second straight game in a row, the special teams were once again poor and couldn’t stop the Lions from taking the ball on kickoffs and getting chunk plays. Isaiah Williams, pulling double duty with punt returns and kickoff returns due to the injury to Kene Nwangwu, couldn’t give a spark on the field to put the Jets into a positive position. Something has to change, and Chris Banjo, who has been a great Special Teams coach, has to make some adjustments to improve their play.

Offensive line created holes for the Lions

This offensive line is the future of the Jets, and the bookend tackles are going to be solid for a long time. But sadly, they failed Geno Smith, who got him sacked five times, including a poor outing for Olu Fashanu, who became a rotating door and allowed his man to get the best of him and take down Smith. On the final play on offense in the fourth quarter, Fashanu missed an assignment as he moved to his left and gave a gaping hole directly to Smith; at the same time, Braelon Allen abandoned his position to go across the opposite direction to make a stop, and the strip-sack forced the first turnover in three games. That play ended the game.

Geno Smith once again had a solid game

Outside of the final play, Geno protected the football, drove the offense down the field, and made solid throws to his tight ends. Breece Hall got some throws in short distance and ran for a few chunk plays. Completed 31 out of 37 attempts for 321 yards with three touchdown passes. His QB rating was 129.8. Got his team into position to take the lead 7-3 in the first quarter, then got them in position to tie the game at 24 all. He even threw a fantastic two-point conversion to former NY Giants Wideout Sterling Sheppard. While Geno is doing everything he can to get the Jets into a scoring situation, his offensive line failed to keep him upright and got sacked. One of those times led to the Jason Sanders Field goal that made the game 17-10.

Coaching mistakes again at the end of the first half

Aaron Glenn once again had a poor final two minutes in the end of the first half once again. They needed to get a field goal when they were down 10-7. When the Lions had the ball at the start of the final two minutes, he wasted two timeouts to keep the clock with 1:45 left, and then it led to a touchdown. When they had the ball with a little over a minute remaining, Glenn had one timeout left and wasted it. Even going down the field for a field goal attempt, two killer penalties took them out of field goal range, and the Hail Mary attempt was knocked down to end the first half. Glenn needs to fix these issues and fast if he is going to continue this season.

Jets are competing, but can’t get the job done

After taking out the Tennessee Titans in Week One, the Jets had two winnable games against these two NFC North opponents, the Packers and the Lions, and once again fell short. This team should be either 2-1 or 3-0; instead, they are 1-2 and currently in second place in the AFC East. We can see the improvement of this New York Jets team on the field, but once again the coaching staff hasn’t put them in a position to get them over the line and take the win with them back into the locker room. While it was a bit difficult with some injuries before and during the game, this team should be good enough to make the plays and come out victorious. Now it’s back to the drawing board and face the Chicago Bears.

“When it comes to this game, man, there’s so much that’s going through my head. But there’s several things that we’ve got to clean up, several things. In the first half, man, I thought, and I’m just defensively speaking right now, first half I thought we did a really good job. That is a tough team to try to contain all those weapons that they have. In the second half, I felt like we allowed them to get some momentum, and there were a couple of plays that we just didn’t execute. And I’ve got to help them also when it comes to the concepts that we call to help those guys.

So offensively, I mean, again, the first half, I didn’t think we moved the ball well, but maybe we came off the second half, and I thought our guys got some momentum too. They started going. So that’s a good thing to see. Also, just the competitive stamina that we talk about. I think our guys show that. But no one’s in that locker room that’s going to take any more victories. And we know in this league, you either win, or you lose, right? And that’s why. But there are some things that we can definitely. Improve on and we’ll definitely look at making sure we do that. So, I Like the way we fought. I love the men that we have, but obviously there are some things that there’s a way to go to get to where you’re trying to get to,” said Aaron Glenn

The New York Jets fall to the Detroit Lions on their final possession of the game.

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