Jets 21-13 Texans (Oct 31, 2024) Game Summary

On By Littum

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — — Move over Odell Beckham Jr., Garrett Wilson may have snagged your spot among the NFL’s greatest catches.

With one hand, of course.

Wilson made one dazzling 26-yard game-tying touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter, and the New York Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night.

“I just lobbed one up there and he made an unbelievable catch,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “It was a huge play. … It’s a game-changing game.”

Rodgers had three touchdown passes, including another earlier one-handed score by Wilson and a 37-yard toss to newly acquired Davante Adams, and the Jets (3-6) won for the first time in four games under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.

With the Jets trailing 10-7 and facing third-and-19 from the Texans’ 26, Rodgers threw the ball up to Wilson in the end zone. The star wide receiver jumped and reached up with his right hand with both legs spread in the air – resembling Michael Jordan’s “Jumpman” logo.

The play was initially called an incomplete pass, but Ulbrich challenged.

“Oh, God,” Ulbrich said. “I mean, I was talking to the ref when they were reviewing it. I was like, ‘Just for posterity’s sake, you have to say it’s in, so it goes down in history.

A video replay review confirmed Wilson’s shin was down in the end zone, and a touchdown was called to give the Jets a 14-10 lead with 12:54 left.

It sent the fans at MetLife Stadium into a frenzy after they had little to cheer about until then.

Wilson’s catch was reminiscent of former Giants great Beckham’s one-handed grab against Dallas in 2014.

“For that to even come up in that convo, I’m blessed,” Wilson said. “I am honored.”

It also helped make up for a Jets touchdown that was not then rookie Malachi Corley made a mental mistake that negated his first NFL score.

With the Jets at the Texans’ 19 early in the second quarter, Corley took the throw from Rodgers and zipped down the right sideline. Corley sped into the end zone, but just before crossing the goal line, he dropped the ball out of his right hand in celebration.

A video review showed he had not entered the end zone before dropping it. So Corley was credited with an 18-yard run and a fumble. And because it rolled out the side of the end zone, it was a touchback and a turnover.

“First of all, you can’t do that.” Ulbrich said of what he told Corley. “Secondly, you owe us one.”

Rodgers finished 22 of 32 for 211 yards. His 37-yard touchdown pass to Adams, who was cleared earlier after being checked for a possible head injury, put the Jets up 21-10 with 2:56 left. It was Adams’ first touchdown catch since being acquired from Las Vegas earlier this month.

Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 29-yard field goal with 39 seconds left to make it an eight-point game, but Adams recovered the onside kick and the Jets were able to take a knee and seal the win.

CJ Stroud was 11 of 30 for 191 yards for the Texans (6-3), who were playing with injured receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins. It was the first of three consecutive prime-time games for Houston, with a Sunday night home game against them next on Nov. 10 and a Monday night meeting at Dallas on Nov. 18.

“It’s embarrassing to come out here in a prime-time game and get embarrassed, it’s never fun like that,” Stroud said. “We have to be better in many areas, and that starts with me. There are plays I have to make, throws I have to make.”

Fairbairn missed two field goals for Houston. With the Texans trailing 14-10, Fairbairn made it a one-point game when he kicked a 43-yarder – but Eric Watts was called for unnecessary roughness on the attempt, so Houston elected to accept the penalty and keep the ball.

The Jets made a defensive stand and the Texans were forced to try a 27-yard attempt, but Fairbairn made his kick from the left upright – keeping it 14-10.

Joe Mixon’s 3-yard touchdown run capped a 98-yard drive for the Texans, who took a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter.

The Jets tied it on their opening possession of the second half when Rodgers completed a 21-yard pass to Wilson, who grabbed the ball with one hand and ran into the end zone for the tying touchdown.

Riley Patterson, signed to the active roster hours before the game to replace the injured Greg Zuerlein, hit the left upright on the extra point, but the ball deflected in and cleared the crossbar.

Fairbairn’s 54-yarder put the Texans up again, 10-7 with 4:11 left in the third quarter.

“The most frustrating part is we were the better team,” Houston right tackle Tytus Howard said. “We let that game get away from us, especially in the second half.”

Slow start

Rodgers was 7 of 14 in the first half for just 32 yards – his fewest in the first two quarters of 10 or more attempts of his career. His previous low was 37 on 12 attempts against Denver on Nov. 1, 2015, while with Green Bay.

“I played about as bad as I could in the first half,” Rodgers said, “and knew it had to get better from there.”

Injuries

Texans: Texans LG Kenyon Green was ruled out at halftime after injuring a shoulder.

Jets: LG John Simpson left in the second quarter with a groin injury and did not return. … Backup OL Jake Hanson also left shortly before halftime with a hamstring injury. … CB Michael Carter II left with a back injury.

Next

Texans: Host Detroit on “Sunday Night Football” on Nov. 10.

Jets: At Arizona on November 10

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AP NFL: