Jets history is filled with all manners of painful defeats and Sunday’s 31-24 loss to the Packers fits right in.
The Jets led 21-3 early in the game thanks to fine play from Geno Smith and a defense that was giving Aaron Rodgers fits, but they would up handing all of their lead back to the home team by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. It was 31-24 Packers, but the Jets were driving with time running short when they faced a fourth down from the Green Bay 36-yard line.
The offense remained on the field and Smith delivered a 36-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley that seemed to push an already wild game to another level. That wound up happening, but not because the game was tied. The touchdown was waved off and a timeout was charged to the Jets because of what appeared to be offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg screaming to tell Rex Ryan to call a timeout that the head coach didn’t call. The Jets converted the fourth down, but they ran out of downs a few plays later and one Packers first down iced the game.
There was also a David Harris interception deep in Packers territory negated because Damon Harrison didn’t quite make it off the field before the ball was snapped and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson’s third quarter ejection to keep Jets fans up on Sunday night. They might remember some of the bright spots for Smith and four sacks by the defense, but the pain of this loss is likely to linger for a bit.
Packers fans, meanwhile, can feel very good about their quarterback’s ability to thrive despite early adversity. Rodgers pulled himself together and wound up throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead 80-yarder to Jordy Nelson. Nelson ended the day with 209 receiving yards and outran the clearly not 100 percent Dee Milliner on the big score.
They can also feel good about a defense that was awful early before rebounding to allow 100 yards and three points in the second half of the game. That would probably have wound up being totally ignored if Kerley’s catch had remained on the board, but it didn’t and the Packers eventually made things stick. That leaves them at 1-1 heading into road dates with the Lions and Bears that will set the early pecking order in the NFC North.
