For the second straight game, the New York Jets had a strong chance to win. They, however, could not close out in crunch time, losing to the Detroit Lions, 31-24, at Ford Field on Sunday.
The Jets rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter with Geno Smith connecting with Jeremy Ruckert, Garrett Wilson, and Sterling Shepard to tie the score at 24-24 with 4:26 left. The Lions, however, did not budge, with Jared Goff finding Jahmyr Gibbs for the game-sealing touchdown.
There were plenty of positives to glean from the defeat, and coach Aaron Glenn maintained his belief that they will find their footing soon, touting their “competitive stamina.”
“These guys are going to fight. It's the belief system, also. Our guys believe in the work they put in, in OTAs, in training camp,” said Glenn in a video posted by SNY.
“We're right here. Our guys know it's this gap right here that we've got to close. We're fighting our a**** off to close that gap, and we will, from a coaching perspective and from a player perspective. To me, that's how you come together as a team, and we're continuing to work to close that gap.”
"We're right here. Our guys know it's this gap right here that we've got to close. We're fighting our asses off to close that gap, and we will – from a coaching perspective and from a player perspective."
– Aaron Glenn pic.twitter.com/ILRLyo6nsB
— SNY Jets (@snyjets) September 27, 2026
The Jets, who lost Breece Hall to a thigh injury, had an opportunity to send the game into overtime or steal the win in their final drive, but Smith lost a fumble after getting sacked by Chuck Clark.
It was an unfortunate ending for the veteran quarterback, who had a valiant performance. He went 31-of-37 for 32 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
New York scored 30 points for the third straight game. It should be an encouraging sign for an offense that had been found wanting for so long.
The Jets fell to 1-2. They will visit the Chicago Bears in Week 4.