Despite a 24-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins that dropped the Jets to a lonely 0-6 as the NFL's only winless team, Adam Gase offered a direct response when he was asked about his job status.

"I'm not even thinking about it," Gase said. "I have to focus on making sure our guys are ready to go when we get back in the building on Monday and Wednesday and Thursday, Friday, Saturday and getting ready for this next game."

Sunday's shutout against the Dolphins (3-3) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., was a season first. The Jets were previously blanked Oct. 21, 2019, in a 33-0 loss to the New England Patriots.

"This locker room -- these guys are good guys that work extremely hard," said Gase, whose offense is averaging an NFL-worst 12.5 points per game through the first six weeks of 2020. "It's frustrating. I mean, when you talk to them on Monday -- these guys, they're hurting. They try to do the right thing. They come in, they work. They do a great job of having high energy at practice, trying to get better.

"I feel like the players are really the ones trying to find a way to flip this thing. I mean. they're taking the lead on this and we've just got to keep grinding and keep trying to find ways to fix those -- especially early -- mistakes to help flip the game."

A second-straight start for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, in his first year with the Jets as the backup to injured starter Sam Darnold, was a frustrating one. Flacco completed 21 of 44 passes (47.7 percent) for 186 yards and one interception.

"You've got to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what drives you and why you do this and do you love this game," said Flacco, a former Baltimore Ravens (2008-18) and Denver Broncos (2019) starter, who won the Super Bowl XLVII MVP.

"I mean, that's really all it comes down to. And then you've just got to execute and play better. I mean, listen -- we can play as hard as we want and be as tough as we want and have the right guys. But if we don't play well, we're not going to get it done. But it still starts with keeping your head held high and sticking together as a unit."

Veteran running back Frank Gore, also a first-year member with the Jets, echoed Flacco's sentiments.

Asked about the Jets from a coaching perspective, Gore's focus remained on execution.

"That's not my call, man. I don't know," said Gore, who totaled 70 yards from scrimmage (46 rushing, 24 receiving) on 15 touches (11 rushes, four receptions). "I'm here to try my best when my number gets called, to do what's right for the Jets. Like I said, as a team, we've got to start fast. When we play out there, we've got to make it and ... we can't f---ing wait until it's the fourth quarter to f---ing want to start playing ball, man.

"You can't start late. You can't start slow in this league. When you've got a chance to make the play, we've got to make the play. That goes for me, that goes for everybody on the offense. That goes for the quarterback, running back, receiver. We've all got to make the play when it's there."

Bills 18 Jets 10: Some Things Change; Result Remains the Same

Losses in the NFL come in all shapes and sizes. The worst teams in the league are generally at the bottom of the standings because they keep finding different ways to lose.

Prior to today one of the things that has set the Jets apart was the uniform manner of their losses. They had an 0-6 record entering today, and five of the losses told the same story. They weren’t competitive in any aspect of the game.

Sunday’s 18-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills told a different story. The Jets were competitive. In fact, they seemed to be in control of the game through much of the first half.

The Jets changed play callers prior to the game. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains took over for Adam Gase. The Jets only scored 10 points, but they did put up 186 yards of offense. Furthermore, they didn’t have a single three and out on offense. The narrative was easy to write. Switching the play calling worked.

My guess is the truth was more complex. Having the two starting outside receivers, Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims, playing together for the first time likely helped the offense a lot even though Jamison Crowder was out with a groin injury. For the first time all year, the Jets had receivers playing who could win on the outside. Mims in particular was impressive with 4 catches for 42 yards on 6 targets. The Jets also did a good job controlling the trenches and running the football.

The defense was opportunistic. They allowed the Bills to move the ball into scoring range, but they held Buffalo out of the end zone. When the big play needed to be made, somebody made it. Tarell Bashman got a strip sack. Pierre Desir played good coverage on a key third down. The Jets got some luck on a missed field goal.

It felt like the Jets were in control as they drove with a 10-3 lead late in the first half. Sam Darnold then threw an inexplicable interception into heavy coverage. The Bills turned that into a field goal.

It felt ominous that the Jets only led by 4 heading into the locker room considering the extent to which they controlled the game.

It was.

An undermanned defense continued to play hard throughout the second half. They allowed the Bills to drive down the field consistently, but the Jets were clearly sacrificing small gains to prevent the big play. Every time Buffalo got into scoring range, the defense delivered the stop.

It certainly wasn’t a dominant performance, but with Quinnen Williams perhaps the only above average player on the unit keeping Buffalo out of the end zone entirely and holding them to 18 points was an impressive feat. Under any circumstances, that should be good enough.

The offense completely stalled in the second half, however. As the Bills kept chipping away at the scoreboard with field goals, the Jets offense couldn’t respond.

Loggains got most of the praise for the first half performance as it was happening. He probably got too much credit. Likewise he will also likely get too much of the blame for the second half failures where the Jets were shutout and produced an inexplicable 4 yards of offense.

Don’t get me wrong. He has to take some of the grief. After making an impact in the first half, the Jets made no effort to get the ball to Mims in the second half. He had one target and no catches. A system that builds much of its passing game around the slot receiver failed to adjust to its personnel with a backup playing in that role. Braxton Berrios was the most targeted Jet in the passing game in the second half.

There were also moments where the Jets called sequences of plays that couldn’t help but stall the drive. On one series the first down play was a bootleg where the quarterback’s passing progression went from Ryan Griffin to Trevon Wesco. After the predictable incompletion, the Jets ran Frank Gore up the middle on second and long. This is playcalling that sets up third and long and ultimately failure. (Ironically the Jets did hit a pass to Chris Herndon for a first down on third and 8, but it was called back on the penalty. They eventually punted after a three and out.)

It wasn’t all Loggains, though. The blocking completely fell apart in the second half. The right side of the offensive line in particular had major issues. Rookie La’mical Perine also struggled in pass protection. Those of us who rightly have called for less Frank Gore just will have to live with Perine’s growing pains in this area.

More distressing were Sam Darnold’s struggles. Darnold returned to the lineup after missing the last two weeks. He seemed to be putting together a solid performance prior to the interception. Things fell apart for him and the offense after that.

Darnold certainly can’t be blamed for all of the issues. However, when the offense stalls to this extent, the quarterback has to take some of the blame. Some of the protection issues came because the Jets were in the wrong blocking scheme, which partially falls on Darnold’s plate. There were other moments where he made blocking issues worse by his pocket movements or bailed too quickly. Many of his throws and reads were also just off.

There is no need to rehash the debates on coaching and the supporting cast. Given the situation the Jets are in, I think the burden is now on Darnold. The only way the Jets will be able to justify passing on a quarterback in next spring’s Draft is if he goes out the rest of the way and definitively proves the Jets have their answer. This performance in no way did that.

In some ways this week was different. Unlike previous games, the Jets were competitive. That’s life as a bad team in this league, though. While some of the particulars change from week to week, one thing stays the same. The team manages to lose.

Over the final nine games, the Jets will likely be competitive in some games. They will be blown out in some. The games will look different, but most will end with the other team scoring more points.

We know the head coach will eventually change. The way things are looking, the quarterback might as well.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Patrick Mahomes did just about everything for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

He even toted Tyreek Hill back to the sideline after a touchdown catch.

In near-flawless execution of coach Andy Reid's run-pass option attack, the reigning Super Bowl MVP threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns, leading the AFC West-leading Chiefs to a 35-9 romp over the winless New York Jets.

''I mean, it's always fun to go out and score touchdowns and do all that type of stuff,'' Mahomes said, ''but we've been saying it all year long, we have a lot of ways to beat teams. Today, they did a good job of stuffing up the run. We took it to the air and threw the ball and did it that way. It's about taking what's there and finding ways to win.''

Hill wound up with two of the touchdown catches. On the first, he celebrated by jumping into the stands and tossing the football to a fan, and Mahomes was there to help him back onto the field. On the second, Mahomes claimed to see Hill ''a little banged up'' and decided to carry him - horse-and-jockey style - back to the Kansas City sideline.

''Just having a little bit of fun,'' Mahomes said with a wry smile.

Travis Kelce added 109 yards receiving and a touchdown, Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson also scored, helping the Chiefs (7-1) give Andy Reid his 229th win to move into a tie with Curly Lambeau for the fifth most in NFL history.

Le'Veon Bell, getting a crack at the Jets just a few weeks after they released him, was held to just 7 yards rushing with three catches for another 31 yards - though it wasn't as if Kansas City needed him.

Darnold, who was without top receivers Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman because of injuries, was just 18 of 30 for 133 yards as the Jets fell to 0-8 for the first time since the 1996 team of Rich Kotite.

''It's obviously not where we wanted to be,'' said Jets coach Adam Gase, whose team went three-and-out on five of its first six second-half possessions and finished with 221 yards total offense. ''I'm just like everybody else from the aspect of, I'm doing this job to win, not to go out there and get my face stomped in.''

The Chiefs were astounding 19-point favorites coming into the game, and the opening series made it clear that wouldn't be nearly enough. Mahomes was 5 of 5 for 85 yards, and he finished off the 90-yard drive with a 30-yard pass to Hardman.

While the Jets answered with the first of three first-half field goals, the Chiefs kept scoring touchdowns.

Mahomes threw a dart over the middle to Hill for a 36-yard touchdown on their next drive, then he flipped a nifty pass underneath the Jets coverage to Kelce for his third TD pass of the half and a 21-9 lead at the break.

Any hope the Jets could keep building some momentum with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains calling plays for the second straight week evaporated in the second half. They went three-and-out on four of their first three series and, when they finally picked up a first down, they promptly fumbled the ball away on their next play.

It wasn't unlike last week, when New York managed 4 yards the entire second half against Buffalo.

There wasn't much lull in the Chiefs offense, though. They may have squandered a scoring chance when Bell was stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Jets 14, but they reached the end zone a few minutes later anyway. Mahomes hit Robinson from 26 yards out for his fourth TD pass, giving Kansas City a 28-9 lead late in the third quarter.

Mahomes capped his big day with his second touchdown throw to Hill early in the fourth. His five TD passes were second only to a pair of six-TD games he had against the Steelers and Rams - incidentally, the Jets have four touchdown passes all season - and his yardage total was the fourth most of his career.

''It's funny, we have this whole RPO thing going on and some of those runs ended up being throws,'' Reid said, ''but we'll just count them as yards. I thought it was a nice job by Patrick and again, he had complete command of everything going on.''

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Chiefs got a couple big plays on special teams. The first came when Tommy Townsend threw a pass to Byron Pringle on a faked fourth-down punt to keep their second TD drive alive, and the second came when Armani Watts blocked a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Sergio Castillo to end the first half.

''The last pass I threw in a game was probably freshman year of high school,'' Townsend said. ''That was probably about it.''

INJURIES

Jets: Darnold took a big hit late in the game and appeared to be favoring his right shoulder, which he sprained against Denver on Oct. 1 and missed two games. Gase said the QB will be re-evaluated but ''seems to be OK.'' ... DL Quinnen Williams hurt his hamstring and didn't finish the game. ... Crowder had been doubtful with a groin injury and Perriman remained in the concussion protocol this week.

Chiefs: WR Sammy Watkins (hamstring) and RT Mitchell Schwartz (back) were inactive.

UP NEXT

Jets: host the Patriots next Monday night.

Jets Takeaways from Monday's 30-27 loss to the Patriots, including a disappointing fourth-quarter collapse

The Jets have been waiting all season to get their top three receivers on the field at the same time. They finally did, and Joe Flacco made it work.

Unfortunately, the Jets as a whole, still don’t work. At all.

Behind the 35-year-old Flacco’s best performance in 14 months, the Jets had a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter. But their defense couldn’t get off the field and their offense shut down at the most critical moment. And then they blew it all, losing 30-27 to the New England Patriots on a 51-yard Nick Folk field goal as time expired.

It was so very, very Jet-like.

Maybe it’s for the best, especially those who are hoping the Jets will “Tank for Trevor” Lawrence, the Clemson quarterback destined to go No. 1 in the 2021 draft. The Jets are still in the pole position for that pick now that they are 0-9 for the first time in franchise history. And If Lawrence is as good as scouts believe, that’s good.

Before the Jets collapse, though, there was hope that maybe the second half of this season wouldn’t be so awful. With Sam Darnold on the sidelines nursing his injured shoulder, the 35-year-old Flacco made his case for being somebody’s quarterback next season by going 18 of 25 for 265 yards and three touchdowns. It looked like that with the Jets three top receivers finally on the field together, their offense might actually click.

But Flacco ruined that by overthrowing rookie Denzel Mims and getting picked off on the Jets’ first play of the fourth quarter, and the Patriots really never looked back after that. The rest of it felt so familiar to Jets fans, especially against the hated Patriots.

Here are a few more takeaways from the latest in a long line of losses that hurt …

• The “Three Dudes”, as Adam Gase called them, sure did deliver. Breshad Perriman in particular was a very effective deep threat, especially after dropping what would’ve been a 17-yard touchdown on the opening drive. He added a 50-yard touchdown, drew a 40-plus yard pass interference penalty to set up another touchdown and finished with five catches for 101 yards. Jamison Crowder (2-26-1) did a terrific toe tap to keep his feet in on his 20-yard touchdown. And Mims was a solid four for 62, albeit with eight targets.

• Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains had been calling the plays for the Jets’ two worst offensive outputs of the season – both in the last two games. And it sure looked like he turned that around when his team entered the third quarter with 319 offensive yards – two yards shy of the team’s single season high. Then in the third quarter they picked up three yards. Still a season high, though, of 322.

• The Jets’ defensive line figured to suffer with Quinnen Williams out, and it certainly wasn’t at it’s best. But they got a strong game from DT Foley Fatukasi, the third-year pro out of UConn. His best moment was a huge, 4th and 1 stop in the first quarter. He forced a fumble on the play, too.

• Linebacker Harvey Langi had an active and solid game at inside linebacker, which is important with Avery Williamson now in Pittsburgh. The fourth-year pro is 28 so he’s not the Jets future, but he’ll have a big chance to prove he can be a valuable reserve down the stretch, especially with Blake Cashman still hurt. He finished with 10 tackles.

• All that success on offense, and the Jets still couldn’t find a way to get tight end Chris Herndon involved. He wasn’t even targeted once. Meanwhile, tight end Ryan Griffin at least had two catches for 28 yards.

• The Jets are going to have a difficult decision to make when kicker Sam Ficken’s groin heals. Sergio Castillo has been a terrific replacement. He is now six of seven after nailing field goals of 35 and 50 yards against the Patriots. He’s proven reliable and has a strong leg. They could try to stash him back on the practice squad when Ficken returns. Ficken, by the way, was 9 of 10 before he got hurt, so this is a good problem for the Jets to have.

• It’s hard to understand why the Jets continue to give so much work to 37-year-old running back Frank Gore. He had 12 carries (for 46 yards) compared to six (for 19 yards) for rookie La’Mical Perine. Gore is still very good, but Perine is not only more explosive, he’s the future for the Jets. Or he could be. There’s really only one way for them to find out. They have to give him the ball and see what he can do as the main guy for an entire game – every game the rest of the way.

• Rookie safety Ashtyn Davis got flagged for a weak roughing the passer call in the first half. He was called for a helmet-to-helmet hit, though replays showed he really hit Cam Newton in the shoulder. Of course, Newton is 6-5, so Davis probably should’ve come in lower. Regardless, it was the Jets’ 10th roughing the passer call on the season. No other team has more than four.

Allen, Herbert propel Chargers to 34-28 victory over Jets

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) It hasn't taken long for Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen to become one of the more lethal quarterback-receiver duos in the NFL. After Sunday, they can also add record setting.

Allen set a Chargers franchise mark with 16 receptions and Herbert became the first rookie quarterback with five games with three or more touchdown passes as Los Angeles held on for a 34-28 victory over the winless New York Jets to snap a three-game losing streak.

''I didn't think it was gonna be today. We just got it going. Coach kept calling the number and Herbie kept throwing me the ball,'' said Allen, who became the first receiver in NFL history to have six games of 13 catches or more as the Chargers improved to 3-7.

When asked when he thought it would be a prolific day, Allen said late in the first half, when he was already up to 10 receptions for 108 yards (he finished with 146 yards).

Allen also reached a career milestone Sunday, going over 600 career receptions and tying Antonio Brown as the fastest to reach that mark at 96 games.

''He's very rare to be that big and quick inside and we kind of took advantage of the slot defender with some good open concepts to him,'' coach Anthony Lynn said.

Herbert bounced back from a rough game last week at Miami. He completed 37 of 49 passes for 366 yards, and continued to add to his list of rookie superlatives. He extended his mark of multiple touchdown passes with seven and had his fifth 300-yard passing game, becoming the fifth rookie in league history to reach that mark.

Herbert's 39-yard connection with Mike Williams early in the second quarter made him only the fifth QB in league history to reach 20 TD passes in nine or fewer games. It was also part of a first half that saw him have the most first-half completions (23), attempts (31) and yards (277) by a rookie since at least 1991. Herbert also had a TD pass to Hunter Henry in the quarter as the Chargers had a 24-6 halftime advantage.

''I think we had a great plan going into the week and we went out there and executed. Mike and Keenan stepped up big time so it made my job a lot easier out there,'' Herbert said.

Allen's 13-yard TD in the third quarter to extend the lead for the Chargers (3-7) to 31-13. New York would rally to get within 34-28 in the fourth quarter on Frank Gore's 1-yard run and Joe Flacco's 6-yard pass to Chris Herndon.

New York drove to the Chargers 32 with under a minute remaining before turning over the ball on downs.

The Jets - off to the worst start in franchise history - are the 21st team since the merger to begin a season 0-10 and were the first team eliminated from postseason consideration.

''When we look at the tape, we'll be able to evaluate that part of it to see if we could've done something different,'' said Jets coach Adam Gase of the early defensive struggles. ''We were trying to change things up and make it hard. The ball was coming out pretty quick.''

Flacco was 15 of 30 for 205 yards with two touchdowns as he started his fourth game in place of the injured Sam Darnold. He struggled in the first half, including a pick-6 in the first quarter to Tevaughn Campbell that gave the Chargers a 7-6 lead.

''They are a defense that kind of spot drops and we felt like we could take some underneath just guaranteed completions early on in the game, and that didn't happen,'' Flacco said. ''So I think in the second half, we just made the decision to kind of attack 'em and start to make it happen for ourselves anyway.''

INJURIES

Jets: RB La'Mical Perine and OT George Fant both suffered ankle injuries and did not return. Fant will have an MRI.

Chargers: DE Uchenna Nwosu injured a shoulder during the second quarter and did not return. CB Casey Hayward Jr. (groin) did not return after being injured in the second half. Linebacker and leading tackler Kyzir White missed the game after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday.

SPECIAL TEAMS WOES

Ty Long had a punt blocked for the third time in four weeks as special teams mistakes once again affected the Chargers early and led to the Jets' first touchdown.

Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson blew by Joshua Kelley, giving Long no chance to get the kick off. Quentin Williams recovered the ball on the Chargers 29, and Perine went 5 yards up the middle to make it 6-0. It is the fourth straight game the Jets have scored on their opening possession.

Instead of risking a blocked punt late in the fourth quarter, Long ran into the end zone and took a safety.

The special teams problems were not confined to the Chargers. Jets kicker Sam Ficken missed two extra points in his return from a groin injury that sidelined him for three games.

Fitzpatrick, Dolphins keep Jets winless with 20-3 victory

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes while starting in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins kept the New York Jets winless with a 20-3 victory Sunday.

Tagovailoa was inactive with a left thumb injury, so Fitzpatrick stepped in against one of his many former teams.

He didn't need to do too much against the lowly Jets.

The veteran quarterback was 24 of 39 for 257 yards with TD throws to tight ends Mike Gesicki and Adam Shaheen, helping the Dolphins (7-4) bounce back after having a five-game winning streak end last week.

New York got its starting quarterback back as Sam Darnold played after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. But he was unable to get much going for the offense, with coach Adam Gase appearing to reclaim play-calling duties after offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains had done so the last three games.

Darnold was intercepted twice and the Jets (0-11) twice couldn't take advantage of takeaways by the defense. Darnold was 16 of 27 for 197 yards.

Another poor offensive showing had speculation swirling again over whether New York could part ways with Gase, who was outscored 44-3 in two losses this season to his former team. The 11-game skid is the second-longest in team history, one game short of the losing streak by the 1995-96 teams under Rich Kotite.

After Miami went three-and-out to open the second half, New York moved the ball down the field - thanks to an impressive 27-yard grab by Breshad Perriman. But Darnold tried to make too much happen on third down at the Dolphins 32, throwing across his body on the run and into double coverage with Nik Needham making an easy interception.

The Jets didn't muster much the rest of the way - although they had some chances.

The Dolphins began chewing up clock late in the third quarter by focusing on the run, but it cost them when Quinnen Williams popped the ball out of Matt Breida's hands and Harvey Langi recovered to give the Jets the ball at Miami's 45 with 4:09 remaining in the period.

But New York couldn't do anything with the takeaway, going three and out.

The Jets' defense came up big again on the Dolphins' next drive, with Jordan Jenkins knocking the ball out of Patrick Laird's hands and Neville Hewitt scooping it up and returning it to Miami's 26.

But again, New York's offense stalled. The Jets went for it on fourth-and-1 from the 17, but Frank Gore was stuffed by Elandon Roberts for a 1-yard loss.

Fitzpatrick drove the Dolphins down the field and sealed the win with a 7-yard touchdown toss to Shaheen to make it 20-3 with 6:54 left.

On both drives after the defense caused a turnover, Gase conservatively called runs on first down: the 37-year-old Gore got 1 yard on the first and 2 yards on the second.

QUESTIONABLE CALL

Gesicki gave the Dolphins a 10-3 lead with 8:56 left in the first half when Fitzpatrick threw a fade into the right corner of the end zone and the 6-foot-6 tight end used his height advantage to outreach 6-1 rookie safety Ashtyn Davis for the touchdown.

The drive was prolonged by a controversial call when DeVante Parker was credited with a 19-yard catch despite not appearing to ever fully control the ball before Javelin Guidry knocked it out of his hands. Gase challenged the call - and TV replays seemed to support the Jets' argument - but it was upheld and the Dolphins scored four plays later.

JUST FOR KICKS

Jason Sanders kicked field goals of 54 and 51 yards, giving him an NFL-leading eight from 50 or more yards.

Meanwhile, Sergio Castillo made a 38-yarder on New York's first possession, but was wide right on a 29-yarder as time expired in the first half.

INJURIES

Dolphins: WR Malcolm Perry injured his chest early in the game.

Jets: With RT George Fant (knee/ankle) out, Conor McDermott started in his place. LG Pat Elflein made his Jets debut, replacing Alex Lewis (not injury-related).

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Host the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.

Jets: Host the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday.

Posted by sjstapleton on 11/29/2020 9:26:00 PM (view original):
Broncos no QB, 1 pass completed-what have the Jets to say about this?

Carr's TD pass with 5 seconds left lifts Raiders past Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Derek Carr threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III with 5 seconds left, lifting the Las Vegas Raiders to a wild 31-28 victory over the still-winless New York Jets on Sunday.

The Jets took a 28-24 lead with 5:34 remaining on Ty Johnson's 1-yard touchdown and the defense came up with a big fourth-down stop that appeared to end New York's agonizing wait for its first win of the season.

But New York went three-and-out with a chance to seal it - and Carr and the Raiders had 35 seconds left to try for what appeared an unlikely comeback. Four plays later, Carr found Ruggs streaking downfield - beating rookie cornerback Lamar Jackson - and delivered the ball perfectly for the winning score.

The Raiders (7-5) celebrated wildly, and the deflated Jets (0-12) could only imagine what could - and maybe should - have been.

After a squib kick by Las Vegas, the Jets had one final chance but Sam Darnold's Hail Mary throw was batted down in front of the end zone.

Carr finished with three touchdown passes, including two to Darren Waller, and ran for another score. Waller had 13 catches for 200 yards, becoming the 12th tight end since the 1970 merger with 150 or more yards receiving and two or more TD catches in a game.

Clelin Ferrell had two strip-sacks in his return from the COVID-19 list as Las Vegas bounced back from a blowout loss to Atlanta last week to stay in the middle of the AFC playoff hunt.

Barely.

On the drive before the winning possession, it appeared the Raiders had the go-ahead touchdown on fourth down when Hunter Renfrow caught a pass in the end zone - but the teams had offsetting penalties. Given one more chance, Carr's pass to Nelson Agholor fell just short in the end zone and the defense raced off the field, arms raised in celebration.

But it was only momentary jubilation.

The lowly Jets lost their 12th straight and tied the team mark for longest overall skid, which spanned the 1995 and '96 seasons under Rich Kotite. New York remains on pace to join the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2017 Cleveland Browns as the only NFL teams to go 0-16.

Darnold ran it in from 4 yards to cap a run-heavy - eight of nine plays - 96-yard touchdown drive that began the Jets' fourth-quarter comeback. A pass-interference penalty gave the Jets another chance at a 2-point conversion, and Darnold threw to Denzel Mims to get the Jets within 24-21 with 10:22 left.

The Jets got the ball right back three plays later when Javelin Guidry forced the ball out of Ruggs' hands after a 12-yard catch and Marcus Maye recovered.

New York took advantage with an 18-yard catch by Griffin sandwiched by a few runs - and a personal foul on Ferrell - to put the ball at the 1. Johnson pushed his way up the middle for the go-ahead score, tossing the ball into the air after giving the Jets a 28-24 lead with 5:34 left.

STARTING STRONG

Darnold led the Jets on an impressive opening possession, capping the 12-play, 74-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Jamison Crowder. It was the struggling quarterback's first TD pass since Week 3 - which also spanned two two-game stints on the sideline with shoulder injuries - a span of 19 quarters.

It also marked the sixth straight game the Jets have scored on their opening drive. That's the longest active streak in the NFL, with Kansas City having a chance to tie that in its game against Denver on Sunday night.

Darnold put the Jets back on top early in the second quarter with another TD toss to Crowder, this time from 6 yards out. It was the first time Darnold had at least two touchdown passes in a game since Dec. 12, 2019, against Baltimore.

INJURIES

Raiders: CB Damon Arnette was lost to a concussion in the first quarter when his helmet connected with that of Jets RB Frank Gore. ... S Jeff Heath left in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Jets: Gore also left with a concussion on the collision with Arnette. ... RG Greg Van Roten left with a foot injury in the first half and didn't return. ... S Ashtyn Davis left with an injured foot.

UP NEXT

Raiders: host Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.

Jets: travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks next Sunday.

NFL coach firing: Jets part ways with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after questionable call vs. Raiders

The veteran defensive coordinator is out in New York