The New York Jets claimed their first win of the season in an unexpected upset against the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
The Jets fought hard, avoiding their 14th straight loss with successful plays and determination throughout the game resulting in a 23-20 victory. “I thought the guys did a great job of keeping their heads down, working, and finishing the game the right way,” said Head Coach Adam Gase.
John ‘Ecstacy’ Fletcher of Pioneering Hip-Hop Group Whodini Passes Away at 56
The Jets deferred after winning the coin toss giving the Rams the ball. Unable to score on their first possession the Rams punted to the Jets. Quarterback Sam Darnold worked his way up the field with completed passes to running back Frank Gore, tight end Chris Herndon and running back Ty Johnson. Darnold also ran 9 yards to make a first down. A short pass to Johnson, who darted for the touchdown, put the Jets on the scoreboard first 7-0
New York kept the momentum in the second quarter with key plays, including a blocked punt by safety J.T. Hassell and an interception by cornerback Bryce Hall as Rams QB Jared Goff attempted a pass to wide receiver Robert Woods. Jets were not able to score another touchdown in the first half, but two more field goals by Sam Fickens put New York ahead 13-3 at halftime.
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
Jets pushed ahead in the third quarter to 20-3 thanks to chemistry between Darnold and Frank Gore. Gore gutted through the Rams d-line like an army tank for a touchdown. “I was coming off that concussion (Oakland game),” said about his improved performance from last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. “I was timid, but today, I told my coaches that I owed them one because I wasn’t myself in Seattle.”
The Rams scored a touchdown leaving about 6:09 remaining in the third quarter, but the Jets moved forward with a field goal by Fickens and were still ahead 23-10 going into the fourth quarter.
It was then, that the Jets almost lost their lead as the Rams scored a touchdown with an extra point and followed it up with a field goal in their next possession bringing the score to 23-20, but Jets held strong and everyone played their part. “We had some big plays in the game,” said Gase. “We did some good stuff in the closing minutes to finish it off.”
Even Jets punter Braden Mann kept Rams wide receiver Nsimba Webster from scoring on a punt return and next Safety Marcus Maye diverted a touchdown pass. “There’s definitely a sense of urgency just because the season is coming to an end,” said Maye.
Goff finished his day with 22 of 34 completed passes for 209 yards, while Darnold completed 22 of 31 passes for 207 yards. The Rams were tied with the Seattle Seahawks for first place in the NFC West prior to the game.
“I thought the guys did a good job coming back after a long trip from Seattle, which was a rough game for us obviously, and getting ready for the next one knowing we were playing a really good team,” Gase said. “We’re going against another good team and we have to put (in) a good week of preparation.”
The win for Gang Green tied them with Jacksonville with 1 victory each. If they finish with the same record at the end of the season, the Jags will have the first pick as they hold the tie breaker based on strength of schedule. Clemson’s quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to be the first pick. Darnold, in his third year, has not shown much progress since being drafted. The Jets have to decide whether or not to draft a quarterback. It would be difficult for the organization to justify bringing Gase back.
The Jets now get ready to face the Cleveland Browns, who defeated the New York Giants Sunday night.
Editor’s Note: Andrew Rosario contributed to this article.
Recent Comments