EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Well, how about this: Those supposedly dismal, tanking New York Jets are a resilient and winning bunch.
Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 41-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Jets to a 23-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The win tied them in the AFC East with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots at 2-2, one game behind the equally surprising Buffalo Bills.
“Don’t just mark us off on your calendar as a win,” Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne said. “Believe me, we’re doing the same to you. … So, don’t come in and think you’re going to push us over.”
The Jets might have a good chance to add another victory next week when they visit the winless Cleveland Browns (0-4). All this from a team that many fans and media thought would have a hard time winning just one game this season with a revamped and mostly inexperienced roster.
“It’s not enough to quiet the critics,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. “We still have loads to go until we get to where we actually see ourselves being. We paved the way, but we’re nowhere near as close to what we should be playing at.”
Bilal Powell rushed for a career-high 163 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown, and rookie Elijah McGuire had a 69-yard score and finished with 93 yards rushing as the Jets ran all over the Jaguars (2-2).
But New York blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter advantage - and then had to hold on in the extra period.
“We fought back,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We had the lead and gave it away. Guys didn’t get down. They didn’t blink.”
On fourth-and-5 from the Jets 25, Lachlan Edwards boomed a 70-yard punt that was misjudged by Marqise Lee, who had the ball bounce away from him before he recovered. Jacksonville was called for an illegal block in the back on the play, putting the ball at the Jaguars 3.
Jacksonville went three-and-out, but on the punt, Paul Posluszny was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting as the Jets’ Dylan Donahue went down on the Jaguars sideline with an elbow injury. It put the ball on the Jacksonville 25, and after two 1-yard runs, Josh McCown spiked the ball to set up Catanzaro’s field goal.
“Those long runs, my stupidity at the end of the game,” Posluszny said, “you can’t win with stuff like that.”
Here are some other things to know about the Jets’ OT win over the Jaguars:
ROAD WEARY: The Jaguars were road favorites after being underdogs for the last 44 games away from home. Jacksonville still hasn’t won consecutive road games since 2013.
The Jets outgained the Jaguars 471-311 in total yards, including 256-175 on the ground. Blake Bortles was also shaky, going 15 of 35 for 140 yards with a TD and an interception.
“We’ve got to find ways to make plays offensively and score touchdowns and put games like that away,” Bortles said.
HEAVY HEART: Jets defensive end Kony Ealy missed practice early in the week before returning Friday following the death of his sister.
Ealy had a terrific game, finishing with a tackle, four passes defensed and an interception. He was awarded the game ball by Bowles after the victory.
COMING BACK: It appeared the Jets were heading for a win-sealing drive in the fourth quarter after a 41-yard pass to Robby Anderson got them to the Jaguars 14. But McCown tossed a backward pass to Powell and the ball bounced off the running back’s shoulder pad - ruled a fumble - and Myles Jack recovered and went 81 yards for a touchdown to cut the Jaguars’ deficit to 20-17 with 10:20 left in regulation.
With 3:19 remaining and New York still leading by three, A.J. Bouye picked off McCown to set up Jason Myers’ 22-yard tying field goal.
“I feel like we did better in the second half, but we just have to start out fast,” Jack said.
FUELED JETS: Jacksonville entered with the 28th-ranked run defense and New York exploited it in a big way.
With Powell’s 75-yard touchdown dash and Elijah McGuire’s 69-yarder, it marked the first time in franchise history that the Jets had two players each with touchdown runs of 65 or more yards in the same game.
BEEN A WHILE: McCown won consecutive games as a starter for the first time since 2004, when he was with Arizona. He finished 22 of 31 for 224 yards with an interception.
INJURIES: Jacksonville right guard A.J. Cann left briefly with a finger injury, but returned. … For the Jets, Donahue is dealing with the elbow injury, while cornerback Darryl Roberts has an ailing hamstring.
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