By D’Andre McKenzie | The Way Network
The Jets are getting closer. But getting closer and winning are still two different things.
New York went into Detroit on Sunday, September 27, and pushed the Lions to the final minute before falling 31–24. The loss dropped the Jets to 1–2, while Detroit improved to 2–1 behind three touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Watching this team, I see reasons to believe Aaron Glenn has the Jets headed in the right direction. They fight, they have grit, and they are giving themselves opportunities against quality opponents. With different endings against Green Bay and Detroit, we could be talking about a 3–0 team.
Instead, the conversation is about finishing. Against playoff contenders, the Jets have to turn those opportunities into wins.
It was a beautiful fall afternoon in Detroit, with both teams looking to bounce back. The Lions were coming off a tough loss to Buffalo, while the Jets were trying to move past their overtime loss to the Packers. New York entered as a 6½-point underdog, but anyone watching this team closely could see why Detroit might have its hands full.
Ford Field remains one of my favorite stadium experiences in the NFL. The atmosphere, presentation, and energy make it an immersive place to watch a game. Before kickoff, the fans I spoke with were already talking about a Super Bowl season.
By the end, there was plenty of relief mixed into that confidence.
Neither team scored in the first quarter. Detroit broke through with a Jake Bates field goal in the second, but New York’s response produced my favorite play of the afternoon: Geno Smith’s 24-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
Smith put the ball where Sadiq could reach it, and the first-round pick stretched out for a spectacular diving catch to give the Jets a 7–3 lead.
That is a player Jets fans should be excited about.
Sadiq finished with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. His athleticism, versatility, and toughness stand out, and he is already giving this offense another legitimate weapon. He looks like one of the most promising Jets tight ends I have seen in recent memory. If he keeps developing and New York keeps finding ways to get him the ball, I can see All-Pro potential a few years down the line.
Detroit answered with a four-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, taking a 10–7 lead into halftime. Gibbs added a 17-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter. A Jason Sanders field goal brought the Jets within 17–10, but another Gibbs rushing score stretched Detroit’s advantage to 24–10 early in the fourth.
The Jets could have folded there. They didn’t.
Smith found Jeremy Ruckert for a four-yard touchdown, although the two-point attempt failed. Later, facing fourth-and-six, Smith delivered a 23-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson. A successful two-point conversion to Sterling Shepard tied the game at 24.
New York had erased a two-touchdown deficit on the road. The passing game gave the Jets a way back, even with a rushing attack that still left me wanting more.
But Detroit had an answer. Goff found Gibbs for an 11-yard touchdown reception with 2:25 remaining, putting the Lions back ahead, 31–24.
The Jets still had time, and they moved into Detroit territory with a chance to tie. Then came the mistake that ended it: Chuck Clark broke through for a strip sack of Smith, and Jack Campbell recovered the fumble.
Another opportunity, another painful finish.
Detroit earned the win, but I didn’t leave thinking the Lions had everything figured out. Some of Dan Campbell’s decisions left me with questions, and the defense allowed New York to climb back into a game Detroit had a chance to put away.
The fans I spoke with afterward reflected that tension. Some were talking Super Bowl. Others were frustrated that this game had become so close. They were happy to win, but the performance didn’t satisfy everyone.
Both teams head back on the road next week. The Jets visit Chicago to face the Bears, while the Lions travel to Charlotte for Sunday Night Football against the Panthers.
For Detroit, the question is whether it can turn a narrow win into a more convincing performance. For the Jets, it is whether the progress we keep seeing will finally show up in the standings.
I believe Glenn has this team moving in the right direction. Now the Jets have to finish.