On a cold, rainy, and windy Sunday, the New York Jets hosted the Kirk Cousins–led Atlanta Falcons at an extremely empty MetLife Stadium. After covering the DePaul vs. Paramus Catholic game on Friday, I can confidently say the crowd size was… identical. But let’s chalk up today’s empty stadium to the less-than-ideal weather.
Jets fans should still feel encouraged, because Gang Green showed grit and resilience from the jump. In the first quarter, the Jets capitalized on a muffed punt and took an early 7–0 lead. It took most of the first half for Atlanta to respond, but they eventually tied it 7–7.
Then the Jets reverted back to their usual form until the third quarter, when Tyrod Taylor connected with his shiny new toy, Adonai Mitchell, for a 52-yard touchdown.
With 44 seconds left, the Jets defense came up with a massive stop, giving Taylor and the offense one last chance to put the game away. And thanks to that Taylor-to-Mitchell connection that suddenly looks legit, the Jets moved into field-goal range, putting the outcome in kicker Nick Folk’s hands. Folk drilled a 56-yard field goal in the swirling MetLife winds with five seconds left to secure the win.
The Jets pick up their third victory of the season and now look ahead to hosting their division rival, the Miami Dolphins.
