New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacts to a call by the referees in the first half against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. Syndication The Record
The New York Jets fall to the Detroit Lions in a nailbiter, 20-17, on a last-second missed field goal by Greg Zuerlein. The Jets fall to 7-7 and now rely on much more help to make the postseason. In a game that carried scattered expectations, this one fell short of nearly every mark.
On the very first drive of the game, New York’s defense came up with a huge fourth down stop at the 1-yard line to hold Detroit to zero points. On the ensuing possession, in his return to action after a three week benching, Zach Wilson started off a little shaky, with two incompletions on the first drive. Then, after settling in, he completed deep passes to rookie Garrett Wilson and CJ Uzomah down the right sideline to score the Jets first touchdown of the game. With confidence in full motion, Wilson finished the first half with 185 yards and 1 TD. The run game, however, generated no momentum for the offense and the offensive line couldn’t win up front.
After an abysmal third quarter that featured another lazy interception by Wilson, he was able to lead the team on another scoring drive, again capped off by a CJ Uzomah touchdown grab. With the Jets up 17-13 with under five minutes to play, it was all up to the defense to make one final stop. In obvious four-down territory, the Lions offense stayed on the field to attempt a 4th & 1. Veteran C.J. Mosley let his eyes focus on Jared Goff and he pinched up, allowing the tight end to leak out behind him. Goff hit Wright in stride wide open and the Lions scored on an improbable 51-yard play. Now, with their backs against the wall, Zach Wilson and the offense needed a miracle. After converting a prayer ball to Elijah Moore with 0:01 remaining, Greg Zuerlein missed a 58-yard field goal as time expired.
After receiving a little help from other teams in the AFC (Chargers defeating the Titans and Raiders beating the Patriots), the Jets still remain the 9th seed in the conference, and the path to the playoffs is clear: win out and rely on a Patriots loss and a Chargers loss to either Indy or Denver. This game felt like a letdown, with both the run game and defense not playing up to their standards. The team will need to regroup quickly, as a short week Thursday night matchup with another red-hot team in the Jacksonville Jaguars is up next.