Bills vs. Jets Monday Night Football: Buffalo Beats New York 23-20
One play sums up the 2024 New York Jets: Mike Williams falling down.
In their first game under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, replacing the fired Robert Saleh, the Jets had a chance to beat the Buffalo Bills despite a litany of errors, including numerous penalties and missed field goals. Late in the game, Aaron Rodgers connected with Williams for what looked like a big gain, putting the Jets in prime position. But as Williams turned back to catch the ball, he slipped. This gave Bills cornerback Taron Johnson just enough time to dive in for a game-sealing interception.
That play epitomizes the Jets this season—opportunity within reach, but self-sabotage in execution. The Bills ran out the clock after the interception and secured a 23-20 win.
The Jets knew what was at stake. A win would have put them at 3-3 and atop the AFC East; instead, the loss dropped them to 2-4, two games behind Buffalo. It felt like a must-win game, especially after a coaching shakeup, but the result didn’t change.
There won’t be any more coaching changes. The Jets lost, and now they’re facing an uphill climb. Their biggest problem? They can’t stop getting in their own way.
Jets Find Glimpses of Hope
Despite the chaos, the Jets managed to make some big plays, particularly through their stars. Breece Hall looked like his old self, snapping out of a slump. Garrett Wilson hauled in a beautiful touchdown, and the Jets' offense, under new play-caller Todd Downing, showed more life than it had under Nathaniel Hackett.
One of the Jets' biggest plays of the first half was a stroke of luck. As time expired, Rodgers launched a Hail Mary to the end zone, and Allen Lazard came down with a 52-yard touchdown—a familiar sight for Rodgers’ career but his first with the Jets. It kept them in the game, despite Josh Allen’s stellar performance. Allen had a rushing touchdown, two passing touchdowns, and was making big plays all over the field, including a 42-yard strike to Ray Davis.
The Bills had the best player on the field, but the Jets had plenty of talent and fought desperately. Yet, their critical mistakes kept piling up.
Jets Keep Tripping Themselves Up
Even with a new coach, the Jets couldn’t escape costly errors. In the third quarter, a holding penalty negated a Braelon Allen touchdown, Wilson dropped a would-be touchdown in the end zone after taking a hard hit, and Greg Zuerlein missed a 32-yard field goal that clanged off the crossbar. Later in the fourth, Zuerlein hit the crossbar again on a 43-yard attempt, continuing a streak of missed opportunities.
The Jets have been plagued by bad execution all season—untimely penalties, slight misfires on key routes, and crucial missed field goals. That didn’t change on Monday night, despite the coaching overhaul.
The Bills made mistakes too. Kicker Tyler Bass missed an extra point and a field goal, and their offense slowed in the second half. Still, Buffalo managed a go-ahead field goal with 3:43 left. The Jets’ defense didn’t help, with Javon Kinlaw getting flagged for roughing the passer and later for unsportsmanlike conduct after the field goal.
New York had one last chance in the final minutes, aided by a replay reversal that turned a Rodgers fumble into an incomplete pass and a defensive pass interference call. But after a holding penalty nullified a crucial first down, Rodgers' deep shot to Williams ended in an interception after he lost his footing.
Josh Allen picked up a first down on a critical third-down run, and the Bills ran out the clock.
It’s rare to see a team make so many mistakes in a close game. Saleh was fired for the Jets’ poor start, but the problems clearly run deeper than the coaching staff. The results, unfortunately for the Jets, remain the same.