It took a while and it didn’t look pretty for much of Sunday, but Aaron Glenn has his first win as the Jets’ head coach.
Running back Breece Hall threw a four-yard touchdown to tight end Mason Taylor with 1:54 to play and the Jets took their a 39-38 lead with the extra point.
It looked like the Bengals’ bid to pull out the win might unfold without quarterback Joe Flacco because he went to the locker room after being sacked by Jets edge rusher Will McDonald on a third down in the fourth quarter. Flacco returned after the touchdown, however, and the Jets defense had to come up with a stop after being run over most of the day.
The Bengals picked up a quick first down and the Jets just missed an interception when linebacker Jamien Sherwood broke up a pass for wide receiver Andrei Iosivas. A short run on second down was followed by Flacco throwing the ball away under pressure on third down, so the Bengals’ chances came down to a fourth-and-9 from their 45-yard line. Flacco’s pass to Iosivas was incomplete and the Jets got to celebrate their first win of the season.
The Jets trailed 38-24 after a touchdown run by Bengals running back Chase Brown with over 10 minutes to play, but Hall’s 27-yard touchdown run moved them back within eight points. Glenn opted to try for two and Justin Fields’ pass to running back Isaiah Davis was ruled to be a good conversion after a replay.
Glenn’s decision to go for two was questioned by the CBS booth, but the gambit wound up paying off for him.
McDonald’s sack forced a Bengals punt and Fields opened the game-winning drive with a 23-yard pass to wide receiver Arian Smith. Three more first downs put them in position for Hall’s pass and the day was vindication for Fields after a week that saw him get trashed by Jets owner Woody Johnson. It looked like he’d be benched as well, but Tyrod Taylor’s knee injury kept him from playing and Fields had his best day as a passer in Sunday’s win.
Fields was 21-of-32 for 244 yards and a touchdown while also running for a two-point conversion. Hall had 18 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns to pace a rushing attack that picked up 254 yards on Sunday.
The Bengals ran for 181 yards of their own, but the offense wasn’t able to do enough to overcome a defense that could not come up with the right answers for the Jets all day. They are now 3-5 and will need a win at home against the Bears next Sunday to put themselves back on track.
The 1-7 Jets will have extended time to enjoy the win before returning to action at home against the Browns in Week 10.
