The Jets (2-5) lost to the Steelers (5-2), 37-15, in Pittsburgh in Week 7 on Sunday night. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Momentum Swing Before Halftime
Nearing the end of the first half, it seemed as if the Jets were on the verge of breaking the dam in Pittsburgh and climbing out to an insurmountable lead. Up by 15-6 with 1:21 remaining in the first half, QB Aaron Rodgers fired a ball over the middle of the field intended for WR Garrett Wilson that was deftly intercepted by Steelers rookie S Beanie Bishop at the Pittsburgh 46-yard line.
Bishop corralled the interception with one hand and put a pin into the Jets' scoring chance. He, instead, gave newfound life to the home team, which scored the game's final 31 points. QB Russell Wilson's first touchdown pass as a Steeler came 5 plays after the pick with 32 seconds remaining in the half when he connected with WR George Pickens for an 11-yard score.
"Going into this game, we knew momentum would be a big part of it, especially the environment we're playing in," interim HC Jeff Ulbrich said. "In these games you can't give up those plays because it's a huge shift in momentum. If you do make them, you got to fight your ass off to fix it. We didn't do that well enough. This has got to be an opportunity that we can grow from and become the team we're capable of becoming because that is absolutely not good enough the way we reacted to the adversity.
"I felt like guys were fighting. I felt like execution was not good enough. I felt like we went into the mode of trying too hard. Sometimes that's just as dangerous as not trying hard enough."
Breece Hall: 6 Catches for 103 Yards
Running back Breece Hall only mustered 38 rushing yards against a stingy Steelers defense, but he finished with a career- and team-high 103 receiving yards.
That's the most receiving yards for any running back in the NFL this season and the most by a Jets running back since LaDainian Tomlinson had 116 in 2011. Sunday marked the fourth time in Hall's three-year career that he led the team in receiving. Since he was drafted in the second round in 2022, the Iowa State product's two games with at least 100 receiving yards are the most in the NFL among running backs.
Hall help set up both of the Green & White's touchdowns. He took a dump-off pass 18 yards to midfield in the first quarter before he gave the visitors a 7-3 lead 7 plays later. His 57-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter (56 yards after the catch) where he made nine defenders miss put the Jets on the Pittsburgh 3-yard line. Aaron Rodgers then hit Tyler Conklin for a 1-yard TD that put the Jets ahead, 15-6, after a 2-point conversion.
Hall's reception was the longest by a Jet this season. He and Derrick Henry are the only players since 2022 to record at least 6 rushes of 40-plus yards and 3-plus receptions for 40-plus yards.
"I knew I would have catch-and-run opportunities," Hall told SNY postgame. "I thought I was going to have a good matchup with the linebackers and I was going to be able to take advantage of it and when I got the ball, I did. We just have to be better in the red zone. It just comes down to doing the little things right and taking our layups."
Jalen Mills Makes Impact in Depleted Secondary
Heading into Sunday night's game, the Jets were dealing with injuries in the secondary, which led to S Jalen Mills starting alongside Tony Adams. Mills, who signed with the Jets practice squad Sept. 24 and was elevated each of the last two weeks, finished second on the team with 8 tackles. He also had a tackle for loss and a pass defense.
Already without S Chuck Clark (ankle; placed on IR), Michael Carter II (back) and D.J. Reed (groin), the Green & White's Ashtyn Davis (head) and Adams (hamstring) did not finish the game.
