In the eyes and the mind of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers the game was there for the taking.
"We need to ... need to get going, this was a golden opportunity," Rodgers said after the Green & White lost a third-straight game, falling by 23-20 to AFC East rival Buffalo at MetLife Stadium on Monday night. "Some games you win in the NFL and some games you give away. This was a giveaway.
"I mean, we were terrible in the red zone [1 of 4], missed two field goals [from 32 yards in the third quarter and from 43 in the fourth that would have given the Jets the lead], didn't convert on a, you know, [late] two-minute drive. We had plenty of chances, had the momentum, had good drives, moved the ball up and down the field [393 total yards, 6.7 a play]. So disappointing."
A victory would have moved the Jets (2-4) into first place. And after a coaching change, elevating Jeff Ulbrich, and a shift in play callers to Todd Downing, the offense as directed by Rodgers (23 of 35 for 294 yards and 2 TD passes) got off to an auspicious start, scoring 10 points on its first two possessions.
After falling behind by 10 points, 20-10, when Buffalo scored with 2:38 left in the first half, Rodgers and the Jets got the ball on the 30-yard line with 21 seconds left. Short completions, first to Tyler Conklin and then Garrett Wilson (8 catches on 10 targets for 107 yards and a TD ), got the ball to the Jets' 48-yard line with 8 seconds left on the clock. With the Buffalo defense rushing only two, Rodgers had oodles of time to unleash a Hail Mary pass that Allen Lazard nabbed in the end zone to complete the 52-yard scoring play. The point after by Greg Zuerlein brought the Jets within 3, 20-17.
"We have the best Hail Mary thrower in the history of this game, and he made somebody pay again," Ulbrich, the interim head coach, said. "And when you catch those, those ways and momentum, you got to ride it and you got to finish a team, which we didn't do tonight."
Ulbrich was on the mark when he pointed to Rodgers as the master of the desperation pass. In his career, which includes four NFL MVP awards, the 40-year-old QB has completed four Hail Mary passes for TDs. The first came against the Detroit Lions in 2015, the second later that season in the playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals and the third against the Giants in the wild-card round of the playoffs in 2016 when he was slinging the pigskin for the Packers.
It was either a coincidence or terrific preparation on the part of ESPN, which right before the TD pass, showed a montage of those three previous Hail Mary passes.
"They decided to rush two guys, so we had all day to do it," Rodgers said. "I actually threw it to the right of where I wanted it, I was trying to throw it between the hashes. The wind was swirly at night, it was a lot of jostling and then somehow Allen came down with it. It's a pretty good feeling."
The momentum, momentarily, carried over into the start of the second half when the Jets tied the game on a 22-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal. With the game knotted at 20, Rodgers then hit Wilson on consecutive plays of 16 and 23 yards to the Bills' 34. Breece Hall (18 carries 113 yards; 5 receptions for 56 yards ) went for 10 yards and a penalty gave the Jets the ball at the 12. Two more short passes, first to Hall then to Lazard, set up the Jets at the 4, from where rookie RB Braelon Allen blasted over for the apparent go-ahead touchdown. But LT Tryon Smith was called for holding, the Jets were set back and eventually had to settle for another field goal attempt after a Rodgers pass for Wilson was broken up in the end zone. Zuerlein's 32-yarder nailed the left upright and the Jets were turned away with no points.
"We had our chances," Rodgers said. "We had a walk-in to the end zone by Braelon. We had a phantom holding call. We had a chance for G [Wilson] twice, so we had our chances."
He added: "We've got to be on our details. It's little things every single time."
For all the close calls, all the miscues (11 penalties for 111 yards), Rodgers and the Jets -- for the third straight game -- had a late opportunity to come away with a victory. As happened last week against Minnesota in London, a Rodgers pass was intercepted – this time by Taron Johnson on a long pass intended for Mike Williams – as the Jets were searching for a potential tying field goal or a TD to win the game.
"You can go back to each of those games and look at little details, and then I got my own criticism to share as well," Rodgers said. "But a lot of opportunities, if you just ... we all just do the little things."
