The Jets-Chiefs game, if you're a fan of Green & White history, is the gift that keeps on giving. Before we move on to Jets-Broncos, we wanted to bring you a number of distinctions from the 38-31 win over KC that we either didn't mention before or glossed over until now.
Flipping the ScriptAfter stressing finishing games better for a while, head coach Todd Bowles said after the win, "I felt like on defense we started the fourth quarter in the first quarter and gave up two touchdowns quick."
With two Alex Smith-to-Travis Kelce TD strikes in the first 4:24, it was the third game in franchise history that the Jets yielded two TDs in the first five minutes. And the interesting kicker to that is that they won all three games.
In 1985, the Jets spotted Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead in the first 3:11, then went on to score a franchise-record number of points in the 62-28 win. And just last year in San Francisco, the 49ers rolled to that 14-0 lead in the first 4:15 before Bilal Powell and Bryce Petty guided the 23-17 OT comeback win.
But generally speaking, you don't want to dig out of a two-TD hole. The Jets trailed in 42 games in their history by at least 14-0 in the first quarter. Their record in those games: 5-37.
Drive Facts■ The Josh McCown offense entered Week 13 with the NFL's lowest plays/drive average at 4.85. Then vs. the Chiefs the Jets averaged 8.5 plays on their 10 drives — the fourth-highest game average in franchise history and the highest average in a victory. Go figure.
■ The Jets' 42:49 possession time was their second-most in regulation since the 1970 merger and the most at home, with the only larger TOP of 42:50 coming in 1997 at Cincinnati.
■ The Jets held the ball for 13:06 of the third quarter, their 11th quarter of 13-plus minutes since the merger and the most in a quarter since the opening period of the "Win And We're In" Sunday nighter vs. the Bengals in 2009.
■ The 9:31 drive in that third quarter vs. KC was also the longest home drive by time since the first half of that '09 Bengals bash, when the Jets had a drive of 21 plays including the field goal that lasted 11:11.
One Short YardWe mentioned Thursday that McCown established a mark for Jets QBs with four 1-yard TD runs for the season. McCown's two keepers and Powell's early score gave the Jets three 1-yard TD runs vs. the Chiefs, tying the franchise mark when Johnny Hector had three 1-yarders in the 31-24 road win over the Patriots in 1986.
Penalty ReductionAnother Bowles focus has been reducing penalties. Against the Chiefs, the Jets were flagged five times, tied for their fewest this season, for 40 yards, their least yardage. The defense, which had been averaging 3.9 penalties for 38.5 yards in the first 11 games, had no penalties for the first time this year.
Taking Points off the BoardFor the second time this season, Bowles removed points from the scoreboard and the offense went on to score. Chandler Catanzaro's 21-yard field goal was good with 3:55 to play for a 33-31 lead but Bennie Logan was flagged for unnecessary roughness and Bowles ordered the drive to go on. Think of the howls had the Jets failed to score. But they did score, on McCown's touchdown keeper with 2:15 to go.
That was the eighth known instance of the Jets taking points off the board. Five times they went on to score TDs, and in Week 3 this year Catman converted a shorter FG in the win over Miami. Only twice did they fail to score, most recently late in 2007 at Tennessee.
