Jets players and plays of the game in the 28-23 victory over the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon:
Players of the Game
WR Eric Decker — With Brandon Marshall fighting through ankle and toe injuries, Decker shouldered the receiving load with six receptions for 79 yards and the 7-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter that gave the Jets a lead they never lost against the game Jaguars. It was Deck's sixth red zone connection with Ryan Fitzpatrick this season. He also added to his first-down stats with five of his receptions moving the chains, one converting a third down and another converting a fourth down en route to his TD.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick — Fitzpatrick looked fairly comfortable returning to action with his injured left thumb wrapped and gloved and not causing any problems to speak of. Fitz completed 21 of 34 passes for 272 yards, TD passes to Decker early and Brandon Marshall late, two sacks, no giveaways, and a 106.5 passer rating, which improves his rating over the last four games to 104.9. And four more touchdown drives lifts his season TD drive rate to a career-high 23.1%.
LB Lorenzo Mauldin — The rookie said he felt it was "time to show the coaches and Jets Nation what I've got," and that's what he did with his first three sacks as a pro — two half-sacks and a full takedown — plus a fourth hit on Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles. All four plays came in Jets territory, with the Jaguars producing only two field goals and two punts off those drives. No. 55 led the Jets' pass rush, which produced six sacks at home for the first time since the Bills' EJ Manuel went down eight times in 2013.
Plays of the Game
Calvin Pace strip sack of Blake Bortles and fumble recovery, 5:16 left, fourth quarter — The Jaguars, trailing, 21-16, had moved to first-and-goal at the 10. A hold on Muhammad Wilkerson moved them to the 20, then Pace's play removed the ball. Bortles escaped the Jets' four-man rush and cocked his arm to throw to Allen Hurns. But Pace, the right outside rusher who went wide right and circled back, smacked the ball out of Bortles' hand and came out with the ball from the ensuing scrum. Crisis averted.
Brandon Marshall 20-yard TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, 2:41 left, fourth quarter — Marshall, quiet most of the way, came up big down the stretch. On the first of his big plays, third-and-5 from the Jags' 20, he was the lone wideout in the "22" formation, lined up left and covered by CB Davon House. Fitzpatrick play-faked to Zac Stacy, then let it fly for No. 15. Marshall got around House, dived, caught the ball with his hands and forearms, and controlled it through his end zone roll. The play withstood a booth review and the Jets had a very big 28-16 lead.
Marcus Williams interception of Blake Bortles, 0:43 left, fourth quarter — The Jets gave up an answering TD drive before the two-minute warning and still needed another big play to nail this one down. Williams supplied it with his second pick of the day and fourth of the season. From the Jags' 8, Bortles took the shotgun snap against the Jets' four-man rush. Muhammad Wilkerson's inside move flushed the QB to his right and Lorenzo Mauldin's pursuit forced him to try to thread it to Hurns, who was in effect triple-covered. Williams left WR Bryan Walters and snapped up the pass to finish off the Jags.
