With Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes both at MetLife Stadium on Sunday it shockingly was Zach Wilson who was the best quarterback in the building for most of the night.
Wilson was an even bigger star than Taylor Swift, whose presence in a luxury suite added to the big-game feel, for a few hours.
But one mistake by Wilson in the fourth quarter opened the door for Mahomes and the Chiefs to steal a 23-20 victory.
After playing well for most of the night, Wilson let the ball and the game slip through his fingers.
Wilson fumbled a shotgun snap with 7:24 remaining in the game and the Jets trailing 23-20.
The Chiefs recovered and were able to run out the clock thanks to a big run by Mahomes and some help from the officials.
“It’s on me,” Wilson said. “Critical situation. I can’t have a play like that. I cannot drop the ball. This team is sacrificing a lot. Guys are making plays. Defense is making plays. The line is protecting. Receivers are making plays. To be driving right there and to drop a snap, I cannot do that. I lost us that game and I cannot do that.”
Even after Wilson’s mistake, the Jets had chances to get the ball back.
They had the Chiefs in a third-and-23 at their own 40 with 6:21 left to play but Mahomes escaped the pocket and ran for 25 yards.
The Jets again got the Chiefs in a bad situation at third-and-20.
On this one, Mahomes tried to throw deep to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but Jets cornerback Michael Carter II intercepted the pass.
Then, an official threw a flag, saying cornerback Sauce Gardner held Valdes-Scantling before Mahomes threw the ball.
Replays showed it was a bad call and it left Jets coach Robert Saleh fuming.
He got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the last play of the game as he screamed at the officials.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” a visibly upset Saleh said after the game.
Gardner was dumbfounded by the penalty.
“The receiver ran into me, it was a collision, same thing that was happening all game and they didn’t throw no flags,” Gardner said. “Pat threw the ball outside the receiver, and MC was there, and he made the play. Then the ref threw the flag. To me personally that’s like when you play basketball one-on-one and you go up to make the basket, and they wait to see if you miss, and then call the foul.
“I can’t believe that, that was just crazy. I don’t even think they threw the ball my way, at me, the first three quarters. And then they started throwing checkdowns, and the shot they finally try to take to get going, they get bailed out by that. Fourth quarter, crunch time, I don’t even know what to say.”
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Jets but they also can take solace knowing that Wilson showed he can be a competent quarterback.
Wilson overcame a slow start and began slinging the football all over the field.
He looked like he was in command and made some beautiful throws.
He brought the Jets back from a 17-0 deficit to tie the game at 20-20 in the second half.
“I thought he was really good,” Saleh said. “He gave us a chance to win the game, brought us back. If he plays like that, we’re going to win a lot of football games.”
Wilson completed 28 of 39 for 245 yards and two touchdowns.
The 28 completions were a career high. Mahomes was 18 of 30 for 203 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
Saleh lamented that the Jets’ offense did not get the ball back for one last drive after Carter’s would-be interception.
“I would have loved to see if he would have been able to take us down and score a touchdown,” Saleh said. “I feel like he would have.”
The loss drops the Jets to 1-3 but they at least looked like a competitive NFL team against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Saleh should be able to build off of that as they head to Denver for a game with the 1-3 Broncos next week.
Early in the game it looked like the Chiefs would blow the Jets out.
Kansas City scored on its first three drives and none looked very difficult as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead.
The momentum shifted early in the second quarter when the Chiefs were backed up near their own goal line.
Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor committed a facemask penalty on Jets edge rusher Bryce Huff coming around the edge.
The officials ruled the penalty occurred in the end zone, resulting in a safety.
On the next series, Wilson began to look comfortable and throw it all over the field.
The Jets’ defense seemed to flip the switch at the same time as Wilson.
Ashtyn Davis intercepted Mahomes to give the offense the ball at the Chiefs’ 41.
Wilson missed a long touchdown pass to a wide-open Garrett Wilson but the Jets still marched down the field on seven plays and Zach Wilson found C.J. Uzomah for a 1-yard touchdown and the score was now 17-12.
A Chiefs field goal made it 20-12 at halftime.
The Jets continued the good vibes to start the second half.
Wilson marched the Jets 75 yards in seven plays and capped it off with a laser of a throw for a 10-yard touchdown to Allen Lazard.
Wilson then broke a few tackles and ran it in for a two-point conversion to tie the game 20-20 with 10:40 left in the third quarter.
The Jets pressured Mahomes all night and put the Chiefs on their heels after their early success.
Kansas City continued to struggle to move the ball in the second half.
The Chiefs did mount a nice drive at the start of the fourth quarter that ended with another Butker field goal to give them back the lead at 23-20 with 10:51 left to play.
