The Jets have their first win of the season.
Rookie Braelon Allen ran 20 yards for a score in the fourth quarter and the defense came up with a couple of plays late to seal a 24-17 win over the Titans. The win sends the Jets into a Thursday night game against the Patriots with a 1-1 record.
Allen’s touchdown run came with just over four minutes left in the game and the Titans converted a pair of third downs to get the ball into Jets territory. Quarterback Will Levis escaped pressure to run for another first down, but Will McDonald got him for a sack a couple of plays later and a fourth down pass to Tyler Boyd was broken up by safety Tony Adams.
That allowed the Jets to celebrate a win, but there’s still plenty to clean up for the AFC East club. Aaron Rodgers threw touchdowns to Allen and running back Breece Hall, but the Jets had three three-and-outs and six punts over the course of the afternoon. Rodgers hit Garrett Wilson for a big play to set up the final touchdown and there were other good signs that the team will look to tease into a more consistent attack in the coming weeks.
The late stops helped close the door on Tennessee, but the defense was still more lax than the Jets would like and future efforts won’t have edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. The 2022 first-round pick was carted off and reports indicate he tore his Achilles.
Levis had a pair of turnovers in the first half, but his elusiveness and a 40-yard dart to Calvin Ridley for a touchdown provided some ballast for those mistakes. Ridley also ran for a score and the Titans picked up 300 yards overall, but it wasn’t enough because of the points that got left on the field early in the game.
The loss drops the Titans to 0-2 on the year and they’ll host the Packers next week in a bid for their first win of the year.