Jets try to leave controversial call behind

Oct 17, 2017 - 12:37 AM FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- By now, you have seen the play multiple times, probably in slow motion. You have heard the explanation for why it was a fumble, and if you are a New York Jets fan, you don't agree with it. Bottom line, the Jets lost another heartbreaker to the New England Patriots and there is nothing they can do now except turn the page.

As head coach Todd Bowles said Monday: "We're not gonna cry about it all week. We have to go play Miami."

It still doesn't make much sense a day later, though. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins appeared to have possession of the ball in the end zone, so why wouldn't that be a touchdown?

Well, the rule was applied correctly, but it's the spirit of the rule that seems to rub people the wrong way.

In an attempt to try to clarify the play a little better before we too turn the page, here's what went down, step by painstaking step: Seferian-Jenkins caught the pass at the 5-yard line, turned up field and was met almost immediately by safety Duron Harmon. As Seferian-Jenkins was dragging Harmon toward the end zone -- just inside the 2-yard line -- Malcolm Butler came over and punched the ball with his right fist, momentarily jarring it loose.

At that point, as referee Tony Corrente explained after the game, Seferian-Jenkins goes from a guy running with the ball to a guy trying to recover a fumble, and so the rules change for him in the end zone. Now, he has to complete the play (in this case a recovery) to the ground, just like a pass-catcher.

Seferian-Jenkins regained possession of the ball, but not until he was past the goal line, and more important, not until his body "touched down" (sorry, bad joke) out of bounds. His body touched the pylon, which would have made it a touchdown, but Corrente said he was still in "the process of trying to recover the ball" at that point.

Butler immediately jumped up and grabbed judge Patrick Turner's uniform (he'll probably get fined for that), pleading with Turner that the touchdown signal he just made was incorrect.

Butler was right.

The call was overturned, and the play was ruled a touchback, giving New England the ball.

NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron stood by the call on Monday, saying it was "clear and obvious" to reverse the call.

"We might not agree with the rule, but that is the rule," he said. "So the rule was enforced correctly."

Riveron's predecessors, Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino, now analysts for Fox, said they would not have overturned the call on Sunday.

Seferian-Jenkins was gracious after the game, saying he needs to protect the ball better, and that it made no sense for him to blast the referees. But teammate Jermaine Kearse wasn't as diplomatic.

"I think everyone will look back and say it was a B.S. call," Kearse said after the game.

Now, let's remember that the Jets still would've been down by three with 8:24 left in the game if the call stood.

Also, they got the ball back twice more after that, both times following a three-and-out by the Patriots. They got a field goal on the first possession, but they had only one timeout for the second, which started just after the two-minute warning on their own 27-yard line.

The Jets wasted two timeouts on the first drive of the third quarter trying to get the proper personnel on the field.

"We can't botch things up and let the clock run down," Bowles said after the game. "We needed (the timeouts). We'll discuss that in the coaching room."

Onto Miami.

--The Jets' defensive line has yet to record a sack this season, but that hasn't lessened the unit's confidence.

Defensive end Leonard Williams and nose tackle Steve McLendon both said on Monday the Jets are good enough to contend for a playoff spot. The Jets are in last place in the AFC East at 3-3 but only a half-game behind the 3-2 Bills and Dolphins, who would be the wild-card teams if the playoffs started today.

"In order to be a playoff team, we have to beat Miami," McLendon said about this week's game in South Florida.

While it isn't truly a must-win game, McLendon's comments speak to the team's mindset after their 0-2 start.

"When you're talking about the margin or gap, I don't know what you're scaling that off of, because I feel like we can go against any team in this league," wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said after Sunday's game.

Pretty much any team can say that. Of the 32 NFL teams, all but three (Giants, 49ers, Browns) have at least two wins and only two (Chiefs and Eagles) have five wins.

As for the sacks, the Jets have only seven in six games, which is better only than Tampa Bay's six, but that's in one fewer game.

"Guys are getting close," head coach Todd Bowles said Monday about the pass rush. "We make action. Sometimes the ball is out, sometimes we have good rushes and the ball is just out. It just happens like that. We'll keep working at it."

--Rookie safety Jamal Adams graded his performance in the Jets' win over the Browns two Sundays ago "below an F," in part because he allowed a touchdown to fellow rookie tight end David Njoku.

A much better tight end, Rob Gronkowski, bedeviled Adams this week, catching six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, both against Adams. He was also flagged for pass interference.

"Gronk is a tough cover for anybody," Bowles said Monday. "Gronk made some catches, Jamal made some plays. They made one more than we did."

Adams, like most of the Jets' secondary, had a strong first quarter and a half before things started to unravel.

"They have a guy leading the pack in No. 12 (Tom Brady) that figures out a lot of things," Adams said after the game. "He dissected us. ... (But) it's not about me ... It's about the team."

NOTES: WR Jalin Marshall cleared waivers and was signed to the Jets' practice squad on Monday. The 22-year-old was waived Saturday following his four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Head coach Todd Bowles said they needed a backup nickel cornerback for the Patriots game and Marshall was "an extra receiver."



REPORT CARD VS. PATRIOTS

--PASSING OFFENSE: C -- Josh McCown threw for a season-high 354 yards, but every quarterback to play the Patriots this season has thrown for more than 300 yards, so that number isn't as impressive as it usually is. The problem was his two interceptions. The first, toward the end of the first half to Malcolm Butler, was telegraphed, and instead of the Jets having the chance at a field goal to extend their lead to 17-7, the Patriots scored with nine seconds left in the half to tie the game. The second didn't matter as much because it was on fourth down, but it led to a field goal on the other end to give the Pats a 10-point lead.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: D -- The Jets went pass happy against the league's worst pass defense, as only 21 of their 75 offensive plays were designed runs. Elijah McGuire and Matt Forte, back after missing the last two games, each had 22 yards rushing, and McCown's 16-yard scramble was the team's longest run of the game. After rushing for 256 yards two weeks ago against the Jaguars, the Jets have a combined 108 rushing yards the last two weeks.

--PASS DEFENSE: C -- The Jets held Tom Brady to a season-low 257 passing yards and Buster Skrine had an interception (only Brady's second this year), but he also dropped what should have been another. Morris Claiborne played well, but Rob Gronkowski exposed rookie Jamal Adams. Still no sacks for the defensive line this season.

--RUSH DEFENSE: C -- The Patriots' longest run of the day was 11 yards and linebacker Darron Lee forced Mike Gilleslee to fumble, but the Jets allowed 118 yards on the ground and 4.7 yards per attempt. The Jets, who failed to record a tackle for a loss on Sunday, have the fifth-worst rushing defense in the league.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: B -- Another made field goal for Chandler Catanzaro, who is now 11-for-13 on the season, while Lachlan Edwards netted a respectable 41.8 yards on four punts. But rookie ArDarius Stewart made two bad decisions on kickoff returns by taking the ball out of the end zone, and it resulted in two drives starting inside the 20-yard line.

--COACHING: C -- Credit Todd Bowles for getting his team off to a hot start, showing the Jets could play with the Patriots. But the clock management was atrocious, and the Jets wasted two timeouts in the third quarter they desperately could have used later in the game.