Leave it to the New York Jets to steal defeat from the jaws of victory.
What else can you say, after watching the Jets gift-wrap a last-second, 31-28 victory for the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at MetLife Stadium?
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III sent the Jets to their 12th straight loss this season.
Carr’s throw was the perfect counterpunch to Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ blitz call, leaving rookie cornerback Lamar Jackson on an island against Ruggs.
After the game, NBC Sports NFL analysts Rodney Harrison, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy slammed Williams and Jets head coach Adam Gase. Per NBC Sports PR:
Dungy on final play of the game: “You can’t all-out blitz now here, can you? Leaving your corner one-on-one, are you kidding me?”
Simms: “Why is the corner jumping on the underneath route?”
Dungy: “Why is he one-on-one?”
Harrison to Dungy on the all-out blitz call by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams giving up the game-winning TD pass: “If you’re Adam Gase, do you overrule that?”
Dungy: “You practice that before it ever happens … As you know, your Friday practice, your Saturday practice, ‘Hey, here’s the last play of the game. How are we going to play it?’ That was unbelievable.”
Harrison: “It seemed like they were trying to lose to get the number one (draft) pick.”
Harrison: “They better be glad I don’t own the Jets. Gregg Williams and Adam Gase would both be unemployed (Monday).”
Former Jets quarterback and current WFAN host Boomer Esiason reached a similar conclusion while discussing the game on CBS. Per WFAN:
“I have a headache thinking about this … the fact that Gregg Williams would play that coverage in that situation? It’s almost like the Jets drew that up to lose the game.”
Should Williams and Gase manage to keep their jobs, they will visit the 8-4 Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
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