Jets beat Texans as Aaron Rodgers throws three touchdown passes to help end five-game skid

The Jets are still alive after nearly burying themselves.

There were times during their scoreless first half on Thursday night when they looked as if they were headed toward another terrible defeat and a mostly meaningless end of the season. It was scary how inept they were.

But the Jets were a different team in the second half. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, two of them on amazing one-handed catches by Garrett Wilson, as the Jets (3-6) ended their losing streak at five games with a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium.

It was Jeff Ulbrich’s first victory as interim coach and their first win since Week 3 over the Patriots, also on a Thursday night at MetLife.

“It was kind of season-on-the-line there in the second half,” Rodgers said. “We wouldn’t have been mathematically eliminated. But mentally to go 2-7 would have been real tough.”

Before the Jets’ thrilling second-half resurrection, they heard it from the crowd. They were booed several times and there were chants of “Sell the team!” directed at owner Woody Johnson. All of that went away in the second half.

Maybe Rodgers’ new elixir of cayenne pepper and water kicked in after halftime. He finished 22-for-32 for 211 yards. In the second half, he was 15-for-18 for 179 yards and three scores.

Wilson caught nine passes for 90 yards and the two absurd touchdown grabs (21 and 26 yards). Davante Adams had seven catches for 91 yards and his first touchdown as a Jet. Breece Hall rushed 15 times for 74 yards

Adams, who left the game in the third quarter to get evaluated for a concussion, returned in the fourth quarter. His 37-yard touchdown catch with 2:56 left put the Jets up 21-10 and basically sealed the game.

“It feels good,” Wilson said. “We definitely just wanted to get back in the win column. Losing five straight doesn’t feel good. We’re better than that, most importantly, and it was time to go prove it.”

The Jets’ defense had a strong game, recording a season-high eight sacks, including Haason Reddick’s first as a Jet. They also got their first takeaway in four games.

The Jets contained C.J. Stroud, who was 11-for-30 for 191 yards. Joe Mixon rushed 24 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Tank Dell had six catches for 126 yards. The Texans (6-3) were without their top two receivers, Nico Collins (hamstring) and Stefon Diggs (torn ACL).

The Jets, who were outgained 201-89 in the first half and had only 14 net passing yards at halftime, were fortunate to trail only 7-0.

They had a touchdown negated by a mind-numbing play by rookie Malachi Corley. He had an open 19-yard run for a touchdown, but he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line and it bounced out of bounds in the end zone. The Texans took over at the 20 on the touchback.

In the locker room at halftime, Morgan Moses was among the players who spoke up, and the Jets came out more determined and much more efficient.

“We had a chance to kind of cash it in,” Rodgers said. “But Morgan gave a little speech. We all kind of were positive, nobody was isolated at halftime. We just knew, ‘Hey, let’s go out and score every possession.’ ”

The Jets scored on their first three possessions. The last one was a kneel-down with Rodgers in victory formation.

Rodgers connected with Wilson for a 21-yard touchdown with 9:03 left in the quarter. Wilson made a great reaching one-handed grab, brought it in and took it in for the TD to tie the score.

After the Texans’ Ka’imi Fairbarn kicked a 54-yard field goal to make it 10-7, the Jets answered, with Wilson displaying more brilliance.

On third-and-19, Rodgers and Wilson hooked up for a 26-yard touchdown. Wilson made a ridiculous leaping one-handed catch in the back of the end zone and got his left shin down before going out of bounds.

Wilson initially was ruled out of bounds, but Ulbrich challenged the call and it was overturned. “I was like, ‘I hope that one counts. I hope that’s not one of those where I got to be like what if,’ ” Wilson said. “I’m glad it did.”

Ulbrich said he told the ref while they were reviewing it that they had to overturn it.

“I was like, ‘Just for the sake of posterity, you have to say that’s in just so it goes down in history,’ ” Ulbrich said. “It would rival the Odell [Beckham Jr.] catch. It was amazing.”

The Texans drove deep in Jets territory on the next series but didn’t get any points. Fairbarn’s 27-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright with 6:54 to go.

That was his second field-goal attempt of the series. The first — a 43-yarder — was good, but the Texans took the points off the board because the Jets’ Eric Watts made contact with the center. The 15-yard penalty gave the Texans a first down at the 12, and the Jets were lucky no harm was done.

“It’s a good win to get,” Wilson said, “and definitely given the circumstances, it makes it that much better.”  

New kicker. The Jets signed Riley Patterson to the active roster after inking him to the practice squad Wednesday. He took over the kicking duties for struggling Greg Zuerlein, who went on injured reserve with a knee issue. Patterson made his three extra-point tries.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.