Zach Wilson's late interception costs Jets in loss to Raiders
Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson and tight end Tyler Conklin are unable to catch a Hail Mary as time expires in an NFL game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/David Becker
LAS VEGAS — Zach Wilson had the football and was leading a late-game drive that could have silenced the noise about his future as the Jets starting quarterback — at least for a little while.
Wilson had the opportunity to lift his team on a night when so many penalties wiped away big and important plays for the Jets. It didn’t happen, though. When Wilson needed to be great, he made the big mistake.
His pass intended for Allen Lazard was picked off by linebacker Robert Spillane at the Raiders’ 15 with 1:14 remaining in a tight game. The Jets went on to lose to the Raiders 16-12, on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium.
“I got to be better there,” Wilson said. “I tried to beat Spillane] with the ball. He made an unbelievable play. I got to see that, obviously.
“It hurts because we made some hard-earned plays to get there. To throw an interception to lose a game [stinks]. I hate that. I got to be better for the guys, the team, everyone battling.”
The Jets (4-5) got the ball back with 53 seconds to go. On the final play, Wilson did a great job avoiding a sack, rolled left and threw a desperation pass into the end zone that was knocked away, and the Jets suffered another crushing loss.
They have dropped two straight and have not scored a touchdown in more than 11 quarters and one overtime. So much will be put on Wilson’s shoulders, but again, there was plenty of blame to go around.
Robert Saleh’s team continues to be an undisciplined group, and that’s hurting their chances to get in the end zone. The Jets had a touchdown run by Breece Hall and three first downs erased because of penalties and put the Raiders in field-goal range because of one.
“Self-inflicted wounds,” Saleh said. “Same story as the last couple of weeks. We’ve got to figure it out, figure out how to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. I thought the offense moved the ball really well. We had five shots in their territory. We came away with four field goals. You’re just not going to win football games.”
Saleh called it “dumb, dumb stuff” that’s keeping the Jets from scoring touchdowns.
Wilson was 23-for-39 for 263 yards. He also had 54 yards rushing. Garrett Wilson, who limped off for a few plays in the fourth quarter but returned, caught nine passes for 93 yards. Hall, who scored a touchdown that was negated by C.J. Uzomah’s holding penalty, had 75 yards from scrimmage.
In the first half, Wilson nearly ran for a touchdown. The initial call was that he scored, but he stepped out of bounds before diving and extending the ball over the pylon. Instead of a 23-yard run, it was 20 yards.
Hall scored on the next play, but it was erased.
“What’s frustrating is the different ways we are creating to not get in the end zone,” Saleh said. “Zach scores, but obviously his toe’s barely out. We score the next play. Get a holding penalty.”
It was the second hold by Uzomah. “It’s bull [expletive] on me,” he said. “Can’t let that happen.”
Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell was 16-for-27 for 153 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Josh Jacobs rushed 27 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. Davante Adams, who is expected to be a Jets trade target in the offseason, had six receptions for 86 yards.
The game, which was tied 9-9 in the third, started turning in the Raiders’ favor after Jacobs peeled off a 40-yard run to the Jets’ 13. Sauce Gardner and Tony Adams missed tackles on the big run. Jacobs fumbled, but it went out of bounds.
Three plays later, O’Connell threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mayer to give the Raiders a 16-9 lead 50 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The Raiders (5-5) seemed in control after that. They were driving, but Jacobs fumbled at the Jets’ 25 and Ashtyn Davis recovered it at the 24 with 6:06 to go. The Jets had life.
Wilson hit Lazard for a 17-yard gain on first down. The Jets converted two third downs and had a second-and-8 from the 20. That’s when Wilson’s pass intended for Lazard was intercepted by Spillane and returned to the 40-yard line with 1:14 to go.
“I thought the linebacker made an unbelievable play on the interception,” Saleh said.
The Jets’ defense, however, forced a three-and-out to give the offense one last chance.
Wilson took over at the 20 with 53 seconds remaining and completed back-to-back passes to Tyler Conklin to get to the Las Vegas 44 with 13 seconds left. His last two attempts were incomplete.
Saleh made sure to say this loss was not Wilson’s fault.
“To give a full assessment on Zach, it would be fair to ask everyone around him to play a little bit better, especially with the penalties [eight for 83 yards],” Saleh said. “I thought he did a decent job.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
