Flag Day at Tampa Bay
HC Aaron Glenn noted that one sack of Baker Mayfield was not a complete measure of the Jets’ pass rush. Indeed, the Buccaneers offense was yellow-flagged for 5 holds in the first quarter and 7 holds on the day.
Four of the 7 holds came on passing plays, 3 on rushes. And those first 5 holds came in an 11-snap span on the Bucs’ opening drive. First, Michael Carter was held on a running play. Then came a pulldown of Jowon Briggs (pass), Sauce Gardner (downfield on a pass), Quinnen Williams (pass rush), and Will McDonald (pass rush). Quinnen was then held again on a second-quarter rush and Leonard Taylor on a third-quarter run. Since 1997, the most offensive holds marked off against opponents in an entire Jets game was 4, which happened 3 times.
Total-flags-wise, the Bucs’ 14 penalties assessed for 124 yards weren’t the most penalties or yards by a Jets opponent. But since 1970, Tampa’s 7 total first-quarter penalties tied for the most in an opening period by a Jets opponent, and the Bucs’ 10 first-half infractions broke the mark of 9, by five previous opponents, most recently in 2013 by … the Bucs.
Uncompleted Comeback
Had the Jets held onto their late 27-26 lead, the 17-point rebound from their 23-6 deficit would have tied for the third-largest comeback victory in franchise history. In going ahead but falling back, they tied for the 2nd-largest comeback in a defeat.
The Green & White’s largest deficit overcome in a loss, 21 points, occurred in the 1989 season opener at the Meadowlands. They spotted the Patriots a 21-0 halftime lead, roared back on two Ken O’Brien touchdown passes for s 24-21 lead with 7:28 to play, but lost 27-24 on Reggie Dupard’s short run with 1:55 left.
Eleven seasons before that, in 1978 at Cleveland, the Jets and QB Matt Robinson fell behind by 27-10 before scrambling back to take a 34-27 lead. But they gave up a TD to Brian Sipe and the Browns with 14 seconds in regulation, then the Don Cockcroft FG in OT for the Browns’ 37-34 win.