By Josh Kendall, Zack Rosenblatt and Denny Alfonso

The Athletic has live coverage of NFL Week 13.

The New York Jets edged the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 in a thrilling finish on Sunday when Nick Folk nailed a 56-yard field goal as time expired.

Special teams were once again a decisive factor for Atlanta, with the Jets scoring a 2-yard touchdown after Jamal Agnew fumbled a punt, and hitting a short field goal following an 83-yard kickoff return by Isaiah Williams. Atlanta’s kickoff coverage has been a season-long issue, allowing the NFL’s longest returns on average. Meanwhile, the Jets’ unit was much better, pinning multiple punts inside the 10-yard line and consistently giving the offense favorable field position.

Offensively, the Jets got a breakout performance from wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who hauled in eight catches for 102 yards and a 52-yard touchdown, his first career score. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s connection with Mitchell highlighted the Jets’ offensive playmaking, though receiver John Metchie struggled with drops.

For the Falcons, running back Bijan Robinson carried the offensive load with 193 total yards, keeping Atlanta competitive despite its struggles in other areas. The Jets defense had trouble containing Robinson and the run game all day, allowing 389 total yards and failing to record an interception for the 12th consecutive game, though New York did force back-to-back three-and-outs late to give the offense a chance at victory.

Jets win on 56-yard field goal

In a lost season, maybe the Jets and head coach Aaron Glenn can find solace in knowing they have one of the NFL’s elite special teams units. Sunday, it almost single-handedly kept the Jets in the game — and ultimately won it for them on Folk’s game-winning 56-yarder with time expiring.

In the second quarter, the Jets recovered a muffed Falcons punt at the 2-yard line, and Breece Hall ran it in for a touchdown on the next play. Isaiah Williams returned a kick 83 yards, but apparently that wasn’t close enough for the Jets to get in the end zone. A three-and-out later, Folk converted a 32-yard field goal. Punter Austin McNamara pinned three punts inside the 10-yard line — and one inside the 5. Folk did miss his first field goal of the year, though it was from 55 yards. Williams also had a clutch 16-yard punt return in the fourth quarter as the Jets were trying to drive for the game-winning score. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets senior writer

Mitchell notches first career TD

Another bright spot for the Jets in the win: wide receiver Mitchell, who had his best game as a pro, especially on a 52-yard touchdown bomb from Taylor. Mitchell burned his defender, came back for the pass, the Falcons’ corner tripped and Mitchell easily caught it for the touchdown, the first of his career on the longest offensive play of the Jets’ season.

He finished the afternoon with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. The other young receiver the Jets acquired at the deadline did not fare as well — Metchie dropped three Taylor passes, including one deep in Falcons territory that could’ve either scored a touchdown or set one up. Mitchell appears to have the higher ceiling of those two players. — Rosenblatt

Jets defense struggles despite late effort

Defensively, the Jets don’t appear to be making much progress. Robinson (193 total yards) ran all over them, and missed tackles were a serious issue, especially on David Sills’ 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter as he juked cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor. The Falcons gained 389 yards of offense and averaged more than 5 yards per carry. The Jets, meanwhile, went their 12th straight game without recording an interception, a remarkable feat. The defense did step up late in the fourth quarter, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs to give the Jets offense a shot at winning the game. — Rosenblatt

Falcons’ special teams struggles costly

Atlanta’s special teams continued to be a disaster as the Jets had a 2-yard touchdown drive and a 1-yard field goal drive thanks to special teams miscues by the Falcons. The touchdown came one play after Agnew fumbled a punt he tried to fair catch at Atlanta’s 7-yard line. The field goal came after an 83-yard kickoff return by Isaiah Williams put the Jets at the Falcons’ 15-yard line.

The Falcons finished the day 28th in the NFL in expected points added through special teams (minus-25.68). While no part of the special teams has been a net positive, the kickoff coverage has been a major issue all season. Atlanta is allowing 29.8 yards per kickoff return, the most in the league. — Josh Kendall, Falcons senior writer

Falcons lean on the Bijan Robinson yardage machine

Robinson kept the Falcons in the game with 142 rushing yards and 51 receiving yards. The Falcons’ third-year running back has been relatively quiet since his monster “Monday Night Football” performance in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, but he was back to his old tricks Sunday, juking Jets throughout the day to turn short gains into big yardage and keep an otherwise inconsistent Atlanta offense moving.

Robinson is second in the league in scrimmage yards this season with 1,589, and no player has accounted for a higher percentage of his team’s yards from scrimmage this season (38.3). — Kendall

Falcons’ playoff hopes hang by a thread

Atlanta remains mathematically alive for the postseason despite the loss, but the final weeks of this season really are about seeing if head coach Raheem Morris can convince owner Arthur Blank to bring him back for a third year. Sunday might have been a huge blow in that regard.

The Falcons and the Jets entered the game on two completely different paths. New York essentially gave up on the 2025 season weeks ago, trading away key pieces and accumulating five first-round picks over the next two years. Atlanta, meanwhile, has gone all in on this season, and yet the teams were virtual equals on the field.

The Falcons face the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints to finish the season. — Kendall

How’d he spin out of this!? 😅 pic.twitter.com/hGKKk02EWB

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 30, 2025