The New York Jets came back to edge the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-13 in NFL the preseason opener for both clubs at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Former Jets running back Chris Ivory scored from a yard out in the opening quarter. Ivory, who spent three seasons with New York, had six carries for 26 yards.
Jaguars starting QB Blake Bortles finished six for seven for 105 yards. He played two series before giving way to Chad Henne, who completed eight of nine passes for 94 yards.
“We want to come out and be sharp with our operation in and out of the huddle, no mental errors, lining up correctly, shifts and motions, and all that,” Bortles said. “And, obviously take care of the ball. I thought for the most part it was good. We will correct some things when we get back.”
Wide receiver Allen Robinson had three receptions for 80 yards.
“For us, I think it is about us owning the offense and honing into our assignments,” Robinson said. “For us, it is about knowing what we want to get accomplished and that is starting fast…making sure we are familiar with our plays and assignments and communicating and all that.”
Jason Myers’ second field goal extended Jacksonville’s lead to 13-7 with 1:11 left in the first half.
In the final minute of the game rookie QB Brandon Allen took the Jaguars 64 yards to the New York 14-yard line. Jets rookie cornerback Doug Middleton picked off a deflected pass in the end zone with 12 seconds to play.
A sixth-round selection in this year’s draft, Allen played the entire second half, completing 10 of 19 passes and finished with 138 passing yards and one interception
The Jaguars outgained the Jets, 415-284, in total net yardage and totaled 96 net rushing yards. The Jaguars defensive front only allowed 56 net rushing yards on 20 carries, limiting the Jets to 2.8 yards-per-carry compared to the Jaguars’ 3.8 rush average.
Jets’ QB Geno Smith threw a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Charone Peake. The Jets trailed 10-0 after the first quarter.
Starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick finished three for four for 72 yards. Bilal Powell scored from 4 yards out on the first play of the second quarter. New York rookie wide receiver Jalin Marshall returned a kickoff 84 yards to the Jacksonville 18-yard line in the final minutes of the second quarter.
Sack Squad: Rookie defensive end Yannick Ngakoue brought down Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on New York’s opening drive. Ngakoue set Maryland’s single-season sack record in 2015, totaling 13.5 sacks en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors. Second-year defensive tackle Michael Bennett and free agent acquisition Bjoern Werner each added a sack for the Jaguars.
