Buccaneers walk-off field goal upends Jets after late blocked kick
Taylor leads late Jets rally, but McLaughlin's 36-yard kick ends it after Will McDonald IV blocked a kick that briefly gave New York the lead.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Jets' season hit another cruel twist in the closing minutes, then a last-kick heartbreak. New York erased a 23-6 deficit by scoring three touchdowns in the final 11 minutes to take a 27-26 lead just after the two-minute warning when Will McDonald IV blocked a Buccaneers field-goal attempt and returned it 50 yards for a Jets TD. But Chase McLaughlin, a former Jet, drilled a walk-off 36-yard field goal as Tampa Bay stole a 29-27 victory. The sequence capped a day in which the Jets also saw a would-be game-sealing 43-yard kick blocked earlier in the fourth quarter and returned for a touchdown to briefly flip the score in New York’s favor.
Filling in for Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor supplied the late surge for New York, throwing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes and guiding a drive into field-goal range for the final sequence. Taylor connected with Garrett Wilson on an 11-yard TD with 10:16 to play, then Allen Lazard hauled in a 4-yard touchdown on fourth down with 3:46 remaining after a review upheld the call, pulling the Jets within 26-20. After the Jets regained momentum, Mayfield’s 33-yard run helped push Tampa Bay into field-goal range, and the Buccaneers needed only seven plays to gain 48 yards before McLaughlin’s kick.
Earlier, Tampa Bay stretched its lead with a defensive spark when Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean returned a Tyrod Taylor interception for a touchdown just before halftime, giving the Buccaneers a 20-6 edge. The Jets’ offense had its share of issues, including drops by Tyler Johnson, penalties by Micheal Clemons and Sauce Gardner, and a lack of pressure on an offensive line missing three starters, which contributed to New York’s earlier struggles.
New York is 0-3 for the first time since 2021. Only about two percent of 0-3 teams since 1990 have rebounded to make the playoffs, and none in the post-2021 era when seven playoff teams per conference are eligible.
Looking ahead, the Jets will try to salvage a faltering start, while the Buccaneers move forward with a 2-1 record as they prepare for their next game.
