Jets fall to Buccaneers on walk-off field goal as Williams injures shoulder
Quincy Williams injures shoulder late in the first half; Sauce Gardner clears concussion checks and returns as New York suffers a 29-27 defeat in Tampa
In Tampa, the Jets fell 29-27 to the Buccaneers on a walk-off 58-yard field goal that capped a dramatic finish. The night’s biggest concern for New York was linebacker Quincy Williams, who suffered a shoulder injury late in the first half and did not return. Cornerback Sauce Gardner passed his concussion check on the sideline and re-entered for the final two plays, but the Jets could not close out the comeback.
Williams had four tackles, a half-sack and two quarterback hits in the first half and remained with the Jets until 52 seconds remained in the second quarter. Gardner remained on the sideline for portions of the fourth quarter after heading to the injury tent, but he rejoined for the final defensive stand and was on the field for the kneel-down.
Gardner’s health status overshadowed the closing moments, but he offered a sense of relief after returning. "We have to stop coming up short," Gardner said. "I didn’t even know where the kick sticks were at when I came in."
The Buccaneers used a late drive to set up Mayfield’s finish. Leading 26-20, Tampa Bay faced fourth-and-1 after the two-minute warning. Mayfield barked signals trying to draw the Jets offside until the play clock expired, then Bowles sent out McLaughlin for a 43-yard field goal that was blocked and returned for a touchdown. "It was the right thing to do when we had the fourth-and-1. That would’ve put us up by nine. It would have been hard for them to win the game. I wasn’t looking for the block. That can’t happen," Bowles said later.
Left guard John Simpson took the blame for Tyrod Taylor’s strip-sack fumble caused by an Antoine Winfield Jr. blitz and for Taylor’s throw on a pick-six. "The two pressures were on me and I take that," Simpson said. "I have to do a better job and hone in on the details. Other than that, I feel like we did a pretty good job up front. Those were two of the biggest plays in the game."
The Jets had kept it tight into the late stages, with Gardner returning to help defend a 1-yard run and a kneel-down in the final sequence. The block-and-return at 43 yards briefly altered the momentum, then New York watched a late-drive finish with Mayfield’s completions to Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard set up the game-ending kick.
The game underscored a mix of late-game decision-making and injuries as the Jets regroup for Week 2. Gardner’s return and Williams’ status will be central as New York evaluates how to balance risk and resilience in a short week or next matchup.