Jets self destruct on defense late in brutal loss to Colts

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Anthony Richardson was back as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback — and played as though he intends to never leave the huddle again.
The No. 4 overall pick in last year’s NFL draft ran for a 4-yard touchdown, his second of the game, with 46 seconds left in his return from a two-game benching to lift the Colts to a 28-27 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Sunday.
“I won’t say I was the most prepared or most confident,” Richardson said. “It was the most relaxed I’ve been. There really wasn’t any pressure on me. I was just out there taking it one play at a time. I just focused on my assignment. I wasn’t trying to press or do anything too much.”
Until the Colts (5-6) really needed him. And he might have helped save their season.
With the Jets (3-8) leading 27-22 after Anders Carlson’s 35-yard field goal with 2:41 remaining, Richardson — who sat out the last two games in favor of Joe Flacco — marched the Colts down the field.
He connected with Alec Pierce for 39 yards and then Josh Downs for 17 yards to put the ball at the 10. Three plays later, Richardson took off to the right and ran into the end zone for the go-ahead score.
“You know what he’s capable of,” running back Jonathan Taylor said. “He’s our QB1. You like to see it, but you know he’s built for it. Just to see him go out there and make plays, take over the game, to make plays in the big moments was awesome to see. I’m proud of him.”
Taylor was stuffed on the 2-point try — giving Rodgers and the Jets one last chance, but with no timeouts left.
Rodgers was sacked by Kwity Paye and fumbled on the first play, but the Jets recovered. After Breece Hall had an 11-yard catch and a delay-of-game penalty was called on the Colts’ E.J. Speed, Rodgers was sacked again by Paye — sealing the win for the Colts, who snapped a three-game skid.
Richardson, the league’s second-youngest starting QB, had perhaps his best game in the NFL — and it came against the league’s oldest quarterback in the 40-year-old Rodgers.
“Great drive at the end by Anthony and the rest of our guys to go down and score,” coach Shane Steichen said. “The way he played, the way he battled today was phenomenal. We’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Richardson finished 20 of 30 for 272 yards and a touchdown to Downs and ran for 32 yards and the two scores on 10 carries. That came a few weeks after Richardson made headlines — and drew criticism — for asking to sit out a play for fatigue.
His two-game benching followed, but Richardson was able to see the silver lining.
“It allowed me to take a step back,” he said, “and clean up some things I had to clean up.”
Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and Hall had a TD catch and ran for a score, but the Jets dropped their seventh in eight games and fell to 1-5 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.
“It’s been tough,” wide receiver Garrett Wilson said. “I ain’t going to fake it.”
Rodgers was 22 of 29 for 184 yards after a brutally slow start during which he went 9 of 13 for just 76 yards. New York failed to get a first down until its sixth offensive possession, when they made two and scored a touchdown.
“I mean, it’s disappointing,” Rodgers said, repeating the theme of the day for the Jets. “I know I’ve said that three times now, but we’ve been working really hard trying to figure out what the issues are. It’s not just one person. Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s somebody else.”
The Jets took their first lead at 14-13 early in the third quarter on an 18-yard touchdown run by Hall — set up by Jamien Sherwood’s strip-sack of Richardson and Javon Kinlaw’s recovery at the Colts 25 on Indianapolis’ second offensive snap of the second half.
Matt Gay’s 56-yard field goal midway through the third gave the Colts the lead again at 16-14.
Carlson, the Jets’ fourth kicker in as many games, made a career-best 58-yarder to put New York back on top with 2:54 left in the third.
Kenny Yeboah’s 11-yard reception — his first career TD catch — made it 24-16 early in the fourth quarter.
Richardson, whose accuracy has been shaky early in his career, was 5 for 5 for 69 yards, including a 10-yard TD toss to Downs to cut the deficit. But his potential tying 2-point pass to Mo Alie-Cox fell incomplete and the Colts trailed by two with 10:11 left.
Carlson’s 35-yarder with 2:41 remaining increased the Jets’ lead to 27-22.
Jets: Edge rusher Haason Reddick left in the second quarter with an ankle injury, but returned in the second half.
Colts: Host Detroit next Sunday.
Jets: Have a bye before hosting the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 1.