"You didn't need to be a longtime Jets observer to know that when they faced fourth-and-1 from their own 49 with 8:41 left in a game in which they trailed the Bengals by 14, their opportunity to win was downright dim. Even the unemotional number-crunching machines that look into such matters came up with the same conclusion: According to the league's Next Gen Stats, there was a 2.9% chance of them pulling out a victory when that snap occurred."
"A lot would happen afterward. Breece Hall ran for his second touchdown of the game and then threw the game-winning TD pass to Mason Taylor. Justin Fields threw a two-point conversion pass to Isaiah Davis that initially was ruled short of the goal line but was reviewed and overturned for the deuce. The defense forced a three-and-out on a possession that lasted only 58 seconds"
"'I just wanted to be the guy who can make the play when we needed it the most,' Ruckert, who grew up on Long Island rooting for the Jets, told Newsday afterward. This time he did exactly that. Of course the Jets knew he could. And if they didn't, they learned it on Saturday. That was when coach Aaron Glenn showed the entire team highlights of Ruckert's performances at Lindenhurst High School."
Trailing by 14 with 8:41 remaining and facing fourth-and-1 from their own 49, the Jets converted a critical play that shifted the game's probability from near-hopeless to winnable. Next Gen Stats had given them a 2.9% chance at that moment. Justin Fields connected with Jeremy Ruckert for a 24-yard gain on the fourth-and-1, sparking momentum. Breece Hall scored and later threw a touchdown to Mason Taylor. Fields' two-point conversion to Isaiah Davis was overturned in review to count. The defense forced a brief three-and-out and prevented Cincinnati from reaching field-goal range, securing a 39-38 victory.
Read at Newsday
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