Jets’ rally comes up short on late fumble in heart-pounding loss to Lions

DETROIT — The Jets are interesting.

 They’re fun to watch.

 The Jets are better.

 On this day, though, they just weren’t good enough.

 The Jets fought the favored Lions from the back foot all game, but came up short in a riveting 31-24 loss Sunday at Ford Field.

They tied the game on a dynamic series of events that began with their defense stuffing the Lions on a fourth-down try at midfield with 8:32 remaining.

 The Jets, trailing 24-16, took the ball over at their own 46 with a chance to tie, and that’s what they did.

On fourth-and-6 from the Detroit 23-yard line, Geno Smith connected with Garrett Wilson for a TD with 4:06 remaining.

Smith then hit former Giants receiver Sterling Shepard, who was activated from the practice squad for the game, on a 2-point conversion.

 The Lions, though, quickly regained the lead, 31-24, on an 11-yard Jahmyr Gibbs TD reception with 2:25 remaining.

New York Jets’ Geno Smith is sacked by Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson and Skyler Gill-Howard during the second half of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Jahmyr Gibbs (0) of the Detroit Lions scores a touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. Getty Images

 It was Gibbs’ third touchdown of the game.

The Jets, who fell to 1-2, threatened to tie it again, moving the ball to the Detroit 28-yard line, but the Lions ended it with a sack and forced fumble by a blitzing Chuck Clark, a former Jet.

 The ball was recovered by Alim McNeill with 42 seconds remaining to seal the game.

  It was the third consecutive game in which the Lions (2-1) scored 31 points.k