The New York Jets committed one of the most costly penalties of the week in the first half of their game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Patriots were trailing 10-3 late in the first half when they came away with a huge interception. They began their ensuing drive at the Jets’ 40-yard line with 42 seconds left and all three timeouts. After completing a 15-yard pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson on first down, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones threw a brutal interception that Jets cornerback Michael Carter II returned 84 yards for a touchdown.
Fortunately for New England, a roughing the passer penalty nullified the pick-six. Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers was called for launching himself into Jones. You can see the whole sequence below:
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the bad roughing the passer calls we have seen around the NFL this season, but that was not one of them. That was definitely a penalty by the way the rule is written. The timing was just as bad as it gets.
The Jets held the Patriots to a field goal on the drive and took a 10-6 lead into the half.
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