EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Move over Odell Beckham Jr., Garrett Wilson might have snatched your spot among the NFL's greatest catches.
With one hand, of course.
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Wilson made a dazzling 26-yard go-ahead touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter and the New York Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night.
“I just kind of lobbed one up there and he made an unbelievable catch,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "That was a huge play. ... That’s a game-changing play.”
Rodgers had three touchdown passes, including another earlier one-handed score by Wilson and a 37-yard throw to recently acquired Davante Adams, and the Jets (3-6) won for the first time in four games under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
With the Jets trailing 10-7 and facing third-and-19 from the Texans 26, Rodgers tossed the ball up toward Wilson in the end zone. The star wide receiver jumped and reached up with his right hand with both legs spread in in the air — looking like the Michael Jordan “Jumpman” logo.
The play was initially called an incomplete pass, but Ulbrich challenged.
“Oh, my goodness,” Ulbrich said. “I mean, I was talking to the ref when they were reviewing it. I was like, ’Just for the sake of posterity, you have to say that’s in just so it goes down in history.”
A video replay review confirmed that Wilson’s shin was down in the end zone and a touchdown was called to give the Jets a 14-10 lead with 12:54 left.
It sent the fans at MetLife Stadium into a frenzy after they had little to cheer for until that point.
Wilson's catch was reminiscent of former Giants great Beckham's one-handed grab against Dallas in 2014.
“For it to even come up in that convo, I’m blessed,” Wilson said. “I’m honored.”
It also helped make up for a Jets touchdown that wasn't when rookie Malachi Corley made a mental mistake that negated his first NFL score.
With the Jets at the Texans 19 early in the second quarter, Corley took the toss from Rodgers and zipped down the right sideline. Corley sped into the end zone, but just before he crossed the goal line, he dropped the ball out of his right hand to celebrate.
A video review showed he had not gotten into the end zone before he dropped it. So, Corley was credited with an 18-yard run and a fumble. And because it rolled out of the side of the end zone, it was a touchback and a turnover.
“First of all, you can’t do that.” Ulbrich said about what he told Corley. “Second of all, you owe us one.”
Rodgers finished 22 of 32 for 211 yards. His 37-yard touchdown pass to Adams, who earlier was cleared after being checked for a possible head injury, put the Jets up 21-10 with 2:56 left. It was Adams' first touchdown catch since being acquired from Las Vegas earlier this month.
Ka'imi Fairbairn made a 29-yard field goal with 39 seconds left to make it an eight-point game, but Adams recovered the onside kick and the Jets were able to take a knee and seal the win.
C.J. Stroud was 11 of 30 for 191 yards for the Texans (6-3), who played with injured receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins. It was the first of three consecutive prime-time games for Houston, with a Sunday night home matchup against on Nov. 10 next and a Monday night meeting at Dallas on Nov. 18.
“It’s embarrassing to come out here in a prime-time game and get embarrassed like that is never fun,” Stroud said. “We have to be better in a lot of areas and that starts with me. There are plays I've got to make, throws I've got to make.”
Fairbairn missed two field goals for Houston. With the Texans trailing 14-10, Fairbairn made it a one-point game when he kicked a 43-yarder — but Eric Watts was called for unnecessary roughness on the attempt, so Houston opted to accept the penalty and keep the ball.
The Jets made a defensive stand and the Texans were forced to try a 27-yard attempt, but Fairbairn doinked his kick off the left upright — keeping it 14-10.
Joe Mixon's 3-yard touchdown run capped a 98-yard drive for the Texans, who took a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter.
The Jets tied it on their opening possession of the second half when Rodgers completed a 21-yard pass to Wilson, who snagged the ball with one hand and ran into the end zone for the tying touchdown.
Riley Patterson, who signed to the active roster hours before the game to replace the injured Greg Zuerlein, hit the left upright on the extra point, but the ball deflected inside and cleared the crossbar.
Fairbairn's 54-yarder put the Texans back up, 10-7 with 4:11 left in the third quarter.
“The most frustrating part is that we were the better team,” Houston right tackle Tytus Howard said. “We let that game get away from us, especially in the second half.”
Slow start
Rodgers was 7 of 14 in the first half for just 32 yards — his fewest in an opening two quarters with 10 or more attempts in his career. His previous low was 37 on 12 attempts against Denver on Nov. 1, 2015, while with Green Bay.
“I played about as bad as I could in the first half," Rodgers said, "and knew it had to get better from there.”
Injuries
Texans: Texans LG Kenyon Green was ruled out at halftime after injuring a shoulder.
Jets: LG John Simpson left in the second quarter with a groin injury and didn't return. ... Backup OL Jake Hanson also left shortly before halftime with a hamstring injury. ... CB Michael Carter II left with a back injury.
Up next
Texans: Host Detroit on “Sunday Night Football” on Nov. 10.
Jets: At Arizona on Nov. 10
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL