EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Opportunity escaped the Jaguars' grasp Sunday.
The Jaguars rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, but lost a wild game in overtime when Jets kicker Chandler Catanzaro converted a 41-yard field goal for a 23-20 at MetLife Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Catanzaro's field goal came with :28 remaining in overtime.
The Jaguars (2-2) missed a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the AFC South. They now are tied with the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans for first place.
The Jets improved to 2-2.
The teams traded punts to start overtime, with the Jaguars punting three times and the Jets putting twice. A 70-yad punt by Lachlan Edwards pinned the Jaguars at their 3 and eventually helped set up Catanzaro's field goal.
The Jaguars' defense led a dramatic fourth-quarter rally. First, linebacker Myles Jack returned a lateral 81 yards for a touchdown with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. That made it 20-17, Jets.
The score remained that way, then cornerback A.J. Bouye intercepted Jets quarterback Josh McCown to give the Jaguars a first down at the Jets 35 with 3:19 remaining.
Jason Myers' 22-yard field goal with :46 remaining tied it, 20-20.
The Jaguars' run defense struggled with big plays throughout, allowing a 75-yard touchdown run by Bilal Powell in the first quarter and a 69-yard touchdown run by rookie Elijah McGuire in the third quarter. The Jets finished with 256 yards rushing. Powell rushed for 163 yards on 21 carries.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles completed 15 of 35 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown with an interceptions. McCown completed 22 of 31 passes for 224 yards and no touchdowns with an interception.
The Jaguars, who entered the game with eight takeaways, forced two Sunday – both in the fourth quarter. The offense committed one turnover.
The Jaguars registered five sacks, including four in the first half. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue had two sacks – and defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and safety Barry Church all had one.
Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette had 145 yards total offense, 86 rushing and 59 receiving.
Step by step:
*The Jaguars squandered a strong first-quarter start. They dominated early, forcing a three-and-out on the Jets' first possession and following that with a 61-yard drive that ended when Bortles threw 10 yards to Fournette for a 7-0 lead. The Jets tied it on the next possession on Powell's 75-yard touchdown run; Powell stumbled for a 10-yard gain, then got up when he wasn't touched down and scored easily. That made it 7-7 with 7:49 remaining in the first quarter.
*A big play for the Jaguars came early in the second quarter when Church sacked McCown to push the Jets out of field-goal range and force a punt that gave the Jaguars possession at their 13 with 12:25 remaining in the half. The Jaguars drove 75 yards on the ensuing drive, with Myers' 30-yard field goal giving the Jaguars a 10-7 lead with 5:10 remaining in the quarter. The Jets tied it 10-10 on a 45-yard field goal by Catanzaro with 1:11 remaining in the half. Key Jaguars play on the drive: sack by Ngakoue two plays before the field goal.
*The Jets' run offense continued to define the game early in the second half, with rookie running back McGuire giving New York a 17-10 lead with a 69-yard run with 10:02 remaining in the third quarter. The Jets pushed the lead to 20-10 with :28 remaining in third quarter with a 26-yard field goal by Catanzaro, a score that followed an interception by defensive end Kony Early that gave the Jets possession at the Jaguars 7.
*The Jaguars' defense stemmed the Jets' momentum early in the fourth quarter when Jack picked up a lateral by McCown and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown that made it 20-17, Jets, with 10:20 remaining.
Notable: The Jaguars' defense has forced a three-and-out possession on the first drive of all four games this season. …. Church's second-quarter sack was the first of his career. … When Fournette scored on the Jaguars' opening possession, it was his fourth consecutive game with a touchdown to start his career; Fournette is the only player in franchise history to do so. … Fournette's touchdown on the opening possession mean the Jaguars have scored on the first possession of all four games this season; they have scored on their first drive in their last six games. … Safety Tashaun Gipson (knee) played for the Jaguars Sunday after being added to the injury report as questionable Friday. …
Injury report:Jaguars right guard A.J. Cann left in the second quarter with a finger injury and returned later in the half; Tyler Shatley replaced Cann in the lineup. … Jaguars inactives Sunday: Running back T.J. Yeldon, quarterback Ryan Nassib, wide receiver Jaelen Strong (hamstring), cornerback Jalen Myrick, linebacker Lerentee McCray (knee), offensive lineman Josh Walker and offensive lineman William Poehls.
What's next: The Jaguars are scheduled to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sunday at 1 p.m.
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