Despite forcing two turnovers on defense the Jets struggled to get anything going consistently on offense and dropped a 23-12 contest to the Bears at Soldier Field Sunday.
While Chicago controlled the clock early, the Jets defense halted two drives with takeaways they converted into points. Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted QB Tyson Bagnet in the second quarter and LB Jamien Sherwood forced RB D'Andre Swift to fumble the football, which was recovered by CB Brandon Stephens, in the third
Geno Smith was 8-of-15 passing for 119 yards and 1 TD. When the Jets trailed 23-6 with 10 minutes left in the game after the Bears scored a 21-yard field goal, Smith found WR Isaiah Williams deep for a 58-yard TD in a drive that took less than a minute. The extra point was no good.
With Breece Hall inactive, the Green & White relied on RB Braelon Allen who had 59 rushing yards (4.2 per) on all of the Jets' rushing attempts (14). WR Garrett Wilson made 3 receptions for 27 yards.
Fitzpatrick, in his first game back since sustaining a groin injury in Week 1 against the Titans, had the team's first interception of the season when Bagnet took a deep shot down field for TE Colston Loveland. Off the turnover, the Jets put points on the board with K Jason Sanders making a 36-yard field goal.
See the best photos from the Jets game against the Bears in Week 4.
Fitzpatrick a veteran safety, has 22 career interceptions, tied for the eighth-most in the league since he entered in 2018. He had 16 tackles marking the 117th time in his career he's had 2-plus tackles in a game — the sixth most among active safeties since 1994. Ten of his tackles came in the first half.
The Jets had 12 penalties including three calls that nullified three other interceptions.
Before halftime, the Bears scored two field goals to take a 13-3 lead. And on their first possession out of the break Swift made a run out to the left and Sherwood's tackle from behind forced a fumble. Stephens recovered the ball and the Jets had favorable field position in Chicago territory.
Sanders converted his second field goal of the day — this one from 30 yards — to put the Jets within 7 points midway through the third quarter, 13-6.
In the first quarter, the Bears controlled the clock, and the Jets only had four offensive plays, but Chicago only had a 7-point advantage. The Jets defense, with a strong interior line, prevented Chicago from scoring on its opening drive when Stephens stopped Swift short of the goal line on fourth down.
The Green & White forced the Bears to go for it on fourth-and-goal on their second drive after RB Kyle Monangai was stonewalled by edge Joseph Ossai and Sherwood on third down, but he crossed the goal line on the next play.
Monangai scored another TD, a 5-yard rush up the middle, with 2:26 left in the third quarter and the Bears finished with 232 rushing yards. Bagnet was 25-of-34 passing 268 passing yards and 1 INT.
