Jets Cut Patriots Lead to 7 on J Sanders' 40-Yard Field Goal

Q: After late field goals tightened the margins, were the Jets and Steelers able to pull off miraculous fourth-quarter comebacks?

No. Neither team completed a fourth-quarter comeback. The Jets cut New England’s lead to 23-16 with Jason Sanders’ 40-yard field goal with 7:20 remaining, but that proved to be the final score. The Patriots held on, with the live game recap showing New England winning 23-16 after controlling much of the day behind Drake Maye and key defensive stops. The Steelers got even closer. Chris Boswell’s late field goal trimmed Tampa Bay’s lead to 16-13 with 8:08 left, after Pittsburgh had already scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to get back into it. But Tampa Bay still finished in front. The game updates show the Buccaneers beating the Steelers 16-13, so Pittsburgh’s rally fell short by three points. In short, both late field goals made the games tense, but neither the Jets nor the Steelers turned them into miracle wins.

Q: Did Jonathan Taylor's clutch late-game touchdown finally snap his grueling 12-game streak without a 100-yard rushing performance?

No. Taylor’s late fourth-quarter touchdown tied the Colts and Titans at 20-20, but it did not by itself confirm that his 12-game streak without a 100-yard rushing game had ended. The reporting around the game makes clear that the touchdown came with 5:32 remaining on a 4-yard run. But the live box-score snapshot provided at 4:30 left did not include Taylor’s individual rushing total, so there is no direct evidence from the game update that he had crossed 100 yards at that moment. The broader context strongly suggests the drought may have continued. Entering the game, Taylor had gone 12 straight games without 100 rushing yards, though he had come close several times, including 95-yard outings. The available in-game material emphasizes the importance of his touchdown and his history against Tennessee, but it does not report a 100-yard total for Sunday. So the accurate answer is that the touchdown was clutch and helped rescue Indianapolis, but based on the information available here, it did not definitively snap the 12-game 100-yard drought.

Q: With Jalen Hurts sidelined, could Tanner McKee's struggles against Carolina's stifling defense permanently derail Philadelphia's season?

No. One rough start by Tanner McKee should not be treated as a season-killer, even if it deepens Philadelphia’s immediate crisis. The Eagles were already in a fragile spot with Jalen Hurts sidelined by a blood clot and then placed on injured reserve, meaning this was never going to be a fair test of one backup quarterback carrying the season. Against Carolina, McKee was under heavy pressure from a defense that disrupted the pocket and helped hold Philadelphia to just 159 total yards while the Panthers controlled the game in first downs and overall yardage. McKee’s line — 17 of 34 for 226 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions — was uneven, but it was not a collapse on its own. The larger warning sign is that Philadelphia’s problems extend well beyond quarterback. The offense has been inconsistent all season, the roster has been hit by injuries, and the team entered the game on a three-game skid. Carolina also looked far stronger than its raw defensive ranking suggested, with a rested front, disguised coverages and a turnover-minded approach that made life difficult for any passer, especially a backup. What could derail the season is not McKee alone, but a prolonged stretch without Hurts combined with an offense that cannot protect, run efficiently or sustain drives. McKee’s performance may affect how much confidence the Eagles have in him over the next month, but one outing against a surging Panthers defense is not enough to permanently define Philadelphia’s season.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 18

J Sanders drilled a 40-yard field goal with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter, pulling the Jets within 23-16 against New England.
The kick made it a one-score game and kept the Jets alive late after the Patriots had built a seven-point cushion.
With just over seven minutes remaining, the score left the Jets needing a touchdown to tie or take the lead depending on the extra point.