Jets Earn Emotional First Win Hours After Former Center Passes Away

The New York Jets have won their first game in the Aaron Glenn era after an abysmal 0-7 start. Their 39-38 nail biting win over the Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t have come at a better time after a week of uncertainty and a day of mourning.

Just hours before kickoff, news broke that former Jets center Nick Mangold passed away at 41. The cause of death for the former standout lineman was kidney failure as he made a public appeal for a kidney transplant 12 days prior to passing. Mangold was a standout lineman at Ohio State, which led to him being drafted 29th overall in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Jets. The star lineman was a staple piece of the late 2000s and early 2010s Jets, going on to earn seven Pro Bowl nominations, two First Team All-Pro selections, and one Second Team All-Pro selection in 11 seasons with the team. Mangold also showed durability as he missed 12 games in his career, playing in 164 out of 176 games. This stacked up resume has earned Mangold consideration for a Hall of Fame nomination for the upcoming 2026 class.

After the news broke, the winless Jets had to go on to play the Bengals on the road. The expectation was that the Bengals, with quarterback Joe Flacco, would go on to beat the Jets. The game started with the Bengals taking an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Jets mustered up a touchdown and two field goals but went into halftime down 24-13 after Flacco threw a 44-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins and a 19-yard touchdown to Chase Brown. In the third quarter, the Jets settled for another field goal while Bengals running back Samaje Perine ripped off a 32-yard touchdown run to take a 31-16 lead over the Jets heading into the fourth quarter.

When people thought the game was over, the Jets woke up in the fourth quarter, starting off with a six play, 66-yard drive capped off by a Breece Hall rushing touchdown, followed by a Justin Fields run for a two-point conversion to cut the Bengals lead to 31-24. The Bengals responded with a seven play, 73-yard touchdown drive to go up 38-24. The Jets answered with another Breece Hall touchdown run for 27 yards and converted on another two-point conversion to make it a 38-32 game. The Jets defense bounced back and forced a three and out, making the Bengals punt for just the third time all game to give their red-hot offense the ball back with seven minutes left. Head coach Aaron Glenn and his offense with all the momentum, constructed a nine play, 58-yard drive that took nearly five minutes off the clock. The now unstoppable Jets scored on a trick play in which star running back Breece Hall scored his third touchdown of the day, throwing one to rookie tight end Mason Taylor. After drilling the extra point, the winless Jets had a one-point lead with a little less than two minutes left for the Bengals to score. After allowing a first down, the Jets defense held strong when it mattered, forcing a turnover on downs to win their first game 39-38.

The Jets secured their first win of the season in dramatic fashion as Mangold seemed to be with the team spiritually. The victory came on the road down 15 points entering the fourth quarter. They outscored the Bengals 23-7 in the fourth quarter to complete the team’s fourth biggest comeback in franchise history. The momentous win also came on the road in Cincinnati, just about an hour away from Nick Mangold’s hometown of Centerville, Ohio. As the spotlight is on Mangold’s passing as a motivator for the Jets’ win, there is plenty more personal emotion that played a key factor in this game.

Breece Hall was the star of the show, running for 133 yards and two touchdowns while throwing the game winning touchdown. In the midst of this performance, quarterback Justin Fields played well after facing plenty of scrutiny coming into the game. The former Ohio State Buckeye threw for 244 yards and one touchdown on 21 of 32 passing after nearly being benched. After being called out by fans and media for poor performances, Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields, which led to the team leaning towards starting backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Fields discussed how he cried in his closet after, as it seemed as if negativity was surrounding him. After Taylor was ruled out with a bone injury, Fields stepped up and helped to deliver the team’s first win just hours after they lost a legend. Fields’ bounce back game honored the former Buckeye and Jet who will live on forever.