In the New York Jets’ eighth game of the 2025 season, on a cool, partly cloudy autumn afternoon in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 39 – 38 in a wild back and forth contest.
The first half saw the Jets offense show some life, but the Jets defense fail miserably on the way to a 24 – 13 halftime deficit.
Early in the third quarter neither team could get much going on offense until the Jets put together a long drive highlighted by a 50-yard Isaiah Davis run. The Jets couldn’t punch
it in and had to settle for a short field goal. That brought the score to 24 – 16 in favor of the Bengals midway through the third quarter.
Just when the Jets looked like they had a little hope, the Bengals crushed it with a drive capped by a Samaje Perrine touchdown run to put the Bengals up by two touchdowns late in the third quarter at 31 – 16.
The Jets still had some fight in them. The fourth quarter began with the Jets driving deep in Bengals territory, with a second and four at the Bengals seven-yard line. Two plays later Breece Hall ran it in. Justin Fields then converted on a two-point attempt to bring the Jets within seven points at 31 – 24 early in the fourth quarter.
The Jets defense couldn’t stand even a small modicum of prosperity, as they immediately succumbed to a long Bengals touchdown drive. That made the score Bengals 38, Jets 24 with a little more than 10 minutes remaining in the game.
The Jets roared right back on offense, taking just a little over two minutes to punch in another touchdown on a Breece Hall run. The Jets then made a hyper-aggressive decision to go for two. Justin Fields found Isaiah Davis at the goal line for a two-point conversion and the score was Bengals 38, Jets 32 with just under eight minutes remaining.
The Jets then forced a three and out as Will McDonald sacked Joe Flacco. The Bengals punted and the Jets had all the momentum as they took over with excellent field position at their own 42 yard line.
With two minutes left the Jets had a first and goal at the four-yard line and a chance to take the lead with a touchdown and point after. Breece Hall then passed to Mason Taylor in the end zone on a trick play. Nick Folk kicked the extra point and the Jets took a one-point lead with just under two minutes left in the game. Now the Jets defense just needed one stop to secure a Jets victory.
Joe Flacco moved the Bengals close to midfield, but the Jets defense held firm from there as they forced two Flacco incompletions on third and fourth down. The Jets ran out the clock from there and the Jets finally got their first win of the 2025 season.
Final score: Jets 39, Bengals 38.
The victory brings the Jets’ record to 1-7 to start the 2025 season. Now the Jets head home for their bye week before they take on the Cleveland Browns in two weeks.
