EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, including a go-ahead 2-yard toss to Jalen Nailor in the fourth quarter, and ran for another score and the Las Vegas Raiders snapped a four-game skid with a 38-33 comeback victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Jeremy Chinn sealed it with a toe-tapping interception in the end zone on a desperation heave by Geno Smith in the closing seconds.
Brock Bowers had two TD catches for
the Raiders (4-4), who trailed the Jets (2-6) by nine at halftime and allowed New York to score on its first six possessions. Dylan Laube returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
Cousins was 19 of 26 for 247 yards and rookie Mike Washington Jr. ran for 83 yards on 25 carries for the Raiders' struggling backfield. Ashton Jeanty, who earlier in the week said it seemed like the Jets' defense has players who don't like to tackle, ran for 9 yards on just two carries but caught three passes for 64 yards — including a big play on the go-ahead scoring drive.
With the Raiders trailing by two, Cousins tossed a screen pass to Jeanty — who stumbled and then zipped downfield for 45 yards to get to the Jets 13. Five plays later, Cousins connected with Nailor to put Las Vegas up 35-30 with 11:33 remaining.
Adonai Mitchell made a terrific 47-yard catch as he was falling to put the Jets at the Raiders 13, but New York had to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Jason Sanders that cut it to 35-33 with 4:31 left.
The Raiders then chewed up the clock and got a 53-yard field goal by Matt Gay with 31 seconds remaining.
The Jets got the ball at their 35 with 27 seconds left and a 15-yard catch by Garrett Wilson and an unnecessary roughness call on Chinn put the ball at the Raiders 35. But Smith's throw into the end zone with 14 seconds left was picked off by Chinn.
Smith was 20 of 32 for 290 yards and touchdowns to Mitchell and Isaiah Williams and the INT for the Jets, who have dropped three in a row. Braelon Allen ran for 147 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
The Jets got off to a promising start, with Smith connecting with Wilson for a 31-yard completion on New York's first play. Wilson has been frustrated by his lack of usage in recent games and coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich have insisted there would be a greater focus on getting him the ball.
The Jets' drive stalled and New York settled for a 21-yard field goal by Sanders.
The Raiders scored on their opening drive, too, converting two third-down plays before Cousins found Bowers on third-and-goal from the 12 for a touchdown.
New York got into the red zone on its next possession but settled for a 36-yarder by Sanders.
Smith threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Williams on New York's third drive, giving the Jets a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter.
But Las Vegas snatched the lead right back when Laube returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to put the Raiders back up, 14-13. It was the first kickoff returned for a TD in the NFL this season, and the first of Laube's three-year career.
Smith's over-the-shoulder fade pass to Mitchell on fourth-and-1 from the 12 for a touchdown put New York up 20-14.
The Jets entered having been outscored 107-6 in the final two minutes of the opening half in two seasons under Glenn. They had the ball at the Raiders 28 at the two-minute warning and got a 39-yard field goal to go up 23-14, New York's first points this season in the last two minutes of the first half.
Las Vegas made it a two-point game at 23-21 on Cousins' 2-yard TD pass to Bowers to open the second half.
Allen rumbled 21 yards for a touchdown to make it a two-score game again as the Jets went up 30-21 by scoring on their sixth straight drive to open the game.
Cousins pushed forward and over the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 30-28 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.
The Jets' scoring streak ended on their seventh drive, when they punted for the first time late in the third quarter.
Raiders CB Darien Porter left after injuring his groin on Las Vegas' first defensive play and didn't return.
Raiders: Face the 49ers in San Francisco next Sunday.
Jets: Travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs next Sunday.
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