Jets vs. Chargers score: Los Angeles shuts down Zach Wilson, New York in ugly ‘Monday Night Football’ matchup

If the Jets want Aaron Rodgers to play again this season, they’ll have to play considerably better moving forward than they did Monday night. The Jets were completely outplayed by the visiting Chargers, who left the Big Apple with a 27-6 win. 

The win moved the Chargers to .500, while the Jets are also at .500 after seeing their three-game winning streak come to an emphatic end. 

Los Angeles set the tone early on Darius Davis’ 87-yard punt return for a score after its defense forced a punt on the game’s opening drive. A strip-sack by Joey Bosa two series later set up Austin Ekeler’s short touchdown run that stretched the Chargers’ lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. 

Down 17-3 at halftime, the Jets hung around and were technically still in the game entering the fourth quarter. But Khalil Mack’s strip-sack of Wilson with 4:36 left sealed the Chargers’ win as it set up Ekeler’s second touchdown run of the night. 

It was an ugly night for both offenses. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for just 136 yards and was sacked five times. Wilson threw for 259 yards, but he was sacked eight times while committing those two costly fumbles.

Here’s a closer look at what went down on Monday night. 

Why the Chargers won 

For a second straight week, the Chargers played complementary football. The special teams took advantage of the defense’s early success, while the Chargers’ offense scored both of their touchdowns off turnovers. 

It was a banner night for Joey Bosa, who tormented the Jets’ offense to the tune of 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu had two sacks apiece for a defense that never allowed the Jets’ offense to get on track. 

Why the Jets lost 

It’s hard to win a game when your offense doesn’t do anything. It’s impossible to win when your offense doesn’t do anything and also puts your defense in bad spots by turning the ball over. That’s what happened Monday night, as the Jets’ offense did nothing while also putting its defense is terrible spots. 

New York’s defense played well, but it didn’t make the momentum-changing plays it seemed to will into existence during the team’s recent winning streak. The unit, led by C.J. Mosley (11 tackles) and Bryce Huff (1.5 sacks) did everything else, though, including holding the Chargers to just 191 total yards. 

Wilson’s struggles during his career have been well-documented, and they were on full display Monday night. The former No. 2 overall pick struggled to make routine plays and was simply no match for the Chargers’ defense. He did complete 33 passes, but his miscues greatly outweighed the things he did well. 

It wasn’t all on Wilson, though. The Jets needed to get more from their ground game, which gained just 64 yards on 20 carries. 

Turning point 

New York appeared to be finding some rhythm on offense at the start of the second half. The Jets’ first drive of the half ended with a field goal, and they were able to drive to the Chargers’ 32-yard line on their ensuing drive after their defense forced a quick three-and-out. 

A false start penalty, however, put the Jets into a third-and-8 situation from the Chargers’ 37-yard-line. Wilson was sacked by Bosa on the play, and the Jets’ once promising drive resulted in a punt. The Chargers’ offense then proceeded to march 68 yards in 16 plays on a drive that Cameron Dicker capped with his second field goal of the night. The Chargers led 20-3 at that point, and the Jets never threatened again. 

Play of the game 

The key play on the Chargers’ 16-play scoring drive was Keenan Allen’s balletic 23-yard catch that put him over the 10,000 career receiving yardage mark. Allen is only the 54th player in league history and sixth active player to reach that milestone. 

Here’s a slow-motion look at Allen’s incredible catch. 

Quotable 

“We knew we had a good chance to affect the quarterback, and I think we did just that.” — Bosa to ESPN’s Lisa Salters 

What’s next 

The Chargers will head home to face the 6-2 Detroit Lions, who are coming off of their bye week. The Jets will take their act to Las Vegas where they’ll face a Raiders team that is coming off their blowout win over the Giants during Antonio Pierce’s first game as interim coach.