Thursday Night Football matched Halloween Night, with weirdness all around.
The Jets, who couldn’t do anything offensively in the first half, outscored the Texans 21-6 in the second half. New York beat Houston for a second consecutive season, winning 21-13 by roughing up C.J. Stroud again.
The Texans fell to 6-3, while the Jets ended a five-game losing streak to improve to 3-6. It was interim coach Jeff Ulbrich’s first victory.
The Jets pressured C.J. Stroud all night, sacking him eight times, the most Stroud has ever taken. Micheal Clemons had two sacks, including a strip-sack with the Texans at the New York 12 in the first half. Jamien Sherwood also had two and Quinnen Williams 1.5.
Stroud finished 11-of-30 for 191 yards as Houston gained 322 total yards. Joe Mixon was most of the offense with 106 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
A year ago, Stroud was only 10-of-23 for 91 yards against the Jets before leaving with the head injury. He briefly was injured on a third-down sack late in the first half Thursday but didn’t miss a play.
The Texans went 1-for-4 in the red zone.
Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed two field goals, including one in the red zone. He was wide right on a 56-yarder in the first half, and in the second half, he made a 43-yarder before it was nullified by Eric Watts’ illegal hit on Texans center Jon Weeks. The Texans took the three points off the board, and four plays later, Fairbairn banged a chip-shot, 27-yarder off the upright.
The Jets gained only 69 yards in the first half, and Aaron Rodgers passed for only 32 yards as they trailed 7-0. The Jets briefly had a touchdown when rookie receiver Malachi Corley ran for what was ruled a 19-yard score. Corley, though, dropped the ball in celebration before he crossed the plane, and replay overturned it and gave the ball to the Texans after the ball went out the back of the end zone.
The Texans also had a touchdown overturned by replay — a fumble return that was an incompletion — and the Jets had an incompletion overturned to a touchdown by replay. Garrett Wilson had two touchdowns, with his second a spectacular, one-handed 26-yarder that was ruled incomplete on the field. His first went for 21 yards.
Davante Adams had a 37-yard touchdown after returning from a concussion evaluation to ice the game with 2:56 left.
Rodgers finished 22-of-32 for 211 yards and three touchdowns, while Adams catching seven for 91 and Wilson nine for 90.
