Occasionally during the dead points of this offseason, we’ll look back at some of the quirks, highlights, lowlights and follies from recent years. Today, we relive a strange win for the New York Jets.
On Sept. 22, 2013, the New York Jets became the only team in modern NFL history to win despite committing 20 penalties in a game.
The Jets beat the division rival Buffalo Bills, 27-20, despite being penalized nearly three times as often as Buffalo (who took seven penalties). Gang Green was docked a total of 168 yards, but quarterback Geno Smith still threw two touchdown passes and run another one in. Combined with two field goals, that was enough.
It helped that the New York defense shut down the Bills on 14 of their 18 third-down attempts, and that they limited the Bills to field goals on all three of their red-zone trips. But the Jets forced zero takeaways and turned the ball over twice, making this victory even more surreal.
A summary…
Offensive drive 1
Penalties: 2 (offensive holding, false start)
Result: Touchdown
Offensive drive 3
Penalties: 1 (offensive holding)
Result: Punt
Offensive drive 4
Penalties 1 (face mask)
Result: Interception
Defensive drive 5
Penalties: 1 (offside)
Result: Buffalo turnover on downs
Defensive drive 7
Penalties: 1 (defensive pass interference)
Result: Buffalo punt
Offensive drive 8
Penalties: 3 (offensive holding, offensive holding, false start)
Result: Field goal
Defensive drive 8
Penalties: 1 (defensive pass interference)
Result: Buffalo field goal
Offensive drive 9
Penalties: 1 (offensive pass interference)
Result: Interception
Defensive drive 11
Penalties: 3 (defensive pass interference, illegal contact, personal foul)
Result: Buffalo touchdown
Offensive drive 12
Penalties: 1 (illegal shift)
Result: Touchdown
Defensive drive 13
Penalties: 3 (offside, offside, offside)
Result: Buffalo punt
Offensive drive 15
Penalties: 2 (false start, delay of game)
Result: Punt
