The New York Jets were denied a touchdown on their first drive of the game against the Buffalo Bills — but not on the second.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal late in the first quarter to give the Jets a 10-7 lead over the Bills.
It was a close play at the back of the end zone and officials initially called the pass incomplete. But replay in New York intervened and overturned the call, making it a touchdown.
It also saved New York interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich a challenge, as he had already thrown his red flag on the field.
The score also ended a curious streak for New York. The touchdown ended a streak of 25 straight drives without a touchdown that started in Jets territory. It was the longest current streak in the NFL.
The score was also the first touchdown under new offensive play-caller Todd Downing, who took over those duties from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett this week.
It was a tumultuous week for the Jets and Ulbrich referenced it during his pre-game interview with ESPN.
The Jets returned from London coming off their second straight loss and former head coach Robert Saleh had reportedly decided on Tuesday morning that he would demote Hackett from play-calling duties and elevate Downing.
Before the fourth-year head coach had a chance to execute that decision, Jets owner Woody Johnson fired him, ending Saleh’s tenure with New York and leaving him with a 20-36 record as a head coach.
The Jets elevated Ulbrich, their defensive coordinator, to interim head coach for the rest of the season. Ulbrich joined The Jets when Saleh took over as head coach before the 2021 season. Before that, he was a linebackers coach for the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Quinn and Quinn's successor, then-interim head coach Raheem Morris.
Morris is now the full-time head coach for the Falcons. Ulbrich consulted both of them as he prepared for his debut as a head coach on Monday night.
Ulbrich’s first decision as interim head coach was to do exactly what Saleh reportedly intended to do — demote Hackett and elevate Downing.
The play-calling change seemed to pay off immediately. The Jets’ first drive with Downing calling plays sputtered in Bills territory, but it led to a Greg Zuerlein field goal. Following a touchdown drive by the Bills, led by quarterback Josh Allen, Rodgers led the touchdown drive that ended with the pass to Wilson.
