The first alarm occurred in the second quarter when Jets kicker Mike Nugent was wide right on a 43-yard field goal attempt.
That was from a distance Nugent usually pretty consistently makes. Perhaps it was just a miss-hit, a push right. No harm.
But when Nugent clanked the left upright on a 23-yard attempt that would have tied the game at 13-13 as time ran out in the fourth quarter, that was inexcusable in the coaches’ eyes.Thank goodness for Nugent it didn’t occur in a regular-season game. If it had, there would surely be another kicker in camp the next day.
There is, of course, no guarantee there won’t be one there tomorrow when the Jets resume practice, considering how annoyed Eric Mangini was about it after the game.
“Those field goals are pretty high-percentage field goals, in the 90 (percent range) league-wide,” Mangini said. “Those you have to make. It’s a chip shot.
“The 43-yarder is a lot tougher, but when you’re that close (23 yards), those have to be like gimmes. It was a missed field goal from the 5-yard line to (tie) the game. You have to make it. We have to be able to execute that play. That’s pretty standard operation procedure.”
Mangini said he had planned to insert rookie quarterback Erik Ainge into the game in overtime for his first snaps, adding, “It’s disappointing.”
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Kellen Clemens‘ night also was disappointing, though he wasn’t helped by his receivers, who had drops, or his center, Will Montgomery, who stepped on his foot and tripped him twice.
Clemens, who went 5-of-12 for 63 yards, again didn’t look as sharp, in command or as comfortable as No. 3 quarterback Brett Ratliff.
Ratliff turned in his second consecutive strong preseason performance, completing 13-of-19 for 148 yards and driving the Jets down the field in the final 1:02 for what should have been the winning score.
WR David Clowney, who has had a good camp and preseason as the team’s top deep threat, hurt his right shoulder in the game and left the stadium with his right arm in a sling.
S James Ihedigbo nullified the interception he made in the second half when he was beaten by Redskins TE Jason Goode for the game-winning TD with 1:09 remaining.