NFL Sunday: Jets fall 26-19 in New England; Giants' late rally behind J.J. McCarthy falls short against the Saints

It was a losing Sunday for both New York teams. The Jets came up short in New England, and the Giants dug a 24-point hole against the Saints at MetLife Stadium before a backup quarterback nearly dug them out.

Jets 19, Patriots 26

The Jets opened with a long, clock-eating drive that ended in a Jason Sanders field goal after an apparent touchdown to Omar Cooper Jr. was wiped out by an offensive pass interference penalty, according to the team's recap. From there New England took control, with Drake Maye hitting Romeo Doubs for a 42-yard touchdown and the Patriots scoring twice in the final two minutes of the first half to lead 17-3 at the break.

New York climbed back in the second half. Geno Smith found Cooper, a rookie playing his first game since an ankle injury in Week 1, for a 48-yard touchdown, and a forced fumble set up another Sanders field goal. But Maye's 7-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Hunter Henry early in the fourth quarter restored a 10-point cushion, and the teams traded field goals the rest of the way. Sanders finished with four, the last in the final minute, as the Jets lost 26-19, according to the team and the Patriots' scoring summary.

Smith went 20-of-30 for 252 yards with a touchdown and his first interception of the season, and Cooper had six catches for 103 yards. Braelon Allen ran for 78 yards on 17 carries. Maye was 18-of-32 for 235 yards and three touchdowns. The Jets also came away empty on two short fourth-down runs in New England territory.

amNewYork singled out the play-calling and noted that the Jets' defense did not sack Maye once, even though the Patriots were missing three starting offensive linemen. "It's tough to explain, to be honest with you," coach Aaron Glenn said. The Jets are 2-4; the Patriots improved to 4-2.

Giants 27, Saints 34

The Giants led 10-0, with Tyrone Tracy Jr. opening the scoring on a 17-yard catch-and-run, then unraveled in the last 78 seconds of the first half, according to Giants.com. New Orleans kicked a 58-yard field goal, Charlie Jones fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Tyler Shough threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Lance with one second left to tie the game at halftime.

The Saints kept scoring after the break, running their streak to 34 unanswered points. Jameis Winston, making his fourth straight start in place of the injured Jaxson Dart, threw two second-half interceptions, and coach John Harbaugh pulled him with 11:25 left and the Giants trailing 34-10. The Giants turned the ball over four times in all.

J.J. McCarthy, acquired from the Vikings on Sept. 28, threw an interception on his first drive and then got hot. Tracy scored on a 5-yard run, McCarthy hit tight end Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown after a 49-yard catch by Jones, and a Dominic Zvada field goal made it a seven-point game with 2:04 left. On the last drive, McCarthy scrambled for 28 yards and moved the Giants to the Saints' 14, but his fourth-and-1 throw to Likely in the back of the end zone fell incomplete with 12 seconds left, Giants.com and amNewYork reported.

McCarthy finished 11-of-21 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Malik Nabers caught 12 passes for 165 yards, his third straight 100-yard game. amNY wrote that McCarthy's performance leaves Harbaugh with a quarterback decision for next week.

What's next

The Giants (3-2-1) stayed in first place in the NFC East and play at the Houston Texans next Sunday, their last game before the bye, according to Giants.com. The Saints, who snapped a three-game losing streak, are 2-4.