New York Jets Jets takeaways, report card from NFL Week 3 loss to Lions By Brian Costello Published Sep. 27, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) throws the ball against the Detroit Lions during the game at Ford Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect DETROIT — Takeaways from Sunday’s 31-24 Jets loss to the Lions.
1. Geno Smith delivered one of the best performances we’ve seen by a Jets quarterback in a long time, going 16-for-18 in the second half and leading his team to the brink of an upset. Yes, he fumbled on his last play, but that was not on him; Lions safety Chuck Clark came in unblocked and demolished him.
Smith became the first Jets quarterback to throw for 300 yards since Aaron Rodgers in December 2024. Many of those Rodgers performances felt like empty calories that came at the end of a lost season. You might have to go back to Mike White in 2022 for a quarterback performance like this in a meaningful game. Smith was on time and made some spectacular throws, starting with the touchdown to Kenyon Sadiq.
If you want to look at the positives from this loss, it starts with Smith.
