FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- This is hard to believe, but the New York Jets haven't converted a two-point play in four years. So, yeah, history was against them Thursday night when they lined up for two with 2:31 remaining in the fourth quarter of their 27-25 loss to the New England Patriots.
Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called an inside fade to tight end Jace Amaro, who is 6-foot-5. He was covered by safety Patrick Chung, who is 5-11. Amaro had created a little separation, but Geno Smith's pass was inches beyond the rookie's pleading fingertips.
Amaro said the pass "was flat, and there wasn’t any air on it" -- an accurate description. Smith's ball placement throughout the game was terrific, for a change, but not on this play -- a simple, two-yard play.
"It was supposed to be coming around, over the shoulder," Amaro said of the pass. "When I looked around, I saw the ball coming. I just tried to hit it with one hand to see if I could do something with it. Just missed it. [It was a] couple of inches away. Maybe if I got my head turned around quicker, but I'm taught to look up in the air. I didn't see the ball until it was almost parallel with my face."
They've been running it in practice, successfully, according to Amaro. But they couldn't get it done when it mattered most. Smith took the heat.
"Jace did a great job of getting open," he said. "I've got to give him a better ball. That's completely on me. He ran a great route and I didn't give him a good enough ball."
