EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Given the chaos of the two hours leading up to kickoff Sunday, the Bears look surprisingly composed Sunday. That’s not good enough to lead against the reeling Jets, though. The Bears trail 17-10 on two Garrett Wilson touchdown catches at a rainy MetLife Stadium.
Quarterback Trevor Siemian is 8 of 11 for 127 yards and a 141.1 passer rating. New Jets starter Mike White has been even better, though, completing 16-of-20 passes for 235 yards and a 149 passer rating.
The Bears ruled out quarterback Justin Fields with a separated left shoulder 90 minutes before kickoff, then said that Siemian, who was set to start, hurt his oblique during the early warmup period. As game time grew closer, though, Siemian split warmups snaps with third-stringer Nathan Peterman, who’d been promoted from the practice squad a day earlier.
Siemian eventually started.
He looked ready. He led the Bears to a field goal on the first drive and, trailing 7-3, led them on his scond nine-play, 71-yard drive in as many possessions. A 31-yard pass to receiver Chase Claypool set up the Bears’ touchdown two plays later — a throw across the middle of the end zone that Byron Pringle snatched away from a defender.
The Bears lost safety Eddie Jackson, their defensive leader, midway through the second quarter. He collapsed to the ground, seemingly untouched, on a 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Wilson. He has a foot injury and won’t return.
Wilson caught an eight-yard touchdown to end the Jets’ first possession. They attempted a field goal on their third drive, but the holder fumbled the snap and was flagged for an illegal forward pass.
Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein got his chance with 12 seconds to play, making a 57-yard field goal in a downpour to go ahead by seven.
