CHICAGO — Minkah Fitzpatrick's interception counted, and that one halted an NFL record drought for the New York Jets.
Fitzpatrick picked off Tyson Bagent in the second quarter of Sunday's 23-12 loss at the Chicago Bears. It was New York's first interception since Ashtyn Davis had two against Miami in the 2024 season finale, stopping a dry spell of 20 consecutive games.
But the Jets had three interceptions wiped out by penalties in their third consecutive loss. They surrendered 34 first downs and 492 yards overall to a Bears offense run by the team's backup quarterback.
“I don't think we did anything well that we wanted to do well,” Fitzpatrick said.
The 29-year-old Fitzpatrick picked up his 22nd career interception when he stepped in front of a pass intended for tight end Colston Loveland about three minutes into the second. It was Fitzpatrick's first game since he left New York's opener with a groin injury.
“Receiver kind of stuttered at the top of his route, so I knew it was most likely running an in-breaking route,” Fitzpatrick said. “Quarterback was looking my way, so I just, I drove it.”
It looked as if the drought was over earlier when defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat intercepted Bagent with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the opening quarter. But Jets cornerback Azareye’h Thomas was flagged for illegal use of hands.
Brandon Stephens picked off Bagent with about eight minutes left in the fourth, but it was on a deep ball on a free play after linebacker Demario Davis jumped offsides. Rookie D’Angelo Ponds was called for holding with about six minutes remaining, wiping out what would have been his first career interception.
New York (1-3) was penalized 12 times for 76 yards, compared to four penalties for 29 yards on Chicago (3-1).
“When it’s that big of a discrepancy, it’s always hard,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said. “When you think about it, most of those penalties that we had on third down, we’re getting off the field to give our offense a chance to get the ball back. And those are the ones that hurt, 'cause now you’re extending drives.”
Fitzpatrick's play was the first interception for New York in 643 pass attempts. The Jets went 83 regulation quarters — not including their overtime loss to Green Bay in Week 2 — between interceptions.
The Jets were the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without getting an interception since the league began charting the statistic in 1933. They had three in the preseason — one each by Andre Cisco, Samuel Womack and Marcelino McCrary-Ball — but those don’t count in official records.
“I’m not really worried about that,” Glenn said. “We got an interception, great. God, we lost the game. That’s what’s so backwards about the thinking of everybody is we lost the game and we got the interception. I mean we lost a game and that’s what I’m thinking about.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. in New York contributed to this report.
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