'Jets being Jets': Penalties, mistakes prove costly again vs. Raiders in third straight loss

Aaron Glenn’s seat is getting hotter.

The Jets scored on their first six possessions and led the Raiders by nine points in the third quarter on Sunday, but Glenn’s defense gave it away. The Jets allowed 24 second-half points and lost to Las Vegas, 38-33, at MetLife Stadium.

“We had some bad penalties, bad mistakes, Jets being Jets,” Minkah Fitzpatrick said.

Later, a team spokesman said Fitzpatrick meant to say “beating.” Either way, the safety wasn’t wrong.

It was the third straight defeat and sixth in seven games for the Jets (2-6), who have lost five games by seven or fewer points. They’re 5-20 under Glenn.

The Jets had a chance to pull out the victory in the waning seconds, but Geno Smith’s pass intended for Garrett Wilson was picked off by Jeremy Chinn in the end zone with seven seconds left.

“We got to get better on defense,” said Glenn, the Jets’ defensive play-caller. “There’s no team that can give up that many points and expect to win. That’s tough.”

Making matters worse, this was the Jets’ second home loss in two weeks in games in which they were favored. They allowed Miami to earn its first win of the season the previous week. On Sunday, the Raiders (4-4) snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Raiders’ fans were loud and drowned out the Jets’ fans. Loud chants of “dee-fense” filled the stadium when the Jets had the ball in the second half. It was like a road game at that point and led to the Jets getting flagged for a false start.

“They had some fans in the building,” Wilson said. “We got to handle it. It’s a home game regardless, protect home turf. We’re sitting here at 2-6. We got to give our fans a reason to come out. I get it. As a team we got to operate better regardless of the noise.”

As well as the offense played, the Jets are kicking themselves for not scoring more.

They reached the red zone six times and produced only two touchdowns. On their opening drive, they had a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line but had to settle for the first of four field goals by Jason Sanders, a 21-yarder.

Sanders’ 31-yard field goal cut the Raiders’ lead to 35-33 with 4:31 left. The Jets had a first-and-10 from the 13 on the series but couldn’t get any closer. Isaiah Davis was stopped on first down and Smith threw incomplete on the next two plays.

“You got to go put 40 up,” Wilson said. “That’s what we all talked about on the sideline: The mission is to get 40. We were all focused on trying to get 40. At the end of the day, if we execute on that, we win the game.”

Smith completed 20 of 32 passes for 290 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Braelon Allen rushed for 147 yards — 121 of them in the first half — on 21 carries and scored a touchdown.

Adonai Mitchell caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. Wilson, who was targeted only three times the previous week, had six receptions for 83 yards on 12 targets.

Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins was 19-for-26 for 247 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions and also scored a rushing touchdown. Tight end Brock Bowers had seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, who provided some bulletin-board material for the Jets last week when he said they have “a couple guys out there that don’t really want to tackle,” had 73 total yards on five touches.

Dylan Laube (Westhampton) returned a kickoff 95 yards for a Las Vegas touchdown.

“We can’t give up that many points and expect to win,” Glenn said. “We can’t give a kick return for a touchdown and expect to win. Those things are hard to recover from. And plus it just sucks the life out of the whole building.”

Leading 23-14 at halftime, the Jets gave up three straight touchdowns. They committed penalties on third down during Las Vegas’ first two series, extending both drives.

Still, the Jets led 30-28 entering the fourth quarter before the Raiders went ahead on a 2-yard touchdown reception by Jalen Nailor with 11:33 left. Jeanty had a 45-yard catch-and-run on the nine-play drive.

On the Raiders’ final drive, Glenn used all three of his timeouts to stop the clock. Matt Gay kicked a 53-yard field goal with 27 seconds left to give Las Vegas a five-point lead.

The Jets began their last drive at their 35. Wilson caught a 15-yard pass on second down and Chinn was flagged for unnecessary roughness, adding 15 yards and giving the Jets the ball at the Raiders’ 35 with 14 seconds left. On the next play, Smith was picked off.

“There’s nobody more desperate for the results than the guys in this room,” linebacker Demario Davis said. “When it gets dark, you just find a way to keep taking steps forward.”

It always gets dark early for the Jets.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.