New York
Jets
1-1
54
FINAL
37
Detroit
Lions
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-octane showdown, the New York Jets outlasted the Detroit Lions with a final score of 54-37 in Week 3 of the 2026 season. Both teams were looking to solidify their standings early in the season, but it was the Jets who emerged victorious, showcasing their explosive offensive prowess.
Mark Sanchez was the star of the night, throwing for an astonishing 552 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Jets' aerial assault. LaDainian Tomlinson contributed on the ground with 48 rushing yards, while Calvin Johnson of the Lions kept his team competitive with a record-breaking 287 receiving yards. The offensive fireworks were on full display, but Sanchez's performance proved to be the difference-maker.
Defensively, the Jets were able to apply consistent pressure, with David Harris recording a sack and Antonio Cromartie snagging an interception to halt a Lions drive. Kyle Wilson led the way with six total tackles, providing a steady presence. The game turned decisively in favor of the Jets when Cromartie's pick set up a quick score, allowing New York to create a cushion that the Lions couldn't overcome.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Sanchez | QB | 26 | 20 | 77% | 552 | 6 | 2 | 125.8 |
| Matthew Stafford | QB | 36 | 18 | 50% | 408 | 5 | 2 | 107.4 |
| Shonn Greene | HB | 1 | 2 | 200% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 118.7 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 11 | 48 | 4.4 | 20 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Jerome Harrison | HB | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Tashard Choice | HB | 10 | 13 | 1.3 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mark Sanchez | QB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | — | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Britain Covey | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Turner | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nate Burleson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin Johnson | WR | 7 | 287 | 41.0 | 92 | 4 | 82 | 0 |
| Plaxico Burress | WR | 6 | 244 | 40.7 | 111 | 3 | 76 | 0 |
| Patrick Turner | WR | 4 | 171 | 42.8 | 85 | 1 | 92 | 0 |
| Dustin Keller | TE | 4 | 72 | 18.0 | 39 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 5 | 61 | 12.2 | 34 | 2 | 45 | 0 |
| Brandon Pettigrew | TE | 3 | 47 | 15.7 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Tashard Choice | HB | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 29 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Nate Burleson | WR | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Santonio Holmes | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Will Heller | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Shonn Greene | HB | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Wilson | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Donald Strickland | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Louis Delmas | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Cromartie | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Devito | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Harris | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ndamukong Suh | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon McDonald | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DeAndre Levy | WILL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wright | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Smith | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Dugger | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Houston | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calvin Pace | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stephen Tulloch | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alphonso Smith | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brodney Pool | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jim Leonhard | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Wendling | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Erik Coleman | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cliff Avril | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Durant | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrelle Revis | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Amari Spievey | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sione Pouha | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Williams | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Allen | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Hanson | K | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 |
| Nick Folk | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 20 |

