3 winners (and 4 losers) from Jets' heartbreaking Week 3 loss to Bucs

The New York Jets let another one slip away in Week 3, falling 29-27 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game that featured a near-miracle comeback, only to be followed by yet another heartbreaking loss.

What looked like a potential comeback turned into another frustrating loss to kick off the Aaron Glenn era in Florham Park. There were bright spots, as a few players made plays that gave the Jets a chance to steal the win late. But there were also costly mistakes and underwhelming performances that ultimately swung the outcome.

As the Jets sit at 0-3, the margin for error is gone. Let’s break down the biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to Tampa Bay.

Winners and losers from Jets' Week 3 loss to the Bucs

Loser: LT Olu Fashanu

The Bucs made it clear from the very first drive that they did not respect this Jets' offense. Todd Bowles' defense consistently sent six or more rushers after Tyrod Taylor, and the Jets' offensive line had its share of issues.

The worst performance came from second-year left tackle Olu Fashanu, who allowed a whopping seven pressures in Sunday's loss. Half of the Jets' 14 pressures allowed were credited to Fashanu.

The Penn State product already entered the game with nine pressures allowed — more than double any other player on the roster. The Jets need Fashanu to be better moving forward.

Winner: DT Quinnen Williams

The Jets' defense is far from perfect, but the unit held its own for much of the game, and that was largely due to another dominant performance from All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Williams was a one-man wrecking crew again on Sunday, finishing with four pressures, five run stops, and a stellar 89.9 Pro Football Focus run defense grade. An injury-riddled Bucs offensive line had no chance against the Jets' star defensive tackle.

Williams is quietly off to a fantastic start in 2025 and has been arguably the Jets' best overall player. The defense's late-game meltdown should not overshadow what was another great Quinnen game.

Loser: CB Sauce Gardner

The Jets' other star defender wasn't so effective, however. Sauce Gardner statistically had one of the worst games of his NFL career in Week 3.

Gardner was targeted five times, allowing three catches for 60 yards, and was flagged for a defensive pass interference penalty on a 3rd-and-29 play in the first half. The flag was questionable at best, but Gardner struggled regardless on Sunday.

The Jets made Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history this summer, a well-deserved honor for one of the best players on the roster. This was not his proudest afternoon, though.

Winner: DT Jowon Briggs

The Jets might have found a keeper in Jowon Briggs. One week after his dominant performance against the Bills, Briggs was once again excellent against a beaten-up Bucs offensive line.

The former seventh-round pick finished the game with a 79.8 Pro Football Focus grade, which was the second-highest on the roster according to preliminary grading. He only had one pressure, but he also managed to draw two holding penalties.

Briggs has carved out an important role in the middle of this Jets' defense, giving the team an impressive trio (alongside Williams and Harrison Phillips) to build around.

Loser: WR Arian Smith

Jets rookie Arian Smith got the start at wide receiver on Sunday, playing a majority of the team's offensive snaps alongside Garrett Wilson and Tyler Johnson. Unfortunately, he failed to do much of anything with those snaps.

Smith was targeted just twice, hauling in two catches for two yards. That included a little pop screen that resulted in another negative gain for the rookie wideout.

The entire Jets passing game has been an inconsistent mess, so it’s hard to pin everything on Smith. Still, given the state of the wide receiver room, you’d hope their rookie fourth-round pick wouldn’t be outproduced by every other wideout on the roster.

Winner: CB Azareye'h Thomas

Azareye'h Thomas played just 10 defensive snaps in Week 3, mostly filling in for Sauce Gardner, who missed a couple of series with a head injury before returning late in the game, but he made the most of his playing time.

Thomas was targeted twice in coverage and didn’t allow a single catch. His 75.9 overall PFF grade ranked third on the team, while his 76.4 coverage grade was the best by any Jets defensive back not named Sauce Gardner this season.

If Brandon Stephens' struggles continue (he was actually pretty good in this game), the cries from the fanbase to play Thomas will only grow louder. This was an impressive first impression from the Jets' rookie cornerback.

Loser: RB Breece Hall

Breece Hall looked like his 2023 self in the Jets' Week 1 loss to the Steelers, rushing for 107 yards on a healthy 5.6 yards per carry. Unfortunately, his production over the last two weeks has plummeted.

Hall finished Sunday’s game with nine carries for just 21 yards and added a pair of drops. That performance came on the heels of last week, when he managed only 29 yards on 10 carries.

Part of the issue has been the Jets' run-blocking, largely a result of opposing defenses selling out on the run. Hall will look to get back on track against a hopefully weaker Miami Dolphins defense next week.