Jets streak-busting interception finally was rare highlight in otherwise dreadful loss

CHICAGO — The Jets finally ended their ignominious streak without an interception on Sunday when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick picked off Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent in the second quarter of Chicago’s 23-12 win at Soldier Field. The Fitzpatrick pick came after the Jets had gone 20 consecutive games without an INT, spanning 535 passing attempts.The last player to make an INT was Ashtyn Davis, who hasn’t been on the team since 2024.  Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.

Davis had two INTs in the 2024 season finale, which happened to be his last game with the team. “Honestly, I’m not really worried about that,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said of ending the pick-less streak.“We got an interception.

Great.But we lost the game.

That’s what I’m thinking about — how we get better.” Fitzpatrick, who returned after missing the previous two games with a groin injury, said the feat was bittersweet because of the end result. “Obviously, you wanted to be able to celebrate when you break a negative streak like that, but when you finish the game that we finished, there’s no real reason to celebrate,” he said. The Jets actually appeared to have three other INTs in the game, but those three were nullified by Jets penalties. Defensive tackle D’Vondre Sweat picked Bagent off in the first quarter, but that was canceled by an Azareye’h Thomas penalty for illegal hands to the face. Later, a pick by cornerback Brandon Stephens was called back when linebacker Demario Davis was called for an offside penalty. “A bad mental error on my part that can’t happen,’’ Davis said. And then, in the fourth quarter, Jets rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds picked off a pass, but that turnover was overturned by his own defensive holding penalty. “I’m really more upset about the penalties in those moments when we created opportunities to get our offense the ball back,...