Home · Sports · Oct 4 archive
Jets End NFL's Longest Interception Drought With Key Play
Confirmed
In Short: The New York Jets ended their NFL-record 21-game interception drought Sunday, securing their first pick in 637 days.
The Jets intercepted a pass during their 23-12 loss to the Chicago Bears, converting the takeaway into a field goal that cut the Bears' lead to 7-3.
The interception, secured by veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, came early in the second quarter and marked the end of a streak that began in the 2025 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Jets had gone 643 pass attempts and 638 days without an interception, a record that began in the 2025 season under head coach Aaron Glenn.
Fitzpatrick, who missed his debut with the Jets due to a groin injury, expressed relief at being back on the field.
"It’s a part of the game, but I’m just happy to be out here trying to get back," Fitzpatrick said.
Coach Aaron Glenn expressed optimism about Fitzpatrick's return, saying, “There’s a really good chance” he will play.
The interception drought had extended to 20 games through the first three weeks of the 2026 season, with the Jets facing both rookie and backup quarterbacks without success.
"Sometimes a defensive lineman can catch a tipped ball, but they can't intercept the ball. It's unbelievable to me. That's the craziest stat I've ever heard," said an ESPN commentator.
The Jets' defensive coordinator, Brian Duker, was also pleased with Fitzpatrick's return.
"Certainly excited about Minkah coming back," Duker said.
The interception came after 637 days without one, breaking the NFL's longest interception drought in history.
"We have a great training staff here that’s helped me get back healthy," Fitzpatrick added.
What this adds
The interception drought was the longest in NFL history, extending to 20 games in the 2026 season.
Fitzpatrick's interception came after a groin injury that sidelined him from his debut with the Jets.
The Jets' defensive coordinator and wide receiver both expressed optimism about Fitzpatrick's return.
What's confirmed
- Before Sunday, their last interception came on Jan.
- "A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets," Nauseda announced in a statement posted on the X platform.
What's still developing
- The slump started with the Pittsburgh Steelers' Aaron Rodgers in the '25 opener -- perhaps fitting, considering he was a member of the Jets in 2023 and 2024.
- Along the way, the Jets faced a rookie (New Orleans Saints' Tyler Shough ) and a backup who started (the Buffalo Bills' Mitchell Trubisky ) -- and still couldn't steal the ball.
- But the big-man interception was nullified because of a penalty on cornerback Azareye'h Thomas.
- The last time New York’s defense snared an interception?
- That came at the end of the 2024 NFL season, when the Jets picked off Tyler Huntley twice in a win over the Miami Dolphins.
- Ashtyn Davis secured both interceptions on that January afternoon for the Jets.
- The Detroit Lions needed every bit of Sunday afternoon at Ford Field to hold off the New York Jets, escaping with a 31-24 win over a team that's already proving tough to put away.
- Jared Goff was efficient, going 25-of-32 for 269 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions, as the Lions held on late.
- Chris Johnson holds the all-time record with 2,509 total scrimmage yards during his 2009 season with the Titans.
- Gibbs is already on pace to potentially break that record.
- NATO fighter jets have shot down an unmanned drone that violated Lithuanian airspace after crossing from neighbouring Belarus, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and security officials confirmed, marking the first time a drone has been brought down on Lithuanian soil.
- The country's National Crisis Management Centre confirmed the interception, noting that the unmanned craft had crossed into national airspace from Belarus, Moscow's closest ally in the war against Ukraine.