Nick Folk wasn’t 15 minutes removed from lifting the Jets to a stirring 27-24 victory over the Falcons with his 56-yard walk-off field goal Sunday at MetLife Stadium when he was snapped back to reality by a FaceTime call with his kids.
He was chatting with his 12-year-old twin boys, Davis and Gage, and the first thing they wanted to know was “what happened’’ on the 55-yard field goal he missed in the third quarter — the first kick of any kind Folk has missed this season.
And then this:
“At least that last kick was good redemption,” they told their dad.
“You get a little perspective from them,” Folk said afterward. “Kids always keep you grounded like that.”
The Jets have been grounded for much of the season since starting 0-7. Sunday offered a rare burst of sunlight for them on a dreary, rainy day at a nearly empty stadium.
Nick Folk kicks a field goal in the second half of the Jets’ eventual win over the Falcons. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
Nick Folk kicks a field goal in the second half to propel Jets to victory. Robert Sabo for NY Post
They were down 14-7, 17-14 and 24-17 and kept coming back and were rewarded with their third win.
“This one feels like the best one, because we probably didn’t deserve to win but we still found a way,” Jets receiver Allen Lazard told The Post. “That’s what good teams do — they find a way, regardless of the penalties, regardless of the mess-up plays and everything, they still find a way to wrap it together.’’
The Jets are 3-9, so they are not a good team. Not yet. But Sunday was a good win for what Aaron Glenn is trying to build in his first year as the Jets head coach.
“I keep saying there’s no quit in these guys,” Glenn said. “These guys understand exactly what we’re trying to build. Even though we have this long-range vision of what we’re trying to get to, the now is what’s important for our guys to continue to understand how you win games.”
The Jets are 3-2 since their season-crushing 0-7 start. They lost three of those games during the streak by two points, one by six and one by seven.
New York Jets win the game with a field goal kick form place kicker Nick Folk (6) in the final seconds. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“We’ve been in a lot of games this year, and we haven’t consistently put our best body of work together,” Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “But when you have moments like this and games like this, it confirms what we’re doing on a day-to-day basis. If we all believe, we can put special wins together.
“I love to see the resilience in this locker room. Regardless of circumstances, no one wavers.”
Taylor was a symbol of that. He found a way, completing 19-of-33 for 172 yards and a touchdown, and scrambling for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Jets kicker Nick Folk (6) reacts after kicking a 56-yard field goal at the end of the fourth quarter as the Jets beat Atlanta Falcons 27-24. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
When the Falcons took a 14-7 lead, Taylor found newcomer receiver Adonai Mitchell on a 52-yard TD to tie it at 14-14 midway through the third quarter.
Mitchell, who was a throw-in in the trade-deadline deal that sent star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts, caught eight passes for 102 yards and that TD — the first of his NFL career.
“We got the perfect coverage for it and AD went up and made a play,” Taylor said.
“We practiced against that look the whole week, and we got exactly the look we wanted,” Mitchell said. “Tyrod put a great ball up there and it was just a matter of finishing. Ty gave me my first career touchdown. I’ve been waiting for that my whole life. I’ll always remember this.”
After the Falcons went up 24-17 on a Kirk Cousins 9-yard TD pass to former Giants receiver David Sills V with 8:46 left in the game, Taylor marched the Jets on a 15-play, 65-yard drive that ended in a frantic 10-yard scramble for a touchdown with 1:53 left.
“They took away the first and second reads as I stepped up in the pocket,” Taylor said of the Atlanta defense, which is coached by Jeff Ulbrich, their former defensive coordinator. “Sometimes, the defense doesn’t account for the quarterback.”
Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (15) celebrates with New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) after he completes a reception for a touchdown during the second half when the New York Jets played the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, November 30, 2025 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Jets took a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard Breece Hall scoring run 2 seconds after a muffed punt by Atlanta punt returner Jamal Agnew was recovered by Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers.
The Falcons tied the game at 7-7 on a 1-yard scoring run by running back Tyler Allgeier with 9 seconds left in the first half.
Atlanta took the 14-7 lead on its first offensive possession of the second half when Bijan Robinson (22 carries, 142 yards) scored on a 5-yard run with 9:36 remaining in the third quarter.
Jets QB Tyrod Taylor (2) throws a pass against the Falcons on Nov. 30, 2025. Bill Kostroun for New York Post
The Jets answered 38 seconds later, tying the game at 14-14 on the Taylor 52-yard scoring pass to Mitchell.
The Jets had a chance to go up 17-14 in the third quarter, but Folk was wide right on that 55-yard field goal attempt his kids would ask about later.
“It wasn’t a perfect game by any means,” Taylor said.
“Good win, something we can build on,” Glenn said. “But we have a long ways to go.”
Maybe Sunday’s win at least shortened that journey to whatever destination Glenn’s Jets will someday reach.