EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Tyler Higbee waited almost a year for this moment.

And once the Los Angeles Rams tight end had the ball in his hands, he didn’t let anyone stop him from getting into the end zone.

With Sunday’s game tied early in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets, Higbee caught a short pass from Matthew Stafford, rumbled down the sideline and leapt over the goal line to score 9 in the 19th.

“I didn’t know I had to jump,” said Higbee, who made his season debut after tearing the ACL and ACL in his right knee in the playoffs last January. “I met a lot of people at the pylon and I lowered my shoulder to get in there. Then I saw a little opening and thought I would take it.”

“In the air it felt a bit like ‘Space Jam’ Michael Jordan with his arm out there. This has to come in.”

That was it – and it proved to be the game-winner, as the Rams (9-6) earned their fourth straight victory and maintained their place atop the NFC West standings after a slow start against the Jets (4-11). a day on which… It was a frosty 23 degrees (minus -5 degrees Celsius) at kick-off.

“A strange game,” admitted Rams coach Sean McVay after both teams had several long periods of possession throughout the day.

But the Los Angeles defense, which struggled most of the game against Rodgers and New York’s offense, made a crucial play.

After Joshua Karty made a 38-yard field goal to make it 9-0, Kam Curl sacked Rodgers on a blitz and forced a fumble, which Jared Verse recovered at the Jets’ 21-yard drive.

“When I fell, it landed right on top of me,” Verse said. “One of those things: the right place at the right time.”

Three plays later, Stafford found Higbee for the go-ahead touchdown.

“I’m just happy for him to come out there and play,” Stafford said. “And to be able to finish it at the end with a touchdown and a great performance, that was great.”

Higbee, who also underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason, was mobbed by his Rams teammates.

“I almost fainted,” he said with a smile. “It was very humbling.”

Rodgers limped off the field a bit after the strip sack and briefly went to the injury tent, but returned on the Jets’ next series.

“That was bad — a bad play,” said Rodgers, who said his knee was fine but added he should have thrown the ball away to avoid the sack.

Karty’s 45-yard field goal gave the Rams a two-point lead, 19-9, with 5:17 left.

The Jets couldn’t muster a comeback attempt. Anders Carlson’s 48-yard attempt with 1:57 left went wide. New York had another chance to get the ball, but Jordan Whittington recovered Xavier Gipson’s muffed punt return, giving the Rams the win.

Stafford was 6 of 10 for 46 yards and an interception in the first half and finished the game 14 of 19 for 110 yards. Kyren Williams ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.

Rodgers was 28 of 42 for 256 yards and a touchdown to Davante Adams in the loss that overshadowed a promising start for New York.

“The rhythm is gone, I think,” Rodgers said of the Jets’ offense, which largely stalled after the hot start and finishing 2 of 5 on fourth down.

After Jacob Hummel nullified Ethan Evans’ punt on the Rams’ first possession at the Jets 1, the Rodgers and New York offense quickly got rolling with a 99-yard touchdown drive.

With the help of five first downs, including an 8-yard completion to Adams on fourth-and-2 from the 20, the Jets got to the Rams 11. Rodgers pulled off a nice play-action fake, rolled right and found Adams for one touchdown that gave New York a 6-0 lead with 23 seconds left in the first quarter.

Carlson was wide left on the extra point, his second miss of the season.

It was Rodgers’ 499th TD pass of the regular season and the 82nd time he and Adams combined for a score, including the playoffs, tying Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third-most in NFL history.

Tony Adams intercepted Stafford on the Rams’ next drive, ending the Rams quarterback’s career-best five games without a turnover. But the Jets turned the ball over on downs when interim coach Jeff Ulbrich opted to go for it on fourth-and-1, but Breece Hall was stopped for no gain, giving Los Angeles the ball at New York’s 33.

The Rams took advantage of the short field as Williams went up the middle for a 2-yard TD run, but Karty hit the right upright and the teams were tied at 6 late in the second quarter.

Injuries

Jets DL Quinnen Williams tested his injured hamstring a few hours before the game but suffered a scratch. … CB Sauce Gardner sat out the second half with a hamstring injury. … Tony Adams injured his ankle in the third quarter. … Rookie LT Olu Fashanu injured his left foot midway through the fourth quarter and had to use crutches after the game. Ulbrich said the team will know more after Fashanu is tested.

Next

Rams: Host NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals next Saturday night.

Jets: Travel to Buffalo next Sunday to take on the AFC East rival Bills.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL