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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. –** The instant the normally-reliable Josh Brown's 48-yard field goal attempt left his foot, he knew it was no good. And neither was the Giants' last opportunity to avoid another excruciating loss.

Brown's kick could have tied the game in overtime. Instead, it was the final play in a 23-20 defeat to the Jets, a game in which the Giants led by 10 points with 4½ minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It was their third loss in a row, fifth this season by three or fewer points, and third in which they couldn't hold a lead of at least 10 points in the final quarter.

**>> WATCH GIANTS VS. JETS HIGHLIGHTS**

"We've been in position to win games, and we haven't won," coach Tom Coughlin said. "I'm taking full responsibility for that. But still, we're there. I told the team, we've got to find a way to finish a game, to win a 60-minute game and be in position at the end of the game to win it.

"(This is a) difficult game to even bring your team up after the game. You're up 10. Didn't finish. Didn't finish, had opportunities."

**>> WATCH POSTGAME PLAYER/COACH QUOTES**

Had plenty, in fact. In the second quarter, when the Giants scored all 20 of their points, they had a third down just shy of the goal line. But the rushing attack, which has struggled all season, came up short again as Andre Williams lost a yard. Brown then kicked a 20-yard field goal.

Later in the quarter, the Giants had a first down on the Jets' 25. But Eli Manning's third-down pass to Myles White was incomplete, and Brown kicked another field goal.

But the missed chance everyone was talking about after the game occurred with 8:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Giants led, 20-10, when a 16-yard pass to Rueben Randle gave them a fourth-and-two at the Jets' four. Coughlin eschewed the chip shot field goal and a likely 13-point lead to go for the touchdown or first down. But Manning's pass to Randle was intercepted by Rontez Miles. The Jets then scored the last 13 points of the game.

"I went for it on fourth-and-two thinking that that would certainly give, after the long drive (17 plays) and the amount of time used up in the drive (11:21), I thought that that was the play at the time," Coughlin said. "I still do. Obviously we didn't score there, we had an interception there. They drove, kicked a field goal and then we didn't do anything with the ball again."

Pressed about his decision, Coughlin said, "If we scored there on fourth-and-two, then we push the score up to where maybe they can't beat us with whatever. So we're up 17. I stand by it."

So did Manning.

"It was an opportunity for us to get the three-score lead and go up 17 with limited time left," Manning said. "It was a chance to win the game right there. They had good coverage and they played it well. We had decent pressure and not really any time to

scramble around, or get to my last option to the running back. You're just in a bad situation at that point, whether you try and take a sack or throw it away. Do you give a guy a shot and maybe it pops up our way. Obviously, it was intercepted and didn't have much of an opportunity right there."

The Jets tied the game on Randy Bullock's 24-yard field goal and, after the Giants went three-and-out when they had a chance to secure the victory by holding the ball, Ryan Fitzpatrick's nine-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Bullock also kicked a first-quarter field goal, and Fitzpatrick and running back Bilal Powell hooked up for a 25-yard touchdown in the second.

"We had a 10-point lead and we just couldn't get off the field, we couldn't get the stops we needed," defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins said.

The Jets won the overtime coin toss, took the ball and drove to the Giants' eight, where they had a first-and-goal. But the Giants held, and Bullock kicked a 31-yard field goal.

On their ensuing possession, the Giants drove to the Jets' 30. But Manning's third-down pass to Randle fell short, and Brown was summoned to try to extend the game. His two second-quarter field goals had extended his streak of successes to 29 in a row, a career-high, franchise record, and the longest in the NFL. But Brown couldn't get to 30 straight when the Giants needed him to.

"Just a bad hit," Brown said. "I just have to keep my head down, look through the ball, and there's nothing else I can do about it. I have to keep striking the same ball. I had made everything; (was) kicking well. I just have to hit that ball like I do every other one. I just didn't get through it like I needed to. It trailed left and stayed just left of the upright."

Asked when he knew it was no good, Brown said, "The moment I hit it."

Aside from Brown's field goals, the Giants scored on Manning's 72-yard touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris' 80-yard punt return, the Giants' first such score in six years.

But in what has become an unpleasant recurring theme this season, the Giants couldn't hold onto a fourth-quarter lead and fell to 5-7.

"I keep saying it, there are always close games, we've got to learn how to close them out and we're going to learn from it," offensive lineman Justin Pugh said. "At some point, we have to execute on learning from it. We can't keep losing games, we've got to score some points in the second half. Defense is playing great and we gave them momentum. We have to do a better job of that."

"You can't have that many mistakes, you can't have that many missed opportunities, you can't have the same thing every week," Jenkins said. "We come in and we get in position, we make mistakes, missed assignments, missed opportunities, all of it. It's just something that I don't understand. It has to become more of a priority to us. It's got to be something that we get solved, it can't be something that we try to fix. It's something that you either fix or you go on. We just aren't fixing it. It's frustrating."

That's true for every player and coach on the team.

"We've been in position to win games, and we haven't won," coach Tom Coughlin said. "I'm taking full responsibility for that. But still, we're there. I told the team, we've got to find a way to finish a game, to win a 60-minute game and be in position at the end of the game to win it.

"(This is a) difficult game to even bring your team up after the game. You're up 10. Didn't finish. Didn't finish, had opportunities."

Had plenty, in fact. In the second quarter, when the Giants scored all 20 of their points, they had a third down just shy of the goal line. But the rushing attack, which has struggled all season, came up short again as Andre Williams lost a yard. Brown then kicked a 20-yard field goal.

Later in the quarter, the Giants had a first down on the Jets' 25. But Eli Manning's third-down pass to Myles White was incomplete, and Brown kicked another field goal.

But the missed chance everyone was talking about after the game occurred with 8:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Giants led, 20-10, when a 16-yard pass to Rueben Randle gave them a fourth-and-two at the Jets' four. Coughlin eschewed the chip shot field goal and a likely 13-point lead to go for the touchdown or first down. But Manning's pass to Randle was intercepted by Rontez Miles. The Jets then scored the last 13 points of the game.

"I went for it on fourth-and-two thinking that that would certainly give, after the long drive (17 plays) and the amount of time used up in the drive (11:21), I thought that that was the play at the time," Coughlin said. "I still do. Obviously we didn't score there, we had an interception there. They drove, kicked a field goal and then we didn't do anything with the ball again."

Pressed about his decision, Coughlin said, "If we scored there on fourth-and-two, then we push the score up to where maybe they can't beat us with whatever. So we're up 17. I stand by it."

So did Manning.

"It was an opportunity for us to get the three-score lead and go up 17 with limited time left," Manning said. "It was a chance to win the game right there. They had good coverage and they played it well. We had decent pressure and not really any time to scramble around, or get to my last option to the running back. You're just in a bad situation at that point, whether you try and take a sack or throw it away. Do you give a guy a shot and maybe it pops up our way. Obviously, it was intercepted and didn't have much of an opportunity right there."

The Jets tied the game on Randy Bullock's 24-yard field goal and, after the Giants went three-and-out when they had a chance to secure the victory by holding the ball, Ryan Fitzpatrick's nine-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Bullock also kicked a first-quarter field goal, and Fitzpatrick and running back Bilal Powell hooked up for a 25-yard touchdown in the second.

"We had a 10-point lead and we just couldn't get off the field, we couldn't get the stops we needed," defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins said.

The Jets won the overtime coin toss, took the ball and drove to the Giants' eight, where they had a first-and-goal. But the Giants held, and Bullock kicked a 31-yard field goal.

On their ensuing possession, the Giants drove to the Jets' 30. But Manning's third-down pass to Randle fell short, and Brown was summoned to try to extend the game. His two second-quarter field goals had extended his streak of successes to 29 in a row, a career-high, franchise record, and the longest in the NFL. But Brown couldn't get to 30 straight when the Giants needed him to.

"Just a bad hit," Brown said. "I just have to keep my head down, look through the ball, and there's nothing else I can do about it. I have to keep striking the same ball. I had made everything; (was) kicking well. I just have to hit that ball like I do every other one. I just didn't get through it like I needed to. It trailed left and stayed just left of the upright."

Asked when he knew it was no good, Brown said, "The moment I hit it."

Aside from Brown's field goals, the Giants scored on Manning's 72-yard touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris' 80-yard punt return, the Giants' first such score in six years.

But in what has become an unpleasant recurring theme this season, the Giants couldn't hold onto a fourth-quarter lead and fell to 5-7.

"I keep saying it, there are always close games, we've got to learn how to close them out and we're going to learn from it," offensive lineman Justin Pugh said. "At some point, we have to execute on learning from it. We can't keep losing games, we've got to score some points in the second half. Defense is playing great and we gave them momentum. We have to do a better job of that."

"You can't have that many mistakes, you can't have that many missed opportunities, you can't have the same thing every week," Jenkins said. "We come in and we get in position, we make mistakes, missed assignments, missed opportunities, all of it. It's just something that I don't understand. It has to become more of a priority to us. It's got to be something that we get solved, it can't be something that we try to fix. It's something that you either fix or you go on. We just aren't fixing it. It's frustrating."

That's true for every player and coach on the team.