Shoeless Brad Leads Jets past Clueless Cats

Fans of Gang Green gave thanks on National Turkey Day to Shoeless Brad Smith, whose exploits masked a pedestrian effort against one of the NFL’s worst teams, allowing the Jets to gobble up the 2-9 Bengals by a score of 26-10.

The Jets had seemingly sleep-walked through the first half, which ended with New York on the wrong end of a 7-3 score, with the fans booing their efforts as they left the field. However, with just 47 seconds into the second half, the Jets called an end-around reverse to Smith. Aided by excellent blocks from Dustin Keller and Braylon Edwards, the Jets burner scampered 53 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The dormant, grumbling crowd came to life. Then, with 12:18 to go in the fourth quarter, with the Jets holding on to a 17-10 edge, Smith took the kickoff and returned it 89 yards in scintillating fashion, blowing past special teams coverage despite the loss of one of his shoes at the fifty yard line. The effort sent Jets #1 fan Fireman Ed into spasms of ecstasy. Smith, the do-it-all fourth receiver, sometimes quarterback, sometimes rusher, and special team stand-out, simply had a stupendous performance. In truth, his luminous play cancelled out a lethargic offense that otherwise produced little except numerous penalties, errant passes, and poor decision-making, especially on the part of QB Mark Sanchez, whose effort was as forgettable as Smith’s was memorable. Mark Sanchez (16-of-26, 166 yards, one TD, one INT, 71.4 rating) made what might have been his worst pass/decision of the season. With Michael Johnson draped around his body, Sanchez threw an errant pass in the direction of Shonn Greene. However, linebacker Rey Maualuga, Mark’s teammate at USC, happened to be positioned directly between Sanchez and Green, and he returned the underthrown pass to the Jets 37 yard line. With the Jets holding on to a slim 10-7 lead, the Bengals seemingly stalled deep in the Red Zone, when Carson Palmer threw an incomplete pass to Jordan Shipley on fourth down. However, James Ihedigbo was flagged for a questionable roughing the passer penalty. Even this faux pas didn’t bring life to Cincinnati, as they again went three and out, and the bungled drive appropriately ended when kicker Aaron Pettrey missed a 27-yard field goal that would have tied the game at 10 with 5:09 left in the third. Ihedigbo managed to make up for his mistake shortly afterwards. Still clinging to a 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter, Ihedigbo recovered a punt that was said to have bounced off the helmet of Bengals punt-returner Andre Caldwell. Two plays later, Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a ten yard touchdown, lifting the Jets to a 17-10 advantage. Holmes has rapidly emerged as the Jets premier clutch receiver, as well as the best off-season acquisition by General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. Later on, Ihedigbo made the key block on Smith’s electrifying punt return.

Two of the three units, the Jets Defense and Special Teams, played a solid game, not withstanding another field goal miss by the increasingly erratic Nick Folk. Both Safety Jim Leonhard and CB Antonio Cromartie picked off Carson Palmer. Several years ago, Palmer appeared to be on the verge of emerging as the next elite quarterback in the NFL. His declination into mediocrity is puzzling, especially when he has the two talented divas at wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, otherwise known as Batman and Robin. The dynamic duo had referred to the Jets pair of elite Cornerbacks, Cromartie and Revis, as "Ren and Stimpy." Owens also had described Darrelle Revis as an “average” cornerback during the week prior to the game.

"He's only done one thing for one year," Owens said. "You talk about shutdown corners; you need to repeatedly do it year-in and year-out. I think he did it one year and everybody made a lot of hoopla about it."

Well, “Ren” limited Batman to three catches for 17 yards, and “Stimpy”, besides his one interception, held Robin to four catches for 41 yards. Darrelle’s reaction?

"Not bad," Revis said. "Just trying to make ends meet out there for an average corner. They stuck me on the best receiver, Terrell Owens. I was kind of shocked that they put an average corner on one of the best receivers in the league. But I guess I managed to do OK against him."

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New York also held Bengal running back Cedric Benson to 41 yards on 18 carries, a far cry from the 169 yards Benson had garnered against the Jets in last years playoff game. The Jets also harried Palmer with a fierce pass rush in the fourth quarter. Coaching legend Bill Walsh used to say that the key to victory is a fourth quarter pass rush.

At any rate, the Bengals, who were a combined 0-12 at the old Meadowlands (0-9 against the Jets, 0-3 against the Giants) are now 0-1 in the new digs.

The Jets now have ten days to contemplate the upcoming Armageddon in Foxborough against the New England Patriots, also 9-2, and winning games in a more dominant fashion then the Jets, who now have a patent on the cliché that “Its better to be lucky then good.” As the Jets won the initial match, a victory would give them a decisive edge in the Division race, with a probable bye in the playoffs. Rex Ryan, who according to one local wag “could put a positive spin on a hemorrhoid”, had this to say:

"They're clearly the best team in football," Ryan said of the Patriots. "That's what all the experts say . . . except me."

Let the trash-talking commence, as we head towards what is one of the most anticipated regular season games in many years.

By: Paul J. Nebenfuhr
ProFootball-fans.com New York Jets Correspondent