Jets Pony Up, Steal One From Broncos

It all came down to one play. The Jets, down 20-17, faced a Fourth Down and Six on the Denver 48 yard line, with a bit more then 1 ½ minutes left on the clock. If they failed to convert, the game was over. QB Mark Sanchez, playing his worst game of the season thus far, took the snap. He looked around the field; no Jets receivers were open, and the Broncos pass rush was breathing down his back. In his best rendition of the Hail Mary pass, Sanchez heaved the ball downfield, in the direction of Santonio Holmes. Jets tackle Wayne Hunter found religion while the ball the ball approached its target, praying “Please God, Please God, Please God!” Bronco’s safety Renaldo Hill became tangled up with Holmes. Hill found himself in poor position, with his back to the ball. In desperation, he grabbed Santonio’s helmet, and was caught in the act by field judge Gary Caveletto. The stadium replay exonerated the field judge. Silence descended amongst the sea of orange in the stands. On the next play, La Dainian Tomlinson traipsed into the end-zone untouched. Game, Set, Match.

After the game, Coach Ryan stated, with more then a bit of sarcasm: “I’d like to apologize for the win.” “No I wouldn’t. We’ll take it.” He, and several other Jets repeated the standard NFL mantra; Championship teams find a way to win when they play ugly. And yes, Mildred, the Jets played ugly. Sanchez, who hadn’t thrown an interception in the first five games of the season, threw two picks in the first half, and there were several others which could have resulted in interceptions. He made numerous poor decisions, and his play at times resembled the erratic performances of his rookie season. The difference, however, is that last year, he likely would have folded. This season, he has apparently developed that necessary trait of successful quarterbacks and baseball closers – amnesia. Every quarterback, even the incomparable Peyton Manning, has games where his performance is several degrees south of stellar. Every closer, including the peerless Mariano Rivera, blows a save on rare occasions. The key is to develop a built-in forgetter, and move on to the next pass, the next save appearance, without losing your poise. Sanchez, with a bit of luck from the football gods, persevered, failed to panic, and led the Jets to an improbable win. “Mark is a warrior”, stated wide-receiver Jerricho Cotchery. “He’s going to keep battling.”

The Jets lost the statistical battle on almost every front. Kyle Orton, surprisingly developing into a decent quarterback, passed for more yardage then Sanchez, without an interception. The Broncos had more rushing yards then the Jets, more net yards, more first downs, and a slightly higher time of possession then New York. For the first time this year, the Jets had difficulty stopping the run, allowing Denver to rush for145 yards, the first time this mediocre unit had rushed for more then 100 yards all season. Darrelle Revis continues his sub-par play, as his hamstring injury continues to hamper his ability to cover receivers which he would typically shut out. In the first half, Jabbar Gaffney caught three passes for 49 yards with Revis having primary coverage responsibility, and WR Demaryius Thomas beat Revis in the end-zone for a third quarter TD pass. The Jets pass rush failed to put significant pressure on Orton; only one sack was recorded all game, that by Sione Pouha. The Jets Special Teams allowed the Broncos to convert an on-sides kick in the second quarter. However, Nick Folk, fresh off his 5 field goal performance last week (earning the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award), had another terrific performance, not only kicking a clutch 56 yard field goal (a Jets all time record) which tied the game in the third quarter at 10-10, but also had five kickoffs reach the end-zone with no return.

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It should be noted that the Jets are hardly the first team playing in Denver where the defense has wilted as the game progressed. They defensive line obviously looked winded, not adapting very well to the change of altitude. The Jets as a team appeared to be flat, sleep-walking through parts of the game.

The bottom line: the Jets are 5-1 going into their bye week, in first place in their division, where they sport a nifty 3-0 record, while not as yet playing a game where all three units have clicked simultaneously. Bill Parcells would always state that you are what your record is, and at this point in the season, the Jets have the best record in the NFL. They, along with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and possibly the Patriots, are the class of the AFC. They are brimming with confidence, and as such will be a formidable team when they return to action in two weeks, facing the Green Bay Packers on their home turf. After that match, the Jets face Cleveland and Detroit on the road. It is not unreasonable to expect Gang Green to sit at 8-1 going into the more tasking part of their season.

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