CINCINNATI — Mark Sanchez call his fourth-quarter connection to tight end Dustin Keller more of “a long handoff” than a pinpoint pass.
Whatever it was, it was the biggest play in the Jets’ 24-14 wild-card win yesterday in Cincinnati.
Keller rambled for a critical 43-yard play on a second-and-8 from the Jets’ 34-yard line with a little more than 10 minutes to go in the win over the Bengals.
Playing in his first postseason game, having barely done anything offensively the last five weeks of the year, Keller exploded for three catches, 99 yards, a touchdown and his key fourth-quarter play — this after tallying nine catches for 69 yards in his five games combined.
Keller’s big catch came at just the right time, answering a 47-yard Cedric Benson touchdown run that allowed the Bengals to cut Gang Green’s lead to 21-14.
Sanchez hit Keller on a short pass in the left flat. When the tight end finally was wrestled to the ground by Leon Hall 43 yards later, he was at the Bengals 23-yard line.
“It [was] huge,” Keller said. “We knew it was a huge down for us and we had to convert to keep the drive going.”
Keller did, as the Jets wound up with an insurance field goal to go up 24-14.
Keller also provided the score that gave the Jets the lead, hauling in a 45-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez in the second quarter for a 14-7 Jets advantage.
“He was due for a huge game,” Rex Ryan said. “I think all the New York media was asking me where Dustin was. Well, he showed up today.”