NFL

Geno’s Jets debut a smash thanks to one dumb Buc

The Jets have heard for months that they stink. They’ve heard they’re the worst team in the NFL. They’ve heard they can’t win with rookie Geno Smith at quarterback. They’ve heard their critics rip them in every way possible.

Sunday afternoon, they finally got to answer them.

It was not pretty, but the Jets pulled out a wild 18-17 victory over the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium after a Bucs penalty for a late hit on Smith with seven seconds left set up a 48-yard field goal from Nick Folk and gave the Jets the improbable win.

They wake up Monday morning at 1-0. For a team predicted to win as few as three games by some, that means something.

“We hold our own destiny,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “We could be really good and surprise some people or we can be the young Jets and succumb to what people think we’re going to be. But I really do feel good about the guys in this locker room.”

The Jets had reason to feel good after stealing one from Tampa Bay in incredible fashion. The Buccaneers took a 17-15 lead with 34 seconds left after Josh Freeman connected with Vincent Jackson on a 37-yard pass to set up a Rian Lindell field goal.

What looked like a heartbreaking loss for the Jets flipped in seconds on a bone-headed play by the Bucs. Smith moved the Jets 25 yards on a pass to Kellen Winslow. Smith spiked the ball to stop the clock with 15 seconds left at the Jets’ 45. On second down, he found no one open and scrambled to his right. He ran out of bounds at the Tampa 45, but then got drilled by linebacker Lavonte David. David was flagged for the late hit and the Jets sent kicker Nick Folk onto the field to boot the 48-yard, game-winning field goal.

The Jets ran onto the field as Folk’s kick went through the uprights with two seconds left, celebrating as they had somehow escaped a devastating loss and turned it into an uplifting victory.

“We will take it,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “We talk about a resilient group. We certainly have one. We fought all the way to the end. One team, one fight. Holy cow. We’ll take it, there’s no question.”

Smith showed tremendous poise as he led the Jets to two field goals in the fourth quarter after some stumbling early with an interception and a fumble. He earned his teammates’ respect with his debut, completing 24-of-38 passes for 256 yards with one touchdown and the two turnovers.

“The game wasn’t too big for him,” said tight end Kellen Winslow, who led the Jets with seven catches for 79 yards and had a second-quarter touchdown.

The Jets defense played a strong game and rattled Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman as the members of the unit promised they would. Tampa was out of synch all day, even trying to call back-to-back timeouts on the first series of the game. The Buccaneers committed 13 penalties, including three personal fouls.

Both offenses struggled for most of the day. Tampa Bay got out to a 14-5 lead when Doug Martin scored a 5-yard touchdown after Smith fumbled the ball at the 5 when he was hit by Mason Foster. Smith brought the Jets back down the field before halftime on a six-play drive that was aided by a unnecessary roughness penalty by Bucs safety Mark Barron. Smith connected with Winslow for a 7-yard score, his first professional touchdown pass, to cut the score to 14-12.

The Jets took a 15-14 lead with 5:09 left in the game on a 30-yard field goal from Folk. The two teams traded three-and-outs before Tampa Bay found a hole in the Jets’ defense with 1:51 left to play. Ryan took the blame for the call in which the Jets blitzed safety Antonio Allen, leaving Jackson uncovered. Freeman hit him with a strike and then Jets safety Dawan Landry missed the tackle at midfield. Jackson made it to the Jets’ 26 before Demario Davis tackled him. Lindell then kicked a 37-yarder to put Tampa up 17-15, setting up Smith’s dramatics.

Smith was unfazed by the moment, telling his teammates “it’s never over” before jogging onto the field for the winning drive.

“I can’t tell you why,” Smith said. “I just be myself out there. I’m never going to panic. I’m never in panic mode. It’s a game. It’s something I’ve been playing my entire life. I’ve been in that situation plenty of times.”