PLAY OF THE GAME
Dick Jauron did nothing to help the unemployment rate today.
His decision to pass on second-and-5 with two minutes left and his team in complete control will go down as one of the dumbest decisions in NFL history.
Instead of handing it to Marshawn Lynch, who was running over Jets all day, he had J.P. Losman roll to his right and look for fullback Corey McIntyre in the flat. McIntyre never made it past the line of scrimmage and Losman held onto the ball long enough for Jets safety Abram Elam to catch him from behind and cause a fumble.
Defensive end Shaun Ellis scooped up the loose football and made it 11 yards for a touchdown that gave the Jets a 31-27 victory.
“They were running out the clock to win the game,” Jets tackle Damien Woody said. “Our season was riding on it at that point. Thank goodness they tried to throw the ball in that situation and we capitalized on it. It’s pretty remarkable how everything unfolded.”
For Ellis it was a bit of redemption after causing a distraction two weeks ago for his arrest on marijuana possession. The play kept the Jets alive for the AFC East crown.
“It saved the game,” Ellis said. “I don’t know about the season yet.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Dick Jauron was in trouble before this afternoon. After a 4-0 start, the Bills have collapsed and Jauron’s job is in jeopardy. With this gaffe, he should be fired tomorrow.
“That goes right on me,” Jauron said. “It backfired clearly, and it caused us to lose the game. The guys fought hard. They made enough plays to win that football game. I just didn’t help them with that call.”
BREAKDOWN
Eric Mangini may not want to admit it but the Jets are luckier than a leprechaun carrying a rabbit’s foot, a horseshoe and a bunch of four-leaf clovers. The Jets played sloppily for the third straight game but the result glossed over all the mistakes.
The victory keeps the Jets tied with the Dolphins and Patriots, both winners today, atop the AFC East at 9-5. The pass defense was better, but that might have been a product of playing J.P. Losman. The rush defense looked terrible, and the Jets are still struggling to make tackles.
On offense Brett Favre and friends looked great in the first quarter, then vanished. They had just four first downs in the second half, none in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
Get ready for another week of West Coast questions for the Jets. They make their fourth trip out there this season, this time to face the Seahawks (3-11) in Mike Holmgren’s home finale. The Jets have been awful in the Pacific time zone, going 0-3 with losses to the Chargers, Raiders and 49ers.
After the ups and downs of the previous four months, it comes down to this for the Jets – win the final two games and they’re AFC East champs; lose and they’re probably watching the playoffs on TV.