The Jets have entrusted quarterback Mark Sanchez to call more audibles this season, but one he made Sunday could have proven costly.
Jets coach Rex Ryan saud yesterday that on the team’s final drive to set up Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal, a run was called on third down at the Cowboys’ 32 with 37 seconds left. But Sanchez audibled to a pass to Plaxico Burress. A run would have forced the Cowboys to use their final timeout, making their chances of pulling out a miracle even slimmer.
It worked out for the Jets. The pass fell incomplete, Folk kicked the 50-yard field goal, and the Cowboys could not answer.
“He kind of got fooled,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “There’s a fine line. When you give him that freedom, you’ve got to give him the freedom to go ahead and make that decision.
“It’s not like we want him coming over all the time, ‘was that ok?’ No, make a decision and live with it. That’s what he did.”
Ryan said he trusts Sanchez to switch plays at the line, unlike when Sanchez was a rookie. But he did say when he saw the audible he thought “What are we doing?”
“If he hit it, it would’ve been the greatest thing going,” Ryan said. “In that situation, he probably should’ve . . . It’s hard to say.”
* Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis had the big interception in Sunday’s win, but it was another play that brought a smile to his face. Revis actually blitzed once against the Cowboys. The All-Pro corner said he remembers doing that once before under Ryan and once under previous coach Eric Mangini.
“It kind of felt great,” Revis said. “You try to put on your Ray Lewis mode.”
Not that Revis wants to do it all the time, though.
“I’ll stick to covering and leave it to David Harris and Jimmy Leonhard and those guys who do it way better than me,” he said.
* Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff confirmed that he wants to coach through the 2012 season, as reported in Wednesday’s Post. But he left himself some wiggle room.
“I’m really thinking I’d like to go this one and then one more,” he said. “That’s my goal, because then I’ll be 65 and that might be enough. ”
* Harris missed his second day of practice with a toe injury, but Ryan said he still expects him to play. Ryan said Harris does not have a broken toe or turf toe. WR Santonio Holmes (knee/quad), S Eric Smith (ankle) and RB Joe McKnight (finger) were all added to the injury list, but Ryan said all are expected to play. Holmes and Smith were limited in practice. Holmes said his injuries are “nothing to worry about.”