DENVER — Call it the Miracle at Mile High.
Tim Tebow stunned the Jets with a last-minute, 95-yard drive that ended with the Broncos quarterback rushing for 20-yard touchdown to deal the Jets a crushing, 17-13 loss last night.
The Jets’ defense failed in the final minutes after their offense gave it no help all night. The Jets held a 13-10 lead when Tebow took over at his own 5-yard line with 5:54 left in the game.
Twelve plays and 4:50 later, he raced around the left end of a blitzing Jets’ defense. As he raced toward the end zone, he avoided an Eric Smith tackle and scored standing up with 58 seconds left.
“I’m just in shock right now,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “He did it. Tim Tebow did it. He shocked me. He probably shocked a lot of people, but he did it. Tim Tebow’s legs ran them to victory.”
It was a miraculous ending to a mess of a game.
The primetime game between the two AFC teams was tougher to watch than a Kardashian wedding special.
The Jets’ second straight loss dealt another blow to their playoff hopes. The Jets fell to 5-5, with all five losses coming against AFC foes.
“The playoffs really start with Buffalo,” quarterback Mark Sanchez said, referring to next week’s game. “These are all must-wins.”
The Jets shut Tebow down for most of the night, but he got them in the end. The problem for the Jets was Sanchez looked only slightly better than Tebow as a passer. The only touchdown pass Sanchez threw in the game was to the Broncos.
“I lost the game,” Sanchez said. “I let the defense down. However you want to phrase it. It’s an embarrassing day by me.”
Sanchez finished 24-of-40 for 252 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. Even with that dismal performance, the Jets had that 13-10 lead with 5:54 left in the game.
T.J. Conley’s punt left Tebow with the ball at his own 5. He completed three passes and ran the ball five times to get the ball to the 20. On third-and-4 at the 20, the Jets brought an all-out blitz up the middle. Jets coach Rex Ryan said they expected him to run. Smith said they expected him to throw.
Operating out of the shotgun, Tebow broke the Jets’ hearts. He raced around the left end, put a move on Smith and sent the Sports Authority Field crowd home happy.
“We have to find a way to get better,” Ryan said. “This one stings, there’s no question.”
The loss came on a defensive collapse, but the defense should not have been forced to win the game. The Jets’ offense seemed to be back in New Jersey. With Shonn Greene out after the first quarter and LaDainian Tomlinson watching on TV, the Jets rushed for just 83 yards.
The loss falls mainly on Sanchez, though, who threw his third interception for a touchdown this season. Andre’ Goodman picked off the quarterback’s third-quarter pass and raced 26 yards to tie the game at 10-10. This loss raises more questions about Sanchez’s ability to lead the Jets.
“He’s our starting quarterback,” receiver Santonio Holmes said. “He’s the guy we’ve got to ride and die with for the rest of the season. He has to step it up. I believe in him.”
The first half was difficult to watch with both offenses failing to produce. There were some good defensive plays, but mostly horrible offense. It was like they never got the memo that the forward pass had been legalized.
The Jets looked sluggish early, as was to be expected. Traveling here four days after playing the Patriots on Sunday night was a lot to ask. Add in the challenge of playing in the thin air here and the Jets were facing a tough task.
Ryan’s defense did a good job stopping Tebow until the final five minutes. Tebow rushed for 68 yards on eight carries in the game, 57 yards on that final drive.
“We have to take a long, hard look at ourselves,” Ryan said. “We’re a lot better than this. We all know it.”