A win is a win is a win.
Just remember that mantra when you hit the pillow tonight.
Leon Washington scored one touchdown on the ground and another through the air, Jerricho Cotchery racked up over 100 yards receiving and Laveranues Coles made a spectacular one-handed grab in the end zone with a minute remaining as the
Jets rallied past the Chiefs 28-24 at the Meadowlands.
There were many moments in this game when I wanted to shake my fists at skies above, but I'm going to try and focus on the positives (there were some). And remember, a win is a win is a win.
REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:Leon Washington. The little big man came up huge in this one. Washington put Gang Green up early with a pretty 18-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Then with time running out in the first half, Washington blasted up the middle and raced 60 yards to the end zone to give the Jets a 14-7 advantage. But No. 29's heroics weren't just on offense. Washington piled up 102 kickoff yards and 71 yards on punt returns, including a key 37-yard punt return that set up the Jets final score. In the end, Washington accounted for 274 total yards on the afternoon. Here's the breakdown: 3 carries for 67 yards and 1 TD, 3 receptions for 34 yards and 1 TD, 4 kickoff returns for 102 yards and 3 punt returns for 71 yards. And the Jets don't get him the ball more often, why?
LC and Cotchery. So much for those injuries. Both Coles and Cotchery were question marks heading into this one and heaven only knows what kind of game it would have been if either were out. Cotchery was the grunt on offense, making key receptions and fighting for extra yards. No. 89 finished with 9 catches for 102 yards. LC was the hero as he made the tremendous snag in the end zone for what proved to be the winning touchdown. No. 87 wrapped things up with 7 receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Sack exchange. The Jets continued to pile on the sacks. The pass rush wasn't nearly as ferocious as it should have been, but the Green and White still came away with four sacks. Kerry Rhodes, David Bowens, Drew Coleman and old man Shaun Ellis all dropped Tyler Thigpen behind the line Sunday afternoon. That gives the Gotham Green 24 sacks on the season. The Jets had 29 total sacks last season.
Brett Favre. It wasn't Favre's best game in Green and White (in fact, it would have been downright terrible if the team came away with the "L"), but he did engineer the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. Favre started out hot and completed six of his first seven passes as he led the Jets to a 7-0 lead on their opening drive. Things were never really the same after that and Favre took some shots during the game. But nobody is ever going to question No. 4's heart. Favre finished 28 of 40 for 290 yards, 2 TDs and 3 INTs.
REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:Brett Favre. Dear God, it's draining watching this guy! Sure, Favre helped guide the Jets to the come-from-behind win, but he was a main reason why they had to come back. The Jets allowed the Chiefs to hang around too long in this one (give KC credit, but this game shouldn't have been this close). Still, the Jets had a chance to put things away early in the fourth quarter. With 9:29 remaining in the game and the Jets up 21-17, the Gotham Green lined up for a 3rd-and-2 from the Chiefs 8-yard line. Favre tried to hit Chasi Stuckey cutting across the middle, but Brandon Flowers had much better position and took the pass back 91 yards for a score to give the Chiefs a shocking 24-21 lead. Flowers also picked off a pass late in the first quarter that set up Kansas City's first touchdwon. Jarrad Page intercepted a Favre pass into double coverage in the second quarter. And Favre and the Jets dodged a huge bullet when Derrick Johnson failed to hold onto an interception with the Jets driving late in the third quarter. If Johnson was able to wrap up the ball he may have gone the distance and given the Chiefs a 24-14 lead. Instead, Thomas Jones eventually scored on a 1-yard TD run to give the Jets a 21-17 lead. It was the third week in a row the Jets coughed up the football three times and this time they were all on Favre. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. I guess.
Game planning. The Chiefs came in with the worst rushing defense in the NFL and the Jets threw the ball 41 times (a razzle-dazzle play involving Brad Smith putting up the pigskin fell incomplete). Eric Mangini and Brian Schottenheimer like to say that they game plan according to their opponent. That sounds like terrific coachspeak, but it really sounds like you are allowing the opposing teams to dictate what type of game you are going to play. But if that is the case, why not pound the football against a horrific rush defense? The Jets did rush for 135 yards as a team on 24 carries (5.6 yards a clip), but there were numerous times that Gang Green faced third-and-short situations and the offense came out in shotgun formations. Doesn't make much sense to me.
Thigpen or Montana? The second-year Thigpen came in with one professional start under his belt (and it wasn't a good one. He was 5 of 11 for 76 yards last week against the Titans), but he looked like a seasoned pro against the Jets. Thigpen connected on his first 10 pass attempts and finished 25 of 36 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. This came without Larry Johnson in the starting backfield and after losing running back Jamaal Charles to an injury late in the first half. Unacceptable.
Jay Feely. I just don't get this guy. Feely nailed a 52 yarder last week against Oakland and followed that up by missing a 36-yard field goal against the Chiefs. Somebody please explain what the deal is with Feely.
Yes, it was ugly. Yes, it doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. But the Jets are 4-3 heading into next week's clash against the Bills in Buffalo. The Jets trail the first-place Bills by just one game after the
Dolphins bested Buffalo in Miami. The New England
Patriots took care of business against the St. Louis Rams (eventually) and are now tied with the Bills at 5-2 atop the AFC East.
A win next week and the Jets could (
could) be in a three-way tie atop the division.
A win is a win is a win.
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Do you think Leon is ever going to be a feature back in the NFL?
Cotchery!