It wasn't exactly a game for the ages, but then again it hasn't really been a season to remember for the New York Jets.
Gang Green's defense smothered the offensively challenged Chiefs for most of the afternoon, Thomas Jones rushed for nearly 100 yards and Mike Nugent booted the game-winning field goal (twice) as the
Jets edged Kansas City 13-10 in overtime before a spirited but sparse crowd in East Rutherford, N.J.
If your kind of football includes dropped passes, penalties, punts and poor execution, then this was the game for you. I'm not sure if the Jets can use this as "positive momentum" heading into next season, but since the Green and White averaged one win a month I guess I really can't complain about a victory.
REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:Strong finish. Once again the Jets defense came to play. Granted, the Chiefs aren't exactly an imposing squad on offense -- running back Kolby Smith (who was filling in for the injured Larry Johnson) was lost early in the game and quarterback Brodie Croyle was playing with a bum hand -- but Gang Green limited Kansas City to 195 yards passing and 53 yards on the ground. The D's only mistake (if you can call it that) came late in the game when they allowed the Chiefs to drive down the field and knot the score at 10-10. David Harris finished up his dazzling rookie campaign by recording 11 tackles and a sack and the secondary limited impressive rookie wide receiver Dwayne Bowe to only 1 catch and 13 yards.
Determined running. Thomas Jones' first season as a Jet has been uneven at best, but he once again showed glimpses of what he could have been in this offense if the Green and White gave him more opportunities. Jones made some nifty moves during his 15-yard shovel pass touchdown catch and he almost single-handedly won the game for Gang Green during overtime with his illusive and hard-nosed running. TJ finished with 98 yards on the ground, but 36 of those came during the extra stanza.
Doin' it twice. Mike Nugent was true on a 33-yard field goal attempt in overtime that seemingly ended the Jets season with a win, but a holding penalty negated the boot and Nugent was forced to try it again -- this time from 43 yards. After the obligatory timeout, Nugent nailed his second attempt and sent those that remained at the soggy Meadowlands home happy.
REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:Quarterback of the present or the future? Kellen Clemens returned to the lineup after sitting out last week's game with an injury and he failed to impress (again). The second-year pro from Oregon finished 13 of 25 for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also added 18 rushing yards to his stat sheet. There were moments when Clemens looked flustered in the pocket and his accuracy continued to be sporadic. In his defense, the offensive line did a horrible job of protecting him and his receivers dropped some passes, but his up-and-down play has to be a major concern heading into 2008. It's unfair to judge Clemens on only seven games, but his performance hasn't really left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling regarding the quarterback position. The Jets aren't going to draft a QB with their first pick (at least I hope they aren't) and I doubt that Mangini will retain the services of Chad Pennington, but Clemens doesn't look ready to be a starting quarterback in this league. At least, not yet.
C'mon line . . . hold! Once again Mangini used a rotation along the offensive line and once again the unit looked dreadful. Will Montgomery got the start again at left guard and didn't really impress and rookies Robert Turner and Clint Oldenburg shared time with Montgomery and right tackle Anthony Clement respectively. The Jets did rush for 199 yards on the ground, but most of those yards were picked up thanks to great individual efforts from TJ and Leon Washington. Kansas City has a pretty solid defense, but the offense almost cost the Jets another victory because they just can't sustain drives.
Well, that's it. The Jets may have wrapped up 2007 with a victory, but this season has been far from uplifting. There are major concerns on both offense and defense and the Gotham Green will have to fill those holes through free agency and the draft (how else are they going to do it, right?). The Jets have secured themselves the No. 6 pick in next April's draft and they are roughly $28 million under the cap so they do have the capabilities to turn this thing around in a hurry.
And here's a quick peek at the teams the Green and White will be facing in 2008:
The obvious:
- New England (home and away)
- Miami (home and away)
- Buffalo (home and away)
On the road:
- Oakland
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Tennessee
At home:
- Denver
- Kansas City
- Arizona
- St. Louis
- Cincinnati
Next year can't get here fast enough.
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