Sloppy Jets pull rabbit out of their hats against Dallas

Jets 27

Cowboys 24

Apparently, the Jets like to play like this. Don't show up for three quarters, then miraculously wake up, rally and win the game in the fourth quarter when it appears that all hope is lost.

Sunday night's season opener against Dallas was a continuation of a fun, and very disturbing pattern by Gang Green as the Jets pulled one out against the Cowboys 27-24.

However, for three quarters, the Jets looked clueless. For three quarters the Jets had no pizzazz, and for three quarters the Jets couldn't throw or catch a football if it hit them in the face.

The Jets defense gave up huge plays to the Dallas Cowboys in the first half; for example, Dez Bryant schooled Revis Island on a number of occasions. Bryant dazzled early with a 42 yard catch to set the Cowboys up at the 17-yard line. Five plays later, Romo found Bryant again in the corner of the end zone against Antonio Cromartie for the score.

As for the Jets offense, they were asleep at the wheel. They couldn't run the ball and couldn't throw the ball on a Cowboys defense that had a young, banged up secondary, and that just had installed the 46 defense, so for three quarters, the Jets didn't have a clue.

When they were down 10-0, only then did the Jets stir: Mark Sanchez found Dustin Keller twice for 28 yards, and the Jets moved to within the Cowboys goal line. Finally, on second and goal, Sanchez found Keller in the back of the end zone for the touchdown to cut the deficit to 10-7.

Then the Jets went back to sleep. After a Jets three and out to start the third quarter, Tony Romo picked on Cromartie again, when he connected with Miles Austin for a 36 yard score, a ball that both Cromartie and Austin were battling for with possession going to Dallas.

Later in the third quarter, Sanchez made a huge bone-headed play. While trying to zip to Keller down the middle, he instead found Cowboys linebacker Steve Lee, who picked it off and rumbled 38 yards for an apparent touchdown. The touchdown was called off because Lee stepped out of bounds, but it really didn't matter. The Cowboys punched it in anyway with Felix Jones to give Dallas a dominating 24-10 lead.

With a fourth quarter still to play, the Jets had sleep-walked through the entire game. They watched as the Cowboys ripped them apart through the air and watched a young Cowboys defense dictate the pace of the game for much of the night. Hell, Sanchez didn't connect with Keller until the third quarter, and he didn't find Plaxico Burress until the end of the third.

Then, suddenly the Jets did what they do the best, pull a game out of the fire when it appeared doomed. Suddenly Sanchez was finding his receivers wide open all over the field. He hit Holmes for 28 yards, Derrick Mason for 13 yards, and LaDainian Tomlinson for 11 more yards. Next, Sanchez found Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone for a 26 yard score to pull the Jets to within 24-17 with 11 minutes to play. Box Score.

After a Dallas three and out, the Jets started moving the ball well again until Mark Sanchez fumbled the football back to Dallas. It appeared that the game was over; the Jets who made a living of making ridiculously improbable comebacks last season were finally going to be taught a hard lesson that they should have showed up at 8:30 p.m., not 11:00 p.m. But then, the lord of "Helmet Catches" and "Immaculate Receptions" shone on the New York Jets.

After Dallas went three-and-out on their ensuing drive, they were forced to punt. The snap was low and Jets running back Joe McKnight burst through the hole and got his hand up high enough to block the football. Isaiah Thomas picked up the loose ball and scored easily to tie the game, sending PSL Jet fans into a frenzy.

It was a lucky play that normally wouldn't have happened. The Jets once again cashed in on some really good fortune.

Later in the quarter, a desperate Tony Romo rolled to his right, threw a bullet that was picked off by Revis -- ball game! The Jets moved the ball inside field goal range, and Nick Folk did the rest by kicking a 50-yarder to give New York the win.

As nice as it is to win a game on opening day, and as much fun as it is to witness a comeback, the Jets have developed a truly disturbing pattern of play. They pump their chests week in and week out about how this is a Super Bowl team with a Super Bowl defense, but they rarely play like it on game day.

Last year, the Jets had to pull off five games, including the playoffs, by the skin of their teeth after having played sloppy football. The only time their messy play came back to bite them in the butt was in Pittsburgh in the AFC title game when the Steelers built a 24-0 lead in the first half and held on, 24-19.

The Jets have got to stop playing like this. The Dallas Cowboys have talent, but by no means was this the 2007 Patriots the Jets were playing this night. This was a young, developing Cowboys team that shouldn't have had any confidence coming into the building. The Cowboys walked into MetLife Stadium like the owned the place, and the Jets didn't take notice until the clock was near midnight.

Rex Ryan has got to put his foot down and put an end to this kind of play. He condoned last season when the Jets pulled out games against Denver, Houston, Detroit and Cleveland, bad football teams the Jets should have blown out.

He again complimented his team after the Dallas game as a group with great heart -- which is good and true -- but this kind of play is getting infuriating to watch. Great coaches, like Bill Belichick or Bill Parcells, wouldn't stand for sloppy, lackadaisical play for 45 minutes. In fact, they would find a way to shake it out of their team.

Ryan hasn't shaken the sloppiness out of this football team. He didn't get that team ready last year in the AFC title game when they tried to pull off a similar fate, but they needed a blocked punt for the miracle this eveing. If Ryan thought he got the message across after that AFC title game, it clearly didn't sink it.

The Jets have to understand that if they think falling behind against teams like New England, San Diego, Philadelphia, Baltimore, the New York Giants, even Miami, will ultimately lead to a Jets win in the fourth quarter, they can forget about it. It won't happen; unicorn dust and marshmellow fluff doesn't last forever.

Sure, it is good to be 1-0 on the season, but the Jets are extremely, extremely fortunate that they were not embarrassed in their home opener Sunday. If the Jets pull this garbage against a lousy Jaguars team next Sunday, something, whether it's personnel or philosophy, something will have to change.