JETS 27BILLS 11
Through seven games, the New York Jets looked destined for mediocrity. A season mired by a three game losing streak, really poor play from the quarterback and running game, spotty play by the defense, and, including apparent rifts in the clubhouse early in the season, had many worried that this was a team doomed to fail.
On Sunday the Jets put together their most complete effort, dominating a very good Buffalo Bills team from pillar to post 27-11 to improve to 5-3, putting themselves in a virtual three-way tie for first place in the AFC East, with a showdown against the New England Patriots set for Sunday night.
The first half was ugly as neither offense could get anything moving. Mark Sanchez had the Jets poised for a first quarter touchdown that would have capped a nine minute drive, but Sanchez threw an interception in the end zone, right to Jarius Byrd, killing the Jets drive. Box score.
But it wasn't like the Bills were doing anything offensively; the Jets defense was fantastic. They bottled up Fred Jackson, holding the star back to only 82 yards rushing on the day. The lack of an effective Buffalo running game, put a lot of pressure on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was tormented by the Jets secondary; David Harris and Calvin Pace picked him off to preserve a Jets 3-0 lead at the half.
Fitzpatrick never got comfortable in the first half, completing only 4-of-11 passes; in fact, Fitzpatrick threw six straight incompletions in the second quarter that included the two turnovers to the Jets.
In the second half, the Jets defense came up big again, this time forcing, and recovering a Fred Jackson fumble to put the Jets offense in business at the Buffalo 19. Sanchez responded completing a dagger to Burress to the one yard line to set up LaDainian Tomlinson's 1 yard plunge, giving the Jets a 13-0 lead, and silencing the crowd.
For his part, Sanchez was excellent. He picked apart the Bills secondary, finding open receivers all day in Santonio Holmes, Burress and Dustin Keller. Sanchez completed 20 of 28 passes for 230 yards, his best effort of the 2011 season. For the the first time all year, Sanchez looked poised in the pocket. He had a nice rhythm with his receivers, and he didn't look like the timid child that Jets' fans grew used to seeing the past seven weeks.
Sanchez put his accuracy on display late in the third quarter, leading the Jets on a 79 yard touchdown drive as a response to a Bills field goal. Sanchez hit an open Dustin Keller for 16 yards to move the ball to the Jets 37. Sanchez, then, hit Burress for 13 more to midfield, before airing it out down the field to Holmes. Holmes was heavily covered by Ledious McKelvin, who was flagged for pass interference as a result.
On first and goal at the eight, Sanchez zipped one right to Holmes for the score, giving New York a 20-3 lead.
The biggest moment of the game came near the end of the third quarter. The Bills drove the ball deep into Jets territory after Fitzpatrick completed passes of 26 yards to Jackson, 12 yards to David Nelson, and six yards to Stevie Johnson to spot the ball to the Jets 21.
The Jets defense stiffened, and forced Buffalo into a do-or-die 4th and one situation. The obvious choice for Buffalo was to give it to Jackson, but the Jets were waiting for him. They burst through the hole before Jackson ever got his feet beneath him and smacked him to the turf to force a turnover on downs.
In turn the Jets engineered a lengthy touchdown drive, highlighted by big completions to Keller, Holmes and Tomlinson, setting up the John Connor, A.K.A. The Terminator's, 1 yard touchdown to give the Jets a 27-3 lead.
The win was New York's most impressive outing of the season; a season that had started with such lackluster play now appears to be on the mend as the Jets are now clicking on all cylinders offensively, and defensively. The NFL is now on alert.
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