Jets Earn Hard Fought Victory in the ATL

JETS 30 
FALCONS 28 

This is the kind of game that Jets fans have been waiting for.

Ever since the Jets beat the New England Patriots in 2010 divisional playoffs, the Jets have never come close to playing as complete a game that resulted in an all around solid, satisfying victory as they did on Monday.

No, for the past 37 games since the AFC Divisional Playoff, the Jets have been mired in buttfumble-land, with Mark Sanchez playing the lead role as the joker. Keeping the faith heading in 2013 was asking a lot of anyone who has rooted for this franchise for years on decades.

Through four games in 2013, the Jets were lucky to be 2-2. Geno Smith played ok at times, and Sanchezian other times, with the shadow of Sanchez looming. Rex Ryan's head was still on the chopping block, and after a 38-13 smack-down at the hands of the Tennessee Titans, it looked like 2013 would unravel as most had predicted.

That was until Monday night, in Atlanta, in the Georgia Dome -- a place that the Jets have never played well in in the few times New York and Atlanta have squared-off.

The Jets grew up on Monday night. A team with so few household names came up big in the bright lights on national TV, with Geno Smith, Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, DeMario Davis, David Harris, Jeremy Kerley, and Jeff Cumberland all playing a key roll.

Nobody thought New York stood a shot in Atlanta. Yet, the Jets smacked the Falcons right in the mouth right from the word go.

One could sense something special was brewing when cornerback Darrian Walls nearly picked off Matt Ryan's third and five pass on Atlanta's first possession forcing a Falcon punt.

The Jets answered with Smith engineering a well executed 10-play 35-yard drive that resulted in a Nick Folk field goal to make it 3-0. Something was definitely brewing.

Even when the Falcons jumped on top 7-3, it never felt that the Jets were going to suddenly roll over to the Falcons. Quiet the contrary.

Smith drove the Jets 67 yards on seven plays, highlighted by a big 19 yard completion to Kerley on a third and nine to extend the drive in Atlanta territory. Three plays later, Smith found Jeff Cumberland in tight double-coverage for a 20-yard touchdown on third and 11, and just like that the Jets were up 10-7.

 Geno Smith grew up in front of our eyes on Monday. The Jets simplified the offense. They didn't ask him to do too much, but unlike the incumbent quarterback that he unseated, Smith played smart football. When a play wasn't to made through the air, he took off with his legs, and unlike Sanchez, slid when the time called for it.

He read his progressions, and didn't force the football, and when he felt a rush, Smith didn't try to jam the ball somewhere just to avoid a sack. He played like a guy who has done this before, not like a rookie.

Smith's monster completion to Cumberland down the middle for 47-yards midway through the second quarter that led to his quick dump off pass to Kerley, who took in for six points, highlighted the strides the kid has taken.

The biggest moment of the game didn't come on the offensive side of the ball, it was on the defensive side.

Defensively the Jets were brilliant. Rushing four to five players on every snap, the Jets got enough pressure on Matt Ryan to make him uncomfortable, and if it weren't for a few inane penalties the Jets would have made Ryan look foolish, Monday night.

The combo of Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Kendrik Ellis, DeMario Davis and David Harris were incredible all night, but it was their goal-line stand at the end of the second quarter that turned the game around.

Atlanta looked poised to score a touchdown to cut the Jets lead to three, but the Jets defense stood firm. They forced Ryan to throw a couple incompletions, and the pass he did complete to Julio Jones, Harris made a great play tackling the speedy receiver before he ever got to the end zone.

Finally facing a fourth-and-one, the Falcons decided to go for it, instead of kicking the field goal. The Jets were ready, and they pushed Jacquizz Rodgers on his butt at the one yard line to keep New York in front 10 points.

Even with that this game would come down to the final seconds. The Jets extended their lead to 27-14 midway through the fourth quarter when Smith made a great touch pass to the back of the end zone for Kellen Winslow who caught it, and kept both feet in bounds for the score.

But Atlanta didn't go away. Each time it looked that the Jets would force the Falcons into a punting situation, either a penalty flag, or clutch third down catch by Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones would follow.

The Falcons had closed to within 27-21, and were poised to score on what could have been the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes. They had the football once again on the Jets goal-line, and once again it looked like the Jets held when Davis knocked a pass out of the hands of Rodgers on fourth and goal to preserve the Jets lead with less than two minutes remaining.

But, low and behold a holding call was called on the Jets for holding Tony Gonzalez in the end zone. It was a bad call by the refs, and it gave Atlanta new life. Finally, Ryan hit Levine Toilolo for the score to put Atlanta up 28-27.

With a 1:54, it was a smart move by the Jets to let Atlanta score at this point. For as much pride as Rex has in having his defense make a statement on a defensive stand, allowing Atlanta to score with nearly two minutes on the clock was brilliant.

Now it was up to Geno Smith. Would he shrink under the pressure? Would he suddenly look like a rookie? Would he do a Sanchez and throw the game losing pick? No, not this time.

Smith converted on three consecutive first down passes, two to Stephen Hill and another to Kerley. Finally, when he couldn't find anyone on second and short, Smith took it himself picking up the first down and getting out of bounds to stop the clock. Smith positioned the Jets at the Atlanta 25, putting the game on the leg of Nick Folk.

Folk, who before this season had not built a very sound reputation with the Jets, hit the biggest field goal of his Jets career, when he booted the game winner right through the uprights with three seconds left, handing the Jets a thrilling 30-28 win.

There is life in New York football after all, and it isn't coming from the Giants. The Jets, the team nobody expected anything from this year are 3-2, and are now in second place in the AFC East. While nothing is for certain with the Jets, and the next four games will certainly be difficult, they have given their fans exactly what they hoped for -- a season to look forward to.