The cardiac kids were back at it again as the New York Jets had to rally late in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Texans 30-27. The New York Jets (8-2) are now winners of three in a row and remain in first place in the AFC East. Here are some notes from the game.
1) Sanchez shines- Mark Sanchez had another tremendous game for Gang Green as he passed for 315 yards with 3 touchdowns. Sanchez did an excellent job avoiding the relentless Texan pass rush, and did his best work when the game was on the line. Mark completed an incredible 42-yard pass to Braylon Edwards, and followed it up with a game winning 6-yard td pass to Santonio Holmes. Sanchez moved the team 72 yards in 45 seconds to win the game. It was just a tremendous performance by a young quarterback with only 25 games of experience.
2) Offensive line problems– The New York Jets offensive line, which is considered one of the strengths of the team, struggled on Sunday as they could not protect the quarterback or open holes in the running game. There are some built in excuses as Damien Woody left the game due to an injury and Brandon Moore was battling cramps, but the unit as a whole did not play well.
3) Defensive collapse- Gang Green’s highly touted defense completely fell apart in the fourth quarter and squandered a 16-point lead. The meltdown included blown coverages, missed tackles, and a complete lack of a pass rush. One would think that the defense would improve as the season progresses, but the Jets seem to be regressing at times.
4) Santonio is a star- Wide receiver Santonio Holmes had another excellent game for Gang Green as he caught 7 passes for 126 yards with 2 tds. Holmes is clearly the best receiver the Jets have had in recent memory and will be a huge offensive threat for Gang Green as the season plays out.
5) Shonn Greene hits the bench- Running back Shonn Greene was sent to the bench after he fumbled in the fourth quarter.
6) McKnight active- Rookie running back Joe McKnight was active for the game and played very well on special teams. It will be interesting to see if the Jets start getting him snaps on offense.
7) A win is a win- It was not pretty but a win is a win in the NFL. The Jets remain a resilient team which could pay dividends down the line during a playoff run. One thing that is for certain: Mark Sanchez is a franchise quarterback.