All Talk? Jets Cast Doubts Aside
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets were downright angry.
They heard fans and media say they were all talk and no action. Full of hot air. A team loaded with big names and small results.
RELATED: Jets' Revis Has Strained Hamstring, Status Unclear
All that after a 10-9 loss to Baltimore in Week 1.
"I think everybody out there was doom and gloom after one game," right tackle Damien Woody said Monday. "We lost the game by one point and everybody was making us out to be garbage when it was the first game of the season."
Six days later, the Jets were right back to feeling Super again — just as Rex Ryan said they would.
Mark Sanchez outplayed Tom Brady as the Jets' offense, which struggled so mightily against the Ravens, controlled the ball in the second half on the way to a 28-14 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
It was a surprise to some, just not the Jets.
"This is just the beginning," Sanchez said after the game. "It's a long season. It's just tough when you lose that first game, it feels like you're 0-10. It was nice that it was a short week, and we got to play as soon as possible. This game couldn't come soon enough."
The Jets (1-1) can soar into first place in the AFC East if they can pull off a victory over the Dolphins (2-0) in Miami next Sunday night. They would also have two early wins in the division against perhaps their two biggest rivals.
"I think we're in a really good spot right now," tight end Dustin Keller said. "Obviously, it's still early in the season and a lot of stuff is going to happen, but we feel really good about where we are right now."
Ryan broke down the significance of the win over the Patriots and their next game against the Dolphins by using some not-so-simple mathematics.
"This game against Miami can either put us up by a half-game or down by 2½, I think," Ryan said. "In other words, this is a big game."
Sanchez threw a career-high three touchdown passes and topped his personal best with 21 completions against New England, less than a week after an absolutely awful outing in which he threw for only 74 yards.
He looked every bit the franchise quarterback they thought he'd be when they took him with the fifth overall pick last year — and what they'll need him to be the rest of the season if they plan to live up to their championship expectations.
"I told guys after the first game to smile and have a little fun, get animated," Sanchez said. "We're playing a kids' game. We're grown men, but we're playing a kids' game and to treat it like that. Be smart, but have fun."
The Jets certainly played loose despite a tumultuous week during which they were investigated by the NFL for the treatment of a female reporter at practice last weekend. There was also the specter of falling to 0-2 and opening themselves up to plenty more criticism.
"We just kind of put everything into perspective," Woody said. "One game, let's come out here and execute the things that we're capable of doing."
The newest Jets — LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Cromartie, Jason Taylor and Brodney Pool — all came up with big performances in the win.
"It's great when it works out like that," Ryan said. "Obviously, we looked pretty smart."
Tomlinson led the Jets in rushing for the second straight game, gaining 76 yards and a crucial fourth-down conversion. On fourth-and-1 from midfield, Ryan elected to go for it and put the ball in Tomlinson's hands. The eighth-leading rusher in NFL history leaped over the pile and sealed the victory as the Jets ran out the clock.
"I never realized that L.T. was going to jump about 6 feet in the air, but, wow," Ryan said. "Like they say, I know he's washed up and everything."
Ryan couldn't help but smile after saying that, yet another shot at the doubters.
Cromartie and Pool both intercepted Brady, who was picked off twice in a game for the first time against the Jets and threw for only 69 yards in the second half. Cromartie also shut down Randy Moss after Darrelle Revis went out with a strained hamstring in the second quarter.
An MRI exam revealed Revis has a strained left hamstring, but he would not rule himself out of New York's game at Miami on Sunday night.
"They just said it's strained and it could take one to two weeks, or it could take a week," Revis said. "It depends on how my body recovers."
Taylor had a strip-sack of Brady in the fourth quarter and Bryan Thomas recovered the ball. It ended up being the Patriots' final offensive play.
"He's a closer," Ryan said of Taylor. "He closes out games. That's been his history. What a pass rush, unbelievable."
Notes: Ryan said S Eric Smith's hard hit on Patriots WR Wes Welker happened because they were both going in the same direction, not because Smith was leading with his helmet. Smith was called for unnecessary roughness and Welker sat out a few plays while being examined. "Welker did a tremendous job of making sure he got that penalty called," Ryan said. "Wes wasn't hurt. You sure thought he was for a minute until he saw that flag and made it look good."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
