Schwartz: '09 Revival! Jets Finally Get 'Ground And Pound' Working
By Peter Schwartz
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Had the Jets worn different uniforms in 2009, it would have been appropriate for them to wear throwbacks on Sunday. Why, you say? The Jets displayed a rushing attack that we haven't seen since Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene were a 1-2 combo.
Greene broke out of his season-long slump with a career-high 161 yards and three touchdowns while the Jets as a team rushed for 252 yards in Gang Green's 35-9 win over the Colts.
"This is really a great win for us," said Jets head coach Rex Ryan. "We certainly needed one."
This is how the Jets envisioned their offense: Mark Sanchez in the role of game manager. And he did that well on Sunday, completing 11 of 18 passes for 82 yards and two touchdown passes. The Jets sprinkled in just enough of Tim Tebow, and Joe McKnight broke loose for a 61-yard scamper, a play that resulted in an ankle injury for the running back.
Defensively, the Jets forced four turnovers and sacked Andrew Luck four times. The Jets also cleaned up their rushing defense holding the Colts to just 41 yards on the ground.
This was Jets football. This is how Ryan wants his team to play.
This was the Jets saving their season. Another loss would have been them at 2-4 and the rest of the season could have been a moot point. But they are now 3-3 as they look ahead to next Sunday's first place showdown with the Patriots in Foxboro.
Jets fans can now take a deep breath. If they can get to 4-4 at the bye, they'll be alive and kicking.
Sunday's win keeps them relevant.
PUT YOUR NAME ON IT!
"He is almost at the end of his rope. Talking to guys in the Jets locker room, they are starting not to trust Sanchez as a football player." – NFL Network's LaDainian Tomlinson on Jets QB Mark Sanchez.
Memo to the gutless unnamed Jets players who fed LT this nonsense: To quote former Jets head coach Herman Edwards -- "Put your name on it!"
Mark Sanchez is YOUR starting quarterback. He was in a slump that wasn't his entire fault. Maybe YOU should look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you might have been part of the problem as well.
For the record, Sanchez posted a passer rating 109.0, his 14th career game with a passer rating of 100-plus.
So much for all of the criticism that he took this past week!
"That's part of the job, it's alright," said Sanchez. It was big just for the team in general. As long as we're winning, I'm happy. So we just have to keep doing that, try to stay efficient. Block everything else out and just keep playing for the guys in our locker room."
Even the ones that are trying to throw him under the bus.
JET LINERS
Three weeks after suffering a season ending knee injury, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis will meet the media on Monday in advance of his surgery that is scheduled for this week.
The Jets captains on Sunday were Demario Davis, Brandon Moore, Caleb Schlauderaff, Dustin Keller, and Daniel Muir.
After being signed to the active roster from the practice squad, Jets seventh-round pick safety Antonio Allen made his NFL debut and registered a sack.
DT Daniel Muir made his Jets debut. The former Colt was signed by the Jets this past week.
Shonne Green's 161 yards rushing were the most by a Jets running back since Thomas Jones ran for 210 yards against the Bills on 10/18/09.
The Jets are 7-1 under Ryan when they rush for 200-plus yards in a game.
The Jets converted all five of their red zone opportunities into touchdowns, the most successful conversions without a failed attempt since they also converted all five attempts against the Chiefs last year.
The Jets are now 11-3 when Mark Sanchez registers a passer rating of 100 or higher.
Andrew Luck was the fourth rookie quarterback to face the Jets since Rex Ryan became Head Coach. In those games, the quarterbacks have combined to complete less than 50 percent of their passes, throwing six interceptions and just one touchdown pass with a quarterback rating of less than 50. The Jets have won all four games.
The other quarterbacks? Josh Freeman, Colt McCoy, and Ryan Tannehill.
After a day off on Monday, the Jets will be back on the practice field on Wednesday to begin preparations for Sunday's game in Foxboro against the Patriots.
That's all for now! Check back on Friday for a Jets-Patriots preview!
What did you take from Sunday's win? Let us know in the comments below!
