Jets: The morning after

[Smizzy]

Jets: The morning after

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

BY PAUL NEEDELL

Star-Ledger Staff

OVERVIEW: ABC's "Monday Night Football" went out with a whimper. The Jets put up almost no resistance to the Patriots last night, giving Al Michaels and John Madden plenty of time to bore their audience with thanks to everyone ever associated with the 36 seasons worth of "MNF." Great symmetry here, though. The Jets lost the first "MNF" game in 1970 to the Browns, 31-21. And they dropped the last to the Pats last night by the same score.

It was close to midnight, with about 4 minutes left in the game, before Michaels and Madden even acknowledged the apparent suicide last week of James Dungy, the 18-year-old son of Colts coach Tony Dungy. That's been the biggest story in the league of late. Just not to ABC.

Anyway, at least Jets QB Vinny Testaverde got a chance to enter the game with 3:20 left. Sure enough, 70 seconds later, Testaverde threw a 27-yard TD pass to WR Laveranues Coles, setting an NFL record by tossing a scoring pass in his 19th consecutive season.

GRADES

OFFENSE: D -- The Jets didn't have a first down in the first half, compiling just 28 yards. They ran just 36 plays the entire game, rushing for only 40 yards. QB Brooks Bollinger (11-19, 100 yards, 1 interception) did throw an 11-yard TD to Coles in the fourth period, way too little and way too late. The Testaverde cameo TD pass to Coles was a nice touch.

DEFENSE: D -- The Patriots came out determined to run the ball and the Jets seemed determined to let them. New England ran the ball 50 times -- that's right, 50! -- for 151 yards and had the ball for just under 43 minutes. Former Patriots CB Ty Law's 74-yard interception return for a TD was the Jets' only first-half highlight. Other than that, QB Tom Brady did as he pleased, throwing two short TD passes to LB Mike Vrabel. RB Corey Dillon rushed for New England's other two TDs.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C -- David Barrett muffed a kick return and the Pats recovered near the end of the first half. Beyond that, nothing that happened involving the kicking or punting units had any impact on the game. Oh, fantasy geeks take note: Mike Nugent made all three of his extra points.

COACHING: C -- Uh, well, Herman Edwards inserted Testaverde at the perfect time.

DID YOU NOTICE? Patriots inside LB Tedy Bruschi, whose comeback from a stroke has been one of the season's biggest stories, was carted into the locker room with a left leg injury after the first period. ... From late in the second period through their TD drive to start the second half, the Pats had the ball for 31 consecutive plays. ... RT Tom Ashworth lined up as a fullback and then a tight end on New England's second and third plays, respectively. ... The usually pass-happy Pats ran the ball on their first seven plays. ... The reclusive Don ("Turn out the lights, the party's over") Meredith, the late Howard Cosell's analyst partner in the formative years of ABC's "Monday Night Football," made a rare appearance in the opening of the program's swan song.

WHO'S NEXT?

Bills at Jets, Sunday at 1 p.m. (Ch. 2, WESN-1050 AM)

Last meeting: Oct. 16, 2005. Bills 27, Jets 17 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The week after Vinny Testaverde came off his couch in Manhasset, N.Y., to lead a victory over the Buccaneers, the 42-year-old quarterback came crashing down to earth -- and he knew it. "I guess," he said, "the honeymoon's over." Not even 148 rushing yards from RB Curtis Martin did much good to kick off a seven-game losing streak.

Why this is a good matchup for the Jets: It's the first day of 2006, which has to be kinder than 2005 was.

Why this isn't: It's still the 2005 season, which mercifully will be coming to an end.

One more thing: The best part of the day for the Jets will be learning exactly where in the Top 5 of the NFL Draft they will be selecting in April.

Prediction: Bills 23, Jets 13.