NY Jets News Articles 11/ 19

[Kentucky Jet]

nyjets.com

'Guys Were Feeling It Was About Time'

Published: Sun, November 18, 9:53pm EST

By Randy Lange

Lange is editor-in-chief of newyorkjets.com. He covered the Jets for 13 years for The Record of Hackensack, N.J.

Click here to install the latest RealPlayer so you can enjoy Jets multimedia.

11/18

[Kentucky Jet]

Great day for Curtis Martin

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, November 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Jacobson/AP

Curtis Martin speaks during the halftime ceremony.

The man who made a career of understated touchdown celebrations was honored last night with the ultimate team celebration.

Curtis Martin, the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history, was feted by the Jets with a touching halftime ceremony at the Meadowlands. Martin, 34, who retired before the season, received a framed jersey, a Rolex watch and two first-class airline tickets to a destination of his choice. Owner Woody Johnson also announced that the team's annual MVP award would be renamed the Curtis Martin Award.

The Jets didn't retire Martin's number. Only three players in history have received that honor - Joe Namath, Don Maynard and Joe Klecko. Presumably, the Jets will retire Martin's number when he makes the Hall of Fame.

Martin was introduced to the crowd by his former coach, Bill Parcells, who choked up as he spoke of his "love" for Martin. Martin thanked Parcells, Johnson, the late Leon Hess, the fans, the media and his mother, Rochella, whom he called "my hero."

Before the game, Martin was in the tunnel, high-fiving players as they ran out to the field.

"Just like he used to do when he was playing," WR Jerricho Cotchery said.

"Today will be one of the most memorable moments of my life," Martin said before the game. "I've never been honored the way the Jets are honoring me today."

IN & OUT: With only three days to prepare for their Thanksgiving game in Dallas, the Jets could be without WR Laveranues Coles, who hurt his left ankle on a 56-yard reception early in the game. He was taken to the locker room before halftime for an X-ray. Presumably, it was negative because he returned in the third quarter. But after laboring on a 'go' route, he left for the day.

Afterward, Coles, citing team policy, refused to discuss his injury.

NEW LOOKS: In an effort to shake up the lineup, and perhaps take a look into the future, Eric Mangini used a few new players. LG Will Montgomery made his Jets debut and rotated with the beleaguered Adrien Clarke; TE Jason Pociask, in his NFL debut, caught a pass.

Veteran DE Eric Hicks, a disappointing free-agent acquisition, was inactive for the first time. Seldom-used rookie DE Mike DeVito saw extensive action. Veteran OLB David Bowens (three tackles, half-sack) and NT Sione Pouha saw extended playing time.

Maybe the extra rest kept the starters fresh for the fourth quarter and overtime.

BIG RETURN: The Steelers, afraid to kick off to Leon Washington, used "pooch" kicks all game. But Washington burned them on a 33-yard punt return to set up the game-winning FG in overtime. "Once I caught the ball, I just let my natural ability take over," Washington said.

[Kentucky Jet]

Mike Nugent's overtime field goal leads Jets past Steelers, 19-16

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, November 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Appleton/News

Mike Nugent kicks his game-winning field goal in overtime to snap the Jets' six-game losing streak.

Cataffo/News

Kellen Clemens walks off the field with his first career NFL win under his belt.

Something remarkable happened Sunday at the Meadowlands: The Jets didn't look like the Jets. Which is to say, they resembled a real football team, a contender.

Revitalized after a bye week, the Jets went toe-to-toe with the big, bad Steelers. They ran the ball with purpose, as Thomas Jones knifed through Pittsburgh's top-ranked defense with more success than any back in three years.

They made subtle changes on defense, in scheme and personnel, sacking Ben Roethlisberger seven times.

In other words, the Jets were the team they were supposed to be.

Delivering one of the season's biggest upsets, the Jets stunned the Steelers in overtime, 19-16, snapping a six-game losing streak. Moments after Leon Washington's 33-yard punt return, Mike Nugent kicked his fourth field goal, a 38-yarder, with 9:57 remaining in OT. It was Nugent's first OT field goal of his career.

Who could've imagined this?

The Jets almost blew their fourth double-digit lead in six games, but Nugent came through twice in the clutch. His 28-yarder with 28 seconds left in regulation forced the OT.

The Jets grabbed a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and hung tough after three quarters, 13-13. But, typifying their disappointing season, they shot blanks until Washington's sparkling return.

It was Kellen Clemens' first win as a starting quarterback. It was the Jets' first win in what seemed like forever.

The Jets squandered chances throughout the game. In fact, they had three first-and-goal situations, but had to settle for a field goal each time. They could've won it at the end of regulation, with a first-and-goal from the 5 after a marvelous drive by Clemens, but they had two incomplete passes (one off the fingertips of Brad Smith), an intentional spike and a delay penalty.

Jones rushed 30 times for 117 yards - his third 100-yard game. It was the first time in 35 games that the Steelers had allowed a 100-yard rusher. Jones' performance was fitting, considering it came on a day the team honored Curtis Martin at halftime.

Clemens (14-for-31, 162 yards), in his third start, held up well against the Steelers' myriad blitzes, but he threw a costly fourth-quarter interception. He also had a 1-yard scoring pass to Chris Baker. The Jets played most of the game without Laveranues Coles, who hurt his ankle early in the first quarter.

Defensively, the Jets actually made a few big plays, a rather stunning development for a team that entered with only nine sacks and seven interceptions. Shaun Ellis and Dewayne Robertson each had 2-1/2 sacks, and Kerry Rhodes made an acrobatic, one-handed interception.

With an extra week to prepare, Mangini did some tinkering, especially on defense. The most noticeable change involved defensive end Ellis, who lined up as an outside linebacker for a handful of plays in the 3-4. That provided more size, beefing up the porous run defense.

Mangini also created expanded roles for backups Sione Pouha, C.J. Mosley, David Bowens and rookie Mike DeVito. Offensively, the Jets finally sent beleaguered left guard Adrien Clarke to the bench, rotating him with Will Montgomery.

The Jets approached the game with a more aggressive attitude, and it showed up early. On the second play, Clemens hit Coles on a 56-yard flea-flicker to the Steelers' 1-yard line. It was one of several long pass attempts by Clemens, whose arm strength allows the Jets to stretch the field.

One play after Coles' catch, Clemens tossed a 1-yard touchdown to Baker to give the Jets a 7-0 lead only 2:11 into the game. Shades of their last game, when Washington returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

Instead of playing passively, as they had done in so many previous games, the Jets tried to dictate the tempo. Confusing Roethlisberger with pre-snap movement and unleashing several new blitzes, the Jets held the Steelers to seven points and - get this - only 28 rushing yards in the first half.

Mind you, this was the NFL's lowest-ranked run defense against the top-ranked rushing offense. Go figure.

Actually, the Jets should've had a bigger halftime lead than 13-7, but questionable play-calling cost them opportunities in the red zone. On a first-and-goal from the 7, coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called three straight passes - all incompletions. They had to settle for a 25-yard field goal, making it 10-0.

Why not try Jones, who was having success against Pittsburgh's vaunted defense?

Late in the first half, the Jets had three cracks from the Steelers' 2 and couldn't punch it in. Jones, who has yet to score a touchdown in a Jets uniform, was stopped twice for no gain. Then, with eight seconds and no timeouts remaining, Clemens threw a fade pass to Smith in the corner of the end zone - incomplete.

Another fade? It was a predictable call by the Jets, who always use the fade near the goal line. Once again, they had to take the field goal to make it 13-7. Earlier, the Steelers scored on a 7-yard touchdown reception by Santonio Holmes.

[Kentucky Jet]

Kellen Clemens is pumped after getting his first NFL win as a starting quarterback. For more pix, click above photo.

Jacobson/AP

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - As the ball left Mike Nugent's foot and floated through the uprights, the New York Jets stormed the field and celebrated their first win in nearly two months.

"When that final kick went through," quarterback Kellen Clemens said with a smile, "that was one of the best feelings we've had in a while."

With thousands of Pittsburgh fans at Giants Stadium waving their yellow Steelers towels, Nugent kicked a 38-yard field goal 5:03 into overtime to give the Jets an unlikely 19-16 victory Sunday.

The kick broke a six-game losing streak for the Jets (2-8), who celebrated their first win since Week 3 against Miami in a huge circle around Nugent.

"I was hoping it was straight," Nugent said. "That's what you're looking for. I could've hit it a lot better."

It was plenty good enough.

In front of a crowd that sometimes looked as if it was a home game for the Steelers (7-3), with fans decked out in black and gold waving their Terrible Towels, the Jets hung tough.

Thomas Jones was a huge reason, running for 117 yards on 30 carries and becoming the first running back in 35 games to reach 100 yards against the top-ranked Steelers defense.

"Quite simply, we missed tackles," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "We missed more tackles than I've ever seen us miss. That's the story."

Actually, that was only part of it. The Jets defense had its best game - by far - by sacking Ben Roethlisberger seven times and holding Willie Parker to 52 yards on 21 carries. New York came in ranked 30th overall on defense, and last against the run.

"We did a great job in the bye," said defensive end Shaun Ellis, who had two sacks. "We just broke everything down and came out and executed today. We came out, made up our minds and said, 'Enough is enough.' We just wanted to play a full game."

After the Jets went three-and-out to open overtime, the Steelers did the same. Leon Washington took the punt 33 yards to the Pittsburgh 26 to put New York in scoring position immediately.

Jones ran three times for 6 yards and then Nugent booted his fourth field goal of the game.

Nugent came up big just minutes earlier when he tied it at 16 on a 28-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining in regulation.

Clemens, who had a 15-yard scramble on the drive, hit Chris Baker down the middle for 14 yards to bring the ball to the 5. After Clemens spiked it, he missed a diving Brad Smith in the back of the end zone. The Jets were then called for delay of game to put the ball at the 10. Clemens went after Smith again, but overthrew him in the end zone to set up Nugent's kick.

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Clemens finished 14-of-31 for 162 yards and one touchdown with an interception to win for the first time in three NFL starts.

Roethlisberger was 15-of-25 for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

"We've got to come out and play Steelers football," Roethlisberger said. "I don't feel we did that today. They were probably the more physical team. I think it showed."

Pittsburgh came in leading the league in overall defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring. The Steelers also hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher since Edgerrin James' 124-yard effort for Indianapolis in Week 12 of the 2005 season.

"I don't want to take anything away from the New York Jets, but in all three phases, we fell below the line of what is acceptable," Tomlin said. "We didn't tackle well and we didn't protect our quarterback."

Jeff Reed's 48-yard field goal, his third of the game, gave the Steelers their first lead at 16-13 with 8:41 remaining. It was the ninth straight field goal Reed has made in the fourth quarter.

The Jets took a 7-0 lead on Chris Baker's 1-yard catch 2:11 into the game. After Jones opened with an 11-yard run, he helped perfectly execute a flea-flicker when he took the handoff, pitched back to Clemens and the Jets quarterback found Laveranues Coles wide open down the middle of the field.

Coles, who missed the Jets' last game with a concussion, was taken down by Anthony Smith at the 1 for a 56-yard gain. After Jones ran for no gain, Clemens pulled off a play-action fake and found Baker in the back of the end zone.

Santonio Holmes' 7-yard touchdown catch-and-run for Pittsburgh made it 10-7 with 9:04 left in the first half.

The Jets honored former running back Curtis Martin during a halftime ceremony. Martin, the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history, retired in July after not being able to recover from a knee injury in 2005.

[Kentucky Jet]

Kellen Clemens gets first win as starter

BY KRISTIE ACKERT

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, November 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Appleton/News

Kellen Clemens throws for 162 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-31 passing.

Kellen Clemens started Sunday by showing off his arm, and ended up with his first win as a starter.

In his third NFL start, Clemens threw for 162 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-31 passing as he led the Jets to a 19-16 overtime upset of the Steelers at the Meadowlands.

In all three of his starts, Clemens has rallied the Jets in the fourth quarter, but this was the first time he and the Jets came out on top.

"We were very excited about the win," a subdued Clemens said after the game. "We played hard the whole time through, we didn't have some of the letdowns we had in the past."

With the Jets trailing 16-13, Clemens used short passes combined with short runs by Thomas Jones to march the Jets 76 yards to the Steelers' 5-yard line with 37 seconds to play. He twice missed touchdown passes and was called for a delay of game penalty, but the drive got Mike Nugent in range to send the game into overtime, where the kicker eventually won it.

"When that final (field goal) went through, it was the nicest feeling I've had in awhile," Clemens said. "The downside about the win is we get the least amount of time all year to celebrate it, but we are very excited."

The Jets, who clearly reworked their offense to better suit Clemens during the bye week, face Dallas on Thursday.

With Clemens under center, the Jets have more of a long-pass threat than they did with Chad Pennington. The second-year signal-caller out of Oregon showed that arm strength on the second play from scrimmage yesterday. Clemens handed off to Jones, who flicked it back and then Clemens found Laveranues Coles for a 56-yard pass that set up the 1-yard TD pass to Chris Baker.

"I'd like to think it affected the safeties a little bit, kept them back and just let them know had to be wary of some trick plays and some gadgets," Clemens said.

In the second week of the season, when he started for an injured Pennington, Clemens rallied the Jets for 10 points in the fourth quarter in Baltimore before they fell. Against the Redskins, he drove the Jets 52 yards to set up a game-tying field goal, before the Jets lost in overtime.

"Don't know that it has anything to do with me," Clemens said of yesterday's win. "You've got to give credit to the guys around me on the offense."

[Kentucky Jet]

Despite upset over Steelers, Jets' year still Pitts

Monday, November 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

The Jets streamed onto the field and were chanting in the locker room, reacting as if they had just made the playoffs. Of course, all they did was break a losing streak that was approaching two months.

Where has this team been for the last three months? The Jets have to be sick about how they wasted this season. They can't get it over fast enough.

Instead of fighting for playoff seeding and figuring out tiebreakers, they are playing for pride - the loser's lament - and complaining about the Steelers fans with their Terrible Towels who took over Giants Stadium yesterday, making this a road victory for the Jets at home. The Steelers fans were so loud that Kellen Clemens said he had to resort to using the silent count when the Jets were in the shotgun. Since they moved into Giants Stadium in 1984, the Jets have consistently cried about not having a true home field. The combination of a bad season and Steelers fans who love to travel turned that into a reality.

It's hard to blame Jets fans for bailing on their team for a 4 o'clock start on a very cold day and selling their tickets to Steelers fans, even if the Jets did play their best game of the year. After blowing their fourth double-digit lead of the season, Mike Nugent hit a 28-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to send the game into overtime and then won it with a 38-yarder just five minutes into OT. That ends a six-game losing streak.

"It's a big win for us," Clemens said. "When you only have two wins, any win is a big win."

It's been a tough two months for Eric Mangini. Last year, he was called Mangenius, a nickname that didn't stick. He will never admit to feeling pressure or losing confidence in his methods, but the relief was obvious on his face and in his voice after the 19-16 victory over one of the best teams in the league.

The Jets are 2-8 and still headed to perhaps the worst one-season reversal in team history after their 10-6 playoff season. They have lost five of those games by a total of 27 points. As Mangini walked to the coaches' locker room, he was asked how tough this has been on him.

"It's more difficult from the perspective of I see how hard we work," he said. "I see the positive things we're doing and when you get into a lot of close games and aren't able to come out of the plus side of those games, that's the difficult part."

The Jets were 4-4 at their bye last year, then went up to Foxborough and beat the Patriots, which got them going toward the playoffs. But winning their first game after the bye this year gets them nowhere other than 2-8. They now will play in one of the NFL's annual showcase games - the late-afternoon Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas. The league never would have put the Jets on this national stage if it thought the Jets would bring this kind of record with them. At least coming off the victory over the Steelers restores a little of their credibility.

The Jets really got after Ben Roethlisberger, sacking him seven times and limiting him to 195 yards passing. That helped keep the Terrible Towels under control. When Big Ben hit Santonio Holmes with a 7-yard TD pass in the second quarter, Giants Stadium turned into a sea of gold.

Seeing all the Steelers fans in the stadium infuriated the Jets. Steelers fans are known to infiltrate opposing stadiums in large numbers. But it probably didn't take much work for them to come up with tickets to yesterday's game.

"We tried to minimize the things they were able to cheer for and wave towels for," Mangini said.

Chris Baker said he noticed all the Steelers fans when the Jets came out for warmups. "I've never seen more visiting fans than home fans ever," Baker said. "It was definitely disappointing. Having been here for awhile, it was motivation for me. It was more irritating to see that many fans for another team in our stadium. I just gave them a wave after the field goal and said, 'Thanks for coming.'"

Clemens has shown an ability to bring the Jets back in the fourth quarter. He got the ball three times after the Steelers took a 16-13 lead with 8:41 left. The first drive ended with an interception on a poorly thrown pass intended for Jerricho Cotchery. The second ended with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-5 from the Steelers' 41 with 4:15 left. But when the Jets forced a three-and-out, Clemens took over at his 14 with 2:23 left.

He moved the Jets down to a first down at the Steelers' 5 with 37 seconds left. A spike and two incomplete passes brought in Nugent to tie it up. Leon Washington, who was able to get his hands on only one of six kickoffs as the Steelers kicked away from him, set the Jets up at the Steelers 26 in OT with a 29-yard punt return.

Three runs by Thomas Jones, picking up six of his 117 yards, brought in Nugent, who nailed the winner despite kicking the ground. It prompted what Kerry Rhodes called a "mini-Super Bowl celebration."

Now reality hits: The Jets are just playing out the season. All they can hope is to build some momentum going into next season. Beating Pittsburgh should help. They also face Dallas and New England, the two best teams in the league.

"I'm a firm believer in you are what you are," Laveranues Coles said. "Our record says we are a 2-8 team."

It has to make them sick.

gmyers@nydailynews.com

[Kentucky Jet]

O'Connor: Steeler fans on Jets' turf

Monday, November 19, 2007

By IAN O'CONNOR

RECORD COLUMNIST

EAST RUTHERFORD – The visiting towels indicted the winning coach. Thousands and thousands of gold-colored towels spinning frantically in the marshy winds, claiming Giants Stadium as decisively as a flag planted in the moon.

It took Eric Mangini only 14 regular-season home games over two seasons to completely surrender his turf. Heinz Field moved some 375 miles to the east Sunday, so in a stunning victory Mangini managed to find a large measure of defeat.

No, his Jets won't match Rich Kotite's 1-15. And no, there isn't any challenging the fact that Mangini's team played with spirit and intent in upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime to move its record to 2-8.

But with Bill Parcells in the house to honor Curtis Martin at halftime, it was a fitting time to remind Mangini that the NFL awards no medals for trying.

This isn't a leisurely morning of nobody-keeps-score soccer with the young ones. No trophies given or pizza parties thrown just for showing up.

Mangini is the man most responsible for this oil spill of a season, the one that allowed about 65 percent of the fans in attendance to color their allegiances in black and gold. The head coach fielded a product that kept his customers home. No doubt his billionaire boss, Woody Johnson, filed away the sights and sounds for a rainier day.

The embarrassment was tempered by a 19-16 victory that was about as likely as Louisiana-Monroe's triumph over Alabama. At his postgame news conference, Mangini actually showed a few teeth when he smiled. The scoreboard said it was a good weekend for counterfeit geniuses who learned under the most insufferable coach of all, Bill Belichick.

The day after Charlie Weis actually won a game in South Bend, Eric Mangini did the same in East Rutherford. He was positively chipper at the mike, all but daring the NFL to give him two weeks to prepare for each and every foe. Mangini had proven himself to be a beautiful bye-week mind, taking down the 2007 Steelers the way he took down the 2006 Patriots.

Thomas Jones battered the Steelers for 117 rushing yards, and a pass rush that had managed a grand sum of nine sacks all year got seven on Ben Roethlisberger, who suddenly didn't look like the draft-day quarterback the Giants should've hired instead of Eli Manning.

Leon Washington ripped off the big punt return in overtime, Mike Nugent nailed the deciding field goal and the Jets celebrated as if they were million-to-one college kids stoning a Goliath in the first-round of the NCAA tournament.

The fans surely would've joined in the celebration if they weren't facing a long, dreary drive to Pittsburgh, or if they weren't so exhausted from cheering on the defense when the Jets had the ball.

"Whenever there is a situation like that," Mangini said, "you try to minimize the things they're able to cheer for, and the amount of things they are able to wave their towels for. ... That's really all you can do."

What a remarkable, telling statement. The head coach of a winning home team was hoping to take the crowd out of the game.

In the shotgun formation, Kellen Clemens had to use a silent count to combat the fans who were imploring the Steelers to sack him. On a first-possession flea-flicker, after Clemens hit Laveranues Coles for a 56-yarder to the Pittsburgh 1, the fans responded as if they'd been informed their tires had been slashed in the parking lot.

Had New Jersey state troopers stopped eastbound traffic at the Pennsylvania border, there would've been fewer fans in Giants Stadium than Seton Hall-Robert Morris drew at The Rock.

"We're used to it," Roethlisberger said. "We see so many of our fans everywhere we go. It's great, and that's why we've got the best fans in all of sports."

Pittsburgh fans are known to travel like no fan base in the NFL, but this was absurd. Ever since they moved to New Jersey, the Jets have suffered through a severe identity crisis – their stadium is named after another team, after all, and requires green wrapping paper on Giant-blue walls.

In losing seasons past, Jets' fans have quit making the brutal commute from Long Island and Queens. Only it's hard to recall a takeover of a home Jets' game any more hostile and humiliating than this one.

"I thought we were playing at a neutral site at first," said Kerry Rhodes, he of the breathtaking interception. "I thought we were somewhere between New York and Pittsburgh."

Yeah, like Latrobe.

Ten thousand Fireman Eds wouldn't have balanced the scales in the Jets' favor.

"It kind of ticked us off a little bit," Rhodes said.

The Jets channeled their anger toward an improbable result. They physically punished a team built around its physicality, and inspired the obvious question:

Where's this passion been hiding?

"When you lose five games by a total of 27 points," Mangini said, "it comes down to a handful of plays."

And if my grandmother had hair on her chin, she'd be my grandfather.

Mangini has used everyone from Mozart to Teddy Atlas to motivate his team (Atlas was one of the few fans dressed in Jet green Sunday), without any success. As it turned out, this frightening outbreak of Steelers' fans galvanized the Jets in a way their coach never could.

"The apple pie is going to taste better," Mangini said of his postgame dessert. "This is a lot better way to spend our Sunday night."

One way or another, the winning coach was going to enjoy a victory that would be filed under "Pyrrhic" on Woody Johnson's scorecard.

The owner is smart enough to know those Terrible Towels were made possible by Mangini's Terrible Team.

[Kentucky Jet]

GANG GREEN STEELS ONE

JETS SHOCK PITTSBURGH WITH FG IN OT

By MARK CANNIZZARO

RHODES TO VICTORY: Jets safety Kerry Rhodes goes up for an interception over the Steelers

[Kentucky Jet]

HOME IS HOSTILE TERRITORY

By MARK CANNIZZARO

posted by nypostClick here to comment November 19, 2007 -- Jets tight end Chris Baker sensed something different about yesterday's home game against the Steelers when he stepped onto the field for warm-ups.

"You had no choice but to notice," Baker said of Giants Stadium absolutely taken over by black-and-gold-clad, "Terrible Towel"-waving Steelers fans who bought all the tickets from the apathetic Jets fans who opted not to show up.

"When I came out for warm-ups, I was like, 'Wow, I've never seen this before.' I was definitely shocked, because I've been here for six years and we've had ups and downs, but I've never seen our stadium with more visiting fans than home fans.

"It was motivation for me, because it was irritating to see that many fans for another team in our stadium. That's why I gave them a wave after the game and said, 'Thanks for coming.' "

Safety Kerry Rhodes said, it "ticked us off a little bit," but he added, "their fans made it fun for us."

"It [ticked] us off," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "It was weird. It felt like an away game. It felt good to get a road win."

Linebacker Matt Chatham called the fan issue "a touchy subject," adding, "you don't have to guess how it made us feel about it. We're grateful for the [Jets] fans who were there."

*

Thomas Jones rolled up 117 yards against the No. 1-ranked Steelers' run defense, which hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 35 games. Jones said he received words of encouragement before the game from Curtis Martin, who was being honored at halftime.

It was Jones' third 100-yard game of the season. He still, however, has not scored a TD this season.

Martin, arguably the greatest player ever to wear a Jets uniform, was honored at halftime yesterday in a ceremony that included Bill Parcells introducing him.

"This is a very heart-felt moment for me," Martin said. "I've never been honored the way the Jets are honoring me. It's one of the most memorable days of my life."

Martin told The Post that if (when!) he's inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he "hopes" Parcells will present him.

WR Laveranues Coles suffered a sprained left ankle in the first half and playing sparingly the rest of the game. . . . Rhodes had his second INT of the season when he picked off Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter. That led to a Mike Nugent field goal . . . The Jets play next on Thursday against the 9-1 Cowboys in Dallas, their first Thanksgiving Day game since 1985.

[Kentucky Jet]

CLEMENS UP TO CHALLENGE COOL-HAND KELLEN: Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens went 14 of 31 for 162 yards, a TD and an interception in yesterday

[Kentucky Jet]

THE SACK IS BACK!

JETS' DEFENSE PUNISHES BIG BEN

By BRIAN LEWIS

All season, the Jets' pass rush had been the weakest link on a weak team, a one-win Gang Green that had mustered the fewest sacks in the NFL. But yesterday, it was that once-moribund pass rush that battered Ben Roethlisberger and helped lift the Jets to an emotional 19-16 overtime upset of the Steelers.

Photo Gallery From Last Night's Game

Behind nose tackle Dewayne Robertson's 2

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets end losing streak, beat Steelers in overtime, 19-16

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: November 19, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Mike Nugent's fourth field goal slipped through the uprights, setting off a wild Jets celebration on their home turf, yet leaving most of the crowd - dominated by Terrible Towel twirlers - disappointed.

The Jets, playing a second straight overtime game, had finally gotten an ending right.

"It's a great feeling to get a win," Jets linebacker Victor Hobson said. "We haven't had one in so long, it starts to wear on you. We don't come out here to lose. We don't look at us as losers by any means."

The Jets (2-8) defeated the Steelers 19-16 on Curtis Martin Day to snap a six-game losing streak, though they nearly blew their fourth double-digit lead of the season.

The Jets' last four losses had been by a combined 27 points, including a 23-20 overtime loss to the Redskins prior to the bye week. The Jets have lost five games by seven points or fewer.

"We've been in a lot of games, everybody knows that," said Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, who made an acrobatic interception on a ball that was intended for Nate Washington but tipped by cornerback David Barrett to set up Nugent's 19-yard field goal to make it 13-7 as time expired in the first half. "We weren't able to finish. We were able to finish today. We knew this is the team we had coming into the season."

The Steelers (7-3) had the NFL's top-ranked defense and run defense, yet the Jets' Thomas Jones gained 117 yards on 30 carries. Meanwhile, the Jets' defense, which had nine sacks all season, dropped Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger seven times.

"I don't think anything surprised us as much as we didn't execute the plan that we had," said Roethlisberger, who completed 15 of 25 passes for 195 yards with one touchdown and one interception. "It is nothing we haven't seen."

Still, the Steelers were held to just one touchdown for the first time this season, odd since the Jets' defense entered the game ranked 30th overall in the NFL and was allowing 25.3 points per game.

But the strangest statistic might have been the approximate 65-35 split at Giants Stadium in favor of the visitors. Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens said the crowd noise forced him to use silent counts in the shotgun.

"We came out and saw all this yellow," said Jets tight end Chris Baker, who had a team-high four catches, including a 1-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 7-0 lead just 2:11 into the game. "Usually, there's one section but they were everywhere. They were behind our bench. It was extremely odd. I hope they enjoyed the show. I was extremely motivated by it."

Clemens directed a 13-play, 76-yard drive, scrambling 15 yards to the Steelers 30-yard line, to set up Nugent's tying field goal with 23 seconds left. The drive started on the Jets 14 after a bad illegal block above the waist call against Abram Elam. But a pass-interference call against Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 47.

In overtime, Leon Washington returned a 39-yard line drive punt from Daniel Sepulveda 33 yards to the Steelers 26. Nugent hit a 38-yard field goal three plays later with 9:57 remaining in overtime.

"I was thinking that the field goal in the end can't really happen if Leon doesn't do such a great job returning the punt," said Nugent, whose 25-yard field goal gave the Jets a 10-0 lead with 1:31 left in the first quarter.

Washington has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns this season, but has struggled on punts, both in fielding the football and then finding room to run. He had a 6.6 yard average on nine returns coming into yesterday's game.

"Coach (Eric) Mangini talked about things we needed to work on during the bye week, and for me, I felt it was catching punt returns and making plays that impact the game," Washington said.

After having two weeks to prepare for the Steelers, the Jets have three days to get ready for their Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas. Tomorrow is likely to be their only full practice for the game, though the team will no doubt have at least one walk-through.

But if there's ever a time for a short week, it's off a satisfying win such as yesterday.

"I certainly hope this win carries over," said Clemens, who earned his first win as an NFL starter though he's led fourth-quarter rallies in all three of his starts. "It's a big win for us. It's going to be a quick turnaround, but we are going to be rejuvenated by coming away with a victory."

Clemens created a spark early by completing a 56-yard flea flicker to Laveranues Coles on the game's second play. Coles was dragged down from behind by safety Anthony Smith at the Steelers 1. Coles left the game in the second quarter due to a left ankle injury and it's believed he was initially injured by Smith's tackle.

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.com.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets beat Steelers in OT

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

November 19, 2007

Kellen Clemens saw Mike Nugent giving an interview in the locker room, no doubt regaling reporters with tales of his game-tying and game-winning field goals.

"Oh, Mike," Clemens squealed in a falsetto voice, "you're a hero!"

The Jets' locker room had been bereft of several things during the six-game losing streak that was snapped yesterday, and two of them finally were in abundance: guffaws and heroes. It was impossible to walk from one end of the room to the other without bumping into one of the two.

Besides Nugent, whose 38-yarder in overtime barely squeaked over the crossbar to give the Jets a 19-16 win over the Steelers and end their eight weeks of misery, there was a defense that posted seven sacks, a running back in Thomas Jones who ran for 117 yards against the league's top unit, a young quarterback in Clemens who has led game-tying drives in each of his three starts and finally had one stick, and a room full of folks who had been waiting a long, long time for this feeling to return.

"Let me give you a good example," Laveranues Coles said, trying to find just the right metaphor for the last month and a half. "You ever been thrown out of a moving car before?"

The Jets (2-8) were buckled in for this one, even if they had to swerve through some gnarly traffic along the way. They played with a nothing-to-lose attitude on the field and in the coaching strategy. It was the second time under Eric Mangini that the Jets came out of a bye week looking as if they were a different team and posting an improbable upset win.

"There was just something where we refused to lose today," tight end Chris Baker said.

The Jets took a 10-0 lead, but just as they had frittered away their previous three double-digit advantages, so too did they give away this one. The Steelers scored nine straight points on three field goals in the third and fourth quarters to take a 16-13 lead, the go-ahead points coming after the Jets turned the ball over on downs with 12:16 remaining. A number of Jets fans, so conditioned to defeat, started heading for the exits when the team failed to convert the fourth-down play, even though the score was tied.

The Jets flunked a second fourth-down test in the fourth quarter, but the defense gave Clemens the ball back with 2:23 remaining at the Jets' 14. Staring at the league's top defense, Clemens moved the Jets on a 13-play, 76-yard drive that included a circus catch by Baker on the first play, a 15-yard scramble by Clemens and Brad Smith's drop of a potential game-winning touchdown pass. But Nugent put through a 28-yarder with 23 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

The teams traded three-and-outs before Leon Washington returned a Steelers punt 33 yards to the 26, easily in range of the game-winning points. After three runs by Jones, Nugent dropped his first career overtime field-goal attempt beyond the crossbar.

"I knew it would be good," Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "That's why we call him 'Money Mike.'"

The decision against the Steelers (7-3), a team bound for the playoffs and with serious Super Bowl aspirations, does bring to the front some obvious questions. They were questions that the players were asking themselves without much prodding from reporters.

"Obviously we'll think about that later on: If we can beat this team, how come we couldn't beat some other teams?" Baker asked.

Coles, who injured his ankle on the game's second play, was wise enough to recognize that one win will not salvage the season.

"It might not be the ultimate healer, but it's a pain pill that makes it go away, even if it's just for a moment," he said. "It's not something that'll cure what you got, but it soothes you for that moment."

Still, this win was something to be positive about in a season that has been largely negative.

"This was a good chance for us to come out against a good team and make a statement," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "It was a mini-statement, but it was a statement in its own right."

[Kentucky Jet]

GRADING THE JETS

BY TOM ROCK

November 19, 2007

OFFENSE

B

Thomas Jones became the first back in 34 games to rush for 100 yards against the Steelers, putting up 117 gritty yards, most of them on second efforts. He's still been unable to reach the end zone, though he came close. The Jets managed just the one touchdown on their opening drive and left two first-and-goals on the field, settling for early field goals. They also flubbed a pair of fourth-down plays in the fourth quarter, chances that could have been do-or-die had the defense not bailed them out. Still, when it came to crunch time, Kellen Clemens drove the team for the game-tying points at the end of regulation. And to do it against the league's top 'D' was impressive.

DEFENSE

A

The Jets shook things up with blitzes and new packages that caught the Steelers off guard. Shaun Ellis looked six years younger, coming up with a strip-sack-fumble recovery in the fourth quarter and playing a little bit of outside linebacker. The team had nine sacks in the first nine games and came away with seven in this game. They also held Willie Parker to 52 yards on 21 carries. Once the Steelers took the lead at 16-13, the Jets held them to 12 offensive plays on the next four possessions, including a crucial three-and-out in overtime that helped set up the game-winner.

SPECIAL TEAMS

BLeon Washington had his first big punt return of the season, bringing the ball back 33 yards to set up the game-winning field goal. But it wasn't all gold for the special-teams unit. They seemed confused at times by Pittsburgh's pooches and squibs on kickoffs. And in the fourth quarter Washington called for a fair catch on a punt when there wasn't a Pittsburgh player within 20 yards of him. Abram Elam's illegal block on a punt return was a bad play. Mike Nugent kicked four field goals, including one as time expired in the first half, one late in regulation to tie it, and the game-winner. But he also put a kickoff out of bounds.

COACHING

B

It would be an A, but it gets docked a full grade for tardiness. Where has this been all year? For the second time in two years, the Jets have to wait until the midpoint of the season to deconstruct their defense and get it going. Isn't that what training camp is for? The strange defensive concoctions were clearly rattling the Steelers, and the offensive play-calling was aggressive (the flea-flicker on the second play of the game and two fourth-down attempts come to mind). Maybe next year the Jets won't wait until November to sprinkle some pixie dust and say a few hocus-pocuses. The staff should get credit for keeping a team focused and together through a six-game slide as well.

[Kentucky Jet]

Steelers fans, towels made for terrible atmosphere

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

November 19, 2007

Why were all those Jets fans waving yellow "Terrible Towels" and wearing Steelers jerseys?

No, those were Pittsburgh fans, and about half the stadium seemed to be made up of those rooting for the visiting team. It got so loud at times that the Jets' offense had to run on a silent count.

What did Jets think of that?

Several said they used it as motivation. "I think it ticked us off a little bit," S Kerry Rhodes said. TE Chris Baker said it was difficult to see a supposedly home crowd dominated by so many Steelers fans. "It was more irritating," he said. Still, at the end, the Jets had the last laugh. Baker added: "I gave them a wave when the field goal went through and said, 'Thanks for coming!' "

How's Laveranues Coles?

Although he was prohibited from speaking about his injury, he injured his left ankle on the game's second play, a 56-yard flea-flicker that he very nearly dropped. The injury appeared to occur on the tackle, and it sent him to the locker room midway through the first half. He returned for the second half and tried to play but was unable to run hard on a go route down the sideline and left the game for good. With a short week to prepare for the Cowboys, Coles could miss his second game in the last three.

How 'bout them Cowboys?

Yes, the Jets play again three days from now, which isn't a lot of time. Good thing they are so good now that they don't need to practice. Just kidding. They'll be working today and tomorrow and traveling on Wednesday with the rest of the free world.

What is it with the Jets and their byes?

For the second year in a row, they came out of a week off and beat a clear-cut playoff contender. Last year it was a win in Foxborough that sparked them to a second-half run to the playoffs. This year it's too late to salvage any postseason aspirations. But a little dignity wouldn't be a bad thing.

Did Steelers coach Mike Tomlin try to call a timeout on the winning field goal?

It looked as if he were poised to do it, standing right next to the official as the Jets were lining up their kick. But he either never tried to ice Mike Nugent or was unable to make the request in time.

SECOND GUESS

After avoiding kick-return standout Leon Washington most of the game, the Steelers chose the wrong time to challenge him. Punter David Sepulveda kicked a low line drive in overtime that Washington caught on the run and returned for 33 yards, instantly putting the Jets in range of Mike Nugent's game-winning field goal.

TURNING POINT

JERRICHO COTCHERY

He didn't have a statistically staggering game - one catch for 5 yards - but he drew a key pass interference flag on a route across the middle in the first quarter that helped a scoring drive and threw a key block on Kellen Clemens' 15-yard scramble that let him pick up extra yardage and get out of bounds to stop the clock on the game-tying drive.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' delayed gratification

Bob Glauber

November 19, 2007

I know what you're thinking.

The 1-8 Jets shock the 7-2 Steelers in overtime, and you're thinking, "Where the heck has this been all year?"

Join the crowd. The Jets are thinking it, too. Only it's too late for them to do anything about it. Except play as if the season is still on the line and there's something left to play for.

"We laid our egg in the first [half of the season]," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "Now all we can do is control what happens in the second half."

Well, if they'd played like this in the first half, maybe the second half would actually mean something more than simply playing for pride.

The Jets did almost everything right yesterday against a Steelers team that had reeled off three straight wins over divisional opponents and looked like the only AFC team capable of knocking off the Patriots.

This was the Jets team we'd all expected from the start of the season. An opportunistic bunch that kept it close in the fourth quarter and then closed it out.

They went 10-6 with that formula and made it all the way to the playoffs in Eric Mangini's stunningly successful rookie season. But until yesterday, the best you could say about this team was that they'd kept it mostly close.

Instead of closing the deal in the fourth quarter, they'd choked it away, absorbing a string of torturous losses that harked back to the dark days of the Kotite Error. Until yesterday, they'd given up the most fourth-quarter points of anyone in the league (91).

"Yeah, yeah, why didn't we do this earlier? I know, that's what you're thinking from the outside," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "But at least we showed we can win these types of games against a playoff-type team."

The Jets beat the Steelers with the same formula the Steelers were supposed to use to beat the Jets. They ran the ball. They stopped the run. And they rushed the passer. Oh my, did they rush the passer.

A Jets team that had nine sacks in the first nine games exploded with seven sacks, leaving Ben Roethlisberger on the run the entire game. Big Ben finished with only 195 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception by Rhodes. And tailback Willie Parker wound up with only 52 yards on 21 carries.

Meanwhile, Thomas Jones finally looked like the big-time back the Jets thought they were getting when they swapped second-round picks with the Bears. Jones had 117 yards on 30 carries, becoming the first back to run for more than 100 yards against the Steelers' defense since the 2005 season, a string of 34 games.

And second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens achieved his first career victory as a starter. He threw for 162 yards, a touchdown and an interception and led the Jets on the tying field-goal drive late in the fourth quarter.

All this on a day when the Jets honored one of the greatest players in franchise history. They did Curtis Martin proud.

"This team is very competitive," Clemens said. "Whether we're 1-8 or we're 8-1, we're going to play hard. It shows a lot about the character and resilience that we've got."

Character and resilience? Not the first two words that came to mind in the Steelers' locker room.

"You could finger-point, but we all accept responsibility for this one," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "You win together. You stink it up together. We did that today."

That they did, thanks to a combination of their own ineptitude and the Jets' inspired performance coming off a bye week. The Jets had two long weeks to think about their misfortune, but rather than wallow in self-pity, they opted to overcome their myriad problems with a bigger effort.

It paid off, if only for a day. After all, the Cowboys are up next on Thanksgiving, so the afterglow might be short-lived. But at least it's something.

At least it shows the Jets have not quit on their season, even if all hope of a playoff berth was lost weeks ago. And at least it shows they have not quit on their coach.

It was important that Mangini get this kind of effort from his players. It's very easy when the team is winning and everything falls into place. But you can learn just as much - sometimes even more - about your team and the coach by how they react to losing.

If you see signs of quitting, you know you're in trouble. Long-term trouble.

But if you see they're still willing to battle, it's an encouraging sign. Not enough to undo past mistakes, but enough to give you something to play for, even if there's no immediate payoff.

For one day, anyway, at least the Jets showed they've still got some fight.

[Kentucky Jet]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Nov. 18

[Kentucky Jet]

Jones finds room against Steelers

By BRIAN HEYMAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: November 19, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Thomas Jones started right, then hung a left, broke a tackle and took off. He got run down at the Pittsburgh 2 after a 26-yard journey that led to a field goal to close the half. It was kind of a flashback run to the last Jets featured back, the one honored during intermission.

It seemed appropriate that Jones had a big day on Curtis Martin Day at the Meadowlands yesterday, one that saw Jones run on a team that had gone 34 straight games without allowing a 100-yard runner.

Well, the streak is over. Besides owning the top-ranked defense overall and against the pass, the Steelers showed up with the No. 1 run defense, allowing just 72 yards per game. The Jets more than doubled that, rushing for 151 yards. Jones ran for 117 of them on a season-high 30 carries, helping the Jets upset Pittsburgh 19-16 in overtime for their second win in 10 games.

"I thought Thomas showed great individual effort," coach Eric Mangini said. "I thought he showed excellent toughness, his ability to make yards after contact. There were a couple of different times where he was completely stopped at the line of scrimmage and was able to bounce outside."

It was the kind of effort that would have made Martin proud.

"I saw him earlier in the week and had a chance to talk to him," Jones said. "He had some words of encouragement for me and the whole team. ... It was definitely a good game for us to do well running, with him having a special day."

Edgerrin James had been the last back to crease Pittsburgh for at least 100 yards, when he was with the Colts on Nov. 28, 2005.

"It says a lot about Thomas," quarterback Kellen Clemens said. "Obviously, Thomas is a very good back. But it also says something for the front five that we have who were opening up a lot of those holes and the wide receivers blocking downfield."

Jones and his blockers hadn't made much noise in the running game. He had a pair of 100-yard days, but his 606-yard season prior to this game hadn't been memorable. There had also been criticism of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer at times for a lack of commitment to Jones.

But this was a commitment right out of his dreams.

"It felt great," said Jones, who also ran past the 6,000-yard mark for his career. "That's one of the reasons why I was happy I came here, to be a guy who can get the ball 25 or 30 times a game and get stronger in the second half and overtime.

"That's why I work out so hard. We have some great players. It's hard sometimes to get in that mode because there's only one football."

Next up: Thanksgiving football. It will be Jets vs. Cowboys and Jones vs. Jones since his brother, Julius, carries the ball for Dallas.

"It's always fun to get a chance to play against your brother," Thomas Jones said. "This will be our second time playing against each other. So I look forward to it."

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' defense finally generates pressure

By BRIAN HEYMAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: November 19, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Jets needed the ball back, sitting in a hole three points deep, just 2:50 left in regulation. The Steelers were at their own 49, facing third-and-two. They wanted to throw for it, but Dewayne Robertson and Kenyon Coleman met up at Ben Roethlisberger for a sack.

Punt, long drive, game tied, sudden death.

Now Pittsburgh had the ball, second-and-seven at its own 21. Roethlisberger dropped back, and Robertson dropped him from the ankles 7 yards behind the line for another sack, making it third-and-long.

Run, punt, big return, field goal, Jets win 19-16.

The Jets practically had themselves a season rushing the passer yesterday at the Meadowlands.

They arrived with just nine sacks in the nine games prior to the bye, but took down the often-elusive Roethlisberger seven times, their most sacks since Oct. 12, 2003, when they took down the now-retired Drew Bledsoe seven times when he was with the Bills.

"We had two good weeks of practice," said linebacker David Bowens, who was assigned third- down spy duty on Roethlisberger and shared a sack. "Even on our bye week, we had two practices, but it wasn't like guys had one foot out of the door. We had to work on some things. ... We knew we had to contain him as much as possible, get some pressure on him.

"Seven sacks - we did a good job."

Much of the pressure was generated by the line for a change. Robertson, the undersized nose tackle who had half a sack in the 1-8 start, penetrated for 2 1/2 sacks. Shaun Ellis, the end who also got to play a little outside linebacker in the game, has the team lead with four sacks after adding a pair, including a strip sack and the ensuing recovery.

"We were able to control the run, and that put them in passing situations," Ellis said. "We knew that if we could get them into those situations, we could take advantage of their offensive line. Arizona did a good job rushing them, and we tried to mimic that."

Roethlisberger passed some of the credit toward the Jets' secondary, saying, "A couple of those sacks were definitely cover sacks."

"The secondary was a big key in the sacks today," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "Not to take away from the D-line at all. They did a good job. But the secondary did a great job of covering. Even when Ben was out scrambling, we stuck to them a little bit, and he's been making plays off that all year."

Reach Brian Heyman at bheyman@lohud.com

[Kentucky Jet]

Coles hurt, likely to miss next game

Monday, November 19, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles suffered a high left ankle sprain in yesterday's 19-16 overtime victory against the Steelers at Giants Stadium and it's highly unlikely he'll play on Thursday against the Cowboys, according to someone who spoke to Coles after the game. That person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to speak on injuries.

Coles, who has a team-high six touchdowns, was injured on a 56-yard flea flicker on the second play of the game when he was tackled by Steelers CB Ike Taylor on the one-yard line. Coles (one catch, 56 yards) returned briefly and eventually went to the locker room with 6:58 left in the first half. He tried to return for the third quarter but was forced to the sidelines for good after pulling up lame on a deep ball on the third play of the quarter.

Coles' presence was sorely missed as neither Jerricho Cotchery (one catch, five yards) or Brad Smith (three catches, 26 yards) stepped up. Smith missed a potential game-winning catch in the end zone with 37 seconds left in regulation.

RB Thomas Jones (117 yards on a season-high 30 carries) notched his third 100-yard game as a Jet. He ran extremely hard against a fierce Steelers defense, repeatedly gaining yards after the first hit. Pittsburgh hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 34 games, including postseason, dating back to 2005.

Jones had his big day on a day the Jets honored his predecessor, future Hall of Famer Curtis Martin.

"Their type of defense, you definitely have to try to get yards after contact and that's what I was trying to focus on, trying to finish the runs off," said Jones. "They're a pretty good tackling team but the line did a good job of staying on their blocks enough to where they couldn't wrap me up 100 percent and that gave me the opportunity to break out of some tackles."

Said RG Brandon Moore: "Thomas made a lot of those yards on his own, he kept churning his feet."

KR Leon Washington leads the NFL in kickoff returns but has struggled on punt returns, which made his game-breaking 33-yarder in overtime all the more surprising.

"Coach Mangini talked about things we need to work on during the bye week and I felt like for me, it was catching the ball on punt returns and giving my team the opportunity to be able to make plays in that aspect of the game," said Washington, who entered the game averaging just 6.6 yards per punt return."

NT Dewayne Robertson had a team-high 2.5 sacks and five tackles. ... LB David Harris finished with 11 tackles and a sack. He has had double-digit tackles in all three games he has started in place of the injured Jonathan Vilma (knee). ... The Jets' seven sacks were the most they've had since 2003 vs. Buffalo (seven).

The Jets are playing their first Thanksgiving Day game since 1985. ... S Kerry Rhodes had his second interception of the season. ... TE Chris Baker caught his third TD pass of the season. ... Second year TE Jason Pociask, who was injured last season, made his NFL debut with one catch for seven yards. ... LG Mike Montgomery, a former starter with the Panthers, alternated with much-maligned starter Adrien Clarke. Clarke, who replaced since-traded veteran Pete Kendall, has struggled all season. ...

LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson had a rough day, giving up a sack and missing a key block on a third-and-two from the Steelers' 38-yard line late in regulation. ... Veteran DE Eric Hicks, a 10th-year pro who has played in every game, was among the inactives vs. the Steelers.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

[LWC611]

Thanks again Kentucky for posting the article. You know they are so much easier to read after a win.

[JetCane]

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Steelers' performance at its worst in OT loss

Seven sacks, a 100-yard rusher by an opponent and a weak outing vs. the NFL's worst run defense add up to a stunning loss in Meadowlands

Monday, November 19, 2007

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can only watch as the clock runs down. (at Jets 11/18/2007)EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- There was nothing wrong with the Steelers yesterday that good pass protection, a good running game, receivers who could hang onto the ball, a run defense that could tackle and special teams that did not fold at the most inopportune moment could not have helped.

Perhaps it was a blip from an otherwise good team, but the Steelers played their worst game of the season and the bottom-feeding New York Jets made them pay for it.

Mike Nugent kicked a 38-yard field goal in overtime as the Jets stunned the heavily favored Steelers, 19-16, in Giants Stadium for only their second victory of the season.

Nugent had kicked a 28-yard field goal with 23 seconds left in regulation as the lethargic Steelers came from behind to take a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter only to fritter it away.

The loss dropped the Steelers' record to 7-3 while the Jets improved to 2-8.

"I think we all had a part in this loss -- offense, defense, special teams -- it was a total team loss," receiver Hines Ward said.

It was stunning in its lack of composition. The Jets' nine sacks this season were the fewest in the NFL, yet they sacked Ben Roethlisberger seven times. The Steelers had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in their previous 34 games, yet Thomas Jones gouged them for 117 -- "Thomas Jones ran the damn ball on us!" coach Mike Tomlin stated emphatically. The Jets had the worst run defense in the NFL, yet Willie Parker managed just 52 yards on 21 carries and the Steelers had 112 total.

"When you do those things -- you don't stop the run, you can't run the ball effectively, you can't protect your quarterback -- you have a high probability of losing," Tomlin said.

And that No. 1 defense! No. 1 against the rush (151 yards yesterday), against the pass (162 and a touchdown), No. 1 overall and No. 1 in points allowed. The bottom line did not look that bad with the Jets scoring 19 points in more than four quarters, but the Jets also drove 76 yards on that defense to kick the tying field goal with 2:03 left.

"We weathered the storm," Ward said about his team falling behind, 10-0, in the first quarter. "We had the lead -- 16-13 -- in the fourth quarter. Good teams find a way to put teams like that away. We're a good team, we're not a great team. The great teams find ways to overcome that, finish strong, and today we didn't do that."

It should come as no surprise that the Steelers' special teams had another hand in this one. From his 20 in overtime, Daniel Sepulveda punted 39 yards low and down the middle. Leon Washington fielded it, ran past Najeh Davenport and kept running 26 yards to the Steelers' 26 to set up the winning field goal.

"Mistakes," Roethlisberger said, "killed us, and we have to find a way to correct them."

Jeff Reed kicked three field goals in the second half to give the Steelers a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter, their only lead of the game. His third field goal came with 8:41 left and, just as they had the previous Sunday against Cleveland, it looked as though the Steelers would pull one out after falling behind early.

It especially appeared that way when cornerback Deshea Townsend intercepted Kellen Clemens' pass and returned it 23 yards to the Jets' 45 with 7:50 to go.

But what looked like the revival of the 1980s New York Sack Exchange caught up to Roethlisberger again when defensive end Shaun Ellis knocked the ball away from the Steelers' quarterback as he tried to pass. Ellis recovered the fumble at the Steelers' 46 with 5:53 to go in the game.

The Steelers, however, still led by three when the Jets took over on their 14 with 2:23 left.

It was time for the NFL's No. 1 defense to put this game away. Instead, they let the Jets right back in it.

It took New York 13 plays to tie it as they moved 76 yards and scored on Nugent's short field goal. The Jets might have won it right there because they had a first down at the 5, but a spike to kill the clock, two incomplete passes and a penalty made them settle for the tying field goal and overtime.

"I know a lot of guys missed some tackles," Townsend said. "We allowed them to get extra yards."

The Jets won the coin toss and the Steelers held, then the Jets held the Steelers for 2 yards on three plays, setting up that fateful punt from the 20.

But, as Tomlin said, this loss wasn't about that one punt and return.

The Jets surprised the Steelers early by scoring a touchdown on their opening drive, then added a field goal in the first quarter for their 10-0 lead.

After taking an opening pooch kick, the Jets pulled off a flea-flicker when halfback Jones flipped the ball back to his quarterback, Clemens. He threw the ball to wide open Laveranues Coles, who took it 56 yards to the 1, the longest pass play against the Steelers this season.

Tight end Chris Baker caught a 1-yard pass from Clemens for the touchdown and a quick 7-0 Jets lead.

The Jets drove 69 yards on the NFL's No. 1 defense on nine plays near the end of the quarter to take a 10-0 lead on Nugent's 25-yard field goal. That drive got legs when Ike Taylor was penalized 41 yards for pass interference.

The Steelers' offense joined the party with a long drive in the second quarter that ended when Roethlisberger threw what amounted to a wide-receiver screen to Holmes on the left. Holmes ran behind blocks by Ward and Heath Miller on the left for a 7-yard touchdown.

Ward was involved in two big plays on that 72-yard drive. He tipped a pass while fighting for the ball with a Jets defender that Holmes then caught for a 25-yard gain. Two plays later, Ward caught a 22-yard pass to the Jets' 21.

Roethlisberger threw his only interception of the game with 2:19 left in the first half (he would finish 15 of 25 for 195). His pass for Nate Washington hit cornerback David Barrett in the back and safety Kerry Rhodes came down with the rebound.

The Jets used that interception to score on a 19-yard Nugent field goal and had a 13-7 halftime lead.

The Steelers scored on their first three drives of the second half but could not score a touchdown as Reed kicked field goals of 37, 33 and 48 yards.

They finally led, and it looked as though they would escape with another scare and maintain their position as the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

Instead, they slipped to 7-3, just one game ahead of second-place Cleveland in the AFC North Division.

And don't look now, but more problems lie ahead. Next Monday, they must face the winless Miami Dolphins.