NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

October 21, 2013

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Folk's 42-yard FG leads Jets past Pats 30-27 in OT (Dennis Waszak) ........................................................................ 2

Ref explains Patriots penalty (Dennis Waszak) ......................................................................................................... 4

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Inspired defense, big penalty help Jets beat Patriots in overtime (Kimberley Martin) ............................................. 5

Chris Ivory helps Jets turn back clock to their run-heavy days (Greg Logan) ............................................................ 6

Jets grades: Geno Smith and offense get passing mark (Kimberley Martin)............................................................. 7

Jets Q&A: Beating Tom Brady a nice birthday present for Muhammad Wilkerson (Kimberley Martin) .................. 8

Antonio Allen's pick-6 sparks Jets to victory (Greg Logan) ........................................................................................ 9

Apparently the Jets are better than we thought (Bob Glauber) ............................................................................. 10

Pats coach Bill Belichick doesn't agree with call that changed outcome (Anthony Rieber) .................................... 12

THE RECORD ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Jets beat Patriots, 30-27, in overtime (J.P. Pelzman) .............................................................................................. 13

Sullivan: Patriots' blunder a real kick for Jets (Tara Sullivan) .................................................................................. 14

Jets notes: Jeremy Kerley, Chris Ivory star (J.P. Pelzman) ....................................................................................... 16

Patriots' penalty pushes Jets into prime position (Jeff Roberts) ............................................................................. 17

Jets instant replay: Patriots (J.P. Pelzman) .............................................................................................................. 18

STAR-LEDGER ....................................................................................................................................................... 19

Jets upend Patriots in OT after unusual penalty gives Nick Folk a second chance (Darryl Slater) .......................... 19

Chris Ivory, Jeremy Kerley star as offensive weapons for Jets against Patriots (Michael Fensom) ........................ 20

Politi: Rex Ryan was both lucky and good as his Jets beat the Patriots (Steve Politi) ............................................. 21

Antonio Allen catalyzes Jets' comeback against Patriots with 'Pick Six' off Tom Brady (Michael Fensom) ............ 23

Amid swirling winds, Nick Folk remains perfect in Jets' win over Patriots (Darryl Slater) ...................................... 24

Jets stop Patriots short of record winning streak by excelling in third down defense (Darryl Slater) .................... 25

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 27

RB Ivory has 104 yards in Jets’ win (Mark Cannizzaro)............................................................................................ 27

Geno’s third-quarter runs show his growth (Mike Vaccaro) ................................................................................... 28

Jets contenders with a little help from above (Steve Serby) ................................................................................... 30

Allen’s pick-6 energizes Jets (Mark Cannizzaro) ...................................................................................................... 31

Jets’ Geno, Kerley on target (Brian Costello) ........................................................................................................... 33

Patriots rookie learns rules the hard way (Zach Braziller) ....................................................................................... 33

Gronk has big first game back with Patriots (Zach Braziller) ................................................................................... 35

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Flags to riches! New rule helps Jets shock Patriots (Brian Costello) ....................................................................... 35

NFL’s Web site adds to rule chaos (Zach Braziller & Brian Costello) ....................................................................... 37

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 38

No more doubts: Geno Smith is NY Jets quarterback of the future - and present (Filip Bondy) ............................ 38

Patriots’ Chris Jones is MVP for NY Jets as penalty gives Gang Green second chance in overtime win (Seth Walder) .................................................................................................................................................................... 39

Patriots' Rob Gronkowski returns vs. NY Jets and plays well but misses one big play (Kevin Armstrong).............. 40

Chris Ivory reignites NY Jets ground game against Patriots (Seth Walder) ............................................................. 41

NY Jets take pride in proving doubters all wrong (Manish Mehta) ......................................................................... 42

New England Patriots Chris Jones' embarrassing penalty loses game vs. NY Jets (Kevin Armstrong) .................... 44

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 45

Redemption, and It’s Good, as Jets Foil Patriots (Ben Shpigel) ............................................................................... 45

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 47

A First-of-Its-Kind Flag Leads to a Win for the Jets Over Patriots (Stu Woo) .......................................................... 47

New Rule Bites Pats, Helps Jets Win (Tom Perrotta & Stu Woo) ............................................................................ 48

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 49

Allen aces assignment vs. Gronk (Matt Ehalt) ......................................................................................................... 49

Ivory pounds Patriots in Jets' win (Matt Ehalt) ....................................................................................................... 50

Kerley key in third-down conversions (Matt Ehalt) ................................................................................................. 51

Jets are no joke -- just ask the Patriots (Rich Cimini) .............................................................................................. 52

Gutsy Geno puts poetry in motion (Ian O’Connor) ................................................................................................. 54

Richardson: We're better than Patriots (Rich Cimini) ............................................................................................. 56

Rex Ryan: 'Like the old Josh Cribbs' (Jane McManus) ............................................................................................. 57

New rule helps Jets in OT (Jane McManus) ............................................................................................................. 57

Rapid Reaction: New York Jets (Rich Cimini) ........................................................................................................... 59

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 59

Jets continue to defy expectations with win over Patriots (Kristian Dyer) ............................................................. 59

New father Antonio Allen steps up to make pivotal play (Kristian Dyer) ................................................................ 60

Jets upset Patriots in overtime after penalty gives them second life (Kristian Dyer) ............................................. 61

Patriots: What we learned in a 30-27 loss to the Jets (Kristian Dyer) ..................................................................... 62

SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 63

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Folk's 42-yard FG leads Jets past Pats 30-27 in OT (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press October 20, 2013

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=GR6R9Px2

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Rex Ryan was fired up. Bill Belichick was ticked off.

Everyone else was, well, a bit confused.

After a newly instituted rule gave New England a penalty and Nick Folk another chance, he booted a 42-yard field goal with 5:07 left in overtime to give the New York Jets a 30-27 victory over the Patriots on Sunday.

"I was like, 'You know what? It's about time we got a break,'" Ryan said, smiling. "That's really what I was thinking. It just worked out."

Folk was wide left on a 56-yarder, but the miss was negated when New England's Chris Jones was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on a 15-yard penalty that had never before been called in an NFL game.

Referee Jerome Boger explained in a pool report that Jones was called for pushing his teammate "into the opponents' formation." Umpire Tony Michalek threw his flag "almost instantaneously as he observed the action," Boger said. "We just enforced it as he called it."

Belichick disagreed with the application of the rule.

"You can't push in the second level," Belichick said. "I didn't think we did that."

New York (4-3), given new life, ran the ball three times to set up Folk's winner and send the green towel-waving fans at MetLife Stadium into a frenzy.

"It was something that we talked about probably in camp and stuff, and it just skipped out of my mind," Jones said. "It was my mistake and nobody else's. I've just got to man up to it and fix it next time."

Folk thought the Patriots (5-2) might have been called for 12 men on the field. So did a few other Jets.

"I think I heard the whole stadium saying, 'Please be on them,'" Ryan said.

Then folk won it.

"Folk Hero was the man he always is, kicking game-winner for us," Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson said. "It was a great win across the board."

It also kept Folk's consecutive kicks streak intact, giving him 16 straight to start the season.

"Yeah, we're not going to talk about that right now," he said, smiling.

Geno Smith threw a touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley and ran for another as the Jets topped Tom Brady and the Patriots, who tied it at 27 with 16 seconds left in regulation on Stephen Gostkowski's 44-yard field goal.

New England had defeated New York in six straight regular-season meetings, and saw its 12-game winning streak against AFC East opponents end.

"Everyone has to look at themselves and do a better job," Brady said, "because what we're doing now isn't good enough."

Brady opened overtime with a 16-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, making his season debut. But the Jets stopped forced New England to punt.

Gronkowski almost made a one-handed grab late in regulation when he had a clear lane into the end zone. Gronkowski, who missed the first six games after having offseason surgery on his back and broken left forearm, had eight catches for 114 yards.

"I'm still mad about that one," Gronkowski said.

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Brady threw a 17-yard TD pass to Kenbrell Thompkins with 5 seconds left to beat previously unbeaten New Orleans last week - leaving defensive coordinator Rob Ryan grimacing on the sideline. This time, Rob's twin brother walked off the field celebrating a win.

It was the second time in three games Brady was held without a touchdown pass, both losses. Brady finished 22 of 46 for 228 yards and had an interception returned 23 yards for a touchdown by Antonio Allen.

"That was huge," Smith said.

Smith, who threw three fourth-quarter interceptions in a Week 2 loss at New England, was 17 of 33 for 233 yards. He had a first-quarter interception returned 79 yards for a touchdown by rookie Logan Ryan that appeared to set the tone for an ominous afternoon for Smith.

Smith rebounded and gave the Jets a 24-21 lead in the third quarter on an 8-yard run that left the crowd chanting "GEE-NO! GEE-NO!"

"I'm never going to crumble," Smith said. "No matter what happens. You know, that's just not in me."

On third-and-14 from the 24, Smith took off left and was met by Marquice Cole, who slammed into the quarterback. But Smith reached out as he was going down and got the first down.

He again had all receivers tied up two plays later when he sprinted to his right, faked out Cole with a nice shake move and dived into the corner of the end zone.

The Jets, in a 21-10 hole, opened the second half by immediately putting pressure on Brady and getting a score out of it. Brady threw for Gronkowski and Allen stepped in front. He did a diving somersault into the end zone just 33 seconds into the third quarter.

Stevan Ridley had given the Patriots a 21-10 lead with a 17-yard run on which he bounced outside right tackle and scored untouched. The drive was set up by a 38-yard punt return by Julian Edelman.

NOTES: Brandon Bolden had a 1-yard TD run for the Patriots. ... Kerley caught eight passes, six of them for first downs on third-down plays. ... Chris Jones and Chandler Jones each had two sacks for the Patriots. ... Logan Ryan's INT marked the 34th straight game in which New England has forced a turnover, the longest active streak in the NFL

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Ref explains Patriots penalty (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press October 20, 2013

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=AKkqfZTE

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Referee Jerome Boger explained in a pool report the penalty committed by Patriots defensive tackle Chris Jones that negated a missed Jets field goal in overtime. Nick Folk soon made a 42-yarder to win the game 30-27 Sunday.

Pool reporter Mike Reiss asked Boger: "Please explain the penalty that was called on No. 94 (Jones) on the field goal."

Boger: "The call was that No. 94 on the defense pushed his teammate into the formation. That is a rule change for 2013 that a teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponents' formation."

Reiss: "Is it any type of push? Is it a two-handed push?"

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"Any push. It could be with the body, not necessarily with the hand, but with the body into his teammate, into the formation. It's any type of pushing action."

Reiss: "Is there anything else to go over with this penalty?"

Boger: "No, the umpire's flag went up almost instantaneously as he observed the action. We just enforced it as he called it.

Reiss: "And that's a 15-yard penalty."

Boger: "For unsportsmanlike conduct."

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NEWSDAY

Inspired defense, big penalty help Jets beat Patriots in overtime (Kimberley Martin) Newsday October 20, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/inspired-defense-big-penalty-help-jets-beat-patriots-in-overtime-1.6288340

Willie Colon stood before them and spoke from his heart.

Few players in the Jets' locker room understand the value of time. And Colon, an eight-year veteran, has far less left than most of his teammates.

So with the Jets losing by 11 points to the Patriots at halftime on Sunday, he looked around the room and -- with the aid of "a lot of rated-R stuff" -- demanded they all give a better effort.

"I just told them, there's no tomorrow," the Bronx native and Hofstra product said. "We can't wait for Geno to grow up, we can't wait for somebody else to make a play. I told them, leave it all out there. Come out firing, have passion in your belly -- and fight.

"I know the importance of 'now' 'cause I've been in this situation," he said.

It's unclear whether Colon's message to the entire team or Muhammad Wilkerson's encouragement to the defensive line to "stay hungry" -- or a Patriots pushing penalty that gave Nick Folk another opportunity to kick the game-winning field goal -- was the true difference in the Jets' 30-27 overtime win over the first-place Patriots.

In the end, all that mattered was that the Jets (4-3) had done what few thought they could against an opponent that has haunted them for years. New England's winning streak against AFC East opponents finally ended at 12 games. But more important for Rex Ryan, his players stuck it to the Patriots (5-2) for the first time since the 2010 playoffs.

"We finally finished," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "We've been in this situation numerous times, whether it's been overtime or the final drive of regulation. So it was finally time for us to finally get one."

With the score tied at 27, Folk missed a 56-yard field goal wide left with 7:11 left in OT. But the play was negated when defensive tackle Chris Jones was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for pushing teammate Will Svitek forward in an attempt to block the kick.

The newly implemented rule, which the NFL said was enforced for the first time this year, stipulates that a player cannot push another teammate into the opponent's formation. The 15-yard penalty gave the

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Jets the first down and the ball at the New England 23. Four plays later, Folk kicked the ball through the uprights from 42 yards for the win.

Referees had warned the Patriots about pushing on a previous field-goal attempt, according to Colon. But Bill Belichick said of the Jones penalty: "You can't push from the second level, but I don't think we did that."

Even a standout performance by tight end Rob Gronkowski (eight catches, 114 yards) in his season debut wasn't enough of an edge against Ryan's defense. The unit set out to prove it could duplicate its Week 2 performance against Tom Brady, who completed only 48.7 percent of his passes and threw for 185 yards in their first meeting. Brady was 22-for-46 for 228 yards this time but didn't throw a single touchdown pass.

Rookies will be rookies. But even future Hall of Famers make mistakes, too.

Though Geno Smith's first-quarter pick-6 (a 79-yard return by cornerback Logan Ryan) put the Jets in a 14-7 hole, he didn't crumble. But Brady, who was sacked four times by four different Jets (Wilkerson, Pace, Quinton Coples and Damon Harrison), seemed rattled by the Jets' dialed-up pressure in the second half.

"It's hard blocking us for four quarters," rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said.

Brady threw his own pick-6 in the third quarter on a pass intended for Gronkowski. Second-year safety Antonio Allen returned the interception 23 yards to pull the Jets to within 21-17.

Smith, who threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley on the Jets' first drive, ran for an 8-yard touchdown in the third, giving the Jets a 24-21 lead.

According to Ryan, quarterbacks coach David Lee told Smith before the game that he would have to "make two plays with his legs that are going to win the game for us."

And he obliged.

Said Smith: "I think coach Lee may have a good job being a psychic or something."

The Jets, however, never predicted overtime. The Patriots came back to tie the score at 27 thanks to field goals of 39 and 44 yards by Stephen Gostkowski in the fourth quarter, the second with 16 seconds left in regulation. But in the end, the Jets' defense rebounded from a sluggish start and slammed the door on Brady.

In the first half, Wilkerson sensed his linemates were getting frustrated by their lack of pressure on Brady. So he reminded them that if they stuck to their technique, they'd be fine.

Richardson, flashing a big grin, asked:

"Was he right or not?

"He was right."

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Chris Ivory helps Jets turn back clock to their run-heavy days (Greg Logan) Newsday October 20, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/chris-ivory-helps-jets-turn-back-clock-to-their-run-heavy-days-1.6290720

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The Jets weren't wearing their "throwback" jerseys, but the echoes of coach Rex Ryan's favored "ground-and-pound" offense were evident in their 30-27 overtime victory over the Patriots on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Jets ran the ball on 12 of 14 plays on their drive for the winning field goal, including nine times by chief battering ram Chris Ivory.

It was a change of pace for pass-happy offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Starting running back Bilal Powell came off the field early with what appeared to be a foot or ankle injury, but Ryan said the decision to ride Ivory, who carried 34 times for 104 yards, was based on the matchup of the Jets' offensive line against a Pats defense missing injured nose tackle Vince Wilfork and linebacker Jerod Mayo.

"I'm a little worried about our offensive coordinator because all he wants to do is run the football," Ryan joked. "We had 52 rushing attempts. That's what I'm talking about."

Rookie quarterback Geno Smith came out slinging with a touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley on the opening drive, but Smith threw an interception on the second drive that was returned 79 yards for a score by Patriots rookie cornerback Logan Ryan.

The Jets leaned heavily on the running game the rest of the way. Ivory carried nine times for 23 yards in overtime, which might not sound like much, but two runs went for first downs and he bounced another outside for 8 yards on a first-down play.

"It came down to us," right guard Willie Colon said of the offensive line. "Marty gave us the keys to the car. We drove it as far as we could, and Ivory did a great job of keeping his shoulders forward and gained yards.

"We always knew Chris had that ability. He showed up in a big way for us today, and I'm proud of him. To have that type of game is awesome."

Ivory, obtained in a trade with the Saints during the draft in April, missed most of training camp and two regular-season games with a hamstring injury. Ivory was uncertain if Powell was hurt, but he just ran with the rock when the Jets gave it to him. Ivory's 34 carries against the Pats matched his total for his five previous games.

"It helps get in a rhythm and get more of a feel for the scheme and the running lanes," Ivory said of the steady diet.

Ivory praised the Patriots' linebackers as a big, hard-hitting crew, but he acknowledged that it's his nature to run to contact rather than maneuver through traffic like a sports car. "A lot of guys have a lot of wiggle," Ivory said. "I'm a one-cutter. Running inside the tackles, you shouldn't be doing too much wiggling, in my opinion, unless you have five yards between you and the defender. That's just my style -- I see it and hit it."

For this day at least, Ivory reprised the role of Thomas Jones, the power back who excelled at running between the tackles in Ryan's first season of 2009.

Asked if this kind of win might set the tone for the offense, Ivory said: "If we're consistent as far as the way we played this week, I think it can set the tone. We have to let it be seen that we can do this week in and week out."

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Jets grades: Geno Smith and offense get passing mark (Kimberley Martin) Newsday October 20, 2013

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-grades-geno-smith-and-offense-get-passing-mark-1.6290738

OFFENSE

B+ The rookie quarterback outplayed the future Hall of Famer. Geno Smith wasted no time getting the Jets on the board, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley on the opening drive. Smith threw a costly pick-6 on his second drive but managed to keep his composure down the stretch. Chris Ivory showed the type of punishing back he can be, pounding out a career-high 104 yards on 34 carries. Standout performances by Jeremy Kerley (eight catches, 97 yards) and David Nelson (four catches, 80 yards) rounded out a solid day.

DEFENSE

B The Jets' pass rush was nonexistent early on, but the defensive line showed up in a big way in the second half. Second-year safety Antonio Allen regained the momentum for the Jets in the third quarter with a pick-6. Though Rex Ryan's defense gave up eight catches for 114 yards to Rob Gronkowski in his season debut and allowed Stevan Ridley to run in an easy 17-yard score, the unit clamped down in crunch time. Four different players sacked Brady, with Quinton Coples recording his first of the season.

SPECIAL TEAMS

B- What more can you say about Nick Folk? His 42-yard field goal in overtime marked his third game- winner of the season and his seventh since joining the Jets. Ryan Quigley had some shaky punts early but pinned the Pats at their own 8 with 2:10 left in regulation. A 38-yard punt return by Julian Edelman gave the Pats excellent field position and set up Ridley's 17-yard touchdown.

COACHING

B Marty Mornhinweg did the smart thing by pounding the rock against the Patriots' depleted front seven. But he made the questionable decision to run the ball nine straight times on the Jets' final possession of the game instead of attempting a pass to get Folk in better field position. The Jets had to settle for a 56-yard field-goal attempt that Folk missed, but the play was negated by Chris Jones' pushing penalty. Perhaps Mornhinweg was afraid of seeing another fourth-quarter INT by Smith?

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Jets Q&A: Beating Tom Brady a nice birthday present for Muhammad Wilkerson (Kimberley Martin) Newsday October 20, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-q-a-beating-tom-brady-a-nice-birthday-present-for-muhammad-wilkerson-1.6290759

What did the young Jets say about beating Tom Brady?

Sheldon Richardson wasn't interested in a history lesson.

When asked about beating New England on Sunday after five straight losses to the Patriots, the defensive tackle said with a sly smile: "I'm 1-1 against the Patriots. I don't do the past."

"Every game is a must-win, it's not just because it's the Patriots," Muhammad Wilkerson said. "But it does make it that much better, being that it's a division opponent."

The third-year pro said the 30-27 overtime win over the first-place Patriots was somewhat personal. "My birthday's Tuesday," said Wilkerson, who'll turn 24. "So I'm definitely going to have a better birthday than the past two years."

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Was Josh Cribbs surprised that he was used so much in his Jets debut?

Actually, Cribbs promised there's "more to come."

After signing Cribbs on Tuesday, Jets general manager John Idzik told him, "I want you to plug in and play right now," according to Cribbs. And after visiting with the Jets three times since the spring, the newest Jet said he expected to see action on special teams and on offense -- especially in the Wildcat.

"I visited the Jets early on in the year and they were introducing me to the Wildcat then," Cribbs said, adding that he had familiarity with running backs coach Anthony Lynn because of their time together in Cleveland.

Cribbs carried the ball three times out of the Wildcat for 14 yards, ran back three punts for 44 yards and returned one kickoff for 17 yards.

Cribbs, who spent the offseason rehabbing from a torn meniscus, said Idzik stressed to him the importance of conditioning during his visits. "[He said], 'I want you to work hard,' and that's exactly what I did,'' Cribbs said. "I worked hard and I'm ready to go."

What did Geno Smith say about beating Brady?

Smith is the only quarterback since the 1970 merger with four game-winning drives in either the fourth quarter or overtime in his first seven NFL games. But the rookie took no personal satisfaction in topping a future Hall of Famer.

"There is none," Smith said. "Tom Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks to play this game and I'm a rookie quarterback in this league. So the personal satisfaction for me is to get a victory for every single guy in that locker room."

Smith may not have been impressed with himself, but Mark Sanchez was. The veteran quarterback tweeted "I see u G! Nice run" after Smith scampered 8 yards for a TD that put the Jets up 24-21 in the third quarter. Sanchez -- who competed with Smith for the starting job before a season-ending shoulder injury -- was spotted in the locker room after the game with his right shoulder in a sling.

Where was Bilal Powell?

Despite calling Powell the most underrated player in the league a few weeks ago, coach Rex Ryan decided to go with the hot hand against the Patriots -- Chris Ivory.

The bruising back had a breakout performance with career highs in yards (104) and carries (34). But the absence of Powell was surprising, considering he had started all but one game this season.

"I looked and Bilal only carried the ball three times [for 6 yards]," Ryan said, adding that nagging neck and shoulder injuries weren't a factor in Powell's lack of action. "But Ivory had the hot hand and we fed him."

Speaking of injuries . . .

Quinton Coples walked out of MetLife Stadium in a sharp suit -- and a wrap around his left hand. It's unclear when the second-year outside linebacker was injured, but he managed four tackles and a sack. Rookie cornerback Dee Milliner suffered a scare when he was forced to leave the game after slowly getting up after a play. The 2013 first-round pick, who had played in only three previous games because of various injuries, returned to action a short time later. Antonio Allen, who had a pick-6 against Brady, also left the game briefly because of a right shin injury. "It's a little sore," he said, but the injury didn't seem serious.Back_to_Top

Antonio Allen's pick-6 sparks Jets to victory (Greg Logan)

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Newsday October 20, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/antonio-allen-s-pick-6-sparks-jets-to-victory-1.6290604

A game against their hated division rival and quite possibly the Jets' season turned in the third quarter Sunday at MetLife Stadium when safety Antonio Allen stepped in front of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski to intercept Tom Brady's pass and return it 23 yards for a touchdown.

That cut New England's 11-point halftime lead to four and, more importantly, ignited a tremendous second-half effort by the Jets' defense in a 30-27 overtime victory.

The Jets' defense followed Allen's pick-6 by holding Brady and the Pats to three straight three-and-out series as the Jets gained a 27-21 third-quarter lead. But it was Allen, assigned to shadow the 6-6, 265-pound beast of a tight end in his first game back from injury this season, who fueled the Jets' fire.

Down 21-10 at halftime, the Jets came out with renewed intensity as defensive end Quinton Coples sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss on the first play. Brady tried to get it back with the pass to Gronkowski. But Allen recognized the Pats' formation and thought "Yogi," which is the terminology for an out route, and it was all over before the play was over for the Pats.

"Watching film, they ran out-routes in a certain look," Allen said. "So I just jumped the route and came up with the pick. It gave us a spark for the game. It's only our second [interception] this year. We knew we had to force a turnover to win the game. We got the spark, and everybody's on their high horse."

No one had a right to be higher than Allen. Gronkowski was coming back from back and arm injuries, and it was almost as though Pats coach Bill Belichick saved him for the emotional lift he could provide against the Jets. Brady targeted Gronkowski 17 times, completing eight passes to him for 114 yards, including a 30-yard gain that set up the Pats' first touchdown.

"They went to him 17 times?" Allen said incredulously. "That's a great amount. You know he's going to get the ball. When I heard he was activated, I said, 'Get your feet ready.' "

Fellow safety Dawan Landry was impressed with Allen. "Double-A had a task," Landry said. "He had Gronk the whole day. It was pretty much man coverage. The interception gave our offense momentum."

It inspired the defense, too. The pass rush got to Brady for four sacks and pressured him into a sub-50 percent passing day (22-for-46) for 228 yards and a poor 53.5 quarterback rating.

Although Gronkowski's final numbers looked good, he wasn't as big as he needed to be on third down, as the Patriots converted once in 12 tries. When Brady put together a drive for the tying field goal in the final minutes of regulation, Gronkowski dropped a pass when he was wide-open behind Allen at the Jets' 12-yard line for a possible winning TD.

Recalling that moment, Allen said: "Oh man, I broke on the ball. I just misjudged it. It was pretty high. I was scared, but he dropped it, so I was relieved. I had him covered pretty tight at first. I guess the pressure got to Brady, and he scrambled. Gronk ran with him, but Brady threw the ball high."

"He makes that play 99 out of 100," Brady said of Gronkowski, "but it was just one of those days where it didn't happen for us."

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Apparently the Jets are better than we thought (Bob Glauber) Newsday October 20, 2013

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/apparently-the-jets-are-better-than-we-thought-1.6290622

Rex Ryan doesn't know where this will end up, whether yesterday's stunning 30-27 overtime win over the Patriots will translate into an equally stunning playoff run. What the Jets' coach does know is that it won't surprise him at all if it happens.

"Outside people have no idea about this group. I'm telling you, I know it's special," Ryan said a few minutes after Nick Folk's winning 42-yard field goal with 5:07 left in overtime. "How that means that we're gonna finish record-wise, I don't know. But I know we've got what it takes, in my opinion, to do something great."

It is premature to pronounce Ryan's Jets ready for a playoff run, given that we're not even halfway through the regular season. But almost everyone outside the locker room predicted they would be one of the most wretched teams in the NFL. For them to be sitting at 4-3, one game out of the division lead, sure looks better than the alternative.

At the very least, we all need to take this team seriously. Even if Ryan and his players aren't terribly surprised at how well they've done. In fact, they're not surprised at all.

"We're certainly much better than what ," Ryan said. "I guess that's not hard. We were picked 32nd, but I think we're better than that."

But better to the point of being a playoff contender? No one expected that, aside from the guys who actually control what happens on the field. They've believed all along.

"[The win] gets us close to the playoffs," rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said. "That's what we're trying to do. Win the [AFC] East. That's the mission."

And that means beating out the Patriots, who have won the division title every year since Ryan took over in 2009. "That's the team you chase," he said. "That's the team we've always chased. You're tired of looking up at them, but at the end of the day, they've earned that."

But it doesn't stop Ryan from pursuing the white whale that is New England. He beat the Patriots in the playoffs after the 2010 season, but not until Sunday had he vanquished them again. In between were some of his more painful memories as Jets coach, including the previous time the Patriots visited MetLife Stadium.

You remember that one last Thanksgiving night, the game that came to be defined by two excruciating, miserable words: butt fumble. It was the low moment of the Ryan era. The Patriots scored three touchdowns in a 52-second span, including one that came after Mark Sanchez ran into Brandon Moore's backside.

Less than a year later at the same stadium, Ryan oversaw one of his proudest achievements with a team no one had expected to do much of anything this season. Except lose.

He told his players before the game how delighted he was with their progress. The result only underscored that emotion.

"I told them how proud I was of them," Ryan said. "It's a team that works their tails off. They're great teammates. With that, I know we're going to get better and we're not where we have to be. We're not even close. But you know what? We're just going to keep making strides, and who knows what happens at the end of the day."

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The message from Ryan's speech was simple. This is how Richardson took it: "We've got every opportunity to win the game. We feel like we're better than the Patriots. We're just going to have to go out there and prove it. And we did. That's how I interpreted it."

A reporter asked Richardson if he thinks the Jets indeed are better than the Patriots. He stared at the questioner, paused a moment and replied, "Yeah."

They certainly were better on this day. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith continued to show poise beyond his years, shaking off an early interception return for a touchdown and rallying the Jets. Smith threw for 233 yards and one touchdown and ran for another score. The Jets held Tom Brady to less than 50 percent completions for the second time this season, and Brady's third-quarter pick-6 to Antonio Allen was a huge momentum swing.

There was a little luck in overtime, as the Patriots were penalized when Chris Jones was called for pushing a teammate into the Jets' offensive line on a missed 56-yard field-goal attempt. Folk then made his 42-yarder to win it, putting to rest some of the ghosts of past Patriots defeats.

And also putting to rest any remaining questions about whether these Jets should be taken seriously.

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Pats coach Bill Belichick doesn't agree with call that changed outcome (Anthony Rieber) Newsday October 20, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/pats-coach-bill-belichick-doesn-t-agree-with-call-that-changed-outcome-1.6290418

When Jets kicker Nick Folk lined up for a 56-yard field goal Sunday in overtime, Patriots rookie defensive lineman Chris Jones had an idea: He would push fellow lineman Will Svitek into Jets long snapper Tanner Purdum to disrupt the attempt.

The only problem: The maneuver was outlawed by an NFL rule that took effect this season. Jones was called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, the first time it has been flagged this season, the NFL said Sunday night.

Instead of a missed field-goal try, the Jets were awarded a first down at the New England 23-yard line.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick, as you might imagine, was livid. Instead of New England taking over at its own 46, the Jets kept the ball and were in even better field-goal position than before. Four snaps later, Folk kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the Jets a 30-27 victory at MetLife Stadium.

Belichick said he didn't think a penalty was warranted, but Jones 'fessed up to violating the new rule.

"It skipped out of my mind," said Jones, who had two sacks in an otherwise impressive day. "It was my mistake. Nobody else's. I've just got to man up to it and fix it next time."

Jones said he "was just trying to get that extra push in the middle . . . Just trying to get that extra little oomph to get up there . . . I was confused at first. Didn't know what was going on. I figured out what it was and I was like, 'Oh, that's my fault.' "

The Patriots still are 5-2 and in first place in the AFC East. So Jones probably won't go down in New England sports history as a Bill Buckner type of goat.

But that doesn't mean the Patriots were happy with losing after holding a 21-10 halftime lead. On the first possession of the second half, Brady did the almost unthinkable by throwing an interception that was returned 23 yards for a touchdown by Antonio Allen.

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"No excuses," Brady said. "We just didn't play well. We have to do a better job out there."

Of Allen's pick, Brady said: "The guy made a good play. That's a ball I shouldn't throw. You can't do that -- throw interceptions for touchdowns."

Brady's pass was intended for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was targeted 17 times and caught eight balls for 114 yards in his first game of the season after multiple surgeries on his forearm and a back procedure.

"I just didn't feel like we did anything well enough, like we need to do it," Belichick said. "Coaching, playing, offense, defense, special teams, you name it. We just made too many mistakes."

Asked if he thought the penalty was a legitimate call, Belichick said: "We weren't on the second level when they pushed him, [so] no . . . I don't think we did that."

The new rule was put into place to protect the long snapper, whom the NFL considers to be in a "defenseless" position on kicks.

"A teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponent's formation," referee Jerome Boger told a pool reporter. "The umpire's flag went up almost instantaneously as he observed the action. We just enforced it as he called it."

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THE RECORD

Jets beat Patriots, 30-27, in overtime (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 20, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Jets_beat_New_England_in_overtime_30-27.html?page=all

EAST RUTHERFORD — When Antonio Allen and his teammates saw Rob Gronkowski run a crossing pattern to the left early in the third quarter, they yelled “Yogi,” their code word for that particular play.

Fitting, as it turned out. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, the Jets’ game against New England on Sunday at MetLife Stadium wasn’t over until it was over.

And Allen’s big play was a big reason for that.

Allen cut in front of New England’s superstar tight end, who was making his 2013 season debut, and picked off Tom Brady’s underthrown pass. He returned the interception 23 yards to cut the Jets’ deficit to four points, and they eventually outlasted the Patriots, 30-27, in overtime.

The Jets (4-3) earned a season-series split with the Patriots (5-2) and avoided being three games behind in the AFC East race. It also broke their five-game losing streak against New England.

Allen’s pick-six swung the momentum toward the Jets, who eventually erased an 11-point halftime deficit before New England sent the game into overtime on Stephen Gostkowski’s 44-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining in regulation. But the defense held the Patriots on their lone overtime possession, and then Nick Folk won it with a 42-yard field goal with 5:08 to play.

Folk, who now is 16-for-16 this season on field goals, had missed a 56-yarder wide left with 7:11 to go, but got a reprieve when New England rookie Chris Jones was called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pushing a teammate into a Jets’ blocker.

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“I wish the game would’ve ended on the long one,” Folk said. “That would have been fun, but luckily we got closer and I got to put it through and beat the Patriots.”

It appeared as if beating New England again would be a tall order for the Jets when they trailed, 21-10, at halftime. But a defense that was shaky in the first half regrouped in the locker room.

“We just made some minor adjustments and we got after it,” defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said. “We kept fighting. We didn’t give up. We didn’t pout. Everybody believed in their brother next to them and it showed.”

Gronkowski, mostly covered by Allen, had eight catches for 114 yards in his long-awaited return from back and arm woes. However, he was targeted 17 times, and it was two balls he didn’t catch that loomed the largest.

The first was Allen’s interception, which galvanized the Jets and the crowd after a lackluster 30 minutes.

“I jumped the route and came up with the pick,” said Allen. “It gave us a spark.”

It was only the Jets’ fourth takeaway of the season.

“He made a statement by taking it to the house,” Wilkerson said, “and that was a big momentum-changer for us.”

After that pick, the Jets’ defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs from Brady & Co.

“That was huge,” defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said. “They were gashing us starting off the game. … But we turned it around real quick. We bend but don’t break sometimes.”

Still, the Patriots had a chance to win before sending the game into overtime on Gostkowski’s kick. Starting from the New England 8, Brady moved his team 66 yards to a first down at the Jets’ 26-yard line. On first down, Gronkowski got open over the middle and seemed to have an easy path to the end zone. He almost made a one-handed grab of Brady’s pass, but the ball slipped away.

“I’m mad at myself,” Gronkowski said. “I had it, I brought it in and then I dropped it.”

“He makes that [catch] 99 out of 100 times,” Brady said, “but it was just one of those days. … It really shouldn’t have come down to that play. … We just didn’t do what it takes to beat a good defense.”

The Jets sacked Brady four times and limited him to a passer rating of 53.5.

“It’s always satisfying to beat” Brady, fifth-year coach Rex Ryan said. “It’s only the fourth time we’ve beaten him since I’ve been here. … We just found a way.”

And it was Allen who pointed the way to victory with his huge play.

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Sullivan: Patriots' blunder a real kick for Jets (Tara Sullivan) The Record October 21, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/Sullivan_Patriots_blunder_a_real_kick.html?page=all

EAST RUTHERFORD – The final overtime field goal was gift-wrapped in a bright yellow bow, when Nick Folk’s mulligan of a 56-yard miss was replaced by a 42-yard no-doubt kick, a difference in yardage that came via a controversial penalty flag.

The hankie flew, the otherwise perfect Folk hit the reset button, and within seconds, the Jets sprinted off their MetLife field with a feeling they hadn’t had in years.

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A win over the Patriots.

A 30-27 victory over the big bad Patriots, over all-world quarterback Tom Brady and all-world coach Bill Belichick, over all the doubters who thought this team might not get four wins all season, never mind four by Week 7.

“We’ll take it,” Rex Ryan would say later, his fast-paced, breathless delivery telling you everything you needed to know about just how happy these Jets were to get it. Wins against the mighty Patriots have been very hard to come by for this franchise, and a five-game losing streak that included this season’s Week 2 loss up north was weighing heavily in the pregame atmosphere.

From that three-interception fourth quarter in the most recent matchup to the butt-fumble ignominy of last

Thanksgiving’s meeting at MetLife, the Jets no longer were measuring up to the only measuring stick Ryan has ever used. That changed Sunday, when the significance of a football win that evened the season series and kept the Jets viable in an AFC East race the Patriots have long owned (and still do) was matched only by the emotional lift of beating an archnemesis.

If Ryan has told us over and over again that division games count for one-and-a-half in his mental standings, then surely division games against the top-dog Patriots must count for a little bit more.

“Maybe one and three-quarters,” he said, unable to suppress a grin. “Because that’s the team you chase. That’s the team we always chase. We’re tired of looking up at them.”

The Jets (4-3) are still looking up at that 5-2 team, but the view is quite different from the bottom-dwelling one predicted for a team that failed to make the playoffs the last two years. But as much as this group has been difficult to gauge, going from win to loss in every other week so far this season, it’s a group slowly proving it belongs in the playoff conversation. And rather than shouting that belief to every critic who dared speak otherwise, rather than falling on past patterns of opening their mouths before putting on their pads, this group barely wanted to acknowledge how good it felt to beat the first-place bullies.

But it sure did feel good.

“Rex was telling us all week how important this game was, for sure,” newest addition Josh Cribbs said. “And after the game, every player, no matter what bumps or bruises we had, was running into the locker room wanting to celebrate. That’s the vibe that’s here, a winning vibe. I’m loving it. I got here just in time to get to make a run at this thing. The momentum is building.”

The Jets won because of their ability to change the momentum. to storm out of a 21-10 halftime deficit and throttle everything the Patriots had been doing right, a defensive explosion that suffocated Brady into submission. With Ryan’s instructions ringing in their ears, a dormant defensive line picked up its pace, and just minutes into the second half was pummeling Brady with pressure, stripping him of the ball, and throwing off his downfield timing.

Brady’s second throw after halftime, intercepted by Antonio Allen and returned 23 yards for a touchdown, was the beginning of the end for the Patriots. Two three-and-outs later, Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith outdid his Pro Bowl counterpart, finishing off an eight-play, 52-yard, go-ahead drive with two daring running plays. Facing third-and-14 from the Patriots’ 24-yard line, Smith took off for a first down, absorbing a huge hit just before the marker, but reaching for it nonetheless. And two plays later, Smith scrambled to his right, finishing an 8-yard run with a dive into the end zone.

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From the depths of his first-quarter pick-six, Smith rose to lead the Jets on the comeback trail. Just five weeks after wilting in Brady’s shadow, the poised, confident rookie wasn’t interested in rating the significance of besting him this time.

“There is none,” Smith said. “Tom Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. I’m just a rookie.”

Smith is new to this rivalry, but around the Jets, it doesn’t take long to be schooled in the depth of the inferiority complex when it concerns the Patriots. For every glorious moment Ryan has coached against New England (none better than a playoff blowout in 2011), the last five games had robbed him of his sense of equality.

“Every single win is graded out as equal, but this one means a little bit more to us,” Smith said. “You can feel it around the team, around the community. It’s a rivalry.”

The Jets aren’t even yet, but with a dramatic, if flag-fueled win Sunday, they’re closer than they’ve been in years.

“We finally finished,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “We’ve been in this situation many times against them. It was finally time for us to finally get one.”

The football lift is huge, but the emotional one? Even bigger.

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Jets notes: Jeremy Kerley, Chris Ivory star (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 21, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/228574331_Jets_notes__Jeremy_Kerley__Chris_Ivory_star.html?page=all

Jeremy Kerley didn’t play the first time the Jets faced New England. He sat out with a concussion in a 13-10 road loss Sept. 12. This time, he had eight receptions for 97 yards and the first touchdown of the game in the Jets’ upset.

"I wouldn’t say I was the X factor," he said. "But I definitely had a chip on my shoulder. I definitely wanted to get at a couple of guys on the Patriots."

Six of his receptions converted third downs into first downs, including three on the Jets’ first drive, which he ended with a 12-yard score.

"The protection was great," quarterback Geno Smith said when asked why he and Kerley were so successful on third down. "The offensive line did a great job of seeing the blitz and picking it up. Jeremy was just finding ways to get open. … I believe he’s a really good slot [receiver] and he always finds ways to get open. He makes yards after the catch and he’s one of those guys you can depend on."

Running back Chris Ivory had his first 100-yard game with the Jets, rushing for 104 on 34 carries.

He averaged only 3.1 yards per attempt, but certainly wore down the Patriots’ defense and helped move the Jets into field-goal position on their winning drive. Ivory had 34 carries as a Jet entering the game.

Starting running back Bilal Powell had only three carries for 6 yards. He has been bothered by a nagging neck problem, but coach Rex Ryan indicated he went with the hot hand in Ivory.

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"I didn’t really know what to expect," said Ivory, who had expressed a desire to get more work. "I’m ready for whatever game plan they have. … [Playing more] helps [me] get in a rhythm and get more of a feel for the scheme and the running lanes."

Briefs

WR David Nelson, signed Oct. 2, had his most productive game as a Jet with four receptions for 80 yards. "David did a great job," said Smith, who also praised his blocking ability and added, "He did a great job of getting open and finding space." … New England QB Tom Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second time in three games, and the first time against the Jets since Sept. 20, 2009. Brady had a streak of 52 straight games with a TD pass broken at Cincinnati on Oct. 6. … Josh Cribbs, making his Jets debut, had a 21-yard punt return to set up a 37-yard field goal by Nick Folk in the third quarter. … The Patriots were 1-for-12 on third-down conversions. In two games against the Jets this season, they have converted only five of 30 third-down chances.

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Patriots' penalty pushes Jets into prime position (Jeff Roberts) The Record October 21, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/228574541_Patriots__penalty_pushes_Jets_into_prime_position.html?page=all

EAST RUTHERFORD — The rookie’s hands were shaking as he made his confession, playing nervously with a mesh laundry bag.

Chris Jones was sitting on a stool in front of his locker, still wearing his Patriots game pants and surrounded by a throng of reporters. That’s where the New England defensive tackle admitted his guilt.

Yes, he had illegally pushed teammate Will Svitek into Jets blocker Damon Harrison in overtime as Nick Folk missed a 56-yard field goal wide left. Yes, it was his fault he was flagged for an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty that gave the Jets new life Sunday and Folk another try before he nailed a game-winning, 42-yard do-over four plays later.

"The mistake was mine. I take it and I put it on my shoulders," said a downcast Jones, who had two sacks in the game. "It was all my fault. It was nobody else’s."

The penalty was the dagger in the Jets’ 30-27 overtime victory. It was the first time in NFL history that the "pushing" rule — instituted before the 2013 season — had been called. It turned out to be a game-deciding penalty.

Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3, subsection b-2 states that: "When Team A presents a field goal or try kick formation, Team B players cannot push teammates on the line of scrimmage into the offensive formation."

It was instituted to protect vulnerable offensive linemen — especially long snappers.

"That is a rule change in 2013 that a teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponents’ formation," referee Jerome Boger told a pool reporter.

Umpire Tony Michalek threw his flag "almost instantaneously," Boger said.

Instead of New England (5-2) taking over at their 46-yard line, the Jets had a fresh set of downs at the Patriots’ 23 after the 15-yard penalty nullified the miss. And Folk again became a hero, hitting his third game-winner of the season. He’s perfect (16-for-16) in 2013.

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It was the second time this season that a bone-headed penalty led to a game-winning Folk field goal. Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David was flagged for a late hit out of bounds on Geno Smith in the opener that led to a Folk 48-yarder.

The Jets’ Willie Colon heard officials warn Patriots players about pushing on an earlier kick. He did not remember specifically which play.

"I didn’t know what the flag was for," the right guard said. "I just knew it wasn’t against us. But they had been warned before that. I heard the ref tell them."

Jones admitted the Patriots had discussed the rule in training camp, but he had forgotten it.

"It skipped out of my mind," he said. "It was my mistake and nobody else’s. I’ve just got to man up to it."

But the penalty was met with confusion on both sidelines. Officials seemed to take an unusually long time to discuss, then announce the penalty.

An angry Bill Belichick disagreed with the call.

"We weren’t on the second level when they pushed him, no," Belichick said when asked if he thought the penalty was legitimate. "You can’t push from the second level. But I don’t think we did that."

But the rule does not differentiate where players line up.

Unlike his coach, Jones never wavered, never offered an excuse.

"It just kind of happened. I knew they were coming in, so I was just trying to get that extra push in the middle," he said. "When you’re that far, you’re just trying to get the middle push."

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Jets instant replay: Patriots (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 21, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/228574531_Jets_instant_replay__Patriots.html?page=all

Turning point

On second-and-16 from the New England 14-yard line early in the third quarter, New England QB Tom Brady tried to hit TE Rob Gronkowski over the middle. But S Antonio Allen cut in front of the pass and intercepted it for only the Jets’ fourth takeaway of the season. He returned it 23 yards for a touchdown to cut the Patriots’ lead to 21-17.

Star of the game

Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who didn’t play in the earlier meeting between these teams because of a concussion, wasted no time making his presence felt this time with three receptions for 36 yards on the Jets’ opening drive, including a 12-yard score. He led the team with eight catches for 97 yards, and six of those were good for first downs.

Costly mistakes

Geno Smith’s 11th interception of his rookie season turned into his first pick-six when he telegraphed a pass to WR David Nelson in the right flat. Former Rutgers standout Logan Ryan, a third-round pick in April, jumped in front of Nelson for the interception and raced 79 yards for a first-quarter TD.

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New England S Steve Gregory had a 30-yard pass interference penalty in the third that set up the Jets at the Pats’ 32. Although it didn’t lead to a score, it helped change field position in the Jets’ favor, and they scored on their next drive.

Eye-catching

The Jets’ "Green Out" attracted an enthusiastic crowd, but not as many dressed in green as the team likely had hoped. In fact, it looked more like a "Gray Out" at times when fans left their gray seats for the concession stands. … New England was missing four starters because of injury — NT Vince Wilfork, LB Jerod Mayo, CB Aqib Talib and WR Danny Amendola. … Brady (22-for-46) completed less than 50 percent of his passes, partly because of Jets’ pressure and partly because he missed several open receivers on deep passes. "The balls have to be better thrown," Brady said.

Looking ahead

The Jets (4-3) will visit AFC North-leading Cincinnati (5-2) on Oct. 27 at 4:05 p.m. The Bengals beat Detroit, 27-24, on Sunday on a 54-yard field goal by ex-Jet Mike Nugent as time expired. It will be the Jets’ first visit to Cincinnati since they beat the Bengals in the AFC playoffs in January 2010.

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STAR-LEDGER

Jets upend Patriots in OT after unusual penalty gives Nick Folk a second chance (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger October 20, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/jets_patriots_final.html

The unusual ending sent everyone scrambling for answers, wondering exactly what happened to help the Jets get yet another goose-bumps victory in a season built on them.

The Jets’ 30-27 victory over New England today at MetLife Stadium, which ended their five-game losing streak to the Patriots, will be remembered for the strange happenings in overtime, when two Patriots backups, defensive tackle Chris Jones and offensive guard Will Svitek, combined to make a dubious piece of NFL history.

With 7:17 left in overtime, Jones pushed Svitek forward, into Damon Harrison, as they tried to block Nick Folk’s 56-yard field goal. They did not block it, and Folk missed wide left on an attempt that would have tied his career long. As the ball tumbled through the air, Folk saw umpire Tony Michalek fling his yellow penalty flag. Because of where the flag flew from, Folk knew it was on the Patriots (5-2). He wondered if it might’ve been for too many men, or for climbing onto a teammate’s back to get closer to the kick.

Instead, it was a new rule this season: Teammates cannot push each other into the offensive formation on a field goal. Jones said he decided on his own, before the snap, to push Svitek "to get that extra little oomph in the middle." The existence of the new rule slipped Jones’ mind. He was initially confused when he saw the flag, as were the Jets. Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, on one knee, prayed it wasn’t on his team.

The uncertainty can be excused, since this penalty had never been called in an NFL game — fitting of a Jets season that is unfolding unlike few, if any, before it.

After Jones’ 15-yard penalty and three Jets plays set up Folk’s 42-yard, game-winning field goal, the Jets (4-3) have won three games on last-second or overtime kicks. They won another on a 69-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown pass by rookie quarterback Geno Smith. He is now the only quarterback since the

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1970 AFL-NFL merger with four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in the first seven games of his career.

This absurd season, which began with a Tampa Bay late-hit penalty gifting the Jets a manageable game-winning field goal and 18-17 victory, hits its midpoint next week with a trip to Cincinnati. Lo and behold, the Jets, expected to be a hot mess, are in the thick of the wild-card race, and still very much alive in the AFC East.

"Every season has a crossroads," said right guard Willie Colon. "This was that type of game. We had to make a decision. If we wanted a chance at the division, we had to have this one."

For as weirdly as today concluded, much that preceded Jones’ pushing penalty was typical for these Jets. Smith was brutal, and then brilliant. The Jets’ defense, especially its line, looked elite. This, it seems, is the Jets’ formula in 2013 — nail-gnawing and ulcer-inducing as it is for their coaches, fans and opposing quarterbacks.

In the first quarter, Smith threw his 11th interception of the season. Rutgers product Logan Ryan returned it 79 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 New England lead. But in the third quarter, the Jets regained the lead, 24-21, after Smith scrambled for a first down on third-and-14, and then, two plays later, scooted in for an 8-yard touchdown. The touchdown had the MetLife Stadium crowd chanting Smith’s first name, and turned Smith’s position coach, David Lee, into a prophet.

"He told Geno before the game, ‘You know what son, you’re going to have to make two plays with your legs that are going to win the game for us,’ " Jets coach Rex Ryan said.

While the veracity of this tidy anecdote is unclear, the Jets’ defensive dominance today was plenty tangible. They held the Patriots to 295 yards on offense and 1-of-12 on third downs. They limited quarterback Tom Brady to 11-of-28 passing in the second half. They sacked him four times, including thrice after halftime. Antonio Allen returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown on the half’s second play, to cut the Patriots’ lead to 21-17.

"It’s hard blocking us for four quarters," said Richardson. "I’m just throwing that out there."

After Brady completed 11-of-18 passes in the first half, thriving in his up-tempo, no-huddle offense, the Jets’ coaches told their players they would do a better job of getting the plays in quicker. Because the calls came in more rapidly in the second half, "it was just easier for us to get lined up," linebacker Calvin Pace said.

The Jets had a chance to win 27-24 in regulation. Brady took over at his own 8 with 2:10 left. He drove far enough for New England to convert a 44-yard field goal, forcing overtime, but no farther, as the Jets stiffened against one of the sport’s all-time clutch players.

It was the usual for this defense, on a day that ended unusually — and with the Jets getting another shot at winning back-to-back games for the first time all year, well aware that they cannot truly become contenders unless they stack victories.

"We’re not trying to have a decent season," Richardson said. "We’re trying to make the playoffs."

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Chris Ivory, Jeremy Kerley star as offensive weapons for Jets against Patriots (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger October 20, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/chris_ivory_jeremy_kerley_star_as_offensive_weapons_for_jets_against_patriots.html

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As much as any line in the box score, Chris Ivory’s helmet told the story of this October afternoon.

Smears of black streaked across its crown. Specks of red and blue kissed the green Jets logo along the helmet’s side.

The Jets employed Ivory in today’s rematch with the New England Patriots as a battering ram, and the running back bludgeoned the defense. He carried the football 34 times — matching his season total through five games played this season — and gained 104 yards. On Ivory’s shoulders, the Jets possessed the ball for 46 minutes in their 30-27 overtime victory.

"He was carving them up today," Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said. "Grounding, pounding, kept us off the field a lot."

Ivory describes himself as a one-cutter, meaning he takes a handoff, slices toward the line of scrimmage, then bowls into the defensive linemen and linebackers in his way. Today, the sight of Ivory’s dreadlocks popping in the air with each collision was familiar.

On the Jets’ final possession, Ivory churned nine carries into 23 yards. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called a pass just once on the 14-play drive that moved the Jets from their 20 to the Patriots’ 24-yard line.

"I didn’t expect it at all, especially coming from as far as we did," Ivory said of the offensive coordinator’s conservative approach. "But we did, we were successful and it sealed the game."

With the absence of Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo, the injured nose tackle and linebacker who plug the center of the Patriots’ defense, Mornhinweg relied on the ground game. They turned to Ivory, who had just four carries in each of his last two games and has struggled this season with hamstring injuries, to lead the charge.

Bilal Powell, the Jets’ starter and leading rusher, stood on the sideline with his helmet on and watched through his facemask as Ivory mashed the Patriots’ defense. Even fullback Tommy Bohanon had six carries.

"I look down, Powell only carried it three times," coach Rex Ryan said, "but Ivory had the hot hand and we just kind of rode it. Those guys are great complements as running backs back there, but we rode Ivory a little more than normal, obviously."

Much attention has been given to the players missing from the Jets’ offense — wide receiver Santonio Holmes and his injured hamstring; suspended tight end Kellen Winslow; and running back Mike Goodson’s season-ending knee surgery. Ivory and others, seen largely as members of the Jets’ supporting cast, performed as stars today.

Jeremy Kerley caught eight of the 10 passes Geno Smith tossed at him. He gained 97 yards, scored a touchdown and reached the sticks seven times. Fellow wide receiver David Nelson had four catches for 80 yards.

On eight third-down occasions, Smith threw to Kerley, whom the

Patriots covered with a defensive back, occasionally helped by a linebacker.

"I pretty much know on third down, I see myself as the guy to try to go to," Kerley said. "So I make it a big emphasis on my game to make sure that on third down, I turn it up a notch."

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Politi: Rex Ryan was both lucky and good as his Jets beat the Patriots (Steve Politi) Star-Ledger

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October 20, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/politi_rex_ryan_shows_some_of_his_old_bluster_and_brilliance_in_beating_the_patriots.html

He isn’t too proud to beg. Rex Ryan saw the 56-yard prayer of a winning field goal attempt go wide, then he saw the yellow hankie fluttering to the field, and he started pleading with the football gods.

Please be on them. Please be on them. Please be on them.

It was on them, and the fact that the “it” was a penalty that had never been called before in the NFL, a rule change that exactly zero players in the Jets locker room seemed to know existed, is almost perfect.

New England defensive tackle Chris Jones was flagged for pushing a teammate on the field-goal attempt, which is a new rule for this season. Who knew? Hey, if you’re the Jets, who cares?

“I was like, ‘You know what, it’s about time we got a break,’” the Jets head coach said. “That’s really what I was thinking.”

Right. Because it had been a long seven weeks since an opposing brain-fart had handed the Jets a victory. The season opener against Tampa was decided on a dumb personal foul penalty with 15 seconds left.

Keep this in mind about Rex: Even when Jets Nation had a crush on him like no coach in team history, even when he was leading this team to back-to-back AFC title games, he was good and lucky.

He was both again on Sunday. The Jets finally beat the Patriots again, 30-27 in overtime, because of a crazy (and, it should be noted, correct) call. That is beyond debate. They got lucky.

But they also beat the Patriots because the head coach was pretty good at his job, too. This was Ryan at his best, a flashback to that day in January 2011 when the Jets went to Foxborough and stunned Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the playoffs.

They made Brady look mortal that day, confusing him with different looks and roughing him up plenty, too. And they did it again on Sunday, in what might be the biggest win for Ryan since that one.

Ryan needed this one, and he’ll need a few more to save his job, too. But this performance is more evidence that, while plenty of fans gave up on Ryan, his players have not – and more evidence that he can draw up a defensive game plan with the best of them.

“We know if we listen to him and do exactly what he tells us,” said nose tackle Damon Harrison, “it’ll be good for us.”

Harrison and his fellow defensive linemen took over this game in the third quarter. Brady had the ball and an 11-point lead coming out of halftime, and the next four Patriots drives went like this:

Pick 6.

Punt.

Punt.

Punt.

Brady and Co. failed to gain a first down and lost 5 yards on those drives as Geno Smith, with his arm and his legs, rallied the Jets for a six-point lead. Brady eventually got two fourth-quarter field goals, including one with 16 seconds in regulation, to tie it.

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23 | P a g e

But in overtime, that Jets defense held again. Brady, who stole a victory from the Saints and Ryan’s twin Rob a week ago, had top weapon Rob Gronkowski back in the lineup but still completed less than half his passes and finished the game with three straight incompletions.

When Nick Folk hit a 42-yarder to win it, Ryan practically stormed across the field for the handshake with Belichick, and grabbed his nemesis’s arm before he could make it a typical drive-by greeting.

“Rex is a guy we rally behind. We love to play for him,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “I think our performance today shows we keep fighting for each other and fighting for him.”

The Jets are still where they always are: Looking up at the Patriots in the AFC East standings. But this game demonstrated again that, other than Brady’s right arm and Belichick’s brain, the Pats don’t have much going for them.

This victory needs to be the start of a winning streak, and not another one-game tease, for anyone to take the Jets seriously as a playoff team. Still, it gives them a shot as they head to Cincinnati next week, and for a team that many experts thought would win four games all season, 4-3 isn’t too shabby.

“Outside people have no idea about this group,” Ryan said. “I’m just telling you, I know it’s special. What does that mean we’re going to finish record-wise? I don’t know. But I know we have what it takes to do something great.”

It wasn’t quite promising that he’ll shake the President’s hand some day, but it’s as close to his old bluster as Ryan comes these days. And why not? Yes, the Jets coach was lucky to win this game.

But he was also very good.

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Antonio Allen catalyzes Jets' comeback against Patriots with 'Pick Six' off Tom Brady (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger October 20, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/antonio_allen_catalyzes_jets_comeback_against_patriots_with_pick_six_off_tom_brady.html

In their MetLife Stadium locker room after today’s overtime victory against the New England Patriots, Jets players discussed their team as viable AFC East contenders. The quickest way to command a division, after all, is to knock its leader from top of the hill -- and the Jets had just edged within a game of the Patriots in the standings.

“We wanted to prove we are in this division and we obviously want to win this division,” Jeremy Kerley, the Jets wide receiver, said. “I hope it sends the message that we are a contender and have guys out here who are elite."

If the division race tilted today, an interception by Antonio Allen -- the Jets’ first since Week 1 -- will be viewed as a catalyst. Allen has rotated this season at safety, seesawing into the lineup according to the matchups Rex Ryan feels best fit his gameplan.

When the Jets began practicing for this season’s rematch with the Patriots on Monday, Ryan alerted Allen he would spend the game tailing Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady’s top weapon. Ryan’s hunch was that the hulking tight end would make his season debut against the Jets, returning from forearm and back injuries.

"We knew it would be a challenge — (Gronkowski), when he’s covered, he’s open — so we had to go with length on him so that’s really why we made the move," Ryan said.

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Not only did Gronkowski participate today, but he was the Patriots’ offensive focal point — the target on 17 of Brady’s 46 throws. Gronkowski caught eight of those passes for 114 yards but grabbed just four of 11 throws after halftime when the Jets defense tightened.

"Like having a new toy, you know they were going to feature the guy," Dawan Landry, the safety and leader of the Jets’ secondary, said.

Allen was instructed by Ryan to follow the 6-6, 265-pounder across the formation and around the field. On most plays, Allen was locked step for step at arm’s length, like a shutdown defender guarding an NBA power forward.

"When I heard he was activated, I already knew," Allen said. "I already knew what time it was. Get your feet ready."

On the second play after halftime, Brady tossed the ball at Gronkowski, crossing toward the Jets bench. Before the 2nd-and-5 snap, Allen read the Patriots’ formation and figured the tight end’s route would head across the field out toward the sideline on what is called a "yogi" route. The safety sat on a head fake and dipped toward Brady’s throw at the 23-yard line. He sprinted toward the pylon and before a Patriot could reach him, Allen somersaulted into the end zone.

The pick-six was the first blow landed as the Jets stormed back from a 21-10 halftime deficit with 17 third-quarter points.

After the game, Allen limped around the Jets locker room. He tweaked his right ankle in the second half, but played on. He was happy at the conclusion of an extraordinary week — his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child, a son named Blake, on Tuesday.

This afternoon, Allen stashed the ball from his first career interception for his son.

"I had to get one for him," he said.

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Amid swirling winds, Nick Folk remains perfect in Jets' win over Patriots (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger October 20, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/amid_swirling_winds_nick_folk_remains_perfect_in_jets_win_over_patriots.html

MetLife Stadium is a tricky place to kick field goals, because of its swirling winds, but Jets kicker Nick Folk, who had to compete for his job in the preseason, remained perfect on the season in Sunday’s 30-27 win over New England.

Folk hit three field goals – a 37-yarder in the second quarter, a 37-yarder in the third quarter and a 42-yarder in overtime – and is now 16 of 16 this season. Folk actually did miss a 56-yarder in overtime, wide left, but it was wiped out by a 15-yard penalty that sustained the Jets’ drive and set up his 42-yarder. The 56-yarder would have tied Folk’s career best.

“The wind was kind of blowing back and forth the whole game,” Folk said. “It was going to their bench consistently and kind of to each corner, varying throughout the game. I went out there and just tried to drive it a little more and the wind kind of beat it up a little bit. It pulled it a little left. Fortunately for us, they got a penalty.”

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During warm-ups, with the wind at his back, Folk kicked field goals at the same uprights that he would boot the game-winner through. He nailed a 58-yarder in pregame. But the wind moved differently in overtime, when Folk was able to settle himself after his miss.

“That’s the way our stadium is,” he said. “There’s no real consistency to (the wind) as in some places.”

Folk also kicked a 48-yarder with two seconds left in the opener against Tampa Bay, which the Jets beat 18-17, and a 43-yarder as time expired in a 30-28 victory at Atlanta. Folk now has seven game-winners since he joined the Jets in 2010.

As it turned out Sunday, Folk remained perfect and New England’s Chris Jones picked a bad time to push a teammate from behind on field goal block – something he said he had never done before.

“I made that mistake,” Jones said. “I should have been more aware.”

He said the new rule that prohibits such plays “was something that we talked about probably during camp. It skipped out of my mind. It was my mistake and nobody else’s. I’ve just got to man up to it and fix it next time.”

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Jets stop Patriots short of record winning streak by excelling in third down defense (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger October 20, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/10/jets_stop_patriots_short_of_record_winning_streak_by_excelling_in_third_down_defense.html

The Jets barely prevented New England from achieving a bit of history on Sunday, when they won 30-27 on a 42-yard field goal in overtime.

The Patriots had won 12 straight games over AFC East opponents dating to a Week 3 defeat at Buffalo in 2011. Since divisional realignment in 2002, no team had won 13 straight over divisional opponents. Three other teams had won 12 straight – Baltimore and Green Bay from 2010-12 and Indianapolis from 2004-06.

New England might have made it 13 in a row if tight end Rob Gronkowski had been able to hold onto Tom Brady’s short pass over the middle on first-and-10 from the Jets’ 26-yard line with 36 seconds remaining in a game the Jets led 27-24.

Instead, Gronkowski couldn’t make a one-handed grab, and the Jets held Brady to incomplete passes on the next two plays, forcing the Patriots to settle for a field goal that sent the game to overtime.

New England got the ball first in overtime, and if the Patriots scored a touchdown, the game would have been over. But New England never even sniffed the end zone. Its overtime drive went four plays and 16 yards, and the Patriots punted, allowing the Jets to get their game-winning field goal, with the help of a 15-yard New England penalty.

The Patriots were left to wonder “what if?” about Gronkowski’s near-catch on first-and-10 from the 26. If he caught the ball, he probably would have scored the game-winning touchdown, since the field was open in front of him.

“He ran a great route and we gave him an opportunity,” Brady said. “He makes that (catch) 99 out of 100 (times).”

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But the Jets’ defense had a darn fine showing on Sunday as well, and the fact that Gronkowski couldn’t hold onto that pass shouldn’t detract from what the Jets accomplished. They held the Patriots to 295 yards, including 150 after halftime.

“Phenomenal,” said quarterback Geno Smith, of his team’s defensive performance.

Consider that the Patriots were held below 300 yards just once in 2011 (by the Steelers) and not at all last season. Their personnel is different, and younger, this season. But this was the third time the Patriots have gained 300 or fewer in 2013.

The Jets held them to a season-low 232 in a Week 2 New England win. The Bengals – who the Jets visit next week – held the Patriots to 248 in beating them. And then there was Sunday’s 295-yard showing.

Three times this season, the Jets have held an opponent under 300 yards. There were the two games against New England and the 250 yards the Jets limited Tampa Bay to.

The Jets are now 2-1 in this tough, five-game stretch leading into their off week. They have won at Atlanta. And now they have stopped the Patriots’ AFC East winning streak, but don’t get a respite in the near future, since they have to travel to AFC North-leading Cincinnati (5-2) and then host NFC South-leading New Orleans (5-1), on the heels of beating the Patriots, who still lead the AFC East.

So it won’t be easy for the Jets to win back-to-back games for the first time since they won three straight in their 11th through 13th contests of 2011.

A big reason the Jets were able to move to 4-3 on Sunday and continue their alternating win-loss trend this season was that they held the Patriots to 1 of 12 on third down. What was the reason for that stingy showing?

“Just (being) better on first and second down,” said linebacker Calvin Pace. “When you can do that, it’s easy because third-and-4 or less with a team like that, I’m not going to say it’s automatic for them to get a first down, but it’s easy. So I just think our challenge was to be better on first and second down and we were able to do that.”

To Pace’s point, let’s consider the Jets’ 11 stops of the Patriots on third down. The Patriots’ only third-down conversion was on a third-and-5, when they passed for a first down. The Patriots failed to pass for a first down on third downs of 10, 10, 10, 13, 15 and 17. Those are tough third downs to pick up. But Jets also stopped the Patriots and two third-and-1 runs and two third-and-3 passes. The Jets sacked Brady on third-and-2.

So while there were those six third-and-10s or longer among the Jets’ 11 third-down stops, there were also five third-and-3s or shorter.

The Jets’ defense also played well on third down against the Patriots in the first meeting this season, a 13-10 New England win in which the Patriots converted just 4 of 18 third downs. So now the Patriots are 5 of 30 on third downs against the Jets this season. Jets coach Rex Ryan, who calls the defense, will certainly take that.

Of course, the Patriots got a 39-yard touchdown pass in the first game on third-and-2 – the only touchdown of the game. It happened on a blown coverage. The Jets remembered that play as they entered Sunday’s game, well aware that they played very well for almost all of the first game, with the exception of that touchdown.

“We gave them a touchdown in that first game,” said safety Dawan Landry. “That was pretty much the difference in that game. This game, we knew we weren’t going to give them anything cheap.”

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And so it was that the Jets – and their impressive defense – got yet another dramatic win Sunday. The Jets have now won by one point over Tampa Bay on a last-second field goal, by seven over Buffalo on a 69-yard touchdown pass with 9:23 left, by two at Atlanta on a last-second field goal, and by three over New England on a last-second field goal.

Two Jets rookies had differing opinions on whether this win over New England meant more than any others this season, or on a whole.

“I think every single win is graded out about equal, but I think this one means a little bit more to us,” said quarterback Geno Smith.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said it’s just another win, and said it isn’t hard to downplay the importance of this victory, as it compares to others.

“It really isn’t,” he said. “It truly isn’t. If you’re trying to be a winning organization, a win shouldn’t matter (more than other wins), no matter who it is.”

Ryan tried to fill his players with confidence the night before the game. He delivered a speech to the team, as he always does. Richardson’s interpretation of Ryan’s comments: “We’ve got every opportunity to win the game. We feel like we’re better than the Patriots. We just had to go out and prove it.”

Three second half sacks of Brady helped the Jets assert their superiority on Sunday. The first play of the half was a strip sack of Brady by Quinton Coples, who was playing in his fifth game of the season and didn’t have any sacks before Sunday, after leading the Jets with 5½ last season.

The second play of the half was a pick six by safety Antonio Allen that set the tone for a dominant third quarter for the Jets in which they out-scored the Patriots 17-0 after trailing 21-10 at halftime. Or, as Landry said of the impact of Allen’s pick six, “We were hunting from there on in.”

Brady, like most pocket passers, isn’t as good under pressure. Nor is he used to throwing pick sixes. The last time he did it was in 2011 against the Bills, which was also the last time the Patriots lost to an AFC East team.

“We knew the goal was to get (Brady) off his mark,” said defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who had one sack in the game, increasing his season total to a team-best six, one more than he had all of last year. “You get him off his mark and that makes him uncomfortable. I think we did that.”

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie called the win “a stepping stone for us,” but added, “We’ve got to go out and win the next game.”

Many players were asked in the locker room after Sunday’s big win about what it does to change the public perception of the Jets as they try to finally win consecutive games. The general response was summarized perfectly by linebacker David Harris.

“Don’t care,” he said.

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NEW YORK POST

RB Ivory has 104 yards in Jets’ win (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/rb-ivory-has-104-yards-in-jets-win/

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His day’s work was done — 34 carries for 104 bruising yards — and now Chris Ivory was standing in front of his locker speaking so softly you had to lean in to hear his words.

Ivory’s postgame demeanor after he was a linchpin to the Jets thrilling 30-27 overtime win over the rival Patriots Sunday at MetLife Stadium completely belied the violent manner with which he ran against a depleted and vulnerable New England run defense.

As Ivory spoke, you couldn’t help but notice his helmet sitting on the top right shelf in his locker stall. There were so many scuff marks on it you’d have thought Ivory had just been in a three-car pileup on the Jersey Turnpike while wearing it.

There was a big red gash across the front left temple area of the white Jets helmet and an assortment of gray and blue scars along the front and top. Red, blue and gray marks. The colors of the Patriots’ helmets. The marks of a productive day.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of red on there,’’ Ivory said with a quiet hint of pride in his voice.

For the record, the helmet was spotless before the game. They are cleaned and buffed after every game.

Unlike the way most running backs try to avoid contact and maneuver their way around defenders, Ivory actually seeks contact with defensive players. There is an aesthetic beauty to the way Ivory runs, because when he makes contact with defenders he does it with such impact that his long hair flowing from the back of his helmet flares everywhere on contact. It truly looks like an explosion.

“A lot of guys got a lot of wiggle,’’ Ivory said. “I’m just a one-cut guy. That’s just my style. I just see it and hit it. If I do have a little space, you might see a little wiggle, but not too much. Running inside the tackles, you shouldn’t really be doing too much wiggling, in my opinion.’’

When the Jets took possession of the ball in overtime, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called Ivory’s number on nine of the first 12 plays on the drive as they positioned themselves for Nick Folk’s game-winning 42-yard field goal. Quarterback Geno Smith threw one pass in overtime.

“Ivory had the hot hand and we fed him,’’ Jets head coach Rex Ryan said.

“Chris ran the ball extremely tough,’’ Smith said.

“I was very impressed by Chris’ effort. I thought he kept getting stronger and stronger late in the game,’’ linebacker Calvin Pace said.

Ivory entered Sunday having carried the ball 34 times for 115 yards in four games this season. He matched those 34 carries in one game Sunday. The 34 carries against the Patriots were just six carries fewer than his 2012 total while playing for New Orleans.

Ivory had only three 100-yard rushing games in his career, the last one coming in the final game of the 2011 season with the Saints.

He came to the Jets with a lot to prove, because he was injury-prone. Naturally, he came to training camp with a hamstring injury that stunted his summer progress. He has missed two games this season with the hamstring injury.

“He’s been battling injuries ever since he got here, and to have that type of game I’m just proud of him,’’ guard Willie Colon said.

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Geno’s third-quarter runs show his growth (Mike Vaccaro) New York Post

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October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/genos-third-quarter-runs-show-his-growth/

He had already made one play with his legs that had filled the joint with a jolt of belief. That was two plays before. That one was third-and-14, and Geno Smith had serpentined his way through the New England secondary, was flying toward the sideline a yard short, then thrust his arm — and the football — just past the first-down marker.

That one had brought the 76,957 inside MetLife to the edges of their seats.

This one ordered them to their feet:

Second-and-goal from the 8, Smith abandoning the pocket again, faking left, feinting right, hitting a razor-thin seam, making it the full eight. Suddenly, the Jets were ahead of the Patriots, 24-21, after being behind 21-10. Suddenly a game — and a season — that had felt like it was careening toward an expiration date was turned upside down.

“That,” Rex Ryan would say, “is just something he has.”

He was referring to Smith’s athleticism, yes, but also to something else, to the motor that keeps Smith positive even when logic says he should be pouting, to the confidence that allows the rookie quarterback to believe he belongs even when the evidence is running counter to the postulate.

Josh Cribbs, newcomer, who became a Jet 15 minutes ago and so has no long-standing loyalties to consider, put it this way: “He’s already at a point where you have to fear him in the pocket. He showed his team that today. And he showed the Patriots that, too.”

None of this provides a pass for next week, when the Jets travel to Cincinnati for another date with another AFC big shot, when they try to make this 30-27 overtime thriller stick and win consecutive games for the first time in 11 months. Smith’s step-forward-step-backward year, in fact, tells us the Bengals might well have their way with the kid.

But it did seem Smith turned an important corner Sunday, and not just because he threw for five more yards and one more touchdown than Brady (and also out-rated him 71.9-53.5). In truth, it would have been easy to see Smith crawl into a shell after allowing a first-quarter pick-six that felt like a stadium-wide stomach punch as Logan Ryan took a leisurely gallop toward the end zone 79 yards away.

“I can’t speak for anyone else,” Smith said, “but I’m not going to crumble. That’s not in me. It’s much harder for me to give up than it is to try.”

So you can go through an extensive list of reasons and causes the Jets are still very much alive in the AFC East race through seven weeks.

You can start with Rule 9.1.3.2 — “Team B players cannot push teammates on the line of scrimmage into the offensive formation” — if you wish, and you can find a random Patriots fan to debate you if this was the proper time to unveil it, teeth of overtime, Nick Folk attempting an absurdly long field goal.

You can go with Folk himself, still technically perfect on the year (thanks to Rule 9.1.3.2), his right foot personally responsible for the winning points in three of those four wins. You can talk about the defense, which helped the Jets to a third quarter that might well have been the most perfect 15 minutes in team history.

The coach? He baffles you with interesting choices every week, but he also has instilled in this team a stubborn, defiant resilience that not only brushes aside critics (he does love to regularly remind the

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world ESPN had the Jets 32 out of 32 at season’s start) but the regressions that have interrupted every one of the Jets’ forward thrusts this year.

But amazingly, it is impossible not to label the kid QB the biggest difference. Numbers don’t lie. He is the first quarterback since the merger in 1970 to lead four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first seven games. Digest that one for a while, think of all the quarterbacks we’re talking about across the last 43 years. And he’s the first.

Early in the week, David Lee, the Jets’ QB coach, told Geno: “Son, you’re going to have to make two plays with your legs for us to win this week.”

“Maybe he’s psychic,” Smith said, laughing.

What he could have said is: Son, you’ll need to bring your whole arsenal this week. Legs. Arm. And that motor that keeps you moving forward, even when it seems ridiculous to expect it. Hell of an attitude. Hell of a story. And, maybe, a damn good quarterback on the come, too.

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Jets contenders with a little help from above (Steve Serby) New York Post October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/jets-contenders-with-a-little-help-from-above/

God wore green Sunday, too.

God wore green along with everyone else inside JetLife Stadium and the prayers of Rex Ryan and Jets Nation were answered and suddenly, there is Joy in Jetville today, because a playoff contender lives there.

“Well, I hope He wears green every Sunday, then,” Willie Colon said, and laughed.

It was Bill Parcells who used to say God is playing in some of these games, and He showed up at a time when the Jets needed him most.

At a time when the Jets, the Marty Mornhinweg part of the operation, decided it would be a good idea to run the ball three times to set up Nick Folk for the 56-yard chippie overtime field goal that would send Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and the Patriots home.

If God wasn’t wearing green, please try to explain how a Belichick-coached team violated a new NFL rule and cost itself the game against the Jets, of all star-crossed teams?

“Every season has a crossroads,” Colon was saying after Jets 30, Patriots 27. “It’s kind of like that fork in the road. This is that type of game. We had to make a decision. If we want a chance at the division, we had to have this one.”

The Mud Bowl-Fake Spike post Super Bowl III Jets, more than most, will tell you sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, but in fairness, they were good and lucky.

“We know that for so long, they ran the AFC East, they’ve been kings,” Colon said, “so for us to kind of turn this thing around as an organization, as a team, we needed this win.”

They needed their defense to stop Brady, who had tied the game with a two-minute field goal drive at the end of regulation, at the start of overtime.

“It’s do-or-die right now,” Sheldon Richardson said.

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It was do.

Then, starting from their 20, they needed a field-goal drive. From the New England 41, Mornhinweg called Ground & Pound for Chris Ivory (34 carries, 104 yards), Tommy Bohanon, Ivory again.

“He could see that they were starting to get gassed,’ Colon said. “We have experienced guys upfront that can play, so why not put it on us? He believed in us.”

Folk, who had been 15-for-15 with nothing longer than 48 yards, missed wide left.

“At that moment, the wind was coming into my face, so I told myself I got to drive it a little more. I drove it just about a half-inch too high on the ball. I just hit it too high, and the wind kind of beat it up a little bit too.”

Flag.

“About halfway through, I saw the flag go up,” Folk said.

Ryan, on the sidelines: “Oh please be on them, please be on them, please be on them.”

God wearing green.

“I didn’t know what it was for right away,” Folk said, “but as soon as I saw ’em conferencing, I knew it was for either a push or a leverage. … It’s a good new rule, and they just end up breaking the rule.”

It is Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3, and a rookie named Chris Jones broke it.

Referee Jerome Boger: “A teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponents’ formation.”

Jones: “I made that mistake and I should’ve been more aware. … Just trying to get that extra oomph in the middle to get there.”

Unsportsmanlike conduct, 15 yards. There were 13 plays on the drive, and 12 were runs, and Smith wasn’t passing here, and Folk’s 42-yard game-winner had euphoric Jets dreaming of a division title.

“I know we have what it takes to do something great,” Ryan said.

To his credit, Smith had rebounded from a 79-yard pick-six by Logan Ryan late in the first quarter. Smith was mostly money on third downs, developed a telepathy with Jeremy Kerley, and used his legs at a most opportune time.

Antonio Allen had darted in front of Rob Gronkowski and made it Patriots 21, Jets 17 with a 23-yard pick-six of Brady. Now it was third-and-14 at the Belichick 24. Smith decided it would be a good idea to take off with the ball. Good idea. He raced around left end and as he neared the sideline and the first-down marker, reached for the first down with the ball. First down.

Now it was second-and-goal from the 8, and Smith dashed around right end and juked inside Marquice Cole and it was Jets 24, Patriots 21.

“How Bout Them Jets, huh?” Richardson said.

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Allen’s pick-6 energizes Jets (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/allens-pick-6-energizes-jets/

Daily Clips Cont.

32 | P a g e

The Jets defense was starved for a turnover. Not just Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the rival Patriots, who looked like they were about to pull away from the Jets and leave them too far behind in the AFC East standings. But for the season.

The Jets defense, head coach Rex Ryan’s baby, came into the game having forced all of three turnovers in six games. That’s unacceptable for a defense that considers itself among the best in the league.

But you can now make the argument the dramatic pick-six made by Jets safety Antonio Allen — his first career interception — at the start of the third quarter Sunday might have turned the season around.

It surely turned Sunday’s game around, totally igniting what became a 30-27 Jets overtime upset win over the Patriots.

The Patriots were leading 21-10 at the half, the Jets’ offense had been sputtering after a quick start and New England got the ball first to start the third quarter. It did not look great for the Jets.

Not until, on the Patriots second play from scrimmage on the opening possession of the half Allen jumped the out route of tight end Rob Gronkowski, picked off Tom Brady’s pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown to cut the New England lead to 21-17 and inject life into the lifeless Jets.

“That gave us a big spark,’’ Jets safety Dawan Landry said. “After that, we were hunting.’’

The play changed the tenor of the game, awoke the Jets slumping offense and ignited their defense.

“The guy’s a football player,’’ Ryan said of Allen. “He’s a baller. He has playmaking skills. He’s a guy that has a long body. He was a linebacker at South Carolina. We knew he’d be challenged. That kid [Gronkowski], when he’s covered he’s open. We had to go with length on him and that’s why we made the move.’’

It was the most critical strategic move the Jets made during the week of practice leading up to the game, because Allen is the best cover safety the Jets have and he has the size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) to at least not be dwarfed by the 6-6, 265-pound Gronkowski.

“He’s a tall, rangy safety who can cover the slot — one of the best cover guys we got,’’ Landry said. “He had that task today and he was up for it.’’

Gronkowski, who was playing in his first game this season after returning from an arm injury, finished with eight catches for 114 yards, but it was a relatively quiet day because he was targeted 17 times and did not get into the end zone.

“I just had to be physical with him at the line of scrimmage, put my hands on him,’’ Allen said. “He’s a great tight end who catches a lot of balls in the red zone. We just did a good job on him.’’

There was nearly one slip-up in the fourth quarter when the Patriots were driving for the game-tying field goal and Gronkowski nearly hauled in a high Brady pass with one hand. Had he caught it, he would have scored the go-ahead touchdown and there might not have been an overtime.

“Oh man, I broke on the ball and just misjudged it,’’ Allen said. “I was scared, but he dropped it, so I was relieved.’’

Allen credited film study for the game-turning pick-six.

“The [Patriots] have been running little quick out routes in a certain look, so I just jumped the route, came up with the pick and gave us a spark,’’ Allen said. “Man, we just knew we needed a turnover. We’ve been trying to get one and we knew we had to force a turnover to win the game.’’

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Daily Clips Cont.

33 | P a g e

Jets’ Geno, Kerley on target (Brian Costello) New York Post October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/jets-geno-kerley-on-target/

The Jets game plan looked pretty simple on third down — throw it to Jeremy Kerley.

The receiver had six third-down conversions on Sunday, including the first three of the game. He and quarterback Geno Smith had a nice chemistry all game. He finished with a career-high eight receptions for 97 receiving yards and a touchdown.

“Jeremy just was finding ways to get open,” Smith said. “That’s something he has a knack for. “I believe he’s a really good slot [receiver] and he always finds ways to get open. He makes yards after the catch and he’s one of those guys that you can depend on.”

Kerley now leads the team in receptions (24) and receiving yards (319). Kerley had three third-down conversions on the Jets first drive, the final one was a 12-yard touchdown.

The Jets wide receivers have taken a lot of criticism, but Kerley is a constant. The Jets missed him during the first meeting with the Patriots, which he missed with a concussion.

“Being down Santonio Holmes, we get a lot of discredit for what we do out there,” Kerley said. “We’ve got guys who are putting it out on the practice field every day and when you put it out on the practice field it shows up on the game field.’’

***

The Jets defense got to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the second half. Brady was 11-of-28 for 126 yards with an interception and a quarterback rating of 38.7 after halftime. They sacked him three times and returned the one interception for a touchdown. This was the first time since the first game of 2009 that Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass against the Jets.

****

The Jets’ 52 rushing attempts were their highest since Jan. 3, 2010 when they had 57 against the Bengals. The 46:13 in time of possession is the highest since Nov. 14, 2010 when they held the ball for 47:08 against the Browns.

****

Rex Ryan has 42 wins as Jets coach, including postseason, moving him into sole possession of third place in team history. Joe Walton is second with 54. … WR David Nelson had four catches for 80 yards in his third game as a Jet. … S Antonio Allen said he injured his right shin, but he returned to the game. … DE Muhammad Wilkerson now has six sacks. … K Nick Folk has three game-winning field goals this season.

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Patriots rookie learns rules the hard way (Zach Braziller) New York Post October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/patriots-rookie-learns-rules-the-hard-way/

Preseason games don’t matter, but visits from league officials do.

Especially when new rules are being discussed. The Patriots will pay more attention next time. They left MetLife Stadium losers Sunday in part because of a new rule with which they weren’t familiar enough.

Daily Clips Cont.

34 | P a g e

With 7:11 left in overtime, Jets kicker Nick Folk attempted a 56-yard field goal. It sailed wide left, seemingly setting up the Patriots with perfect field position to further pad their AFC East lead.

Except, there was a flag on the field and soon Chris Jones would realize why. The Patriots rookie defensive tackle was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty for pushing teammate Will Svitek forward in an attempt to block the kick, breaking a new rule that prohibits such an action.

“Just trying to get that extra [push] in the middle to get up there,” he said. “I was confused at first. I didn’t know what was going on. I figured out what it was, and I like, ‘Oh, that’s my fault.’ ”

Three players later, Folk drilled a 42-yard try, sending the Jets to a dramatic 30-27 overtime victory and fitting Jones for goat horns.

A sixth-round pick out of Bowling Green, Jones was picked up by the Patriots off waivers Sept. 11 after stints with the Texans, who drafted him, and Buccaneers. He said during training camp the new rule was discussed, but it slipped his mind during the game-turning play. It was adopted this year as Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3, subsection (b)(2), and states the defensive team on a kick from scrimmage “cannot push teammates on the line of scrimmage into the offensive formation.” It was the first time the penalty was enforced this year.

“I made that mistake and I should’ve been more aware,” said Jones, a force otherwise with 10 tackles, three for losses, and two sacks. “It was just something I decided to do. I was trying to block the field goal.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t even have a firm grasp on the rule, saying he disagreed with the call because, “We weren’t on the second level when they pushed him, no.”

What level the pushing takes place doesn’t factor into the penalty, however. Jones took ownership of his costly mistake.

“I put it on my shoulders,” he said. “It was all my fault. It was no one else.”

In an interview with a pool reporter, referee Jerome Boger said the unsportsmanlike penalty was called on Jones for pushing his teammate into the formation. The rule, Boger said, is any kind of push, “any type of pushing action.”

“The umpire’s flag went up almost instantaneously as he observed the action,” Boger said. “We just enforced it as he called it.”

The call will certainly bring extra attention to the rule. Patriots defensive lineman Rob Ninkovich was under the impression it negated linebackers from pushing linemen into the line, but was unaware linemen couldn’t push other linemen.

“If two guys are together, one gets knocked over, both pushing, it’s not like controlled in there,” he said. “It’s very chaotic.”

He didn’t like the flag, obviously.

“It’s a tough call to make, tough call to live with, but that’s the way football is,” Ninkovich said. “You battle, he missed the field goal on top of that, they move [them] up [15] yards, but what can we do? We play hard, whatever they call, you live with. You get held, you get scratched, there’s calls that you don’t get and calls that you do. You got to go out there and play hard.”

“Whatever happens, happens. You hope they make the correct decisions.”

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Daily Clips Cont.

35 | P a g e

Gronk has big first game back with Patriots (Zach Braziller) New York Post October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/gronk-has-big-first-game-back-with-patriots/

If this was rust, the Patriots offense just got much scarier.

Frightening, even.

The much-anticipated return of Rob Gronkowski from a broken forearm and back surgery became a side note in the Jets’ wild 30-27, overtime victory over the Patriots on Sunday, but the Pro Bowl tight end made a remarkable impact considering it was his first game since last January.

The gifted 6-foot-6 Gronkowski made an immediate difference: two catches on the Patriots first drive, eight catches altogether — one fewer reception than Patriots tight ends had managed in the team’s first six games — for 114 yards.

“He played his butt off,” Tom Brady said.

The 24-year-old Gronkowski, playing with a large protective brace on his left arm, was last in action in the Patriots’ division round playoff game against the Texans last season. In that game, he broke his left forearm after originally suffering the same injury in Week 11 of the regular season. He needed two separate offseason surgeries on the forearm to clean out an infection and repair the new break. He also underwent a procedure on his back in June.

Despite practicing the last five weeks, Gronkowski didn’t play in a game until he was finally cleared for action by Dr. Jesse Jupiter and Dr. James Andrews in time for the Jets game.

“I felt good, I felt just like normal, being back there with my teammates and rolling,” he said.

Even when Gronkowski wasn’t producing first downs, he was helping Brady and the Patriots. Receiver Julian Edelman saw fewer double teams and New England’s two first-half rushing touchdowns came with the Jets focused on the big and fast tight end.

“He’s one of the best players in the NFL,” Brady said. “You saw what he does today. It’s his first game back.”

The chemistry between the two wasn’t perfect. On one pass into the end zone, Gronkowski was late turning his head and never picked up the ball. Brady was also targeting him when Antonio Allen intercepted Brady’s pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.

Gronkowski pointed to several other plays he left out on the field, plays Gronkowski said he has to make.

One stood out in particular, on the final drive of regulation when the Patriots forced overtime with a 44-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal. Gronkowski got behind the Jets secondary and nearly hauled in a high Brady pass with his left hand at the Jets 12-yard-line, a play that could have enabled the Patriots to go in for the game-winning touchdown.

“I’m still mad at myself about that,” he said. “I had it, I brought it in and I dropped it. … Personally, I got to come down with some of those plays.”

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Flags to riches! New rule helps Jets shock Patriots (Brian Costello) New York Post

Daily Clips Cont.

36 | P a g e

October 20, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/20/new-rule-helps-jets-beat-patriots/

The Jets handed out green towels to the fans at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, but the most important colored fabric in the stadium was the yellow penalty flag thrown by the umpire in overtime.

The Patriots were flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when rookie Chris Jones pushed teammate Will Svitiek on a 56-yard field goal attempt by the Jets’ Nick Folk that sailed wide left. The penalty gave the Jets 15 yards and new life, and Folk booted a 42-yard game-winner four plays later to give the Jets an improbable 30-27 win over their division rivals.

“I was like, ‘You know what, it’s about time we got a break,’ ” Jets coach Rex Ryan said about his thoughts when the flag was thrown. “That’s really what I was thinking. It just worked out.”

It was the end of a wild game that featured a pick-six by each quarterback, four lead changes and the Patriots going 1-for-12 on third down.

When umpire Tony Michalek threw the flag on Folk’s miss, it threw the game into the surreal category. It was the first time the rule, which is new this season, had been enforced. The rule is simple: Teammates cannot give each other a shove into the kicking team’s formation on kicks anymore.

“Any push,” referee Jerome Boger explained to a pool reporter. “It could be with the body, not necessarily with the hand, but with the body into his teammate, into the formation. It’s any type of pushing action.”

The flag will draw the headlines, but it should not detract from a strong effort from the Jets, who ended a five-game losing streak against the Patriots. Geno Smith overcame an early pick-six to play well and the Jets’ defense got to Tom Brady often from late in the first half on.

Ryan made his team believe Saturday night, telling the players he was proud of them and they could win this game.

“We’ve got every opportunity to win the game,” defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said of Ryan’s message. “We feel like we’re better than the Patriots. That was that. We just have to go out and prove it and we did.”

Asked if the Jets believe they are better than New England, Richardson nodded and said, “Yeah.”

The Jets (4-3) are now one game behind the Patriots (5-2) in the AFC East. They needed the win Sunday to keep things close in the division, particularly with tough games against the Bengals and Saints up next.

The Patriots held a 21-10 lead at halftime, with Brady slicing through the Jets defense a couple of times and Smith getting picked off by Logan Ryan, who returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.

But the momentum shifted at the half.

Quinton Coples sacked Brady on the first play of the second half and caused him to fumble. On second-and-16, Brady threw toward tight end Rob Gronkowski, who made his season debut, but Jets safety Antonio Allen cut under Gronkowski, intercepted the ball and took it 23 yards for a touchdown, cutting the score to 21-17.

“We told the DBs if you knock off his first two routes we have him,” Richardson said. “They did something even better. They came up with a play. The enthusiasm went through the roof. It went through the whole team.”

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37 | P a g e

The Patriots punted on their next three possessions and the defense took Brady out of his rhythm. He finished 22-of-46 for 228 yards with no touchdowns and the one interception.

With the momentum on the Jets’ side, Smith led the Jets down the field midway through the third quarter. He scrambled on third-and-14 for a first down to get the Jets to the 10 and then scored on another scramble from 8 yards out two plays later to give the Jets a 24-21 lead.

“Every single win is big,” said Smith, who finished 17-of-33 for 233 yards with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and the interception. “My progress is judged by my decision-making and the way I improve in that area. That comes with patience. … But I think I’ve improved steadily from week to week.”

The teams traded field goals and then the Patriots drove 66 yards at the end of regulation but could not reach the end zone. Gronkowski nearly made a one-handed grab that would have probably been a touchdown, but he dropped it. Stephen Gostkowski’s 44-yard field goal sent the game to overtime where the Jets defense stopped the Patriots on the first drive to set up the game-winning drive.

Chris Ivory led the way on that winning drive, rushing nine times. He had 34 carries for 104 yards in the game.

“We knew this was a big game,” wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who had 97 receiving yards, said. “All the guys in the locker room had a chip on our shoulders. We wanted to come out and prove a point. We wanted to prove that we are in this division, too, and we want to win this division. That was the point we wanted to prove. I hope this sent a message that we’re a real contender and we have guys here that are elite just like they do and we’re a force to be reckoned with.’’

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NFL’s Web site adds to rule chaos (Zach Braziller & Brian Costello) New York Post October 21, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/10/21/nfls-web-site-adds-to-rule-chaos/

After the Jets’ 30-27 overtime victory over the Patriots on Sunday was aided by the application of a new rule that penalizes defensive players for pushing teammates into the line of scrimmage on field goal attempts, confusion over the exact rule arose.

It began when New England coach Bill Belichick said the call — a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on rookie defensive tackle Chris Jones that set up Nick Folk’s 42-yard field goal after he missed a 56-yard try — was incorrect because the pushing didn’t come from the second level, referring to anyone not on the line of scrimmage.

Conspiracy theorists were further fueled by a story posted on the league’s official Web site, NFL.com, in September that incorrectly stated that rule applies only to pushing from the second level. In a video that accompanied the story, vice president of officiating Dean Blandino refers to the “second level” in explaining the new rule. Not to mention, the article on NFL.com was changed Sunday night, according to Tom Curran of CSN New England.

However, Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3, subsection (b)(2) in the NFL rule book states the defensive team on a kick from scrimmage “cannot push teammates on the line of scrimmage into the offensive formation.” In the initial proposal, the rule change was that players not on the line scrimmage cannot push players on the line of scrimmage, a source said, but after the Competition Committee discussed it further, the rule was amended to include all players, not just those on the second level.

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A source said the NFL.com video, made at the time of the initial proposals, was never sent to teams, and all of the videos illustrating the new rules went to the league’s teams were accurate.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

No more doubts: Geno Smith is NY Jets quarterback of the future - and present (Filip Bondy) New York Daily News October 20, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/bondy-hey-jets-quarterback-article-1.1491334#ixzz2iLoD9f8O

There was a moment in the third quarter along the left sideline when Geno Smith was smacked hard by cornerback Marquice Cole, when he might have gone down or probably should have given himself up

even before he was hit. Instead, Smith fought through the tackle, gained the full 14 yards and a first down.

“I was thinking, ‘Should I dive? Should I cut back?’ ” Smith said. “The guy made a pretty good hit, but I didn’t go down.”

He stretched out, reached the marker. Two plays later, Smith was at it again, this time juking Cole out of his cleats on a scramble for an eight-yard touchdown. The whole place erupted in a “Gee-no” chant, and right then it was clear: If you were at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, or wherever it was you were watching this poised performance, then you knew with certainty, for the first time really, that here was the Jets’ quarterback of the future.

Smith has had good and bad games this season, giving and taking, first reassuring and then worrying Jet fans. But after what he did against the Patriots, outplaying Tom Brady in this 30-27 overtime victory, there can be no doubt about him any longer.

Smith is the man, no longer by default. The quarterbacks coach, David Lee, had told him he would have to make exactly two plays with his legs in order for the Jets to win. Smith called Lee “psychic,” while Rex Ryan was just happy Smith had the composure and nerve to do the right thing.

“Most young quarterbacks are gonna force the issue (and pass),” Ryan said. “He tucked the ball.”

Smith tucked the ball when necessary, made the big plays with his arm when he could. He got plenty of rushing help from Chris Ivory and a balanced offense, but he also threw a pretty touchdown pass and completed 17 of 33 for 233 yards – five more yards than Brady. He did this despite committing early the ultimate sin for a quarterback, a pick six deep in New England territory that represented a 10 or 14-point swing on the scoreboard.

“Every single quarterback makes those kind of mistakes,” Smith said, reminded that Brady made one too. “It has nothing to do with age. The main thing is not to let it affect you. To move on.”

Nobody is kidding anyone about this almost random victory, decided on a marginal pushing penalty after the Jets had played oddly cautious football to set up a 56-yard field goal attempt in overtime. The Jets and Pats played to a draw, essentially, until Pat rookie Chris Jones was called for a butt push, of all things. Yet there was no ambiguity in what Smith did out there, recovering from an early pick six against Brady and New England, leading the Jets to the kind of third-quarter turnaround that hasn’t been seen around here for some time.

Daily Clips Cont.

39 | P a g e

If only the entire season – better yet, the entire history of this Jet franchise – could be as perfectly choreographed as that third quarter on Sunday. For 15 beatific minutes, it was Jets 17, Patriots 0. Here were the Jets, at long last, fulfilling every morsel of potential, demonstrating heart, grit and execution. Smith was Fran Tarkenton, befuddling the Patriot defense with risky dashes and zippy passes. Brady, feeling the pressure, threw his pick six and appeared lost at sea.

It was truly a remarkable span; Rex Ryan’s clipboard had come directly to life. Smith wasn’t just running the offense by rote, either. He demonstrated maturity with his decisions and with his aim, making life easier for receivers with passes that were purposefully low and placed out of danger.

It all worked. Now, instead of falling out of the division race, the Jets are 4-3 with a winnable schedule that should allow them, at the very least, to challenge for the second AFC wild-card spot right to the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Jet fans know what they saw in that third quarter on Sunday was more than a flicker of hope.

“Gee-no,” they chanted. They hadn’t given up on Smith after the interception, and Smith certainly hadn’t surrendered, either. His quarterback rating was only 71.9 in this claustrophobic game, but it was more than 18 points higher than Brady’s.

“I’m never gonna crumble, no matter what happens,” Smith said. “It’s not in me.”

Smith beat the Pats. Sanchez did that, too. Not like this, though with a laser arm and a pair of legs that kept churning to the marker.

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Patriots’ Chris Jones is MVP for NY Jets as penalty gives Gang Green second chance in overtime win (Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 20, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/takes-jets-2nd-shot-ot-beat-pats-article-1.1491109#ixzz2iLnTAFTF

Yellow is the new green.

Twice this season at MetLife Stadium, a fortuitous flag thrown at the end of the game has led to a Jets victory. The Jets beat Darrelle Revis and the Bucs on an obvious personal foul in Week 1, but the penalty that lifted the Jets to Sunday’s 30-27 overtime win over the archrival Patriots was more obscure than the Tuck Rule.

The flag thrown at Patriots DT Chris Jones on what turned out to be a missed 56-yard field goal attempt gave the Jets another shot and Nick Folk didn’t miss from 42 yards. In the victory that launched Gang Green back into relevancy, Geno Smith was good enough, and the defense made plays, but it was Jones who gave the Jets another chance.

It was a win that followed five consecutive Jet losses to the Patriots, with Rex Ryan getting the best of Bill Belichick for the first time since the 2010 playoffs.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” said a fired-up Ryan after the game.

“That’s the team you chase,” Ryan said. “That’s the team we’ve always chased. You get tired of looking up at ’em, but at the end of the day, they’ve earned that.

“We just found a way.”

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40 | P a g e

They found a way, but it came with a big assist from Jones. As Nick Folk attempted what could have been a game-winning 56-yard field goal in overtime, Jones pushed a teammate toward the Jets line on the block attempt, drawing a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. Folk missed the field goal, but the penalty kept the Jets alive.

It was the first time the new rule — Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3, subsection (b) (2), which penalizes a player for pushing from the second level of the defense — was ever enforced in an NFL game. The call was reminiscent of the obscure Tuck Rule, which saved the Pats in the 2001 playoffs and launched their dynasty.

“Well I was fairly happy about it,” Ryan said wryly about the flag. “I saw it right away but I was like, ‘please be on them, please be on them, please be on them.’”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick argued the flag, claiming the refs applied the rule incorrectly.

“You can’t push in the second level,” Belichick said. “I didn’t think we did that.”

Folk then turned hero with the winning kick.

The Jets moved just a game behind the Patriots (5-2) in the AFC East, and will split the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Patriots.

“They’re going to keep winning, so we got to make sure we do the same,” said Sheldon Richardson. “(We’ll) probably see them in the playoffs.”

The Jets have had an up-and-down season, alternating between thrilling wins and disappointing losses. The playoffs still feel a long way off for a team that was picked by nearly everyone to finish below .500, but at 4-3 with wins against the Pats and Falcons, they are at least part of the conversation.

“Every season kind of has those crossroads,” said Willie Colon. “This is one of those crossroads games, and we came out on the right side of it.”

The Jets were down 21-10 at halftime, but the game took a turn when Antonio Allen picked off a Tom Brady pass intended for Rob Gronkowski and brought it back 23 yards for a score on the second play of the third quarter. It was one of a number of strong plays made by Allen while defending the star tight end making his season debut, and the first Jets interception of Brady in 182 pass attempts.

Smith made one very costly error throwing a pick-six to Logan Ryan that at the time put the Patriots up 14-7 with 1:32 left in the first quarter, but the rookie QB was able to recover.

Smith completed 17 of 33 pass attempts for 233 yards, a touchdown, interception and a rushing touchdown.

Smith made some of his best plays with his legs.

In the third quarter, he faced third-and-14 and decided to scramble for the yards, taking on tacklers and lunging for a key first down.

Two plays later, Smith was at it again, first eluding the rush before juking a defender and diving into the end zone for a touchdown that moved the Jets ahead 24-21.

“(Quarterbacks coach David Lee) told Geno before the game: ‘You know what son, you’re going to have to make two plays with your legs that are going to win the game for us,’ ” said Ryan. “I’ll be darned if that didn’t happen.”

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Patriots' Rob Gronkowski returns vs. NY Jets and plays well but misses one big play (Kevin Armstrong)

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41 | P a g e

New York Daily News October 20, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-brady-gronk-connect-ot-article-1.1491386#ixzz2iLn2x9L4

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady welcomed tight end Rob Gronkowski back into the fold Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium by throwing to his favorite target more than twice as many times as he threw to any other receiver. The two could not connect when it mattered most, though, in overtime as the Patriots fell to the Jets, 30-27, in Gronkowski's return.

“He played his butt off,” Brady said.

Gronkowski grabbed eights passes for 114 yards, but was held without a touchdown in his first game back from rehabilitating his forearm following multiple offseason surgeries. His presence offered Brady relief as the Jets contended with Gronkowski’s size and strength. Gronkowski was on the field for 51 of the team's 79 offensive snaps after missing the first six games.

“Everything went good, I’m feeling good and just got to keep working hard every week, got to keep on improving every week,” he said. “(I’ve) got lots to improve on and can keep on getting better every week."

Gronkowski wore a brace over his forearm, and insisted he felt comfortable from the first play on.

“I was in there (for) a lot of blocking plays and it was just really after the first play,” he said. “I mean, after the first time you get tackled, after the first blocking play, after basically the first play and it felt good, it felt just like normal, being back out there with the teammates and rolling.”

Whether or not he caught the balls thrown his way, Gronkowski was at the center of several crucial plays. Paired against Jets safety Antonio Allen for a large part of the day, Gronkowsk hauled in one pass for 30 yards and was also the receiver Brady tried to throw to when he was intercepted by Allen for a touchdown.

Gronkowski lost one ball in the sun that could have been a touchdown down the stretch and failed to bring in one pass that he got his hands on over the middle. He expressed frustration at not being able to secure the catch.

“Still mad at myself about that,” he said. “I had it, I brought it in and I dropped it.”

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Chris Ivory reignites NY Jets ground game against Patriots (Seth Walder) New York Daily News October 20, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-marty-land-attack-chews-patriots-article-1.1491320#ixzz2iLmhnuby

Earlier this week, Chris Ivory called for the Jets to run the ball more. On Sunday, he got his wish. The Jets ran 52 times in their 30-27 overtime victory over the Patriots. Ivory had 34 rushes on his own, while the team threw only 33 times. It’s a stark departure from the usual Marty Mornhinweg pass-first scheme.

“I’m a little worried about our offensive coordinator because all he wants to do is run the football,” Rex Ryan said. “We had 52 rushing attempts. That’s what I’m talking about.”

Ivory rode his 34 carries to 104 yards, including 10 rushes for 24 yards on the game-winning drive.

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“I think he has confidence in me,” Ivory said of Mornhinweg. “If he didn’t, I don’t think he would have ran like we did.”

The Jets appeared to be helped by the absence of injured Patriots Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo. Ivory, however, said that wasn’t a factor.

“I don’t think it mattered,” he said. “I don’t think it mattered who was in the game.”

KERLEY GRABS SPOTLIGHT

With former Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet on hand, wideout Jeremy Kerley, a former fifth-round pick who stands 5-foot-9, did his best impression as the dependable, undersized target. He started the scoring when he caught a 12-yard pass from Geno Smith in the first quarter.

He also converted six third downs with his catches. He finished with eight balls for 97 yards. “He always finds ways to get open,” Smith said.

Kerley was coming off his least productive game of the season. He was limited to 19 yards against the Steelers in last week’s loss, but he made an early impression against the Patriots, separating himself from defenders and allowing Smith to deliver passes his way.

OFF-TARGET TOM

Rookie luck? Patriots wideout Aaron Dobson blew past Jets rookie Dee Milliner in the fourth quarter and was open, but Tom Brady overthrew him on the game’s last drive in regulation.

Milliner, who was benched against the Patriots in Week 2, returned to the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury. . . . Not since Carl Lewis serenaded the Meadowlands for a Nets game had there been a national anthem as poor as Sunday’s.Kate Rockwell and Tommy Kessler, from the musical “Rock of Ages,” performed.

Rockwell’s voice was fine, but Kessler’s guitar was grating to many in the stands. — With Kevin Armstrong

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NY Jets take pride in proving doubters all wrong (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News October 20, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-step-laugh-article-1.1491337#ixzz2iLm0XTr7

The script was written and the outcome plain to see: The Jets would be buried during a treacherous three-game stretch against divisional leaders. Rex Ryan’s seat would be baking. Thanks for playing, guys. Here are your parting gifts.

The craziest part of it all, of course, is that nobody considered the alternate storyline. What if…? .

No way. Couldn’t happen.

The critics (see: me) may have written off Ryan’s team before the season, but that hardly matters anymore. The Jets aren’t disappearing anytime soon after a gotta-have-it 30-27 overtime victory over the Patriots on Sunday that put them within one game of the AFC East lead nearing the midpoint of the season.

Ryan may have been prone to hyperbole in the past, but it’s impossible to deny that his Jets couldn’t care less about external expectations. At 4-3, why should they?

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“They don’t listen to the noise out there,” Ryan said. “They don’t stop believing. Period. Outside people have no idea about this group. I’m just telling you: I know it’s special…. We got what it takes, in my opinion, to do something great.”

The Jets have plenty of more hurdles to clear before even entertaining the “P” word, but there were encouraging signs all over the field at MetLife Stadium.

Whether it was a resilient rookie quarterback who suffered amnesia after an early pick-six, a soft-spoken running back craving more touches, a defense that proved to be Kryptonite for the Patriots’ Superman in the second half or some good fortune at the end, these Jets looked every bit like a team that shouldn’t be summarily dismissed after toppling the team they love to hate.

“That’s the team we’ve always chased,” Ryan said of the Patriots, who fell to 5-2. “You’re tired of looking up at them. But at the end of the day, they’ve earned that.”

The Jets finally got the best of Tom Brady, who has owned them for the better part of a decade, with five consecutive wins against his division foes. Ryan’s defense came alive in the second half to avenge the Jets’ Week 2 loss in Foxborough. Brady was held to a 53.5 quarterback rating, including an un-Brady-like 11 for 28 with a pick-six after intermission. The Patriots were just 1 for 12 on third downs.

Ryan’s team was tantalizingly close in a 13-10 loss to the Patriots in Week 2. “This time,” Ryan said, “we finished the job.”

“We’ve been in this situation numerous times,” outside linebacker Calvin Pace said. “It was finally time for us to finally get one.”

It wasn’t easy.

Geno Smith’s first-quarter pick-six helped put the Jets in a 21-10 halftime hole, before Ryan’s defense flipped the script in the third quarter. Antonio Allen’s pick-six drew the Jets to within one score and set the tone for a dominating defensive effort that held Brady & Co. to just two field goals in eight possessions after halftime.

Chris Ivory grinded out 104 yards on 34 carries to help Ryan’s team hold a nearly 23-minute time of possession edge. The Jets caught a break on Patriots rookie Chris Jones’ unsportsmanlike penalty in OT that erased Nick Folk’s missed 56-yard field goal.

Folk’s game-winning 42-yarder kept the Jets in the AFC East hunt with division leaders Cincinnati and New Orleans on the horizon before their Week 10 bye. The next step: Winning two in a row for the first time this season.

“Every season has a crossroads,” right guard Willie Colon said. “There’s a fork in the road. This was that type of game. We had to make a decision. If we wanted a chance at the division, we had to have this one.”

It started with Ryan’s message on Saturday night. It was corny and clichéd, but the head coach meant it: He was proud of his team.

“We (felt) like we’re better than the Patriots,” Richardson said. “We just had to go out and prove it. And we did.”

Ryan may have toned down his rhetoric, but his players see the same man behind closed doors. “He’s a guy we rally behind,” Pace said. “We love to play for him. He makes it fun… Our performance today showed that we keep fighting for each other and we fight for him.”

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The Jets changed the storyline by ignoring the critics. “The culture of this locker room is changing,” Colon said.

Ryan’s team has matched the number of victories that many thought it would take 17 weeks to reach. So, has the perception surrounding the Jets changed after Sunday?

“I don’t particularly care,” center Nick Mangold said.

He shouldn’t. None of them should

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New England Patriots Chris Jones' embarrassing penalty loses game vs. NY Jets (Kevin Armstrong) New York Daily News October 20, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/penalty-patriots-butt-joke-article-1.1491343#ixzz2iLlIPcQ5

From the rivalry that previously brought you SpyGate, The Handshake and, most recently, The Butt Fumble, the Patriots and Jets introduced onlookers to a new drama Sunday as The Butt Push debuted at MetLife Stadium.

With the game tied at 27 with 7:14 left in overtime at MetLife Stadium, Jets kicker Nick Folk missed a 56-yard field goal attempt wide left, but a flag was thrown on the play. The penalty — unsportsmanlike conduct — was called on Patriots defensive lineman Chris Jones.

Jones was flagged for pushing a teammate into the Jets’ line, a call that had never been made in an NFL game with the rule just being added for this season.

The Jets moved up 15 yards. Folk was eventually given another try and made a 42-yard field goal for the 30-27 victory.

“New England’s not gonna like the rule right now,” Folk said. “But they broke it.”

Referee Jerome Boger clarified the decision afterward.

“The call was that (Jones) on the defense pushed his teammate into the formation,” Boger said. “That is a rule change for 2013 that a teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponents’ formation.”

Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3, subsection (b) (2) says that the defensive team on a kick from scrimmage “cannot push teammates on the line of scrimmage into the offensive formation.” But Pats coach Bill Belichick disagreed with the application saying, “you can’t push in the second level, but I didn’t think we did that.”

Jones, a 6-foot-2 rookie defensive tackle from Bowling Green, accepted blame. He was confused at first when he saw the call made and maintained that he was looking to rush up the B-gap on the play. He pushed teammate Will Svitek in the process. His intent was to push Svitek forward as the Patriots tried to block the kick.

“It was my fault and nobody else’s,” Jones said. “Just have to man up and fix it.”

Jones enjoyed a productive afternoon up until the flag. He had two sacks and 10 tackles (three for losses).

At first, Jones said he was unaware of the rule, then added that “it skipped out of my mind. Now I know it.”

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He vaguely recalled the rule being reviewed during training camp with the team, and special-teams ace Matthew Slater defended Jones’ mistake.

“It was a tough call,” Slater said. “He’s a great kid. We stand behind him all the way.”

Rex Ryan was ecstatic to receive the benefit of a late call:

“I was like, ‘You know what? It’s about time we got a break.’”

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NEW YORK TIMES

Redemption, and It’s Good, as Jets Foil Patriots (Ben Shpigel) New York Times October 20, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/21/sports/football/given-second-chance-jets-earn-redemption-against-patriots.html?ref=football&_r=0

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — When it was over, the Jets scurried off the field. They dashed through the tunnel, slapping hands with jubilant fans above, toward their locker room, toward relevance and respect and the promise of excitement still to come.

New England Coach Bill Belichick arguing the penalty Sunday. The Jets ended their five-game losing streak against the Patriots.

Too many times the Jets had endured the New England Patriots’ ruining their day, their week, their season. It happened twice last year. Twice more the year before that. The frustration does not dissipate. It accumulates.

So after yet another game-winning field goal from Nick Folk on Sunday clinched yet another exhilarating victory for what could be the luckiest team in the N.F.L., by 30-27 in overtime at MetLife Stadium, the Jets did not linger long to celebrate. Perhaps after five consecutive losses to their fiercest rival, they were leery that victory would be snatched from them.

“We finally finished,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “It was finally time for us to finally get one.”

The Jets savored it all, one body part at a time. They praised Folk’s right foot, which, after a contentious penalty against New England, drilled the decisive 42-yarder with 5 minutes 7 seconds left in overtime; and Geno Smith’s legs, which churned on two electrifying scrambles, including the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter; and Antonio Allen’s hands, which corralled Tom Brady’s first pass of the second half and, 23 yards later, smacked the pylon in the end zone for the touchdown that kindled their defensive revival.

The Jets savored it all, one meaningful statistic at a time. They cherished holding New England to 1 for 12 on third downs and Brady to a meager 53.8 passer rating. They relished the eight passes caught by Jeremy Kerley, seven for first downs, and the 104 rushing yards (on 34 carries) gained by Chris Ivory, whose helmet, dinged and scuffed with black, bore the scars of his bruising running style.

This number meant something, too: four. That is how many of their victories — that is to say, all — have come when they have been trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. There have been no minor dips or surges for the Jets in this season of extremes. Their performance through seven games resembles the polygraph of a suspect caught in a lie.

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Underestimate — or overrate — them at your peril, as the next phase of a treacherous schedule looms: at A.F.C. North-leading Cincinnati, then home to N.F.C. South-leading New Orleans. Yet here they are, almost halfway through what was projected as a transitional season, only a game behind first-place New England (5-2) in the A.F.C. East.

“We’re not where we have to be, we’re not even close,” Coach Rex Ryan said. “But you know what? We’re going to keep making strides, keep making strides, and who knows what happens at the end of the day?”

At the end of Sunday, there was euphoria on one sideline and disappointment on the other, but confusion all around. The Jets had fended off the Patriots for 60 minutes of regulation and outplayed them for the final 30, overcoming a 21-10 deficit at halftime before allowing two fourth-quarter field goals by Stephen Gostkowski, including the tying 44-yarder with 16 seconds remaining.

From afar the Jets had watched all this before, watched Brady in the fourth quarter and overtime, watched him carve up opposing defenses and engineer comebacks and lead New England to victory after victory. But now they were watching it on their home field.

In overtime, the Jets forced a punt and soon were in field-goal range, if on the outskirts for Folk, who had made his previous 15 attempts before lining up for a 56-yarder. The kick hooked left, but the umpire, Tony Michalek, threw a flag almost immediately.

“I think I heard the whole stadium say, ‘Please be on them, please be on them,’ ” Ryan said.

Luck is a precious commodity in the N.F.L. The Jets seem to traffic in it. In Week 1, they benefited from an inexplicable blunder, a late hit on Smith, to defeat Tampa Bay. This time, it was another personal foul, another 15 yards gifted to them, on a penalty in its first year of existence, which had never been called before: Chris Jones, a defensive tackle, pushed a teammate into the Jets’ formation.

“I was fairly happy about it,” Ryan deadpanned.

Not once last week did Ryan play down his desire to win Sunday. As if to inculcate the importance, he ordered his charges to abstain from any chores or household duties, lest those tasks interfere with their preparation. He even offered to write the football equivalent of a doctor’s note.

Ryan, like his defensive players, scoffed at the suggestion that they had little influence on Brady’s subpar effort in the teams’ first meeting, a 13-10 victory on Sept. 12. On Sunday, they held Brady to 22-for-46 passing — below 50 percent for the second straight time — and 228 yards, a performance that paled, in the second half certainly, to that of Smith, who overcame a first-quarter interception returned for a score to finish 17 for 33 for 233 yards and a touchdown.

Trailing by 21-10 at halftime, the Jets adjusted. Their coaches expedited the calls, allowing the defense to play faster. They generated pressure on Brady, all from their monstrous front seven.

“It’s hard blocking us for four quarters,” defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said. “Just throwing it out there.”

Brady looked addled, discombobulated. He looked the opposite of Smith, whose play may fluctuate from week to week, but whose demeanor does not. Adversity seems to slide off him like rain from a poncho. His two signature moments came within a three-play span of the third quarter. First, on third-and-14 at the New England 24, he finished a 14-yard scramble by bouncing off Marquise Cole before falling forward to gain the first down. Then, flushed right, he zipped past Cole, who tried tackling Smith’s ghost as he rumbled into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown, putting the Jets ahead, 24-21.

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The fans roared, and the noise intensified with each defensive stand, with each punishing run by Ivory, until Folk inflicted the same misery on New England that the Jets had absorbed for the last three years. “For so long, they’ve ran the A.F.C. East — I mean, they’ve been kings,” guard Willie Colon said. “For us to kind of turn this thing around as an organization, and as a team, we needed this one.”

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

A First-of-Its-Kind Flag Leads to a Win for the Jets Over Patriots (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal October 20, 2013

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303448104579147942900028968

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—The illusion was coming to an end. Nick Folk's 56-yard field-goal attempt in overtime was tumbling to the left of the goal posts, and New England quarterback Tom Brady wouldn't have far to go for the game-winning drive.

For an instant, it looked like the Jets had squandered their best impersonation of the Patriots. They ran clever plays to get receivers open for quarterback Geno Smith, who improvised when needed to get first downs. The Patriots had looked like, well, the Jets, dropping passes and committing fouls.

But then, before Folk's kick even landed, an official threw a yellow flag from behind the defensive line. It was another Patriots penalty. It was another chance for Folk.

The kicker made the 42-yard attempt to give the Jets a 30-27 win and sustain their turbulent, fun season, in which they have alternated exhilarating wins with ham-fisted losses. Just a week ago, the Jets flatlined against the previously winless Steelers. Now, after a win against division-leading New England, New York is 4-3 and stands one game behind the Patriots (5-2) in the AFC East standings.

"That's what I'm talking about," said Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who makes no secret of his desire to beat the Patriots every year. "This is a big victory and keeps us alive."

The Jets might be the league's luckiest team.

A questionable last-minute penalty set up their game-winning field goal in the season opener against Tampa Bay, and another helped on Sunday. Against New England, the Jets benefited from a foul that the league began enforcing only this season. It prohibits a defender from giving a teammate an extra boost during an attempt to block a kick by pushing him from behind. New England rookie defensive tackle Chris Jones broke the rule, which was designed to protect blockers on the kicking team.

Ryan said he saw the flag right away, and that his only thought was: "Please be on them. Please be on them. Please be on them."

Still, the Jets on Sunday looked like a squad that could beat any NFL team thanks to their defense. Powered by a number of precocious pass-rushing linemen and linebackers, they forced the Patriots to convert just one of 13 third-down attempts and held them to six second-half points. They sacked Brady four times. The three-time Super Bowl winner completed fewer than half his passes, 22 of 46, with no touchdowns.

The defense also saved Smith, the Jets' rookie quarterback, from having to dwell on another costly mistake. After he and Brady traded smoothly orchestrated touchdown drives to begin the game, Smith was on the brink of completing another one late in the first quarter. After taking a snap at New England's 20 yard line, he fired a pass at wide receiver David Nelson, who was tangled up with Patriots

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cornerback Logan Ryan at the line of scrimmage. Ryan easily stepped in front of the pass, intercepted it and ran untouched for a 79-yard touchdown.

Smith again led the Jets into field-goal range, with Folk converting from 37 yards early in the second quarter. But the Patriots answered with a 17-yard touchdown run by Stevan Ridley to take a 21-10 lead into halftime. Disappointment was settling into MetLife Stadium, especially since the Patriots started the third quarter with the ball.

But on the second play of the second half, Brady tried to squeeze in a pass to Rob Gronkowski, the star 6-foot-6 tight end who, in his season debut, had already caught four passes for 54 yards. Jets safety Antonio Allen, running alongside Gronkowski, stepped in front of the tight end and intercepted the pass. He beat two Patriots down the right sideline and somersaulted over the goal-line pylon for the touchdown.

"We knew we needed a turnover," Allen said. "We did that, got the spark and everybody is on their high horse."

The Jets' defense then forced the Patriots to go three and out on their next two possessions. Midway through the third quarter, Smith finished a touchdown drive with an eight-yard scramble to give the Jets a 24-21 lead. He would finish the 17-of-33 for 233 yards, with one touchdown and the one costly interception. His favorite target was receiver Jeremy Kerley, who had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chris Ivory led a balanced attack on the ground, running for 104 of the Jets' 177 rushing yards.

After the teams traded field goals, putting the Jets up 27-24, Brady led the Patriots to another one with 19 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. He started overtime with the ball, but after a completion to Gronkowski, he threw three straight incompletions and the Pats punted. That gave the ball back to Smith, who has won all four of his NFL games via game-winning fourth-quarter or overtime drives.

This time, he hit his only pass on the final drive. Mostly, he handed off to his running backs, who set up Folk's 56-yard field-goal attempt—and then his 42-yarder. "I wanted the long one to go in," Folk said. "That would have been fun."

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New Rule Bites Pats, Helps Jets Win (Tom Perrotta & Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal October 20, 2013

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303448104579147943687176658

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady didn't know what it was. Defensive lineman Rob Ninkovich wanted to study it further. Coach Bill Belichick didn't think it had actually happened.

New England's Chris Jones, center, was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Nick Folk's field-goal attempt in overtime. Boston Globe/Getty Images

After the Jets beat the Patriots 30-27 on Sunday, New England was still trying to understand the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on rookie defensive tackle Chris Jones in overtime. The foul gave the Jets a first down after Nick Folk missed a 56-yard field-goal attempt. Moments later, Folk nailed a 42-yarder to win the game for the Jets.

There was good reason for confusion: This particular penalty, under new rule 913, had never been called before, according to Mike Pereira, the former vice president for officiating for the NFL, who commented on the rule on Twitter.

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Referee Jerome Boger provided a simple explanation of the rule, which went into effect this season: "A teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponents' formation." It's an attempt by the NFL to protect offensive linemen from the compound force of two defensive players.

"They're trying make the game safer," said Folk, who seemed to be the only player on either team who knew what the flag was for when it was thrown. Otherwise, he said, the center would have "1,200" or "1,300" pounds of defensive linemen charging into him.

Ninkovich, for one, wanted another look at the play. "I would like to see it on tape," he said. "I thought it was for linebackers on top of the linemen, pushing them. If two guys are together and one gets knocked over and they're both pushing trying to get to one spot, it's not like controlled in there. It's very chaotic."

And Belichick disagreed with the call. "You can't push from the second level, but I don't think we did that," he said.

Jones, the man who was called for the push, knew about the rule, but said he had forgotten about it. When the flag flew, he said, he "didn't know what was going on." Then he realized. After the game he sat in the locker room, dejected, still in uniform.

"It just skipped out of my mind," Jones said. "It was my mistake, nobody else's."

He admitted that he had pushed his teammate, tackle Will Svitek, on purpose, a tactic that would have been acceptable before this season. "I was just trying to get that extra push in the middle," he said.

The Patriots, of course, are no strangers to obscure, game-altering rules. They won a 2002 AFC divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders on the famous "tuck rule" call that negated what at the time seemed like a Tom Brady fumble with the Patriots trailing late in the game.

This penalty had smaller consequences, but Jets coach Rex Ryan appreciated it all the same. "I was like, 'You know what? It's about time we got a break,' " he said.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Allen aces assignment vs. Gronk (Matt Ehalt) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29593/allen-aces-assignment-vs-gronk?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Almost every time Rob Gronkowski took the field Sunday, lining up mere feet away from him was Jets safety Antonio Allen. The second-year safety had the unenviable task of shadowing Gronkowski in the tight end's season debut, often times in man-to-man coverage.

"We already know he's going to get the ball. When I heard he's activated I already knew what time it was," Allen said. "Get your feet ready, get hot."

While Gronkowski caught eight passes for 114 yards, Allen's play earned rave reviews from his teammates and coach in the Jets' 30-27 overtime win over the Patriots on Sunday. Gronkowski caught less than half the balls thrown his way, and Allen's interception return for a touchdown on the second play of the second half proved to be the momentum changer in the Jets' upset.

"We have tremendous confidence in him. It showed," safety Dawan Landry said. "All the incompletes they had. You knew Gronk was going to be a feature today and [Allen] did a great job."

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Allen, at 6-foot-1, 210 lbs, gave up five inches and more than 50 pounds to Gronkowski, but the Jets went with him because they liked his length. The Jets used linebackers early to shadow Gronkowski, but they primarily used the second-year safety in their attempt to slow down the tight end.

Gronkowski caught his fair share of balls, but Allen did a good enough job pestering the tight end that only caught eight of the 17 balls thrown his way were hauled in. Allen said the key was to get his hands on Gronkowski and break as soon as he saw the tight end making his move.

"He'll push off from time to time. I tried to absorb it, I guess, and stay on his hip," Allen said. "That's what I was doing all game."

On the second play of the second half, Allen provided the turning point of the game when he intercepted Brady and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown to slice New England's lead to 21-17.

Allen said he recognized the three-by-one formation, seeing what he described as "Yogi," and there would be a hot route. Brady threw behind Gronkowski and Allen took advantage before somersaulting into the end zone. The Jets played better overall after Allen's interception.

"He made a statement by taking it to the house and that was a big momentum changer for us," Jets defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson said.

Allen felt he was due for an interception after failing to bring home two interceptions in the first half.

"I should have got those two but it was unfortunate," Allen said. "I got one so it was good enough."

As Allen's teammates spoke his praises after the game, Allen was very nonchalant after perhaps the best game of his career. The Jets gave him the toughest assignment Sunday, and Allen came through with a very solid performance in the Jets' biggest win of the year.

"I know what type of player I am: play maker," Allen said. "Make plays when the ball is thrown in the air."

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Ivory pounds Patriots in Jets' win (Matt Ehalt) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29608/ivory-pounds-patriots-in-jets-win?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Coming into Sunday's game, the New York Jets liked the matchup of Chris Ivory, a bruising running back, going against the depleted interior of the New England Patriots' defensive line.

A career-high 34 carries and 104 yards later, Ivory certainly made the most of that matchup.

Ivory had his best game as a Jet as they handed off to him repeatedly in the Jets' 30-27 overtime win over the Patriots on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Ivory received the majority of the carries while Bilal Powell, who has been the primary back, had just three touches. Powell has been dealing with a neck injury, but Jets coach Rex Ryan did not make it seem like the injury was the reason for his decrease in carries.

"Bilal only carried three times but Ivory had the hot hand and we fed him," Ryan said. "We rode Ivory a little more than normal, but it was just a good game."

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Ivory, acquired for a fourth-round draft pick in the offseason, had been a disappointment up until Sunday's game as he never had been able to get it going. A hamstring injury caused him to miss a game, and he hadn't topped 52 yards in the first six games of the season. In his previous two games, he rushed a combined eight times for 43 yards, barely seeing the field.

"I'm happy. Even before today I was happy," Ivory said. "I don't think this game had any effect on me to where I say, 'This is what I've been looking for.' I just want to win."

On Sunday, the Jets finally implemented Ivory to resounding success. While he didn't do anything particularly flashy, breaking off a long run of just 17 yards, he was able to consistently pick up small yards. He primarily did his work inside the tackles, as the Patriots were down a pair of defensive tackles. He eventually started working outside the hashes as the game progressed.

"They didn't tell me anything. I just knew I was in the game, and I played my role," Ivory said. "[A lot of carries] helps get in a rhythm and just get more of a feel for the scheme and running lanes."

Ivory's most impressive work came in overtime as the Jets asked him to be their closer, and he delivered. The Jets handed the ball to Ivory nine times and he rushed for 23 yards in overtime.

Ivory had a stretch of four plays in overtime that were particularly important as he put the Jets into New England territory. Starting with a third-and-one at the Jets' 45, Ivory ran for three yards, and then followed it up with runs for eight, three and one to get the Jets to the Patriots' 40.

Ivory's 100-yard game was his first as a Jet and the fourth of his career. It was also his first since 2012.

"I think that's what [offensive coordinator] Marty Mornhinweg wanted to do, had his confidence in me and felt like that's what we needed for the last drive," Ivory said. "Got close enough to field goal range and sealed the game."

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Kerley key in third-down conversions (Matt Ehalt) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29620/kerley-key-in-third-down-conversions?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It became a recurring theme on Sunday.

The New York Jets faced a third down. There was Jeremy Kerley to save the drive.

"Pretty much on third down I see myself as the guy to try to go to," Kerley said. "So I make it a big emphasis on my game to make sure third down I turn it up a notch."

Kerley caught a career-high eight passes for 97 yards and one touchdown in the Jets' 30-27 overtime win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, including six balls on third down. Kerley, who did not play in the first meeting against the Patriots, had his best game of the season against the Jets' bitter rival.

"Definitely I had a chip on my shoulder," Kerley said. "There were a couple of guys I wanted to get after and I'm glad that I could today."

The Jets scored on their opening drive for just the second time this season, and it can be largely attributed to Kerley. The Jets faced three third downs that drive, and Kerley was able to get past the marker to keep the drive alive each time. Each catch went for more than 10 yards.

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On the third conversion of the opening drive, Kerley found his way into the end zone for a 12-yard score to give the Jets a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. He finished the first drive with three catches for 36 yards.

"Jeremy was just finding ways to get open," Jets quarterback Geno Smith said. "That's something that he has a knack for. I believe he's a really good slot (receiver) and he always finds way to get open. He makes yards after the catch and he's one of those guys that you can depend on."

The Jets also received a nice game from recently signed David Nelson, who hauled in four catches for 80 yards, which trailed only Kerley in both categories. He made a nice play in the third quarter to haul in a ball down the field with a defensive back hauled all over him. The 80 yards are the third most in his career.

"David did a great job," Smith said. "First of all, he's a tremendous blocker. I don't think he gets enough credit for that. He did a great job of getting open and finding space today. He was running hard. He made some tough catches in some crucial situations. David helped us out, just as every single man did, and I'm just proud to see that his efforts have paid off."

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Jets are no joke -- just ask the Patriots (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29639/jets-are-no-joke-just-ask-the-patriots?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- You love 'em. You hate 'em. You love 'em

They're your 2013 New York Jets, maddeningly inconsistent but lovably relentless. Week to week, this team is harder to predict than Miley Cyrus. Sometimes, they behave as immaturely as the so-called star, but they've overcome their growing pains and obvious deficiencies to bring you this:

A meaningful season.

The Jets saved the New York football season Sunday at MetLife Stadium, where they overcame an 11-point deficit, turned Tom Brady into a pedestrian quarterback (yes, again) and de-Gronked the New England Patriots in overtime 30-27.

Sure, they benefited from Lavonte David 2.0 -- a wacky, last-second penalty to set up a Nick Folk game winner -- but the fortuitous finish doesn't diminish what happened over the first 70 minutes. The Jets beat Bill Belichick's Evil Empire, beat it for the first time in six tries, and it sends a message to the rest of the league:

You have to take the Jets seriously.

The Jets aren't an upper-tier team, but they're also not a clown car, as many expected them to be. Rex Ryan isn't Dead Coach Walking anymore; he's Good Coach Heading Toward a Contract Extension. In seven weeks, the Jets (4-3) have changed the perception, giving New York something to embrace for the next couple of months.

"It gets us close to the playoffs, that's what we're trying to do," said rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, whose midweek comment about Brady -- he's not Superman -- proved to be prophetic. "We're trying to win the East. That's the mission."

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The Jets moved to within a game of the Patriots (5-2), having split the season series. Imagine that: They're one game behind "the almighty Patriots," as newcomer Josh Cribbs called them, with nine to play. Some folks predicted a four-win season for the Jets. The way their defense is playing, it would be a disappointment if they don't double that.

To stun the Patriots, who have won so many games over the years on weird penalties and rulings (dare we mention the Tuck Rule?), put a big smile on Ryan's face.

"That's the team you chase, that's the team we've always chased," said Ryan, who improved to 4-7 against the Belichicks. "You're tired of looking up at them, but at the end of the day, hey, they've earned that."

Brady isn't what he used to be, but he's still Brady. That doesn't seem to faze Ryan's young, cocksure defense, which held the future Hall of Famer to a sub-50 percent passing day for the second time this season.

What the Jets did to Brady over the final 45 minutes, from the second quarter through overtime, should be put on a DVD and stashed in a "How to Beat Brady" archive. On the last 10 possessions of the game, the Jets held Brady & Co. to seven punts, two field goals and one game-changing interception by safety Antonio Allen, who returned it for a touchdown.

The Patriots were rendered inept on third down (a shocking 1-for-12) and managed no first downs in the third quarter, allowing Geno Smith to do his thing.

"We finally finished," Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said. "We had been in that situation numerous times, fourth quarter or overtime. It was time for us to finally get one."

The Jets' defense was dominant in the Week 2 meeting, but Smith threw that game away in the fourth quarter. They stewed for five weeks, chafed that very few people recognized how well their defense played in that game. It came off as a little whiny, but they used it as motivation.

They proved their point.

"I think this was more about our defense than who wasn't there," said Ryan, alluding to the built-in alibi that emerges every time Brady loses or doesn't play well -- i.e., depleted supporting cast. "I don't know if that was noted the last time we played. This time, we finished the job."

Surprisingly, Ryan blitzed only a handful of times, but the Jets' pass coverage frustrated Brady, who completed 22 of 46 passes for only 228 yards and no touchdowns.

Allen did a marvelous job on tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was targeted 17 times. Gronkowski made eight catches for 114 yards in his overhyped return -- but hurt his team with a killer drop late in the game.

The Jets' defense has played winning football in six out of seven games, and that's why they will hang around in this race until December. They just have to hope the defense is strong enough to compensate for Smith's inevitable dips.

"It's hard blocking us for four quarters," Richardson said.

This game went beyond four quarters, and it took an unprecedented penalty to decide the outcome. The Patriots' Chris Jones broke a new NFL rule, pushing teammate Will Svitek into Jets blocker Damon Harrison on Folk's 56-yard field goal attempt -- a miss. It was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, giving Folk another chance from 42 yards.

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The penalty was like that scene from the "Friday Night Lights" movie, the entire stadium staring at the yellow flag on the field during the frantic, final moments and wondering, "Us or them?" Considering the Jets' penchant for penalties, you had to figure they were guilty.

"I saw [the flag] right away, but I was like, 'Please be on them, please be on them, please be on them,'" Ryan said. "I think my reaction was just like our fans, because I thought I heard the whole stadium say, 'Please be on them.'"

It was them.

"It's about time we got a break," Ryan said.

This one, they earned.

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Gutsy Geno puts poetry in motion (Ian O’Connor) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9855857/new-york-jets-geno-smith-beating-tom-brady-was-poetry-motion?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Geno Smith was all of 11 years old when Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl, and so the kid's formative years were spent watching the quarterback of the New England Patriots become an American legend on his living room TV.

"His cool, calm demeanor always impressed me," Smith said in a quiet moment Sunday after he beat Brady man to man, fair and square, in only his seventh NFL game.

"When you watched Tom Brady on TV," Smith continued, "it seemed the entire game slowed down, just the way he operated and would lead his team. The way he stood back there in the pocket, it almost seemed like poetry in motion."

Smith was done outplaying the one and only, done with a news conference he spent deflecting the personal significance of the feat when a reporter asked if Rex Ryan's raging case of Brady envy had bothered him. "Shoot," Rex had said days earlier, "I'll take their quarterback and we'll see how many wins I'd have," which isn't the kind of thing a coach ordinarily says to instill confidence in his rookie starter.

No, Smith wasn't angered by his coach's stated preference for the enemy franchise's franchise player.

"But I was definitely motivated," Smith told ESPNNewYork.com. "You want to get to [Brady's] level. You want to reach that status, but even Brady will tell you that it takes time, that you can't do it all in one year. So I didn't take it in a way that [Ryan] was saying it against me, or at me.

"I took it in a proper way, and as a competitor I used it as motivation."

Smith used it to beat Brady's Patriots by a 30-27 count in overtime, to avenge the rain-soaked loss in Foxborough, and to end New England's five-game winning streak over the Jets and 12-game winning streak over the AFC East. He used it to establish himself as the best quarterback on the MetLife Stadium field by any statistical or eye-test measure.

Only one man threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and completed at least 50 percent of his passes, and his name wasn't Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. Geno Smith had a lot of help from the offensive line, from the rough-running Chris Ivory, and from a defense that made the plays it had to

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make against Brady and the returning Rob Gronkowski, including Antonio Allen's interception return for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter that flipped the game upside down.

But everyone knows the entire sport revolves around one position, and Brady entered the day with three rings and 158 regular-season and postseason victories, or three rings and 155 more regular-season and postseason victories than had been claimed by his 23-year-old foe.

And when Smith threw his own pick-six in the first quarter, a ghastly floater that Logan Ryan returned 79 yards to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead, he was half expected to fall apart right then and there.

A lot of rookies in that situation would've crumbled under the Patriot way, Smith was told.

"I'm never going to crumble," he responded, "no matter what happens. That's just not in me. It's much harder for me to give up than to try."

So he tried pretty damn hard to topple the quarterback and head coach, Bill Belichick, who have owned the Jets as much as Woody Johnson has. The same Patriots who made a Thanksgiving night feast of the home team the last time they showed up in this ballpark.

Smith had been much like the Jets over the first six weeks -- up and down and all over the place, following a spirited Monday night victory in Atlanta with a no-show at home against the winless Pittsburgh Steelers. Matched against an old wizard, Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, Smith came across as an amateur in need of a seminar or three.

His quarterbacks coach, David Lee, gave him a mini-pep talk instead. Lee told the rookie early in the week that he'd have to make two plays with his legs to beat the Patriots.

"I think Coach Lee may have a good job being a psychic or something," Smith said Sunday.

On third-and-14 at the New England 24, Jets down 21-17 in the third quarter, Smith had scrambled left and raced for the distant marker, plowing into Marquice Cole a couple yards shy of his destination before lunging forward for the first down. Two plays later, Smith had rolled right, faked out Cole, and taken a heavy hit as he powered across the goal line to give the Jets the lead.

The fans chanted, "Gee-no … Gee-no," even though Smith comically botched the spike, and for good cause: These were plays the hopelessly immobile Brady couldn't have made in his wildest dreams.

"He's a fearless guy," Ryan said of his quarterback, "but I wouldn't say he outplayed Brady."

I would. Smith wasn't just the better man on the run; he was the more accurate thrower from the pocket, completing 17 of 33 passes for 233 yards to Brady's 22 of 46 for 228. Smith's Jets converted 11 of 21 third-down chances, while Brady's Patriots went a stunning 1-for-12.

"I was impressed with [Smith's] accuracy, how he throws the ball and attacks the ball down field," said Josh Cribbs, the new return man. "He's not a running quarterback even though he can run. He's not that guy who's going to take off and run every play.

"You have to fear him in the pocket, and he showed the Patriots' defense that, and with a higher passer rating than Tom Brady."

That higher passer rating didn't prevent offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg from embracing a strategy that Ann Coulter would've found too conservative; he called 11 consecutive running plays in overtime to set up the winning field goal. If Smith wasn't afraid of the circumstances, his coaches were afraid of the possibility the rookie might suddenly make a rookie mistake.

So be it. As it turned out, the Jets caught the mother of all breaks on Nick Folk's missed 56-yarder when officials flagged New England's Chris Jones for unsportsmanlike conduct on an illegal push, the first such

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all in NFL history. All these years later, the Patriots were finally paying for the Tuck Rule. Or Spygate. Or both.

Folk nailed the shorter do-over, and that was that. Geno Smith had the fourth victory of his career, and the first over someone on the short-list of all-time greats.

"Going up against Tom, that's just enough for me," Smith said after the game and his news conference were complete. "Just being in the NFL and having an opportunity to compete against a team like the New England Patriots, coached by Bill Belichick, and to get a victory for my teammates, that's what it's all about."

Next week in Cincinnati, Smith and the Jets might very well revert to their win-one, lose-one form. But this Sunday is a memory that will endure. For that 11-year-old kid who grew up watching Tom Brady on TV, it had to feel a bit like poetry in motion.

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Richardson: We're better than Patriots (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29630/sheldon-were-better-than-patriots?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- After making headlines with his mouth last week, covering everything from Superman to sex, Sheldon Richardson was relatively subdued after the New York Jets' 30-27 overtime victory. But he did make one interesting comment about the New England Patriots.

Richardson said one of the themes from Rex Ryan's speech Saturday night to the team was, "We're better than the Patriots." Asked if he actually believes that, Richardson replied without hesitation: "Yes."

The chatty rookie defensive tackle declined to re-visit his mid-week comments about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He told ESPN.com that no one on the Jets views Brady as a "Superman," adding: "He's just the opposite of that." Asked to elaborate after the game, Richardson shook his head.

"No, I'm not talking about that," he said. "He's a great quarterback."

Evidently, the Thought Police got to him.

DOMINANT D: The Jets sacked Brady four times, bringing their season total to 24. How impressive is that? The Jets had only 30 last season. Muhammad Wilkerson, Calvin Pace, Damon Harrison and Quinton Coples had one apiece. It was Harrison's first career sack and Coples' first of the season.

Wilkerson has recorded a sack in three consecutive games, with 10 in his last 14 games.

The Jets overwhelmed Brady & Co. on third down, holding them to 1-for-12. In two games against the Patriots, the Jets have held them to 5-for-30.

"The key is getting him off his mark and making him feel uncomfortable, and I think we did that up front," Wilkerson said.

Unsung hero: Recently-signed WR David Nelson was overshadowed by fellow receiver Jeremy Kerley and RB Chris Ivory, but he made some big plays in only his third game as a Jet. He finished with four catches for 80 yards, including a 12-yard reception on the game-winning drive in overtime. It was his highest receiving total since 2011, when he played for the Buffalo Bills.

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Injury report: For a change, the Jets apparently avoided any serious injuries. C Nick Mangold and CB Dee Milliner went for X-rays after the game. Mangold said it was precautionary and he was fine. S Antonio Allen hurt an ankle but returned.

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Rex Ryan: 'Like the old Josh Cribbs' (Jane McManus) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29603/ryan-like-the-old-josh-cribbs?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Josh Cribbs may have only been a New York Jet for a week, but the kick returner was as enthusiastic as his teammates who turned the locker room into a postgame party after a 30-27 OT win over the New England Patriots.

“The vibe that’s here, it’s a winning vibe and it’s different for me and I’m loving it,” Cribbs said. “And in crucial situations when the game is on the line this team didn’t falter. They showing that they can advance and I’m glad to be a part of this team because I was in Cleveland and we had a lot of tight games that didn’t go our way and I’m glad to be a Jet.”

Cribbs returned kicks and punts in his Jets debut, but he also was used as a wide receiver and took a direct snap on a wildcat play. He had three carries for 14 yards in addition to returning three punts for 44 yards and a kickoff for 17 yards.

“He looked pretty good,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said, “like the old Josh Cribbs. I was just happy that he was on my sideline and not the other one. For a guy that’s been out, you see those great return skills.”

Cribbs said the team wanted to mix it up as much as possible to confuse the Patriots. The Jets and Patriots have now split their regular-season meetings this year.

“We’re going to make a run for this thing,” Cribbs said. “I want to take it game by game but it’s hard to overlook.”

Cribbs also was impressed by the way Jets quarterback Geno Smith rebounded from an interception in the first half.

“For him to come back (from the interception),” Cribbs said, “and show this team everyone that, ‘Hey I’m a winner, I’m going to get it done, I’m a playmaker,’ and to be stout in the pocket and deliver good balls and come back lead our team to victory is great.”

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New rule helps Jets in OT (Jane McManus) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29599/new-rule-sinks-patriots-in-ot?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- Nick Folk, as reliable as a kicker could be having hit 15 straight field goals, lined up in overtime to attempt a 56-yarder against the New England Patriots. As he saw the potential game winner sail low and left of the uprights, he also noticed a penalty flag out of the corner of his eye.

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“I was kind of bummed that I didn’t make it,” Folk said. “But I saw the flag go up on their side so I was like, something on them, so whether it was five-yarder or a 15, I didn’t know but I was ready to kick a 51 at that point.”

But he didn’t have to. The call was an unsportsmanlike on Chris Jones for pushing from behind during the field goal attempt. It is a new rule this season, and it was the first time the penalty has been called, but it meant the New York Jets had the ball back and were 15 yards closer to the end zone.

"The mistake was mine," Jones said. "I take it."

The Jets ran the ball three times for a loss of one yard, and Folk kicked a 42-yard game-winner, giving the Jets a 30-27 victory over their AFC East rivals.

Referee Jerome Bolger explained the rule to pool reporter Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston.

“The call was that No. 94 on the defense pushed his teammate into the formation,” Bolger said. “That is a rule change for 2013 that a teammate cannot push a teammate into the opponents’ formation.”

The truth is, few on the field knew why the Jets were getting the ball back once Folk missed the first attempt.

“I thought the game was over at that point,” Austin Howard said. “You’re blocking and blocking and you look up and the see the ball going, going and curve off to the left. You say, oh shoot. But then you hear the whistle blow and you turn and you see the flag and you’re like, wait a minute, what’s going on?”

Damon Harrison, who was also blocking for Folk, saw the referees discussing the penalty and went over to plead the Jets’ case.

“I just overheard the refs talking,” Harrison said. “I can’t say I knew the call but just begged and pleaded to hurry up and call it so we could get back out.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was under the mistaken impression that a push had to be initiated from the second level to be illegal, and went on the field to talk to the officials.

“You can’t push from the second level, but I don’t think we did that,” Belichick said.

The officials did not interpret it that way.

“[It’s] any push,” Bolger said. “It could be with the body, not necessarily with the hand, but with the body into his teammate, into the formation. It’s any type of pushing action.”

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Willie Colon was glad the call went the Jets’ way.

“I don’t know what happened honestly, I just knew it wasn’t us,” Colon said. “I saw Belichick go crazy and I heard the refs talking about it was someone from New England and I got excited.”

Folk, who didn’t see the actual penalty occur, may have been one of the few who was aware of the rule and the reason it’s been implemented.

“What they’re trying to do is clean that up,” Folk said. “The offensive line guys, they don’t get a chance to fire out like a defense they just have to sit there and take it. They made a new rule for the center so you have to stay off them on field goal-field goal block. They can’t get it because they’re sitting there with their head between their legs. They can’t even try to protect themselves. It’s just a protection thing trying to clean up the game.”

The best part for Folk? He’s still perfect, having hit 16 straight field goals this season.

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Rapid Reaction: New York Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 20, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/29556/rapid-reaction-8?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Jets' 30-27 overtime win over the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium:

What it means: The Jets (4-3) snapped a five-game losing streak against the Patriots (5-2), jumping back into the AFC East race. They also snapped the Patriots' 12-game winning streak against AFC East opponents. The Jets are lucky, benefiting from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Chris Jones in overtime. It gave Nick Folk a second crack at the game-winning field goal, and he nailed it from 42 yards. Shades of the Lavonte David penalty in the Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Stock watch: Geno Smith shook off a horrible first-quarter interception (returned for a touchdown) and went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady over the final 16 minutes. Smith wasn't too efficient (17-for-33, 233 yards), but he displayed pocket presence with two huge scrambles on the same drive in the third quarter. Somehow, he ran through three defenders on an eight-yard touchdown run. Smith's mobility is one of the reasons why the team preferred him over Mark Sanchez in the preseason. It wasn't a clean game for Smith (now has 11 interceptions), but it was a dramatic improvement from his Week 2 performance in New England, where he imploded in the fourth quarter.

Special K: Receiver Jeremy Kerley was a beast on third down, catching six passes for first downs. After not playing in the Week 2 meeting, he was a matchup nightmare for the Patriots' secondary, which played without star cornerback Aqib Talib. The Jets relied heavily on Kerley and running back Chris Ivory, who ran for a season-high 104 yards against the Patriots' depleted front seven. Ivory questioned his role last week, and sure enough, it was expanded. Curiously, Bilal Powell didn't play much. He had been dealing with a minor neck injury. Tight end Jeff Cumberland hurt the Jets with two costly drops.

All over Brady: What more can you do? The Jets played another terrific game against Brady, recording four sacks, holding the Patriots to 1-of-12 on third down and limiting Brady to 22-of-46 for 228 yards. They held the Patriots to two field goals in the second half. Clearly, the Jets' defense is no fluke; they have a terrific foundation.

Double A: Second-year safety Antonio Allen made the defensive play of the game, returning an interception 23 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. Not only did it slice the Patriots' lead to 21-17, but it also revived the defense and the crowd. It was the Jets' first interception in 226 pass attempts (Week 1) and their first against Brady in 182 attempts (2011). Allen drew the toughest assignment of the day: tight end Rob Gronkowski, who tied a career high with eight catches in his season debut. All things considered, Allen did a solid job, considering Gronkowski was targeted 17 times.

What's next: It doesn't get easier for the Jets, who hit the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2).

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets continue to defy expectations with win over Patriots (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 20, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/10/20/jets-continue-to-defy-expectations-with-win-over-patriots/#sthash.00ejabEA.dpuf

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There is something about this Jets team — popularly picked in preseason to be the league’s worst and hailed with every negative adjective in the dictionary.

It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for these Jets, who instead have flipped the script en route to their current 4-3 record. Against the Patriots, they overcame a dreadful first half and 21-10 halftime deficit to limit the Patriots offense to two field goals in the second half in another dramatic win.

It was a “great team effort” according to head coach Rex Ryan, who for the first time in his life might be accused of being understated.

“We don’t care how people look at us, as long as our fans know that this team right here is going to compete every single day — and that’s in the class room and everything else,” Ryan said. “I told them last night how proud I am of them because it is a team that works its tails off — great teammates. And with that, we’re going to get better.

“We’re not where we have to be. We’re not even close. We’re going to keep making strides, keep making strides and who knows what happens at the end of the day. But we’re certainly much better — I guess that’s not hard to be we were picked to be 32nd. We’re better than that.”

But bigger than the win, the Jets shook the “little brother” label off the back of their jersey, beating the Patriots for the first time in five tries.

Even with the Patriots holding what looked like a solid halftime lead, the Jets were never really outplayed in the game. A Patriots pick-six in the first quarter and some defensive breakdowns staked New England to the lead, but the Jets responded well after the break as they limited mistakes and rattled the Patriots offense. Then they mixed in some luck and a little moxie for yet another dramatic win.

They played inspired and with a chip on their shoulders. Now, they are no longer the little brother to the Patriots in a season where they continue to defy expectations.

“It was never about what people said,” guard Willie Colon said. “It is about the guys in this locker room — digging in, fighting for each other.”

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New father Antonio Allen steps up to make pivotal play (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 20, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/10/20/new-father-antonio-allen-steps-up-to-make-pivotal-play/#sthash.2vo9O0R4.dpuf

Jets safety Antonio Allen welcomed Blake Antonio Allen, the first child with wife Trier, into the world last week. Then, on Sunday, Allen had a crucial pick-six in the third quarter which turned the momentum for the Jets in their 30-27 overtime win over the Patriots.

Allen would dedicate the play to his newborn son — “Don’t tell my wife that,” he said with a grin — but the Jets might want to dedicate the season to their second-year safety’s pivotal play. On the second play of the third quarter, on their own 14-yard line, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady dropped back and fired a pass intended for tight end Rob Gronkowski. It was a play the Patriots had run effectively throughout the game.

Allen sat underneath in coverage, stepped up to make the interception and returned the ball 23 yards to cut the Patriots’ lead to 21-17. He knew the route was coming and responded.

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“Sort of, kind of. He got me a couple times on the same route, but I actually broke on a couple of them too,” Allen said. “He was giving me the same route all game.”

Allen honed in on Gronkowski for much of the second half. He played physically and kept his eyes glued on the massive Patriots tight end and limited his big-play ability.

Gronkowski still had a strong day, with eight catches for 114 yards, but Allen’s hard work had a hand in the tight end being far less effective than he could have been. Gronkowski was targeted on 17 occasions and missed by Brady more than half the time.

Yet, it will be the play almost immediately after halftime that will be Allen’s calling card from a day where he had nine tackles, tied for the team high.

“It’s always in my mindset to make a big play. Every game, I always try to get a pick somewhere,” Allen said. “Coming out from halftime, we knew we had to do something to shift the momentum. [I] came out and made a play and it was pretty big for us.”

The touchdown is likely the height of Allen’s brief career with the Jets to date. He worked his way up the depth chart to the two-deep at the start of the season. And now as one of the starting safeties, he’s always maintained a resilient work ethic.

Allen was in a hurry to get out of the locker room for a postgame X-ray on his right leg and then go see his new family. He was especially eager to see a son who, at a week old, was too young to know his father’s touchdown play was dedicated to him.

“His middle name might be pick-six now,” Allen said with a laugh.

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Jets upset Patriots in overtime after penalty gives them second life (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 20, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/10/20/jets-upset-patriots-in-overtime-after-penalty-gives-them-second-life/#sthash.fzjL8UzG.dpuf

The Jets are for real.

A 30-27 overtime win over the rival Patriots on Sunday afternoon proved that a team supposed to be in a rebuilding season could be playoff caliber. The win not only breathed hope into their postseason ambitions but also snapped a five-game losing streak to their divisional foe.

Lifted by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the Patriots on a 56-yard field goal attempt missed by Nick Folk, the Jets took the ball 57 yards on their first possession of overtime to set up Folk’s 42-yard field goal for the win.

After the Jets (4-3) took an early 7-0 lead on the game’s opening possession, the Patriots responded with a touchdown drive of their own. The scoring play coming from Brandon Bolden’s 1-yard touchdown run. Then on what looked like a promising drive, quarterback Geno Smith threw a pick-six to former Rutgers cornerback Logan Ryan, who ran it back 79 yards for a 14-7 Patriots lead. New England took a 21-10 lead into halftime via a Stevan Ridley 17-yard touchdown run. But the Jets emerged a different team after halftime.

Antonio Allen had an interception — just the team’s second interception all season — and subsequent 23-yard touchdown return to key the comeback. Down 21-17 early in the third quarter, the Jets forced a

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three-and-out then took the game over with a methodical drive, ended by Smith’s 8-yard touchdown run. The 24-21 score was the Jets’ first lead since the opening possession of the game.

The Jets were highly effective in confusing Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who rarely looked in sync with his young and inexperienced wide receivers. It was a very un-Brady like day from the Patriots quarterback, who orchestrated a brilliant comeback last week only to see his late-game heroics to tie the game this week go for naught.

Smith finished the game 17-of-33 for 233 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Tough tests lie ahead for the Jets, with games at the Bengals and home against the Saints before the bye week. Both teams are in first place in their respective divisions.

What went right …

1. Nelson plays big

You have to like what the Jets got from David Nelson, who they signed two weeks ago as a free agent to bolster a thin group of wide receivers. Not a whole lot was expected of Nelson, who was cut by the Browns in training camp and played just one game last season. But on Sunday, he produced despite a hamstring injury that slowed him in practice during the week. He finished with four catches for 80 yards, his highest yardage total since Sept. 25, 2011.

2. Smith’s uneven … but not so bad

What could have been an underwhelming day for the Jets’ rookie quarterback instead turned into a very solid performance. An opening drive where he was 4-of-6 for 61 yards and a 12-yard touchdown pass was followed by a bad pick-six on the next possession where Smith locked in on his intended target. On the Jets’ second possession of the third quarter, a 25-yard pass to Nelson and his own 8-yard touchdown run gave the Jets a 24-21 lead. It wasn’t a perfect performance from Smith, but outside of his first quarter blunder he limited his mistakes and played with relative composure.

3. Defensive line responds

After struggling to create pressure in the first half, the Jets’ defensive front emerged from the locker room a different unit. A good pass rush off the edge, including Muhammad Wilkerson’s 6-yard sack in the third quarter along with a great push from the defensive interior keyed the defense in its stand against New England. All told, Brady was sacked four times by the Jets, three of which came in the second half.

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Patriots: What we learned in a 30-27 loss to the Jets (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York October 20, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/10/20/patriots-what-we-learned-in-a-30-27-loss-to-the-jets/

When it comes to penalties, the New York Jets are right up there with the best – or in this case, worst – of them.

But on Sunday, it was their opposition, the Patriots, who were hit with a flag at the worst possible time. The penalty wound up costing New England the game, a 30-27 defeat at MetLife Stadium.

As Jets kicker Nick Folk missed a 56-yard field goal attempt in OT that would have given the Patriots great field goal position, the whistle blew. Patriots defensive lineman Chris Jones was flagged for a 15-

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yard unsportsmanlike conduct after pushing his own player from behind, in hopes to surge through the offensive line. That gave the Jets ball, great field position, another field goal try, and the win.

While the talk of the game will undoubtedly be about the call, there were plenty of other intriguing sub-plots Sunday in New Jersey. Here are three of them:

Gronk’s return

Rob Gronkowski made his long-awaited return to the field for the Patriots. There was plenty to like in his 2013 debut, as he hauled in eight balls for 114 yards. Gronk, who sported a large brace on his left arm, wasn’t an every-snap player in his first game back, but did play in more than half of the team’s offensive snaps. He also was Brady’s favorite target on Sunday, as he was thrown to a whopping 17 times. But it was a drop late in the fourth quarter, on what would have been a great one-handed catch, that he’ll lose sleep over.

The banged up defense

There were plenty of questions surrounding the Patriots defense heading into Sunday, with Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, and Aqib Talib all out. The answers are mixed. For one, Dont’a Hightower didn’t have a great game. He looked behind in coverage, and was one of the players responsible for allowing a Geno Smith rushing touchdown in the third quarter. Jets receiver Jeremy Kerley (eight rec., 114 yards, TD) took advantage of a banged up secondary, and RB Chris Ivory rushed for 104 yards.

Momentum-shifting third quarter

The Patriots went into the third quarter with a 21-10 lead and the ball. A scoring drive may have been just enough to put this one out of reach, but instead, Brady made the ultimate mistake – a pick six. With that, the Jets cut it to 21-17, and would score 10 more points in the quarter to take the lead. The Patriots offense was abysmal in the third quarter, racking up three drives of negative yardage, literally going backwards up until they got the ball with 1:25 left in the quarter. By then, though, the Jets had already taken the momentum and the lead.

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SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press October 20, 2013

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/20/3701128/sundays-sports-transactions.html

MILWAUKEE BUCKS — Exercised the contract options for G Brandon Knight and F John Henson. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Assigned F Joakim Nordstrom to Rockford (AHL). NEW YORK RANGERS — G Martin Biron announced his retirement. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS — Reassigned F Carter Ashton, F David Broll and F Trevor Smith to Toronto (AHL). PEORIA RIVERMEN — Released G Kevin McFarland, F Masahito Suzuki and RW Casey Mignone. LITTLE EAST CONFERENCE — Named Cora Brumley commissioner.

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