After three dreadful games, Geno Smith and Jets snap skid and stay very much alive in wild-card race with 37-27 victory over Raiders.
Rookie Qb snaps slump, bails out ‘D’ for a change
THE JETS have finally found their recipe for success: Play against the Oakland Raiders.
Compared to the Raiders, the Jets have a strong and stable quarterback situation. They have a versatile offense. And they win games.
That might not hold up against the rest of the league, but on Sunday at MetLife Library — the quiet abode of Gang Green — the Jets (6-7) finally broke their three-game losing streak, 37-27.
“I mean if anybody’s down right now then they should probably be slapping themselves in the face,” said Santonio Holmes. “Seriously.”
The win helped Rex Ryan on two fronts: It kept the Jets’ slim playoff hopes alive and also helped build his case to keep his job.
“We needed that in the worst way,” Ryan said.
Maybe best of all for Gang Green, Geno Smith was competent, which is a major upgrade from what he’s been in recent outings. The rookie quarterback finished 16-for-25 for 219 yards, with an interception and a touchdown. But perhaps Smith’s biggest accomplishment came on the ground, as he racked up 50 yards on five carries, including a score.
“The difference was just eliminating the indecision in my game,” said Smith, who was benched for the second half the week before in the 23-3 loss to Miami. “I tried to practice this week at getting the ball out of my hands quick if it’s there ... and if not, extending plays, using my legs.”
That even included lowering his shoulder into a defender on a long run when he could have gone out of bounds, a move that admittedly didn’t please Ryan.
“I think part of it was me trying to send a message to my teammates, to everyone that I’m their quarterback,” Smith said. “I’m a tough guy, I’m going to stay in there.”
The performance snapped the rookie quarterback’s prolonged cold streak. It was far from perfect, but it was enough to get the job done. “That’s the mark of this young man,” Ryan said. “He’s a resilient guy and has shown he can bounce back.”
Normally following a late-season win, the team would earn a “victory Monday,” an additional day off, but that won’t be happening with Gang Green this week. “(Ryan) wanted to give us off,” Willie Colon said. “Me and Brick (D’Brickashaw Ferguson) looked at each other and said, ‘It’s no time to relax.’ We asked, ‘Can we go back to work?’ ... And he rode with us.”
Gang Green’s playoff hopes went on life support after the three-game losing streak to Buffalo, Baltimore and Miami, but they are still alive despite wins by the Ravens and Dolphins Sunday. They remain one game out of the wild card, with three games to go and having already lost the tiebreaker to Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
“We’re trying to save the season right now,” Colon said.
Often during Ryan’s tenure, the defense has carried the team. That wasn’t so on Sunday, when Ryan expressed his disapproval over the defense’s performance, noting that the offense and special teams — including an Antonio Allen blocked punt for a touchdown — carried Gang Green to the victory. Ed Reed did have his first interception of the season in the first half.
For a moment in the first quarter, it looked like the Jets’ woes were going to continue. Smith, looking for Jeremy Kerley on the right side of the field, was picked off by Kevin Burnett, who jumped the route.
“I can’t sit here and say I’m not human because it is difficult,” said Smith. “When you have those struggles and you come out, first quarter, first half and you have an interception right near the 50-yard line, you kind of start to think about those mistakes in the past.”
Smith sa id teammates, including Matt Simms, David Garrard and Damon Harrison, told him to stay confident.
It turned out to be the Jets’ only turnover of the day. Smith responded on his very next possession with a 25yard touchdown pass to a leaping Kerley, his first TD pass since Week 7.
The Jets offense kept rolling, with Smith and Chris Ivory rushing for scores in the second half. Oakland was able to move the ball against Gang Green’s defense, including on the ground where the Jet s have been stout all season, but could not muster enough to match the Jets’ offensive production.