Powell pops a big one to provide lone spark vs. Bolts
A f l at l i ning Je t s offense found life Sunday afternoon when its running back chased the backup center down the field, all the way into the end zone.
Bilal Powell woke up the crowd at MetLife Stadium as he bounced loose for a 57-yard touchdown five minutes into the third quarter, tying the score at 7-all. It was the lone offensive bright spot in a 14-7 loss to the Chargers.
“It was a short-yardage play that we planned on all week,” Powell said. “Just watching f ilm, we knew where they were going to be a aligned. They gave us a look and the offensive line did a tremendous job executing.”
Though Matt Forte was active for the Jets, it was Powell who received the lion’s share of the work. The seven-year veteran had 19 carries for 145 yards, the second time he has eclipsed 100 yards this season. He ended the day with 726 rushing ya rd s on the season, a new career high.
“[Powell] played hard,” coach To d d Bowles said. “He’s tough. He gave us a chance to win.”
The touchdown b e ga n wi t h Jo Jo Na t s o n going in motion and Bryce Petty pitching a toss to Powell in the opposite direction. Center Jo nott han Harri - son pul l e d right away and headed downfield, while fellow linemen Kelvin Beachum and James Carpenter, and receiver Je r m a i n e Kearse got out wide to create a seam. Powell burst through the hole and had just one man left to beat, with Harrison providing protection.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Harrison, s t ar t i ng in place of the injured Wesley Johnson, showed off some wheels as he f inally brushed away the final Chargers at the 15-yard line, with a push from Powell, giving his back a clear path to the end zone.
“Big Jon … he was running,” Powell said.
“All of us linemen, we’re pretty quick — we’re deceptively quick,” Harrison said with a grin. “That’s a very memorable play for me, for sure.”
It was an otherwise forgettable day for the offense. Two of Powell’s runs went for 41 and 57 yards, accounting for a third of his team’s total yardage (295). The 41-yarder came in the second quarter, at a time when the Jets had gained just 35 yards on 15 plays before his run.
“It’s tough,” Powell said. “We got a young team and we j ust have to learn to close out the fourth quarter, close out the game. Wednesday we get back and prepare for the
Patriots.”