N.Y. JETS ~ What Makes Coach Rex Smile

NEW YORK JETS ~ TAKE ONE:

This was an old fashioned school yard fight.  What a great game.  And for Coach Rex, the perfect "finish".


The only thing missing from this game was the visible clash of huffing and puffing cold breath being snorted-out the nostrils of opposing Linemen at the line of scrimmage and perhaps some snow falling from the sky.  The Drum..as they call Indy's downtown Stadium, would provide no such backdrop for this Wild Winter Melee.  But after the first quarter we all new exactly what kind of game this was going to be.  We were all in for one serious Stone Cold Affair.  So maybe a burning Oil Drum was the perfect place for this street fight after all.

At the 5:25 mark of the second quarter, Peyton Manning finally drew First Blood.  He connected with Pierre Garcon on a 57 yard touchdown.  Jet Safety Brodney Poole blew coverage and Antonio Cromartie never had a chance keeping up with the play.

The Jets would go into halftime suffering the only serious blow struck by either team, behind 7-0.

The Jets opened the second half having made adjustments.  In the second quarter they got stymied by a Sanchez INT during a mounting 60 yard drive.  So, they decided counter-punching would be their preferred method of fighting playing this fight game over the last thirty minutes.  They opened the third quarter by doubling and tripling up on the jab...I mean, run.  After 5 minutes and 12 seconds and a series of flurries, the Jets fought through 10 plays good for 63 yards on their way to scoring the Jets first knockout touchdown of the game.

JETS 7;  COLTS 7  9:48 left in the fight game.

The Jets kept Peyton Manning guessing and so Adam Vinatieri showed up to implement Plan B for the COLTS.  At 4:53 of the third quarter, he put the COLTS up by three.

COLTS 10;  JETS 7.

The Jets went into counter-punch mode again.  For the next NINE MINUTES and Fifty-Four seconds, the Jets threw left jabs and hooks, upper-cuts and combinations, POUNDING AND GROUNDING the COLTS' Defense with seventeen plays for eighty-seven yards, before LT knocked the COLTS down for the second time of the night with a Straight Right.

When the bell rang ending that round, the judge's scorecard scoreboard said 14-10 JETS, with 9:48 left in the fight game.

Somewhere around the 7th minute of the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning picked on Antonio Cromartie again, burning him on a third-and-eight conversion that took INDY to the Jets' 18 yard line.  But the Jets' defense held firm again as Brodney Poole continued to tighten up his game with good solo tackles.

With 4:37 left in the fight game, Adam PLAN B Vinatieri chipped another three points off the Jets lead.

JETS 14;  COLTS 13.

With 2:57 left, I thought the Jets had fallen for the Ol' Rope-A-Dope.  They failed to control their next possession and were faced with a three-and-out PUNT.  One of my pet-peeves is a team's inability to secure 1st downs late in games when you need them most.  It now failed the Jets and left them exposed for a Peyton Manning KNOCKOUT comeback.  But from somewhere, somebody, something, sprinkled magic dust on the moment and the COLTS were called for a Roughing the Kicker giving the Jets a new set of downs.

First Down and Ten became Second Down and Eight.  That became Third Down and Five.  The Colts called for their second Time-Out when the clock hit 2:51.  Two minutes, fifty-one seconds and a first down on their next play were all that stood in the way of the Jets wrapping up this return grudge match against the Colts.

Mark Sanchez took the next snap from Center and lofted The School Yard Bomb Braylon Edwards' way.  The play was there but the pass was over-thrown, like many passes that missed their Mark this game.  The Barometric Pressure over New York City dropped like a piano out of the sky when JETSNation collectively gasped, "Oh NO!" because they were about to go three-and-out again!

This time there was a punt without the Miracle Penalty Flag thrown in.

The JETS were left with this:
* Indianapolis ball at their own 20 yard line.
* Peyton Manning.
* 2:36 left in the game.
* Colts have one Time-Out left and the two Minute Warning.
* Plan B sitting on the sidelines.
* The Jets one point lead.


Ladies and Gentlemen, What you are about to read are the accounts of a SAD FINISH as they played out on the field in Indianapolis.

2:36 left in the game ~ INDY Ball.
Peyton Manning pass ~ 15 yards to own 35 yard line.
Peyton Manning pass ~ 10 yards to own 45 yard line.
Run ~ 6 yard gain.
TWO MINUTE WARNING
2nd down and 6 to go; Peyton Manning pass to NYJ 36 yard line.
Two yard run to NYJ 34 yard line.
Two yard PASS to NYJ 32 yard line.
1:27 left in the game.
Third down and six to go represents roughly a 50 yard Field Goal.
JETS Call TIME-OUT.
Third down and six at NYJ 32 yard line; Peyton Manning pass attempt ~ Incomplete.
FOURTH DOWN   0:57 left in game.
Plan B ~ Adam Vinatieri, attempts a 50 yard field goal on fourth down and NAILS IT!...right down the middle with 0.53 left on the clock.  The score ~ COLTS 16;  JETS 14.

If you're into tear-jerkers, there it is; Read it and weep.  Find the door that says SAME OLD JETS  and walk through it.  Don't let it swing back and hit you in the ass on the way out because that's REX's job; to stick his FOOT where the sun don't shine!

For the rest of you, the game's NYJ beleaguered player, Antonio Cromartie received the Colts' kick-off and returned it all the way back to the NYJ 46 yard line.  On first-and-ten, Sanchez passed for 9 yards to Edwards.  The play went under review for a completion/fumble.  Before the review, Coach Rex called a Time-Out he was subsequently charged with.

On second-and-one, Mark Sanchez passed the Jets to the Colts' 34 yard line.  With 0:29 left, LT ran for two more yards and INDY called for a Time-Out.  At this point the NYJ were faced with their own 50 yard field goal attempt.

On second down and eight, Mark Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards again for an 18 yard gain down to the Colts 14 yard line.  The Jets called for their last Time-Out with 0.03 left on the clock.

Coach Rex called upon his own PLAN B; Nick Folk, to stick his FOOT into that Pigskin and send the Jets off to New England.  Nick Folk obliged.  He nailed a 32 yard field goal to win the Game for the Jets.  And when this Classic FIGHT game was over, while everyone at ringside was rushing in the ring, everyone in Rex's corner had their arms and hands raised high in triumph.

.....And for this Coach, who ran off the field on the buoyant strength of Both Feet?   He was last seen smiling from ear to ear because at the end of an exhaustive week,  Coach Rex the Freak likes to enjoy a very HAPPY ENDING.

That's REX;  he likes to Crush A'lot.



Mike.BTB