January 9, 2009
Chargers rout Jets, fueled by desperation
San Diego's Antonio Cromartie intercepts a pass intended for the Jets' Laveranues Coles in the second quarter. Cromartie returned the ball for a touchdown. (AP Photo / September 22, 2008)
SAN DIEGO - No question which team is the desperate one
now.
The Jets showed indignation all week leading up to last night's game here, irritated with the suggestion the winless Chargers somehow needed the win more.
"I think we are desperate, too, at 1-1," guard Brandon Moore said. "Nobody wants to be 1-2."
But that's where the Jets find themselves after a world-class flop on the national stage, beaten soundly, 48-29, in front of an energized, out-for-blood crowd of 68,922 at Qualcomm Stadium.
Related links
-
Week 3: Chargers 48, Jets 29
Photos
-
Jets fan forum
-
Jets new practice center in N.J.
Photos
-
Brett Favre through the years Photos
-
Give us your best shot
Your Jets PhotosSubmit your photos and view pics taken by other fans.
• Upload your photos! -
Glauber's NFL Blog
The word of the week now for the Jets?
Regroup.
"The thing I stressed to the team is you can't play this way," coach Eric Mangini said. "You can't have the turnovers, one for a touchdown, another one sets up really good field position. We can't do that and expect to win, especially on the road."
The Jets never recovered from a wild first half in which Brett Favre threw two interceptions, one of which was returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Favre finished with a misleading stat line: 30-for-42 for 271 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Favre was seen limping significantly after the game, the result, he said, of rolling his left ankle early in the third quarter.
One of the many story lines coming into the game was how the Chargers would respond after two gut-wrenching losses, by a combined three points, to open the season.
The early answer was a positive for the Jets. On third-and-5 from the Chargers' 20-yard line, David Barrett stepped in front of a Philip Rivers pass intended for Antonio Gates. Barrett returned it 25 yards down the right sideline to give the Jets a 7-0 lead with 11:27 left in the first quarter. It was Barrett's 18th career interception and first career touchdown.
But if the Chargers were unnerved by the awful start, it didn't show. They responded with a 12-play, 53-yard drive that ended with Nate Kaeding's 36-yard field goal. And it was about that point that the game turned into one of those old AFL shootouts, though mostly one-sided.
On the next Jets possession, linebacker Tim Dobbins stripped Thomas Jones - the third of four Jets turnovers - at the 40. Cornerback Quentin Jammer returned the fumble to the 16. Four plays later, Rivers connected with wide-open fullback Mike Tolbert for a 1-yard TD pass that made it 10-7.
The Jets picked up a first down on their next drive but on the first play of the second quarter - second-and-10 from midfield - Favre bounced in the pocket, then threw off his back foot looking for Laveranues Coles on the left sideline. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie timed the play, reached over Coles' shoulder to tip the ball, then caught the deflection and ran it in from 52 yards to make it 17-7.
"Antonio made a good play," Favre said. "One thing we knew coming into this game was Cromartie had great ball skills."
With Qualcomm shaking, Leon Washington quieted the fans momentarily by bringing Kaeding's kickoff back 94 yards. Favre hit Coles for a 3-yard TD that made it 17-14.
But the next two possessions pretty much finished the Jets. After the Chargers recovered an onside kick at the Jets' 44, Rivers connected deep down the middle to Chris Chambers for a 27-yard touchdown that made it 24-14.
An apparent miscommunication between Favre and Cotchery on the Jets' next possession led to another pick. Ten plays later, Rivers hit Gates with a 6-yard pass that made it 31-14.
It was the most points the Jets had given up in a half since trailing 31-10 to the Colts on Sept. 9, 2001 in a 45-24 loss.
Any thoughts of putting Favre in position to record his 41st fourth-quarter comeback were laid to rest on the first and second possessions of the third. A seven-play, 79-yard drive ended with LaDainian Tomlinson's 2-yard dive for a 38-14 lead.
Favre hit Chansi Stuckey with a 4-yard pass with 10:30 left to make it 38-20. But on the two-point try, Favre was sacked by Luis Castillo. The Jets tried another onside kick, recovering at their 43. But the Jets settled for a 32-yard field goal by Jay Feely that made it 38-23 with 8:21 left. San Diego tacked on one more score with 3:55 left, a 2-yard run by Tomlinson to make it 45-23.
"The bottom line is cleaning it up and getting better," Favre said. "We all can see how productive we all can be, not only passing but in the running game. But we have to get points and not give up points."
Mixx it!
Copyright © 2009, Newsday Inc.
