Jets knock off Patriots on Feely's OT kick

BY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com

November 14, 2008

Jay Feely and Reggie Hodges celebrate Feely's OT winner

Jets kicker Jay Feely (3) and holder Reggie Hodges celebrate Feely's game-winning field goal. (Getty Images Photo / November 13, 2008)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Although some Jets grew tired of hearing about a certain statistic, Kerry Rhodes shrugged.

"The stats don't lie in that regard," the Jets safety said of the Patriots' winning 13 of the previous 15 meetings with the Jets. "We just have to turn it around."

The Jets did, though not before giving their fans a huge scare. After a wild night at Gillette Stadium, the Jets vanquished their longtime nemesis, 34-31, on Jay Feely's 34-yard field goal with 7:10 left in overtime to take over first place in the AFC East. And they did it by being able to accomplish one of Eric Mangini's core values: finish.

But only barely.

"It ebbed and flowed, and went back and forth," Mangini said, "and I was proud the way we finished the game."

The Jets (7-3) coughed up a 24-6 second-quarter lead, went ahead 31-24 on Thomas Jones' 1-yard run with 3:10 left, but watched in horror as Matt Cassel threw a 16-yard TD pass to a sliding Randy Moss with one second left.

Because the Patriots (6-4) had all the momentum, Brett Favre knew the Jets had to cash in after winning the OT coin flip.

"I felt it was either now or nothing, this is your one chance," Favre said. "I was nervous as hell. I was thinking, 'My God, why can't we make this easier?' There was no one in that building more nervous than me."

The 39-year-old was feeling a lot edgier after being sacked for a 5-yard loss and throwing incomplete, setting up third-and-15. "After those first two plays, I was thinking, 'Oh, boy, here we go again.' "

But Favre got the key first down on a 16-yard throw to rookie tight end Dustin Keller, who was unstoppable most of the night. Later he found Laveranues Coles for a key 16-yard gain, setting up Feely's kick on the only possession of OT. It was Favre's 42nd win after being tied or behind in the fourth quarter.

"It ranks right up there near the top, and right now in the moment, it may be at the top," Favre said. "It goes without saying how difficult it is to come in here and win."

Favre completed 26 of 33 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Cassel was 30-for-51 for 400 yards and three TDs, and he scrambled eight times for 62 yards. Neither was intercepted, and each was sacked three times.

Jones ran 30 times for 104 yards for the Jets, whose 375 net yards were 136 fewer than the Pats' 511.

The Jets went 62 yards in 10 plays on their opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead when Favre hit Leon Washington for a 7-yard touchdown.

The march included a successful challenge by Mangini. It came on third-and-6 from the Patriots' 45-yard line when Favre threw to Coles, who caught the ball on the tips of his toes at the 37. The side judge ruled Coles bobbled the ball, but Mangini challenged and replays showed Coles had maintained possession. The drive also included a 20-yard completion to Keller (eight catches, 87 yards) on third-and-8 from the 35. Three plays later, Washington had his second TD reception of the season and Favre his 17th TD pass.

The Patriots responded with a 10-play drive but settled for Stephen Gostkowski's 42-yard field goal that made it 7-3.

The Jets turned in their second 10-play drive, but after Keller dropped a pass in the end zone, a 22-yard field goal by Feely made it 10-3 with six seconds left in the first quarter.

The Jets had a 107-44 lead in total yards after one quarter, but the Patriots quickly caught up.

The Pats drove 59 yards before Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal with 9:44 left made it 10-6.

Any momentum the Patriots felt they had taken back, however, Washington eliminated by taking the ensuing kickoff and zipping 92 yards to make it 17-6.

The Jets forced a punt before Jerricho Cotchery turned in two highlight-reel plays. Favre unloaded a deep pass down the left sideline for Cotchery. As he tried to adjust to the slightly underthrown pass, Ellis Hobbs interfered with him, but Cotchery reached out with his left hand and secured the ball to his helmet (a la David Tyree) as he crashed to the ground for a 46-yard gain to the 16.

After Jones ran for a yard, Favre gunned a pass over the middle that Cotchery snared at the 3 and, with a defender draped on him, reached the ball across the goal line for a TD and a 24-6 lead with 4:57 left in the first half.

E-mail

Reprint

Related links

Who should replace Eric Mangini?

Do you want Brett Favre back in '09?

Give us your best shot

Popular stories

Hampton Roads Facts, Data and Statistics

Blogs