2002: Morton’s Kickoff Returns Propel Jets to Overtime Win Over Bills

The overhauled New York Jets faced rivals from the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills, in a Week 1 contest on September 8, 2002. The Jets had gone 10-6 and reached the playoffs in their first year under Head Coach Herman Edwards, but had made significant roster moves, especially on defense. The offense still had 38-year-old QB Vinny Testaverde behind center to start the season, even if not best suited for a West Coast-style offense, and RB Curtis Martin was a highly productive ball carrier.

The Bills were coming off of a miserable 3-13 record under Head Coach Gregg Williams but had also done some retooling, most notably in acquiring a new veteran quarterback.  Drew Bledsoe was obtained from the Patriots, where he had been displaced by the previously-unknown Tom Brady. In addition, RB Travis Henry was healthy following a promising rookie year that ended with a knee injury.

There were 72,751 fans in attendance at Ralph Wilson Stadium on an 86-degree afternoon. The Bills started the game off with a drive that was kept alive by a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a punt. Drew Bledsoe completed four passes, two of them to Travis Henry, and Mike Hollis finished it off with a 52-yard field goal.

The Jets punted twice, with an interception of a Bledsoe pass by CB Aaron Beasley at the New York 20 in between, before Buffalo went 80 yards in seven plays that stretched into the second quarter and included three penalties on the New York defense. Following consecutive pass completions by Bledsoe to get the ball down to the Jets’ five, Henry ran up the middle from there for a touchdown. Hollis added the extra point for a 10-0 lead.

The ten-point margin didn’t last for long when diminutive RB Chad Morton (pictured above) returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a TD. John Hall converted to make it a 10-7 contest. On Buffalo’s third play of the next series, a poorly thrown Bledsoe pass was picked off by CB Donnie Abraham, who returned it 13 yards to the Buffalo 19. While two penalties pushed the Jets back ten yards, Vinny Testaverde passed to TE Anthony Becht for a 21-yard gain and, helped further by a pass interference call, it was Testaverde to Becht once again for a one-yard touchdown. Hall booted the point after and, in short order, the visitors were in front by a score of 14-10.

The Bills responded with a drive of 74 yards in 11 plays. Bledsoe connected on four passes, with two of them to WR Peerless Price that included a 19-yard gain on a third-and-seven play to the New York 29, and Henry finished the series off with four straight runs, the last for three yards and a TD. Hollis added the PAT and Buffalo was up by 17-14 with 2:41 remaining in the first half.

Testaverde passed the Jets down the field, hitting Curtis Martin five times out of the backfield, including a 12-yard gain that converted third-and-nine and a 16-yard play that set up Hall’s 34-yard field goal. The teams went into halftime with the score tied at 17-17.

New York had the ball first to start the third quarter and was without Martin, who had suffered a sprained ankle at the end of the first half. Testaverde completed a pass to WR Santana Moss and RB LaMont Jordan, Martin’s replacement, ran for 14 yards to reach the Buffalo 32. After advancing to the 27, a third down pass to Morton that was first credited as a catch to the one was overturned upon review, but the Jets regained the lead on a 45-yard Hall field goal.

The Jets took possession soon after at their own 46 following a fumble by Henry, but lost ground and had to punt, and the Bills punted in return. On the second play of the next New York series, Jordan fumbled when hit by DT Pat Williams, LB Keith Newman recovered, and Buffalo took over at the Jets’ 29. Three runs by Henry picked up 20 yards and, after a short completion to WR Eric Moulds, it was Henry again to complete the six-play possession with a two-yard touchdown carry. Hollis converted to make it 24-20 in favor of the Bills entering the fourth quarter.

The Jets had the ball heading into the final period but Hall’s 48-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right. However, a short series by the Bills resulted in a punt that was blocked by LB Jason Glenn. Gaining possession at the Buffalo 24, Testaverde completed a pass to Becht for eight yards and Hall was successful on a 33-yard field goal try that narrowed the home team’s lead to 24-23.

The Bills came through with a big play on their next series as Bledsoe passed to Moulds for a gain of 52 yards to the New York 28, but a sack by DE John Abraham pushed Buffalo back and Hollis missed the resulting long field goal attempt from 50 yards.

Testaverde came out throwing in response, connecting with WR Laveranues Coles for eight yards, Jordan for seven, and FB Richie Anderson for nine yards. An interception was wiped out by a pass interference penalty and Testaverde made the most of the reprieve as he threw to WR Wayne Chrebet for an 18-yard TD and then passed to Becht for a two-point conversion that gave the Jets a 31-24 lead with 4:47 left in regulation.

The Bills appeared to be stymied at their own 33 after Bledsoe was sacked by NT Jason Ferguson for a seven-yard loss on a third-and-ten play, but the resulting punt drew a roughing-the-kicker penalty and Buffalo remained alive at its 48. Four plays later, Bledsoe converted fourth-and-two with a completion to Price for 14 yards and the drive finally ended with a dramatic fourth-and-nine pass from Bledsoe to Moulds for a 29-yard touchdown. Hollis added the all-important extra point and the game was tied at 31-31 with 34 seconds remaining on the clock.

The contest went into overtime, and the Jets won the toss. Hollis kicked toward the sideline, but Morton fielded it, made a cutback against the grain and, 96 yards and 14 seconds later, crossed the goal line to win the game for the Jets in stunning fashion by a final score of 37-31.  

The Bills led in total yards (384 to 266), first downs (26 to 18), and time of possession (39:08 to 21:06). However, Buffalo also turned the ball over three times, to one by the Jets, and the special teams gave up the two touchdowns on kickoff returns plus a blocked punt that set up another New York score. There were many penalties, with each team being flagged ten times apiece.

Chad Morton was the headliner for the Jets as he averaged 46.3 yards on six kickoff returns that included the two touchdowns, making him the fifth player in NFL history to do so in a single game. Vinny Testaverde completed 24 of 30 passes for 210 yards and two TDs while giving up no interceptions. Wayne Chrebet had five catches for 58 yards and a score and Curtis Martin also caught five, for 35 yards, although he was held to only six yards on four carries before being forced to leave the game. LaMont Jordan led the team with 32 rushing yards on 7 attempts.

For the Bills, Drew Bledsoe (pictured at left) was successful on 26 of 39 throws for 271 yards and a touchdown, but he also was intercepted twice. Travis Henry rushed for 149 yards on 31 carries that included three TDs and caught 6 passes for 29 yards. Eric Moulds topped the receivers with 8 catches for 112 yards and the game-tying touchdown that sent the game into overtime while Peerless Price contributed 7 receptions for 80 yards.

“This was a game that was obviously, for a spectator, fun to watch,” summed up Coach Edwards of the Jets. “For a coach it was a nightmare on our part of it.”

The nightmare followed for the Jets, who lost their next four games but, with QB Chad Pennington taking over for Testaverde, finished strong to end up at 9-7 and first in the NFC East. They thrashed the Colts in the Wild Card playoff round before losing to Oakland at the Divisional level. Buffalo won two of its next three games, both in overtime, but after reaching 5-3 a midseason slump that included another, more decisive, loss to New York sent them to an 8-8 record and fourth in the division.

Chad Morton averaged 26.0 yards, which ranked second in the AFC, on his 58 kickoff returns that included his two first-week touchdowns. For his seven-season career with four teams, he averaged 23.6 yards returning 229 kickoffs, scoring a total of three TDs, and 9.2 yards on 155 punt returns with one score.

Both Drew Bledsoe and Travis Henry went on to have Pro Bowl seasons for the Bills. Bledsoe started every game and passed for 4359 yards and 24 touchdowns. Henry rushed for 1438 yards and 13 TDs in his finest season.  

2005: Jets Beat Chargers in Overtime of AFC Wild Card Playoff

The AFC Wild Card playoff game at San Diego on January 8, 2005 featured the San Diego Chargers hosting the New York Jets. The Chargers had won nine of their last ten games to finish atop the AFC West with a 12-4 record while New York lost three of its last four contests to end up in second place in the AFC East at 10-6 and needed help to get into the playoffs (a Buffalo loss in the final week).

San Diego, coached by Marty Schottenheimer, had turned around very quickly from a 4-12 record in 2003 and was in the postseason for the first time since 1995. QB Drew Brees had dramatically improved in his fourth year while TE Antonio Gates emerged as an outstanding receiver. RB LaDainian Tomlinson, also in his fourth season, was already established as one of the league’s best all-around backs. The defense had improved as well under the tutelage of coordinator Wade Phillips.

The Jets, coached by Herman Edwards, had the league’s leading rusher in 31-year-old RB Curtis Martin (1697 yards). QB Chad Pennington (pictured at top) was smart, efficient, and a good leader, but was troubled by a torn rotator cuff (he would have surgery in the offseason). Rookie MLB Jonathan Vilma was a good addition to the defense, but star DE John Abraham had gone down with a knee injury late in the season.

There were 67,536 fans in attendance at Qualcomm Stadium for the Saturday night game with rain falling. The Jets took the opening kickoff and drove 57 yards in 11 plays. Chad Pennington converted a third-and-nine situation with a completion to WR Santana Moss for 16 yards and, later facing third-and-eight at his own 45, threw to WR Justin McCareins, also for 16 yards. A 16-yard run by RB LaMont Jordan got the ball to the San Diego 23 and the series finally stalled at the 14. However, the visitors came up empty when Doug Brien missed a 33-yard field goal attempt.

The Chargers were unable to get anything going on offense and the teams traded punts until San Diego started a 13-play, 88-yard drive that extended into the second quarter. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 13 yards on the first two plays, on the way to seven attempts for 39 yards for the series, and Drew Brees completed all five of his passes, the last to WR Keenan McCardell, who made an outstanding catch for a 26-yard touchdown that was initially ruled incomplete but was overturned on replay. Nate Kaeding added the extra point to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

The teams again exchanged punts until the Jets, helped by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Coach Schottenheimer for running onto the field to protest the lack of a roughing-the-kicker flag on the punt, put together a five-play, 52-yard possession that included a Pennington pass to McCareins that picked up 21 yards to the San Diego 15. Two plays later, Pennington connected with TE Anthony Becht for a 13-yard TD and, with Brien adding the extra point, the game was tied with less than three minutes remaining in the first half.

The Chargers again drove into New York territory as Brees completed passes of nine yards to McCardell, 16 yards to WR Eric Parker, and 15 yards to Antonio Gates. But after advancing to the 37, a Brees pass was intercepted by SS Reggie Tongue. Thus ended the last scoring opportunity of the half, and the game remained tied at the midpoint.

Following a San Diego punt that ended the first series of the third quarter, the Jets moved 75 yards in five plays to take the lead. Pennington completed passes to McCareins of 11 and 10 yards, and then connected with Moss, who outran FS Jerry Wilson and CB Quentin Jammer for a 47-yard touchdown. Brien added the PAT and New York was up by 14-7.

The Chargers reached their 43 on the ensuing series before punting, and the Jets again put together a scoring drive of eight plays and 42 yards. The highlight was a Pennington screen pass to Curtis Martin that picked up 23 yards to the San Diego 31. However, a penalty backed the Jets up and they ultimately had to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Brien, which bounced off the crossbar before going through, but they now led by a ten-point margin.

San Diego had the ball heading into the fourth quarter, on the way to a 54-yard possession in 12 plays. Most were passes by Brees, as he hit Parker twice for 14 and 12 yards, and Tomlinson for a total of 15 yards. Kaeding kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it a 17-10 game.

The Jets mounted a long drive in response, with Pennington chipping away on short passes and a five-yard penalty on the Chargers for having 12 men on the field allowing New York to convert a fourth-and-three play at the San Diego 40. The visitors reached the 34 before punting, passing up a long field goal attempt, having used up over five-and-a-half minutes.

The Chargers took over at their 20 with 4:46 remaining in regulation. It looked bad for them when Brees was sacked on the first play for a six-yard loss. However, he threw to Gates for 21 yards and a first down and then, after tossing an incomplete pass, connected with Gates again for a 44-yard gain to the New York 21. Tomlinson ran for 12 yards to give the Chargers first-and-goal at the nine. Tomlinson carried again, for a yard, and Brees went seven yards up the middle to the one. On third down, Tomlinson lost a yard and, with the clock down to 24 seconds, it was a fourth-and-two situation. Under hot pursuit, Brees faded back 20 yards before launching a pass that was knocked down in the end zone, but LB Eric Barton was penalized for roughing the passer when he hit the quarterback in the head with his right forearm. With a first down and a half-the-distance penalty on New York that moved the ball to the one, Brees then tossed to Gates for a touchdown (pictured below). Kaeding’s vital extra point was good and the game headed into overtime with the score tied at 17-17.

San Diego had the first possession but punted, and the Jets went three-and-out and kicked it back. Starting at their 30, the Chargers put together a 14-play, 48-yard drive. Brees threw to Parker for eight yards in a third-and-five situation and converted another third down near midfield with a three yard carry. A pass to Tomlinson gained 10 yards to the New York 33 and Tomlinson then ran around left end for a nine-yard gain. With the ball inside the New York 25, the Chargers played conservatively to line up for a field goal, and Kaeding came on to try from 40 yards. However, the kick was wide to the right and the game continued.

Following a four-yard carry by Martin, Pennington threw to Moss for 18 yards and, two plays later, he connected with McCareins for 11 yards to the San Diego 34. Jordan ran for 19 yards and now it was time for the visitors to maneuver for a field goal. Brien’s kick was good from 28 yards out and the Jets came away with a 20-17 win.

The Chargers had the edge in total yards (408 to 396) and first downs (24 to 20). Each team recorded two sacks apiece and there was just one turnover, which was by San Diego. The Chargers were also penalized nine times, at a cost of 75 yards, to eight penalties for 49 yards on New York.

Chad Pennington completed 23 of 33 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Curtis Martin ran for 66 yards on 18 carries and caught four passes for 47 yards. LaMont Jordan contributed 50 yards on 7 rushing attempts. Justin McCareins had 8 pass receptions for 87 yards while Santana Moss gained an even 100 yards on his four catches that included the one long TD.

For the Chargers, Drew Brees (pictured at right) was successful on 31 of 42 throws for 319 yards and two TDs with one interception. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 80 yards on 26 attempts and had 9 pass receptions for another 53 yards. Eric Parker also had 9 catches, for a team-leading 93 yards, and Antonio Gates compiled 89 yards on 6 receptions that included a score.

The Jets lost to Pittsburgh in the Divisional playoff round, again in overtime and on the other end of an identical 20-17 score. Doug Brien, who kicked the winning field goal against the Chargers, was the goat against the Steelers, missing two field goal attempts in the final minutes that could have won the game. New York fell to 4-12 in ’05, leading to the dismissal of Coach Edwards, and returned to the postseason in 2006 under a new head coach, Eric Mangini.

As for San Diego, it was the fifth straight playoff loss for Coach Marty Schottenheimer, an unfortunate blot on an otherwise solid coaching career. The Chargers went 9-7 in 2005 and placed third in the AFC West, but bounced back in 2006 with a conference-best 14-2 record. They lost their first postseason contest once again, this time at the Divisional level, and Schottenheimer was let go.

2005: Steelers Beat Jets in Divisional Playoff with FG in Overtime

The AFC Divisional Playoff game at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field on January 15, 2005 appeared to be a mismatch. The Pittsburgh Steelers were perennial contenders under Head Coach Bill Cowher and had gone 15-1 during the 2004 regular season. Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger took over as the starting quarterback three games into the schedule when veteran Tommy Maddox was injured and was nothing short of sensational – the team won all 13 of his starts and he set rookie records by completing 66.4 % of his passes and compiling a 98.1 passer rating. He was helped by an outstanding ground game that featured the aging Jerome Bettis (pictured above) and newcomer Duce Staley, signed away from the Eagles. Pro Bowl WR Hines Ward was the most productive passing target. Most of all, the defense was the league’s best and contained Pro Bowlers in DE Aaron Smith, ILB James Farrior, OLB Joey Porter, and SS Troy Polamalu.

The visiting New York Jets placed second in the AFC East with a 10-6 record and had just gotten past the Chargers in overtime in the Wild Card Playoff round to advance to the Divisional level. Under Head Coach Herman Edwards, the backfield contained the NFL’s leading rusher in RB Curtis Martin (1697 yards) and the Jets utilized a West Coast passing offense that was directed by QB Chad Pennington, who made up for a weak arm with accuracy and toughness (he was battling a sore shoulder that would require rotator cuff surgery in the offseason). The defense was not on a par with Pittsburgh’s but was aggressive and tough against the run. However, the Jets had scored just six points in each of their prior two games against the Steelers, including a few weeks earlier during the regular season, and were clear underdogs.

Neither offense was able to get out of its own side of the field until midway through the first quarter when the Steelers drove 36 yards in seven plays. Jerome Bettis gained 17 yards in three carries and Ben Roethlisberger completed a pass to Hines Ward for 14 yards. Jeff Reed kicked a 49-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh the early 3-0 advantage.

On the second play of New York’s next series, Chad Pennington was intercepted by Troy Polamalu, who returned it 15 yards to give the Steelers excellent field position at the Jets’ 25. Five plays later, Bettis ran three yards up the middle for a touchdown and, with the successful extra point, it was a 10-0 game.

The Jets responded with a drive that extended into the second quarter and went 39 yards in 11 plays. Doug Brien’s 42-yard field goal attempt was successful and narrowed the score to 10-3. The Steelers went three-and-out in their next possession but, following a penalty on the punt return, New York started its next series at its own ten yard line. Pennington threw to WR Justin McCareins for a 30-yard gain but the promising drive finally stalled at the Pittsburgh 34 and the Jets punted. The Steelers also punted following a drive that netted 15 yards and WR Santana Moss (pictured below) returned it 75 yards for a touchdown that, combined with the successful PAT, tied the score at 10-10. That was still the tally at halftime.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter but the Steelers drove into New York territory in their second possession. Roethlisberger completed passes to Ward for 12 yards, WR Plaxico Burress for 17, and WR Lee Mays for eight yards in a third-and-three situation. But after reaching the New York 34, a pass by Roethlisberger was picked off by SS Reggie Tongue, who returned it 86 yards for a TD. Thanks to the big plays on the punt and interception returns, the Jets were ahead by 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Steelers again advanced into New York territory but another turnover blunted a promising drive as Bettis uncharacteristically fumbled and FS Erik Coleman recovered at the 23. The Jets failed to get a first down and kicked the ball back to the Steelers, who started off from their 34 with 12:41 left in regulation. Pittsburgh put together another good drive, going 66 yards in 12 plays, and this time there were no turnovers. Roethlisberger took off for a 20-yard run to start the series which, with the exception of three short passes, stayed on the ground. Bettis and Duce Staley both carried the ball and the third of the passes was to Ward for a four-yard TD. Reed’s extra point tied the score at 17-17.

The Jets now moved the ball effectively as Pennington connected with McCareins for a 22-yard gain and Curtis Martin for 17. However, after reaching the Pittsburgh 28 the resulting 47-yard field goal try by Brien struck the goal post and was unsuccessful. But the Jets got the ball back right away when a Roethlisberger pass was intercepted by CB David Barrett and returned 25 yards to the Pittsburgh 36. It seemed as though the Jets had the game in hand as they chipped away to the 24 and, with time running out in regulation, lined up for another field goal attempt by Brien. The 43-yard kick, sailing far off the mark, was no good and the contest proceeded into overtime.

The Jets had the first possession in overtime and had to punt from their 41. Following WR Antwaan Randle El’s eight-yard return, the Steelers started off from their 13 yard line and went 72 yards in 14 plays. Along the way, Roethlisberger threw to Ward for a 17-yard gain on a third-and-six play and Pittsburgh converted a third-and-five situation thanks to a nine-yard run by RB Verron Haynes. Staley followed up with three carries for 17 yards to get the ball to the New York 24 and, after advancing further to the 15, Reed booted a 33-yard field goal – his 19^th straight successful three-pointer – to give the Steelers a 20-17 win.

Pittsburgh accumulated more total yards (364 to 275) and first downs (23 to 17). 193 of those yards came on the ground. However, the Steelers also turned the ball over three times, to one by the Jets, which nearly proved fatal.

Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) completed 17 of 30 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown but with two interceptions. Jerome Bettis led the running game with 101 yards and a TD on 27 carries while Duce Staley added 54 yards on 11 attempts. Hines Ward caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a score.

For the Jets, Chad Pennington was successful on 21 of 33 throws for 182 yards with none for TDs and one intercepted. Curtis Martin rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries and caught four passes for 29 more yards. Justin McCareins led the club with 5 pass receptions for 82 yards. Thanks to the long return for a score, Santana Moss had 83 yards on punt returns to go along with his four catches for 31 yards.

Doug Brien (pictured at right) achieved the dubious distinction of being the first placekicker in NFL history to miss two field goal attempts in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter of a playoff game; just the week before he had booted a field goal in overtime to beat the Chargers.

“I had confidence in him,” said Herman Edwards of the kicker. “He made the one last week and I thought he could make it…He’s been a good kicker for us. It was just a tough day.”

Brien was let go by the Jets during the offseason, after they drafted PK Mike Nugent in the second round out of Ohio State. He was signed by the Bears but appeared in just three games before being dropped to thus end his 12-year NFL career.

The Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship game, which they lost to the New England Patriots. They came back in 2005 with a lesser record, finishing the regular season as a Wild Card team, but went all the way to win the Super Bowl. The Jets dropped to 4-12 in an injury-plagued year before bouncing back to the postseason in ’06.

2002: Jets Beat Raiders with Late FG to Secure Playoff Spot

Both teams meeting at Oakland’s Network Associates Coliseum on January 6, 2002 had something on the line in what was the final game of the 2001 NFL season. For the Oakland Raiders, under Head Coach Jon Gruden, it was to stop the slide after two tough losses and gain a first round bye in the playoffs. As for the visiting New York Jets, also coming off of a difficult loss to the Bills the week before, it meant making the playoffs altogether.

Under first-year Head Coach Herman Edwards, the Jets were 9-6 and had problems on offense. 38-year-old veteran QB Vinny Testaverde was talented if erratic and clashed with offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, in whose version of the West Coast offense he was not the best fit. The line protected him well, however, and RB Curtis Martin was one of the league’s best rushers. The defense was poor against the run but had a breakout season from second-year DE John Abraham, who accumulated 13 sacks and earned consensus first-team All-Pro honors. New York was behind the Dolphins and Patriots in the AFC East.

Oakland had gotten off to a 6-1 start but was now 10-5, assured of a division title but dropping on the postseason seeding chart. Gruden’s West Coast offense was well operated by QB Rich Gannon, a journeyman before coming to the Raiders. Tough but small (5’10”, 190) RB Charlie Garner was outstanding as both a runner from scrimmage and receiver, especially valuable with the power-running Tyrone Wheatley battling injuries. The wide receiving corps of 39-year-old Jerry Rice and 35-year-old Tim Brown was long on both experience and talent. The defense was tough against the pass but had difficulty defending the run. A further wrinkle coming into the contest against the Jets was that PK Sebastian Janikowski was out with a foot injury and the club had just picked up veteran Brad Daluiso, who had spent eight seasons with the Giants before being cut, to take his place.

The Jets scored in the opening minute of the game as Testaverde connected with WR Laveranues Coles on a screen pass that went for a 40-yard touchdown – New York’s longest pass play of the year. Oakland responded with a Daluiso field goal from 23 yards and it was 7-3 following one quarter of play.

Wheatley put the Raiders in front with a three-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but Daluiso’s extra point attempt hit the upright and the score stayed at 9-7. Late in the first half, safety Chris Hayes blocked Shane Lechler’s punt at the goal line that was picked up by LB Jason Glenn for a touchdown.

The first half scoring wasn’t over yet. With 57 seconds to go in the second quarter, Gannon passed to TE Roland Williams for an 18-yard touchdown. The conversion was successful this time and Oakland led the back-and-forth contest by a score of 16-14 at the half.

It was 19-14 in the third quarter when Daluiso booted a 44-yard field goal, but the Jets retook the lead at 21-19 thanks to a 46-yard touchdown run by RB LaMont Jordan. Daluiso, who missed a field goal attempt during the game as well as the one extra point, kicked a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. With 3:12 left to play, the Raiders had the ball and a one-point lead, but the offense couldn’t sustain a drive.

Getting one last chance, the Jets drove to the Oakland 35 thanks to four passes, including a 15-yard completion on a third down play to WR Kevin Swayne. From there, John Hall (pictured at top) kicked a season-high 53-yard field goal with just under a minute to play. The Raiders had one last opportunity but turned the ball over on downs and New York came away with a 24-22 win and a spot in the playoffs.

The Raiders outgained the Jets (337 yards to 302) and had more first downs (17 to 14). New York turned the ball over three times while Oakland suffered no turnovers. In virtually every statistical category, the Raiders had the advantage, but their inconsistency on offense and the ability of the Jets to make big plays (most notably on special teams) gave New York the win.

The game-winning field goal was particularly satisfying for John Hall as it made up for two misses in a contest against Detroit in 2000 that contributed to a loss and cost the Jets a playoff spot.

Vinny Testaverde completed 18 of 29 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Laveranues Coles (pictured below) had a big day with 5 catches for 111 yards and a TD. WR Wayne Chrebet also had 5 receptions that totaled 83 yards. Curtis Martin was held to 50 yards on 16 carries while LaMont Jordan carried the ball just once for the 46-yard score.


For the Raiders, Rich Gannon was successful on 23 of 38 throws for 224 yards and a TD without any intercepted. Charlie Garner ran the ball 19 times for 84 yards and caught 5 passes for 31 more. Tyrone Wheatley contributed 28 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Tim Brown had 6 pass receptions for 57 yards and Jerry Rice gained a team-high 58 yards on his three catches.

As it worked out, the two teams met again at the same venue in the Wild Card round of the playoffs the following week. The Raiders got their revenge with a 38-24 win, but lost to the upstart New England Patriots in a snowy overtime game the next week. The two clubs were in the postseason again following the 2002 season, both as division champs (although New York’s 9-7 record was actually less than their 10-6 wild card tally of ’01). Oakland once again defeated the Jets by a convincing score of 30-10 in the Divisional playoff on the way this time to an AFC title and loss in the Super Bowl.

The season-ending game against the Jets marked the end of the road for Brad Daluiso’s NFL career. Sebastian Janikowski was active for the playoffs and kicked three field goals – two from over forty yards – in the postseason rematch of the teams. John Hall played one more year with the Jets, putting together an identical 24-of-31 field goal tally as he had in ’01, before moving on to the Washington Redskins.

2005: Tomlinson Scores 4 TDs as Chargers Hold On to Beat Jets

The San Diego Chargers were even at 4-4 as they traveled to the New Jersey Meadowlands to take on the New York Jets on November 6, 2005. Under Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer, the Chargers had gone from 4-12 in 2003 to 12-4 in ’04 and were looking to contend once again. QB Drew Brees didn’t have the strongest arm, but it was accurate. His top receiver was TE Antonio Gates, an outstanding player but one who could have used a complementary deep threat at wide receiver. The key player on offense was RB LaDainian Tomlinson (pictured above), in his fifth season and not only a top rusher but a talented receiver out of the backfield.

The Jets had also been a playoff team in 2004 under Head Coach Herman Edwards, but were struggling thus far in ’05 at 2-5 and were coming off of their bye week. They had lost QB Chad Pennington to a shoulder injury and were utilizing unheralded second-year backup Brooks Bollinger and 42-year-old veteran Vinny Testaverde. They still had RB Curtis Martin, long one of the best ground gainers in pro football but now 32 years old. New York had yet to score more than 20 points in a game, making it difficult for the defense to compensate.

There were 77,662 in attendance at Giants Stadium, and they saw the Chargers take a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter. While the Jets drove to the San Diego 33 yard line on the game’s opening drive, they came up empty when Mike Nugent missed a 51-yard field goal attempt that was wide to the left. The Chargers responded by going 59 yards in seven plays on their first possession, including a 15-yard pass play from Brees to Tomlinson in a third-and-seven situation, capped by Tomlinson running four yards for a touchdown.

Following a three-and-out possession by the Jets, San Diego put together another scoring drive. Brees completed a pass to Gates for a 22-yard gain and had back-to-back throws to WR Reche Caldwell that gained 19 yards and set up a pass to Tomlinson for a 25-yard TD.

The Jets came right back in their ensuing possession, primarily due to a Testaverde pass to TE Chris Baker that gained 47 yards to the San Diego seven. On the first play of the second quarter, Martin ran for a one-yard touchdown and the Chargers’ margin was narrowed to 14-7. However, San Diego got the ball back and put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive that included back-to-back Brees completions of 21 yards to WR Keenan McCardell on a third-and-20 play and 29 yards to Gates that gave the Chargers a first-and-goal at the New York three. Two plays later, Tomlinson scored his third touchdown on a one-yard run, and San Diego’s lead was 21-7.

The Jets responded with an eight-play possession that covered 43 yards and included two Testaverde passes to WR Laveranues Coles that gained 13 and 19 yards. Nugent kicked a 35-yard field goal, and the score was 21-10. It was still the same at halftime, for while the Chargers moved the ball to the New York 19 yard line with just under a minute remaining on the clock, CB David Barrett intercepted a Brees pass to end the threat.

Following a three-and-out possession by San Diego to start the third quarter, the Jets were helped by a 40-yard pass interference penalty on CB Quentin Jammer and ended up with a 22-yard field goal by Nugent that narrowed the margin to 21-13. The teams traded punts before the Chargers put together a nine-play, 55-yard drive that included five carries for 28 yards by Tomlinson capped by a one-yard TD carry at the end. The score was 28-13 heading into the fourth quarter.

With Testaverde suffering from a calf injury, Bollinger took over at quarterback for the Jets and engineered a 13-play possession that covered 75 yards. New York converted two third downs, both on runs by the quarterback, and Bollinger capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to FB Jerald Sowell. However, once again the Chargers bounced back when RB Darren Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards, Brees threw a 25-yard completion to Gates, and Nate Kaeding booted an 18-yard field goal that extended the lead to 31-20.

Still, the Jets fought back. CB Justin Miller had a big kickoff return of his own, bringing the ball back 45 yards to start New York off in good field position at the San Diego 48. Bollinger threw to Coles for 11 yards and then to WR Justin McCareins for 17 more down to the 20. A sack on second down set up a third-and-18 situation, but Bollinger connected with WR Wayne Chrebet for a 20-yard gain. Bollinger then passed to Coles for an eight-yard TD, but the try for a two-point conversion failed.

It was a five-point game, however, and when Brees fumbled when sacked by DE John Abraham, the Jets had the ball back at the San Diego 30 with just over three minutes to play. New York drove to the three yard line, but DT Jamal Williams batted away a third down pass and an incompletion on fourth down with a minute remaining finished off the Jets. San Diego, which had difficulty holding late leads, escaped with a 31-26 win.

The Chargers had the most total yards (395 to 269) and first downs (27 to 19). However, they also turned the ball over twice (the Jets suffered none) and were penalized 12 times at a cost of 124 yards (New York was flagged five times for 35 yards).

LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 107 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns and caught three passes for 46 yards and a score, giving him four TDs on the day. Antonio Gates also had a big performance as he caught 8 passes for 132 yards. Drew Brees went to the air 27 times and completed 20 for 270 yards with a touchdown and one intercepted.


For the Jets, Vinny Testaverde completed 6 of 11 passes for 98 yards while Brooks Bollinger (pictured at right) was 11 for 20 and gained 106 yards with two touchdowns. Laveranues Coles had 6 pass receptions for 64 yards and a TD. Curtis Martin gained 72 yards on 21 attempts and scored a touchdown.

“It was nice,” said Tomlinson afterward. “So many times we've been on the losing end of games like this. I figured one game would have to go our way.”

The Chargers won their next three games but then lost three of the last four to fall out of contention and end up in third place in the AFC West with a 9-7 record. New York finished at the bottom of the AFC East with a 4-12 tally.

LaDainian Tomlinson went on to score a total of 20 touchdowns while gaining 1462 yards on 339 carries with 18 TDs and catching 51 passes for another 370 yards and two touchdowns. His 1832 yards from scrimmage ranked fifth in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

Antonio Gates also had a Pro Bowl-year, in addition to being a consensus first-team All-NFL selection, as he caught a career-high 89 passes for 1101 yards and 10 touchdowns. Drew Brees threw for 3576 yards with 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions but, due to a shoulder injury suffered in the season finale that required surgery, the Chargers allowed him to depart as a free agent and he signed with New Orleans.

Brooks Bollinger, who performed so well in a relief role against the Chargers, played the most at quarterback for the Jets in 2005, which was by far his most active NFL season. He completed 56.4 % of his passes (150 of 266) for 1558 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions and had a passer rating of 72.9. Bollinger played three more seasons in the NFL, with the Vikings in 2006 and ’07 and Dallas in 2009, and threw a total of just 85 more passes. He went on to spend two seasons with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League.

2002: Chiefs Sink Jets with Late Touchdown by Priest Holmes

Coming into the Week 5 matchup on October 6, 2002 with the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs appeared to be in good position to improve on their 2-2 record. The Chiefs, in their second year under Head Coach Dick Vermeil, were coming off a 6-10 tally in ’01, but had won three of their last four games after a 3-9 start. The offense was geared around RB Priest Holmes (pictured above), who had come to Kansas City as a free agent after being underutilized with the Baltimore Ravens. Holmes proved to be a pleasant surprise as he led the league in rushing (1555 yards) and total yards (2169). However, another acquisition, QB Trent Green, struggled and led the NFL in interceptions thrown (24).

Thus far in 2002, Holmes had continued where he left off, twice running for over a hundred yards and scoring eight touchdowns. Green showed improvement and passed for 328 yards and five TDs the week before in a 48-30 win over the Dolphins. Another major cog in the offense, TE Tony Gonzalez, caught three of those scoring passes and gained 140 yards.

Meanwhile, the host Jets were struggling at 1-3 and had scored a total of 13 points in their last three contests. Veteran Vinny Testaverde was replaced as the starting quarterback by Chad Pennington, in his third year after being drafted in the first round out of Marshall in 2000. Star RB Curtis Martin was hobbled by a high ankle sprain and the performance of the offensive line had not helped the situation. The defense was very poor against the run.

There were 78,149 in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands as the Chiefs scored first on a 36-yard field goal by Morten Andersen midway through the first quarter. New York responded with a five-play drive that ended with Martin running up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown and, with the teams trading punts, the score remained 7-3 following a quarter of action.

Taking possession just prior to the end of the first quarter, Kansas City put together a 12-play drive that included six runs by Holmes that covered 37 yards, as well as a four-yard pass completion. Andersen kicked a 40-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 7-6. On the ensuing series, Pennington was intercepted by SS Greg Wesley and the Chiefs proceeded to move 80 yards in nine plays that ended with Holmes running for a 12-yard touchdown, although the two-point conversion attempt failed. Still, Kansas City was back in front at 12-7.

With less than two minutes to go in the first half, Pennington passed the Jets down the field, hitting on all six of his passes, including a two-yard touchdown toss to TE Anthony Becht. Martin ran successfully for two points and New York took a 15-12 lead into halftime.

The Chiefs started off the second half with a 58-yard possession down to the New York nine yard line. However, the drive stalled there after Green threw two incomplete passes and Andersen tied the game with a 27-yard field goal. The Jets responded with a seven-yard drive that included back-to-back completions by Pennington to WR Laveranues Coles. They came up empty when John Hall missed a 51-yard field goal attempt.

Following a punt by the Chiefs, New York again mounted a drive that stretched into the fourth quarter. Once again, Pennington made good on all six passes, including a 24-yard completion to WR Kevin Swayne in a third-and-nine situation and a 27-yard scoring pass to WR Santana Moss. The Jets were up by 22-15 early in the final period.

The Chiefs came back with a big play as Green threw to WR Dante Hall for a 60-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT, tied the score. However, New York responded with a long, 14-play possession that ran nearly seven minutes off the clock. Pennington again was precise in his passing, going five-for-six, and Martin carried the ball six times. Hall kicked a 25-yard field goal and the Jets were back in front at 25-22 with under three minutes remaining.

Following the kickoff, Kansas City took over at its 22 yard line. Holmes gained 13 yards on a pass from Green, ran for eight, and on a third-and-two play caught another pass for nine more yards. Three plays later, in another third-down situation at the New York 42, Green went to Holmes again for a 12-yard gain. Holmes ran for 11 yards and, with 27 seconds to play, caught a pass from Green for a 19-yard touchdown. The extra point gave the Chiefs a four-point lead, and time ran out on the Jets at their own 39. Kansas City came away with a hard-fought 29-25 win.

The Chiefs outgained New York (504 yards to 359), with 215 of those yards coming on the ground. They also had the slight edge in first downs (24 to 23). Each team suffered one turnover apiece.

Priest Holmes gained 152 yards on 23 rushing attempts, including one for a TD, and also caught 9 passes for 81 yards and the game-winning score. Trent Green completed 23 of 33 throws for 296 yards and two touchdowns with one intercepted.

Chad Pennington (pictured below) played well for the Jets in defeat, succeeding on 22 of his 29 passes for 237 yards, also with two TDs against one pass that was picked off. Curtis Martin returned to form by gaining 119 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Laveranues Coles caught 8 passes for 116 yards.


“The fourth quarter as been good to us all year,” Dick Vermeil said. “On that last drive, they went on the field with confidence that they could score and it showed.”

“We just gave them big plays at the end,” said a disappointed Herman Edwards from the Jets’ side. “We're not playing good defense at all and in the fourth quarter it really showed up.”

The Chiefs lost their next two games and went on to finish with an 8-8 record, putting them at the bottom of the AFC West. Priest Holmes had an outstanding season, however, placing third in the NFL in rushing with 1615 yards, second in all-purpose yards with 2287, and first with 24 touchdowns and 144 points. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl. The success continued – the 5’9”, 213-pound running back set a then-league record with 27 touchdowns in 2003.

New York, on the other hand, won five of their next six games and topped the AFC East with a 9-7 tally (thanks to tiebreakers). The Jets whipped Indianapolis in the Wild Card round but lost to Oakland at the Divisional level. Chad Pennington was the key to the team’s surge as he led the NFL in passing (104.2 rating) and completion percentage (68.9) and ranked second in yards per attempt (7.8) and lowest percentage of interceptions (1.5).

2003: Ball Control – and a Fake FG – Helps Colts Overcome Big Plays by Jets

The New York Jets were struggling with a 3-6 record as they took on the 7-2 Colts at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on November 16, 2003. The Colts were coming off a loss to Jacksonville and were missing star wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who was out with a hamstring injury, while New York had won for the third time in five games at Oakland.

Following a 31-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt of the Colts, the Jets scored the first touchdown of the game on a 62-yard pass play from QB Chad Pennington to WR Jonathan Carter. However, the Colts came back with a TD pass of their own from QB Peyton Manning to WR Troy Walters that covered 46 yards. After two short scoring runs by RB Edgerrin James in the second quarter, with a Jets field goal in between, Indianapolis held a 24-10 lead at the half.

New York came back strong with three touchdowns in just over eight minutes in the third quarter, starting with WR Curtis Conway hauling in a 28-yard TD pass from Pennington. The Colts responded with James scoring his third short touchdown run of the day, but Carter returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a TD to again shorten the Indianapolis lead to 31-24. The game was tied when Jets WR Santana Moss scored on a pass play from Pennington that covered 48 yards.

Indianapolis drove to the Jets 21 yard line and went ahead to stay when punter Hunter Smith, the holder for placekicks, ran for a touchdown on a fake field goal attempt. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter as the Colts defense stiffened, and Manning finally settled the matter with a 35-yard pass to WR Reggie Wayne in a third and seven situation for a game-clinching first down with 1:46 remaining in the contest.

Showing the significance of big plays in keeping the Jets in the game, the Colts ran far more plays (77 to 34) for more yards (538 to 324) and controlled the ball far longer (38:52 to 21:08). Manning completed 27 of 36 passes for 401 yards and a TD, with none intercepted. The Colts had two receivers hit the 100-yard threshold, Reggie Wayne with 141 (on a team-leading 9 receptions) and TE Dallas Clark with an even 100 on five catches.

But while Manning had an outstanding game even with his best receiver on the sideline, it was Edgerrin James who helped the most to keep the Colts offense on the field (and the Jets offense off of it), running 36 times for 127 yards, including the three scores. James had complained in the previous week’s loss about a lack of carries, but workload wasn’t an issue in this contest. He also passed Lydell Mitchell’s franchise record of 5487 yards to become the all-time rushing leader for the Colts.

The Jets benefited most from Jonathan Carter’s 242 yards on six kickoff returns, including the one TD; when combined with his long scoring reception, his total yardage for the day came to 304. Chad Pennington had an efficient performance, completing 11 of 14 passes for 219 yards and three TDs, while RB Curtis Martin had 105 rushing yards on just 13 carries. Overall, New York averaged 9.4 yards per play.

“Defensively, we couldn’t get off the field enough times,” said a disappointed Jets Head Coach Herman Edwards afterward. Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy summed up his team’s win by saying “Championship teams find ways to win games differently…We've won 9-6 games, we've won games where we shut people down, we won today because we outscored them.”

Indianapolis ended up winning the AFC South with a 12-4 record and advanced to the conference championship, losing to New England. The Jets won three of their next four games and finished with a 6-10 record at the bottom of the AFC East along with Buffalo.

For the year, Peyton Manning led the NFL in passing yards (4267), completion percentage (67.0), and passes completed (379). Edgerrin James rushed 310 times for 1259 yards and 11 touchdowns, his third thousand-yard season and first since 2000.