In just two weeks the New York Jets came back from being virtually dead to possibly challenging for the division title and a playoff berth. First, John Hall's field goal with 2:17 to go in the fourth quarter gave the Jets a 13-10 lead over the Dolphins, and then Ray Mickens' sack put Miami away when it seemed like the Dolphins were surely driving to at least score the game tying field goal. The Jets moved up to 4-5 and are now just one win away from sharing the division lead.
QB Chad Pennington played another mistake free game, although he had only 167 yards passing. On the last Jets' drive Pennington connected with WR Laveranues Coles on a 42-yard pass - the longest Jets' passing play in quite a few years. Coles finished the game with team-high 5 receptions for 80 yards. RB Curtis Martin ran for 74 yards on 19 carries, and scored a 6-yard TD run in the first quarter right after the Jets' defense recovered Ray Lucas' fumble. Overall, the offense played an average game, as they gained just 264 yards, but you have to give credit to the Dolphins' defense that was all over the field.
On defense, the Gang Green came out with the main task to stop RB Ricky Williams who'd had over 150 rushing yards in the first meeting this year. This mission was accomplished - Williams ran for only 53 yards on 20 carries. DE John Abraham finally had a good game, as he registered 2 sacks and forced a fumble. CB Ray Mickens also played a noticeable role - 1 sack and a fumble recovery.
Next Sunday the Jets will face the 3-6 Detroit Lions, a team with a rookie quarterback that can easily be underestimated and overlooked. However, it would be a good time to recall that the Jets lost their last four games against the Lions, and the last two losses cost New York playoff berths in 1997 and 2000...