The New York Jets got shut out for the second time this season, but at least this time they stayed in the game almost until the very end.
Following a scoreless first half, New York trailed by three points, going into the final quarter, but allowed a 57-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. That touchdown turned out to be the only touchdown of the game, as the Jets fell to the Bears, 10-0. Both defenses dominated the game in the first half, forcing a total of nine punts.
The Jets, however, had an excellent opportunity to take the lead in the second quarter when they drove inside the Bears’ 10-yard line only to give the ball away on QB Chad Pennington’s interception. It was the first of Pennington’s two interceptions in this game, the game he would rather forget.
As the second half began, the Jets took an unnecessary risk when they chose to start the third quarter with an onside kick. The Bears recovered the kick and found themselves on the Jets’ 44-yard line. Chicago followed by seven run plays in a row that brought them inside the Jets’ 5-yard line. Fortunately, the Jets’ defense held off and the Bears had to settle for a field goal, 3-0. The Jets drove inside Chicago’s territory on the next possession but Chad Pennington made another huge mistake, throwing the ball while falling down. The pass was picked off and the Jets lost a chance to at least tie the game.
The final quarter began with a second and six on the Bears’ 43-yard line. Rex Grossman threw a short pass to WR Mark Bradley who turned the completion into a 57-yard touchdown. There was still the entire quarter left to play but the Jets’ offense was simply overwhelmed by the best defense in the NFL.
QB Chad Pennington finished the game 19 of 35 for 162 yards, 2 INT, 0 TD. His quarterback rating was a low 42.8. Once again Pennington failed to execute under pressure and raised more questions about his future with the Jets. RB Cedric Houston carried the ball 11 times for a total of 50 yards. WR Laveranues Coles had the team-high 8 receptions for 80 yards.
On the defensive side, LB Victor Hobson made 9 tackles (6 solo). LB Jonathan Vilma also had 9 tackles (2 solo). FS Kerry Rhodes made 8 solo tackles and registered the only Jets’ sack of the game. The defense gave up 173 yards on the ground and failed to create a single turnover.
The Gang Green (5-5), who are now two games behind the New England Patriots, will host Houston (3-7) next Sunday. The kickoff is at 1:00 PM EST.