New York Jets Enjoy A Memorable Team Win Over The New York Giants

The Jets moved to 7-5 and are still in the hunt for a wild card playoff spot. It was tough, it was tense and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We won thanks to a few outstanding individual performances and a whole load of key contributions. On a day where Brandon Marshall passed the 1,000 yard mark and Ryan Fitzpatrick put the ball in the air 50 times, and finished with a 72% completion rate, nobody wanted to talk about themselves.

The Jets don't usually win those types of games, the needing a touchdown on the last drive type games, the needing to hold the defense to a field goal in overtime type games, the we're missing two of our top corners against one of the best receivers in the league type games. Somehow they found a way, and if you listen to the players, the belief they could win, never wavered

I think it was a great team win. There was a lot of stuff that needed to happen there in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter where we kind of played complimentary football. There was always a great belief in the huddle, great belief on the sideline that we could come back and take this thing" explained Fitzpatrick

It's been a long time since the Jets have been able to move the ball down-field quickly. After having a time control run offense for so long, whether through design or lack of talent at the receiver/quarterback position, moving the ball has never come easy to the Jets. However when you match a composed veteran at QB, with a savvy duo of big-bodied veterans at wide receiver, and a pass catching RB, things happen

"The thing that I love, and I think we all appreciate, is doing it together. Meaning it wasn't just Bilal (Powell) or (Eric) Decker or myself, we all played a part in it and that's the special thing. And that's what Fitz tries to do. A lot of quarterbacks try to do that. I think it's healthy for our team, I think it's healthy for ouroffense. It's special when you see (Quincy Enunwa) get involved, you see Deck lead the way. I may catch a ball here or there, and Bilal Powell he's just amazing" commented Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

It helps when you have a QB in total control of the huddle, and I think Decker described it perfectly when he said

Same old Fitz, when we go on the ball (he just has) command of the huddle, getting the play out, calm,collective, what a good leader should be.

Obviously a lot of the credit will go to the offense for mastering that game-saving touchdown drive, and rightfully so. However you can't ignore the defense. They made some mind-numbingly poor decisions which led to penalties and there were a couple of busted coverages that left to big gains...but they kept the Giants off the board in 3 of the 4 quarters. The Giants scored all 20 of their points in the 2nd quarter, with the Jets blanking them in the other three.

You had a couple of big sacks, you had a momentum changing interception at the goal line by Miles. You have Antonio Cromartie putting in what I would consider to be his finest game this year. Calvin Pryor making one heck of  a play to jar the ball loose from OBJ's grasp, so when you say this was a team win...you really mean it.

This is a game the old jets would lose, but this isn't the old jets.