QB Chad Pennington posted perfect quarterback rating of 158.3, you cannot do better than that. RB Curtis Martin ran for over 100 yards. Most of the time this would guarantee a Jets victory, but not this Sunday in Indianapolis. The Jets defense looked awful, atrocious, laughable, you enter your own adjective there, as they gave up 538(!!!) yards to the Colts. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was able to pick apart the Jets' secondary, despite the fact that he was playing without his two favorite targets - WR Marvin Harrison and TE Marcus Pollard. Manning completed 27 of his 36 passes for a total of 401(!!!) yards. RB Edgerrin James added 127 yards on the ground, plus three rushing touchdowns. Then, when you add a 21-yard TD run on a fake field goal that turned out to be the game-winning score, you'll pretty much get a complete picture of this humiliation.
In the first quarter the Jets took a 7-3 lead when Pennington connected with WR Jonathan Carter on a 62-yard TD pass. On the very next drive the Colts struck right back when Manning hit WR Troy Walters for a 46-yard score. With less than 2 minutes left in the first half the Jets scored a field goal, making the score 10-17 (Edgerrin James had scored earlier in the 2nd quarter). 10-17 with less than two minutes to go in the first half, the Jets were going to get the ball first in the third quarter, doesn't sound too bad, does it? Well, 1 minute and 55 seconds was just enough for the Indianapolis Colts to score yet another touchdown and extend their led to 10-24.
In the third quarter WR Curtis Conway finally scored a touchdown for the Jets, as the score became 17-24. The Jets were right back in the contest. However, the Gang Green defense wasn't going to stop anyone today... It only took six plays for the Colts to score another touchdown. The Jets responded with a 90-yard kickoff return by Jonathan Carter. Then 3 minutes later Pennington connected with WR Santana Moss on a 48-yard touchdown strike. The game was tied... until on the next possession the Colts made the play of the game - the above mentioned fake field goal.
The Jets fell to 3-7 and are basically eliminated from the playoff race. We can blame offensive coordinator Paul Hackett for constantly running on second downs and calling ridiculous plays on 3rd and long. We can blame Ted Cottrell, as his defense can't stop anything, pass or run. However, it's head coach who's responsible for this debacle first and foremost. In his third year he still hasn't learned how to manage the game clock. The previous two years he was able to squeak by, courtesy of many lucky plays and the personnel he inherited from the previous regime, but this season he's finally getting exposed for what he's really worth. You all know that I don't like Herman Edwards. I'd prefer to have someone like Marvin Lewis, a no bullshit guy, at the helm of the New York Jets. I'm tired of Herm's sorry excuses and his cheerleader-like behavior. We play to win the game! Right, Herm? The 3-7 record definitely reflects that motto..