RB Shonn Greene ran for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns, QB Mark Sanchez played a mistake free game, as the New York Jets routed the Indianapolis Colts, 35-9, and moved back up to .500. The defense came to play as well, creating four turnovers and limiting the Colts to just 27% on third downs and only 41 rushing yards. These seemed like the throwback Jets' of Rex Ryan's first two seasons in New York - a powerful running attack with a serviceable quarterback whose job was to make plays from time to time and avoid mistakes.
Sanchez completed only 61% of his passes for a total of 82 yards, but 252 yards on the ground ensured that the game was never close from the second quarter on. This was Sanchez's first game since Week 1 where he completed over 50 percent of his passes.
Rookie WR Stephen Hill was another player who was invisible since the season opener, as he had not caught a pass since scoring twice against the Bills. He got back on track early in the second quarter when Sanchez found him in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Jets took a 7-3 lead and never looked back after that. Hill was targeted three times today and caught all three passes for a total of 23 yards.
Shonn Greene, however, was the true star of this show. He came into the game averaging just 2.9 yards/carry, the lowest for an NFL running back with at least 70 carries this season. He gained 161 yards on 32 carries (5.0 average), a career high, crossing the 100-yard mark for the fifth time in his career. RB Joe McKnight added 71 yards on just 3 carries, which included a 61-yard scamper, as the Gang Green gained over 200 yards on the ground for the first time since last week of the 2010 season.
RB Bilal Powell and Joe McKnight both got injured in this game. Powell dislocated his shoulder and will definitely miss the next game. McKnight is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday but he did not think that the injury was serious.
The Jets (3-3) will travel to New England next Sunday to take on the Patriots (3-3), who blew a 14-point lead against the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams are currently in a 4-way tie in the AFC East, as the Bills and the Dolphins won today as well, moving up to 3-3. The early line has the Patriots favored by 10.5 points, but if the Gang Green play the way they did today, they might as well beat New England and move to the top of the division.