EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Maurice Jones-Drew saw a clear path to the end zone and somehow fought the urge to walk across the goal line.
The Jacksonville running back stopped at the 1 and took a knee, keeping the clock ticking and setting up Josh Scobee's 21-yard field goal that gave the Jaguars a 24-22 victory over the New York Jets as time expired Sunday.
“Sorry to my fantasy owners,” Jones-Drew deadpanned. “I apologize. I had myself today. It was a tough call, but whatever it takes to get the victory, that's what counts.”
With the Jaguars (5-4) facing second-and-6 from the 10, Jones-Drew took a handoff up the middle and went down to give Jacksonville first-and-goal from the 1 with about 11/2 minutes left.
“They said get a close as you can and take a knee,” said Jones-Drew, who had an earlier 33-yard touchdown run. “I was looking for someone to tackle me.”
New York (4-5) had no timeouts left, and the Jets offense could only watch from the sideline as the time melted away.
“Smartest play of the game,” said Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who read from a prepared statement before taking questions. “That's an MVP play right there.”
David Garrard took a knee on the next two plays, giving Scobee the opportunity to kick the winner for the Jaguars and make up for an earlier 49-yard miss. Jones-Drew's play reminded Garrard of when Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook also took a knee at the 1 to seal a late-season win over Dallas in 2007. “It was impressive to see him do that for the team,” Garrard said. “There are a lot of questions to be asked about what if this doesn't go right, or that doesn't go right. Everything went right, so we can smile on the way back to Jacksonville.”
The Jets came out of their bye-week break making the same mistakes that plagued them in the first eight games. New York has dropped five of its last six, and is headed to AFC-leading New England next Sunday.
“Now we're 4-5 and we're not impressive,” wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. “We're not scaring anybody. We're not intimidating anybody coming onto the field, so that 3-0 start is a wash. That's over with.”
Thomas Jones gave the Jets a 22-21 lead on a 1-yard touchdown dive with 5:04 remaining. The score capped a 16-play drive that included three third-down conversions and a fourth-and-1 conversion - a 14-yard run by Shonn Greene that got the Jets down to the 1.
New York went for the 2-point conversion, but Edwards dropped it when he was hit hard. Given a lead, the Jets' defense, which came in ranked No. 2 overall, couldn't hold the Jaguars.
“Maybe we're not one of the best defenses in the league,” an uncharacteristically stifled Bart Scott said.
New York's defense had trouble tackling in the first half, allowing Jacksonville to gain 250 yards. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, the Jets allowed a 15-yard catch by Mike Thomas and a 33-yard grab by Marcedes Lewis to help set up Scobee's kick.
“For the defense we think we are, we needed to make that last stop and get the win,” safety Jim Leonhard said.
Jones-Drew had 123 yards on 24 carries, becoming the first player to rush for 100 or more yards against the Jets this season. Garrard was 16 of 26 for 221 yards and a touchdown to Mike Sims-Walker, and also ran for a score.
The Jets didn't get off to the start they were looking for when Sanchez was intercepted by Rashean Mathis on New York's first play.
“It might as well have been a pick-6,” Sanchez said. “That's the way you feel as a quarterback and that's the way you look at the game.”
Jacksonville took advantage immediately, giving the ball to Jones-Drew five straight times with the final carry a 33-yard scamper up the middle for a touchdown.
Garrard gave Jacksonville a 14-10 lead with an 11-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
Sims-Walker made it 21-10 with 2:44 left in the first half with a 26-yard catch. New York had a chance to end the drive on fourth-and-4 from the 34, but Thomas caught a 7-yard pass to allow Jacksonville to become the first team to convert on fourth down against the Jets.
“We can't wait for somebody to make a play,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “We have to go make it and be in attack mode. Right now, there's something missing and we have to find it.”
Jay Feely kicked three field goals for the Jets, the last a 40-yarder early in the fourth quarter that capped a 14-play drive and cut the deficit to 21-16.
NOTES: Del Rio said wide receiver Jarrett Dillard suffered a season-ending broken right ankle on the first play of the second quarter. Mathis strained a leg midway through the fourth quarter, and will be re-evaluated Monday. ... Leonhard left briefly after injuring his right thumb in the first quarter. It was heavily wrapped, and he wasn't sure of the severity of the injury.
Johnson scores 2 TDs, Titans beat Bills 41-17
TERESA M. WALKER,AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Chris Johnson got his Terrell Owens' jersey Sunday without having to buy it through the receiver's Web site.
Johnson ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught nine passes for 100 more and the Tennessee Titans beat the Buffalo Bills 41-17 Sunday for their third straight victory. Then Johnson walked into his post-game news conference carrying the jersey Owens had promised the running back if the Titans beat Buffalo.
“Actually, I didn't see him after the game, but he sent it over. So shout out to TO. Thanks for that,” Johnson said.
The Titans (3-6) are on a roll since opening the season 0-6, and they can thank Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher and the league's first back to top 1,000 yards this season. They introduced him last, and he ran out carrying an American flag to a roar from the sold-out crowd.
Johnson quickly is becoming Young's favorite target whether he's tossing Johnson short passes or pitching to him off the option. Young also threw for a touchdown and finished with 210 yards passing in winning his seventh straight start. He also ran five times for 29 yards.
“Defenses, they have to choose,” Johnson said. “Do you want to stop 10 (Young)? Or do you want to stop (28)? That's what me and Vince say every day. Whichever one you choose to stop, the other one is going to have a good day.”
Buffalo (3-6) got Trent Edwards back and rookie Jairus Byrd picked off a pass in a fifth straight game. But the Bills lost their second straight, putting coach Dick Jauron's job security even more at risk.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was on hand and even sat next to a fan in the stands for part of the game, and he saw an exciting game tied at 17 in the fourth quarter.
Then Tennessee scored 24 consecutive points to blow out the Bills, and it was Johnson who provided the go-ahead TD with a punishing run. He ran into Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny and safety Bryan Scott at the line, then bounced out right and ran in easily for the 1-yard TD with 10:44 left.
Rob Bironas kicked his second field goal, a 51-yarder with 3:23 left. Then Vincent Fuller intercepted Edwards' pass at the 26 and ran it in for the TD. That prompted Titans owner Bud Adams to start dancing in his luxury box. Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Edwards, and Rod Hood picked off a pass and ran 31 yards for the TD inside the final minute.
Tennessee finished with two sacks and the two interceptions, and the Titans outgained the Bills 378-296.
Edwards was struggling before the interception, missing a wide-open Owens. Jauron said they will discuss that when asked if Edwards will start at Jacksonville on Sunday. Owens said to ask Edwards what happened, but he sounded frustrated in a game where he had been yelling at coaches earlier on the sideline.
“What's new?” Owens said. “That's how it's been the last seven or eight weeks. We lose games in the third or fourth quarter.”
The Bills looked as if the bye week did some good on the opening drive, and the wildcat formation that didn't work before the bye against Houston did against Tennessee. Fred Jackson first ran for 2 yards, then took the snap again as he faked running into the line, stopped and tossed a 27-yard pass to a wide-open Lee Evans for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Titans answered with their dynamic duo.
Young threw a block against Reggie Corner, helping free Johnson to pick up a first down. Johnson later caught a short pass and hurtled a Bills defender to go 17 yards. A play later, Johnson ran 28 yards for his seventh TD rushing this season.
“There's other ways of getting CJ the ball,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.
Young took his turn with a nice 38-yard pass to rookie Kenny Britt, starting with veteran Justin Gage out with a lower back injury. Young finished off with a 14-yard TD toss to Nate Washington for a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.
Young and Johnson teamed up to show the NFL how to run the option on their next drive. Young pitched out to Johnson, who ran 32 yards to set up a 38-yard field goal from Bironas for a 17-7 lead.
Jauron called Johnson a tremendous back with exceptional speed and balance.
“He accelerates so quickly, and the option adds a whole new dimension. The option play is really difficult to defend,” Jauron said.
Owens finally got involved for the Bills. Edwards found him for a 46-yard gain, then bowed to the fans yelling at him. That set up Edwards' 8-yard TD pass to Evans for the receiver's second TD of the day.
Notes: Johnson became only the second player in franchise history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game. He joined Billy Cannon who did it Dec. 10, 1961, against the New York Titans. Cannon had 216 yards rushing and 114 receiving. ... The 24 fourth-quarter points tied a franchise record for most points in the quarter. The last time the Titans did it was Nov. 26, 2006, against the Giants. ... Buffalo LT Demetrius Bell hurt a knee in the first half. ... Byrd tied a Bills record with his eighth interception of the season. He also set a team record with his fifth straight game with a pick. ... Goodell tweeted that he was at the game, so season ticket holder Lisa Hayes tweeted to him to join her. He did down in section 102.
Jaguars 24
Bills 22
“Sorry to my fantasy owners,” Jones-Drew deadpanned. “I apologize. I had myself today. It was a tough call, but whatever it takes to get the victory, that's what counts.”
With the Jaguars (5-4) facing second-and-6 from the 10, Jones-Drew took a handoff up the middle and went down to give Jacksonville first-and-goal from the 1 with about 11/2 minutes left.
“They said get a close as you can and take a knee,” said Jones-Drew, who had an earlier 33-yard touchdown run. “I was looking for someone to tackle me.”
New York (4-5) had no timeouts left, and the Jets offense could only watch from the sideline as the time melted away.
“Smartest play of the game,” said Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who read from a prepared statement before taking questions. “That's an MVP play right there.”
David Garrard took a knee on the next two plays, giving Scobee the opportunity to kick the winner for the Jaguars and make up for an earlier 49-yard miss. Jones-Drew's play reminded Garrard of when Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook also took a knee at the 1 to seal a late-season win over Dallas in 2007. “It was impressive to see him do that for the team,” Garrard said. “There are a lot of questions to be asked about what if this doesn't go right, or that doesn't go right. Everything went right, so we can smile on the way back to Jacksonville.”
The Jets came out of their bye-week break making the same mistakes that plagued them in the first eight games. New York has dropped five of its last six, and is headed to AFC-leading New England next Sunday.
“Now we're 4-5 and we're not impressive,” wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. “We're not scaring anybody. We're not intimidating anybody coming onto the field, so that 3-0 start is a wash. That's over with.”
Thomas Jones gave the Jets a 22-21 lead on a 1-yard touchdown dive with 5:04 remaining. The score capped a 16-play drive that included three third-down conversions and a fourth-and-1 conversion - a 14-yard run by Shonn Greene that got the Jets down to the 1.
New York went for the 2-point conversion, but Edwards dropped it when he was hit hard. Given a lead, the Jets' defense, which came in ranked No. 2 overall, couldn't hold the Jaguars.
“Maybe we're not one of the best defenses in the league,” an uncharacteristically stifled Bart Scott said.
New York's defense had trouble tackling in the first half, allowing Jacksonville to gain 250 yards. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, the Jets allowed a 15-yard catch by Mike Thomas and a 33-yard grab by Marcedes Lewis to help set up Scobee's kick.
“For the defense we think we are, we needed to make that last stop and get the win,” safety Jim Leonhard said.
Jones-Drew had 123 yards on 24 carries, becoming the first player to rush for 100 or more yards against the Jets this season. Garrard was 16 of 26 for 221 yards and a touchdown to Mike Sims-Walker, and also ran for a score.
The Jets didn't get off to the start they were looking for when Sanchez was intercepted by Rashean Mathis on New York's first play.
“It might as well have been a pick-6,” Sanchez said. “That's the way you feel as a quarterback and that's the way you look at the game.”
Jacksonville took advantage immediately, giving the ball to Jones-Drew five straight times with the final carry a 33-yard scamper up the middle for a touchdown.
Garrard gave Jacksonville a 14-10 lead with an 11-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.
Sims-Walker made it 21-10 with 2:44 left in the first half with a 26-yard catch. New York had a chance to end the drive on fourth-and-4 from the 34, but Thomas caught a 7-yard pass to allow Jacksonville to become the first team to convert on fourth down against the Jets.
“We can't wait for somebody to make a play,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “We have to go make it and be in attack mode. Right now, there's something missing and we have to find it.”
Jay Feely kicked three field goals for the Jets, the last a 40-yarder early in the fourth quarter that capped a 14-play drive and cut the deficit to 21-16.
NOTES: Del Rio said wide receiver Jarrett Dillard suffered a season-ending broken right ankle on the first play of the second quarter. Mathis strained a leg midway through the fourth quarter, and will be re-evaluated Monday. ... Leonhard left briefly after injuring his right thumb in the first quarter. It was heavily wrapped, and he wasn't sure of the severity of the injury.
Johnson scores 2 TDs, Titans beat Bills 41-17
TERESA M. WALKER,AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Chris Johnson got his Terrell Owens' jersey Sunday without having to buy it through the receiver's Web site.
Johnson ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught nine passes for 100 more and the Tennessee Titans beat the Buffalo Bills 41-17 Sunday for their third straight victory. Then Johnson walked into his post-game news conference carrying the jersey Owens had promised the running back if the Titans beat Buffalo.
“Actually, I didn't see him after the game, but he sent it over. So shout out to TO. Thanks for that,” Johnson said.
The Titans (3-6) are on a roll since opening the season 0-6, and they can thank Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher and the league's first back to top 1,000 yards this season. They introduced him last, and he ran out carrying an American flag to a roar from the sold-out crowd.
Johnson quickly is becoming Young's favorite target whether he's tossing Johnson short passes or pitching to him off the option. Young also threw for a touchdown and finished with 210 yards passing in winning his seventh straight start. He also ran five times for 29 yards.
“Defenses, they have to choose,” Johnson said. “Do you want to stop 10 (Young)? Or do you want to stop (28)? That's what me and Vince say every day. Whichever one you choose to stop, the other one is going to have a good day.”
Buffalo (3-6) got Trent Edwards back and rookie Jairus Byrd picked off a pass in a fifth straight game. But the Bills lost their second straight, putting coach Dick Jauron's job security even more at risk.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was on hand and even sat next to a fan in the stands for part of the game, and he saw an exciting game tied at 17 in the fourth quarter.
Then Tennessee scored 24 consecutive points to blow out the Bills, and it was Johnson who provided the go-ahead TD with a punishing run. He ran into Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny and safety Bryan Scott at the line, then bounced out right and ran in easily for the 1-yard TD with 10:44 left.
Rob Bironas kicked his second field goal, a 51-yarder with 3:23 left. Then Vincent Fuller intercepted Edwards' pass at the 26 and ran it in for the TD. That prompted Titans owner Bud Adams to start dancing in his luxury box. Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Edwards, and Rod Hood picked off a pass and ran 31 yards for the TD inside the final minute.
Tennessee finished with two sacks and the two interceptions, and the Titans outgained the Bills 378-296.
Edwards was struggling before the interception, missing a wide-open Owens. Jauron said they will discuss that when asked if Edwards will start at Jacksonville on Sunday. Owens said to ask Edwards what happened, but he sounded frustrated in a game where he had been yelling at coaches earlier on the sideline.
“What's new?” Owens said. “That's how it's been the last seven or eight weeks. We lose games in the third or fourth quarter.”
The Bills looked as if the bye week did some good on the opening drive, and the wildcat formation that didn't work before the bye against Houston did against Tennessee. Fred Jackson first ran for 2 yards, then took the snap again as he faked running into the line, stopped and tossed a 27-yard pass to a wide-open Lee Evans for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Titans answered with their dynamic duo.
Young threw a block against Reggie Corner, helping free Johnson to pick up a first down. Johnson later caught a short pass and hurtled a Bills defender to go 17 yards. A play later, Johnson ran 28 yards for his seventh TD rushing this season.
“There's other ways of getting CJ the ball,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.
Young took his turn with a nice 38-yard pass to rookie Kenny Britt, starting with veteran Justin Gage out with a lower back injury. Young finished off with a 14-yard TD toss to Nate Washington for a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.
Young and Johnson teamed up to show the NFL how to run the option on their next drive. Young pitched out to Johnson, who ran 32 yards to set up a 38-yard field goal from Bironas for a 17-7 lead.
Jauron called Johnson a tremendous back with exceptional speed and balance.
“He accelerates so quickly, and the option adds a whole new dimension. The option play is really difficult to defend,” Jauron said.
Owens finally got involved for the Bills. Edwards found him for a 46-yard gain, then bowed to the fans yelling at him. That set up Edwards' 8-yard TD pass to Evans for the receiver's second TD of the day.
Notes: Johnson became only the second player in franchise history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game. He joined Billy Cannon who did it Dec. 10, 1961, against the New York Titans. Cannon had 216 yards rushing and 114 receiving. ... The 24 fourth-quarter points tied a franchise record for most points in the quarter. The last time the Titans did it was Nov. 26, 2006, against the Giants. ... Buffalo LT Demetrius Bell hurt a knee in the first half. ... Byrd tied a Bills record with his eighth interception of the season. He also set a team record with his fifth straight game with a pick. ... Goodell tweeted that he was at the game, so season ticket holder Lisa Hayes tweeted to him to join her. He did down in section 102.
Jaguars 24
Bills 22
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