A new rule in the NFL rulebook gave the New York Jets a second chance at life, and they took the opportunity with a game winning field goal to top the New England Patriots, 30-27, on Sunday.
Patriots vs. Jets 2013: Jets fans are on cloud nine
A new rule gave the Jets new life as they took down the Patriots in overtime on Sunday.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jets kicker Nick Folk was called upon to attempt a 56-yard field goal to win the game, but the kick went wide left. That was just the beginning of the confusion because New England's Chris Jones was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for pushing his teammate into the opponents' formation -- the first time the penalty has been called in an NFL game. The Jets ran the ball three times and Folk capitalized on his second chance to drill the game winner.
Understandably, the Jets camp is rejoicing with their 4-3 team that has a knack for making their wins dramatic. Geno Smith is the only quarterback with four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first seven games since the NFL merged with the AFL. When things are looking good, the folks at Gang Green Nation have no shame in celebrating a bit.
I’m still riding a wave of positivity following that victory, I think this was a real team victory. I’ve watched the condensed game three or maybe even four times now and every time I see someone else making a play, someone else sticking their nose in on a tackle. I see some play calling that is just a fantastic recognition of a mismatch. Whether you agree with the rule or not that gave the Jets a second bite of the apple, it is a rule, and so it was called correctly in line with the rules of the game. However that can’t take away the fact that we deserved that win, I really believe that.
It's just the opposite in the Patriots camp. New England has always loved beating the Jets, especially with Tom Brady at the helm. The baffling loss pushed the Patriots to 5-2, and as Pats Pulpit said immediately after the game, they aren't sure if it is a good 5-2 or a bad 5-2. With a bit more time to digest the situation, they were able to come up with some positives from the game.
I can say that almost every single time the Pats have lost in the past several years, it has been because they faced a defense that didn’t need to blitz to generate pressure and Tommy B wasn’t allowed to settle down. That formula for beating the Patriots isn’t unique to this season, so it’s not like you can blame it on the rookies or anything like that. Luckily, there aren’t that many teams in the AFC that can generate that kind of pressure, and there aren’t really any left on our schedule this year.
The Patriots return to the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium to take on the Miami Dolphins next week, and the Jets head to Cincinnati to play the Bengals.
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