Green Bay Packers stop rusty New York Jets with 9-0 victory in a snoozer
Green Bay Packers stop rusty New York Jets with 9-0 victory in a snoozer
DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer
3:48 PM CDT, October 31, 2010
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets came out of their bye-week break with one big dud.
Mason Crosby kicked three field goals for Green Bay, and that was all the Packers needed as they held the rested but sloppy Jets off the scoreboard for a 9-0 victory Sunday.
Mark Sanchez and the Jets' offense couldn't get much of anything going as New York, which entered tied for the league's best record, had its five-game winning streak end. The Jets (5-2) were shut out for the first time since a 10-0 loss to Chicago on Nov. 19, 2006, at home.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (5-3) didn't exactly light things up, either, but did just enough to win their second straight — a snoozer on blustery day at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
The wind might have caused some problems for both teams' passing and kicking games. Crosby and the Jets' Nick Folk missed field goal attempts, while Sanchez and Rodgers misfired often with balls sailing past receivers.
After turning the ball over on downs, the Jets held the Packers to a three-and-out and had one more chance to get into the end zone trailing 6-0 with less than 4 minutes left.
Following a 5-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson, Jerricho Cotchery couldn't hold onto a long pass from Sanchez, who was sacked on the next play by Clay Matthews. Sanchez was then incomplete, and the Packers took over.
Crosby sealed it with a 40-yard field goal with 27 seconds left.
Rodgers finished 15 of 34 for 170 yards, while Sanchez was 16 of 38 for 256 yards and two interceptions — both on disputed calls — and had at least four passes dropped by receivers.
The Jets had a nice drive end in the fourth quarter when Dustin Keller caught a pass from Sanchez, rolled and then had the ball grabbed out of his hands by Charles Woodson.
The Packers cornerback jogged into the end zone while several players on both teams looked around bewildered. Woodson was later ruled down by contact at the Packers 43.
Replays showed it appeared Keller was down and it should not have been an interception, but New York was out of challenges after using them both in the first half.
The Packers capitalized on the turnover when Crosby gave them a 6-0 lead with a 41-yard field goal with 6:36 remaining.
The Jets had another promising drive short-circuited in the second quarter when Tramon Williams ripped the ball out of Cotchery's hands while the two were on the ground for an interception. The play was challenged by Rex Ryan, but upheld by replay review.
Green Bay got down to the Jets 23, but David Harris sacked Rodgers for a 9-yard loss on second-and-10. Two plays later, Crosby was wide left on a 45-yard field goal try, keeping it 3-0 with 1:48 remaining in the opening half.
It was a brutal first half for both teams. Green Bay gained 123 yards of net offense and went 0 for 7 on third downs. The Jets had 148 yards, routinely started deep in their own territory and went 3 for 9 on third downs. They were also penalized five times and had two turnovers.
It didn't get much better in the second half for either team. The Packers finished with 237 total yards. The Jets had 360 — but were done in by their seven penalties and three turnovers.
The Jets took a huge gamble on fourth-and-18 from their own 20 early in the game as punter Steve Weatherford took off on a fake and sprinted along the right sideline for what initially appeared to be a first down. But Packers coach Mike McCarthy challenged, and referees ruled Weatherford stepped out of bounds a yard short of the first-down marker.
The Packers took over at the Jets 36 after the change of possession and Rodgers immediately connected with Greg Jennings for a 30-yard completion. But New York's defense stifled Green Bay, which settled for a 20-yard field goal by Crosby that gave the Packers a 3-0 lead with 4:41 remaining in the opening quarter.
It was the first points New York allowed in the first quarter this season — and enough for Green Bay to win.
Folk had a chance to tie it for the Jets, but was wide right on a 37-yard attempt with 3:44 left in the third quarter.
It was the Jets' first home loss to the Packers in five games.
The Packers were able to win despite having been hit hard by injuries, with six starters out, including linebacker Brad Jones, running back Ryan Grant, tight end Jermichael Finley and linebackers Nick Barnett and Brad Jones. Wide receiver Donald Driver also was sidelined after the first half with a quadriceps injury.
The Jets blew a chance at their first six-game winning streak since the end of the 1998 season — when they went to the AFC championship game.
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