EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ—Mark Sanchez became the first quarterback in franchise history to run and pass for two scores in the same game in leading the New York Jets (8-5) to a 37–10 blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs (5-8) Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
The win was the third straight for Rex Ryan’s club and, following losses by fellow wild card-hopefuls Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Oakland, New York is now in the driver’s seat for the their straight wild card berth.
For the Chiefs the loss is the fifth in their last six games. Starting quarterback Tyler Palko made just his fourth career start and struggled early before leading his offense on a couple late drives with the game already out of reach. The 28-year-old Pittsburgh alum finished 16/32 passing for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while playing in the absence of injured first-stringer Matt Cassell and the newly-signed Kyle Orton, who’s still out with a finger injury.
Palko’s lone pick though (coming in the second quarter), was courtesy of Jets’ safety Jim Leonhard who injured his knee after he caught it and had to be helped off the field. Leonhard, who missed the end of last season (including the playoffs) with a leg injury did not return. The severity of his injury wasn’t immediately known following the game.
His return, for this game, didn’t matter though. Taking a 7–3 lead into the second quarter, the Jets scored three touchdowns, courtesy of excellent starting field position (the average was the KC 47-yard line) forced by the Jets’ defense. The passing-challenged Chiefs did not register a single first down in five second quarter possessions while Palko was 1/4 passing for two yards and an interception while being sacked three times.
Meanwhile, his counterpart Mark Sanchez found his running backs for several big plays during the same quarter. Shonn Greene turned a screen pass into a 36-yard gain to set up their second score of the game—a four-yard pass to Santonio Holmes. Later in the quarter Sanchez found Tomlinson over the middle for a 31-yard reception to set up their third score of the game—a Shonn Greene seven-yard run. And finally, on their last possession before the half, Tomlinson turned a screen pass into a 19-yard touchdown reception to boost the lead to 28–3.
Greene ended up leading the team in receiving yards with 58 on three catches with Tomlinson right behind him with 50. Dustin Keller had a team-high four catches while the Jets’ quartet of receivers—Holmes, Turner, Kerley, and Burress—combined for just three catches and 22 yards receiving.
Their output wasn’t needed as New York’s running game was in control. Shonn Greene had another big day at the office in running for a team-high (and season-best) 129 yards on 24 carries. Meanwhile Mark Sanchez, who was 13/17 passing for 181 yards and two scores in the first half, missed on all four of his second-half throws before giving way to backup Mark Brunell.
Sanchez, after scoring on a bootleg to cap New York’s opening drive of the game, ran in another to cap a third-quarter penalty-aided drive that started at their own ten—and ended in the end zone for a 35–3 lead. The Chiefs were penalized four times in six plays for 66 yards, on that one drive, to set up the Sanchez three-yard score.
Next week the Jets will travel to Philadelphia needing another win to stay ahead in the wild card standings.
