All Too Familiar Feeling Against Jets
By James
Final Score: Jets 27 – Chargers 21
Sunday’s game was supposed to be about redemption. The Chargers have lost to the Jets in the playoffs twice in recent years. The cries of “J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets!” are still ringing in my ears from that fateful, gloomy day in 2010 when the 13-3 Chargers lost their first playoff game to Rex Ryan’s upstart Jets.
Norv Turner and Ryan even gave us some pretty amusing chatter leading up to the game. Ryan claimed he would have had two Super Bowl wins by now if he had taken the job in 2007, and Turner responded by pointing out that Ryan has guaranteed Super Bowl wins with previous Jets teams and not gotten it done.
It was also the first meeting of Antonio Cromartie, and more significantly LaDainian Tomlinson, with their former team.
When the final whistle blew, the Chargers had thrown away a fast start and the Jets had proved to be too much once more.
On the first three plays of the game, LaDainian Tomlinson ran the ball and picked up 11 yards. Mark Sanchez then dropped back to pass and made a completion to Dustin Keller, but Keller was unable to hang on as Donald Butler pulled the ball away and ran for a Charger touchdown.
The Jets came back out and looked to even the score, but ended up settling for a field goal after Tomlinson was held just short of the first down on a Sanchez pass.
The Chargers then went three and out on their next possession, and the Jets began to drive down the field again. They looked to have taken the lead on a Santonio Holmes reception in the end zone, but it was called back due to a holding call on Jets center Nick Mangold. The Chargers made the Jets pay for the penalty when Eric Weddle intercepted Sanchez two plays later and took the ball to the 24.
The Chargers put together a great drive at this point with Gates collecting his first receptions since the season opener. Gates caught three passes for 24 yards including a 2 yard touchdown grab to put the Bolts up 14-3. He would finish the day with 54 yards on five catches.
The Jets answered right back with Plaxico Burress’ first touchdown reception of the afternoon. He would be a nightmare for the San Diego secondary all day.
The Chargers had the ball back with 7:18 left in the half, and they would use the possession to eat up most of the clock and find the end zone for the last time in the half. It also proved to be the last score of the whole game for the Bolts. Mike Tolbert failed to punch the ball into the end zone on first and second down, but on his third run he got in.
The Jets got the ball back with 1:16 left, but they were unable to advance into field goal range and punted the ball back to the Chargers. The Chargers kneeled and went into the half up 21-10.
With all the hoopla surrounding Norv Turner and Rex Ryan in the days leading up to the game, Rex walks away from the matchup with the edge in halftime motivation hands down.
The Chargers received the ball to start the second half and picked up two first downs, then punted to the Jets, who also picked up two first downs before punting right back.
The possession that followed for San Diego was another three and out, and the wheels started to come off.
Burress burned the Chargers again, and the Bolts responded with an uninspiring three and out.
The Chargers got help from the Jets on the next series as New York was penalized twice for 20 yards, and San Diego got the ball back.
Rivers had started off very well on the afternoon, but cooled off significantly in the second half. At least he hadn’t thrown any picks. Yet. He threw a pass intended for Vincent Jackson which deflected straight to Darrrelle Revis. Revis looked as though he may take the interception all the way back, but he was met by Randy McMichael and Phillip Rivers at the 19.
The Jets took five plays to punish the Bolts for the turnover, one of which was a pass interference call against Quentin Jammer. Burress capped the drive with his third touchdown of the day.
The Chargers had led all game, but now found themselves trailing 24-21.
The Bolts started to put together a decent looking drive on the ensuing possession, but it did not last long as Rivers was intercepted again. The pick could not be blamed on a deflection this time as it went straight to the defender.
The Jets looked to put the nail in the Chargers coffin on the next drive, and they progressed all the way to the San Diego three. Sanchez was sacked on third down, and the Jets settled for a field goal to go up six.
With the score at 27-21 and no timeouts left for the Chargers, they would need late heroics from Rivers to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Instead, they ran one of the ugliest two minute offenses in the history of football and let all kinds of time run of the clock. The game came down to 4th and three with 11 seconds left, and Rivers inexplicably threw the ball out of bounds.
The collapse was complete and the Jets took a knee to run the final three seconds off the clock.
The bothersome part about this loss is it just felt so familiar. The 4-1 start was plagued by question about the Chargers ability to finish against better competition. I thought that they would put it together in the bye week and show the rest of the league what they were capable of with a win in New York.
They did the opposite.
They had a great performance against Denver in terms of not being penalized, but were penalized 13 times against the Jets for 95 yards. Four of those gave the Jets first downs. Rivers was picked twice. They were scoreless for an entire half. Mathews and Tolbert combined for under 100 yards.
All Charger fans can do at this point is wait and see what happens next week. The Bolts beat Kansas City 20-17 at home in week three, but now travel to Arrowhead Stadium where they faltered last year.
As ugly as today was, the season isn’t even half way over yet. The Chargers retain first place in the AFC West as the Raiders suffered a loss to Kansas City. Let’s collectively hold our breath and see what the final 10 games bring.