By Jerry Beach
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Nick Folk kicked a 50-yard field goal with 27 seconds left to cap a stunning comeback by the New York Jets, who scored 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to edge the Dallas Cowboys 27-24 in the season opener for both teams at sold-out MetLife Stadium on Sunday night.
Felix Jones' one-yard touchdown run gave the Cowboys a seemingly comfortable 24-10 lead just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, but Mark Sanchez threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress - who was playing his first NFL game in almost three years - less than three minutes later and the Cowboys made numerous costly mistakes down the stretch.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who played almost perfect ball the first three quarters, lost a fumble inside the Jets' 5-yard line as he tried scrambling for a score with nine minutes left. Jets defensive back Isaiah Trufant returned a blocked punt 18 yards to tie the game with five minutes left and cornerback Darrelle Revis intercepted Romo with less than a minute to play and returned it to the Cowboys' 34-yard-line to set up the game-winning kick by Folk, who was signed by the Jets in 2009 after he was released by the Cowboys.
The Jets won a game in which they trailed by at least two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for only the third time ever. For the Cowboys, it marked the first time in franchise history they'd lost a game in which they led by 14 or more in the fourth quarter.
Yet the storyline was familiar for both teams: Late and dramatic comebacks were the norm last season for the Jets, who mounted five fourth-quarter comebacks - and won two other games in which they were tied in the fourth quarter - and were 8-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less as they reached the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, squandered fourth-quarter leads in three losses and lost games in which they were tied in the fourth quarter two additional times last year, when they finished 6-10 overall and went 3-8 in games decided by a touchdown or less.
Sanchez was 26-of-44 for 335 yards, one shy of his career high, with two touchdowns and one interception. LaDainian Tomlinson had six catches for 73 yards for the Jets, who rushed the ball just 16 times.
Romo finished 23-of-36 for 342 yards, two touchdowns and the key interception for the Cowboys. Jason Witten had six catches for 110 yards.
GAME NOTES: Romo made his fifth consecutive opening week start at quarterback for the Cowboys, the longest stretch by a Dallas signal-caller since Troy Aikman started 12 consecutive openers from 1989 through 2000. … Plaxico Burress' catch in the final minute of the third quarter was his first regular-season reception since Nov. 16, 2008, when, as a member of the Giants at the old Giants Stadium, he had three grabs for 47 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. Thirteen days later, Burress accidentally shot himself in the left leg with an unlicensed handgun and eventually spent 20 months in jail. … Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant left the game due to cramping in the third quarter as did the man draping him, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Both returned by the end of the period.
