By Jerry Beach
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—It took 6 1/2 games, but the New York Jets team that coach Rex Ryan has been waiting to see all season finally showed up Sunday.
Mark Sanchez threw three touchdown passes to Plaxico Burress, including the game-winner with 8:41 left, and the Jets scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to stun the San Diego Chargers 27-21 in front of 79,088 at MetLife Stadium.
Led by Shonn Greene's 112 yards on 20 carries, the "Ground And Pound" Jets racked up a season-high 162 rushing yards. The Jets had the ball for 32:46 against the Chargers, who entered the game leading the NFL in time of possession. San Diego was also tops in the NFL in third-down efficiency, but the Jets held the Chargers to 7-for-14 success on third down, including 1-for-7 in the second half.
"I think we saw our team, kind of the one we envisioned at the start of the season," Ryan said. "We were slow to get it going, but we saw it. We faced a good team today. Something we talked about was third down and time of possession. We were able to win it. I think that was the difference."
The Jets, who endured a three-game road losing streak before returning home Monday play Miami, won for the second time in six days and recorded their second comeback from a double-digit, second-half deficit this season. New York improved to 4-3, staying in the thick of the AFC East race with games against divisional rivals Buffalo (4-2) and New England (5-1) coming up after the Jets' bye this week.
"We just feel like we're hitting our stride now," Ryan said. "This is the football team we think we have. We had some more than hiccups along the way, but here we are. We know what's up next."
The Jets, who were outgained by Miami 173-10 in the first quarter Monday yet led the Dolphins 14-6 at the half, were the ones with the misleading first-half statistical advantage Sunday. New York had outgained San Diego 123-31 in the first quarter yet trailed 7-3. Chargers linebacker Donald Butler forced a fumble by Dustin Keller and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown, and Eric Weddle intercepted a Sanchez pass intended for Burress in the end zone.
A pair of long touchdown drives by the Chargers—a 14-play, 78-yard march spanning the first and second quarters, and an 11-play, 87-yard jaunt late in the second—extended the lead to 21-10 and had San Diego seemingly primed for a blowout win. But the Jets limited the Chargers to four first downs and two three-and-outs and picked off Rivers twice the rest of the way.
Sanchez's 4-yard touchdown pass to Burress pulled the Jets within 21-17, after which the teams traded punts before a Rivers pass glanced off Vincent Jackson's fingers and into the hands of Darrelle Revis, who raced 64 yards up the right sideline before Rivers and Randy McMichael combined to knock him out of bounds. Sanchez (18 of 33 for 173 yards) and Burress hooked up for their third TD connection five plays later.
It was the second game-turning interception of the week for Revis, who took an interception back 100 yards for a touchdown to spark the Jets to a 24-6 win over the Dolphins on Monday.
For Burress, meanwhile, the second three-touchdown game of his career was particular satisfying after he had just 14 catches and two touchdowns while reportedly complaining about the play-calling during his first six games with the Jets.
"It couldn't be any worse than it was," Burress said. "It's a good start, something to build on going into the bye week."
Rivers had the Chargers near midfield following the go-ahead score but was picked off by Kyle Wilson. Sanchez, who earlier in the game had a career-long 25-yard run, bootlegged for a first down on third-and-1 to all but put the game away at the two-minute warning. Nick Folk's 30-yard field goal with 1:36 left provided the final margin. A desperation drive by the Chargers ended with a turnover on downs with three seconds left at their own 49.
Rivers was 16-for-32 for 179 yards. He had a 2-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the second quarter and the two key interceptions. San Diego's Mike Tolbert rushed 11 times for 58 yards and a touchdown, while Gates had five catches for 54 yards.
"We had them down, and we took our foot off the gas," Chargers tight end Randy McMichael said. "I'm not giving credit to anybody. This is our fault. We took our foot off the gas pedal, and we lost because of it."
GAME NOTES: Butler's fumble recovery was the first of the season for the Chargers, who were one of just three teams (along with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs) who had yet to recover a fumble in 2011. … With a catch in the first quarter, New York's LaDainian Tomlinson became the fourth running back in history to record at least 600 receptions. The others: Larry Centers (827), Marshall Faulk (767) and Keith Byars (610). … Burress had his previous three-touchdown game Sept. 9, 2007, for the New York Giants against the Dallas Cowboys.
