by Jonathan Storti
NFL Football Wild Card Game
The New York Jets, led by rookies Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24-19. The underdog Jets controlled much of the game with their smothering defense and punishing run game. The Bengals were unable to get their offense going as Caron Palmer never found his rhythm. Arguably the best cornerback in NFL football, Derrele Revis, took the Bengals Chad Ochocinco completely out of the game. While the Bengals running game was strong the offense just didn’t make enough big plays. Cedric Benson was able to rush for 169 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to carry Cincinnati. The Bengals were also hurt by two short missed field goals by Shayne Graham, especially the miss in the 4th quarter. Many predicted rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to struggle in this game, but he played smart, turnover free football. Sanchez only threw the football 15 times as opposed to Carson Palmer, who heaved it 36 times. Sanchez threw for one touchdown, but would have had another if Braylon Edwards had not dropped a wide open pass in the end zone. The most pleasant surprise came from the other rookie, former Iowa Hawkeye running back, Shonne Greene.
Greene rushed for 135 yards on 21 carries, which included a 39-yard touchdown run. He consistently ran to left, which is not at all surprising. The Jets have pro bowlers at left tackle, left guard and at center. The Jets offensive line created huge holes and the running backs were able to capitalize. A disappointing NFL season comes to an end for the Bengals, who earlier this season saw their second best wide receiver, Chris Henry, die tragically. The defense had overachieved most of the year and was unable to stop the Jets #1 rushing attack. The offense played even worse despite having a serious experience advantage at the quarterback position. The Jets will now face the San Diego Chargers next week in the divisional round. What would appear to be an easy win for the Chargers, in actuality will be a very close game. New York can run the ball and play shutdown defense; those are two integral components needed to win playoff games. The Jets can’t expect another mistake free performance by Sanchez, but he has slowly become more of an asset than a liability for the offense. The Jets are trying to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since Joe Namath famously predicted victory.
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