Post by Lithfan on Dec 23, 2015 8:30:10 GMT -5
December 23, 2001
The Jets travelled to Indianapolis for a Sunday Night matchup with the Colts. The Jets were 8-5 and still in the hunt for a Division Title, entering Sunday’s play tied with New England for first place in the AFC East.
If you happened to be at the RCA Dome that evening, and you looked up to the very last row of the upper deck, you might have seen a younger, heavier, but less grey version of Lith sitting with his then 9-year old son, Andrew, taking him to his first ever game. About a year earlier, we had moved to a suburb of Chicago, and with the Jets playing just 3 hours south of Chicago on a holiday weekend, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to introduce him to live Jets football.
What we got to see that evening was a dramatic last second comeback led by Vinny that kept the Jets tied with the Pats atop the Division.
The Jets settled for 3 on their opening drive, but went 92 yards on 9 plays on their next possession. When Testaverde hit Lamont Jordan on a short pass in the flat and Jordan took it 25 yards for the score it gave the Jets a 10-0 2nd quarter lead. The Colts closed the gap on a 46-yard TD run by Dominic Rhodes to make it 10-7.
The Jets would continue to move the ball effectively all evening, reaching Colts territory on all but two of their 12 possessions, but when they approached the red zone, the Colts defense stiffened. Vinny would finish completing 28 of 48 passes for 285 yards and two TDs, but he also threw two interceptions. Curtis Martin added 122 yards on the ground. All the Jets were able to manage was 4 more John Hall field goals and a 22-17 lead early in the 4th quarter.
Peyton Manning was efficient for the Colts. He finished 25-35 for 228 yards and a 3rd quarter TD pass to Marcus Pollard. The Colts finally took their first lead of the game with about ten minutes left on a trick play. On a 3rd and ten at the Jets 39, Manning lateralled to TE Ken Dilger who hit Marvin Harrison for 39 yards and the TD. A successful 2-point conversion made it 25-22. The Colts added a field goal with inside of 3 minutes left to extend their lead to 6.
The Jets took over at their own 24 following the kickoff, needing 76 yards to pull out a victory and remain tied for first place. After a 23 yard pass to Wayne Chrebet got the Jets near midfield, Vinny narrowly avoided disaster, when he recovered his own fumble. A couple of plays later, under pressure from the Colts rush, Vinny took off, gaining 12 yards before pitching the ball to Curtis Martin who gained the last 11, putting the Jets at the Colts 21. After a 15-yard completion to Martin, the Jets had 1st and goal at the Colts 6 with just over a minute to play. Vinny would hit Anthony Becht for the remaining 6 yards to give the Jets a dramatic 29-28 victory.
"Considering everything, all the pressure on us winning in December, the playoff pressure, never winning here -- at least I hadn't won here -- and being on national television, that's probably one of the best drives I've been associated with coming in a winning game," Testaverde said.
The Jets would lose to a 3-win Buffalo team the following week and need a 53 yard John Hall field goal in game 16 in Oakland to clinch a Wild Card playoff spot.
Watching the Jets pull the game out in Indy, with my son sitting next to me for the first time at an NFL stadium, will always be one of my favorite Jet memories. On this date in 2001.
Source: The Lakeland Ledger & ESPN.com
The Jets travelled to Indianapolis for a Sunday Night matchup with the Colts. The Jets were 8-5 and still in the hunt for a Division Title, entering Sunday’s play tied with New England for first place in the AFC East.
If you happened to be at the RCA Dome that evening, and you looked up to the very last row of the upper deck, you might have seen a younger, heavier, but less grey version of Lith sitting with his then 9-year old son, Andrew, taking him to his first ever game. About a year earlier, we had moved to a suburb of Chicago, and with the Jets playing just 3 hours south of Chicago on a holiday weekend, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to introduce him to live Jets football.
What we got to see that evening was a dramatic last second comeback led by Vinny that kept the Jets tied with the Pats atop the Division.
The Jets settled for 3 on their opening drive, but went 92 yards on 9 plays on their next possession. When Testaverde hit Lamont Jordan on a short pass in the flat and Jordan took it 25 yards for the score it gave the Jets a 10-0 2nd quarter lead. The Colts closed the gap on a 46-yard TD run by Dominic Rhodes to make it 10-7.
The Jets would continue to move the ball effectively all evening, reaching Colts territory on all but two of their 12 possessions, but when they approached the red zone, the Colts defense stiffened. Vinny would finish completing 28 of 48 passes for 285 yards and two TDs, but he also threw two interceptions. Curtis Martin added 122 yards on the ground. All the Jets were able to manage was 4 more John Hall field goals and a 22-17 lead early in the 4th quarter.
Peyton Manning was efficient for the Colts. He finished 25-35 for 228 yards and a 3rd quarter TD pass to Marcus Pollard. The Colts finally took their first lead of the game with about ten minutes left on a trick play. On a 3rd and ten at the Jets 39, Manning lateralled to TE Ken Dilger who hit Marvin Harrison for 39 yards and the TD. A successful 2-point conversion made it 25-22. The Colts added a field goal with inside of 3 minutes left to extend their lead to 6.
The Jets took over at their own 24 following the kickoff, needing 76 yards to pull out a victory and remain tied for first place. After a 23 yard pass to Wayne Chrebet got the Jets near midfield, Vinny narrowly avoided disaster, when he recovered his own fumble. A couple of plays later, under pressure from the Colts rush, Vinny took off, gaining 12 yards before pitching the ball to Curtis Martin who gained the last 11, putting the Jets at the Colts 21. After a 15-yard completion to Martin, the Jets had 1st and goal at the Colts 6 with just over a minute to play. Vinny would hit Anthony Becht for the remaining 6 yards to give the Jets a dramatic 29-28 victory.
"Considering everything, all the pressure on us winning in December, the playoff pressure, never winning here -- at least I hadn't won here -- and being on national television, that's probably one of the best drives I've been associated with coming in a winning game," Testaverde said.
The Jets would lose to a 3-win Buffalo team the following week and need a 53 yard John Hall field goal in game 16 in Oakland to clinch a Wild Card playoff spot.
Watching the Jets pull the game out in Indy, with my son sitting next to me for the first time at an NFL stadium, will always be one of my favorite Jet memories. On this date in 2001.
Source: The Lakeland Ledger & ESPN.com
