Things can get ugly when an elite defense faces a quarterback with his career start total in the single-digits.
Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars got the memo.
The New York Jets (2-0) intercepted Jaguars quarterback Luke McCown four times and recorded a safety in their 32-3 rout of Jacksonville (1-1). Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie grabbed two takeaways, and rookie defensive lineman Mo Wilkerson got the endzone-takedown in the first quarter.
“The defense, we did a great job of recognizing plays and going out and just playing solid,” Cromartie told reporters after the game. “A lot of stuff we clicked on was play recognition and just going out and attacking.”
New York’s offense was efficient as well, as quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for two touchdowns, and tailback Shonn Greene added another on the ground. Sanchez did get intercepted twice, but the Jets’ defense held up when it needed to and gave the offense enough opportunities to make things right.
Sanchez went 17-for-24 for 183 yards. He also picked up 29 yards on three carries.
Santonio Holmes caught the game’s first score, but tight end Dustin Keller had the big game running routes, leading the team in receiving with 101 yards and a touchdown on six catches.
“They pretty much gave us the middle of the field and they were playing a lot of zone,” Keller said. “They just left the middle of the field wide open so that left a lot of things wide open for me.”
Kicker Nick Folk went 3-for-3, with two goal-post splitters coming in the second quarter. His second make was 45 yards.
The Jets got a huge scare when standout center Nick Mangold went down with a sprained ankle in the first quarter. Undrafted rookie Colin Baxter, who had never taken a snap from Sanchez before Sunday, was serviceable filling in for Mangold, and New York got some positive news when Mangold’s X-rays came back negative.
“I hope he’s back this week, but I’m really not sure,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “Baxter stepped in and did a nice job. It’s a similar system. We got him from San Diego so the terminology’s similar with [offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer] Schotty coming from San Diego... The young man stepped in and did a nice job.”
Josh Mauga and Eric Smith snatched McCown's other two picks.
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