The Jets currently find themselves in a 6-6 logjam with the Dolphins, Steelers and Ravens. Gang Green and the other .500 AFC East clubs are chasing the 7-5 Jaguars who beat the Jets weeks back in a game that looms large with tie breaker implications going against the Jets should both teams finish with the same record. That said, the Bucs game is huge with banged up Atlanta on deck. After that the undefeated Colts and first place Bengals await. There’s no room for error this weekend. 8-6 is essential if the Jets want to keep it going past Christmas.

Clemens replaced Sanchez in the third quarter last Thursday against Buffalo and was rusty. The fourth year QB lost his footing on a few occasions, fumbled a snap, and was stripped on a rollout near the Jet goal line. Sunday will be Clemens first start since the final game in 2007, a win over the hapless Chiefs. “Yeah, I’m coming off a one-game winning streak,’’ Clemens said. “That’s 23 months ago … it seems like a long time ago.’’

Fortunately for Clemens the gameplan may be the same. Ground and Pound. Buffalo was ranked 32nd in rushing defense going into last week. The Jets, the number one rushing team in the NFL at 168.6 yards per game lived up to their average in week 13. The  RB combo of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene rushed for 168 yards combined. Tampa comes into the game ranked 31st. Clemens will need to manage the game, make solid decisions, move the chains at times, and like Sanchez, not make unforced errors. The truth is though, Sunday will again be about the run game.

Can Clemens lead the Jets to a win? He says that he just has to do his job. Nothing more. This IS a 1-11 opponent.  Coach Rex Ryan is showing faith in his backup. “I have a lot of confidence in Kellen Clemens; this football team has confidence in Kellen.’’ The colorful rookie head coach also provided insight as to how Sanchez took the news of the benching. “He’s mad as a hornet at me. But that’s good. I was mad at him (for not sliding Thursday) and now he’s mad at me, so we’re even.’’

Buccaneers rookie head coach Raheem Morris inserted Josh Freeman into the starting lineup during the middle of the season.The rookie QB led the Bucs to their only win, a 38-28 victory over Green Bay four weeks back  in which 2009’s 17th overall pick in the April NFL draft tossed three TDs. Last week Freeman threw for 321 yards no TDs, and five picks in a loss to the 4-7 Panthers. WR Antonio Bryant had 116 of those receiving yards, and appears to have shaken off the injury bug that has plagued the clubs top wideout all year. TE Kellen Winslow Jr  provides Freeman with another threat in the passing game and the once oft injured RB Cadillac Williams who gained 92 yards last week can get loose from time to time. The Jets defense however, is ranked second in the NFL giving up just 276 yards per game (Green Bay is first at 273 yds given up on average). The front four will need to contain Williams while the Jet ground game tries to control the tempo in the first half.

CB  Darelle Revis is coming off yet another sensational performance in holding hot WR Terrell Owens to a mere 30 yards. CB Lito Shephard kept speedy Lee Evans to just 40 yards and was aggressive playing the ball, almost turning a few Ryan Fitzpatrick throws into ints. LB David Harris is heating up again. Last week in Toronto, Harris had 11 tackles and was a force all game. If the Jet top defenders  like Revis, Harris, LB Bart Scott can continue to have the presence they lacked during their November swoon, yet have regained in wins over Carolina and Buffalo the load will be even lighter for Clemens. At 6-6, this is no time for the Jets to take a step back. One false move in Tampa and 2009 is history.

THREE KEYS TO THE TAMPA BAY GAME

CLEMENS DO YOUR JOB: He said it. I just have to do my job. He’s right. 150 passing yards, no bad ints backed up deep, and that could be enough. Remeber, he relieve Chad Pennington in 2007 and almost rescue the Jets in Baltimore early in the season.

ANTONIO BRYANT: and CADILLAC WILLIAMS Bryant’s their one big play threat.

Finally he’s healthy. Darelle  Revis has shut everyone down in 2009. He’ll need to do it again. Keep Bryant quiet and Williams modest and keeping the Bucs from stealing this game becomes that much easier.

EDWARDS, CATCH THE BALL: Kellen Clemens will need the WRs to hold onto catchable balls Sunday. The throws will be few and far between. Some may be deep shots, most third downs and manageable yardage. Clemens confidence will grow as the chains move. Extra focus is needed by Braylon Sunday. A long drop or a key third down muff this week could be costly.

follow TJ Rosenthal on Twitter @ thejetreport

The Jets took control late in the second quarter. Down 10-9,  Braylon Edwards (3-45yds 1TD) hauled in a tough 13 yard throw in traffic and stretched over the goal line with 2:58 left in the half. The play was ruled down at the one but head coach Rex Ryan challenged it and the call was overturned. 16-10 Jets. This made up for a key drop by the former Cleveland Brown, wide open, on a long throw from Sanchez in the first quarter.

Still up 16-10 in the third, Sanchez then hurt his knee on a third down dive for a first down. He had worked with Yankees manager Joe Girardi this past week on sliding, after aggravating the knee on a scramble last week in the 17-6 win against Carolina. The play however called for an aggressive attempt in order for the Jets to keep possession, not a slide. QB Kellen Clemens took over the rest of the way, and was shaky at best. The career backup fumbled a snap and got stripped on a third down roll out inside the Jets twenty. Luckily the Jets recovered. Clemens did however make a key third down throw to the outside in the middle of the fourth quarter to WR Jerricho Cotchery. The completion led to K Jay Feely’s third FG of the game, a 37 yarder to put the Jets up 19-10 with 7:00 left.

Bills K Rob Lindell answered with a 32 yarder to cut the Jet lead to 19-13 with just under 5:00 left. The Jets then went three and out, leaving the season in the hands of the defense. Prior to Thursday night, the defense had twice given up game winning scores on the final drive in 2009. In Toronto, the D answered the call. DE Sean Ellis, who was active all night, put the Bills in a quick hole on their final drive with a key first down sack. On second down, the Bills went for it all down the right sideline, but CB Darrelle Revis, who held hot WR Terrell Owens to just 31 yards, intercepted the Ryan Fitzpatrick bomb to put the game away. Revis has now shut down star wideouts Andre Johnson, Marques Colston, Randy Moss twice, Steve Smith, and now Owens twice. LB David Harris also had a stellar game with 11 tackles and a forced fumble that led to points.

Thomas Jones who finished with 109 yards on 25 carries, iced it on the ensuing drive with a 25 yard run with just over 2:00 to go. The Jets torched the league’s 32nd ranked rushing defense with a combo of Jones and rookie Shonn Greene (11-59yds).

The win allows the Jets the right to believe again; To rally around the truth that they are back in the playoff hunt. Jacksonville is 6-5 and the club that Gang Green is chasing for the sixth and final spot.  The big key over the next ten days, will be whether Sanchez can respond from the second straight knee injury in two games. During the post game press conference,  Sanchez admitted that “in the heat of the moment I was just trying to advance the chains.” The team will conduct more tests on Sanchez’s right knee over the coming days. As of Friday morning they are calling it a mild knee sprain. If the Sanchise is hurt, really hurt, the Jets may be in trouble. The latest Jet drama comes while they escape dire straits with two straight solid wins in five days.

A LOOK BACK ON THE THREE KEYS TO BUFFALO:

Darelle Revis vs Terrell Owens: Revis island owned TO. 31 yards was all Owens could muster up. Three deep throws to Owens, led to two incompletions and a game ending pick for the leagues top corner.

Thomas Jones vs Bills Defense: We said Jones needed 100 yds and a TD in order for the Jets to win. He didn’t get the TD but went over 100 which meant the Jets were running downhill in the second half.

Unsung hero?:  We asked for someone outside of the usual suspects to step up. Shonn Greene, Brad Smith, perhaps Danny Woodhead. Greene had 59 yards, Smith made some nice plays, Woodhead tripped on a screen and failed to look up on an early throw to him. Sean Ellis was the difference maker. Getting pressure all night in a game where the Jets had to have pressure so speedy Lee Evans would not have the time to expose CB Lito Shephard downfield. Shephard also played great , jumping short routes all night , almost coming up with some big picks.

follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter@ thejetreport

The Jets gave up 21 first half points and trailed 21-13 at the half. The malaise attributed to perhaps the two week layoff coming off of their bye week. Both S Jim Leonard and FS Kerry Rhodes were  quoted saying he team was flat defensively in the first half. That’s a hard pill to swallow for Jet fans, especially since reports had coach Rex Ryan chewing out his team this week to stop the excuses, imploring them to play like a playoff team he was quoted as claiming they are.

Star RB, the little bulldozer, Maurice Jones Drew torched the Jets early and often , with 78 first quarter yards. He finished with 123 on the day. The biggest play of the game however, came on a TD that Jones Drew chose NOT to score on.  With the score 22-21 Jets with 1:48 left, the Jets called for “Free Way”  a play that allows the opposing team to score in order to get the ball back and have a chance to win. On the first try the Jets mistakenly tackled Drew. “We couldn’t even get that right,” Ryan, never at a loss for words, admitted afterwards. The second time, Drew shrewdly stopped at the one yard line. With no time outs left thanks to wasting two earlier ( to prevent a  twelve men on defense flag and the other by Sanchez on the Jags goal line), the Jets were forced to watch the clock wither away. Josh Scobee added the virtual extra point at the gun for the 24-22 Jags win.

This erased the comeback that left the Jets up 22-21 with 5:04 left thanks to a Thomas Jones (21-77 yds) one yard TD plunge. WR Braylon Edwards (3-79 yds) had a key two point conversion knocked out of his hands by the Jags FS Reggie Nelson. The throw was behind Edwards but still catchable. “Nelson is paid to make plays and he made a godd play on that one.” Edwards said. The former Browns WR, known for the dropsies is now 1-8 combined in games played this year with Cleveland and the Jets. His fault? No, but the frustrations is apparent. “It stinks..its not my fault per se but I don’t want to fell like the black sheep.” he added lamenting what so many Jets who’ve come and gone in this franchise’s consistent  losing history must feel upon exiting the stadium.

The Jets are not dead yet. They ARE however, on life support. The defense has still yet to create points off of turnovers. The Sanchez to TE Dustin Keller combo, so poised to break out and open up the passing game outside the numbers, is just missing the mark on too many occasions. All parts, including game management by the coaches, need to start clicking fast or this season will be gone by Turkey day.

As for Sunday, has a player ever taken a knee over scoring a touchdown in order to keep the clock moving like Jones-Drew did? Probably not. Only the Jets franchise would be involved in a play like that.

Nonetheless , the Jets need to go to Foxboro and try to begin to erase the ghosts of their Gang Green past that have somehow crept back into the equation. Worse, they need to do it against  the furious Pats, their hated rivals, who want revenge from their week two loss at the Meadowlands. Bill Belicheck’s first place crew also will be stinging from the loss at Indy Sunday night that saw them go for a strange fourth and two on their own 28 yard line in order to prevent Peyton Manning one last shot. It backfired.

The 4-5 Jets remain just two games  back of the 6-3 Pats. A  win would inch them closer to the top of the AFC East and  give them the tie breaker over New England. When the dust settles this week, that will be how Rex Ryan must frame this next test. As a game that, with a win, restores hope. To do that, Ryan will have to stop Brady and put the “Same Old Jets” talk to bed again. It’s funny how these negative Green ghosts somehow rear their ugly heads every season.

A LOOK BACK ON THE THREE KEYS TO THE JAGS GAME:

Turnovers: The Jets defense, built off pressure and chaos, again, didn’t get any. End of story.

Thomas Jones vs Maurice Jones Drew. Jones-Drew won the battle in yardage 123 to 77. He also made the play of the day by not scoring on the final drive.

Mike Sims-Walker vs Darrelle Revis: Sims Walker managed a TD catch but didn’t dominate the field. Revis is a big play guy the Jets desperately need

going forward. An interception taken back by a ball hawk shut down corner like Revis, would aid the Jets offense in a huge way.

Follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter@ thejetreport

1.  A Lack of Commitment to the Running Game

Take Monday night’s debacle against the Broncos. While LT’s yards per carry average was not what it has been when he’s been at his peak performance, against a good defense he was consistently picking up positive yards and moving the chains. He looked fresher and quicker than I remember him in the last two-plus seasons. He had the quickness and explosion we’ve all gotten so used to from LT.

It felt like any play he was about to break the big one. He still had 70 yards, but on only 18 carries. Imagine if he was given carries on the goal-line early in the first quarter when the Chargers settled for another field goal. Say he gets to 25 carries. He gets very close to 100 yards, and I bet breaks a big one and gets well past that mark.

But more important is the effect the commitment to the run has on the Chargers both as a team and an offense. Norv Turner apparently felt he had to call all pass plays when only down by four points with about six minutes to go in the game. When Mike Nolan, the Broncos Defensive Coordinator, figured this out he just started blitzing an overmatched Chargers offensive line. Poor Philip Rivers had no chance to find men down field because blitzers were in his face as soon as he got back in his drop.

If Turner would’ve run the ball even once or twice on that drive, the Broncos would’ve had to respect that and played a little more conservatively, thereby giving Rivers at least a chance to find an open receiver.

As a New Orleans Saints fan I’ve seen how a pass-only offense ends up working out. You may put up great numbers and score a lot of points, but it is so hit or miss that you have as many three-and-outs as you do big plays. And the ball is in the air so much you’re bound to have a lot of turnovers.

Three-and-outs and turnovers kill your own defense because it puts them in horrible field position and makes them play far more downs than they are capable of handling before they break down. Complementary football, as Sean Payton calls it, is what wins football games. Run the football, keep your defense off the field, and give your offense a chance by being unpredictable.

2.  Poor Line Play on Both Sides of the Ball

Again this is hard for anyone to question, but still bears being repeated. It is understandable why Norv Turner shies away from the running game. For the most part, they (the O-Line) have done nothing to reward his confidence in them. Since it is a little bit easier to throw the ball without great blocking, passing becomes your best option.

Part of the O-Line’s issues goes back to Pro Bowl Center Nick Hardwick’s absence. He is responsible for getting the line into its’ proper protections and adjustments. He has done this very well for a good number of years now. Without him the line is somewhat lost. Other injuries to Louis Vazquez have forced the Chargers to start two less qualified players on their O-Line for part of this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chargers are greatly missing the services of two men who are now in other buildings, Igor Olshansky, now with the Cowboys, and Wayne Nunnelly, the veteran D-Line Coach who had been with the Chargers for 14 years and is now doing a wonderful job with…you guessed it the Denver Broncos.

Of course, losing All Pro Nose Tackle Jamal Williams doesn’t help matters either. The Chargers D-Line has become an undersized, minimally talented unit that for the most part does not fit the scheme the team is trying to run. Many in Charger Land are now casting blame on GM A.J. Smith for his inability to find suitable backups in case of a Jamal Williams injury or dropoff in production because of his age.

I for one, believed two years ago Kentwan Balmer, a DT out of North Carolina, would have been the perfect man to eventually replace Williams at that nose spot. Smith instead chose CB Antoine Cason, who looks like he’ll be a good player, but seemed to be less of a need pick at the time. Now the Chargers are left trying to fill a couple D-Line positions with career journeymen. Is it any wonder they are struggling to stop the run?

3.  The Approach Has Become Stale

It is not uncommon for coaches to feel as if they are no longer reaching the players on their team after ten years or so with the same team. Well, it hasn’t been nearly that long for Norv Turner, but it is reaching that amount of time for GM A.J. Smith. And under Smith, the approach has been the same. Bring in young talent, sign your core players long-term, but don’t at any cost overpay them, and only sign second-tier free agents who will make your team as backups or role players.

To be completely honest, I generally love this model. It has worked for some of the best franchises in the league, such as Pittsburgh, New England, Indianapolis, and perhaps you could include Philadelphia. But guess what? They’ve all at least been to a Super Bowl. The Chargers have not.

Players will buy into anything if it leads them to their ultimate goal. But when their ultimate goal is not being met, uneasiness and questioning begins to take place. You might say success breeds success, just as losing leads to more losing. In my opinion this has happened to the San Diego Chargers. You could see it in the First Quarter when both Tomlinson and Antonio Gates (both team leaders and core players) showed their frustration after a third down call on the goal-line.

Most people realize San Diego’s real leader is not Norv Turner. He is much more of a puppet to A.J. Smith. Turner is basically just a glorified Offensive Coordinator. Smith chose him after firing Marty Schottenheimer to keep the current offense (which again was smart), but also so he could choose his own defensive coordinator. Most organizations allow their head coach to make such a decision.

A.J. Smith is a wonderful talent evaluator, but he has worn out his welcome with his bold moves, most notably allowing Drew Brees to leave via Free Agency, although in hindsight it worked out okay because Rivers has developed nicely.

The bigger point is that the players know Norv Turner has no power, and therefore they do not respect him. And they do not respect A.J. Smith because he is a pompous, overbearing boss who is doing more than his job description entails.

If the Chargers have any chance at salvaging their season, Turner must retake hold of this team and their psyche. He must recommit to running the football, and find a way to get some production out of his lines, despite their lack of talent and size.

It is a tall order to say the least. It is unfortunate that Turner is in this position because he actually has done an okay job given the situation he’s been given. He’s fighting an uphill battle, and one very few coaching candidates now would want to be a part of. Truthfully, despite San Diego’s talent level, I would say the Chargers Head Coaching job has become one of the least attractive in the league because you are faced with A.J. Smith.

It is no secret what I think the biggest problem is in San Diego.

HT: 6-2 WT: 212

DOB: June 22, 1977 In: Lloydminster, Sask.

Hockey Inspirations: “I’m from Lloydminster, Sask., which is about two hours from Edmonton and I grew up watching the Oilers – Gretzky, Messier and all those guys. I was a huge fan.”

First Hockey Memory: “When, I think as a five-year-old, the game went into overtime and they pulled the goalie so the kids would have to skate over the blueline to shoot it in. I stumbled over the blueline and barely got it over the goal line – it was like my first goal in overtime. I can still kind of clearly see the puck going in. I don’t know why it’s so vivid, still to this day. It’s funny the things you remember.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “I enjoy golfing in the summer. Summer’s a great time to get away from the ice. I have a boat. Enjoy some water sports; wake boarding.

Nicknames: “Reds, Redsy, Red Dog.”

Favorite Movies: “Actually a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and his movies like Blood Diamond and The Departed. Looking forward to seeing Body Of Lies – it’s just coming out. A lot of his movi es are mystery, drama – great acting.”

Last Book Read: “I’m in the process of reading a story about Genghis Khan by Conn Iggulden. It’s kind of history mixed in with fiction, so it’s actually really good reading.”

Favorite TV Show: “Seinfeld.”

Musical Tastes: “The classic stuff. You hear a lot of Rolling Stones in the dressing room. I think that’s because Scotty Gomez is such a huge fan. I like them. Guns and Roses; Pearl Jam. I also like to mix the country in, too – Garth Brooks is an old favorite from way back. Tim McGraw.”

First Job: “Well, I grew up on a farm. My dad farmed, I always worked there. One of our neighbors had a seed farm. He’d have to go pick the weeds in his crops, because he couldn’t have any weeds in his greens. So we’d get roped into doing that every year. Me and my brother would get the call from the guy – such a nice lil’ guy. He’d take us for pizza all the time for lunch. And we didn’t have the heart to say no to him even though it was kind of a crappy job.”

First Car: “I bought a Chevy pick-up truck, step-side, four-by-four (green). I was pretty pleased with that vehicle.”

Current Car: “Just got a Lexus, the hybrid SUV (dark gray).”

Favorite Website: “Probably YouTube. I like going on there and checking out whatever. I just surf around and find some funny stuf f to watch – Will Ferrell Saturday Night Live skits, old hockey films, stuff like that.”

Pre-Game Feeling: “Just try to focus. Usually have a few thoughts in my head – what I want to do on the ice. Kind of run through that, go over that list and remind myself what I want to do out there. Then just get excited and get ready to go.”

Favorite Meal: “Hard to say. Italian food probably – so many good Italian restaurants in New York. Chicken parm, good pastas; such fresh food – good and tasty, rich.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “I’d say chocolate.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Other than the first game, first goal – I actually scored my first goal in my first game (in Montreal in ‘96). We had some big moments in Ottawa – we went to the final one year. I think winning the Eastern Conference in overtime – it’s always such a good feeling to win in overtime. Daniel Alfredsson scored in Game 5 to put us in the final. That was a great moment.”

Most Painful Moment: “Losing in the semifinal to Jersey – they scored a late goal in Game 7 to beat us. That was a tough one.”

Closest Hockey Friends: “My old teammates in Ottawa – Alfredsson and Phillips. Scotty Hartnell, too, is a guy from my hometown Lloydminster – he plays in Philadelphia. I keep in touch with him a little bit, too.”

Funnie st Players Encountered: “Andre Roy. He was in Ottawa for quite a while and I got to be buddies with him. Just a clown all the time and keeps everyone laughing.”

Toughest Competitors: “That’s hard to say. I played a lot against Gary Roberts in Toronto when he was there. He always seemed to do so well against us. He’s just a hard-working guy and fearless.”

Funny Hockey Memory: “A few times it happened – when we’re getting ready for the national anthem and the girl comes out on the ice. There were three of them one time in Nashville and they all wiped right out on the mat. Or – I hate to bring this up – but we were in Quebec City; we had to play the U.S. team before the ‘05 World Championship. The girl came out to the ice to sing the American anthem and she lost the tune and forgot the words. Then she went off and came back to try again and slipped and fell on the ice – it’s been on every highlight reel. That’s one of the funnier moments I’ve witnessed.”

Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “In a charity game in Alberta, during the lockout. After we scored a goal they give you a prize and you throw it in the stands. I got a basketball and I went to kick it in the stands. I didn’t even get it over the glass and I wiped out – went flying onto the ice.”

Last Vacation: “It was actually my honeymoon. I got married this summer. It was later in the su mmer, so we took a little trip to Vegas – spent four days there, had a great time.”

Most Memorable Goal: “My first year, maybe go back to then. We were in a playoff race and second-to-last game of the year we were in Detroit. I got the winning goal with less than a minute left. Then we ended up winning our next game at home, the next night, to advance to the playoffs.”

Strangest Game: “I remember one time in Ottawa the power went out right before the game. And we were sitting there for like an hour-and-a-half after warmup. All the power went off in the whole building. We were sitting around, not knowing if we were going to play – just had the emergency lights on. Then they finally got the power going – we started about 9 p.m. That was a little odd.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Just down to earth, good people who like to laugh and have a good time. Just people like that; good-hearted and not rude. Not too cocky, but I don’t mind a little cocky – it’s kind of funny.”

Mark “Scoop” Malinowski’s first book “Heavyweight Armageddon: The Lewis-Tyson Championship Battle” was called “A smashing success, one of the two best boxing books I ever read,” by Emanuel Steward. It is available at amazon.com.

The Jets were down 3-0 after one, and driving. They got out of the first quarter, despite struggling on the ground again while holding Drew Brees  with a solid pass rush and tight secondary coverage.

Then Sanchez made his biggest mistake of the year. Staring down TE Dustin Keller in the end zone one the 1st play of the second quarter, Sanchez failed to look off FS Darren Sharper. Sharper read the eyes of Sanchez, stepped in front and went 99 yards for the TD, 10-0 Saints. A huge emotional game changer. On the brink of going in for the lead now down two scores, the mountain to climb suddenly felt long and steep.

The Saints went for the knockout on the ensuing drive but a Jet goal line stand that saw two incompletions by Brees left the Jets still down 10, but backed up  on their own 2. Then the mountain grew even steeper and longer.. The Jets came out throwing but Sanchez failed to find any open receivers and took too long in escaping. DE Will Smith (no, not the actor) caught him and stripped the ball. It was recovered by Remi Ayoldele for the TD, 17-0 Saints.

The Jets tacked on 3 and got out of dodge with a 17-3 deficit. Needing to take better care of the ball, but not out of the game.

While Sanchez and the ground game struggled, thanks to a Saints defense that smothered the Jets all day (sacks, int) the defense continued to thwart the most high powered passing team in the NFL. Then the Jets finally broke through. After having a fire lit under him by rookie Shonn Greene (yds, left with an injury or he would’ve gotten more), Thomas Jones rambled through the middle of the Saints line to cut the lead to 17-10. Thats how the third ended. The Jets, with guts and

a fighting attitude, had a chance.

The offense had two possessions with the ball but failed to pick up the first. One was a thrid and one slant thrown too hard by Sanchez to WR Jerricho Cotchery. A play that Alan Faneca was quoted Sunday as saying he wished were kept on the ground. That because that is the O line’s time to take on the responsibility.

Finally, in the middle of the fourth, the Saints broke it open. Pierre Thomas (86 yards ), who got going in the second half, while the defense fatigued and continued to keep their focus on Brees, rushed in for a () touchdown and a 24-10 lead. A fourth and less than a yard offside’s by NG Kris Jenkins, on the Jet 43 kept the drive alive. The gamble to time the play perfectly backfired for Jenkins but he and the Jets have nothing to be ashamed of. A second Sanchez int to Sharper on a roll out under pressure around midfield on the next drive sealed the win for New Orleans.

The most telling moment of the game was not the result from a play on the field. It was when Jenkins put his arm around the rookie Sanchez to console him and remind him that the team has faith in him. That’s because for the first time in years, the Jets ARE a team. Gang Green has a pulse, a soul. Their ability to trail big early on the road against a great offense, settle down and have the ball in the 4th with a chance to tie are the kinds of situations a team growing into winners will value as October becomes November and playoff December. Tough loss but spirits are high. “THe mistakes killed us. you turn the ball over like that in this league and you can’t win.” Sanchez said, taking responsibility for his role in the loss like a field leader the Jets need.

The 1-3 Miami Dolphins are next. Monday night Football. Another divisional battle. Another classic Jets Miami game on the way.  Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the Wildcat await along with QB Chad Henne, who now runs the offense thanks to the season ending injury to Chad Pennington. He was was solid in his first NFL start, a 38-10 blowout win against the often times pathetic Buffalo Bills Sunday. Henne will be getting a dose of Rex Ryan’s crew though next week at Landshark stadium. That will be  a different experience for Henne than the lost Bills. Quarterback play on both sides will be the key next Monday night as the 3-1 Jets look to keep pace with the streaking 3-1 New England Patriots in the AFC East .

A look back at the FRO three keys to beat the Saints:

Brees vs Jet blitz. I asked for sacks, not pressure: The Jets didn’t get any. Hence, no major drive killers that included turnovers, over a loss of inherited field position.

Jet ground game vs Saints front seven: A fast start running the ball  was essential against the high scoring Saints. The Jet’s didn’t get one. This prevented the Jets from controlling tempo and clock in the first half. They trailed 17-3 at halftime.

Dustin Keller vs Saints linebackers: I envisioned a big dose of Keller, all over the place a la Jason Witten. In the flat, over the middle, behind New Orleans  MLB Jonathan Vilma. It didn’t happen. Saints pressure and the Jets inability to run effectively were part of the cause but Keller was targeted but too many times in the flat. None of the attempts were deep post patterns that could’ve provided the big play threat the Jets lack right now in their passing game. The Jets tried to offset the pressure with slants but none went to Keller. A key third and one try went to WR Chansi Stuckey and was not converted. Keller finished with just  33 yards.

But for one afternoon at least, the core of the Isles youth movement was able to  combine effort and skill to outwork a veteran team. Sean Bergenheim’s empty-net goal with .7 seconds left gave him his first career hat trick and 13 different Islanders logged at least one point in a 7-3 win over New Jersey.

“I don’t know what I’m doing differently right now. I just play,” said Bergenheim, who added goals 12, 13 and 14 of the season.

Despite shooting at an empty net, the former first-round pick still produced a highlight-reel play when he shrugged off fierce pressure from Brendan Shanahan and fired a far-angle shot near the goal line along the bench-side boards. Bergenheim’s near 90-degree shot found the twine, prompting some fans to pelt the ice with hats as the Finnish forward became the first Islander to score a hat trick since Bill Guerin in October 2007.

“I kind of made it a little bit tight there, but I’m happy it was one second before and not one second late,” Bergenheim said. “The [chip-in] went pretty far, and I couldn’t backhand it or anything. I needed to pull it to get a better angle and there wasn’t much time, so I knew I had to shoot it.

“Sometimes when you do something on the ice, you’re in the zone. You don’t think too much. You just do it. I didn’t have time to think.”

Coach Scott Gordon saw his club score seven goals for the first time since a 2006 victory over the Rangers. Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen-fellow members of the under-25 club- all contributed to goals in front of a crowd of 15,524 at Nassau Coliseum.

Yet before they could even celebrate, team officials announced Trent Hunter suffered a season-ending ankle injury trying to check Bobby Holik in the first period.

Hunter played 4:46 in the first period before fracturing his left ankle. It was another blow to the Islanders depth considering the team already is without injured veterans Mike Sillinger, Doug Weight, Richard Park, Andy Sutton and Brendan Witt is still serving his five-game suspension.

“I went to hit Holik and kind of got twisted up,” Hunter said. “I was just coming off a bruise on it. There was some swelling in there, but it’s a different injury. There’s not much you can do.”

Joey MacDonald outdid his counterpart, making 35 saves as the Isles won for the third time in four games. Future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur struggled, allowing three first-period goals and six goals on 20 shots in 40 minutes.

“Our guys came out and set the tone of the game,” Gordon said.

Brian Gionta scored 23 seconds into the second period to make it 3-1 and add some intrigue. Bergenheim responded 61 seconds later, adding his first goal to re-establish the three-goal edge.

“The effort that’s being put out by our team is something that’s been a constant for us [lately] and we’re getting some wins because of it,” Okposo said. “Everybody who’s come up has really fit in nicely.”

The Islanders employed a roster featuring eight players who have spent time in AHL Bridgeport. The mini Sound Tigers jumped on the Atlantic Division-leading Devils. Bergenheim scored twice, Tambellini assisted on Radek Martinek’s opening goal just 1:42 into the contest and Bailey added two assists. Minor league call-up Mike Iggulden also added two assists in his Isles debut.

“That was something pretty special,” Iggulden said. “I didn’t expect anything. I just wanted to work as hard as I could. To get a couple of assists was something really special for me.”

It was hard to discern which team was playing for the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and which is in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Isles surged to a 3-0 lead just 14:05 into the contest, punctuated by Jeff Tambellini’s breakaway goal.

Tambellini, who entered Monday’s game with just six points in 44 games, tallied his second multi-point game in the past three contests.

He started the season the NHL roster before being demoted to Bridgeport in order to find his game after the winger tallied two assists in his first 23 games. After picking up a goal and an assist in a win over Colorado Monday, Tambellini was credited as the second assist.

He also allowed the home team to enter the first intermission up three when he subtly skated behind defensemen Paul White and Bryce Salvador at the blue line. Mark Streit then lifted a perfect outlet pass from inside the Islanders defense zone that went right to Tambellini’s stick, initiating the breakaway. Tambellini finished the one-on-one by sliding a backhand under Brodeur’s pads as the crowd erupted for his fourth goal of the season.

“If anybody expects me to come out and every game and shut down everybody; thanks for the confidence but it’s not something that’s going to happen,” Brodeur said. “I felt pretty good; I felt I was where I needed to be. The puck didn’t hit me. You have to give them credit. They got pucks on net and shots really close and made some good plays.”

Iggulden, who appeared in one NHL game as a San Jose Shark against the Islanders last season, made a big contribution in 12:37 of ice time. He assisted on two of Bergenheim’s goals, including an even strength tally that made it 6-2 with 2:40 left in the second. That goal effectively chased Brodeur when Kevin Weekes came out to start the third period.

“This year, the first half of the season, it was tough because I didn’t play close to the level where I knew could play,” Bergenheim said. “By saying that, I have to keep on playing this way and keep getting better.”

With the two teams tied at one after one, Pelley’s trio of goals was the highlight in a back-and-forth second period that saw the Devils take the lead.  Lowell went up by one at 3:10 when Pelley’s pass on a 2-on-1 rush was deflected back to him and he was able to dump it into the open net.

The Devils’ captain struck again three minutes later with a nifty backhand shot past goalie Thomas Greiss that made the score 3-1.

Jamie McGinn’s power play goal at 13:45 cut Lowell’s lead in half, but Pelley would respond on the man-advantage to cap off his scoring and put his team back up by two.  Alexander Vasyunov sent a pass to the crease for Barry Tallackson, who shrugged off the defender and hit a streaking Pelley at the far post for his ninth of the season.

Worcester would make it interesting once again as Corey Larose deflected Brendan Buckley’s point shot down and under the pads of Jeff Frazee.  Lowell would quickly answer back once again, when – during a delayed penalty – Mark Fraser’s wrist shot from in front of his bench weaved its way through traffic and past Greiss with 16.6 seconds left in the second frame.

The score remained 5-3 in favor of the Devils until the final moments of the third as Ryan Murphy completed a 3-on-1 break, knuckling a shot across the goal line.  Patrick Traverse added one late for the Sharks to complete the scoring.

The Sharks’ Matt Fornataro opened the scoring at 8:16 of the first, but later in the period it was Patrick Davis slipping by the defense before sliding a backhand through the pads of Greiss.

Frazee made 36 saves of 40 shots for his 17th win of the season, while Tallackson also contributed three assists.

The typical “joyful event” would always be preceded by snow shoveling; it was agreed that if all four of our families’ driveways were clean, it was game time.  Our “stadium” was Tom’s backyard–maybe 40 yards long and far from being level.  It really didn’t matter in what direction either squad was going–uphill or downhill; the slippery, snowy terrain made that a moot point.  Two-hand tag–although we didn’t mind being tackled at times as a fresh snowfall would surely cushion our falls.  And it was the same match-up every time we played:  Jimmy and I vs. Joe and Tom–the latter duo being a couple years older than us.  I’ll admit that those first couple of years were tough for Jimmy and I–middle-schoolers taking on bigger high school kids–but it just made us hungrier.  But we KNEW we were faster–and SOMEDAY that would be to our advantage.  Goal-line markers, primitive as they were, were the end of a picket fence (that housed a pool area close to the house) and a tree stump at the top of the hill.  You were out of bounds on one side of the field if you touched that fence (or stepped over the imaginary line that ran parallel to the goal line) or if you brushed against a set of lined evergreens on the other side.  Funny, I don’t remember many controversies about someone being out of bounds or not; we were on the “honor system” and I can only surmise that we respected each other a lot.  Oh, and if we played AFTER dinner on some snowy nights, the “stadium” would then be illuminated by the rear spotlights of our surrounding homes.  Yeah, I guess we weren’t gonna be outdone by that week’s “Monday Night Football” telecast.

We’d all dress similarly for our periodic ”snow wars”:  heavy jacket, snow pants, water-proof boots, and a knit cap with one’s favorite team logo on it.  To this day, I remember Joe wearing a Vikings hat all the time–sometimes pulled way down near his glasses.  In fact, I marvel to this day how Joe did it while wearing specs as they would fog up on occasion and often be lost in a foot of snow–resulting in an automatic time-out.  Tom was a burly teen who liked to lift weights; yeah, he was tough to block but could surely be outrun by us younger guys.  Joe was quick–and more athletic than his partner.  There was a simple format for each game–one rusher, one pass defender–with the former counting to “three Mississippi” before converging on the QB.  And I clearly remember Jimmy and I preferring to go in the uphill direction at the “stadium”; I think the two of us saw a clear advantage of the defense having to back-pedal against our emerging passing game–yours truly being the QB the majority of the time.  I recall Jimmy and I (when Joe and Tom weren’t around) practicing SCRIPTED patterns that we’d utilized during the next game–repeating them until they were executed regularly and easily.  Again, at the beginning, Joe and Tom’s age and size were too much for us to overcome; after a few winters, Jimmy and I grew bigger, faster, and smarter–and would RARELY lose.  That “out and up” pattern began to work for us every time.  Perhaps me hitting Jimmy occasionally on a square-out forced Joe and Tom to HAVE to be aware of the short pass; it was shortly thereafter that we’d mix in our “money” play–where I’d pump fake that same square-out pass and then hit Jimmy deep down the field.  Ah, and every successful possession felt better than the previous one; I’ll never forget that feeling when we were beating Joe and Tom regularly.  Yes, the young guys had arrived–and it was magical.

I remember one of those winters when all of us pooled our energy and rolled/created a huge snowball–maybe six feet tall, five feet wide; the placement of it near Tom’s garage was simply due to the fact that it could NOT be moved any farther.  Jimmy and I decided to use it for “training” purposes on those days when Joe and Tom weren’t around (perhaps when they were busy with high school activities).  “The Rock” (as it became known as after it froze to the core) was used to practice “toughening” skills:  we’d carry the football toward it–starting about ten yards away–and try to leap OVER it.  Those who were unsuccessful surely had sore chest/stomach muscles the next day; looking back, I wouldn’t trade that soreness for ANYTHING.  And I recall ”The Rock” getting harder by the day as the sub-freezing days piled up; I swear–that particular winter, it was standing from December until mid-March.

Yes, such vivid, tremendous memories of better days gone by.  Yeah, we DID play occasionally on a “snow-less” field and often took our games into the street when Tom’s Dad was working on the back lawn in the late fall.  But nothing beat playing in the “white stuff” when the welcomed winter arrived; those fond memories will always be a collective, treasured keepsake.  And now as I fast forward to 2009 and put on that adult “knit” cap, I’ll just offer this: ENOUGH SNOW ALREADY–O.K.?!