Packers End Jets' Streak At 5 With 9-0 Win
Updated: 11/1/10 8:44 a.m.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — It appeared Rex Ryan might have been on to something with all that Super Bowl talk.
The New York Jets came in tied for the NFL's best record, had a five-game winning streak and were fresh off a bye week.
And then came this: one big, ugly dud.
Mason Crosby kicked three field goals for Green Bay, and that was all the Packers needed as they held the Jets off the scoreboard for a 9-0 victory Sunday.
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"We just weren't good enough today," a frustrated Ryan said.
Sure, it's only one game, but for a team with dreams of a championship parade, this was a stunner. Not so much that the Jets (5-2) lost to a good, but banged-up Packers (5-3) team. It was the way it went down that was disturbing.
"It felt embarrassing to be shut out at home," right tackle Damien Woody said. "Our personnel and our coaching staff is too good for us to be shut out at home."
Mark Sanchez and the Jets' offense couldn't get much of anything going with some costly misfires and drops on a windy day, along with a couple of questionable calls by officials. Nick Folk missed a field goal, and punter Steve Weatherford failed to convert a fake on fourth-and-18 early in the game on a call overturned by a video replay.
"I wish we could play it again, do it over," Ryan said. "But there are no do-overs in this league."
Seven penalties and three turnovers didn't help the Jets, who were shut out for the first time since a 10-0 loss to Chicago on Nov. 19, 2006, at home.
"We love to be underdogs," Packers safety Nick Collins said. "Everybody thinks the Jets are the team to win the Super Bowl. We wanted to come in here and match their intensity and show them that we can play with anybody."
The Jets had a nice drive end in the fourth quarter when Dustin Keller caught a pass, rolled and then had the ball grabbed out of his hands by Charles Woodson. The Packers cornerback jogged into the end zone while several players on both teams looked around bewildered. Woodson was ruled down by contact at the Packers 43.
Replays showed it likely should not have been an interception, but New York was out of challenges after using both in the first half.
"From my standpoint, it looked like he was down," linebacker Calvin Pace said, "but I don't get paid to officiate."
The Packers capitalized on the turnover as Crosby gave them a 6-0 lead with a 41-yard field goal with 6:36 remaining.
The Jets had another promising drive short-circuited in the second quarter when Tramon Williams ripped the ball out of Jerricho Cotchery's hands for an interception while the two were on the ground. The play was challenged by Ryan, but upheld by replay review.
"Don't get me started," Jets linebacker Jason Taylor said when asked what he thought of the calls. "Unless you're going to pay my fine."
Even with all that, New York still had a chance to win in the closing minutes.
After turning the ball over on downs, the Jets held the Packers to a three-and-out and tried to finally get into the end zone trailing 6-0 with less than 4 minutes left.
Following a 5-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson, Cotchery couldn't hold onto a long pass from Sanchez, who was sacked on the next play by Matthews. Sanchez then threw incomplete to Braylon Edwards, and the Packers took over.
Crosby sealed it with a 40-yard field goal with 27 seconds left.
"We let one get away from us," Ryan said. "We just never got it done."
Rodgers, whom coach Mike McCarthy said sprained an ankle during the game, finished 15 of 34 for 170 yards. Sanchez was 16 of 38 for 256 yards and two interceptions — both on the disputed calls — and had at least four passes dropped by receivers.
"We left a lot of completions out there," Sanchez said. "It's just a poor job on my part."
Despite missing several starters and losing wide receiver Donald Driver, who reaggravated a quadriceps injury in the first half, the Packers hung in against the Jets' tough defense.
"I think it says a lot about us," Woodson said, "that we're not out of this thing yet."
The Packers sit atop the NFC North and take on Dallas at home next week before heading into their bye week.
"We feel like we should have won every game," defensive end Cullen Jenkins said. "We just have to keep that attitude that we know we're a good team."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
