New York Jets bounce back against Pittsburgh Steelers – Second Half
On Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets were locked in battle to ensure their playoff spots. The two AFC giants were neck and neck through the first half of the game. New York took an early lead which they held on to till the second quarter.
The Pittsburgh Steelers started the 3rd quarter on the offence. Nick Folk kicked 47 yards from New York’s 30 yard line which was returned for 3 yards and put the quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the 26 yard line. Big Ben started the drive with
4 yards to wide receiver Mike Wallace and play later threw 23 more yards Wallace. Mendenhall rushed 10 yards in two plays before and then, from New York’s 25, he rushed 21 more to take the Steelers deep inside the red zone. From the 4 yard line Mendenhall
rushed 2 yards to set up his first and only touchdown of the game.
Mendenhall rushed up the middle through New York’s secondary for touchdown put the Steelers in the lead for the first time in the game. The running back had been struggling for a while but against the Jets, who are the sixth best rushing defence in the league,
he was unstoppable. He rushed exactly a hundred yards in 17 carries and scored a touchdown. Shaun Suisham’s extra point attempt after the touchdown was good and put the Steelers in the lead with 17 points against 10.
New York would trail behind Pittsburgh for less than 4 minutes. After Mendenhall’s touchdown New York quarterback Mark Sanchez and running back Shonn Greene cut down the Steelers lead. From the 34 yard line Sanchez led the Jets to Pittsburgh’s 7 in just
6 plays. The Steelers’ defence was also penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. Sanchez rushed the final 7 yards of the drive for touchdown himself. Sanchez faked a handoff to fool the Steelers defence and ran himself for touchdown. “We practiced it
against our defense and it caught them off guard,” Sanchez said. “It was a great call at the right time.”
After Nick Folk’s extra point attempt the scores were tied once again at 17 points each. The Steelers wouldn’t score again in the game. Pittsburgh’s drive after Sanchez’s touchdown moved up from the 25 yard line to the 38 yard line before the Steelers opted
for the punt.
New York continued their offense from the 3rd quarter into the fourth. The offence moved up 11 yards in the third quarter and returned to the field in the 4th on the 45 yard line. From the 46, Sanchez threw 16 yards to Braylon Edwards.
He has caught over 700 yards in just 46 receptions and 6 touchdowns this season but this was the first 100 yard game for Edwards.
Shonn Green and LaDainian Tomlinson combined for 10 yards and Sanchez himself ran 8 yards on two carries. New York was able to advance into the red zone and up to the 16 yards. From the 16 the Jets attempted the field and Nick Folk’s attempt was good. With
the field goal New York created a 3 points lead over the Steelers with 10 minutes still remaining in the game.
Pittsburgh offense tried to chase the Jets but New York’s secondary proved to be a tougher challenge than what Roethlisberger was prepared for. Mewelde Moore and Mendenhall rushed 13 yards in two plays but on the third, the quarterback was sacked for 11
yards by New York’s cornerback Drew Coleman. The hit sent the ball flying out of Roethlisberger’s hands. The ball was recovered by Pittsburgh’s Flozell Adams on Pittsburgh 30. The offense recovered in the next play with a 16 yards pass to Mike Wallace however
a false start penalty set them back and forced them to punt the ball.
Pittsburgh regained possession again on their 3 following a 29 yards punt from the 32 yard line. On the first play of the drive Mewelde Moore was tackled inside the end zone for -3 yards and New York scored a safety. The Steelers still trailed just 5 points
behind the Jets and had 2 minutes to mount an offence. They put up a fight till the last second. Roethlisberger scrambled 22 yards and threw 11, 29, 18 and 16 yard passes to take the Steelers inside the red zone. In the last 10 seconds Roethlisberger tried
to break through the final yards to New York’s end zone but ran out of time before he could.
The New York Jets won the game 22 points against 17.
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