CHICAGO (AP) – Dustin Keller saw somber teammates all around him in the New York Jets’ locker room.
Suddenly, he heard LaDainian Tomlinson say, “We’re in! We’re in!” And, some of the veteran players “started going kind of crazy.”
“So I and the younger guys kind of looked around,” Keller said. “’Are we allowed to celebrate? What do we do here?”’
Yes, the Jets can celebrate. They’re headed back to the playoffs, and they’re not about to complain even if they got in with a loss.
Jay Cutler threw three touchdown passes, Matt Forte ran for 113 yards and the Chicago Bears beat New York 38-34 on Sunday, sending the Jets to their third loss in four games. Chris Harris intercepted Mark Sanchez’s pass intended for Santonio Holmes with about a minute left to end New York’s comeback bid, but the Jets’ season won’t be ending next week.
The Jets (10-5) clinched their second straight postseason trip under Rex Ryan when Jacksonville lost 20-17 in overtime to Washington. There was a loud roar from the coaches’ locker room when that game went final, and Ryan stopped himself as he addressed the media.
“By the way, I think we’re in the playoffs,” he said. “Not the way I wanted it, but I’ll take it.”
They’ll have an extra night in Chicago to savor it after a snowstorm delayed their return to New York, and the Bears (11-4) might let this one soak in a bit, too.
The NFC North champions won for the seventh time in eight games after blowing an early 10-point lead and are in good position to lock up a bye. The Bears needed a win, coupled with a loss by Philadelphia and a loss or tie by the Giants this week.
Cutler completed 13 of 25 passes for 215 yards, with Johnny Knox catching four for 92 with two touchdowns, the second coming when he beat Antonio Cromartie on a 26-yarder that broke a 31-31 tie in the third quarter. He also caught a 40-yarder early in the third after a failed fake punt by New York.
Forte had a big game and, assuming those numbers stand, is the first opponent to run for 100 or more yards against the Jets this season. Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall had a yard deducted after initially being credited with 100 last week.
“That’s the type of offense (coordinator) Mike Martz has, it’s an explosive offense and we had a lot of big plays in this game and that’s what we focus on doing,” Forte said.
Sanchez seemed to be just fine after playing most of last week’s win over Pittsburgh with a shoulder injury. He threw for 269 yards and a touchdown, completing 24 of 37 passes after a sizzling start, but his interception sealed the win for Chicago and capped another wild week for New York that included more headline-grabbing distractions.
At the center of it was Ryan, who was the subject of an embarrassing foot-fetish report by Deadspin featuring videos of a woman – who bears a close resemblance to Ryan’s wife, Michelle – displaying her toes to an off-screen cameraman who sounds a lot like the coach. Ryan had little to say about the report, repeatedly calling it “a personal matter.” The week then ended on a somewhat sour note, with the Jets getting outplayed in the second half.
“To lose the game and I still make the playoffs, that’s the best news you can ever have after a loss,” said Sanchez, who will likely sit out next week’s game against Buffalo.
Sanchez completed 13 of 15 passes for 156 yards in the first half, and the Jets led 24-17, but the momentum turned in a big way after halftime.
A fake punt by New York on the opening drive of the third quarter failed as Sanchez’s pass to Brad Smith fell incomplete and things only got worse from there.
Two big plays by Devin Hester stood out. He returned a punt 38 yards to the New York 32, putting a neat juke on James Ihedigbo as he turned up the right side. Later, Hester beat Drew Coleman and caught a 25-yard TD pass from Cutler along the left side that gave the Bears a short-lived 31-24 lead.
“That was disappointing to say the least,” Ryan said. “I understand you get a play or two, but we’re going in there trying to kick away from that guy. We tried to do that all day and he got his hands on it and that’s why you see how important it is to kick a way from that kid. He is the best returner in the game.”
Chicago ultimately prevailed after Knox’s 26-yard TD catch and Harris’ interception. Even so, the Jets had something to celebrate.
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