The season's over and the Jets have been watching the playoffs unfold in their homes just as we are. But in supplying a strong last quarter of the season for their 8-8 finish, the Green & White not only gave everyone a strong dose of optimism heading into the offseason but also, oh, at least 10 more excellent plays worth reliving while the season is still fresh in our minds.
We voted here at newyorkjets.com on our 10 favorite plays of the second half of the season (technically all the plays are from the final seven games after the Week 10 bye week). Today we present Plays No. 10 through No. 6. On Thursday we'll count down from No. 5 to No. 1 and post up a fan poll on our home page for you to cast your own vote on your favorite plays from our Top 5. Enjoy.
10. CHRIS IVORY'S 69-YARD RUN AT BUFFALO
Down 23 points with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, it wasn't exactly a game-changer, but Ivory's dash at the Bills in Week 11 sure was exciting.
Ivory started up the middle from our 20 before bouncing outside of T D'Brickashaw Ferguson and making his way down the left hashmarks to their 11. Along the way, he broke a tackle, stiff-armed a defender, then broke another tackle by the very same defender he stiff-armed moments earlier.
It was our longest run since Thomas Jones' 71-yard touchdown vs. Buffalo on 10/18/09, and it was our longest road run since Adrian Murrell's 78-yarder (brought down at the 1) at Arizona in 1996.
9. ANTONIO CROMARTIE'S INT OFF MUHAMMAD WILKERSON'S QB HIT VS. MIAMI
Wilkerson provided the pressure and Cromartie the pick midway through the second quarter of the scoreless Week 13 home game against the Dolphins.
The ball popped up high as a result of Wilkerson's hit, and Cro boxed out WR Mike Wallace for the rebound-like interception, his third of the season.
In QB Ryan Tannehill's defense, you try throwing a football accurately with a 6'4", 315-pound lineman crushing you at your release.
8. ED REED'S INTERCEPTION AT MIAMI
Entering Week 14 vs. Oakland, Reed had exactly as many interceptions in the season as he did wins: zero.
Four games and three interceptions later, however, Reed ended the season tied for the top spot among Jets defenders while vaulting his way up the all-time career interception leaderboard from 10th to sixth.
Pick No. 64 in the future Hall of Famer's career came off a deflection of a Ryan Tannehill pass with just over four minutes left and the Jets up 10 in our season finale. And it put an end to the best hopes for the win that the Dolphins required to make the playoffs.
7. DAVID NELSON'S FIRST TD RECEPTION VS. CLEVELAND
Hosting the Browns in Week 16, we found ourselves in third-and-goal from the 6, down 10-0 with one minute and change left in the first half.
QB Geno Smith took the shotgun snap, dropped back and threw a timing strike to Nelson heading for the end line with TD Catch No. 1 of 2 for the wideout this day.
This first score was made possible thanks to fellow WR Jeremy Kerley's fourth of his league-leading five conversion catches on plays of third-and-11 or longer earlier in the drive.
6. JEREMY KERLEY'S 25-YARD TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION VS. OAKLAND
At 5'9" and 188, Kerley might not fit the stereotypical go-up-and-get-it wide receiver, but that's exactly what he did in Week 14 against the Raiders.
Running parallel to WR Santonio Holmes down the left sideline, Kerley turned around, leaped and brought down Geno Smith's pass in the end zone for a 10-0 first-quarter lead.
The TD grab set the tone early for the Green & White, as we went on to score a season-high 37 points by day's end.
