Muhammad Wilkerson extended his sack streak to five straight games, eight in his last seven home games, and 12 in his last 15 games. But he wanted to make sure props went out to LB Quinton Coples, who had a game that got better and better.
Coples had just two tackles, but one of them snuffed TE Josh Hill for an 8-yard loss on a fourth-and-inches end-around at the Jets 44 with 7:49 to play, and he also had a game-high three QB hits on Drew Brees and batted down one of Brees' passes.
"He did a great job getting pressure — all the guys did up front," Mo said. "Q definitely had a breakout game today, and we expect that from him every week."
"I was thinking Brees was going to put it away and throw the ball," Coples said. "But when he handed it off, my eyes just got big because I knew I was going to run right through him."
Coples cited the one thing the Jets must do now to finally smash that W-L-W-L pattern and throw their hats into the NFL's playoff-contenders ring.
"We've got to make sure we're getting better," he said. "We've got to go back tomorrow, study our mistakes and move forward throughout the week. This is a big win for us. That was a great team we just beat. We're just looking forward to the future and getting back after this bye week."
Folk, Hero Again
When someone asks head coach Rex Ryan about Nick Folk's latest exploits, he says, "You talking about 'Folk Hero'? ... It's like, 'Go ahead, Folk Hero, knock it through.' "
OK, then, Folk was one of our heroes again. This time the cool-as-ice kicker didn't hit the game-winner in the final seconds or overtime. He merely kept the New Orleans Saints behind the eightball with a 4-for-4 day, nailing field goals from 39, 21, 47 and 45 yards in our 26-20 victory at MetLife Stadium today.
That makes him 23-for-23 on the season, the longest in-season stretch in franchise history and one shy of Jay Feely's 24 in a row that set the franchise mark in 2008-09. I asked Folk playfully if he ever gets into that zone where he thinks he just can't miss.
"I'm not going to answer that question," he said with a smile. "I just feel good. Ryan [Quigley, his holder] and Tanner [Purdum, his snapper] are doing an awesome job making my job easier and the guys up front are doing a great job blocking for me. I get the stats and they do the job."
He'll get a chance to share a piece of the record with his unit if he hits his next kick. If it comes at Buffalo, that will add even more pressure, since his last miss came on a block at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Game 16 last year and he also missed a 30-yarder there in '10.
All just like the water off his back in the MetLife Stadium showers.
"I'm just having fun with it. I don't think about that," he said. "The only kick that's important is the next one. It's not for me, it's for the team."
Vilma Back in Uniform
LB Jonathan Vilma was activated off of New Orleans' Injured Reserve–Designated to Return on Saturday, just in time to play in his second game against his first NFL team, the Jets, who drafted him 12th overall in 2004. Vilma, who didn't start and contributed just one tackle, took his hat off to the Jets.
"They did a very good job and deserved to win the game," J-Vil said. "We did have some errors on our part, some mental mistakes with gap fits and things like that. Chris Ivory would get the ball and have 9 or 10 yards before anybody touched him."
As for his reunion with the Green & White, it was no big thing.
"It's a different coaching staff, and I think I know three or four players from when I was there," he said. "It was a little more personal when I played against them in '09. Now it's just another game."
Extra Points
Our leading receiver today? It would have to be Greg Salas. Who? Yes, Salas, the former Rams, Eagles and Patriots (one game) WR who made his Jets debut today. He had two catch-and-runs, one for 13 yards, one for 44, both for first downs and both of which combined to help sustain two midgame drives to 10 points. ... The Demario Davis and Antonio Cromartie first-half INTs led to 10 Jets points, the most points off of turnovers in the last 15 games. The offense finally at the end of the game took its first "victory formation" of the season. ... Rex Ryan referred to injuries to WR Jeremy Kerley (elbow), S Antonio Allen and LB Garrett McIntyre, but didn't provide any updates.
