Jets, Bears claim big Week 2 wins

And you thought Tom Brady was back. He was back alright. On his back. The host New York Jets forced Brady to hurry 15 passes and knocked him down five times, ringing up the stunner of Week 2, when they took down their mighty eastern rival, New England, 16‒9, in a key early-season division matchup.

You wouldn’t have guessed the Jets’ success by the start. On New York’s first offensive play from scrimmage, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was sacked for a seven-yard loss, fumbling on top of it, though guard Alan Faneca managed to recover it way back at the Jets’ 3. After the punt, the Patriots took over at the New York 49, but, just like their first series, could do nothing, going three and out. It turned out to be a microcosm of the afternoon. The Jets never let up on Brady, who, needing only a touchdown to tie in the fourth quarter, went a dismal 3-for-11 on the Patriots’ final two series. In between, New York made enough big plays—primarily Sanchez’s passes to Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey—to post a touchdown and three Jay Feely field goals. For the first time since the 2006 season, New England failed to score an offensive touchdown. Looks like new Jets head coach Rex Ryan has given Bill Belichick something to chew on.

In rainy Chicago, where the Bears knocked off defending world champion Pittsburgh 17‒14, it was abundantly clear that the Steelers have no one to replace All-World strong safety Troy Polamalu. On a key fourth-quarter 29-yard pass play to Bears tight end Greg Olsen and again on the game-tying touchdown to wide receiver Johnny Knox, completions went over Polamalu’s replacement, Tyrone Carter. Still, it wasn’t the lack of defensed passes that beat Pittsburgh but rather their own usually reliable kicker, Jeff Reed, who uncharacteristically missed two makeable fourth-quarter field goals. New Bears QB Jay Cutler showed Chicagoans they’ll have lots to cheer about over the long season ahead, with his pinhole accuracy in crucial situations, including going 4-for-4 in the final game-winning drive that culminated in Robbie Gould’s 44-yard field goal.

ANGLING FOR THE CORNER: Who would have guessed last year’s top regular-season team in the AFC, Tennessee, starting out 0-2…Another Wk. 2 shocker: Cincinnati’s 31‒24 win over Green Bay. Bengals QB Carson Palmer spread the wealth among his three wideouts, each of whom scored a touchdown to support Cedric Benson’s 141 yards rushing…In San Diego, Baltimore’s tough guy in the middle, Ray Lewis, came up with the big defensive play all day, including stopping the Chargers’ Darren Sproles for a five-yard loss on fourth-and-2 at the Baltimore 15, as the Ravens won a big one on the road, 31‒26…the Giants waited until the final second to ruin Jerry Jones' new stadium unveiling in Dallas with a 37-yd. field goal.

Alan Ross is the author of 32 books, including Away from the Ball: The NFL’s Off-the-Field Heroes. E-mail him at:alanross_sports@yahoo.com© Sport