By Ross Jones, FOXSports.com A late-hit penalty by linebacker Lavonte David on rookie quarterback Geno Smith put the Jets in field goal range and in position to stun the Tampa Bay Bucs in front of a packed crowd at MetLife Stadium. Kicker Nick Folk would go on to drill the 48-yeard field goal with 2 seconds remaining to pull out an improbable 18-17 victory. The embattled Jets were inefficient all day, but weren’t going to go down without a fight. Trailing 17-15 in the fourth quarter and 34 seconds remaining without any timeouts, Smith took the field looking to get into field goal range. After connecting with tight end Kellen Winslow for 25 yards over the middle of the field, Smith got his offense lined up and spiked the ball to stop the clock. On the ensuing play, when things broke down, the rookie quarterback scrambled to his right and picked up 10 yards but was shoved out of bounds by David. The play drew a 15-yard flag for unnecessary roughness and set up Folk’s field goal. After the game, David was torched on Twitter for his mistake and lack of discipline, but Tampa Bay legend Derrick Brooks made sense of the moment.
It’s a big win for the Jets. They showed grit and toughness, but let’s keep this win in perspective as they will travel to Foxboro and play the Patriots in just four days.
