Jets Survive Late Scare, Hold On To Beat Titans
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Compared with the Tennessee Titans and their quarterback problems, Chad Pennington looked plenty healthy.
Pennington, returning from two shoulder surgeries in as many years, threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Jets to a 23–16 victory over the Tennessee Titans yesterday.
The Titans had trailed 16–0 until Travis Henry tied the game, rushing for two fourth-quarter touchdowns within five minutes of each other. His 1-yarder with 5:58 left came one play after Pennington was sacked and fumbled.
Pennington needed seven plays to take back the lead after Justin Miller’s 41-yard kickoff return, going ahead on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Baker with 2:10 left.
Tennessee had one last chance and drove down to the Jets 8. But Kerry Collins missed tight end Bo Scaife in the end zone on fourth-and-6 with 35 seconds to go.
This opener matched teams that went 4–12 in 2005 and came into this season with questions about quarterback.
Pennington played only three games last season before hurting his right shoulder. He beat out three others to keep his starting job and couldn’t have looked much better.
The Titans didn’t announce their starter until 90 minutes before kickoff, and gave the job to Collins, who opened his 12th NFL season with his fifth team. Rookie Vince Young also played a series.
Andre Dyson, who started his career in Tennessee, intercepted each of them. The Jets ended three of four Tennessee drives with interceptions and had two sacks.
The Jets could have avoided all the late drama if only kicker Mike Nugent had been better. He missed an extra point and a 34-yard field goal, then bounced a 30-yarder off the right post.
Without Pennington, the Jets had the next-to-last ranked offense in the NFL in 2005. He picked apart the Titans and helped the Jets pile up 393 yards of offense.
Kevan Barlow scored for New York on 1-yard run two plays after a Titans’ interception was overturned by a defensive pass interference call in the second quarter.
A sellout crowd didn’t waste any time sharing its anger early, booing Collins when he replaced Young and alternately chanting for Young and Billy Volek, the quarterback who lost his starting job when the team signed Collins on August 29. Young made his NFL debut in the second quarter, entering to a round of cheers. The no. 3 pick looked like an immediate improvement over Collins as he completed his first three passes and moved the Titans to the Jets 29.
