SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 14, 2012
Jets 35, Colts 9: Shonn Greene rushed for a career-best 161 yards and three touchdowns, Mark Sanchez threw a pair of scoring strikes and New York's defense excelled against rookie Andrew Luck and visiting Indianapolis.
Greene victimized the Colts' defense all afternoon, surpassing the century mark for the first time since Week 14 of last season as the Jets (3-3) halted a two-game losing skid. Sanchez finished 11-of-18 for 82 yards while posting his first multi-touchdown effort since Week 1.
Luck completed 22 of 44 passes for 280 yards and two interceptions as the Colts (2-3) settled for a trio of Adam Vinatieri field goals. Luck was picked off in the Jets' end zone by Ellis Lankster with under seven minutes remaining to snuff out any hope of a comeback.
After Indianapolis opened the scoring on an Adam Vinatieri 20-yard field goal, the Jets countered with a 14-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a 5-yard scoring pass from Sanchez to a diving Stephen Hill. An Antonio Cromartie interception on the Colts' first play of the ensuing drive set up a Greene 10-yard TD scamper just past the five-minute mark of the second quarter.
Sanchez and Tim Tebow joined forces on the Jets' final play of the half. Tebow completed a pivotal 23-yard strike to Nick Bellore and Sanchez connected with Jason Hill on a 5-yard TD strike to make it a 21-6 game. Greene padded the lead with a 4-yard TD run early in the second half - capping a seven-play, 91-yard drive highlighted by a 61-yard Joe McKnight run - and added a 2-yard score with 1:05 remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Colts, missing starting RB Donald Brown (knee surgery), managed just 41 rushing yards and did not run for a first down all afternoon. ... Jets backup RB Bilal Powell went to the locker room in the third quarter with a suspected shoulder injury and did not return. ... Colts WR Reggie Wayne hauled in a 12-yard pass late in the third quarter to become the 14th player in NFL history with 900 career receptions.