Sanchez (5 of 6 for 72 yards and a fumble) lay on the turf for about a minute after being hit by defensive tackle Marvin Austin seconds after completing a 23-yard pass to Mohamed Massaquoi. The Jets’ starter since 2009, Sanchez tried to throw a practice pass on the sideline, but he shook his head after making one short toss – possibly a shake-off that gives Smith (16 of 32 for 199 and three interceptions) the starting job. Sanchez had an X-ray of the shoulder and will have an MRI on this week. He left the stadium right after the game and was not available for comment, but his clothes remained hanging in his locker.
Billy Cundiff won the game with a 32-yard field goal with 8:04 left in overtime. His first attempt from 40 yards missed, but Giants coach Tom Coughlin had called time out. The Jets ran two plays and Cundiff was good the second time. It’s the only time the rivals will meet this year unless they qualify for the cold-weather Super Bowl here in February. The way the Jets and Giants played, it’s highly unlikely.
The story was the Jets’ quarterbacks. Smith struggled, and then Sanchez got hurt, putting his status is suddenly in question two weeks before the season opener. The only guy who looked good for the Jets was Matt Simms. The quarterback situation has been the No. 1 question mark for Ryan’s team since training camp opened. If Smith is the guy, he didn’t look ready for prime time on Saturday. The Jets blew a chance to end the game earlier in overtime when Nick Folk was wide right on a 39-yarder shortly after Da’Rel Scott lost a fumble. Smith showed his potential when he threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ben Obomanu on the Jets’ second possession, and led a 57-yard drive against the Giants’ backups in the third quarter that gave the Jets a lead. Bilal Powell capped that drive with a 2-yard run.
David Wilson provided the highlight for the Giants. The second-year running back took a handoff from Eli Manning (8 of 20 for 83 yards) on the Giants’ first possession and used a block by Hakeem Nicks to sprint 84 yards down the left sideline.
After Sanchez was hurt, Simms took over. Following a short punt by Steve Weatherford that gave the Jets the ball at the Giants 37, Simms threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Spadola for a 21-18 lead. Curtis Painter played the second half and OT in a bid to replace David Carr as Manning’s backup. He led a 10-play, 64-yard drive that tied the game on Josh’s Brown’s fourth field goal, a 40-yarder with 37 seconds to play. Brown’s other field goals covered 40, 33 and 50 yards.
