Fitzgerald Cecilio
New York Jets fall to Tennessee Titans, 14-10
Chris Johnson and quarterback Jake Locker rushed for a touchdown apiece as the Tennessee Titans eliminated the New York Jets from playoff contention with a 14-10 victory in Monday Night Football at LP Field.
Johnson tallied the longest scoring run in the NFL since 2006 with a 94-yard dash and Locker scored the go-ahead touchdown in the third as the Titans clinched their fifth win in 14 games and dashed the Jets' playoff hopes.
"That's obviously a devastating loss. Out of the playoffs, it hurts beyond belief," said Jets coach Rex Ryan. "I think the thing that really hurts the most is that we really have no one to blame but ourselves."
Locker completed 13 of 22 passes for 149 yards, while Johnson finished with 122 yards on 21 carries (5.8 average) with a franchise-long 94-yard touchdown for the Titans while having the names of the victims of Friday's shootings in Connecticut written on his cleats.
Johnson's 94-yard touchdown is his sixth 80+ yard scoring run of his career and third this season, which are the most and tied for the most, respectively, in NFL history. Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders is the only other player with three such runs in one season (1997).
Cornerback Jason McCourty and safety Michael Griffin had two interceptions each while linebacker Tim Shaw had nine tackles for the Titans.
Sanchez hit 13 of 28 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown to tight end Jeff Cumberland but threw four interceptions and committed a fumble. Cumberland had 53 yards on four catches and running back Shonn Greene tallied 68 yards on 16 carries.
The Jets took a 3-0 lead in the first period with a 22-yard field goal from Nick Folk but the Titans responded in the second quarter with Johnson's long touchdown run for a 7-3 lead.
In the third, Sanchez found Cumberland for a 17-yard touchdown pass but Locker took matters into his own hands, rushing 13 yards for the go-ahead touchdown run.
The Jets had a chance to steal the win with 5:20 left in the game but Sanchez's pass to Cumberland was intercepted by Griffin.
"We knew it was a huge game for us and to turn it over five times," Ryan said. "You get the ball on the 25-yard line with a chance to win it at the end and then to turn it over again. Obviously it's extremely disappointing to say the least."
Before kickoff, a moment of silence was held for the 26 victims of the shootings Friday in Newtown, Connecticut. The gunman also killed his mother in her home before committing suicide.
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