Jets Kicker Nick Folk Didn't Realize He Kicked Game-Winner Against Detroit

Nick Folk kicked the game-winning field goal Sunday for the New York Jets against the Detroit Lions even though he didn’t know it was actually going to win the game.

“That,” Folk said with a smile in an interview with the New York Post, “is why that might have been the worst game-winning celebration ever. When I made it, I turned to go get ready to kick off. Then I saw everyone running onto the field and was like, ‘OK, we won. Woo hoo.’

In his defense, he thought that the NFL’s new overtime rule – which gives each team a possession in overtime – was in effect for the regular season when in reality that rule will only be applied during the postseason.

Either way, his thought process is fun.

“I saw that it was second down and I’m doing my pre-kick routine and Mike [special teams coach Mike Westhoff] yells over to me, ‘Come on, we’re kicking,’ ” Folk said. “I was thinking, ‘It’s only third down. Shouldn’t we be trying to score a touchdown?’

“This is what I thought: We needed a touchdown [to win the game]. A field goal was obviously good, but I thought [the Lions] would have one possession to either kick a field goal to tie or score a touchdown to win it.”

This would have been a great episode of Hard Knocks, I think.

Considering all the talking the New York Jets have done in recent months, you can expect things to get a little chippy sometimes when they play rivals like the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens or Miami Dolphins.

But, the Detroit Lions? Seems the Jets and Lions are not too happy with each other following Sunday’s 23-20 overtime victory by the Jets.

“They are the dirtiest team I’ve played against,‘’ [Jets linebacker Bart] Scott said. "Hitting after plays. Taking knees out. Diving at people’s knees. Trying to spear people in the back."

Scott said the Lions’ behavior had nothing to do with effort and heart for a team that, like its city, is trying to come back from a depressed era.

“That’s trying to be a fake tough guy,‘’ Scott said. "If that’s the case, put us all in a cage and let us go see who comes out on top. Man, I hope they schedule us next year.’’

“Bart Scott talks too much,‘’ [Lions center Dominic] Raiola said. "He needs to shut up. Him and Jason Taylor talk too much. They’re just b**ching to the refs all game. It wasn’t that we’re playing dirty. Shut up and play football.’’

Maybe it is too bad these two teams are unlikely to play again for a couple of years.

Here is some reaction from around the Web to the New York Jets ugly 23-20 overtime victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

From George Bretherton of the New York Times:

The ground-and-pound approach will never result in a lot of blowouts. Under Ryan, the Jets are always going to have a low margin for error, even as they evolve into what Ryan hopes will be a team with the offensive diversity to win games on the ground or through the air.

The Jets can count this 23-20 overtime victory — which gives them a perfect 4-0 road mark — as another example of 1) Make enough mistakes to lose, but 2) Have enough talent to overcome them. It was good enough for a 6-2 record, tying them with the Patriots and four other teams for the best mark in the N.F.L.

WFAN’s Peter Schwartz:

The Jets have a lot of issues to clean up, but winning games in ugly fashion along the way just goes to show how much talent this team has. Jets teams of the past, including last year, would never have pulled this one out. But this team did and just that fact is a reason to overlook some of the team’s issues.

From NorthJersey.com:

Jets QB Mark Sanchez again displayed his resiliency. After directing a mostly ineffective offense for three-plus quarters, he drove the Jets to three scores in the final six minutes as the Jets rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Sanchez’s 52-yard pass to Santonio Holmes in overtime set up Nick Folk’s 30-yard game-winning field goal.

From ProFootballNYC:

The Jets are a flawed team…accept it, but they are a 6-2 and on pace for a 12-4 season. In case you didn’t notice the NFL is filled with flawed teams this year. The consensus best team heading into this week lost to the 2-5 Cleveland Browns by 20 points. You take the wins when you can get them.

The New York Jets (6-2) scored 10 points in the final 2:46 of regulation, and Nick Folk kicked a 30-yard field goal in overtime as the Jets defeated the Detroit Lions, 23-20, at Detroit’s Ford Field.

Folk kicked a 36-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter and won it with a 30-yard boot in overtime.

The Jets trailed 20-10 before Mark Sanchez scored on a one-yard run with 2:46 left in the fourth quarter, then got the ball back after a Lions punt soon after and drove for Folk’s game-tying kick.

New York won the toss to start overtime and Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes with a 52-yard pass to set up Folk’s winning field goal, as the Jets (6-2) bounced back after a 9-0 loss to Green Bay last Sunday.

Matthew Stafford threw for 240 yards with a pair of touchdowns for Detroit (2-6) before leaving the contest with an apparent shoulder injury.Sanchez ended up 22-of-39 for 323 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

The Jets overcame five fumbles, an interception and 11 penalties to defeat the 2-6 Lions.

The New York Jets know they will have their hands full with Detroit rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on Sunday.

Suh lines up at a variety of positions across Detroit's defensive line, but usually at right tackle. That means Brandon Moore, the Jets right guard, will have his hands full.

"Of course you look forward to playing the best guys, the guys in this league that people consider to be top-tier guy," Moore said. "You think you're pretty good, so to be able to go up against those guys and challenge yourself and see how you perform against those guys is definitely something you look forward to."

Moore has quietly carved himself a terrific career since being signed as an undrafted free agent — a converted defensive tackle — in 2002 and being a consistent but quiet presence on the touted line of the Jets (5-2).

"When you come in at this level, this is a man's game here," Ryan said. "(Suh) is going against men and he's still doing a great job. With this matchup this week, I think Brandon Moore is the finest guard in football, so this is going to be a great matchup to watch with those two."

Moore has spent plenty of time this week watching Suh on film, studying his moves and tendencies.

"He's making plays, so of course, he doesn't look like a rookie," Moore said. "He's a grown man. That's why they drafted him so high. He makes plays."

Gang Green Nation sees the Moore-Suh matchup as one of the keys to the 5-2 Jets taking care of business Sunday against the 2-5 Lions.

The strength of the Jets' offensive line is the capabilty of all five guys to win matchups against the best the league has to offer without needing help. A guy like Suh usually either causes disruption or draws a double team, forcing a defense to use up a extra blocker, which means that second guy isn't blocking somebody else. A defender gets freed up in this numbers game. The Jets largely avoid this. This week's burden falls to Moore. The way he handles Suh could go a long way to determining whether this game is more difficult than the conventional wisdom dictates.

Suh was the second overall pick in the April draft. His 6.5 sacks leads NFL rookies, and he also has a fumble recovery for a touchdown and an interception this season.

"I can't remember a rookie defensive lineman coming in and having that kind of impact," Jets coach Rex Ryan said.

Moore and the Jets other linemen will do everything they can to limit that impact on Sunday.

Is Revis Island open for business again? New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis finally seems completely healthy after battling a hamstring issue much of the season, and Jets coach Rex Ryan said earlier this week Revis will match up one-on-one most of the time with Detroit Lions star wide receiver Calvin Johnson when the teams meet Sunday.

Johnson is looking forward to finding out just how healthy Revis is.

"Everybody's building it up so it's going to be a good little showdown, a good little game," said Johnson, referring to his highly anticipated one-on-one battle with New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

"I'm looking forward to playing the game, it's not just about that. I want to go out and get a 'W,' that's the biggest thing for me," Johnson said.

Winning might be the biggest thing, but it won't be the most exciting thing.

"That's going to be a great matchup, there's no question," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "He won't be on him every snap, I'm sure (Antonio) Cromartie will have him some as well. That'll definitely be a matchup to watch -- one of the premier receivers in the game, a young talented guy, big, fast, I mean it should be illegal to have a guy that big and fast and talented. But he's going against the best this week."

Revis generally is regarded as the best cornerback in the NFL and one of the few players who can handle the league's elite receivers one-on-one.

Revis was a contract holdout through most of camp and injured his hamstring when he returned. But now he said he's 100 percent and ready to take on the league's best again.

"You know who I'm going with, I'm going with Calvin every time. It doesn't matter who you put out there," Lions receiver Nate Burleson said. "Calvin is one of the premier receivers and Revis is obviously one of the premier cornerbacks, so it's going to be a good matchup. We'll see how they play it. They might try to put Cromartie on Calvin just because he's a little taller."

Johnson has 38 receptions, eight for touchdowns, and a 14.2 yards per catch average this season.

Here is Friday’s final injury report for Sunday’s NFL game between the New York Jets and Detroit Lions.

Jets

PROBABLE: LB David Harris (back), LB Calvin Pace (foot), S Brodney Pool (head), CB Darrelle Revis (hamstring)

Lions

Out: S C.C. Brown (knee), LB Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee)
Doubtful: QB Shaun Hill (left forearm)
Questionable: LB Ashlee Palmer (hamstring), RB Kevin Smith (knee)
Probable: RB Jahvid Best (toe), S Louis Delmas (ankle), WR Bryant Johnson (foot), WR Calvin Johnson (shoulder), LB DeAndre Levy (ankle), DE Turk McBride (ankle), TE Brandon Pettigrew (ankle), QB Matthew Stafford (foot)

One day wide receiver Braylon Edwards is telling quarterback Mark Sanchez he can’t criticize his receivers. Now, the Jets have said they will start to fine the San-chize during practice when they don’t like his body language.

Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer made an important announcement today: Starting last week, the team began fining its franchise quarterback. For his body language.

Apparently, Mark Sanchez wanted to implement the system. Veteran back-up Mark Brunell collects the money. Sanchez incurs fines in practice, including today.

“Today, there was a play in practice when he screwed something up,” Schottenheimer said. “He kind of looked like it was someone else’s fault. That’s a fine.”

“It’s fun stuff,” he added. "He’s a passionate guy that loves to play. We just stay on him about that

Braylon Edwards obviously has no trouble criticizing his fellow New York Jets wide receivers. When it comes to quarterback Mark Sanchez, though, Edwards does not want to hear anything from the Jets quarterback.

Edwards told ESPN New York on Thursday that Sanchez, the second-year quarterback, has not yet earned the right to be critical of his teammates.

“Once a quarterback gets to a certain point, where his mistakes are far and few between … it’s hard to be that (critical) when your mistakes are at a substantial level,” Edwards said. "That happens with more experience. That happens with more consistency. Then you get that respect when it becomes second nature.

“Hey, a guy drops a pass, (you say), ‘You gotta catch that for me.’ It’s the same when a guy runs the wrong route or gets the wrong depth or a lineman jumps offsides. Then, that’s when it’s, ‘Hey, man, I need you. You can’t be doing that stuff.’ The Peyton Mannings of the world (can say that). It takes consistency.”

I am not sure exactly what brought that remark on. Sanchez, at least publicly, has not said anything critical of the Jets receivers whatsoever. I understand the sentiment — it took Eli Manning a few seasons to develop that type of credibility with the New York Giants, too.

I am just surprised Edwards even brought it up.

Linebacker David Harris returned to practice for the New York Jets today. He missed Wednesday’s workout after injuring his back lifting weights.

Defensive back Brodney Pool left practice early with a head injury sustained in a collision/

(Sports Network) – That giant gasping sound you hear? Not to worry, it’s just the collective holding of breath by a perpetually fatalist New York Jets fan base again suspicious of lofty postseason goals.

The high-flying Jets, winners of five straight and holders of the top rung in the AFC East upon emerging from a late-October bye week, returned to the field with an all-too-familiar thud that’s now got their green-clad masses questioning exactly how good they’d had it.

A 9-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers on home turf at New Meadowlands Stadium last Sunday was frustratingly reminiscent of years past, particularly the 2009 regular season, when then-rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez threw 20 interceptions before righting the ship in time for a playoff run.

The USC product threw two interceptions for the second straight game against the Packers, further distancing himself from an initial five games of 2010 in which his turnover total was zero.

Both Sanchez and the Jets will attempt to get back on track when the team visits Ford Field this Sunday to battle the Detroit Lions, who’ll be coming in on a high note after an impressive Week 8 win.

Sanchez’s performance last week revived the insistent “can he lead them to a title?” chatter that had at least briefly subsided after playoff wins at Cincinnati and San Diego last January, which were followed this season by the aforementioned five-game win streak prior to Week 8’s flaccid return.

Columnist Tim Smith threw another log on that familiar fire in the New York Daily News, opining that "Sanchez is not at the stage of his career where he can load a team on his shoulders and carry them to victory. If the Jets are going to be serious playoff contenders, the offense can’t add any more burdens (turnovers, mistakes and penalties) to the load that Sanchez is already carrying.

“There are going to be growing pains with Sanchez at quarterback — at least for another year. How well the Jets roll with those growing pains will determine just how far they go this season.”

Sanchez connected on just 16-of-38 passes against Green Bay and saw his overall completion rate drop to 53 percent, the worst in the league for starting quarterbacks. That said, at least six passes were dropped, and both of Green Bay’s interceptions came on balls that New York receivers had gotten hands on before they were wrenched away by the Packers’ defense.

“We’ve got to do the little things,” wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. “We have to get back to the basics of the fundamentals. Maybe we got a sense of an arrogant streak. There were a couple of times that guys were open. Mark has to read it. He has a job. We just have to bear with him. And we’ll get better. He’ll learn. He’ll get better.”

On the other side this week is a foe that’s shown distinct signs of improvement.

Stocked with a arsenal of young draft choices on offense, the Detroit Lions high-stepped past a perceived NFC contender last week, downing the Washington Redskins by a 37-25 score while emerging successfully from their own Week 7 bye.

Making his first start since an early-season injury, quarterback Matthew Stafford — chosen first overall in 2009 — threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns on a 26-of-45 effort, including three scoring strikes to former No. 4 overall pick Calvin Johnson.

The scoring barrage earned Johnson recognition as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week and moved the Lions to sixth in the league with a per-game scoring average slightly north of 26 points. It marked the first time a Detroit wideout was honored since Germane Crowell in 1999.

The Lions are averaging 38 points on their home turf at Ford Field, though Jets coach Rex Ryan boldly claimed on Wednesday they won’t approach that number against his team.

“I don’t believe that’s going to happen,” Ryan said. “Come out and prove me wrong, but I doubt it.”

The question becomes, which Mark Sanchez is the real Sanchez? If the skittish interception-prone rookie returns for a third straight game, trouble will follow. But if it’s the cooler game manager who played without a turnover for the first five games, success is a likelihood with his arsenal of weapons. The 2009 first-round pick is 200 yards short of 4,000 for his career, and the Jets are 6-1 when he reaches 90 or better on the passer rating chart. Sanchez hands off to a unit that’s grinding out 153.4 rushing yards per week, good for third-best in the league, while the overall 337.9 yards per game average is 15th. The Jets are 12th in scoring offense, even after being shut out by the Packers last week. In his last start against the Lions, running back LaDainian Tomlinson had 116 yards in 15 carries and scored twice. Backfield mate Shonn Greene is 115 rush yards short of 1,000 for his career. On the outside, Edwards needs five catches to get to 300 and fellow wideout Santonio Holmes is 34 yards shy of 4,000. New York’s Dustin Keller is third among tight ends with five touchdown catches this year.

The Lions have been nothing short of generous when it comes to allowing yards and points, surrendering the 21st and 26th-best totals in the league through seven starts. Except for a Week 5 outing in which St. Louis managed just six points, every other team facing Detroit has scored at least 19, with five cashing in for a minimum of 24. Yardage-wise, the 275 yards the Lions allowed to Washington last week, including just 80 on the ground, was their second- stingiest performance of the season. Much havoc was created around Redskins quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Rex Grossman, with the Lions registering seven sacks, their most since generating eight against Indianapolis 13 years ago. Rookie tackle Ndamukong Suh had two of the seven and scored on a 17-yard fumble return. He leads first-year players, not to mention the team, with 6 1/2 sacks. Veteran end Kyle Vanden Bosch has 4 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble in five career games against the Jets. Cornerback Alphonso Smith is tied for third in the league with four interceptions.

(Sports Network) — Flush with young talent, the Lions are nothing if not dangerous, as has been proven with a 26-plus points per game average that’s sixth-best in the league. The great majority of their 332.9 total yards per week have been through the air, with quarterbacks Shaun Hill, Matt Stafford and Drew Stanton accounting for at least 300 yards three times and 200 or better in three other games. Only twice, in losses to Philadelphia (Week 2) and Green Bay (Week 4), has Detroit reached triple-digit yards on the ground. Coming back from an early-season injury, Stafford returned last week to pass for 212 yards and four scores against the Redskins, raising his touchdown output to 11 in his last five games. Wideout Calvin Johnson was the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week after catching three touchdown passes from Stafford, and he’s tied for second in the league with eight scoring catches. Running back Jahvid Best leads all NFL rookies with 613 yards from scrimmage this season and is tied for the rookie lead with five touchdowns as well.

No team has surpassed 23 points in seven games against the Jets this season, with last week’s nine points allowed dropping the weekly average to 15.7 per game. That clip is second-best in the league, while the Jets’ yardage total of 303.7 per week is seventh overall. New York led the league in both categories last season. A Week 3 defeat of Miami saw the Dolphins record a season-high 352 passing yards, though no other foe has surpassed 240 on the Jets and two teams — including the Packers last week — were held below 200. The Jets have forced 14 turnovers and are tied for second in the AFC with a plus-7 turnover margin. Linebacker David Harris leads the team with 49 tackles (35 solo) and recorded his first sack of the season last week. Veteran end Shaun Ellis leads in that category with 3 1/2 of the team’s 15, while outside linebacker Jason Taylor has netted three. Taylor has also forced a pair of fumbles in his initial season with New York. End Vernon Gholston and linebacker Bart Scott are both natives of Detroit.

(Sports Network) — Mark Sanchez could benefit from a porous defensive matchup this week, as could Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes on the outside and both LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene on the ground. Add Dustin Keller to the mix as well. Defensively, if Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis can hold Calvin Johnson in check, Matt Stafford may be forced into some errors seeking other targets. For the Lions, the Stafford-Johnson tandem is still too good to pass up, though. Detroit kicker Jason Hanson is emerging as a good option in the domed stadium as well.