East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) – Santonio Holmes caught a six-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining, as the New York Jets were able to sneak past the Houston Texans, 30-27, despite blowing a 16-point lead.
Trailing by four, 27-23, with no timeouts and 49 seconds remaining, the Jets took over at their own 28-yard line. LaDainian Tomlinson caught a 15-yard pass to get the ball near midfield. Following a spike, Braylon Edwards caught a 42- yard pass down the right sideline with 16 ticks to go. On the next play, Mark Sanchez connected with Holmes in the left corner of the end zone for a 30-27 edge.
The Texans (4-6) lost at the end of the game for a second straight week. Last Sunday in Jacksonville, the Jaguars converted a Hail Mary in the final seconds to hand Houston a tough loss.
Sanchez completed 22-of-38 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception for the Jets (8-2), who have won three straight games.
Holmes caught seven passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, while Edwards hauled in four passes for 86 yards and score for the victors.
Matt Schaub connected on 19-of-33 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown for the Texans, who have dropped four straight games. Arian Foster rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
Trailing by 16 points in the fourth, Houston started its comeback with a seven-play, 59 yard drive. Neil Rackers ended the march with a 38-yard field goal to cut the gap to 23-10 with 12:21 remaining.
Jets running back Shonn Greene fumbled the ball on the ensuing possession. The Texans recovered the ball and on the first play, Joel Dreessen caught a 43- yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to make it a 23-17 game with 9:14 to go.
Following a punt by New York, Houston took over at its own 27 with over six minutes to play. David Anderson caught a 35-yard pass and Andre Johnson hauled in a 20-yard pass to set up the visitors at the 15-yard line. Foster capped the seven-play drive with a one-yard TD run to give Houston a 24-23 edge with 2:18 left.
Kevin Bentley then picked off Sanchez and returned the football 18 yards to the 10-yard line. The Texans ran the ball to make New York use all of its remaining timeouts. Rackers then made a 22-yarder to give Houston a 27-23 lead with 55 seconds to go.
The Texans went three-and-out on offense to start the game. Matt Turk then booted a short 33-yard punt that Jim Leonhard returned 30 yards to the Houston 29. The Jets, though, only got a 37-yard field goal from Nick Folk.
Houston bridged the first and second quarters with an 11-play, 67-yard drive. Foster capped the march with a two-yard rushing touchdown to give the visitors a 7-3 edge with 10:17 remaining until half.
New York responded with a touchdown of its own to take the lead back. Holmes and Edwards caught passes of 26 and 27 yards, respectively, to put the Jets in the red zone. Edwards hauled in a four-yard TD pass to give the home team a 10-7 advantage with 5:18 to go.
Folk added a 33-yarder with 58 seconds remaining to make it a 13-7 game at the half.
The second half started with Folk missing a 53-yard field goal. New York, though, found the end zone on its next possession. Tomlinson caught an 18-yard pass to highlight a nine-play, 92-yard march, which Holmes capped with a 41- yard TD catch for a 20-7 lead with 4:38 left in the third.
Folk made a 30-yard field goal just nine seconds into the fourth quarter to give the Jets a 23-7 lead.
The Jets have won all five of their all-time meetings with the Texans and handed Houston a 24-7 defeat at Reliant Stadium in the 2009 season opener… Schaub spent a night in the hospital earlier this week with a right knee injury…Texans linebacker Zac Diles (illness) and tight end Owen Daniels (hamstring) missed the game…New York was without wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (groin)…New York hasn’t beaten a team by more than one score since a 29-20 win against Minnesota in Week 5…Foster caught six passes for 59 yards…Dreessen hauled in four passes for 106 yards.