OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sebastian Janikowski bailed out Oakland coach Tom
Cable in his home debut as Raiders coach. Janikowski's team-record
57-yard field goal with 2:30 left in overtime gave the Raiders a 16-13
victory over Brett Favre and the New York Jets on Sunday.
The game only went to overtime because Cable called a late timeout that
negated Jay Feely's missed field goal at the end of regulation. Feely
made good on his second attempt, a 52-yarder with 3 seconds left that
sent the game to overtime.
There the teams traded punts on the first five possessions before
JaMarcus Russell hit Javon Walker for 16 yards and Zach Miller for 27 to
move the Raiders (2-4) into field goal range. Janikowski then delivered
on the longest field goal in team history, besting the mark he set
earlier this year by 1 yard.
The Raiders poured off the sideline to mob Janikowski in a much-needed
celebration in a season marked by the firing of coach Lane Kiffin and
too many blown leads.
Thomas Jones ran for 159 yards but the Jets (3-3) were unable to
overcome Brett Favre's worst game with his new team. Only one of Favre's
first 17 completions went for more than 15 yards as he frequently
checked down to his underneath options. He also had two interceptions
and 124 yards passing before the game-tying drive at the end of regulation.
He was unable to do much in overtime as the Jets gained just 45 yards
and had two first downs on their two possessions. Favre finished
21-for-38 for 197 yards and two interceptions, while failing to throw a
TD pass for the first time in six games with the Jets.
Russell went 17-for-30 for 203 yards, a TD pass to Walker and no
turnovers, coming through with the two big passes in overtime to help
make sure the teams did not play the NFL's first tie game in six years.
The Jets needed a late drive to send the game into overtime. They took
over at their own 5 with 1:24 remaining and no timeouts, trailing 13-10.
Favre started the drive with a 31-yard pass to Chansi Stuckey on third
down and later hit Brad Smith on an 18-yard pass to the Oakland 34.
After a spike and an incompletion, Feely came on for the tying kick with
8 seconds left. Before the Jets could get the snap off, Cable called a
timeout and Feely's 52-yard try that hit the upright did not count.
On his second try, Feely split the uprights to send the game into
overtime. Coincidentally, Kiffin's first win as Raiders coach came when
he called a late timeout that wiped out an apparent game-winning field
goal by Cleveland's Phil Dawson last year. That time, the second attempt
was blocked.
Cable's call for a fake punt late in the fourth quarter had given the
Raiders the lead. Linebacker Jon Alston ran 22 yards with the direct
snap and Oakland took a 13-10 lead on Janikowski's 37-yard field goal
with 2:56 to play.
Favre's second trip to Oakland was not nearly as memorable as his first,
when he threw four first-half touchdown passes and for 399 yards in a
41-7 victory the night after his father died in 2003.
The biggest play for the NFL's most prolific passer before the final
drive of regulation might have been a block instead of a throw. With New
York trailing 10-3 midway through the fourth quarter, Favre got just
enough of defensive end Kalimba Edwards to spring Brad Smith on a
36-yard reverse to the Oakland 14.
Two plays later, Leon Washington scored the tying touchdown on an
11-yard run with 8 minutes left.
The Jets had appeared to force Oakland into a three-and-out on the
ensuing drive, before Cable sprung the trick play. Alston took the
direct snap and ran around the right end for a 22-yard gain to the
Oakland 49. A 25-yard screen pass to Darren McFadden followed by a face
mask on Abram Elam on a second-and-19 moved the ball down to the 20 to
set up Janikowski's kick.
Notes:@ Oakland committed 14 penalties. ... The last tie was a 34-all
game between Atlanta and Pittsburgh on Nov. 10, 2002.
