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Pennington accounts for three scores as Jets down Dolphins

Sep 23, 2007 - 10:34 PM By Joe Rizzo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- In their haste to get their first win of the season, a resurgent Chad Pennington and the New York Jets turned to the no-huddle offense and a big play on special teams.

Pennington shook off an ankle injury in his return to the starting lineup, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another as the Jets posted a 31-28 win over the winless the Miami Dolphins in an AFC East clash.

Thomas Jones ran for 110 yards for New York (1-2), which secured its first win of the season.

Both teams entered desperate for a victory early in the season, and the Jets used the no-huddle from the start, cashing in on their second drive of the game when Pennington hit Laveranues Coles with a three-yard pass to make it 7-0 with 62 seconds left in the first quarter.

It capped a 10-play, 55-yard drive.

Ronnie Brown, who rushed 23 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns, responded on the ensuing drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge two minutes into the second quarter. Brown added 99 yards and another score on six receptions.

"We said all week that he would have an increased role," Miami coach Cam Cameron said. "You can see that on offense it's a work in progress. We noticed better chemistry with the guys up front this week. That makes a tremendous difference."

But Leon Washington put New York ahead to stay, returning the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.

"Leon got a lot of work in the preseason on (kickoff returns)," said Jets coach Eric Mangini, who gave Washington the main role with Justin Miller on injured reserve. "When he touches the ball, he can be explosive."

"Coach (Mike) Westoff did a great job of drawing it up," Washington said. "It doesn't matter who's back there returning. I basically ran through the hole and kept running."

Behind Brown's running and Trent Green's short passing, Miami added a couple of field goals from Jay Feely before halftime to close the gap to 14-13. But they left too much time after the second kick, which finished a drive that stalled with three straight incompletions by Green.

"I think that was the biggest possession of the game," said Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, whose second-half interception was the only turnover of the game and the first forced by the Jets this season. "We were able to make a stop there and make them kick."

Fearing Washington might bring back another kickoff, the Dolphins elected to try a squib kick. It backfired and gave the Jets the ball at their own 43.

"One thing I believe is if a guy runs one back on you, you do not give him the chance to do it again," Cameron said.

Pennington used 94 seconds to drive New York 57 yards in nine plays, including a 4-yard scoring pass to tight end Chris Baker to make it an eight-point game - two seconds before the break.

Baker juggled the ball before coming down with it, and the play withstood a video review.

Still running the no-huddle, the Jets gave the Dolphins a large dose of Jones in the third quarter, leading to a drive just under eight minutes long that culminated with a 21-yard field goal by Mike Nugent.

Bridging the final two quarters, Jones keyed another ball-controlling drive that took 7:36 and ended with Pennington's two-yard quarterback draw for a score, pushing the lead to 31-13 with 12:51 remaining.

"It was a good thing the offense gave me about eight seconds to get in there," joked Pennington, who went untouched into the end zone.

"I've always been impressed with Chad Pennington," Cameron said. "He was out there playing on one leg and did an outstanding job."

It was a significant turnaround for the sometimes embattled Jets quarterback, who injured the ankle in a season-opening loss to New England and limped off the field in severe discomfort - only to hear the home fans deliver a raucous cheer when backup Kellen Clemens entered the game.

Pennington sat out last weekend's loss in Baltimore. When he walked on the field for the Jets' first possession, Pennington heard loud cheers.

"I love the Jets fans they're passionate and loyal," Pennington said. "They appreciate players who play with heart and give everything they have."

"Chad has a great presence," Mangini said. "He has a great way of controlling the huddle. He knows how to manage time and situations."

Miami responded with a quick scoring drive keyed by Green's short passes and finished by Brown's two-yard run. Green handed to Brown on the Statue of Liberty play for a successful two-point conversion that made it a 10-point game.

After getting the ball back, the third-year running back scored on a 22-yard pass to cut his team's deficit to three points.

"Half their yards were on screens," Rhodes said. "We knew they would make a run and make it tight. That's what this series is all about."

New York recovered an onside kick to seal the win.

Green was 23-of-36 for 318 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Miami (1-2). Chris Chambers had 101 yards on six catches and Marty Booker added 60 on five.

The Dolphins aim for the first win of the season next weekend when they host the Oakland Raiders.

"It was pretty tough," Brown said. "We still have a long way to go as a team, and I think if we continue to build and put it together, we'll put ourselves in a good situation."