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Nugent FG lifts Jets over Steelers in overtime

Nov 19, 2007 - 2:01 AM By Joe Rizzo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) - The one time the Pittsburgh Steelers could not avoid Leon Washington, it cost them the game.

Washington's 26-yard punt return set up Mike Nugent's fourth field goal of the game, a 38-yarder 5:03 into overtime, that gave the New York Jets a stunning 19-16 victory over the Steelers on Sunday.

The Steelers (7-3) kicked away from Washington, who has returned three kickoffs for a touchdown this season, the entire game. But in the overtime, Washington fielded a punt and made a move, scampering 26 yards to the Pittsburgh 26, with only punter Dan Sepulveda's tackle keeping him from ending the game.

"All week long at practice I have been working on catching the ball," said Washington, whose Jets were coming off a bye week. "Once you see the ball shank, you know the chance is there to make a play. I feel like whenever I get the ball I have a chance to make a big play."

Thomas Jones, who carried 30 times for 117 yards, ran the ball three times for six yards before Nugent converted into a strong headwind that saw the ball narrowly clear the upright.

"That field goal at the end cannot really happen if Leon doesn't do such a great job on that punt," Nugent said.

"When that final kick went through, that was one of the best feelings I've had in a while," said New York quarterback Kellen Clemens, who won for the first time in three career starts.

Clemens drove the Jets 76 yards to the tying field goal with 23 seconds left, leaving Nugent with a 28-yard chip shot with the wind at his back.

"We've had some success in the two-minute drives," Clemens said. "It's a big step for us to take this game into OT and then finish it strong."

It was a unique home game for New York, whose fans split the stadium with towel-waving Steelers fans. Despite Pittsburgh's "road-field" advantage, Jones became the first back in 35 games to dent the Steelers' defense for more than 100 yards.

"I know a lot of guys were missing tackles," said Steelers cornerback DeShea Townsend, whose team had not allowed a rusher to pass the century mark since Edgerrin James did it with Indianapolis on November 28, 2005, carrying 29 times for 124 yards.

New York finished with 151 yards on the ground.

"Against that type of defense, you definitely have to get yards after the contact," Jones said. "They couldn't wrap me up 100 percent and it gave me some opportunities to make some plays."

The Jets (2-8) built a 13-7 lead, but allowed three straight field goals from Jeff Reed in the second half as the Steelers played keep-away. New York ran just eight plays for 16 yards in the third quarter.

Faced with a 4th-and-2 from the Pittsburgh 31-yard line early in the fourth quarter of a 13-13 game, Jets lineman Brandon Moore committed a false start, but coach Eric Mangini still elected to go for it. Clemens threw an incomplete pass to Brad Smith, opening the door for Pittsburgh to embark on the go-ahead drive.

Ben Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 34 yards in nine plays over 3:35, with Reed converting from 48 yards to make it 16-13 with 8:41 left.

"Our mindset has been to take care of the opponent, whomever it may be," Roethlisberger said. "I don't think we were looking ahead."

Reed also booted field goals of 37 and 33 yards in the third quarter to rally the Steelers into a 13-13 tie. The two drives covered 20 plays and ate 10:52 off the clock and appeared for a while to have taken their toll on the Jets defense in the fourth quarter.

The Jets surprised the Steelers off the bat, converting a 56-yard flea-flicker from Clemens to Laveranues Coles on the second play of the game, leaving the ball at the 1-yard line.

That led to Clemens' 1-yard scoring toss to tight end Chris Baker, giving New York a 7-0 edge less than three minutes into the game. It also helped set up New York's running game.

"I'd like to think it affected the safeties a little bit, that they had to stay back and respect the trick plays," Clemens said.

Nugent added a 25-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter to extend the edge, but the Steelers took the ensuing kickoff and drove 72 yards in eight plays, with Roethlisberger hitting Santonio Homes for a 7-yard score to cut the deficit to 10-7.

Holmes, who had 75 yards on five receptions, later left the game with a sprained right ankle.

Nugent converted from 19 yards on the final play of the half to give the Jets a 13-7 lead at the intermission. The 49-yard drive was set up when safety Kerry Rhodes made a spectacular leaping interception off a deflected pass near midfield.

In addition to the interception, Roethlisberger lost a fumble and was sacked seven times against a team that entered the game with just nine sacks on the season. He finished 15-for-25 for 195 yards with one TD and one interception.

Clemens was 14-for-31 for 162 yards, one TD and one pick for the Jets, who will visit Dallas on Thanksgiving.

"We certainly hope it carries over," Clemens said. "When you have two wins, every win is a big one, I guess. The downside is we get the least amount of time possible to celebrate."