• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Jets clinch playoff berth with third straight win

Dec 31, 2006 - 10:54 PM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Eric Mangini is on his way to the playoffs in his first year as coach. Art Shell is probably happy to be on his way home.

With quarterback Chad Pennington playing a mistake-free game and a defense that forced three turnovers,the New York Jets clinched a postseason berth with a methodical 23-3 victory over the hapless Raiders.

Since losing to Chicago on November 19, the Jets (10-6) closed the season with five wins in their last six games to earn an AFC wild-card spot.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of the players and the fans have been great all year long," Mangini said. "Our players focused on the task at hand from week to week and took care of business. That's why we're headed to the playoffs."

Last season, the Jets finished last in the AFC East with a 4-12 record and coach Herman Edwards left to become coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets named Mangini, who was the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, as their coach.

"How can you not respect a guy who has been to the ultimate game (the Super Bowl with the Patriots) and won three times," Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis said of Mangini. "After we beat the Patriots (on November 12) we knew then we could do something special."

But no one expected Mangini to get the Jets into the playoffs in his first season. The fans expressed their appreciation on Sunday, showering the Meadowlands with banners thanking "The Mangenius."

"Sometimes it takes a little while for people to buy into the system, but I think guys bought into it pretty quickly," Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles said of the turnaround under Mangini. "I knew from the beginning we were a playoff team. It was for us to decide how far we were going to move forward."

The players showered Mangini with Gatorade just after the two-minute warning.

Pennington completed 22-of-30 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown and Mike Nugent kicked three field goals for the Jets, who will play at either Indianapolis or New England in the wild-card round next week.

The loss was the ninth in a row for the Raiders (2-14), who finished with the worst record in the Al Davis era (1963-present).

Shell returned to begin his second term as Raiders coach this past season, but the campaign was a disaster. Oakland scored a league-low 168 points, an average of 10.5 per game, and committed 46 turnovers.

"We kept making mistakes, mainly turnovers. You can't do that and expect to win in this league," Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp said.

The lone bright spot for the Raiders is they will own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft since Detroit won at Dallas on Sunday.

And the Raiders will need all the help they can get on offense. Aaron Brooks threw for just 136 yards and committed two turnovers - one fumble and one interception.

Johnnie Morant committed the Raiders' first turnover, fumbling after catching a pass and Hank Poteat recovered for the Jets at the Oakland 48.

Rookie Brad Smith rushed for 20 yards on a reverse before Pennington tossed a one-yard touchdown to tight end Chris Baker with 4:54 left in the first quarter.

"It was a play where I block, block (again) and come across and it usually comes open," Baker said. "We run it every week in practice. It is a tough play to defend. Chad (Pennington) waited for me and got me the ball."

Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 35-yard field goal with 10:36 remaining in the second quarter to account for the Raiders' scoring. It was the 156th field goal of his career, tying George Blanda's franchise record.

Nugent kicked a 35-yard field goal with three seconds left in the second quarter, giving the Jets a 10-3 halftime lead.

New York opened the second half with a 12-play, 63-yard drive which consumed more than seven minutes. Nugent capped it with a 22-yard field goal.

Rookie Leon Washington scored on a 15-yard run with 13:37 left in the fourth quarter and Nugent kicked a 35-yard field goal 1:54 later to increase the lead to 23-3.