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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Skeptics kept telling the New York
Jets they needed a No. 1 receiver to replace Keyshawn Johnson.
|  | | Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, being sacked here by Jets rookie Shaun Ellis, was 25 of 43 passing for 229 yards and one touchdown. |
They had one all along in Wayne Chrebet, who caught two
touchdown passes from Vinny Testaverde in the final 6:25 Monday
night as the Jets beat the New England Patriots 20-19.
"Just give me a chance," Chrebet told Testaverde before the
winning 28-yard TD pass with 1:55 left -- a fitting turn of
Johnson's phrase: "Just throw me the damn ball."
"This is a huge win for us and sets us up for the whole
season," Chrebet said.
John Abraham and Shaun Ellis, selected with first-round picks
the Jets got for Johnson and as compensation for allowing Bill
Belichick to leave to coach the Patriots, combined on two sacks
that ended New England's last shot.
This game was billed in New York and New England as the "Tuna
Helper Bowl," -- Belichick and Jets coach Al Groh, both in their
first years, spent much of their apprenticeship under Bill "Tuna"
Parcells.
Belichick was Parcells' designated successor but asked out after
spending one day last January as Jets coach. For most of the game,
Belichick's knowledge of New York's offense seemed to stifle the
Jets (2-0).
But he had some residual admiration at the end.
"Vinny made some great throws, Wayne made a couple of great
catches," said Belichick, who could have been on the opposite
sideline.
"I give them credit. At the end they came up with more plays
than we did."
New England built up a 12-7 lead on four field goals by Adam
Vinatieri and extended it to 19-7 on Drew Bledsoe's 4-yard TD pass
to Eric Bjornson with just under 10 minutes left.
That seemed to energize the Jets, who drove 85 yards in 10 plays
to score on Testaverde's 2-yard TD pass to Chrebet. Fullback Richie
Anderson had five catches for 78 yards on that drive.
New York got the ball back with 2:28 left.
On the first play, Testaverde hit Dedric Ward for 44 yards, then
threw from 28 yards out to Chrebet, who caught the ball at the 3
and dove into the end zone with 1:55 remaining.
The 2-point conversion failed, but New England (0-2) went
nowhere. Abraham and Ellis combined on one sack of Bledsoe, and
Abraham got another on fourth down.
"As I was leaving the field, I kept thinking about how
fortunate we were to draft Ellis and Abraham," Groh said.
The Jets moved the ball only once during the first half, going
74 yards on 12 plays on their first possession, scoring on
Testaverde's 4-yard pass to Fred Baxter. Despite his three TD
passes, Testaverde was just 16-of-37, although he did throw for 291
yards.
Testaverde continued to show signs of rust from last year, when
he tore an Achilles' tendon in the first half of the first game
with the Patriots and missed the rest of the season. At one point,
he threw six straight incomplete passes, hit Chrebet for 28 yards,
then was sacked and threw two more incompletions.
Meanwhile, the Patriots plugged along between the 20s, getting
field goals of 32, 35, 30 and 33 yards from Vinatieri.
Two were set up by punt returns of 31 and 38 yards by Troy
Brown, who had a 66-yard TD return and a 39 yarder last week. A
third was preceded by an interception that Antonio Langham returned
24 yards to the New York 14. But the Patriots never got close to
scoring a touchdown on any of those threats.
New England drove from its own 26 to the New York 11 with the
opening kickoff of the second half. But Vinatieri's field-goal
attempt went wide left.
Bledsoe completed 25 of 43 passes for 229 yards but just the one
touchdown.
The rest of the scoring was Vinatieri and that made the
difference.
"We need to get the ball in," Belichick said. "We were down
there plenty of times. We've got to come up with more points."
Game notes
The last time the Jets started 2-0 was in 1994, when they
finished 6-10. ... Patriots defensive back Larry Whigham sprained
his right knee in the first quarter and did not return. ... New
England tackle Greg Robinson-Randall injured his right arm in the
second quarter. ... New England controlled the ball for 11:01 of
the scoreless third quarter, 20:33 of the second half, and 30:54 of
the last 45 minutes. ... The Patriots were 7-for-10 on third down
conversions during one stretch of the second half. They finished
7-for-12 in the half and 11-for-22 overall. ... Patriots C Damien
Woody left the game in the fourth quarter with a head injury....
Both of Baxter's touchdowns last season came against New England.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
New England Clubhouse
NY Jets Clubhouse
Groh has no problem with no-show Parcells
Week 2 wrap-ups
Week 2 infirmary report
TJ's Take on Week 2
Week 2 stats leaders
Prime Time Players
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Vinny Testaverde talks with Melissa Stark about the Jets' big win.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Bill Belichick says the Patriots did not take advantage of their opportunities Monday night.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Wayne Chrebet describes his two TD receptions to Sal Paolantonio.
wav: 402 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Bryan Cox talks with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio after the Jets' one point win on Monday Night.
wav: 318 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Wayne Chrebet says the Jets made plays when it mattered.
wav: 88 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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