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for larger version       Jubilant Jets Get Much Needed Victory Over Miami Dolphins
It was the Jets' first victory of the season and as they improved to 1-2, the win against Miami was another case that QB Chad Pennington can change the fortunes on his team when he is on the field. Pennington was sharp and effective in hearing the adulation of the crowd by completing 15 of 22 attempts for two touchdowns and a 2-yard running touchdown last Sunday in a 31-28 win. The offensive line and runningbacks found cohesion with Thomas Jones running for his first 100-yard rushing effort. Leon Washington gave the special teams a much needed boost with a 99-yard kickoff return. Though they gave up more than 400 total yards to the Miami offense, just the thought that a healthy Pennington can galvanize his troops and lead them to victory is a positive for TE Chris Baker.
After Pennington scored the twoyard touchdown, and the Jets had the 31-13 lead, he almost seemed like a man possessed with joy. Lifting himself in the air with no hint of the pain of the ankle injury that plagued him for two weeks, the touchdown seemed like a cathartic moment for the quarterback. "When I get in there, I hope that the guys can feed off of my energy. I try to be really energetic and enthusiastic and lead the way. It's important that we all play with passion," Pennington said. In fact Pennington admitted that his head was spinning the first few plays when he almost forced two interceptions into double coverage. Once he cleared his head and focused on getting rid of the butterflies, the Jets were better for it. At least for one week, Pennington, who is still not quite 100%, got the fans on his side.
"I love Jet fans. They are passionate and loyal," Pennington said. "Like I said last week, I felt like I was ready to go. I worked extremely hard to put myself in that position."
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