FLASH RECAP:
Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones combine for 265 rushing yards as visiting New York (4-3) hands Oakland (2-5) its worst home loss before an announced crowd of 39,354 on Oct. 25, 2009 — the lowest attendance for a Raiders home game in Oakland since 1968.
Rookie QB Mark Sanchez helps the Jets (4-3) snap a three-game losing streak by running for a TD and throwing for another. Greene rushes for 144 yards and Jones 121 as New York becomes the first team to rush for over 300 yards in consecutive games since Buffalo accomplished the feat in 1975.
"I don't think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today," Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour tells reporters afterward.
With New York leading 21-0, Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell is benched late in the second quarter. He finishes 6-of-11 passing for 61 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble. Backup Bruce Gradkowski is 10-of-19 passing for 97 yards and loses a a fumble at the Jets 28-yard line.
"I’ve never been in that situation," Russell tells reporters after the game. "It was kind of shocking to me at first. I felt like he (coach Tom Cable) thought his decision was the right thing to do. Once Bruce got in, I became a cheerleader. I had no problem with that.’’
The Raiders' previous largest margin of defeat in a home game is a 48-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Dec. 17, 1960 at Candlestick Park.
PRIME-TIME PLAYERS:
RB Shonn Greene — Has 144 rushing yards on 19 carries and two TDs. Greene sees extensive action because backup Leon Washington sustains a broken fibula during the first quarter.
RB Thomas Jones — Has 121 rushing yards on 26 carries and a TD. He has 321 rushing yards the past two games.
OLB Calvin Pace — Has three sacks, two forced fumbles and two tackles for loss to help the Jets record the franchise's first road shutout since 2001.
P Shane Lechler — Has a net average of 52.2 yards on five punts with a long of 61 yards.
WR Louis Murphy — Has four catches for 58 yards, but his first-quarter drop on Oakland's second possession is a killer.
RB Justin Fargas — Averages 8.4 rushing yards on eight carries for 67 yards.
KEY STATS:
The Raiders don't score a touchdown for the 15th time the past four seasons.
Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones become the first pair of Jets running backs to rush for over 120 yards each since John Riggins and Carl Garrett in 1975.
The Jets score their first two touchdowns as JaMarcus Russell turnovers (a fumble and interception).
THEY SAID IT:
Jets coach Rex Ryan on
"With Bill Callahan, here’s a man who led his team as a head coach to a Super Bowl. He probably won’t say it, but this game was really important to him. We wanted to show our support for him. This game was special to me, too, you know, with my brother.’’
ex-Raiders coach Bill Callahan and
ex-Raiders
defensive coordinator Rob Ryan
"Playing from behind isn’t our strong suit. `We started the game in a hole, and that’s not the way we play."
Raiders DL Richard Seymour
"I thought he was really out of sorts early in the game. I just did not feel like at that point he gave us the best chance to have the success we needed to have offensively and made the move. JaMarcus will continue to be our starter. There is no issue there."
Raiders coach Tom Cable on JaMarcus Russell
BY THE NUMBERS:
2: Catchces by Raiders WR Darrius Heyward Bey, equaling his receptions for the season's first six games
7-82: Combined score of Oakland losses to New York teams during the 2009 regular season.
634: Jets rushing yards the past two games.
DID YOU KNOW?:
Former Raiders coach Bill Callahan, the Jets offensive line coach and assistant head coach, receives a Gatorade bath following the game. He was dismissed by Al Davis one season after leading Oakland to the Super Bowl in January 2003. Callahan had a 17-18 win-loss record, including 2-1 postseason, in two seasons with Oakland.
The announced attendance of 39,354 (tickets sold; reportedly there were considerably fewer in the house) is the lowest for a Raiders game in Oakland since Oct. 27, 1968, when they had 37,083 against Cincinnati.
The Jets win their first regular-season game in five tries. New York's last win in California was 34-28 OT win at San Diego on 2004.
