08/17 — THIRD QUARTER

The Jets' downfield pass defense has been good tonight. Drew Henson, the third Minnesota QB, aired one out for WR Chandler Williams five minutes into the second half but David Barrett was all over it and swatted it away.

But the Jets' third-down defense hasn't been getting it done. Henson's completion to Martin Nance converted third-and-4 and gave the visitors 6-of-10 conversions. Then on the next third down, the Jets held and took over on a punt by Alex Reyes marked out of bounds at the Jets 9.

Kellen Clemens seemed to have the offense going in the right direction with two first downs to the 31. But then more Purple disaster was visited on the Green & White. On first down, Clemens was sacked by DE Brian Robison, who beat LT Adrian Jones around the corner. Pete Kendall, centering on this drive, recovered.

But on the very next play, Kendall put his shotgun snap over Clemens' head. Clemens, who likes to try to save bad snaps, should have fallen on this one. He tried to pick up the bouncing ball, missed, and Robison recovered at the 3 and rolled into the end zone.

Three TDs allowed off of Jets offensive turnovers — oofah!

Vikings 31, Jets 13

 A Clemens pass tipped by a diving Chansi Stuckey was scooped up by CB Dovonte Edwards at the Jets 40 and the Vikes were on the move to another takeaway score, Ryan Longwell's 22-yard field goal.

That's 24 points off turnovers vs. the Jets tonight. Not good, but at least this is the time of the season to have this kind of game.

Vikings 34, Jets 13

Brad Smith comes in at QB and injects a little life with an 8-yard scramble for a first down as the game heads into its final 15 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER

The continuation of the Jets' drive was impressive for a couple of reasons: Danny Ware and Jason Pociask. Ware had carries of 6, 8, 8 and 9 yards and on each one Pociask, a tight end who was lining up as the fullback, made solid blocks at the point of attack.

Smith got the Jets as close as first-and-goal at the Minnesota 5 before the possession came apart: hold on Sean Ryan, false start on Jacob Bender, then a Smith scramble and incompletion had the Jets at fourth-and-goal at the 7. They were going for it — but Kendall, still at center, committed his second bad shotgun snap, this one low and to the left of Smith, who was hit by two Vikings after he tracked the ball down at the Vikes 26. This is definitely not the Green & White's night.

The Jets force a punt and now with 5:48 to go and down by 21 points, Marques Tuiasosopo is running the offense, and like Pennington, he figures to throw his first pass of the preseason tonight. Does he have a three-TD fantastic finish in him like Bollinger did against the Eagles in 2004? We'll see.