Sixty minutes of football wasn’t enough time to decide the 2007 season finale between the Jets and the Chiefs. They played overtime at the Meadowlands today and Mike Nugent’s 43-yard field goal gave the Green & White a 13-10 victory. Both teams finished with identical 4-12 records, but it’s the Jets who head into the New Year on a positive note while the Chiefs dropped their ninth consecutive game.

Nugent actually had to win the game twice. He nailed a 33-yarder, but the Jets' Wade Smith was called for holding on the first attempt. Then after a second freeze timeout by KC head coach Herman Edwards, the Jets’ placekicker sent a sparse crowd home feeling warm.

“It was important for them (the players) and important for all of us to be able to win this last game,” said Jets head coach Eric Mangini.

After winning the OT coin toss, the Jets moved 45 yards in 11 plays to get Nugent in range. Thomas Jones, who finished with 98 yards on the ground, got five carries on the final possession and bulled his way for 36 important yards.

“It felt good to get in there and get some consistent positive runs and get in a groove,” Jones said. “The line did a really good job getting off the ball and giving me some cracks to run through and Coach Schottenheimer stuck with it. Luckily, we were able to move down the field and kick a field goal.”

A low-scoring contest was expected between Mangini’s Jets and Edwards’ Chiefs and that’s exactly what took place. Both teams ended the season with second-year passers battling it out in the rain as Clemens (13-25-115-1TD) got the better of Brodie Croyle (20-43-195-1TD). Edwards, who was already without the services of injured Larry Johnson and lost rookie Kolby Smith early in the game, watched the team he coached from 2001-05 get good production from its 1-2 RB combo, play sound defense throughout and then come through in fifth quarter.

“There were some big holes and some big runs by Thomas that got us down there,” Clemens said. “He showed up there really big at the end and then obviously Nug made the game-winning kick twice.”

Jones’ excellent solo effort allowed the Jets to seize a 7-0 second-quarter lead. Following a scoreless opening 15 minutes, the Jets had a thjird-and-goal at the Kansas City 15. Clemens, operating out of the shotgun, tossed a shovel pass to Jones and the veteran back darted a couple of steps right, changed directions and sprinted a few left, cut right a second time and went into the end zone standing up.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of success team-wise, so it’s definitely been a tough year,” Jones said. “But the one thing I can say about this year and this team is a lot of guys fought hard and we all stuck together.”

The initial TD was set up by Leon Washington’s 36-yard pass completion to WR Wallace Wright. Washington took a direct snap from the gun, danced a few steps towards the sideline and floated a good ball to the wide-open Wright. That got the Jets deep into KC territory, setting up Jones’ first TD reception as a member of the Green & White.

Washington was a triple threat, rushing for 67 yards and also adding 13 yards on his three catches.

Unable to sustain much of an offensive attack, the Chiefs took advantage of a short field and got on the board with John Carney’s 40-yard FG with five minutes left in the second period. The Jets, capitalizing on Washington’s impressive 14-yard scamper, answered back before intermission on Nugent’s first field goal from 27 yards.

The 10-3 advantage looked like it would hold up, but the Chiefs knotted things up late in the fourth at 10-10 when Croyle stood in the pocket and hit Jeff Webb for a 31-yard TD. Croyle very nearly didn’t get it off, hanging in the pocket until the last second and taking a big shot from rookie LB David Harris.

Harris and fellow rookie CB Darrelle Revis finished up terrific first seasons in fine form. Harris finished with 11 tackles (nine solo) and one sack while Revis picked up five stops and helped hold fellow rookie Dwayne Bowe to just one 13-yard reception.

“We had a disappointing season — we all know that,” Harris said. “But we’re going into the off-season on a positive note and that was a good thing."

The Jets, who will select sixth in April’s NFL Draft, finished the year off in style. An important off-season awaits.

Westhoff’s Sendoff

During his postgame news conference, Eric Mangini announced that special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff won't return as a full-time coach next season. Westhoff made the decision and will leave the team because of medical issues. He was awarded a game ball by the team.

Meeting of the Minds

Before the game, Mangini and Edwards shook hands and exchanged pleasantries for a couple of minutes.

"It’s ironic because both of these organizations gave me my first opportunity," Edwards said.  "The Chiefs gave me my first opportunity to be a scout. I’m very indebted to them and the Hunt family. Here, Mr. Johnson gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach."

Overtime Triple

For the third time on the home schedule, the Jets played an extra frame. Back in November, they dropped a 23-20 decision to the Redskins but turned things around against the Steelers, taking a 19-16 contest just two weeks later. It's the third time the Jets have played at least three OT games in a season (three in 1991, four in 2004 including two in the playoffs).

2008 Opponents

Repeating the schedule, which won’t be released until April, the Jets already know next season’s opposition. It’s a slate with a West Coast flavor as the Green & White will fly across country to meet four teams and will cover 24,498 air miles in all.

Home: New England, Miami, Buffalo, Denver, Kansas City, Arizona, St. Louis, Cincinnati

Road: New England, Miami, Buffalo, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tennessee

Locker Cleanup

On Monday, the Jets will meet as a team for a final time this seasonb at Weeb Ewbank Hall. Then following individual meetings, it’s locker room clean-up — also known as "baggie day" — for the players and an informal media session.