LANDOVER, Md. — Another shaky performance for three quarters by Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets. And then, another fourth-quarter comeback.

Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play Sunday, and Shonn Greene added a pair of insurance scores to give the Jets a 34-19 win over the Washington Redskins, keeping New York in the realistic hunt for an AFC playoff berth

It was Sanchez’s 10th career fourth-quarter comeback or overtime victory, including the playoffs, and his second in as many weeks. The Jets (7-5) scraped by the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the first step in the team’s stated mission to win out and make the postseason for a third straight year.

But the playoff surge machine again looked more like a combustion engine missing a few spark plugs as coach Rex Ryan’s team pulled off another mistake-filled win. New York had only 168 total yards after three quarters, committed untimely penalties and had another special teams turnover against the Redskins (4-8), who have lost seven of eight.

Sanchez completed 19 of 32 passes for 165 yards and avoided throwing an interception after having at least one in five straight games. Greene ran for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

Rex Grossman hit 19 of 46 passes for 221 yards and one interception for the Redskins, and his fumble while being sacked by Aaron Maybin deep in his own territory with the score 20-16 thwarted his own chance for a fourth-quarter comeback. Calvin Pace recovered, and Greene took a direct snap and scored on a 9-yard run two plays later to give the Jets an 11-point lead.

Graham Gano’s fourth field goal, a 43-yarder with 1:59 to play, pulled the Redskins within eight. Washington then failed to recover an onside kick, and Greene scooted in from 25 yards with 1:47 remaining.

The Jets trailed 16-13 after Gano’s 46-yard field goal with 7:52 to go, but a short kickoff was returned by Josh Baker near midfield. Sanchez and the New York offense then came back to life, with the quarterback scrambling to avoid pressure before completing a 10-yard pass to Greene on a third-and-4 two plays before the big throw to Holmes down the left sideline.

Both offenses started strong. After failing to score a touchdown on their opening drive in any of their first 10 games, the Redskins got one for the second straight week. A 42-yard pass to Fred Davis (99 yards on six catches) led to a 2-yard run by rookie Roy Helu, who rushed for 100 yards for the second straight week.

The Jets responded with a real clock-eater: 17 plays, 74 yards over 9:06, including three wildcat plays and a fourth-and-1 conversion. LaDainian Tomlinson was hurt along the way, apparently reinjuring his left knee on a tackle-from-behind by safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. Tomlinson missed the previous two games with an ailing left knee and didn’t start the game. Greene finished the drive a 1-yard touchdown run.

After the teams traded field goals, rookie Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt deep in New York territory and the Redskins recovered — the NFL-high sixth special teams turnover committed by the Jets this season. It set up another field goal by Gano to give Washington a 13-10 lead at the half.

Jim Leonhard, replacing Kerley as the return man, ran back a punt 14 yards in the third quarter to get the Jets in Washington territory. Nick Folk then tied it at 13 with a season-high 51-yard field goal.

The Jets had a chance to take the lead after forcing Helu to fumble — a call that needed a replay challenge by Ryan. New York took over at Washington’s 29 but went nowhere, and Folk pushed a 40-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

LANDOVER, Md. — Another shaky performance for three quarters by Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets. And then, another fourth-quarter comeback.

Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play Sunday, and Shonn Greene added a pair of insurance scores to give the Jets a 34-19 win over the Washington Redskins, keeping New York in the realistic hunt for an AFC playoff berth

It was Sanchez’s 10th career fourth-quarter comeback or overtime victory, including the playoffs, and his second in as many weeks. The Jets (7-5) scraped by the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the first step in the team’s stated mission to win out and make the postseason for a third straight year.

But the playoff surge machine again looked more like a combustion engine missing a few spark plugs as coach Rex Ryan’s team pulled off another mistake-filled win. New York had only 168 total yards after three quarters, committed untimely penalties and had another special teams turnover against the Redskins (4-8), who have lost seven of eight.

Sanchez completed 19 of 32 passes for 165 yards and avoided throwing an interception after having at least one in five straight games. Greene ran for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

Rex Grossman hit 19 of 46 passes for 221 yards and one interception for the Redskins, and his fumble while being sacked by Aaron Maybin deep in his own territory with the score 20-16 thwarted his own chance for a fourth-quarter comeback. Calvin Pace recovered, and Greene took a direct snap and scored on a 9-yard run two plays later to give the Jets an 11-point lead.

Graham Gano’s fourth field goal, a 43-yarder with 1:59 to play, pulled the Redskins within eight. Washington then failed to recover an onside kick, and Greene scooted in from 25 yards with 1:47 remaining.

The Jets trailed 16-13 after Gano’s 46-yard field goal with 7:52 to go, but a short kickoff was returned by Josh Baker near midfield. Sanchez and the New York offense then came back to life, with the quarterback scrambling to avoid pressure before completing a 10-yard pass to Greene on a third-and-4 two plays before the big throw to Holmes down the left sideline.

Both offenses started strong. After failing to score a touchdown on their opening drive in any of their first 10 games, the Redskins got one for the second straight week. A 42-yard pass to Fred Davis (99 yards on six catches) led to a 2-yard run by rookie Roy Helu, who rushed for 100 yards for the second straight week.

The Jets responded with a real clock-eater: 17 plays, 74 yards over 9:06, including three wildcat plays and a fourth-and-1 conversion. LaDainian Tomlinson was hurt along the way, apparently reinjuring his left knee on a tackle-from-behind by safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. Tomlinson missed the previous two games with an ailing left knee and didn’t start the game. Greene finished the drive a 1-yard touchdown run.

After the teams traded field goals, rookie Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt deep in New York territory and the Redskins recovered – the NFL-high sixth special teams turnover committed by the Jets this season. It set up another field goal by Gano to give Washington a 13-10 lead at the half.

Jim Leonhard, replacing Kerley as the return man, ran back a punt 14 yards in the third quarter to get the Jets in Washington territory. Nick Folk then tied it at 13 with a season-high 51-yard field goal.

The Jets had a chance to take the lead after forcing Helu to fumble – a call that needed a replay challenge by Ryan. New York took over at Washington’s 29 but went nowhere, and Folk pushed a 40-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

___

Want to hear something that’s going to grind your gears, New York Jets fans? Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and the man often blamed when quarterback Mark Sanchez appears as though he hasn’t progressed, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, received contract extensions last offseason, according to a Friday afternoon New York Post report.

The team hadn’t publicly announced contractually extending its coordinators until this week. How long Pettine and Schottenheimer are under contract beyond next season has yet to be disclosed.

The Jets (5-5) rank 17th on offense, 26th in rushing (966 yards) and 21st in passing (2,179 yards). On defense, New York ranks 16th overall, 17th in rushing yards allowed (1,169) and has kept teams to the fifth lowest total of passing yards (2,001).

New York’s 17-13 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 11 marked a low point for both coordinators. After managing just two field goals and a fluke touchdown vs. Denver—scored by offensive lineman Matt Slauson when he recovered running back Bilal Powell’s fumble in the end zone—second-year QB Tim Tebow put the icing on a 95-yard drive with a 20-yard TD run. Tebow’s score was the difference in the game.

The Jets will try to avoid falling below .500 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET), where they’re scheduled to play the Buffalo Bills (5-5).

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Forget the playoffs, the New York Jets’ credibility is at stake this Sunday when they play the Buffalo Bills (5-5) at MetLife Stadium. After a road loss to the Denver Broncos last Thursday, the Jets (5-5) haven’t any margin for error. And interestingly enough, New York, after Buffalo, has games vs. the Washington Redskins (3-7) and Kansas City Chiefs (4-6) in Weeks 13 and 14, respectively.

Now, how tempting is it for you, as a Jets fans, to say Buffalo, Washington and Kansas City are beatable teams? Should you be inclined to say “very,” just keep in mind that fans of those teams—taking into account how this season has played out—are likely thinking the same of Gang Green. Because after the country saw Denver quarterback Tim Tebow(notes) cap a 95-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown run to beat New York 17-13 in Week 11, head coach Rex Ryan and his vaunted defensive unit have very little to brag about.

Right now, the Jets’ two consecutive trips to the AFC Championship game only proves how much better those teams were than this year’s edition, which is in danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Yes, the cliche “put up or shut up” clearly applies here, because a loss to the pseudo-contending Bills this weekend would be devastating for New York. And if such comes to pass, Ryan’s squad will not be contenders of any variant.

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Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes
to Rob Gronkowski as the New England Patriots defeated the
Kansas City Chiefs 34-3 to extend their National Football League
division lead.

Gronkowski hauled in touchdown passes of 52 and 19 yards,
Julian Edelman scored on a 72-yard punt return and the Patriots’
defense had three interceptions last night at Gillette Stadium
in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

New England improved to 7-3 with its second straight win
and moved two games ahead of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills
atop the American Football Conference’s East Division. The
Patriots trailed 3-0 after the first quarter before rebounding
with 34 unanswered points to send the Chiefs (4-6) to a third
consecutive loss.

“We got some turnovers on defense and got a big punt
return for a touchdown,” Brady, who finished with 234 yards
passing, said in a televised interview. “It’s frustrating when
you come out on offense and don’t play the way I think we’re
capable of, but we’ll try to get it corrected and move on.”

None of the Patriots’ final six regular-season opponents
has a winning record, with the Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) next on
the schedule on Nov. 27.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Erik Matuszewski in New York at
matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net