TEMPE – The throwback jersey of choice for the flight home was a blue-and-gold number, No. 13 on both front and back, with “MARINO” written across the back. Maybe Santana Moss’ choice of Dan Marino’s college jersey at Pittsburgh was simply a matter of serendipity.
But on this day, it sure seemed appropriate.
Moss has fought mightily during his first three years as a pro to measure up in the memories of Jets fans, who may have not had much to reliably root for since 1969 but do know what a game-breaking receiver looks like, from Don Maynard to George Sauer to Richard Caster, from Wesley Walker to Al Toon, from Wayne Chrebet to Keyshawn Johnson to Laveranues Coles.
Moss has always promised much. He has rarely delivered to his pedigree.
Lately, he has. Three weeks ago, he caught a touchdown pass from Quincy Carter during the Jets’ ill-fated comeback attempt at Buffalo. Two weeks ago, the last memorable moment of the Jets’ 20-17 loss to the Ravens was another long Carter-to-Moss hook-up, on the play directly before LaMont Jordan’s fateful halfback option.
And yesterday, the two connected again, on a 69-yard bomb late in the third quarter that gave the Jets their only touchdown on the afternoon in a critical 13-3 victory over the Cardinals.
“Every time I run a pattern, I do it knowing that the play could result in a touchdown,” said Moss, who caught five balls for 109 yards yesterday, none more urgent than the one he gathered in from Carter with 2:51 left in the third quarter.
“In fact, I think every time that I should wind up in the end zone. It doesn’t surprise me when I make a big play.”
It was precisely what the Jets needed, one of the few times since Chad Pennington went down that they decided to show off Carter’s rocket arm. When the quarterback released the ball, Moss actually trailed the Arizona double team of Renaldo Hill and Adrian Wilson, but Moss accelerated by both of them, caught the ball at the 15 and sped in from there.
“At first,” Herm Edwards said, “I thought it was going to be incomplete, but then I saw Santana run under it. It was a wonderful thing to see.”