O’Brien and Jets Sink Buccaneers, 62-28

When the New York Jets drafted Ken O’Brien in the first round out of UC Davis 2 1/2 years ago, there were plenty of disbelievers.

O’Brien, showing that he belongs, passed for five touchdowns Sunday to lead the Jets to a 62-28 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I believe in myself,” O’Brien said. “I believe I can complete any pass I throw.”

O’Brien completed 23 of 30 passes for 367 yards in less than three quarters. Three of his touchdowns went to tight end Mickey Shuler.

At one point, he had 12 straight completions.

“I believe I can do 12 in a row or 20 in a row,” he added. “I want to be the best. You can’t be the best if you make mistakes. Some days are like this. You must take advantage of what develops.

“With the time I was getting and with the protection I was getting, I had to make something positive happen. I expect a lot from myself and I made the right decisions today, and we got the ball into the end zone.”

The Jets (8-3) thoroughly took advantage of the inept Buccaneers (1-10) in the first half, opening a 20-point lead despite losing Freeman McNeil with a bruised right leg.

McNeil suffered the injury late in the first quarter with the Jets on their way to a 41-point opening half, a team record. McNeil gained 41 yards, putting his season total at 1,093, before getting hurt while pass-blocking for O’Brien.

Shuler got into the end zone three times in the second period.

“Kenny is more confident the more he plays, the more he sees and the more he reads things,” Shuler said. “Every pass he threw to me was perfect.”

The Jets stormed back after falling behind, 14-0, as O’Brien hit 17 of 24 passes for 239 yards in the half.

O’Brien hit Wesley Walker for a 22-yard score, then connected with Shuler for touchdowns of 11, 10 and 8 yards, all in the second period as the Jets built a 38-21 lead.

The Buccaneers, who won for the first time this year by shutting out St. Louis, 16-0, last week to end a nine-game losing streak, turned the ball over five times on fumbles, four in the first half.

“A loss like this is downright embarrassing,” Buccaneer defensive back David Greenwood said. “You try to do your job the best way you can, but it’s embarrassing to get your tail whipped.”

Fifty-four seconds into the third period, O’Brien teamed with rookie Al Toon on a 78-yard play for his fifth scoring pass of the day. Toon took a sideline pass, burst out of a crowd of tacklers at midfield and scored easily.

Johnny Hector, who replaced McNeil and had 79 yards rushing, slanted in from the seven later in the third period, and Tony Paige scored on a one-yard run with 1:14 to play for the final touchdown.

The start of the game was delayed for 16 minutes by a power outage at Giants Stadium, but once they got started, the O’Brien and the Jets provided their own electricity.

O’BRIEN’S BIG DAY

1st quarter

Ken O’Brien hits Wesley Walker with a 22-yard TD pass at 10:12. Jets tied game, 14-14.

2nd quarter

O’Brien hits Mickey Shuler with 11-yard TD at 00:05. Jets led, 24-14.

O’Brien hits Shuler with 10-yard TD at 7:24. Jets led, 31-14.

O’Brien hits Shuler at 12:25 with 8-yard TD. Jets led, 38-21.

3rd quarter

O’Brien hits Al Toon with 78 yard TD at 00:54. Jets led, 48-21.

4th quarter

No touchdown passes.