O’Brien Is the Star in Jet Win

Quarterback Marc Wilson sparked a New England comeback on Sunday, but it couldn’t beat the one by Ken O’Brien and the New York Jets.

O’Brien completed four consecutive passes covering 72 yards in the last 63 seconds, setting up Pat Leahy’s 23-yard field goal on the final play as the Jets surprised the Patriots, 27-26.

The win broke a five-game losing streak for the Jets (2-7), who had scored just one offensive touchdown in the streak. New England (3-6) suffered its second one-point loss of the year in which Greg Davis missed an extra point.

O’Brien also threw two touchdown passes after going five games without one.

“When Kenny’s got time, he can get the job done,” New York Coach Joe Walton said. O’Brien was sacked just twice after being sacked nine times a week earlier.

Until Sunday, Wilson had gone almost two years without throwing a regular-season pass of any kind.

But he replaced an injured Steve Grogan three minutes into the third period and led a fourth-quarter rally that turned a 24-12 deficit into a 26-24 lead on touchdown passes of 65 yards to Cedric Jones and 11 to Hart Lee Dykes with 1:03 remaining.

Wilson completed 12 of 18 passes for 177 yards in his first action at quarterback since Dec. 27, 1987 with the Raiders. O’Brien completed 22 of 29 for a season-high 386 yards and no interceptions.

After Dykes’ touchdown, the Jets got the ball at their 22-yard line. With tight end Mickey Shuler on injured reserve, O’Brien relied on Shuler’s substitutes.

O’Brien completed passes of six, nine and 21 yards to Keith Neubert that gave New York a first down at the Patriots’ 42 with 22 seconds to go. Then he hit Greg Werner for a 36-yard gain to the six. The Jets let the clock run down to two seconds, called time out and Leahy kicked.

“I thought we could do it (after Dykes scored.) All we needed was the field goal,” Walton said.

Davis, who missed an extra point in a 16-15 loss to Atlanta, failed Sunday after John Stephens’ 35-yard touchdown run on the Patriots’ first possession of the third quarter cut the Jets’ lead to 14-9.

Two plays before the touchdown, Ron Stallworth’s late hit knocked Grogan out of the game. Stallworth hit Grogan on the chin with his helmet, knocking him out, and was penalized for roughing the passer.

Wilson began the comeback with the bomb to Jones that cut the Jets’ lead to 24-19 with 11:59 left.