Leahy Kicks In, Gives Jets Lift : Interconference: His field goal in overtime beats Green Bay, 19-16.

Pat Leahy, the oldest player in the NFL, has been around long enough to know that you always get another chance.

Leahy’s 37-yard field goal 9:40 into overtime Sunday gave the New York Jets a 19-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Earlier this season, Leahy missed a 28-yarder in overtime that would have given the Jets a victory over the Chicago Bears.

“Chicago? How long ago was that?” Leahy said with a wink when reminded by reporters of his miss. “I forgot about that one.

“This was sweet. I was in that position before. It was just something that we needed and I was able to make it.”

The Jets (5-4), who dodged a bullet when Chris Jacke missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt earlier in overtime, got the ball in scoring position when Vai Sikahema fumbled a punt and Bobby Houston recovered at the Green Bay 23-yard-line.

Moments later, Leahy ended it.

“The punt was high, not long,” Houston said. “I had time to get downfield. The ball just hung there, so I started screaming and waving my hands. He looked down at me and looked up, but too late.”

Said Sikahema: “I don’t think I took my eye off it. I tripped up on my foot and I wasn’t leaned back the way I normally do. I just misjudged it, misplayed it. As an athlete, this is always the worst.”

Before Jacke’s miss, he made field goals of 53, 41 and 34 yards.

“I knew right away when I hit it,” Jacke said. “I was hoping to get one of those miraculous curves . . . but it just kept going to the right.”

Jacke’s 34-yarder with 7:52 left gave Green Bay (2-7) a 16-13 lead, but Leahy sent the game to overtime by making a 22-yarder with one minute left in regulation.

The Jets took a 13-6 lead on a desperation 50-yard scoring pass play from Ken O’Brien to Chris Burkett with no time left in the first half.

The ball bounced off two Packers and Al Toon of the Jets before Burkett caught it.

“We practice it every Saturday morning,” Burkett said of the play the Jets call “Geronimo.”

“I guess the odds that nothing will happen are too much. It’s about time one of those happened for the Jets. It’s something you kind of dream of doing.”

The Packers tied the score, 13-13, when Mike Tomczak hit Ed West on a one-yard touchdown pass with 2:25 left in the third quarter.

Tomczak came on when Don Majkowski injured a hamstring.