The New York Jets lived up to their billing as an up-and-coming team on Sunday at Lambeau Field, scoring all five times they had the ball to post a commanding 31-0 lead at halftime.
On the game's opening possession, quarterback Chad Pennington completed his first six passes, to six different receivers, to move New York inside the Green Bay 10-yard line.
But on third-and-1 from the 6, Pennington's pass to the corner of the end zone sailed over Jerricho Cotchery's head, and the Jets had to settle for Mike Nugent's 24-yard field goal.
The Packers then turned it over on their first possession, as defensive end Bryan Thomas knocked the ball from Brett Favre's hand and the Jets' Dewayne Robertson recovered at the New York 49.
The Jets took just seven plays to score, with Pennington hitting Cotchery on third down for a 12-yard touchdown. Packers safety Nick Collins slipped as Cotchery came over the middle, leaving him open for a 10-0 New York lead with 4:45 left in the first quarter.
New York made it 17-0 early in the second quarter. Completions of 22 yards to Chris Baker and 21 yards to Cotchery set up a 3-yard TD run by Cedric Houston with 12:40 left in the half. Houston had four carries for 30 yards on the drive.
The Packers blew their first chance to get points on the board. Two rushes for 46 yards by Ahman Green got Green Bay inside the New York 30, but a third-down pass to Greg Jennings in the end zone fell incomplete and Dave Rayner's 40-yard field goal try was wide right.
The Jets didn't let up. A 32-yard gain on a reverse by Brad Smith preceded a pass interference penalty in the end zone on Nick Barnett that put the ball on the 1. Houston ran it in from there to make it 24-0.
Then, after Andre Dyson intercepted Favre at the New York 23-yard line, the Jets closed the half with a 77-yard TD drive to make it 31-0. Pennington was 8-for-8 for 62 yards on the drive, hitting Baker for a 1-yard score with 9 seconds left in the half.
{sportsad300}The Jets finished the first half with 340 yards of offense to just 97 for the Packers. Pennington was 22-of-29 for 241 yards.
