Clemens was 12-23 for 111 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and it was this last stat – no interceptions – that was his biggest contribution. No doubt Rex Ryan wanted him to protect the football but Clemens missed open receivers all day and seemed to lack the confidence to throw to his primary targets.

Instead, he preferred to check down to his secondary receivers and dump off to his backs, going with safer options but short-circuiting the Jets’ drives throughout the game.

Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller had five catches between them for 66 yards. Edwards and Cotchery came up with big catches of 19 and 26 yards respectively and both kept drives alive but neither were a factor in the offense.

Clemens had open receivers and either missed them or was late to deliver the ball. We could say his timing was off from a long lay off but as a quarterback in the National Football League, he has to make these throws.

His biggest miss was on a high throw to Cotchery in the end zone on the Jets’ second drive. With a beautifully designed play and the defense biting on a play fake, Clemens missed a wide-open Cotchery in the back of the end zone.

This was an easy pass from the 6-yard line and Cotchery had a good two steps on the defender. It does not get much easier than that for a quarterback but Clemens could not convert.

After watching Clemens in this game it was plain to see why Ryan had such an easy time choosing a starter in training camp. Clemens lacks the accuracy and confidence to make stick throws when he has to.

Of Clemens’ 11 incompletions, eight of them were misfires where he had open receivers but could not deliver the ball on target. That is not going to get it done.

Jets fans had better hope that Sanchez’ recovery is going well because this offense will be in trouble if Clemens has to play against better competition.

Thankfully the Jets’ running game was alive and well. Tampa Bay knew the Jets were going to run the football and held them in check with a lot of eight man fronts but like they tend to do, the Bucs allowed the Jets to break through.

They came into this game allowing the most runs of over 20 yards and late in the second quarter started to show some cracks. With five minutes remaining in the half, Thomas Jones broke off a 16-yarder.

Tony Richardson had a great lead block on the play and Nick Mangold made a great seal block to create a huge hole for Jones.

Three plays later Jones would scamper 33-yards for the touchdown and the Jets were in business as Tampa’s D was clearly fatigued from all the pounding. Brandon Moore made a nice kick out block on the play to spring Jones.

Schottenhimer brought in an extra tackle (Wayne Hunter) along with TE Ben Hartsock and Tampa Bay countered with seven men on the line of scrimmage and two linebackers right near it.

Once Jones broke through the first level, there was no one there.

The Jets’ offensive line did a fantastic job. They dominated the line of scrimmage on a day when the defense knew exactly what was coming.

Rex Ryan made no bones about his game plan and ran the ball on nearly every first and second down. Despite this predictability, the Jets bulled their way to 175 hard-earned yards on the ground.

Jones would finish with 99 on the day and 2 TD’s but just as significant was his 4.0-yards per carry. He only had the two big runs but kept pounding Tampa’s defense with 3 and 4-yard carries all day.

The story of the day however was the Jets’ defense. It is hard to remember a more dominating performance by a Jets’ unit.

Check out these numbers – 15-yards of total offense allowed in the first half, zero first downs allowed in the first half, no 3rd down conversions allowed for the entire game, 7 consecutive “three and outs” spanning the better part of the first three quarters, 43 total rushing yards and a stunning 2.5 yards allowed per completion (the league average is 6.8).

This dominance is more a reflection of the Buccaneer’s feeble offense but it should not take away from the way this defense has performed over its last three games. The Jets’ D has really carried this team and is the primary reason it is still in the playoff hunt.

And Darrelle Revis is the singular reason why. His utter dominance over every receiver he has faced has allowed the defense to focus its attention on getting after the quarterback.

He has also helped the rest of the secondary as they can double-team other playmakers’ from the opposition. In addition to having the best defense in the NFL, the Jets have the best passing defense, allowing a mere 160 yards through the air per game (Denver is the next closest with 183) and Revis makes it all possible.

His victim this week was Antonio Bryant who finished the game with two catches for 22 yards.

It was surprising to see Josh Freeman challenging Revis as often as he did but Revis would make him pay on his 54-yard interception in the 4th quarter, which he almost took the distance.

Freeman was off target on Revis’ interception and looked like a deer in the headlights all game. The Jets’ confusing, attacking scheme never allowed him to get into a rhythm. In addition, his offensive line was overmatched and confused by the Jets’ overloaded fronts.

The Jets’ defense had three sacks, four hits on the QB and rushed countless throws from Freeman who had a forgettable 14-33 day for 93 yards and three interceptions.

Calvin Pace had a huge day. He collected 7 tackles (3 for loss), 1 sack and 1 hit on the quarterback. He has been one of the most consistent players on the Jets’ defense the past month and, along with Revis, is one of the big reasons for the team’s resurgence.

Like the Jets’ offense, the defense did not make many standout plays. They were just stingy and efficient and never let Tampa’s offense breathe.

You knew it would be a long day for Freeman when he threw an interception to David Harris on his first play from scrimmage. The rookie never saw him in the middle field and this play would symbolize how overmatched he was in this game.

For this reason, we should not place too much emphasis on the defense’s domination. The Bucs’ offense is one of the worst in the league and the Jets were supposed win that battle.

This was a job well done by the defense but they must really make a statement in Indianapolis in a couple of weeks if it wants to be considered the most dominant in the league.

Their battle against the Colts could be a game that determines their season. If they can beat the Falcons at home next Sunday, the Jets may need a win against Peyton Manning to stay in playoff contention.

The Jets had to have this game against Tampa. They faced an inferior opponent but were without their starting QB and needed to fight through a low-scoring game.

Kudos to Rex Ryan who kept his team together during a brutal streak in which it lost 6 of 7 games. He said before the season that he wanted his team to win with good defense and a strong running game and that is exactly what they have done.

The Jets remain the league’s best defense and #1 rushing attack. This team is built to win in December and the playoffs. Whether they can get it done depends largely on factor.

Can they get better play from the quarterback position? After more than two weeks of rest, Sanchez will take the field against the Falcons with an opportunity to continue the team’s three game winning streak and, possibly, propel the Jets into the postseason.