Week 5 Monday Night Football a much different outcome for 'fearless' 2013 Jets

One year ago, after Rex Ryan said the Jets got their "ass kicked" in a week four shutout at the hands of the 49ers, the 2-2 Jets were on Monday Night Football with a chance to prove themselves.

Now on this October Monday night, following a week four turnover-plagued loss in Tennessee, the 2-2 Jets again had an opportunity to step up in front of a national audience.

The results couldn't have been more different.

Rex Ryan's 2012 Jets cowered and fell to 2-3 in a 23-17 home loss to the Texans.  
Not the case this time around in the hostile Georgia Dome against the reeling, desperate Falcons.

""I'm glad we won this way. It took every one of us. We were not reckless - we were fearless," Ryan said after the gut-wrenching 30-28 win in Atlanta.

Geno Smith became only the second rookie quarterback to win a road Monday Night Football game, leading the Jets down the field to put Nick Folk in position for the game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired.

Mark Sanchez of last season this was not. 

Against the Texans in that week five game, Sanchez, like Smith Monday night, had a chance to propel the Jets to victory.

Then fourth-year quarterback Sanchez got the ball back down six points with 3:28 left, needing to go 84 yards for a touchdown. 

You know how this ended.

After getting the offense to the Jets' 40, Sanchez threw an incompletion on first down, was sacked on second down and then picked on a tipped pass to end all hopes on third down.

Smith took the helm down one with 1:54 on the clock against the Falcons. Cool and composed, the rookie led the offense into Atlanta territory to set up the win. For the night, Smith completed 80 percent of his passes and threw three touchdowns.

How about that for a year-to-year juxtaposition.

Maybe more importantly, Smith learned from his mistakes two weeks ago on the road in primetime, when he threw an interception that ended the Jets' hopes of beating the division-rival Patriots.

There was no fear from Smith this time.

Just past the quarter pole of the season, the difference between 2-3 and 3-2 can mean a lot.

Instead of sitting in the AFC East cellar with the Bills, the Jets are tied for second with the Dolphins and a game back of the Patriots.

They won't have to play with desperation like the Falcons, now 1-4, really will.

Rex wouldn't let them anyway. While he has made some questionable decisions, like the controversial use of Sanchez in the preseason that led to injury, the calls for his head were always premature.

When the odds are most stacked against his teams, like they were Monday night or in the playoffs against the Chargers in 2010 or Patriots in 2011, Ryan's Jets most rise to the occasion.

That alone is reason enough to cut the talk on cutting the cord on Rex.