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Broncos beware Keyshawn's do-it-all performance has Jets cruising
Posted: Monday January 11, 1999 04:08 PM
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Keyshawn Johnson never has heard of Jack Manders and probably doesn't know much about Jim Thorpe, either. Even if he emulated them in the New York Jets' latest big victory. Johnson put on a performance for the ages in Sunday's 34-24 victory over Jacksonville that propelled the Jets into their first AFC Championship game in 16 years. He caught nine passes for 121 yards and a touchdown; ran twice on end-arounds for 28 yards, including a 10-yard score; recovered a fumbled lateral by Jaguars safety Chris Hudson that thwarted any first-half momentum the visitors might have gained; blocked like a fiend, including laying out defensive end Joel Smeenge on Curtis Martin's touchdown run; and intercepted Mark Brunell's desperation pass at the end of the Jets' seventh straight win. Not a bad day's work. Not since Manders did it for the 1937 Bears against Washington in the NFL title game has a player had TDs rushing and receiving, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. "They put me in a position to make plays," Johnson said of the coaching staff that didn't draft him, but has turned around the team that went 1-15 in Johnson's final season under Rich Kotite. "All I ever wanted to do is be involved, because I always feel I can make a difference if they utilize me and give me the chance. "One thing that is important to me is that my coaching staff and the guys I play with respect my play and enjoy me on the field. That's pretty much all I care about, getting my team to the next step." That step comes in Denver on Sunday, and no one was more responsible for getting the Jets there than the top overall draft pick of 1996. While Johnson made the Pro Bowl this season and has steadily improved under Bill Parcells and his staff, his work against Jacksonville could become a signature moment for the tall (6-foot-3), fast, aggressive wideout from Southern California. Until recently, Johnson was best known for penning a harsh autobiography after his first NFL season in which he scorched Kotite and several teammates. His feud with fellow receiver Wayne Chrebet, while somewhat overblown, still exists on a limited level. But he's letting his play speak for him even louder than the frequent soliloquies he conducts in the locker room, the interview room, on radio and television -- hey, anywhere anyone asks him a question. "He's a guy who plays with a lot of confidence," said Vinny Testaverde, who has hooked up with Johnson on eight TDs this season. "He's a great example of a guy who prepares well every week, is excited about playing football and is a kid at heart. "He makes big plays for us on Sundays, which is the most important. He's a big-time player." Parcells recognized that immediately when he took over the Jets in early 1997. Amid much speculation that Parcells would clamp down on Johnson's outgoing manner, the coach has let his prize receiver be himself. Sunday's showing was just the latest payoff. "He enjoys that kind of competition," Parcells said. "He's very tough mentally and physically. I really take my hat off to him. "He is a well-developing player. What I like about him is he is ready for the next thing on his plate." Now what could that be? Returning kicks? Punting? Trying field goals? Coaching? "I just try and play," Johnson said. "I don't have to demand the ball with these coaches. They know and recognize talent and how to exploit defenses. "As a rookie, I had to demand the ball, because we were losing and they weren't getting it to me. Here, you don't even have to say nothing. They understand. They know what it takes to beat people." On Sunday, and probably in the future, that means plenty of Keyshawn.
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