Jets’ 4-0 Start Is in the Cards

Last week, New York Jet Coach Herman Edwards went around the locker room trying to give his players an index card with the following message:

“If you are scared to go 4-0, call the police.”

There were no takers. It was easy to see why Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Down by a point with 5:58 to go, Chad Pennington calmly led his team 60 yards to set up the winning field goal. Doug Brien nailed the 38-yarder with 58 seconds remaining to lift the Jets to a 16-14 victory at Giants Stadium, moving them to 4-0 for the second time in franchise history. The last time the Jets were 4-0 was 2000, when they failed to make the playoffs and finished 9-7.

“I had a bunch of them made and said, ‘If you are scared now, you can take these cards and no one will know you called them,’ ” Edwards said. “They all looked at me like I was crazy. That’s the kind of team we have become. We believe in each other, we believe we can get it done.”

Pennington completed 31 of 42 passes for 304 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but his biggest plays came at the end, after Buffalo (0-4) scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to take the lead. He went seven for eight for 51 yards on the winning drive.

Brien got a little redemption, making up for a 29-yard miss earlier in the game.

“You have to go out there and kick it like you’re kicking a ball in your backyard,” Brien said. “I knew I hit it true. It just seemed like it hung up there for five seconds.”

Buffalo had one final chance from its 48 with two seconds left, but Drew Bledsoe was intercepted by Terrell Buckley near the goal line.

Indianapolis 35, Oakland 14 -- Peyton Manning completed 16 of 26 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, and Edgerrin James ran for 136 yards and a score at Indianapolis to lead the Colts (4-1) to their fourth straight win.

Oakland (2-3) suffered its 12th consecutive road loss.

Most of Manning’s damage came in the first half. He threw three touchdowns in the first two quarters, giving him eight in the first half in the Colts’ two home games this season.

James hammered away in the second half, finishing with 32 carries and scoring the game-sealing touchdown for the third straight week. Reggie Wayne caught five passes for 69 yards and the Colts controlled the ball for more than 35 minutes.

Oakland managed just 269 yards in offense, Kerry Collins threw three interceptions for the second straight week and penalties cost the Raiders a 56-yard touchdown run.

Pittsburgh 34, Cleveland 23 -- Ben Roethlisberger, becoming more comfortable and more productive with each start, confused Cleveland with his running and creativity and the Steelers won their third in a row behind the rookie quarterback at Pittsburgh.

Duce Staley complemented Roethlisberger by running for 117 yards -- his third consecutive 100-yard game.

Roethlisberger was 16 for 21 for 231 yards and a touchdown to help the Steelers start 4-1 for the third time in 22 seasons.