Chris Ivory carries Jets on his back

Sometimes, a football game doesn't turn on a spectacular catch, or a crunching hit, or a zig zaggy punt return. Sometimes, it's smaller than that, it's subtler than that, it's less about flash and more about flush.

Sometimes, what it takes is a 6 foot even, 220 pound running back like Chris Ivory to power his way through the defensive line, keep both hands on the ball, keep his legs grinding, and maybe give a defensive back in this instance, Saints' cornerback Keenan Lewis a ride for a few yards.

It was early, yes, the Jets' second possession of the game. It ultimately yielded only a field goal. The Saints would take a lead. All of that would happen. And yet when the Jets looked back from the splendid perspective of a 26 20 victory Sunday, their signature win of a surprising, satisfying season, the image they talked about was of Chris Ivory, human Brinks truck, giving Keenan Lewis a lift.

"A play like that it just kills their game," Josh Cribbs said, smiling, shaking his head, nodding at Ivory across the dressing room. "Sometimes, a guy plays in a zone. And he can take you there with him."

Said coach Rex Ryan: "We know, if he's healthy, this young man has the ability to be a punch you in the face kind of back. Any time your big back makes plays like that, it energizes everyone. He has speed, he has vision, he runs with power "

What he doesn't have is much of a desire to talk about himself, a refreshing departure from the look at me culture that generally rules the sport. Later, he would add a businesslike yet entirely critical 52 yard rumble when the Jets were backed up to their own goal line, denied more only because of a fine play by New Orleans' Kenny Vaccaro (because that's how the Vaccaros roll).

In all, Ivory would pile up 139 hard yards on 18 punishing carries, and even at a time when passing rules the roost in the NFL, every time Ivory touched the ball it sent a jolt through 76,957 at MetLife Stadium. All of this against the team that exchanged him for Ken Dryden Jersey a fourth round pick, the 106th selection in the draft.

That player, tight end Dion Sims flipped to the Dolphins presently has two catches for 5 yards on the season. The NFL can be a cold place. In other sports, when you get traded, it's at least (usually) for someone you've heard of. In the NFL, you can get swapped for a lotto ticket.

"To say there's nothing special going against your old team?" said Ryan, inching ever so slowly back to his old pithy self as the wins add up. "Yeah, right."

Ivory didn't want to dance. All week he insisted there were no hard feelings on his end, that facing the Saints was no more meaningful for him than Bills, Browns or Bengals. For most of yesterday, he held true to that position.

"Was this special?" he was asked.

"The win?" he asked in reply. www.canadiensofficialonline.com/Authentic-Bob-Gainey-Jersey "Yes, that was special."

He paused. Smiled. And did his best to keep the smile from widening when he said "No." But the smile widened anyway, allowing you to draw your own conclusions.

And you know what? As far as the Jets were concerned, it mattered not at all why Ivory stepped up with his best game of the year, just that he Youth Bob Gainey Jersey did, especially as hard as the Jets had been punched in the mouth last week in Cincinnati. Just that he kept bulling his way through the line, kept ferrying Saints along his path for a few extra steps here and a few extra yards there.

The Jets just finished a five game stretch at Atlanta, home to Pittsburgh and New England, at Cincinnati, home to New Orleans where it wasn't impossible or remotely unfair to wonder if they might be staring at an 0 5 sink hole. Instead they went 3 2, get a bye next week, and there isn't a single game left on the schedule that qualifies as unwinnable.

It has been a season of pleasant surprises. And Ivory is the latest. Acquired five days after Darrelle Revis was dealt to Tampa Bay, his arrival wasn't going to provide any kind of equal time solace for the disenchanted. He is no island. But Sunday, canadiensofficialonline.com/Authentic-Ken-Dryden-Jersey he was a hell of a fine towing service. The Jets will take it.