NY Jets' tight end Dustin Keller leaps to defense of Mark Sanchez after win over Bills

TE says pass catchers needed to do better job - and they did

Dustin Keller catches two touchdowns against the Bills on Sunday.

Dustin Keller provided plenty of offense Sunday, catching two touchdown passes in the Jets’ 28-24 win.

But afterward, he started playing defense on behalf of his quarterback Mark Sanchez , who started slowly but finished with four touchdown passes.

“I think it wasn’t so much Mark that came out slow, we as receivers could have done a better job and made it easier on him,” said Keller . “I think he’s playing really well. We could run routes a little better and come up with those catches and help him out a little more.”

On Sunday, the receivers did enough to win. Sanchez connected on 17 passes for 180 yards and four touchdowns. He threw the game-winner 16 yards to Santonio Holmes and also found Plaxico Burress for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Sanchez connected with Keller in the end zone on touchdown passes of three and 18 yards.

“This was huge. If we let this game slip, who knows what the situation would have been,” Keller said. “It’s just a matter of taking one game at a time. We may have to win out.”

Keller’s four catches for a team-high 61 yards helped keep the Jets’ playoff hopes alive. While the Jets had struggled, losing two games last week that put them in a perilous spot, Sanchez took many hits off the field for his inconsistent play.

The win gave the Jets a chance to breathe and gave Keller a soapbox from which he defended his quarterback. It was the first time that Sanchez had found him in the end zone since Sept. 18 against Jacksonville. It was the first time he had caught two touchdown passes from Sanchez since Oct. 3, 2010 against Buffalo. It was just the third multiple-touchdown game of Keller’s career.

The tight end has caught 40 passes for 574 yards and four touchdowns this season. He is well on his way to surpassing last season’s career-high 55 receptions for 634 yards and five TDs.

Sunday was just an inkling of what Keller thinks he can do in the offense with Sanchez.

“I think we did some good things and there were a couple of things I could have done better,” Keller said. “There were some balls that were tough catches, but those are things I can come up with, so I can make it easier on him.”

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com