FOXBORO --
An injury to a key player does not necessarily have to cause problems for a football team. Asante Samuel proved that yesterday.
And, just because a player is hurt, that doesn't mean he can't return and reclaim his spot. Ty Law proved that, too, yesterday.
The two Patriots cornerbacks -- Law, the veteran, and Samuel, the rookie -- had very different days with similar endings as the Pats turned back the Jets, 23-16, at Gillette Stadium.
They both turned out to be among the game's biggest stars. One directly affected the other.
Law was one of several New England players who had to fight injury problems. He was hurt in the final minute of the first half when he knocked down a deep pass along the New York sideline intended for Santana Moss.
"I was going for the ball," Law said. "Moss or one of my teammates rolled over my ankle. It was just one of those freak plays. You can't do anything about it. It's one of those things that happens in a football game, unless I wasn't there to make it."
The pain was immediate.
"In the beginnin I was like, 'Oh my God,' " Law said. He was treated for several minutes before being able to limp across the field to the bench.
When the second half began, Samuel was in Law's spot, giving New England an entire defensive backfield -- with fellow rookie Eugene Wilson, Rodney Harrison and Tyrone Poole -- of players new to the team this year.
Not surprisingly, Samuel became a target. On the first play of the fourth quarter, with New England leading, 16-9, the Jets faced a third-and-5 situation from the Pats' 48. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, as he does so ofen on third down, looked to Wayne Chrebet.
"I knew Vinny was going to look for Chrebet because that's his main guy," Samuel said. "Coach made a good call and put me in the right position to make a play." The short pass to the left side never got to Chrebet.
"We were in man-to-man coverage. I had my eyes on the receiver," Samuel said. "When he made his break, I got a look at the quarterback."
"I probably forced it in there," Testaverde said. "I was trying to make a play. They had in and out coverage on Wayne. I tried to get it by the inside guy with the outside guy sitting on him."
Samuel stepped in front of Chrebet and went for the catch. With nothing but open territory in front of him, he bobbled it.
"I was looking towards the end zone. I wasn't concentrating, but I got myself together and caught it," Samuel said. The ball deflected high into the air and Samuel had to lunge to get it.
"It didn't seem like slow motion. It seemed like it was going pretty fast. I had to hurry up and do something," Samuel said.
The fourth-round draft choice (120th player selected) from Central Florida pulled the ball in and raced untouched for a touchdown. His first NFL interception also turned out to be the game's deciding score.
"It felt great," he said. Law, for one, expects more to follow.
"That guy is a ball magnet," Law said. "He's a great young player and he's helping us out a lot. He and Geno (Wilson) are doing a lot more than you could ever imagine."
The touchdown turned out to be enough for a New England victory in part because Law was able to return and help. Law spent much of the third quarter walking, and at times running, on the sideline.
"I wanted to go back in," Law said. "It's up to the trainers. I had to keep going over there running, fake them out a little bit, try to hold the grimace." While Law insisted his ankle will be fine, he also made it clear it was hurting as the second half was being played. But he wanted to get back to work.
"I wanted to get back in there. I'm never the type to sit down and not participate," he said. "It was just a matter of sucking it up and getting back in."
He went on: "You've got to do a little bit of talking to try to get back in there. They're looking out for my best interests versus the team's best interests. They don't want me to go out there and get hurt. And they don't want me to hurt the team, so that's why I kept running on the sideline to show them I could get in. Coach Belichick doesn't like you in his ear talking about wanting to get back in."
With just over 10 minutes left in the final quarter, Law returned. When he did, Jets coach Herm Edwards, a former cornerback himself and a friend, spoke to him.
"He asked me if I was all right," Law said. "I said 'Yeah.' I knew he was coming at me . . . Any smart coach or smart quarterback would test me."
On New York's next possession, inside the seven-minue mark, Testaverde sent Curtis Conway deep with Law in coverage. Law knocked down the pass.
Law also made two other plays later to stop passes and the Pats were on their way to their first win over the Jets at Foxboro in six years. The old cornerback and the new cornerback both made major contributions to the victory.
