EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One shoe or two, Brad Smith was too much for the Bengals.
Smith, the Jets’ Mr. Everything, scored on an 89-yard kickoff return during which he lost his left shoe and also had a 53-yard touchdown run in New York’s 26-10 victory over Cincinnati on Thursday night.
Santonio Holmes scored his fourth touchdown in three games on a 13-yard reception from Mark Sanchez after Cincinnati’s Andre Caldwell had a punt deflect off him while he was blocking.
Sanchez was 16-for-28 for 166 yards with the TD and an interception.
Smith had three carries for 55 yards, a catch for 23 yards and the long kickoff return.
It looked as though New York was headed for yet another frenzied finish after consecutive road overtime victories were followed by getting the winning touchdown Sunday with 10 seconds left against Houston.
But it took New York only two plays to go ahead after halftime. Sanchez hit Holmes for 16 yards, then utilityman Smith used superb blocks by Dustin Keller and D’Brick-ashaw Ferguson to speed down the left sideline untouched for a 53-yard TD run.
“The last three games seemed like six games,” tight end Dustin Keller said. “It was exhausting. This felt good.”
