Mark Sanchez was down, grabbing at his left knee and writhing in pain.
For a team that has already experienced its share of devastating injuries, the New York Jets couldn't stomach another _ not to their franchise quarterback.
"It never looked like a big hit, but obviously having 'Sanchise' sitting right there is not a good feeling," coach Rex Ryan said.
It turned out Sanchez was just fine, and so were the Jets.
Darrelle Revis returned one of Jake Delhomme's four interceptions 67 yards for a touchdown and New York beat the Carolina Panthers 17-6 on Sunday.
"This was a great win," Ryan said. "It feels good to say that. It's been a while."
Thomas Jones had a 3-yard touchdown run and the Jets (5-6) snapped a three-game skid and won at home for the first time since beating Tennessee in Week 3. It also kept New York's slim playoff hopes alive.
"We're rolling now and we can't think about a month ago," said Sanchez, who went out for four plays after injuring his knee in the third quarter. "We've got to think about now."
It was the second straight loss for Carolina (4-7), which had just 179 yards of total offense.
"It wasn't good," Delhomme said. "There's no other way to put it. We didn't run it well. We certainly didn't throw it well."
Sanchez finished 13 of 17 for 154 yards and an interception in the first game since Ryan took a more active role in the offense. The coach and quarterback established a color-coded system that helps make the rookie more aware of game situations.
"You see what happens when I play smart," Sanchez said. "I don't know how to explain it, but it works."
New York's win didn't come without some tense moments. With the Jets leading 14-3, Sanchez scrambled to the sideline on first-and-10 from New York's 46 and was tackled out of bounds by Richard Marshall after an 8-yard gain.
He stayed down for a few moments as the trainers checked out his knee.
"Your initial thoughts are, 'Man, this is not good,'" said wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who saw running back Leon Washington and nose tackle Kris Jenkins sustain season-ending injuries earlier this year.
Helped to the sideline, Sanchez put very little weight on the leg. He was replaced by Kellen Clemens, but came back on the next offensive series.
"Once we saw him throwing the ball, I said, 'Hey, he's cool,'" Cotchery said.
Sanchez said he was OK.
"I guess it was just an awkward fall and he kind of landed on my leg," he said. "They checked out all the ligaments and stuff and it looks good."
On his first throw after returning, Sanchez was intercepted by Chris Gamble. It appeared Carolina had cashed in on the turnover with a touchdown when Smith came down with a 10-yard catch in the end zone, but Ryan challenged the call.
After a video review, the ruling was reversed as referee Jerome Boger said Smith didn't have possession when he went out of bounds in the back of the end zone. It turned out to be a huge call because after another incompletion, the Panthers settled for a 28-yard field goal by John Kasay to make it 14-6 with 11:45 left.
"It doesn't matter what I think," Smith said. "It only mattered what the ref said. That's how it goes. I believe I caught it."
Smith was also involved in one of the game's other key plays. After converting three third downs on their opening drive, the Panthers had another shot on third-and-9 before Delhomme changed the call at the line.
The ball deflected off Smith's heel after he ran the wrong route and floated into the hands of Revis, who had a clear path to the end zone.
"It was an error by me," Smith said. "The chances of the ball hitting you in the foot and popping up, it's just one of those things. When it rains, it pours."
Added Ryan: "We've been working on that deflection-off-the-heel play for a while now. It's just great coaching."
It also put New York up 7-0 before Sanchez and the offense took the field.
"That was an easy score right there," said Revis, who had two interceptions. "It doesn't get any better than that to start us off."
New York can't celebrate for long, though, with a game against Buffalo in Toronto on Thursday night.
Carolina had a chance late to make it a one-score game, but Dwayne Jarrett's 28-yard touchdown catch was nullified when he was called for offensive pass interference.
Kerry Rhodes, demoted in favor of Eric Smith, picked off Delhomme on the next play for his second interception of the game to all but seal the win.
Delhomme was 14 of 34 for 130 yards, and the Jets held Smith to one catch for 5 yards and DeAngelo Williams to 40 yards rushing on 16 carries.
"We've been in the hole for the last couple weeks," Revis said, "so this was a real big win for us."
