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."