Play of the Game: Week 16 Jets vs. Bears

The NFL Network is counting down the Top 20 games of 2010 and the week 16 match-up between the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears came in 12th on the list.  It was the day after Christmas on a snowy and cold day with two tough top 10 defenses taking the field, so of course these two offenses would combine for 715 yards and the two teams would score 72 points.  Those fortunate few that took the over cashed in that day.  NFL.com spotlights a few key plays, but the one they named play of the game was the Chris Harris interception that sealed the deal.

It was a 1st and 5 with just under a minute remaining and the Bears were in their Tampa 2 defense.  Brian Urlacher sprinted the deep middle, and that allowed the Bears safeties to have over the top help for the corners.  They ran a little wrinkle on the defensive line when they ran a twist with the defensive tackles.  It appears to be Tommie Harris coming underneath the looping Henry Melton, but the twist on this twist was that Melton picked up the Jets running back that leaked out of the backfield just enough so Mark Sanchez couldn't dump it off to him.  Sanchez had been going underneath the Bears zone most of the day, and whether this was the call by Rod Marinelli or a heads up play by Melton, it was the perfect way to thwart Sanchez.

Meanwhile back in the secondary...  Chris Harris, being the veteran that he is, hung closer to the middle just long enough to bait Sanchez into thinking Santonio Holmes was open when he ran past Bears corner Tim Jennings.  Jennings was right to let Holmes go past him, because he knew he had safety help.  Harris was already in full sprint when Sanchez released the ball, and the Bears were on the way to victory.

Chicago Bears Gamebreaker (via milkvideo1)