EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Vinny Testaverde threw two short touchdown passes to tight ends in the fourth quarter Sunday as the New York Jets rallied from an 11-point deficit to edge the Cincinnati Bengals, 15-14.
Testaverde connected on a one-yard TD pass to James Dearth with 12:50 left and added a two-yarder to Anthony Becht with 6:57 remaining to help the Jets stall, at least temporarily, another late-season slide.
The Jets (8-5) had lost their last five games in December and are just 14-30 in post-November games since 1991.
Testaverde found Becht in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead score, capping a seven-play, 69-yard drive that included an 18-yard pass from Testaverde to Laveranues Coles and a 16-yard run by rookie LaMont Jordan.
Safety Damien Robinson and linebacker James Farrior intercepted passes by Jon Kitna to end Cincinnati's last two drives.
The Bengals (4-9) already are out of playoff contention, and earlier in the week linebacker Takeo Spikes said he would like to take the Jets down with him.
Cincinnati nearly pulled off the upset behind Corey Dillon, who carried 22 times for 85 yards and two scores. Dillon become the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first five seasons.
Testaverde completed 17-of-28 passes for 196 yards.
Kitna replaced an injured Akili Smith in the second quarter and completed 10-of-17 passes for 93 yards with three interceptions. Smith, the third overall pick in the 1999 draft who was making his first start of the season, left the game with a hamstring injury.
Curtis Martin of the Jets had 78 yards on 24 carries.
