If there was one image that defined the humbling start to the Herman Edwards Era, one picture that summed up the Jets’ 45-24 season-opening loss to Indianapolis, it was DE Chukie Nwokorie scooping up Vinny Testaverde’s fumble and rumbling 95 yards for a game-sealing score.

Back in 1978, Edwards returned Joe Pisarcik’s fumble for the Miracle in the Meadowlands; now he was on the other side, victimized by Nwokorie, who didn’t know or care about Edwards’ play.

“I can’t speak for anybody else, but [this] was a big play for me and the team,” said Nwokorie, whose fumble return with 5:17 left was the longest ever against the Jets. “I’ve never run that far. It’s pretty exciting to get a touchdown my first time playing [defense].

“I thought about lateraling, but I decided to keep it and get into the end zone. After I got the ball in my hands, there was a slight pause, because I didn’t know if they were going to blow the whistle; but my instincts just told me to run.”

His instincts were right. The Jets, trailing 38-17 in the third quarter, had scored one TD and marched to the Colt 2, threatening to climb within a single score. But on a fake dive, David Loverne, playing fullback, went the wrong way and collided with Testaverde.

Testaverde fumbled, and Nwokorie picked it up and “headed north.” Actually, it was more southwest, the exact opposite of the way Edwards had run. As the 6-3, 280-pounder ran down the sideline, the Jets all watched – except Testaverde.

He chased the lineman and tried to tackle him at midfield. But he bounced off and Nwokorie – who’d caught malaria after his ’99 rookie year and played just two games on special teams last season – lumbered downfield and flopped into the end zone exhausted.

“[Nwokorie ] fumble recovery was a giant play,” said Colts coach Jim Mora. “They could’ve cut it to seven: Seconds later it’s a 21-point game. That was the play of the game.”