Mark Sanchez fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes late in the fourth quarter and the New York Jets scored 21 points in the final five minutes to defeat the Redskins 34-19 at Washington on Sunday.

It was the 10th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter executed by Sanchez and his second in two weeks as the Jets (7-5) won a game they couldn’t afford to lose to stay in the AFC playoff picture.

Shonn Greene scored three touchdowns for New York, including a 9-yard run that followed a fumble by Rex Grossman deep in Washington territory to give New York a 27-16 lead.

Greene added another one from 25 yards out a couple of minutes later as New York turned a close game into a rout in the final minutes.

Sanchez threw for just 165 yards but was on the mark when it counted, hitting Holmes in stride to erase a 16-13 deficit with 4:49 to play.

The Redskins (4-8) marched down the field to score a touchdown on their first possession of the game, capped by a 2-yard run by rookie Roy Helu (23 carries, 100 yards).

Greene responded on the Jets’ first drive, tying the score on a 1-yard run to cap a 17-play drive for the Jets.

Graham Gano booted a pair of field goals to give the Redskins a 13-10 halftime lead, and New York’s Nick Folk accounted for the only scoring in the third quarter with a 51-yard field goal to tie the game.

Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson returned to action after missing a couple of games with a knee injury, but he was injured again early in Sunday’s game. He did return later.