EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Curtis Martin is not one to get caught up in individual achievements. Except for this one.

	Martin

The Jets running back went over the 10,000-yard rushing mark for his eight-year career with an 8-yard run on the final play of the first quarter against Denver on Sunday.

The run gave him 10,001 yards and brought New York to the Denver 1-yard line. He scored on the next play.

"I'm more excited about it now than I thought I would be,'' Martin said after a 19-13 victory lifted the Jets to 7-6 and kept them in the AFC East race. "I don't get too excited about individual statistics, but this is something that I realized once it happened, that one of my goals had been accomplished.

"In anything that I do, my No. 1 goal is to establish consistency. To me, more than anything, the 10,000 says more about consistency than it does talent.''

The 29-year-old Martin, who entered the season with at least 1,152 yards in each of his previous NFL seasons, had only 721 yards heading into Sunday. He was bothered by a sprained ankle early in the season and has 778 yards this year.

He finished with 57 yards Sunday and will need a strong final three games to get anywhere near 1,152.

Martin is the 16th player with at least 10,000 yards. Marshall Faulk of the Rams topped that mark this year.

"When I first came to New York, Bill Parcells asked me, 'Do you think you can get 10,000 yards?' '' Martin recalled. "I said, 'Yeah,' and I didn't even think about it: 'I'll get it and I'll get more.'

"He looked at me and told me that it was more of a task than I believed, and it was. You have to endure a lot, and your main goal has to be staying out there on the field.''

A third-round draft choice in 1995 by New England, Martin was the offensive rookie of the year, rushing for 1,487 yards. He rushed for 3,799 yards in three seasons with the Patriots before joining the Jets as a free agent in 1998.

Since joining the Jets, Martin has rushed for 6,246 yards. In reaching 10,045, Martin joined Emmitt Smith, the career rushing leader, Faulk and Jerome Bettis as active players with 10,000 yards.

"I think that as long as I am out there every day doing my best and being consistent, everything falls into place.''