~ ~ ~ the " REX coast offense " ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

It really does come down to this. The Jets' offense is actually moving the ball. Bilal Powell leads the AFC in rushing, and Geno is averaging 8 yards an attempt. I'm legitimately encouraged by the Mornhinweg/Smith team. The turnovers, obviously, have to stop - but I don't think I'd be too quick to throw a blanket over Geno, either. Maybe they shouldn't get away from the running game too quickly (i do think the play calling had a lot to do with the loss in NE), but they need to keep letting Geno throw downfield. He's pretty good at it, and needs to get better.

Meanwhile, it seems like half the penalties have been on the first two picks of the 2010 draft. They're trying to reduce Wilson's role, and Vlad's days have to be numbered, so there's some hope there.

I think the other big issue, that they mention, is that the Jets aren't forcing turnovers on defense. I don't want to see them start missing tackles because they're swatting at the football, but they do need to get some takeaways. Being 2-2 with a rookie QB and a -10 turnover differential is actually pretty impressive - if you're willing to look at the big picture. This could be a good football team if they just limit the mistakes and create a few opportunities for themselves.

 

..."  I think the other big issue, that they mention, is that the Jets aren't forcing turnovers on defense. "...

 

~ ~ exactly !..we could use some " fine tuning  " in this dept.

[MexiRoll6]

After the Buffalo game I thought Marty had shed his 'pass happy' ways but apparently not as he abandoned the run faster than Schotty ever did in Tennessee. That led to a 17-3 deficit thanks to Geno's ball security skills which are nil. But he could have and should have stuck with the run and the score would have been far more respectable. Bad OC, bad OC.

[kelly]

After the Buffalo game I thought Marty had shed his 'pass happy' ways but apparently not as he abandoned the run faster than Schotty ever did in Tennessee. That led to a 17-3 deficit thanks to Geno's ball security skills which are nil. But he could have and should have stuck with the run and the score would have been far more respectable. Bad OC, bad OC.

 

NOT a bad oc,..just a bad decision by our oc

[kelly]

Nick Mangold and Company Must Improve if Geno Smith is Going to Survive in 2013

I have said it many times before, but I will say it again: It all starts up front. If the offensive line plays well, everyone else on the football team looks better. When the offensive line plays poorly, everyone looks worse. That starts with the quarterback.We can talk all day and night about the decision-making of Geno Smith. We can talk about ball placement, getting rid of the ball quickly, pocket presence, or whatever else we want to. If the offensive line doesn’t improve in pass protection, Geno Smith has no shot to develop this season.

It’s already been seen this season.

According to Pro Football Outsiders, the Jets’ offensive line is ranked 25th in the league overall in pass blocking, with an adjusted sack rate of 9.1%.Pro Football Focus gives the Jets’ line a pass blocking efficiency grade of 75.3, ranked 20th in the league. They have been credited with allowing 52 total quarterback pressures, which comes out to 13 pressures per game. None of these figures are conducive to ANY quarterback achieving success, much less a rookie quarterback.

The worst culprits have been on the left side of the Jets’ offensive line. Vladimir Ducasse, who thankfully has been benched, has been the worst, with a pass blocking efficiency of 92.2. D’Brickashaw Ferguson has been surprisingly poor with a 94.8.

These numbers have to get better for Geno Smith to have any shot.

The formula is clear, keep the quarterback on his feet, he plays well. Don’t and he doesn’t.Geno’s best passer rating of the season was posted week three against the Buffalo Bills, when he posted an 89.9. How many times was he sacked that day? None. He was sacked 14 times in the other three games, and never posted a passer rating higher than 80.Not only is it clear on paper, you see it on the field. When the pocket is clean, Geno Smith can step into his throw, and make any throw you like. He has a gun, and can hit anyone. But when that pocket breaks down, that is where the pocket awareness goes to pieces, his decision-making falls down a notch, and we have those beautiful turnovers.

No matter how much Geno Smith improves at decision-making, pocket presence, and getting rid of the ball quickly, will not matter if the offensive line is not consistent. If that pocket is not consistently there, nobody will be happy with Geno Smith, because he will not appear to have grown at all.

> http://thejetpress.com/2013/10/02/ni...-survive-2013/

[kelly]

As a member of the Buffalo Bills from 2010-12, WR David Nelson faced the Jets four times, and four times he was on the losing end of the matchup.

“You know what they say,” he told reporters following his first practice for the Green & White today. “If you can’t beat them, join them. So here I am.”

Nelson might still be with Buffalo if not for a game against the Jets last year. Trying to get open against CB Kyle Wilson in the fourth quarter of the 2012 season opener at MetLife Stadium, Nelson ended up tearing his ACL and was later placed on Injured Reserve, out for the remaining 15 games.

Although it’s been 13 months since the incident, he remembers it like it was yesterday.

“It was a 10-yard out route,” he recalled. “I was planting off my right foot to go left at a 90-degree angle, [Wilson] was falling down and he had me a little bit and I was planning to go out. My foot got caught in the turf and I was getting pulled a little bit and pushed off. I was pushing this way, he was falling that way, and it just popped.”

Nelson ended up signing with the Cleveland Browns this offseason, but he didn’t make the team’s 53-man roster. Throughout training camp, he said, he would think about his injury while running routes, but now “it’s not even a factor.”

“I didn’t even think about it until you mentioned it just now,” he told me after today’s practice. “That’s very comforting to me to know that it’s not an issue anymore. I don’t have to worry about it. I can just go out there and worry about the plays and worry about the game.”

In 28 career games, Nelson has hauled in 94 catches for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns. Two of those scores, as he made sure to point out to Wilson today, came against No. 20 and the Jets in the 2011 season.

With the status of Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion) unknown for Monday Night’s game in Atlanta, Nelson could receive significant playing time right away. He’s excited to have the chance to “make a mark early” in his first-ever primetime game in the NFL.

Asked about the new receiver’s ability to be available for the Falcons, head coach Rex Ryan said, “I would think so. He’s a veteran guy. I mean, you’ve got to get him up to speed in a hurry. I have no idea how much he knows of this system or anything else right now. But I know we had to defend against him. He’s a very capable receiver.”

“I feel like I already have a solid grasp as far as day one goes of the offense,” Nelson said, “so it’s just making sure [Geno Smith] trusts where I’m going to be.”

It shouldn’t be too hard for the rookie QB to find his new 6'5", 215-pound target, but the two will spend extra time after practices this week running routes and dissecting video to get on the same page and build a level of comfort and chemistry.

While David Nelson’s never been involved in a West Coast system like the one that OC Marty Mornhinweg runs, “I feel like this offense fits my style of play really well,” he said. The routes are the same as those he ran in Buffalo, for the most part, so the biggest challenge will be just figuring out what routes go with what concepts.

Playing on Monday night instead of Sunday afternoon is both exciting (“I’ve been dreaming about playing Monday Night Football since I was 4 years old”) and advantageous.

“I’m pretty much a day and a half ahead of schedule and we haven’t even really started getting into the game prep yet,” he said, “so that day and a half is crucial for me and it will pay dividends come Monday.”

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-5/Former-Foe-David-Nelson-Enters-the-Jets-Fold/13144c90-6732-4a5e-8443-85c5e97b4ec8

 

[kelly]

We sat down for a conversation with New York Jets tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr., a former first-round pick (Cleveland Browns, 2004) who grew up around football. His father, of course, is Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow, the former San Diego Chargers' great:

How much of an impact has your father had on your career?

Kellen Winslow: A lot, but it's mostly self-driven. I've been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old. It's self-motivated. He used to have to tell me to stop watching football. I used to watch his highlights all the time, the Chargers' highlights. He'd be like, 'Read a book or something, stop watching that.' But I knew what I wanted to do. Ever since I could remember, that's what I've been wanting to do. That's why I work so hard at it. It's expected from me. I want to do a lot more in this game. I don't know how much longer I have, but I want to give it my all until I'm done.
 

Kellen Winslow will tell you that he's never lacked motivation to succeed in the NFL.

There had to be pressure on you, being the son of Kellen Winslow:

KW: My first year playing in high school, I had to ... there were certain expectations for me, but that was my first year playing. But after that, it was just my motivation. I wanted to be better than him.

You're a cycling enthusiast. Why are you so passionate about cycling? Did you start after your motorcycle crash in 2005?

KW: I do it every day, even Sunday on home games. I have to do it in order to be able to run. It's just what I have to do. In the offseason, I do it because I don't run in the offseason. My (surgically repaired) knee just won't allow me to, so that's all I do. I'm able to still play because of cycling. Yeah, definitely, it's because of the motorcycle accident and the staph infection. I actually started in 2009, and I haven't gone off since. Those three or four years I didn't find cycling, it was a real struggle. It still is a struggle, but it's easier for me to be able to run now because of cycling.

You ever look back at the motorcycle accident and say to yourself, 'What was I thinking?'

KW: Of course. How do I put this? I guess everything happens for a reason. I could say a lot of things, but my career has gone the way it's gone because of my drive. I could've easily stopped playing after the accident immediately. Ninety-nine percent would've quit right there. The doctor told me I'd never play again. That motivated me to get back to what I love. I was 22, in Cleveland, bored. Nobody knew, except me, about the bike. I am who I am because of that. It made me a better man. I'm not the same player, but it made me a smarter player. I had staph infection on top of that, and I had to overcome that also. That can end careers also. It's been tough, man.

On Monday night, you'll be on the same field as Tony Gonzalez, arguably the greatest tight end in history. Is there competition in the tight end fraternity?

KW: I haven't had the career he's had. He's been playing so long. I don't know how he does it. He's got those two Pro Bowl receivers over there. He's got a Pro Bowl running back and he's got a Pro Bowl quarterback. It's tough, man. If I'm trying to match him, it's tough. It's fun, though. It's competition and I love it. (Antonio) Gates, (Jason) Witten, Gonzalez, I try to compete with those guys as much as I can and make the best out of my situation.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/28353/two-minute-drill-chat-with-kellen-winslow

[kelly]

The carnival barker has reinvented himself. Welcome to the evolution of Rex Ryan.

With each step his team takes toward remaining competitive through this season that was supposed to be one step short of a complete forfeit, it is becoming more imperative people take Reincarnated Rex more seriously.

This observation is not based only on the Jets’ scintillating 30-28 upset victory over the Falcons Monday night in Atlanta — arguably the most impressive win Ryan has delivered since he was last leading the team to the playoffs in 2010.

This is based on the fact Ryan, coaching a team with a rookie quarterback and limited skill position resources around him, has the Jets one game behind the Patriots for first place in the AFC East with a 3-2 record entering Sunday’s home game against the 0-4 Steelers.

The same people who predicted the Jets were a lock to be competing with the likes of Jacksonville for the worst record in the league in 2013 and the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2014 are the ones who installed Ryan as even-money to be the next NFL coach to be fired.

Ryan, with one year remaining on his contract after this season and working for a newly hired general manager, was perceived by many as a dead coach walking.

If Ryan keeps the Jets in the hunt for a playoff berth as Christmas approaches he should be a candidate for Coach of the Year. And, barring a complete collapse from here, he should be on a fast track for a contract extension by New Year’s.

Ryan’s evolution has manifested itself in a number of ways this season — some by his choice through experience, and some as a way of survival under the new world order of buttoned-up first-year general manager John Idzik.

So in terms of public persona, Bombastic Rex is gone, replaced by Company Guy Rex.

Inside the walls at the Jets Florham Park, N.J. training facility, however, Ryan remains the same passionate coach whose players will run through walls to play for — something rather evident in Monday night’s win in Atlanta, where the talented Falcons were favored by 10 points.

“I think Rex has evolved, but I promise you that the same old Rex is still there behind closed doors,’’ former Jets offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Damien Woody told The Post Tuesday. “That’s the evolution of Rex. He has tweaked some things with the way he goes about his daily business, keeping things more close to the vest publicly.

“That has allowed people to take Rex more seriously. Before, when he was making predictions and guarantees and things didn’t go the way he thought they would he became an easy target. Now, Rex is saying the things that you need to say as a head coach. He has just wisened, and it’s served him well.’’

Ryan, it should be noted, has not gone completely soft. He bristled Monday night when he thought a reporter put negative words into his mouth in assessing rookie quarterback Geno Smith.

And on Tuesday, when a reporter brought up the fact his team’s three wins have come against opponents with a combined 3-11 record, Ryan said: “You can try to discredit us all you want. That’s fine. We know what we have in our building.’’

Woody conceded he didn’t think Ryan would last past this season, saying: “I thought it was going to be a really, really tough situation with a new GM hired, Rex a lame-duck coach, the quarterback situation was unsettled and there were a lot of question marks on the roster.’’

Now, having seen the way Ryan has this team playing, Woody called it a “no-brainer’’ for Idzik and team owner Woody Johnson to pony up with a contract extension.

“If they’re on the uptick in November and December and playing meaningful football, how do you get rid of him?’’ Woody said. “The biggest thing the Jets need and have always lacked is stability. In my opinion, what Rex has done since he came here is bring an identity to the organization that it didn’t have before he got there.

“They’re in transition now, but I like the pieces they have. They should build on what they have. It won’t be long before people really, really take this team seriously. People got caught up in all the stuff Rex used to do and that made him an easy target. But you’ve got to look at the body of work and give him credit for his coaching ability.’’

This is the evolution of Rex Ryan. Dead coach walking is walking tall.

 

> http://nypost.com/2013/10/08/jets-in-contention-as-ryan-evolves/

[kelly]

Geno has thrived against poor pass defenses and foundered against good ones. The rest of the way features a load of good ones.

 

So far this year Geno Smith has played very well against pass defenses ranked in the bottom half of the league and poorly against pass defenses ranked in the top half of the league.  Shocker, right?  Who would've thought a QB would do better against bad pass defenses and worse against good ones?  The trouble here is not that very predictable scenario.  The trouble is the enormous variance in the performances.

 

Against pass defenses ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, Geno has put up passer ratings of 90 and 148.   He has turned the ball over twice in those two games for an average of once per game.  He has 5 TDs, averaged an enormous 10+ yards per throw, and put up 27 and 30 points in 2 victories.  Those are really impressive numbers.  But then there's the Geno against top half of the NFL pass defenses.

 

Against good pass defenses under Geno the Jets are 1-2.  Geno has passer ratings of 81, 28 and 79 in those three games.  He has turned the ball over 9 times, or 3 times per game.  He has 2 TDs, averaged a decent 7.1 yards per throw, and put up 18, 13 and 10 points in the three games.  Those are numbers that will earn you very few wins in the NFL.

 

The bad news is, the schedule is about to get a lot tougher in terms of pass defenses (all references to pass defense rankings herein are ranked by yards allowed per game).  The Jets next six games are against the NFL's # 5, 14, 11, 12, 18 and 16 pass defenses.  Note that only one of those games, against the Bills in Week 11, will be against a bottom half of the league pass defense.  In fact, of the remaining 11 games on the schedule, only 4 ( MIA twice, BUF and OAK) are against bottom half pass defenses.  And it may be that MIA will be a top half pass defense by season's end, as their current position of 25 is likely distorted by having faced  Andrew Luck,  Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco in 4 of their first 5 games.   5 of the Jets' remaining 11 games are against top 12 pass defenses.

 

If the Jets are to have any reasonable chance at the playoffs this year Geno Smith will probably need to greatly improve his performances against the better pass defenses of the league immediately.   The 4 games against bottom half pass defenses are eminently winnable, but the 7 games against top half pass defenses look like trouble unless Geno rises to the challenge.  If we give the Jets a 3-1 record against the bad pass defenses (maybe a split with the Dolphins?), that leaves the Jets with 6 wins.  That would mean the Jets will likely have to go at least 3-4, and more likely 4-3, against good pass defenses to secure a playoff spot.  Geno playing like he has so far against such defenses is unlikely to accomplish that record.  So it may well be that if the Jets are to be legitimate playoff contenders in 2013, Geno Smith will have to raise his game substantially against some of the better pass defenses in the NFL.  For better or for worse, the season likely rests on Geno's rapid development.  It will be interesting to see if he proves up to that considerable challenge.

 

> http://www.ganggreennation.com/2013/10/10/4823092/the-jets-geno-smith-and-the-challenge-ahead

 

[kelly]

HEAD COACH REX RYAN

This was a very disappointing game, not just for ourselves, but for our fans. This was the first time we have been beaten at home this season. Give credit to Pittsburgh. They came out and played exactly how we thought they would. We knew they’d be fresh and flying around, and they were. Mike Tomlin does a great job with that team. They outplayed us. We have to play with more consistency.

They beat us in the areas we thought were the most important going into the game, and those were turnovers and runs and completions. They forced two in the red zone, and we couldn’t get a takeaway on defense, which was frustrating. They won the runs-and-completions battle. When you do that, you’re going to win a lot of games. Unfortunately for us, we lost both of those areas, and the proof is in the pudding.

On not being able to find a rhythm on offense…

Sometimes, you have to credit the defense. Their defense is outstanding. It’s consistent and [has] played that way for 15 years. We knew that we’d have to be patient. It wasn’t going to come easy, but you have to give them credit. Obviously, they did a better job of executing than we did.

On the first interception by Geno Smith…

You’d like to see us protect the football and be more conscious about it, but he’s going to try and make a throw that he thinks is there. In that case, with hindsight being 20/20, I’d like to have seen him throw the ball away there and not force it.

On if missed plays in the first quarter set the tone for the game…

I don’t know about that. That’s what Ben [Roethlisberger] does. He’s a big, strong guy back there, and I’ve seen him make those plays before. If we get that safety there, we’re up 2-0, and those plays usually result in a nine-point turnaround. That wasn’t the case, so it’s hard to say it set the tone for the game. I think our guys were ready to play. We’re striving for consistency and we’re not quite there yet. We have to get there in a hurry.

On why the Jets can’t put two weeks of good play together…

It seems like it’s different themes, but this season, it starts with the turnovers. If you’re turning the ball over and not getting the takeaways on defense, that’s a recipe for not being consistent or successful.

On the team’s injuries…

I’m not real sure. [Clyde] Gates went out with a shoulder. [Mike] Goodson just left with a knee. [bilal] Powell, I think, was a shoulder. And then Kyle Wilson had a head injury. I don’t know the extent of those injuries right now, but I don’t believe any of those guys finished the game.

On not being able to build upon last week’s win…

Every week is different. You have to string some together, and we certainly understand that. Again, every week is a new challenge. We were on a short week and all that, but our preparation was all about Pittsburgh. It had nothing to do with Atlanta or anything else. You just have to go. We knew that team [Pittsburgh] was coming off of two weeks of preparation. We knew we’d get their very best. They’re a very prideful team and we got everything we told our team we would get, and that was their very best.

On if he thought about going for it on the fourth-and-one in the first quarter…

Yeah, but my thinking there was to take the lead. It was kind of windy out there. I thought our defense was playing well at that time. Let’s just get on the scoreboard.

On if the game plan was to be more conservative on offense…

I think being conservative that we wanted to run the ball a little bit more. I guess you can say that. We did want to run the football some. There’s no question. I’m not going to sit back and say I wish we would of run the ball more, but we thought we could create some plays for us [and] stay out of third-and-long situations, because this team, quite honestly, thrives in those situations. They’ve done that for years. I don’t think any team besides the Ravens feast on turnovers more than this team. It’s what they did again today. That was probably the biggest thing that stemmed the tide a little bit.

On what happened on the second interception when Smith took a big hit…

Again, you’re right. He took big shots, so you have to give him credit. That’s a team, again, we’ve said it now-you fall down a couple scores on that team, you better watch out. That’s the way they play and certainly they made a great play there.

On the touchdown scored on Antonio Cromartie on the third-and-one…

We made a couple errors in the back end today. There’s no doubt about it. We have to get them corrected. Going against New England next week, clearly we have to correct it. We turned the tight end completely loose, so there are a lot of issues that we have to get fixed. I’m not going to get into particulars of a coverage or whatever, but clearly, we have to play better.

On if they missed Kellen Winslow…

Again, we’re not going to make excuses for anything. Pittsburgh outplayed us and I think that was the most important thing.

On if they missed Kellen Winslow because he was leading the team in receptions…

Going into the game, he was obviously leading the team in receptions, but again, we have a lot of good football players and this is the National Football League. Things happen and [the] next man has to step up and be ready to play.

On if he thought Pittsburgh made adjustments that caused Roethlisberger to get in rhythm…

No, I just think that they were trying to get the ball out of his hand pretty quickly. There’s no question. And I think when you look at the start of the game, they had four of five screens, almost, in the first 10 plays. They were trying to slow us down a little bit. There’s no question. You have to stop the run on them. I think we did that for the most part, until the last drive when we had to stop them. That was hard to take. Again, I give them credit. Roethlisberger is a heck of a quarterback and if he’s in rhythm, he’s hard to stop.

On if he sensed any letdown from the team coming off the win last week…

No, it’s big win? I was asked how big a win that was, I was like, ‘It’s a regular season win. It was on the road, so I guess that makes it big, but to me it was right on to the next game.’ That wasn’t the case though. We knew we’d be playing a fresh team coming off a bye. We knew that, but no, there was hardly a letdown. We know we’re a team that each week has to improve. We’re not where we need to be and that was obvious today.

On if they have to live with Smith’s interceptions since he is a rookie quarterback…

No, we have to get better. There’s no doubt. We have to get better and I believe we will. We knew it was going to be a big challenge playing against that defense.

QB GENO SMITH

On his first interception…

I wish I could take back the throw. It was an attempted throw-away and the guy who I least expected to even get over there and make the play got over there. That’s not to make an excuse. It can’t happen. We’ve said that time and time again, especially in the red zone or in critical situations. Those can’t happen and we were beat by a team that was better than us today.

On how much not having Kellen Winslow and Santonio Holmes affected the offensive game plan…

I think for the most part we were able to move the ball. Coming into this game we expected [it] to be a grind-it-out kind of game. Their record doesn’t indicate the type of team they are. They have a great, smart defense and they came out and played smart today. We can’t talk about the guys that we don’t have. All we can do is use the guys that we do have and allow them to step up and I think for the most part they did. Aside from a few plays here and there, we did a pretty decent job moving the ball but we didn’t get it done overall.

On if he was trying to throw his first interception away…

Yeah.

On where he was trying to throw his first interception…

I was just throwing it over their heads and [Ryan] Clark got over and made the play.

On how he can become consistent…

Well, it starts with practice. It starts with being consistent in practice and that’s what we try to preach here, is to always come out with the right mindset, being enthused for practice and it carries over into games. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline. It takes a tremendous amount of focus and effort. That’s all there is to it. You’ve just got to be consistent. It’s always those two or three plays in every single game that seems like we’ve got to avoid. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. Today we didn’t and I think we need to improve on that.

On why he didn’t have success throwing downfield today…

I think they did a great job just keeping guys in front of them. Like I said, their defense is smart, led by Troy [Polamalu] and Ryan Clark. Those two guys are, like I said, two of the best guys back there. They read and recognize plays better than most safeties do so they were able to keep guys in front of them and we had to dink and dunk it slowly matriculate and move the ball down the field, which we did for the most part, and then sometimes once we got down there we had the two turnovers which were bad on my part. Other than that, it was the game we expected, a hard-fought, grind-it-out game.

On what he saw from Dick LeBeau’s defense…

Well, you can tell those guys had time to prepare. They covered our verticals pretty well, carried the seams. I think that’s a testament to, like I said, having guys like Troy and Ryan Clark who’ve played in this league, who have seen those plays time and time again. They kept things in front of them. They didn’t allow us to hit the big play, something we’ve been accustomed to doing so far this year. It really made us, like I said, stay focused and stay disciplined and just drive the ball down the field. I think we should have done a better job of converting on third downs, staying ahead of the chains. Overall we didn’t get it done. There [are] a lot of things that can be said about why [we didn’t], but we’ve just got to get the job done.

On if he is getting tired of having to say he has to get better after losses…

I think I’m just frustrated to lose the game. Regardless of what happened in the game, a win’s a win and a loss is a loss. That’s what I’m most frustrated about. I do understand that there are growing pains and there are things to learn with this offense and with this team, but we don’t go out with that mindset. We want to win every single game, every single series, every single down. That’s our mindset and that’s what we’re going to stick to.

On his second interception…

Yeah. I got hit but even in that situation, just find a way to maybe throw it in the ground or not throw an interception and didn’t get that done.

On the highs and lows of the last two games…

I think you can say it’s a high and a low, but my demeanor has never changed, either or. To be honest, we wanted to win this game and we’re not really focused on last week’s win. We’re focused on today’s loss. Today we didn’t get it done. Nothing that we did last week will help us today and nothing that we did today will help us next week, so we’ve got to put this behind us as we did with the previous game and get back to work and prepare and give it our best shot next week.

On if he learns from previous games…

I’ll watch the tape and I’ll learn from it. Once we get into the next week of practice, I completely put those things behind me because other than those learning experiences that I’ve had plenty of, they really don’t help me going into the next game. Defenses are going to scheme us up different. Teams are going to play us different. There’s different personnel. We’ve got to be prepared for it.

On how much he dissects his interceptions to avoid them in the future…

Like I said last week, it’s a mindset. I came into this week with the same exact mindset — take care of the ball. It’s just unfortunate that on two occasions, I didn’t get that job done. Like I did the weeks before, I’ve got to put it in the back of my memory bank and put it behind me but always remember the times and when I go out there on the field, just be mindful of taking care of the ball, not taking sacks and not throwing interceptions.

On why the offense struggled in the second half…

Hats off to the Pittsburgh defense. They played a tremendous game, including that second half. They came out and they made it tough on us. They made us be consistent on every single down and they made us drive the ball on every single down. That’s really it. Other than those two turnovers, which were my fault, they just played us hard and we knew that coming in. We knew it would be this type of game. They’re that type of team. They’re always hard to beat. You never really blow them out. That’s not the character of that team. They compete every single week. They showed up today and we didn’t get it done.

On how much he is looking forward to playing New England again…

I look forward to it, to go out there, have another opportunity to prove myself, to go out there with my teammates and try to get a victory, it’s one that we really need, especially with our record right now. We need to start putting together a few wins to set ourselves up for the future.

On how much not having Winslow hurt the offense…

We practiced without Kellen. We all love Kellen and we wish he could be here with us, but he’s not. We’ve got guys who are capable of stepping up. We’ve got plays set up that we can get the ball in the other guys’ hands and guys have just got to step up.

CB ANTONIO CROMARTIE

On if his knee injury affected his play…

The knee didn’t affect anything at all. It was just me [needing to have] better technique on that one play and that’s it.

On if he was fooled by the play-fake on the third and one play that went for a touchdown…

No, we were in cover zero. I’m not even worrying about a play-fake. I’m thinking more of a quick gain because of the cover zero that we were in. Thinking about coming in a little quicker but, then they had enough time to get a ball down the field.

On when he knew that he would play this game…

I knew Saturday that I was going to be able to go. I felt good and got a chance to run around for a little bit on Saturday and I felt pretty good.

On getting ready for New England next week…

You have to. This game is over with. Once it [the clock] hits zero, this game’s over and you have to start preparing for the next one. That’s always been my mentality. We have to go back to through the game film tomorrow and then look at it. For me, this game is over. We make the corrections. My goal is to move on to the next opponent.

On if he thinks that teams are targeting him…

I don’t really care if they do. You get throws. You’re going to get thrown at. I think in this game I got thrown at eight times. They completed three of them, one for a touchdown. You want to come in and try to compete in order to do the things that you try to do.

On if the defense did enough to win…

No, I don’t think we did enough to win. Our job is to keep them out of the end zone and we didn’t. They scored on a third and one. It’s something that we can’t have, especially for me, giving up a first down. That’s something that I take a lot of pride in, especially giving up the first down.

T D’BRICKASHAW FERGUSON

On what went wrong today…

Execution is always going to be important. If you’re deep in the red zone and the ball gets turned over, that’s going to be an issue. If there [are] penalties, that’s going to be an issue. If there are missed assignments, that’s going to be an issue. I think all of that played a role today and unfortunately, that led to our loss.

On what they can learn from the loss…

Well, nobody likes losing. We haven’t watched the tape yet, but we know, even without watching the tape, that there were things that didn’t go according to plan. Like I mentioned, penalties, turnovers, missed assignments. All of those things play into the loss.

On what they need to do to prepare for New England…

We’re going to take what we can from this game, but we have to turn the page. We have another tough opponent that we’ve played [before]. We know this opponent. We know that they’re going to be ready for us. We played a tight game against them earlier this year.

RB BILAL POWELL

On Pittsburgh’s performance…

They just came out and played a good game. My hats off to [their] defense. We just got to go out and continue to execute, convert third downs and just don’t turn the ball over. We would’ve been good.

On how Pittsburgh made it difficult to move the ball down the field…

We just have to execute. It was a good game plan for us coming in. [The Coaches] put us in a good position to go out and make plays. We just have to go out and execute.

On the play of the offense today…

I know we’re a good offense. If we eliminate the turnovers and mistakes, I think we’re one of best offenses in this league, if we’re able to do that. We’re going to go and make some corrections tomorrow and move forward.

On if he was surprised that the offense did not score a touchdown…

It’s disappointing. That’s our expectation. To get in the end zone and put points up. Like I said, we just have to go in, correct some things and keep moving forward.

On the severity of his injury…

No injury. I just took a little hit, came out and took a breather. Came in and everything is good.

G WILLIE COLON

On if they felt they could run on the Steelers defense…

I definitely feel like we could have stayed with the run game. I thought we were being efficient in that aspect of the game, but all we can do is our jobs and [execute the plays called]. We have a lot of faith in our OC [offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg] and his ability to call games. I’m always going to stand behind him.

On if he expected to have trouble against the Steelers defense…

I felt for the most part we did our job. It was little things here and there. This is one of those games we lost, it’s not the end of the season. We have to learn from it and move on and get ready for New England. That where our eyes are at.

On how disappointing of a loss this was…

You don’t want to lose at home. I felt like everything we wanted was there for us. We slipped up. We have a quick turnaround. We need this one next week. That’s what we’re focused on. We’ve got to bury this one. It stinks, but it is what it is at this point.

On what they can learn from this…

You can’t turnover the ball. We’ve got to do a better job in the run game. We’ve got to give Geno [smith] more time. That’s what we [have] to do. It’s not about pointing the finger. I was always taught when you point the finger, you better start with the thumb. That’s how I approach every game and that’s my attitude.

WR STEPHEN HILL

On if Pittsburgh’s defense caused confusion…

No, I don’t think they gave us confusion at all. I really didn’t see much behind me. I’m running routes against 24 [ike Taylor]. He played a pretty good game. That’s all I can say on that.

On the hit he took just before halftime…

I just got the wind knocked out of me. I’m not sure what safety [Troy Polamalu] it was, but just the wind got knocked out of me.

On missed opportunities against the Steelers’ defense…

You’ve got to [make the most of] your opportunities [in] every game. Any time that you have a good opportunity to score, to make big plays, you just [have to] take [advantage of] those. They [steelers] did a great job. Definitely tip our hats to them. They played a good one.

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-5/POSTGAME-A-Recipe-for-Not-Being-Successful/5111c5f6-6800-451a-bdca-e1b8d33305b2

[kelly]

brian winters...

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/photos-and-videos/videos/Brian-Winters-We-Knew-it-Was-Going-to-be-Tough/545c7c4f-fdf0-4690-a485-89f7d4c69c07

[kelly]

At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, Jeff Cumberland is hard to miss, but he’s easy to overlook.

The Jets tight end’s entire career has been spent in the shadows. After a productive four years at Illinois — the first three as a wide receiver before moving to tight end his senior season — his name wasn’t called during the 2010 NFL Draft. And he’s been mostly an afterthought in his first three seasons in New York — the other tight end with the Jets, a second fiddle to Dustin Keller.

“Being undrafted, I feel I’ve always been the underdog,” he said.

Quiet and unassuming, Cumberland enjoys that role.

“It’s always good being the underdog because a lot of people aren’t prepared for you as much if you were somebody with a big name and they really have to pay attention to you,” he said.

When Keller left via free agency and the Jets picked up veteran Kellen Winslow, Cumberland, 26, was again the forgotten man. His production is starting to make it impossible for him to settle back into his preferred underdog role, especially with Winslow suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Coach Rex Ryan called Cumberland a “young stud tight end” recently, and for good reason. Cumberland has emerged as rookie quarterback Geno Smith’s top target, a large yet surprisingly quick tight end who has a knack for making big catches.

Since Santonio Holmes suffered a hamstring injury in a Week 4 loss to the Titans, Cumberland has elevated his play. He has 11 receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns, and that is without a catch over the season’s first two weeks. Even more impressive, Cumberland has been targeted 13 times in the last four weeks, and has only failed to come down with the ball twice.

Cumberland has steadily climbed the ladder with the Jets, going from the practice squad to the team’s No. 1 tight end. He got over a torn Achilles tendon in 2011.

“It’s just me standing there working hard, trying to get better day by day,” Cumberland said. “Hopefully, soon enough, the underdog [label] will disappear. No matter how you draw it up or line up, as long as I’m doing what I need to do, things should work out.

“Of course, when you’re catching the ball, you’re gaining confidence,” he added. “I’ve been confident since [training] camp from Day 1. Now Geno is getting more comfortable with the offense and things are clicking a lot more. With guys out, you have to depend on certain guys, and I have been one of his targets.”

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg dismissed the notion Cumberland has begun to break out quietly. His play has jumped out at the Jets coaching staff for a while.

“He had just an excellent preseason if you remember,” Mornhinweg said. “Jeff is a fine football player, an important part of our offense.”

“He’s got size, he’s got skill, he’s got quickness, he’s got durability, he’s got good hands.”

Cumberland doesn’t sound like much of an underdog anymore.

 

> http://nypost.com/2013/10/17/jeff-cumberland-enjoying-bigger-role-with-jets/

[kelly]

Ivory pounds Patriots in Jets' win

 -- Coming into Sunday's game, the New York Jets liked the matchup of Chris Ivory, a bruising running back, going against the depleted interior of the New England Patriots' defensive line.

A career-high 34 carries and 104 yards later, Ivory certainly made the most of that matchup.

Ivory had his best game as a Jet as they handed off to him repeatedly in the Jets' 30-27 overtime win over the Patriots on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Ivory received the majority of the carries while Bilal Powell, who has been the primary back, had just three touches. Powell has been dealing with a neck injury, but Jets coach Rex Ryan did not make it seem like the injury was the reason for his decrease in carries.

"Bilal only carried three times but Ivory had the hot hand and we fed him," Ryan said. "We rode Ivory a little more than normal, but it was just a good game."

Ivory, acquired for a fourth-round draft pick in the offseason, had been a disappointment up until Sunday's game as he never had been able to get it going. A hamstring injury caused him to miss a game, and he hadn't topped 52 yards in the first six games of the season. In his previous two games, he rushed a combined eight times for 43 yards, barely seeing the field.

"I'm happy. Even before today I was happy," Ivory said. "I don't think this game had any effect on me to where I say, 'This is what I've been looking for.' I just want to win."

On Sunday, the Jets finally implemented Ivory to resounding success. While he didn't do anything particularly flashy, breaking off a long run of just 17 yards, he was able to consistently pick up small yards. He primarily did his work inside the tackles, as the Patriots were down a pair of defensive tackles. He eventually started working outside the hashes as the game progressed.

"They didn't tell me anything. I just knew I was in the game, and I played my role," Ivory said. "[A lot of carries] helps get in a rhythm and just get more of a feel for the scheme and running lanes."

Ivory's most impressive work came in overtime as the Jets asked him to be their closer, and he delivered. The Jets handed the ball to Ivory nine times and he rushed for 23 yards in overtime.

Ivory had a stretch of four plays in overtime that were particularly important as he put the Jets into New England territory. Starting with a third-and-one at the Jets' 45, Ivory ran for three yards, and then followed it up with runs for eight, three and one to get the Jets to the Patriots' 40.

Ivory's 100-yard game was his first as a Jet and the fourth of his career. It was also his first since 2012.

"I think that's what [offensive coordinator] Marty Mornhinweg wanted to do, had his confidence in me and felt like that's what we needed for the last drive," Ivory said. "Got close enough to field goal range and sealed the game."

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/29608/ivory-pounds-patriots-in-jets-win

 

[kelly]

Jets are no joke -- just ask the Patriots  -- You love 'em. You hate 'em. You love 'em.

They're your 2013 New York Jets, maddeningly inconsistent but lovably relentless. Week to week, this team is harder to predict than Miley Cyrus. Sometimes, they behave as immaturely as the so-called star, but they've overcome their growing pains and obvious deficiencies to bring you this:

A meaningful season.

The Jets saved the New York football season Sunday at MetLife Stadium, where they overcame an 11-point deficit, turned Tom Brady into a pedestrian quarterback (yes, again) and de-Gronked the New England Patriots in overtime 30-27.

Sure, they benefited from Lavonte David 2.0 -- a wacky, last-second penalty to set up a Nick Folk game winner -- but the fortuitous finish doesn't diminish what happened over the first 70 minutes. The Jets beat Bill Belichick's Evil Empire, beat it for the first time in six tries, and it sends a message to the rest of the league:

You have to take the Jets seriously.

The Jets aren't an upper-tier team, but they're also not a clown car, as many expected them to be. Rex Ryan isn't Dead Coach Walking anymore; he's Good Coach Heading Toward a Contract Extension. In seven weeks, the Jets (4-3) have changed the perception, giving New York something to embrace for the next couple of months.

"It gets us close to the playoffs, that's what we're trying to do," said rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, whose midweek comment about Brady -- he's not Superman -- proved to be prophetic. "We're trying to win the East. That's the mission."

The Jets moved to within a game of the Patriots (5-2), having split the season series. Imagine that: They're one game behind "the almighty Patriots," as newcomer Josh Cribbs called them, with nine to play. Some folks predicted a four-win season for the Jets. The way their defense is playing, it would be a disappointment if they don't double that.

To stun the Patriots, who have won so many games over the years on weird penalties and rulings (dare we mention the Tuck Rule?), put a big smile on Ryan's face.

"That's the team you chase, that's the team we've always chased," said Ryan, who improved to 4-7 against the Belichicks. "You're tired of looking up at them, but at the end of the day, hey, they've earned that."

Brady isn't what he used to be, but he's still Brady. That doesn't seem to faze Ryan's young, cocksure defense, which held the future Hall of Famer to a sub-50 percent passing day for the second time this season.

What the Jets did to Brady over the final 45 minutes, from the second quarter through overtime, should be put on a DVD and stashed in a "How to Beat Brady" archive. On the last 10 possessions of the game, the Jets held Brady & Co. to seven punts, two field goals and one game-changing interception by safety Antonio Allen, who returned it for a touchdown.

The Patriots were rendered inept on third down (a shocking 1-for-12) and managed no first downs in the third quarter, allowing Geno Smith to do his thing.

"We finally finished," Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said. "We had been in that situation numerous times, fourth quarter or overtime. It was time for us to finally get one."

The Jets' defense was dominant in the Week 2 meeting, but Smith threw that game away in the fourth quarter. They stewed for five weeks, chafed that very few people recognized how well their defense played in that game. It came off as a little whiny, but they used it as motivation.

They proved their point.

"I think this was more about our defense than who wasn't there," said Ryan, alluding to the built-in alibi that emerges every time Brady loses or doesn't play well -- i.e., depleted supporting cast. "I don't know if that was noted the last time we played. This time, we finished the job."

Surprisingly, Ryan blitzed only a handful of times, but the Jets' pass coverage frustrated Brady, who completed 22 of 46 passes for only 228 yards and no touchdowns.

Allen did a marvelous job on tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was targeted 17 times. Gronkowski made eight catches for 114 yards in his overhyped return -- but hurt his team with a killer drop late in the game.

The Jets' defense has played winning football in six out of seven games, and that's why they will hang around in this race until December. They just have to hope the defense is strong enough to compensate for Smith's inevitable dips.

"It's hard blocking us for four quarters," Richardson said.

This game went beyond four quarters, and it took an unprecedented penalty to decide the outcome. The Patriots' Chris Jones broke a new NFL rule, pushing teammate Will Svitek into Jets blocker Damon Harrison on Folk's 56-yard field goal attempt -- a miss. It was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, giving Folk another chance from 42 yards.

The penalty was like that scene from the "Friday Night Lights" movie, the entire stadium staring at the yellow flag on the field during the frantic, final moments and wondering, "Us or them?" Considering the Jets' penchant for penalties, you had to figure they were guilty.

"I saw [the flag] right away, but I was like, 'Please be on them, please be on them, please be on them,'" Ryan said. "I think my reaction was just like our fans, because I thought I heard the whole stadium say, 'Please be on them.'"

It was them.

"It's about time we got a break," Ryan said.

This one, they earned.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/29639/jets-are-no-joke-just-ask-the-patriots

 

[kelly]

David Nelson knows you take them one game at a time. He also knows that you only have a short time in the NFL to celebrate a win, and when the win comes over the Patriots, you savor it all you can.

"I just joined this team three weeks ago, but I do know what it's like to play the Patriots and how much you want to beat them," said Nelson right after he contributed four receptions for 80 yards to our 30-27 overtime conquest of the Pats on Sunday. "This is my second time beating New England, and it gets sweeter every time."

His first time came in 2011, when he was a member of the Buffalo Bills. Game 3 at home that year started predictably enough as the Bills fell behind the Patriots, 21-0, with six minutes to go in the first half. But the Bills chipped away the rest of the game and pulled out the 34-31 victory at the final gun after a 70-yard drive to a Rian Lindell field goal.

From the outside, there might've been a bit of a similarity between that game and Sunday's contest, in which the Jets started hot, then flagged through the second quarter as the Pats opened their 21-10 lead at halftime.

But Nelson felt what everyone who watched the game saw at the start of the third quarter.

"It was just the way we came out in the second half, from the first play in the second half to the very last play of the game," he said. "Guys came together, went out there and played as hard as they could because they knew that we could win this game. I’m so proud of this team. I’m so proud of the way they came together in the second half and didn’t give up and fought to the finish."

There's a lot of that pride going around these days. Nelson, a three-week Jet feels it. Josh Cribbs, who was a six-day-old Jet on Sunday, talked after the game about how different the feeling was here than in Cleveland. The guys in the locker room continue to compliment their teammates and praise the teamwork that has gotten us to this unlikely, to some, 4-3 perch.

But as head coach Rex Ryan continues to preach, the Jets haven't arrived anywhere yet and much hard work remains, especially this week, when the team comes back from its Victory Monday and today's off day to shift into gear Wednesday on their next first-place opponent, the Bengals at Cincinnati on Sunday.

As happy as Nelson appears to be a new, contributing Jet, he knows that's the way it has to be.

"Whenever you're able to step up and finish the job and beat a team that's kind of had your number for a while, it's extremely gratifying," he said. "For us, this was a huge accomplishment. But at the same time we've got to build off of this and get ready for next week."

 

One Last Look Back

Here are a few of the lingering highlights of topping Tom Brady and the Patriots for the first time since the 2010 AFC Divisional Round Game:

■ Antonio Allen's pick-six was only the second one Brady's ever thrown against us. The only other one: Former teammate Ty Law took Tom 74 yards the other way early in Game 15 of the '05 season.

■ Sunday was the first time we held Brady to under 50% passing in two games in a season. In his first 23 starts against us he was under 50% only once (23-for-47 in our 16-9 win in Game 2 of the '09 season). In his last two starts he's been under 50/50 twice.

■ The 19 punts by the Patriots in this year's home-and-home series are not only the most in a season against the Jets by the Brady Pats but also the most in a season against the Jets by any AFC East foe since the 1970 merger.

■ Similarly, the Pats combined in the two games vs. the Jets to convert just five of their 30 third-down conversions. The 16.7% rate is the third-lowest third-down rate by a division opponent since 1970, trailing only the 13.0% by the Colts in 1990 (3-for-23) and the 15.0% by the '92 Dolphins (3-for-20)

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangeblogfb/David-Nelson-Savors-Sweet-Win-Before-Moving-On/0b3ca920-b416-418c-9493-37d6279ba02a

 

[#27TheDominator]

It's nice to get guys from Buffalo and Cleveland.  To them the circus is a giant step up.

[JoeKlecko]

we shouldnt be ***anything*** first offense.  We should have the ability week to week to exploit and take advantage of the other teams weaknesses & learn how to adjust to a game and how its going.  So far so good.  Now its maintain this over the long term against better teams than buffalo.

 

Great post.  Couldn't agree more!

[JoeKlecko]

Nick Mangold and Company Must Improve if Geno Smith is Going to Survive in 2013

I have said it many times before, but I will say it again: It all starts up front. If the offensive line plays well, everyone else on the football team looks better. When the offensive line plays poorly, everyone looks worse. That starts with the quarterback.We can talk all day and night about the decision-making of Geno Smith. We can talk about ball placement, getting rid of the ball quickly, pocket presence, or whatever else we want to. If the offensive line doesn’t improve in pass protection, Geno Smith has no shot to develop this season.

It’s already been seen this season.

According to Pro Football Outsiders, the Jets’ offensive line is ranked 25th in the league overall in pass blocking, with an adjusted sack rate of 9.1%.Pro Football Focus gives the Jets’ line a pass blocking efficiency grade of 75.3, ranked 20th in the league. They have been credited with allowing 52 total quarterback pressures, which comes out to 13 pressures per game. None of these figures are conducive to ANY quarterback achieving success, much less a rookie quarterback.

The worst culprits have been on the left side of the Jets’ offensive line. Vladimir Ducasse, who thankfully has been benched, has been the worst, with a pass blocking efficiency of 92.2. D’Brickashaw Ferguson has been surprisingly poor with a 94.8.

These numbers have to get better for Geno Smith to have any shot.

The formula is clear, keep the quarterback on his feet, he plays well. Don’t and he doesn’t.Geno’s best passer rating of the season was posted week three against the Buffalo Bills, when he posted an 89.9. How many times was he sacked that day? None. He was sacked 14 times in the other three games, and never posted a passer rating higher than 80.Not only is it clear on paper, you see it on the field. When the pocket is clean, Geno Smith can step into his throw, and make any throw you like. He has a gun, and can hit anyone. But when that pocket breaks down, that is where the pocket awareness goes to pieces, his decision-making falls down a notch, and we have those beautiful turnovers.

No matter how much Geno Smith improves at decision-making, pocket presence, and getting rid of the ball quickly, will not matter if the offensive line is not consistent. If that pocket is not consistently there, nobody will be happy with Geno Smith, because he will not appear to have grown at all.

> http://thejetpress.com/2013/10/02/ni...-survive-2013/

 

Thanks for posting this.  Brick needs to step up his level of play or I think the Jets should start looking at replacing him sooner rather than later.

[kelly]

Thanks for posting this.  Brick needs to step up his level of play or I think the Jets should start looking at replacing him sooner rather than later.

 

...you're welcome !...oh , and i agree, if he does not start playing like he has in the past ; the " i - man " will be looking to  upgrade that position   

[HessStation]

I'm in the mood for some nasty, dirty rex..

[kelly]

I'm in the mood for some nasty, dirty rex..

 

Hey NOW ! ! !.....oh , never-mind  

[kelly]

The cameras descended upon Jeremy Kerley in the locker room as a crowd of reporters focused their attention on the Jets' 5-9 slot receiver.

Again, Kerley is here, headlining an unproven receiving corps for the second straight season. And again, he seems unaffected by all of the attention.

"I don't worry about that," he said when reminded that he isn't yet a household name. "That's life. I'm always underrated. It's all good."

On paper, it might appear as though quarterback Geno Smith has only retreads and no-names at his disposal. But last week's overtime win over the Patriots was proof that Marty Mornhinweg's patchwork offense can deliver results.

The Jets (4-3), however, will need a superior performance from Smith and Kerley to beat the Bengals in Cincinnati Sunday. They'll be without Santonio Holmes (who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a hamstring injury), center Nick Mangold (ribs) and tight end Jeff Cumberland (hamstring). They'll also have to figure out how to be productive against defensive tackle Geno Atkins and defensive end Carlos Dunlap.

Smith's rookie campaign has gotten off to a good start, but the Jets have yet to win back-to-back games, and Paul Brown Stadium won't be an easy environment for the road team to escape with a victory. The Bengals have the ninth-best defense in the NFL and are eighth against the run and 13th against the pass.

But if last week's win over New England was any indication, Kerley could prove to be a big key. The slot receiver believes he's a game-changer.

Sure, Stephen Hill was the Jets' second-round pick last season. But it's Kerley -- a fifth-round pick out of TCU in 2011 -- who's emerged as Smith's most trusted weapon, quietly leading the Jets in receptions (24) and receiving yards (319).

Six of his eight receptions (including a 12-yard touchdown) in last week's 30-27 overtime victory came on third down. It was the most third-down conversion catches by a Jets receiver since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, according to the team.

"Jeremy and I, we've been doing a lot off the field," Smith said of Kerley, who, despite missing Week 2 against the Patriots, is tied for second in the NFL with 15 third-down receptions.

" . . . It's kind of like a symbiotic relationship; he's thinking one thing and I'm thinking the same. When we're on the same page, it's kind of hard for defenses to stop us."

Receiver David Nelson also stepped up last week, catching four passes for 80 yards. Newly signed kick returner/wide receiver Josh Cribbs received a game ball in his first outing as a Jet.

"He helped us win that ballgame," Mornhinweg said of Cribbs, who was used on special teams, as a wideout and in the Wildcat.

Kerley was the Jets' primary punt returner the previous two seasons. Asked if he's happy to have some of his special-teams load removed from his shoulders, he replied: "I'm a tank. I don't care what's thrown at me. I'm ready for everything."

He's come a long way since 2012, when he began the season in Rex Ryan's doghouse and wound up leading the Jets with 56 receptions after injuries to Holmes, Hill and former teammate Dustin Keller.

"Kerley was a huge part of what we were going to do offensively [against the Patriots]," Ryan said. "He made the plays during practice, and when we got to the game, it was no different. We've seen games like that from him before, so it's really no surprise, but he's certainly a weapon for us."

Kerley's short-area quickness and attitude set him apart from most receivers. Asked if he was surprised by his production last week, he said matter-of-factly: "Every third down, I feel like the ball's coming to me, as [is the case] with every play. So I just made sure I made the catch, secured the position and got the yards."

 

> http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-need-jeremy-kerley-to-come-up-big-again-1.6325960