~ ~ Pats @ Jets : Sun. Dec. 21 - 1:00 pm ~ ~

[kelly]

The NFL Live crew make their picks for New England at the New York Jets.

 

video...

> http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12043540

[kelly]

-- Rex Ryan doesn't regret the "rings" quote.

"Oh, hell, no, because I never came here to do that," he said Wednesday, referring to his classic sound bite from 2009 in which he claimed he didn't take the New York Jets' head-coaching job to kiss Bill Belichick's Super Bowl rings.
"I came here to kick his butt," Ryan continued. "Obviously, I haven't been very successful at it, but that list is long. I'm not just the only name on that list. I might be the only one that had the guts to say something about it, but that's how I am. That's how I feel about this week, too. No different than any other time I've been here.

Several players said Ryan was more fired up than usual during the team meeting. The Jets face Belichick and the New England Patriots this week, and that always brings out the bravado in Ryan. He told the players they will approach the game as if they're 11-3, not 3-11.

"We don't like them, they don't like us," wide receiver Jeremy Kerley said. "There's a lot of history there."

When he arrived in 2009, Ryan was hoping to make a different kind of history. His goal was to dethrone the Patriots, and he wasn't shy about telling it to the world. When they stunned the Patriots in the 2010 divisional playoffs, it looked as if the Jets had closed the gap. It hasn't turned out that way.

Under Ryan, the Jets' regular-season record is 3-8 against the Patriots. In the same span, the Miami Dolphins are 3-9 and the Buffalo Bills are 1-10. But the Jets have that playoff win, so Ryan can make the case he's had more success than the others in the division.

But not as much as he wanted.

"I don't think you can just saddle that on me alone," Ryan said. "Hell, I think a lot of teams couldn't knock them off. ... To date, I haven't. I know exactly how I came in. It's how I am every day and every year. Yeah, you want to beat them, without question."

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/47401/rex-ryan-on-bill-belichick-i-came-here-to-kick-his-butt

[kelly]

Rex Ryan shares his heartfelt message for the Jets faithful

 

It was love at first sight for Rex Ryan and Jets fans, the big, bawdy, tough-talking coach, a Jets fan just like them once, their Rexterminator coming for Bill Belichick. Even though four straight years out of the playoffs and this current 3-11 nightmare has led to the impending divorce, he thanks them from the bottom of his heart, and vows to try his darnedest to give them one lasting memory Sunday against the Patriots in his last home game as their coach.

Ryan hasn’t gotten mushy in front of his team about this not-so-Merry Rexmas, doesn’t want any sympathy or sentimentality from anyone. But when you ask him what he would like to say to Jets fans now, at the end of six roller-coaster seasons, it is easy to see how much being their coach meant to him.

“Shoot, I respect them beyond belief, and I think part of it is ’cause I grew up … I was just like them, just one of them,” Ryan told The Post. “I think that’s big. And obviously I was given an unbelievable opportunity that every Jet fan would jump at, they would have loved to have been the head coach of this team as well, their team, and I think I was given that opportunity.

“But I respect the heck out of ’em, I appreciate ’em, they’ve been there. I’ve actually made calls, and they’ve been there.

“And I felt like they supported me from the day that I took this job.”

He was Teflon Rex when Woody Johnson gave him a stay of Rexecution and replaced general manager Mike Tannenbaum with John Idzik. He did the job in 2009 and ’10, and again last season with a rookie quarterback and no offensive playmakers, but this season has been a veritable butt-fumble, and there are no mulligans left for him, nor should there be. His time is up, and everyone knows it. Including him.

But just because Sunday is Penalty Flag Day, when yellow towels blaring “Attention Woody, Fire Idzik! Clean House!” will be waving for the owner to heed, doesn’t mean that disenchanted Jets fans shouldn’t call a timeout and give Ryan an ovation, standing or otherwise, for the good times he gave the franchise, even if they seem like a distant memory. He gave them everything he had, always.

“He deserves their respect,” receiver Jeremy Kerley said. “He’s the Coach of the Year to me, every time he goes out there he pours his heart out.

“A standing ovation, I think that’d be everything for him.”

Ryan wants this one in the worst way. His players want it in the worst way. For themselves first. But for their coach as well.

Modal TriggerRyan talks to Jets players on the sideline during last week’s win over the Titans.Photo: AP

“He takes it to a different level when it comes to the Patriots, you know,” safety Calvin Pryor said.

Once more, with feeling.

“He’s real fired up, he’s passionate about playing against these guys, you can hear it in his voice,” Kerley said.

What did he say Wednesday that resonated?

“It’s that game,’” Kerley said. “Throw out the records, it doesn’t matter. It’s the Jets against the Patriots.’”

Unfortunately for Ryan, he can’t throw out the records.

“We owe these guys, man,” Pryor said. “We gave ’em the game last time. They know it and we know it.”

Ryan was never Belichick, but at least he never kissed his rings.

“I might be the only one that had the guts to say something about it, but that’s how I am, that’s how I feel this week too,” Ryan said.

Ryan recognized that the last meeting — Patriots 27, Jets 25 — was his last chance to turn around a season ruined mostly by the play of his quarterback and the performance of his GM.

“It’s kind of sad the position Rex is in right now,” Darrelle Revis said from his Island off Foxborough.

“Like Revis said, you do got to feel for him, man,” Sheldon Richardson said. “It’s just tough being in a situation where the 28th might be his last coaching job coaching here, especially ’cause he loves it here.”

Ryan will leave ’em laughing on his way out the door, joking that he couldn’t bear to watch the TV copies of Tom Brady’s recent F-bomb flurry. “To be honest with you, I couldn’t watch all of a game — I was offended by the language I saw,” Ryan deadpanned. “I’m thinking, ‘Boy, that fine’s got to really be hefty, because that’s one, two, three, four, five of those bad boys, I think.’ I couldn’t even get through the game.”

Richardson has a sense for how Jets fans feel about Ryan.

“Most people love him, some people hate him,” Richardson said. “Just the way it is.”

It would be nice if, for one fleeting moment Sunday, the ones who love him are heard above the ones who hate him.

“It’s gonna be a lot of great times in the near future for Jet fans, I truly believe that,” Ryan said.

For Rex Ryan, that future will have to be Sunday.

 

> http://nypost.com/2014/12/17/rex-ryan-shares-his-heartfelt-message-for-the-jets-faithful/

[kelly]

-- As expected, wide receiver Percy Harvin (ankle) practiced on a limited basis Thursday. There was a slight limp, but barring a setback, he should be ready to play Sunday when the New York Jets meet the New England Patriots. 


Harvin has impressed with his toughness. Two weeks ago, he suffered a third-degree ankle sprain (the most severe), according to Rex Ryan. Harvin had to be carried up the stairs on the team plane for the return trip from Minneapolis, where he was injured. He played in a limited role last week at wide receiver, volunteering to return a kickoff. 

"Percy's tough as boot leather," special teams coach Thomas McGaughey said. 

There was one addition to the Jets' injury report -- wide receiver Saalim Hakim, who was limited with a quadriceps injury. He plays exclusively on special teams, working as a gunner. Nick Folk (hip) practiced fully and is expected to return to kickoff duty. Punter Ryan Quigley handled it last week. 

New York Jets 

Limited: Harvin, Muhammad Wilkerson (turf toe), S Jaiquawn Jarrett (shoulder), Hakim (quadriceps). 

Full: Folk (right hip), G Willie Colon (knee), S Antonio Allen (hand), RB Chris Johnson (knee), C Nick Mangold (finger), S Calvin Pryor (shoulder). 

New England Patriots 

Out: DE Dominique Easley 

Limited: LS Danny Aiken (finger), CB Kyle Arrington (hamstring), RB LeGarrette Blount (shoulder), G Dan Connolly (knee), WR Julian Edelman (thigh, concussion), T Cameron Fleming (ankle), LB Dont'a Hightower(shoulder), DE Chandler Jones (hip), WR Brandon LaFell (shoulder), DE Rob Ninkovich (heel), RB Shane Vereen (ankle), LB Chris White (ankle). 

Full: QB Tom Brady (ankle).

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/47470/percy-harvin-tough-as-boot-leather

[kelly]

New England’s “game-plan offense” is well-outlined in a piece by Mike Reiss, who called it “an attack that morphs itself into something completely different each week.” 

The principle is simple -- if your opponent struggles in a particular area, that’s probably the area you’re best served to attack. How heavily has New England’s play-calling reflected this strategy, one that requires such versatility in personnel? 

Measuring that starts with defining the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Yards are a misleading measure -- for example, is a team that allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game (like the Cardinals) a bad pass defense? 

Defensive efficiency, which measures the impact of each play on a team’s scoring margin, is a better measure of how effective a team’s defense is. Arizona’s pass defense has the fifth-best defensive efficiency rating in the league. Yards alone won’t account for the Cardinals’ 18 interceptions (fourth most) or the fact that they’ve allowed touchdowns on only 40.5 percent of red-zone possessions (second best in the league). Defensive efficiency accounts for both of those and more. 
 

Defensive Efficiency Ranks of Patriots' Opponents This Season   Rushes Dropbacks Dolphins 21st 10th Vikings 23rd 16th Raiders 15th 27th Chiefs 20th 9th Bengals 31st 12th Bills 13th 1st Jets 12th 28th Bears 26th 30th Broncos 9th 14th Colts 18th 6th Lions 1st 4th Packers 19th 17th Chargers 11th 22nd

The efficiency ranks of each Patriots opponent are split out by rushing and passing in the chart to the right. 

When the team has been successful, it hasn’t just reached season averages in play-calling. The Patriots called more than half of their plays to target the opponent’s defensive weakness in 9 of the team’s 11 wins. 

Both of the wins in which New England didn’t were against divisional opponents, and might have had interesting game-specific reasons. 

In Week 15, the Dolphins had just placed starting safetyLouis Delmas on IR before the game, and New England still rushed on a higher percentage than their season average. 

Entering Week 6, the Bills ranked fourth in defensive efficiency against the pass and fifth against the run. With no significant difference between the pass and rush defense, New England’s play calling (38 percent rush, 62 percent dropback) was almost exactly at its season average (39 percent rush, 61 percent pass). 
 

Play Calling in Patriots Wins This Season Opponent Rush Pct Dropback Pct Vikings 63%<< 37% Raiders 43% 57%<< Bengals 52%<< 48% Bills 38% 62% Jets 28% 72%<< Bears 44% 56%<< Broncos 32% 68%<< Colts 57%<< 43% Lions 27% 73%<< Chargers 34% 66%<< Dolphins 43% 57% >>Over half of plays targeted defensive weakness

Based on New England’s tendencies this season, what should be expected on Sunday against the Jets? As the first chart shows, New York ranks 12th against the run, no surprise given the quality of defensive linemenMuhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. 

But the Jets pass defense ranks 28th in efficiency for a reason. Only the Redskins (31) and Bears (33) have given up more passing touchdowns than the Jets (29), while only the Chiefs (four) have intercepted fewer passes than New York (five). 

The Patriots have already noticed this once. Tom Bradydropped back to pass on 72 percent of snaps in New England’s Week 7 win over New York, its second-highest percentage this season. Barring a game-specific occurrence (like Wilkerson missing a fourth straight game with a toe injury), recent history suggests Brady will be busy.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4774567/pats-make-hay-on-exploiting-weakness

[kelly]

-- Each week we will select two players on the New York Jets -- one on offense, one on defense -- who figure to play a key role in the upcoming game. The Jets face the New England Patriots (11-3) Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
 

Geno Smith, quarterback -- Believe it or not, Smith has played competently in 11 of 12 quarters against the Patriots in his career. The exception came in the fourth quarter of the first meeting last season, when he imploded with three interceptions. Since then, he has completed 37 of 67 passes for 459 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. In fact, three of his 13 200-yard passing days have come against New England. His record is 1-2. Sunday will be a challenge because the Patriots' secondary, led by Darrelle Revis, is playing very well. They've added some wrinkles since the first meeting, incorporating man-coverage concepts that morph into zone.
 

Calvin Pryor, safety -- The safeties always are in the spotlight against the Patriots because of tight end Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady's favorite target. Gronkowski, the first tight end in Patriots history to have two 1,000-yard seasons, averages nine targets per game. Pryor has cut down on his mistakes in recent weeks, but he's still not making any big plays. He has no interceptions, no forced fumbles and only two pass breakups. He can salvage an underwhelming rookie season with an impact performance against Gronk & Co.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/47438/under-the-spotlight-geno-smith-and-calvin-pryor

[kelly]

-- Bill Belichick's weekly plays of the week were split up into two parts this week, with special teams highlighted earlier and then offense and defense showcased in their own segment. Run defense, specifically linebacker Dont'a Hightower's strong downhill play, was singled out by Belichick from Sunday's New England Patriots win over the Miami Dolphins.

"I thought our run defense was certainly a lot better than it was down there in Miami [in Week 1] where they gained [191 yards] on us," Belichick said, calling up a tackle by Hightower on a second-quarter play for minus-5 yards. "Nice job here on the outside run, that's Hightower running through and shooting the gap to set up a third-and-long situation. Those negative plays in the running game are really kind of like sacks -- they waste a down, they lose yardage and create long-yardage situations. You see how explosive Dont'a is going through the gap there, making the tackle."

Hightower's downhill presence in the running game had been noted in film review as well, as it also showed up in the third quarter.

Belichick also showed linebacker Jamie Collins shooting the gap on an outside zone run to bring down Lamar Miller for a 4-yard loss with 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"Good run defense really helped us in this game and created some long-yardage situations," Belichick said on Patriots.com.

The focus on run D continues this week against the Jets, who totaled 218 rushing yards against the Patriots in Week 7.

A few other plays highlighted by Belichick in his plays of the week segment:

Play-action aids Gronkowski's 34-yard catch to open the second half. Belichick showed how play-action does enough to hold the linebackers and create the opening for Rob Gronkowski up the left seam.

Brady's eyes work the safety on Gronkowski touchdown. On the 27-yard touchdown connection from Tom Brady to Gronkowski up the left side at 4:35 of the third quarter, Belichick showed how Brady's eyes hold the safety to create the opening. "The key on this play is the quarterback coming back and looking over here to his right, holding the safety," Belichick explained. "This free safety really belongs to the quarterback. If Tom were to throw the ball right to Rob, the safety would come over and make the play. But Tom is able to freeze him long enough and make the throw for a big touchdown. ... Excellent job at controlling the free safety."

Strip sack by Jones.The Patriots rushed three with 11:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Chandler Jones showed his explosiveness with a strong rush on left tackle Ju'Wuan James. One key to the play was linebackers showing a pressure look inside, which held the interior offensive linemen, before they ultimately backed out. That set up Jones for his 1-on-1 rush, and he beat James despite the Patriots rushing just three and dropping eight into coverage.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4774606/run-d-eyes-second-straight-bounceback

[kelly]

Jets-Patriots: 7 Things to Know

Factors That Could Make Sunday's Final Home Game 'Pretty Interesting' Despite the Records

Sunday is the Jets' "Thank You Fans" day at MetLife Stadium. Rex Ryan and company have never failed to let Jets Nation know how important they are to the team.

Needless to say, most fans aren't thankful for a 2-5 home record and the prospect of having to beat the resurgent Patriots to make it to 3-5 at home and nail down the first two-game win streak of the season. But despite the way the teams' seasons have diverged, we have a puncher's chance of beating the AFC East champions.

Consider that in the last three meetings between these teams, the Jets have outgained the Patriots by 274 yards, out-first-downed them by 70-46, out-possessed them by more than 52 minutes, and were outscored by a mere two points.

All of that puts some meaning into the words of the players in this divisional drama. As QB Tom Brady said this week:

"It’s a great rivalry. We’ve always had some pretty interesting games against them. ... It’s a good challenge for us. We lost going into the Meadowlands last year, so we’re anticipating getting their best game."

And as head coach Rex Ryan said today:

"How I’ll be remembered through that series, I have no idea. One thing I guess for sure is everybody knows they’re going to get my very best and this team’s very best. And whether it’s win, lose or draw, I think that’s a given."

Here are seven more things to know about Sunday's Jets-Patriots matchup in our final game at MetLife Stadium this season:

1. A Winning Game Plan

Geno Smith may have ice water in his veins when he plays the Patriots. Yes, there was that unfortunate three-interception fourth quarter in his second game as a pro, but in his three meetings against Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, et al., he has a three-point loss, a three-point overtime win, and a two-point loss on his ledger. The elements of that 30-27 win at MetLife in October 2013 would make for a great game plan this time around too — Geno playing within himself, Chris Ivory running for his first 100-yard game as a Jet, the Jets running for 218 overall, and maybe Nick Folk lining up for the gamewinner again.

2. One Grand Hitman

As Rex says about David Harris, "He's kind of a quiet leader, but I think he's a little more vocal than the perception is of him." This could be a loud game for "the Hitman." His first two tackles of the game will give him 1,000 for his career, making him only the fourth Jet to reach that plateau. And while he's not known as a sacking 'backer, he does have four sacks of Tom Brady (plus a playoff INT) in the last eight meetings. It would be helpful if David can rattle Tom's cage along with Sheldon Richardson, Quinton Coples and maybe Muhammad Wilkerson if he can come back from his toe jam, football.

3. No Foolin' Tom

In October we posed eight points to ponder about Tom Brady in the Jets-Patriots rivalry. This time we'll just give you a stat line and a quote line. The stat line: Brady in 12 games in the Meadowlands against the Jets has 60.9% passing accuracy, 20 touchdowns to seven interceptions, a 92.6 rating and a 9-3 record. The quote line from DC Dennis Thurman today: "Tom Brady’s probably seen everything you probably could throw at someone. It’s not about fooling anybody when you play the Patriots. ... If you beat them, you’ve got to go out there and take it, because they’re not going to give it to you."

4. The Gronk Factor

Rob Gronkowski's being talked up in some circles as an NFL MVP candidate. That would be historic, since the last time a tight end won The Associated Press award was, well, never. Gronk's stat line is majestic: 76 catches, 1,093 yards, 11 touchdowns. And we have to be ready for the assault. He's scored four TDs in seven career games against us, and this year our defense has been scorched by TEs for 12 scores. If Antonio Allen, for instance, has a career game in him similar to last year's home win, coming off his wrist injury, this would be a good time for it.

5. Give 'Em the Boot, Percy

It's been somewhat feast or famine with Percy Harvin, lately due to his ankle sprain. But as special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said today, "Percy's tough as boot leather," after he contributed more than anyone expected with a 10-yard first-down run and a 33-yard third-quarter kickoff return. This will be the Patriots' first look at Harvin in green since the trade was made in the days after the teams' first game at New England. Can he possibly be ready to produce his fourth all-purpose game of 194+ yards in his eighth game as a Jet. It would help.

6. Drawn and Quartered

That describes a little of what's happened to most recent opponents. Many are done in in the second quarter: The Pats have scored 20 touchdowns in that frame, and their 173 points and plus-93 point margin in that quarter are both the best totals by any NFL team in any quarter this season.

Then for those who make it past the second-quarter monster, there's the second half. The Patriots have allowed just one second-half TD in their last five games, none in their last four. Meanwhile, the Jets have scored just two second-half TDs in their last six games (both last Sunday at Tennessee), and their 89 points in the half are next-to-last in the NFL, ahead of only San Francisco's 79.

7. Game-Changing Blocks

Miami got a very early signal Sunday that their game at New England was not going their way when Caleb Sturgis set up for a first-drive-of-the-game 41-yard field goal try, only to have Jamie Collins block it and Kyle Arrington return it 62 yards for the Patriots TD. Voilà: 10-point swing. The Pats have blocked a punt and three field goals this season, one of which Jets fans remember quite well — Folk's 58-yard gamewinning try at Gillette — and Ryan Quigley had a punt snuffed for a score by the Bills. A score by return would be tough for the Green & White to block out.

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Jets-Patriots-7-Things-to-Know/aac6eaac-92ed-4f6e-a3e2-a54ee6bb282b

 

[kelly]

More Pronounced Role for Enemkpali ?

  Jets' Rookie DE/LB Shows vs. Titans He's a Name to Be Reckoned With Going ForwaOn the first pass breakup in the backfield, CBS play-by-play man Andrew Catalon didn't even take a crack at it.

On the second one, he couldn't avoid it: "And that one is knocked down. It could've been intercepted. 'e-NUM-palee' got his hands on that one."

Close but no cigar.

"It happens," said the young man who pronounces his last name "en-em-PAH-lee." "It was like that my first year in college, too."

Broadcasters may want to brush up on that pronunciation, although Ikemefuna Enemkpali said he's OK with I.K. for his first name. And he showed against the Titans that he may be able to make a name for himself in our defense.

Sunday in Nashville was an eye-opener. It was only the Louisiana Tech rookie's fourth game action, and he got in a season-high 12 plays on defense. With those snaps he made three big plays, a very good percentage, that helped turn things in our favor in the second half.

"It felt good making those plays and it felt good that the coaches put me out there," he said.

His first breakup came as the right end on a four-man line. Veteran tackle Will Svitek tried to roll-block him but he stayed on his feet, leaped and batted a Charlie Whitehurst pass over the head of intended receiver Chase Coffman.

Play No. 2 could have accelerated his household-name process. Again from right end, he initially rushed, then pulled up when he recognized a third-and-long toss to Dexter McCluster out of the backfield. IK timed his leap and nearly came down with a pick-six opportunity before the ball hit the ground.

"A lot of people thought I might've scored on that," he said. "I tried to get into the passing lane and get my hands up, but I didn't think it would hit me dead in the hands. ... If I had really focused, I probably could've caught that ball."

That quote was a case of no-brag-just-fact. Enemkpali was one of only four FBS defensive linemen in 2013 to come up with two interceptions for the season.

"I used to play receiver. A lot of people don't know that," he told me. "I played receiver in high school but not in college, and also just growing up and playing street ball and stuff. There wasn't any rushing the passer in those games. It was catch touchdown passes. That's what it was about growing up."

Finally, Play No. 3 was IK's first pro sack as he launched himself from left end out of our 3-4 look and muscled through RT Jamon Meredith to put the clamps on Whitehurst with three minutes to play. Trouble was, Kyle Wilson's defensive hold wiped out the sack.

We list IK as a linebacker, but since he was a college DE who launched all three of those plays from a three-point stance, we'll include him in this Jets factoid: He and Muhammad Wilkerson, in this year's opener vs. Oakland, are our only D-linemen in the last three years to notch two pass defenses in one game. Add Sione Po‘uha in '11 and Shaun Ellis in '10 and that's the list of D-linemen with two PDs in a game in the Rex Ryan regime.

Ryan was lamenting after the Minnesota game that he didn't get Enemkpali some snaps against the Vikings. "I have to get him involved in the game more," Rex said. "Even though [Jason] Babin is doing a tremendous job, I have to get this guy an opportunity to play because he has earned it. He works hard on the practice field and I’ll be excited to watch him."

And we have a feeling that we'll be watching him a little more n the final two games of the season. Two words for Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots, calling our game vs. the Patriots for CBS on Sunday: Be ready.

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/More-Pronounced-Role-for-Enemkpali/fdde779a-93e5-47f5-840b-12f0011c149e

[kelly]

ANALYST PREDICTION WINNER Rich

Cimini PATRIOTS 30, JETS 14

I never thought I'd use the words "dangerous" and "Jets" in the same sentence, but I think it fits in this case. They will play hard for Rex Ryan in what probably will be his final home game, and they can afford to take chances because there's nothing to lose. The problem is, they don't have enough in the secondary to contain Tom Brady and his many weapons. The Jets average only 16 points a game. In fact, they haven't scored more than 25 in any game -- and that won't be enough to pull the upset. Ian

O'Connor PATRIOTS 28, JETS 17

Though Rex Ryan didn't kiss Bill Belichick's rings this week, he did kiss his you-know-what. Belichick and Tom Brady want to nail down homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, and what better way to do it than to put one more nail in Ryan's coaching coffin. Jane

McManus JETS 28, PATRIOTS 24

In another blow to the Jets draft order, Rex Ryan will craft a win at MetLife Stadium. It's his last time going against Bill Belichick as the Jets' coach. He'll going out in a blaze of glory.  Kieran

Darcy PATRIOTS 31, JETS 10

A bitter end for Rex Ryan, in likely his final game at MetLife Stadium as HC of the NYJ. Ryan

Ruocco JETS 26, PATRIOTS 24

The Jets usually play New England tough with Rex. I can just see them making this a final big win for Rex before he inevitably exits. Dave

Rothenberg PATRIOTS 30, JETS 13

It won't even be close in the final home game for Rex. Robin

Lundberg PATRIOTS 27, JETS 17

The Jets will compete for pride.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/47515/week-16-predictions-jets-vs-patriots

[kelly]

Every week leading into the Patriots' next game, ESPN NFL analyst Tedy Bruschi and ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss preview the matchup. This week, it's Sunday's road game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium (CBS, 1 p.m. ET):

Mike: From a Patriots perspective, this is one of those games where you figure the Jets have nothing to lose and will try to pull out all the stops -- fake punts, onside kicks and more. In that sense, these types of games can be dangerous.

Tedy: The Jets are 3-11 and it's been a tough season for them. There's a lot of talk about potential changes next year with coach Rex Ryan. But in a situation like this, it's simple: A win over the rival Patriots would make their season and would be something for Ryan to hang his hat on, if this is indeed the end. The idea that they could hurt the Patriots' playoff seeding is something that figures to motivate them.

Mike: Some have wondered whether the Patriots might be looking at a trap game, but I don't see it. Not when the Jets controlled most of the action Oct. 16, holding a time of possession edge of 40:54 to 19:06.

Tedy: Not much has changed offensively for the Jets in terms of the running game since that time. Chris Ivory is a guy I see running as hard as any back in the NFL. He's tough to tackle. The main thing that obviously stands out, in terms of something the Patriots didn't see Oct. 16, is receiver Percy Harvin. The Jets traded for him the week after playing the Patriots and he's a difference-maker on offense and special teams. This is the type of week where the big leg of kicker Stephen Gostkowski will be very important. As long as the wind isn't a factor, the Patriots will be hoping he can kick the ball through the end zone and keep it out of Percy's hands.

 

Mike: What are you seeing from how the Jets are using him?

Tedy: It's a lot of catch-and-run routes. Other times, you see clear-outs by all other receivers and they'll run Harvin on a crossing route. Then there are times like the first quarter of their Week 14 loss at Minnesota (7:41) where maybe you've been lulled to sleep with all of their short stuff with Harvin and they run him deep to keep you honest. They'll do that quite a bit. On that play against the Vikings, it was nothing fancy, just Harvin running deep on a 35-yard connection for a touchdown. He is the quick type of receiver that has burst off the line of scrimmage to give any cornerback -- even Darrelle Revis -- a challenge.

Mike: One thing we've seen the Patriots do over the second half of the season is match up their cornerbacks, with Revis often drawing the top threat. A Revis vs. Harvin matchup would be fun to watch.

Tedy: Harvin is the best offensive weapon they have, and you can almost envision a scenario where Rex would love to try to beat Revis deep with him. Week 9 against Kansas City (fourth quarter, 3:59), you see it again with Harvin when he gathers in a 42-yard reception to beat cornerback Sean Smith down the right sideline. Smith is right there, it's a close play, and Harvin comes down with it.

Mike: The other thing Patriots defenders have talked about this week is Harvin as a threat running the ball as well.

Tedy: They do it in different ways with him. One play I'm sure the Patriots have studied came in the Week 13 "Monday Night Football" loss to the Dolphins -- first quarter, 8:28 remaining -- when they lined Harvin up next to quarterback Geno Smith in the shotgun and handed it off to him up the middle (6-yard gain). When I saw that, one of the things that came to mind was some of the troubles the Patriots had in their loss to the Packers when receiver Randall Cobb was lined up in the backfield. I see similarities between Harvin and Cobb. That's more of a traditional running play, and a lot of the short passes are like glorified run plays (Week 9, vs. Chiefs, fourth quarter, 9:04) where they're trying to get him in space and he can make things happen. He's a very difficult tackle.

Mike: Your research had me going back to the only time the Patriots faced Harvin in the past -- a Week 8 game against the Vikings in the 2010 season (a 28-18 New England win). Harvin finished with six catches for 104 yards that day.

Tedy: Yes, and you also have to go back to what he did in Seattle. He's a player who you have to respect from an ability standpoint, and also his outstanding speed, which showed up in the Seahawks' Week 2 game this year against the Chargers. They lined him up in the offensive backfield, had run-action going one way and gave it to him on a counter flip, and Harvin sprinted 51 yards for the touchdown (first quarter, 1:37). It all happened so quickly. Harvin actually stepped out of bounds on his way to the end zone, but he was probably moving so fast the replay official couldn't believe what he saw.

Mike: So we got into Harvin pretty detailed here, which makes sense as his presence is the most notable difference between this game and what we saw Oct. 16. Anything else to touch on offensively?

Tedy: In our breakdown from Week 7, we highlighted Smith and how there was "Good Geno" and "Bad Geno." He's had more struggles since that point, and one thing they can do to help build some confidence is get him going as a runner. Keeping things manageable on third down is critical for them, as those can sometimes be converted by his running ability. And there's also Eric Decker, who is the type of player that you don't believe should be making catches on you, but he does. He had a good game against the Patriots in Week 7, and a big catch against the Titans last week.

 

Mike: Defensively for the Jets, one thing that stands out is their struggle to create turnovers. They have just 11 this season, which ties for a league low.

Tedy: You might think of Ryan as a pressure-based coach, and they show a lot of pressure looks when they play a quarterback that they respect, but they also like to use a lot of three-man rush looks too. The problem is that if the rush can't eventually get to the quarterback, or at least threaten the throw, you are asking your coverage players to play with discipline for a long time. If they don't, you get burned for a long touchdown pass, which is what happened on the Shane Vereen long touchdown catch in the first game between the teams (first quarter, 13:40).

Mike: The Jets are tough against the run, ranking third in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per rush (3.5 avg.). So I think a good matchup to watch will be how the Patriots offensive line, which has its captain Dan Connolly ailing, holds up against the pass rush.

Tedy: It all starts up front for the Jets with Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison and Muhammad Wilkerson, which is a very good defensive line. But Wilkerson missed Sunday's game against the Titans and might not be ready to go.

Mike: No need to go much further here, Tedy. Let's get to the predictions. This game reminds me of the Patriots' Week 16 road game against the two-win Jaguars in the 2012 season -- going away to play a team that is out of it when there likely won't be much energy in the stadium. The Patriots struggled against Chad Henne and the Jaguars that day before pulling out a close victory and it wouldn't surprise me if something similar unfolds Sunday. I expect the Jets to pull out all the stops with fake punts, etc. But in the end, I think the better overall talent wins out. Patriots 23, Jets 20.

Tedy: We're on the same page on this one, Reiss. Rex Ryan will get his team emotionally ready to play and if the game stays close in the first half they Patriots will find themselves in a fight. The fight will be there, but I doubt the Jets ability to play mistake free complementary football for four quarters. Geno throws the ball to the wrong team in the end. Patriots 28, Jets 20.

 

> http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/page/bruschibreakdown-121914/bruschi-breakdown-new-england-patriots-vs-new-york-jets?ex_cid=espnapi_public

[kelly]

On Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the Jets and New England Patriots face off for their 12th --and quite likely final -- regular-season meeting of the Rex Ryan era. Gang Green is 3-11 and hasn't enjoyed a winning record since going 11-5 in 2010, but no matter how his team has fared against the rest of the league, throughout his Big Apple tenure, Ryan has earned a reputation as the man who knows how to contain Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the explosive Patriots offense.
 

We decided to explore if that reputation was built merely on perception or on hard results. Here is what we found:

Although head-to-head Ryan is a mere 3-8 against The Hoodie (4-8 if you count New York's 28-21 divisional playoff victory at Foxborough following the 2010 season), no other head coach over the past six seasons has defeated Belichick as often (though no one has lost more often, either).

In the 94 regular-season games the Patriots have played since the start of 2009, Brady & Co. failed to score at least 14 points just three times. Two of those -- Week 2 of 2009 in East Rutherford and Week 2 last season at Gillette Stadium -- came against Ryan's Jets.

Ryan's defense has consistently limited, if not altogether frustrated, New England's offense. The Patriots have averaged 28.3 points per game against Ryan's Jets, 24.3 of which were supplied by the offense. Against the 30 teams not coached by Ryan over the same time frame, the average balloons to 31.2 total points per game, with 29.0 of those coming from the offense. The difference of 5.7 offensive points produced per contest would be enough points to drop the top-ranked scoring team this season all the way to 10th.

New England's troubles against Ryan's defense aren't just confined to the scoreboard.

Brady's QBR against Ryan’s Jets is 61.8. Against the rest of the league it's 73.4. Just one of Brady's top 20 QBR games over the past six seasons has come against New York, yet three of his worst nine QBR games came when facing New York. Brady’s completion percentage is a not-so-terrific 59.4 percent when facing the likes of Kendrick Ellis, Muhammad Wilkerson and even back to the days of Darrelle Revis, compared to a much more robust 64.7 percent against all other teams. No. 12 particularly struggles against Ryan's blitz packages, posting a QBR of nearly 20 points lower against Gang Green’s pass pressure (58.1) than when the rest of the league comes at him full bore (77.4).

The limitations placed on the Patriots are crystal clear in terms of yardage. New England has averaged 358.7 yards per game against Ryan’s defense. Against all others they gain an NFL-best 402.8 yards per game. Much of that discrepancy is in rushing the football, an area in which the Pats average nearly 30 fewer yards (95.4) versus the Jets than against all others (125.1). The drop in passing yards (277.7 to 263.4) is not insignificant, either.

Perhaps the most telling difference of all is in "offensive win probability added," an advanced metric that uses score, time, down, distance, and field position to estimate how likely each team will go on to win the game. On average, New England's offense has been nearly twice as likely to contribute to a win (0.27) against teams other than the Jets as it has been against Ryan's squad (0.14).

So no matter which team you're pulling for in a game of interest mainly for seeding (playoffs for the Pats, draft for the Jets) and fantasy football playoffs, you can appreciate the job Ryan has consistently done against one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history. Even if his days are numbered in New York, don’t be surprised to see him orchestrating a game plan to stop Belichick and Brady again down the road.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4774634/rex-has-held-his-own-against-pats-offense

[kelly]

— The last Jets-Patriots game with Rex Ryan squaring off against Bill Belichick is likely going to be Sunday, so it's natural to wonder what the dynamic between the rival head coaches is really like.

It's easy to have the impression that both men are icy toward each another, that the rivalry between the two teams is maybe best exemplified by Ryan's bombast and Belichick's icy reticence, a contrast that makes it difficult to imagine the two of them shooting the breeze while seated on adjacent bar stools.

And while Ryan and Belichick aren't close enough to go grab a beer with each other, Ryan said they do get along and that there is a mutual respect.

"We like everybody to think that we don't like each other, but that's not the facts," Ryan said Friday. "He's not somebody that you hang out with or something like that—at least I don't. But we're cordial and things.

"Anytime we see each other off the field, we talk to each other. It's just the opposite of what people think."

 

Video: Rex Ryan stands by 'kissing Belichick's rings' statement New York Jets coach Rex Ryan famously said before his first year with the team, "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings." As the Jets and Patriots prepare to play each other this Sunday, Ryan still feels the same way, saying, "I came here to kick his butt." (Video by John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

When he was hired in 2009, Ryan did make a point of publicly targeting Belichick, who had already won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, as who the Jets planned to beat. It hasn't quite worked out that way, of course: The Jets did win the one playoff matchup between the teams during Ryan's tenure, but the Jets since then have beaten the Pats just once and failed to make the playoffs at all.

Ryan is highly likely to get fired once the season concludes one week from Sunday. Belichick and the Patriots, meanwhile, are their usual playoff-bound (if not also Super Bowl-bound) selves.

Ryan noted that he's known Belichick for a lot longer than they've been matched up as rivals via Jets-Pats. Ryan's brother, Rob, the Saints' defensive coordinator, served as Belichick's linebackers coach with the Pats from 2000-03, and the pair won two Super Bowls together.

"I have a good relationship with him," Ryan said of Belichick. "Like I said, we're cordial. We're not best buddies. And if we see each other it's not like we avoid each other."

 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/rex_ryan_on_relationship_with_bill_belichick_i_think_its_the_opposite_of_what_people_think.html

[Rexorcism]

Jets are too soft of a team for that to happen.

Gettin nervous yet? This soft team is beatin' up Tommy...

[kelly]

-- Pucker up, Rex. 

After six years of bluster and broken promises, it's time for New York Jets coach Rex Ryan to kiss Bill Belichick's rings. Why not? The rivalry is over, with Sunday confirming what we've known all along: Ryan can rattle Tom Brady with his clever defensive schemes, but he can't beat the New England Patriots because he has an incomplete team. It's why Ryan will be out of a job in a week, the culmination of a rotten season that almost certainly will cost general manager John Idzik his job, too. 

Six years of frustration played out in one afternoon at MetLife Stadium, where the Jets endured their 12th loss of the season, 17-16. They were in position to pull off a major upset, but they self-destructed in a span of 52 seconds in the fourth quarter -- a small window into the core of their problems. Inexplicably, Geno Smith took a third-down sack, followed by a Ryan-Marty Mornhinweg disagreement on the sideline, followed by a wasted timeout, followed by a partially blocked field-goal attempt from 52 yards. 
 

NFL Nation: Week 16 CoverageAnd so ended the Ryan chapter of the Jets-Patriots rivalry. It was an appropriate finish since it was so typical, the Jets wasting an inspired defensive effort because the offense stinks and the head coach doesn't use his timeouts properly. Same old, same old. Four of their past five losses to the Patriots were decided by a field goal or less. Sunday was just another re-run in a continuous loop of Jets heartbreak. 

"I really thought it was going to be our day," said a disgusted Ryan, who probably has used that line a dozen or so times over the years in his post-New England news conferences. 

This was another tease. The Jets were in terrific shape after Marcus Williams' interception at the Patriots' 30 with 7:18 left in the fourth quarter. On third-and-4, the Patriots caught the Jets by surprise with a new blitz. Smith held the ball and took a 10-yard sack. Instead of a potential go-ahead field goal from 42 yards, give or take, it was back to 52 yards, the limit of Nick Folk's range. To make it worse, the Jets had to burn a timeout because the play clock was winding down -- inexcusable. 

"It was pretty dang critical," Ryan said of Smith's mistake. "You can't take sacks in those situations. Obviously, we botched the end of that as well." 

Amid the confusion, Ryan had words with his offensive coordinator. You can't help but wonder if Ryan preferred a safe running play on third down instead of a pass. One source described it as a moment of frustration between the two coaches. The run-pass storyline has been simmering all season with Ryan and Mornhinweg, whose philosophical differences have been analyzed and reanalyzed. 

"I'm sure we're at odds," Ryan said sarcastically. "At least, that'll be the story. We had to burn a timeout. I really butchered that whole thing. That's on me." 

Ryan also wasted a timeout on an ill-advised replay challenge with 4:38 remaining, which came back to bite him when he had no timeouts remaining in the final 1:55. In the end, the Jets played well enough to have their hearts crushed, which always seems to be the case against the Patriots. 
 

"It stinks," guard Willie Colon said. "Bottom line." 

"It sucks for the team, the organization and the fans," Folk said. "It seems like our year for close losses. It's a tough way to go out." 

It's a tough way for Ryan to go out, but this is the monster he created. Even with no-names at cornerback, he can devise game plans that neutralize future Hall of Fame quarterbacks -- Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, et al -- but Ryan has missed the playoffs four straight years because he has never developed an offense or a quarterback. Obviously, some of that falls on Idzik, who deserves to get fired. There are strong indications that he will get a pink slip. Owner Woody Johnson, poised to clean house, needs to formulate another plan for attempting to overthrow the Evil Empire. 

Ryan is 4-9 against the Patriots -- one glorious moment (the 2010 playoff win) sandwiched between utter frustration. Ryan commended Belichick for constructing a team that knows how to win close games. Conversely, the Jets know how to lose. If it's not an ill-timed interception, it's a bad sack. If it's not a blocked field goal, it's a wasted timeout. Over and over and over. 

Oh, but Ryan was proud of his defense. 

"We're the team that always gives [brady] the biggest challenge, whether he admits it or not," Ryan said. 

Unfortunately for Ryan, moral victories don't lead to contract extensions.

 

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/47588/rex-ryans-latest-patriots-loss-should-be-sealed-with-a-kiss

[kelly]

Things we learned about the Jets

A few takeaways on the New York Jets' 17-16 loss to the New England Fagtriots: 

1. I think Rex Ryan was speaking for a lot of fans when he gave a blunt assessment of Geno Smith's two big mistakes, the interception and the killer sack. It was a departure for Ryan, who usually tempers his criticism of his young quarterback. He didn't tear Smith to shreds, far from it, but the frustration in his voice was apparent. Can you blame him? If the Jets were getting average play from the quarterback position -- not great, just average -- they would be about a .500 team. Think about it: They have lost seven games by eight points or less. I'm not blaming Smith for every one of those losses, but if he had avoided one or two mistakes in each of those games, they would be at least 7-8. 
Smith isn't a good clutch player and he's mistake-prone when under duress. Here's my take on Smith: His whole is less than the sum of his parts. He has the physical skills to be a good quarterback, but something is missing. The Jets have spent two years trying to find it. 

2. Ryan's epitaph with the Jets: "If he only had a quarterback." 

3. The Jets have the worst red-zone offense in the league, having converted only 38 percent of their possessions into touchdowns. No other team is below 40 percent. A big reason is Smith, whose Total QBR inside the 20 is 14.2, 29th in the league. A QBR of 50 is considered average. Unlike passer rating, the QBR weighs sacks -- and Smith has five red-zone sacks.On Sunday, Smith took one sack, not counting the game-changing, third-down sack, which took place just outside the red zone. On that particular play, Smith had Jeremy Kerley open underneath for what would have been a first down on a third-and-4, but he held the ball too long, allowing the Fagtriots' blitz to get home. A miscommunication between running back Bilal Powell and right tackle Breno Giacomini, both of whom were trying to block Rob Ninkovich, allowed Dont'a Hightower to loop inside for the sack. 

4. Since we're on that ugly sequence ... indecision on the Jets' sideline forced them to burn a timeout before Nick Folk's field-goal attempt from 52 yards. Ryan never gave a good explanation after the game, but -- based on the direct snap to Folk -- it looked like the call was a "pooch" punt. After the timeout, they decided to try the field goal, which was tipped by Vince Wilfork.Those kind of glitches -- game-management errors -- are inexcusable. It conjured of memories of Week 2, with Marty Mornhinweg and the timeout fiasco against the Green Bay Packers. I'm not sure why they considered a pooch in the first place. I'd take my chances with Folk, who made a 53-yarder in that direction during the pregame warm-ups. The Jets always seem to experience brain cramps against the Fagtriots. 

5. Sunday was a tough, all-around day for Ryan. A potential head-coaching job went by the wayside, as Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced that he is keeping Joe Philbin. I wonder how much of Ross' decision was based on him not wanting to meet the San Francisco 49ers' compensation demands for Jim Harbaugh. Ryan still could be in play for potential openings in Atlanta, Chicago and Oakland. 

6. Weird stat of the day: The Jets' average margin of defeat is 12.3 points -- and it will be remembered as one of the worst seasons in franchise history. A year ago, in a season that was deemed a success, the average margin of defeat was 18.8. 

7. Nick Mangold is a mensch. Wearing an NYPD cap to honor the two slain police officers was a classy gesture. His stature among his peers was evident when many of the New England players wished him well before he was carted off with an ankle injury. 

8. The Fagtriots attacked rookie cornerback Marcus Williams, targeting him 12 times, but the kid held up nicely. He allowed only seven catches for 65 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. It was a terrific game for Williams, who had an interception and three pass break-ups. 

9. Here's a positive note: Williams' interception was the Jets' 12th takeaway, meaning they won't finish with the fewest in a 16-game season. The Houston Texans finished with only 11 last season. The Jets still could finish with the fewest in franchise history -- 15, set last season. 

10. Kerley got a heavy dose of Darrelle Revis. When Percy Harvin went out with a rib injury, the Fagtriots started putting Revis on Kerley. He had only one catch in the second half.

> espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/47632/things-we-learned-about-the-jets-14



Merry Christmas !