RB dept. : Chris Ivory ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

-- For nearly a month, the headlines surrounding the New York Jets have been dominated by Geno Smith's jaw/IK Enemkpali's fist, Sheldon Richardson's misdeeds, Muhammad Wilkerson's hamstring, Darrelle Revis' return and Brandon Marshall's mouth. At the same, unbeknownst to many outside the organization, Chris Ivory -- the most important non-quarterback on the offense -- has been enjoying his best training camp with the Jets.

When Ivory isn't smashing heads with his physical running style, he's turning them. Count coach Todd Bowles among those impressed.

When he greeted Ivory on the sideline after his 33-yard touchdown run last Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Bowles told his No. 1 running back he didn't realize he was that fast. Ivory smiled and shrugged. A man of few words, he'd rather knock out your mouthpiece than be one.Because he's not a self-promoter, Ivory doesn't create much buzz on a national scale, but there's no denying his importance to the Jets. If the Jets want to end their four-year playoff drought, Ivory must crack the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. (His previous high: 833.) It doesn't have to be 1,200 yards or a number that would put him among the NFL leaders -- after all, he'll be sharing some of the load with Bilal Powell -- but 1,000 would mean a healthy and efficient season for Ivory.

Despite the addition of Marshall, Bowles wants to have a balanced, ball-control offense, and you can't play that way without a stud in the backfield. The Jets won't be successful if Ryan Fitzpatrick is throwing 35 times a game, as he did during his heyday with Chan Gailey and the Buffalo Bills. He needs the support of a strong running game, and that's why Ivory is a vital piece to the puzzle."People haven't seen my full potential," he said. "People that actually watch the game, they know my talent and what I'm capable of. Me, within myself, I definitely know what I'm capable of. I'm striving for greatness."In two seasons with the Jets (see, former general manager John Idzik made some good moves), Ivory has established himself as one of the most physical backs in the league. Of the 13 players with at least 1,600 total rushing yards in 2013 and 2014, only one has a higher yards-after-contact average than Ivory -- Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks. His average is 2.20 per carry, Ivory's is 2.10, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"He's the toughest running back to tackle in the league," teammate Demario Davis said of Ivory. "Say what you want to say and pick who you want to pick, but 33 is the toughest. That's coming from a defender who plays on one of the top defenses in the league. You look at him, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, they've got something inside of them. They're physically gifted and strong, but they have an innate characteristic that makes them hard to tackle. I don't know what that characteristic is, but [Ivory] has it."Guard Willie Colon described Ivory's style as "controlled chaos." Ivory, 27, wants to be more than a tough guy. He wants to be a fast guy, too, and he devoted his offseason to improving his speed. He trained in Houston with the renowned James Cooper, who has worked with the likes of Peterson and Dwight Howard. In the past, Ivory spent a couple of weeks in Cooper's program. This year, he stayed longer, sometimes training four hours a day -- sprints, distance, you name it.

People are noticing.

"I knew he was a good player, [but] I didn't know he was as fast as he was," Bowles said. "He's got very good feet. Chris has got very good quickness. You don't have to be that fast to have foot quickness and he's got foot quickness."Based on early indications, Ivory could have an expanded role in the offense, meaning he could be more involved in the passing game. He's never been known as a proficient receiver (only 23 career catches), but he believes he can excel if given the opportunity. Fitzpatrick has a history of throwing to his checkdown options, so Ivory could see more balls in his direction. He likes that."I'm doing a lot more in this camp," said Ivory, who is entering a contract year. "We did the same stuff with the last coordinator [Marty Mornhinweg], but the ball wasn't getting to me as much. Now it's getting to me more. Now, I guess, people can see I can catch the ball. I felt like I was catching it fine in the past -- maybe not as much, but I was catching the ball."

Ivory was stuck in a tough spot last season because, out of respect for Chris Johnson, Rex Ryan and Mornhinweg made it a 50-50 split in playing time even though Ivory was the better back. Ivory said he wasn't frustrated by the time-share. This season, if they're smart, they'll keep giving him the rock. We're not talking about a run-him-into-the-ground plan, a la DeMarco Murray with the Dallas Cowboys, but Ivory should get at least 225 carries.

It would be good for Ivory and, more importantly, good for the Jets.

>  http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/53456/a-faster-chris-ivory-needs-1000-yards-for-jets-to-challenge-for-playoffs

[kelly]

nore re our RB dept.  :

~ ~   Jets fans know RB Zac Stacy is on the roster, of course. He's been here since arriving in a trade late in the May draft with the St. Louis Rams.But they might not have known a lot about the 5'9", 216-pounder — until Saturday night, when he played a key role in the Jets' 28-18 triumph over the Giants.

"It was definitely good to get back into the flow of things," Stacy said after his 24-yard touchdown reception, 60 rushing yards and two-point conversion fueled the Green & White offense beginning in the second quarter. "It felt good from the standpoint of getting that confidence back and just making plays for this team."Not long ago, he was making plays for St. Louis. As a fifth-rounder out of Vanderbilt in the 2013 draft, he was the Rams' featured back with 250 carries for 973 and seven touchdowns, not to mention 1,114 yards from scrimmage. The next year, rookie Tre Mason was featured and Zac's role was reduced.

Now Stacy's a Jet. He would figure to see a lot of action in the traditional starters-on-the-sideline fourth preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday night, and he's fighting (along with a former Rams teammate, Daryl Richardson) to stay in the RB rotation with Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell and the rehabbing Stevan Ridley.One would suspect he caught everyone's attention with his hesitation leap over the low fly-by of S Brandon Meriweather in front of the goal line.

"That was just a great call by Coach [Chan] Gailey," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm just out here making plays. Obviously the third game is always that game that gets ramped up a little bit. But we did a great job on offense. We set the tone early. We came out with the mentality to dominate in all phases of the game, and we did a good job of that."Dominate is relative. In the first half the Jets outgained the Giants, 194-122. In the second half that was flipped, with the blue team holding a 183-103 edge. But there's no question the first and second offenses started to hit on all cylinders in their first half of work. And Stacy is making his pitch to be one of the sparkplugs for the offense going forward.

 

What the Deuce

Stacy bulled into the end zone for the two-pointer after Antonio Cromartie's INT-return TD at the end of the first half. The "running deuce" is a rarity for the Jets. Since the two-point conversion was instituted in 1994, the Jets have run for two points only two other times, both in the regular season — Leon Washington vs. Arizona in 2008 and Curtis Martin vs. Kansas City in '02.

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Zac-Stacy-Leaps-Back-into-the-Flow-of-Things/64af5099-fd32-4651-8c09-bbfe65d63f8b

[kelly]

There is a new All-Pro toy in wide receiver Brandon Marshall, and an imaginative offensive coordinator in Chan Gailey. And, yet, if Saturday’s preseason victory over the Giants is any indication, the Jets’ ground attack will be their bread and butter, a straight ahead, north-south style of running intended to wear opponents down.“We plan to be physical. That’s the only way we’re going to be successful, if we’re physical and we set the tone and we kind of lead the way,” offensive guard Willie Colon said. “That’s our mindset.”

The contest against the Giants was an example of how the Jets would like to play — fast and physical. Chris Ivory averaged 6.3 yards (38 yards on six touches) against the Giants’ first-team defense, opening up the passing attack for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and Co. Ivory, having a very strong summer, was just as effective the previous week against the Falcons, pounding out 36 yards on five carries.“When we’re able to run the ball like that, I think any team when you’re able to run the ball, it makes everybody’s job easier,” said Fitzpatrick, who used the ground attack in his favor, keeping the Giants off-balance with play-action. “Up front, I know that our guys enjoy that, kind of imposing their will on the other team.

“We’ve got some really good running backs here. They’ve shown a lot this preseason and throughout their careers. So it will be a big focus for us this year.”The Jets have versatility in the backfield. Ivory presents a mix of power and surprising speed, Bilal Powell is the change-of-pace back who catches the ball well out of the backfield, and newcomer Zac Stacy could be used in short-yardage situations. Former Patriot Stevan Ridley (hamstring), on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list, could factor in at some point.

The 27-year-old Ivory is the unquestioned starter, a bull of a back who averaging 4.1 yards a year ago and scored six touchdowns. He delivers punishment instead of taking it, the kind of attitude the Jets offensive line wants to play with all season long.“That’s the way Chris runs, since he’s been a Jet,” Colon said. “He runs physical, he blocks physical. He’s one of those guys who flat out gets after it when he’s out there. We try to complement him when we’re all together.”The Jets have the potential to feature a bruising offensive line, one that may be somewhat long in the tooth — the members have been in the league an average of 8.6 years — but has experience on its side. It hopes to receive a boost from the additions of 26-year-old free-agent signee James Carpenter — formerly of the Seahawks — at left guard, who joins mainstays and perennial Pro Bowl candidates Nick Mangold at center and D’Brickashaw Ferguson at left tackle.

“It’s a group that I’m very confident with,” Fitzpatrick said.

“We plan to run the ball, we plan to set the tempo,” Colon said. “If we out-physical teams — we want it to be kind of our thing, our swag. If we’re able to do that, we should be successful.”Mangold cautioned about reading too much into a preseason game, saying “there is still plenty to clean up.” But it was the kind of performance that eased some concerns about the offense, and perhaps offered a sneak peek into what the group can do, beginning Sept. 13 against the Browns.“It was forward progress,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “From the first day of camp to where we’ve come to now, you want to see progress, and they’ve showed progression. Those guys took the bull by the horns and they led us out there. ”

“They made some good plays. They made a bunch of good blocks, and they really played like a team. That’s what you want to see.”

>    http://nypost.com/2015/08/31/jets-think-3-headed-monster-can-pulverize-opponents/?ref=yfp

[kelly]

When you’re in a position battle, it’s never a bad thing to garner the nickname “Mr. Consistency” from your head coach. That’s exactly what running back Zac Stacy has done this preseason.

Stacy, whom the Jets acquired via trade from the Rams in May, caught a touchdown pass for the second straight game in Thursday night’s 24-18 win over the Eagles. He added 68 yards on the ground to finish the preseason with 154 rushing yards and a 3.5 yards-per-carry average.With Stevan Ridley still rehabbing from the knee injury he suffered last season, Stacy appears likely to claim a spot on the Jets’ final 53-man roster as the No. 3 running back, with final cuts due Saturday by 4 p.m.

“Zac’s been consistent. Zac’s been very consistent,” Todd Bowles said. “He’s tough. We knew he was tough with the blocking. He can catch the ball. He can run the ball. He’s been doing a great job every week. He’s been Mr. Consistency.”Stacy, who is battling for his spot with Daryl Richardson, carried the ball just three times in a preseason-opening loss to the Lions. The following week against the Falcons, he ran for 17 yards on eight carries to go along with four catches for 25 yards. But Stacy then broke out in the Snoopy Bowl against the Giants, showcasing an ability to catch balls out of the backfield with a preseason-defining play. He collected a screen pass and scampered 24 yards for a touchdown, leaping over Giants safety Brandon Meriweather near the pylon to break a 7-7 tie. Stacy also ran for 60 yards on 13 carries in the victory.

Mr. Consistency showed similar aptitude early in the second quarter Thursday night, catching an inside screen pass on third-and-goal from the 5 before knifing his way through contact for a touchdown. Later in the period, he carried another short pass 25 yards down the sideline, eventually setting up a 42-yard field goal from Nick Folk.“This game was very important to a lot of guys, including myself,” Stacy said after the win over the Eagles. “I didn’t really want to add any pressure, per se, but at the end of the day, just wanted to go out and perform and make an impression.”Wide receiver Chris Owusu was another Jet on the roster-bubble trying to wow coaches Thursday night — and he made a similarly strong claim.Owusu, who missed time during training camp with a concussion, started the game out wide and was a favorite target of quarterback Matt Flynn. Owusu capped off the Jets’ opening drive with an 18-yard touchdown grab and went on to catch five passes on six targets for 72 yards.“I have hope,” Owusu said of his chances to make the team. “I’m excited for what happens next.”

Stacy, meanwhile, hopes his consistency speaks for itself.“I just left it out on the field,” Stacy said. “I just tried to play productive, tried to play consistent.”

>  http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-rb-zac-stacy-impresses-bid-land-job-article-1.2349684

[kelly]

Even Brandon Marshall knows the deal.

"The offense starts with Chris Ivory and the hogs up front," the Jets' new star receiver said recently.For all of their offseason additions -- Marshall included -- the Jets are sticking with their workhorse. And that's not a bad thing.

Ivory doesn't say much, but his play speaks volumes.

His dreadlocks whip around with every violent run. And even when a defender appears to have him in his grasp, the bruising back finds a way to wiggle free."I knew he was a good player. I didn't know he was as fast as he was," Jets first-year coach Todd Bowles said. "He's got very good feet. Chris has got very good quickness. You don't have to be that fast to have foot quickness, and he's got foot quickness."Case in point: Ivory's 33-yard run against the Falcons in Week 2 of the preseason. Eight days later, he rushed for 38 yards on six carries against the Giants in the Snoopy Bowl.

True to form, Ivory didn't have much to say when Bowles told him he is better than advertised. "Chris was quiet," the coach said. "He's just going to smile and nod his head and move on."With running backs Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy in the mix, and Eric Decker and Marshall expecting to get their fair share of catches this year, there's a chance Ivory again will fall short of the 1,000-yard rushing mark. He compiled 833 yards in 2013 and 821 in 2014."Him and Bilal, those are two quality running backs," Bowles said. "Those guys work hard. They keep their mouth shut, they keep their heads down, they block, they run inside, they run outside. I'm very pleased with both of them."

So is their quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, also in his first year with the Jets. "They're going to be huge for us," he said.Meanwhile, Stacy has something to prove. The former Ram, who rushed for 973 yards as a rookie in 2013, requested a trade after St. Louis drafted Todd Gurley 10th overall. Now he's trying to make a case to stick with the Jets."I just thought the best option for me, for my career, was to move on," said Stacy, who had a leaping touchdown in the Jets' preseason win over the Giants. "My mentality each and every week is to go out and make plays. Do your assignment to the best of your ability and everything else will take care of itself."

The Jets' running game could get a midseason boost with the return of Stevan Ridley. The former Patriot will start the season on the PUP list, but he'll be a fresh set of legs after the first six weeks."There's no need to rush him back," Bowles said of the running back, who played in only six games last season before tearing an ACL. "We have some quality running backs right now and they're all playing good, so Ridley can take his time and get healthy."

>    http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-2015-nfl-preview-chris-ivory-powers-jets-rushing-attack-1.10816626

[Beerfish]

Ivory......THANKS IDZIK~!

[kelly]

Gailey, Rodgers & April Met with the Media on Thursday

Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has a great deal of confidence in Ryan Fitzpatrick, acknowledging today that he changed up the offensive scheme after the 11-year veteran took over the offensive controls in August.“You change something, you adjust to strengths of players,” Gailey said. “That’s what you do. That’s part of our job is to make sure we put guys in position to do what they do well. Yes, you do adjust.”

The Jets don’t have much adjusting to do at the running back position. They have plenty of depth, but Chris Ivory will get the most touches.“It’s hard for one guy to be a three down back for an entire season,” Gailey said. “I think you’ve got to get other guys ready and I think you have to play other guys. But we all know what Chris means to our football team. He’s going to get the load for sure.”

As far as kick returner candidates, the Green & White have options in Chris Owusu , Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy . If Owusu is active, he’ll likely get the call on Sunday.“I would say the leading candidate right now is Chris Owusu,” said special teams coordinator Bobby April. “We’ll finalize that with Coach tomorrow. But there’s always his decision on who’s going to dress too.”

Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, who expects to be on the sideline Sunday, gave a scouting report on the Browns today.“They want to run the ball. Their running game set up their play action pass with those fast guys going down the field,” he said. “Then you look at the quarterback, (Josh) McCown, he gets the ball out. The thing that you keep watching him, he is so good when the play breaks down.”

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-6/Gailey-Ivorys-Going-to-Get-the-Load/23f84d79-180e-4144-adc2-d7244098e792

 

[kelly]

Chris Ivory is as likely to demand more carries as he is to seek out notoriety.

The Jets’ running back is unassuming and quiet by nature, without ego, and all about the team. So it was telling when he admitted he sees the chance for a breakout season this fall as the team’s premier back in his third year with the Jets.“I definitely think there is more opportunity,” Ivory said after his two rushing touchdowns keyed the Jets’ season-opening 31-10 win over the Browns on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. “What they want to do right now is run first, and come to the pass and then get play-action.”

Ivory, a 27-year-old Texan, received 20 carries on Sunday — tied for his third most as a Jet — and produced 91 yards and touchdowns of 10 and 3 yards, running through and around Browns all afternoon. If not for the lopsided nature of the score, Ivory certainly would have gone over 100 yards.“Chris is a monster,” wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. “He makes our offense go.”His productive running opened up the passing game for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who tossed scoring strikes to Marshall and Eric Decker. It forced the Browns to adjust, taking extra defenders out of the box, which led to Ivory pounding them again.“It leaves the defense with not knowing what to do, got to worry about both the run and pass,” Ivory said.The Jets’ offensive line loves blocking for Ivory, a running back who doles out punishment instead of taking it. His effort is never in question. He was incredulous when asked why he runs so hard.

“Why not?” he said. “It’s just part of me — it’s part of my game.”

Ivory came to the Jets three years ago from the Saints for a fourth-round pick, and while he has performed well, averaging 4.6 yards per carry two years ago and 4.1 last season, rushing for a combined nine touchdowns and 1,654 yards, he never has been the featured back. He had a career-high 198 carries last year, good for an average of 12.3 per game. After one game, he’s on pace for 320.He split carries with Bilal Powell in his first season and did the same with Chris Johnson a year ago. He made it clear he doesn’t mind sharing the wealth, and cautioned this game doesn’t mean he will get the ball so frequently from now on. However, by the way new Jets coach Todd Bowles has talked about Ivory, he better get used to a heavy workload. The roles seemed to be set, Ivory the workhorse and Powell the change-of-pace back used primarily on third down.

“I’m just confident now. You’re not confident in yourself, who else will be?” Ivory said. “That’s the only way to prosper or progress in this game. I think the opportunity is there. It’s just about me making the plays and just being healthy.”

>   http://nypost.com/2015/09/13/monster-chris-ivory-gives-hope-for-huge-jets-season/?ref=yfp

[Smashmouth]

Chris Ivory is our beast mode.

We have 3 really good RB's in Ivory Stacy and Powell . Stacy will probably be activated next week.

[kelly]

— Chris Ivory was his usual hard-charging self in the Jets' 31-10 win against the Browns on Sunday, rushing 20 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Ivory was everything the Jets had hoped he'd be.A glance at the stat sheet indicates he wasn't alone, either: Veteran Bilal Powell also pounded out 62 yards on 12 carries. And the snap counts ended up being close to even: Ivory played 32 of the Jets' 61 offensive snaps (52 percent), while Powell was out there for 29 snaps (48 percent).

But those totals are a tad misleading.

Powell got plenty of run—and much of his production—in the fourth quarter, after Ivory's second touchdown with 10:38 remaining gave the Jets a three-touchdown lead to account for the final margin. After that, Powell got exactly half of his carries (six) and accounted for most of his yards (36) as the Jets more or less ran out the clock.

Powell was used mainly in the role he's played since the Jets drafted in the 2011 fourth round: as the change-of-pace back, both for third downs and as a receiving option; he was targeted four times and made two catches for 16 yards. He also picked up seven yards on a well-timed draw on a crucial 3-and-5 late in the first half. The Jets scored to take the lead on the next play. They never relinquished it.

rest of above article :

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/chris_ivory_bilal_powell_a_two-headed_monster_jets.html#incart_river

[kelly]

-- Three top performances in the New York Jets' 31-10 win over the Cleveland Browns -- and three from the bottom :

THREE STARS

Chris Ivory, running back -- This was a vintage Ivory game in that most of his yardage came after contact. In fact, 68 of his 91 yards were of the YAC variety, the second-highest total in his career. He also scored two of the Jets' four touchdowns. As teammate Brandon Marshall said, "He's a monster." If this game is an indication of the Jets' plan for Ivory, he won't be stuck in a time-share, as was the case last season. Not that he seems to mind. Asked if he believes he'll have a chance to be a true No. 1 back, Ivory said, "I feel like I've already been doing that with the Jets."

rest of above article :

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/54152/monster-chris-ivory-shows-he-can-be-jets-featured-back

[kelly]

Fitzpatrick: Ivory runs to 'punish' people

Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick comments on his chemistry with Brandon Marshall, New York's opening victory against the Browns, the running style of Chris Ivory and more.

>   http://espn.go.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=13675567

[Villain The Foe]

 

7 in the box and Ivory still rips off 18 yards. 17 of those yards were after contact. I feel sorry for the Colts run defense. The vision, moves & speed are all evident on this play. 

Dude is a beast

[The Crusher]

 

7 in the box and Ivory still rips off 18 yards. 17 of those yards were after contact. I feel sorry for the Colts run defense. The vision, moves & speed are all evident on this play. 

Dude is a beast

Pretty amazing that he looks like a power back but then puts those little jab steps in bounces it outside and flies.  Hell of a good runner.

[Villain The Foe]

Pretty amazing that he looks like a power back but then puts those little jab steps in bounces it outside and flies.  Hell of a good runner.

Yea. He had #31 for the Browns with his skates on. He just couldnt touch him. I was amazed at how quickly Ivory gets to the edge. This offense is perfect for his style of play. We've really only known Ivory as that power back and its probably because we've ran power run. Now we run a more open style of running and Ivory is showing his versatility. I should have made the GIF a bit longer because at the end of that run he showed his power. It took like 3 guys to finally stop him. 

[docdhc]

Thanks Idzik!

[kelly]

Jets running back Chris Ivory has developed a huge fan inside the Jets locker room. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall gushed about the bruising back on Thursday.“He’s one of the best running backs in the business right now. He just runs hard,” Marshall said. “He’s smart and he can do it all. Not only can he pound you, but he also has speed and agility. You just give that guy an inch and he’ll do something with it.”

Ivory looked terrific in the season opener against the Browns, running for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Marshall joked about having a fantasy football team, and was asked about choosing himself.

“My first pick would be Chris Ivory,” he said.

Like many people who do not follow the Jets regularly, Marshall knew little about Ivory before getting traded here. He does remember former general manager John Idzik trading for Ivory during the 2013 draft, one of the highlights of Idzik’s brief tenure.“I’m shocked that the world really doesn’t know about him. I didn’t know much about him,” Marshall said. “I remember the Jets trading for him. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand what was the big deal. But now I understand it. I’m excited for him, and I’m excited for our team.”

There is some optimism in Indianapolis that star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton will be able to play on Monday. Hilton suffered a bruised left knee last week against the Bills, and the belief was he would miss a few weeks. He did not practice Thursday, but coach Chuck Pagano was optimistic.“I’m very hopeful,” Pagano said in a conference call with the New York media. “He’s progressing well enough. I’m hoping he’s able to do a little bit of something tomorrow and the next day and get him ready to go.”

---

Marshall is a big fan of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.“He just competes,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how he gets it done, he just gets it done. Spit, foam hanging out of his mouth, all kinds of stuff in his beard. The guy’s the ultimate competitor.”

---

The last time Marshall played at Lucas Oil Stadium, he caught an NFL-record 21 passes. That was in 2009 when he was with the Broncos. … CB Antonio Cromartie (knee), LB Lorenzo Mauldin (concussion) and CB Darrin Walls (hamstring) did not practice. Walls injured his hamstring Wednesday in practice. Jets coach Todd Bowles said it is too soon to rule out Cromartie for Monday. … Ivory (groin) was limited in practice, but is expected to play. … QB Geno Smith was listed as limited for the first time since his jaw was broken. Smith said Wednesday he began participating in some team drills.

>    http://nypost.com/2015/09/17/chris-ivory-has-developed-quite-the-admirer-with-the-jets/

[kelly]

Jets pound Dolphins with a heavy dose of Chris Ivory

-- The New York Jets were mocked on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for packing curious travel items (toilet paper, anyone?), but they got the last laugh. Did they ever. They dominated the Miami Dolphins start to finish, re-establishing their personality on offense in a 27-14 victory before a pro-Miami crowd at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Chris Ivory, refreshed after sitting out a week with a quadriceps injury, bludgeoned Miami's ... uh, tissue-thin run defense, rushing for a career-high 166 yards on 29 carries, including a touchdown. If there was any doubt about Ivory's importance to the offense, it's gone now. This wasn't complicated, folks. The Jets simply pounded the Dolphins on both sides of the ball, roughing up quarterback Ryan Tannehill along the way. For most of the day, the dazed Dolphins played with as much emotion as a Buckingham Palace guard.

Maybe the Jets should bring their own toilet paper on their next trip to Foxborough, Massachusetts.

What it means: The Jets are 1-0 in the AFC East and reached the quarter pole of the season with a 3-1 record. It's a terrific start for the Jets, considering the turmoil of the preseason. New coach Todd Bowles couldn't have asked for a better first month. Now they can enjoy their bye week.

What were they thinking? After building a 20-7 lead, the Jets got passive, especially on offense. There was no sense of urgency, and they let the Dolphins hang around too long.

One reason to get excited: Bowles brought an attacking mindset into the game. On the first play, the Jets went after the Dolphins' best cornerback, Brent Grimes -- a 58-yard completion to Brandon Marshall. One play later, they ran directly at Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins' $114 million defensive savior -- a 3-yard touchdown run by Ivory. That's what you call making a statement, trying to kick a struggling team when it's down. The Jets' defense stayed aggressive throughout the game and held Miami to a combined 0-for-16 on third and fourth downs. Wow.

One reason to panic: The Jets were penalized 14 times for 163 yards thanks largely to sloppy technique on downfield passes. They won't be a winning team with that many mistakes. They committed three long pass-interference penalties -- Darrelle Revis (36 yards), Marcus Gilchrist (22) and Antonio Cromartie (18). Cromartie also had soft coverage on Kenny Stills' 10-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Wait, there's more: Buster Skrine was called for holding in the end zone. The Jets' high-priced secondary should be better than that, especially against an average receiving corps. Revis and Marcus Williams ruined Miami's comeback bid with late interceptions in the end zone.

Fantasy watch: One week after disappointing fantasy owners by dressing but not playing, Ivory crushed it with the most prolific rushing game of his career. He could've had a second touchdown, but backup Zac Stacy got the ball on a 2-yard scoring run.

Ouch: Linebacker David Harris (quad), safety Calvin Pryor (knee), defensive end Leonard Williams (leg) and running back Bilal Powell (groin) were hurt. None of them returned; there's no word on the severity. Wide receiver Eric Decker, who returned after missing one game with a sprained knee, was used sparingly, mostly in the slot as the No. 3 receiver. Rookie Devin Smith was the starter opposite Marshall, but Decker still made an impact. He made a terrific one-handed catch and, later, scored on a 10-yard touchdown reception. His return provided balance to the passing game.

Hot-and-cold Fitz: Maybe we're nitpicking, but Ryan Fitzpatrick (16-for-29, 218 yards) came perilously close to two or three interceptions. After a fast start, he cooled off considerably, forcing a couple of tentative throws into tight coverage. There were also a few miscommunications with his intended targets. In the end, he threw a meaningless interception, but this was a walk on the Fitzpatrick Tightrope -- yet it's still better than a ride on the Geno Coaster. Let's say this about Fitzpatrick: His legs were huge. He ran for 34 yards, almost outrushing the Dolphins.

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/54748/jets-pound-dolphins-with-a-heavy-dose-of-chris-ivory

[Bruce Harper]

Early yet, but Ivory is leading the league in yards per game (104.7) by almost ten yards.

[kelly]

Jets 5 observations : Chris Ivory makes the Jets an entirely different team | Politi

Just think, Jets fans: There is an entire nation of new (American) football fans who fans who might have turned on their tellies, watched the action from Wembley Stadium and declared, "These Jets must be the finest side that this NFL thing has to offer!"

Or something like that.

The Jets looked good in London, really good for most of this 27-14 victory over Miami, and given that the most of the attention pregame was focused on their excessive-toilet-paper-packing practices, that might have surprised a few people in England.

Should it surprise anyone back here  ?

I don't think so at this point. One quarter through the season, the Jets certainly look capable of reaching the playoffs, with a defense that is playing at a high level, a quarterback who (one poor game aside last week) looks like a significant upgrade from last season and, maybe most of all, a difference-maker in the offense backfield. Because ...  

1. This is a different team with Chris Ivory. Right now, it's Ivory who gives the Jets their identity more than any other player. He was simply relentless against the Dolphins, gaining 166 yards on 29 carries and clearly, without him last week in a loss to the Eagles, this offense wasn't the same.The "wow" play for me: Ivory was drilled two yards behind the line of scrimmage on a third and one in the second quarter, but still nearly moved the chains with his second and third and fourth effort on the play. 

rest of above article :

>       http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/jets_5_observations_chris_ivory_makes_the_jets_a_d.html#incart_river

[Beerfish]

Chris Ivory for a 4th rounder, Brandon Marshall for a 5th rounder.   Some shrewd GMing by McCagnan and thanks Idzik!

[kelly]

-- Chris Ivory doesn't say much. For him, two or three sentences qualifies as a filibuster. So, no, he's not Mr. Personality, but he embodies the personality of the New York Jets.

Tough. Aggressive. Relentless. He runs as if he hates the men trying to bring him down.

Based on that premise, Ivory packed a whole lot of animosity with him on the trip across the Atlantic Ocean. On Sunday, he punished the Miami Dolphins, rushing for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown in the Jets' 27-14 win at Wembley Stadium.With each broken tackle, Ivory reminded everyone he's the key to the offense, not Ryan Fitzpatrick and not Brandon Marshall. You saw what happened last week, when Ivory stood on the sideline in uniform, nursing a strained quadriceps. The Jets were lost without him and they lost. His teammates and coaches tried to downplay his absence, not wanting to insult his replacements, but they were fibbing.

Todd Bowles' blueprint -- or should we call it a black-and-blueprint? -- includes a nasty defense and a heavy dose of No. 33. If they do anything in this suddenly promising season -- 3-1 at the quarter pole -- it'll be because of Ivory."His game speed is unbelievable and he runs the ball violently," Marshall said. "The guy's a stud -- a stud. Like I said in the preseason, he makes everything go for us."Marshall chided himself for "horrible" blocking, claiming one of the reasons is because he gets distracted by watching Ivory do his thing. "Fan-watching," Marshall called it.

There were 83,986 fans at iconic Wembley, many of them probably entranced by Ivory's physical running style. They love tough guys in this part of the world -- rugby is immensely popular -- and they must have appreciated the Jets running back. Ivory ran through a would-be tackle by Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins' $114 million enforcer, and he blasted Jelani Jenkins so hard that the dazed linebacker went to the sideline with a neck stinger.

Afterward, a smiling Ivory stood before the British media, his left sock soaked with blood at the shin, and tried to explain his mentality."Sometimes I see bodies out of my peripheral [vision]," he said. "If I don't feel like I can get outside, I try to pick a shoulder [to hit] and that's usually the guy in front of me."

The British reporters laughed.

The defenders don't laugh.

Asked to describe Ivory, teammate Damon Harrison said, "One word: Man."

"He attacks the line of scrimmage like [no] back I've seen -- any back," Darrelle Revis said. "I'd say he's probably one of the best backs in the league, the way he runs. We feed off that energy."The biggest play in the game was the first play, a 58-yard pass to Marshall that created immediate energy. After that, they kept feeding Ivory. On the next play, he ran for 12 yards -- a fan-watching play for Marshall, the receiver said later. Ivory followed up by plowing into the end zone from three yards, running through Suh's gap.

Playing on higher-than-usual natural grass, Ivory decided to wear his long-studded cleats, obviously a smart choice. But you got the feeling he would've rushed for 166 even if he had been wearing bedroom slippers."Chris Ivory is a beast, man," teammate Calvin Pace said.Marshall is the Jets' best player on offense, but Ivory is the heart-and-soul player, the extension of Bowles. In only four games, the Jets know who they want to be. It often takes time for a new coach to create that culture, but it has happened quickly for Bowles, in large part, because of Ivory.

"That," Fitzpatrick said, "is what our identity is."

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/54774/jets-already-have-a-winning-blueprint-its-name-is-chris-ivory

[kelly]

-- A look back at the New York Jets' 27-14 win over the Miami Dolphins -- three players whose stock is rising, three whose stock is falling  :

THREE RISERS

~ ~ 2. Chris Ivory, running back -- What more can be said? Well, here's something: He had 91 yards after contact, the highest total of any player this season. He finished with a career-high 166 yards on 29 carries. It's a good thing they have a bye week; he needs the rest.

rest of above article :
>   http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/54807/jets-mo-wilkerson-outplays-ndamukong-suh-the-114-million-man

[kelly]

Ivory Felt Like He Was 'in the Zone' at Wembley

'Brandon Marshall Got the Fire Lit...Guys Up Front Definitely Did a Great Job'

 

video..

>   http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Ivory-Felt-Like-He-Was-in-the-Zone-at-Wembley/da46fb56-f185-4548-9027-8d9c22f5a067

[kelly]

Chris Ivory will have plenty of time to recover after punishing the Miami Dolphins for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown on Sunday in London.However, Ivory better soak up this bye week of rest. After this break, the New York Jets will need their workhorse for the remaining 12 games and perhaps postseason if they can get there.

Head coach Todd Bowles knows he will have to walk a fine line this season. He wants and needs Ivory to set the physical tone for the Jets. But he also has to find a way to keep the 6-foot, 222-pound bruiser fresh and healthy somehow as well."It is a long haul," Bowles said. "After this we got 12 straight. We are going to monitor to make sure that he is getting his work in but we are still giving some breaks in between here and there. We know he is a bell cow and everything else but we still got two other guys that can run the ball."

The Jets' backfield, though, is banged up. Backup Bilal Powell suffered a groin injury against the Dolphins. Ivory was already coming back after being an active scratch in Week 2 against the Eagles with a quad injury. And the Jets have Stevan Ridley (knee) on the PUP list.Ridley could come off PUP between Weeks 6-to-8. And there's Zac Stacy, who gives the Jets another veteran running back to use.Bowles could rest Ivory during the week by having him go limited in practices. It remains to be seen if he will give Ivory the ball as much as he did on Sunday when the back carried it 29 times.

One thing Bowles won't do is discourage Ivory from running as hard and physical as he does even if it puts him at risk of injury."His style, his physical nature, he really is a great representation of what we are trying to be as Jets," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "Just a strong physical guy, gives 100-percent effort on every play. We are always trying to establish that physical presence with our offensive and defensive line. His running style is certainly well suited for that."

"He is a physical specimen," Fitzpatrick added of Ivory staying healthy for the rest of the season. "If anybody can handle it, it certainly would be him."

>   http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/54823/can-todd-bowles-keep-chris-ivory-healthy-after-bye

[kelly]

On Sunday in London, bruising running back Chris Ivory ran for a career-best 166 yards and led the Jets to a 27-14 win over the Dolphins. 

On Thursday, Ivory was named one of the NFL's two Air & Ground Players of the Week. ivory received the "ground" part of the honor, while Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers received the "air" portion. Ivory is in his third season with the Jets. He is averaging a league-best 104.7 yards per game, though he missed the Week 3 loss to the Eagles because of a quadriceps injury. 

Ivory is gaining 5 yards per carry so far this season. Of his 166 yards Sunday, 110 came after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. That's a testament to what makes Ivory so effective — his punishing running style. Ivory entered the NFL in 2010 with the Saints. His previous career high, before Sunday, was 158 yards with the Saints in 2010, against Tampa Bay. That was the fourth game of his career. 

Ivory needed 29 carries to accumulate 166 yards on Sunday. In 2010, he ran for those 158 yards on just 15 carries. Sunday was the fourth game of the Jets' season. The win over the Dolphins improved them to 3-1 entering their bye week. They next play Washington, Oct. 18 at home. 

>     http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/10/jets_chris_ivory_honored_among_nfls_air_ground_pla.html#incart_river

[kelly]

-- Before the season, Chris Ivory revealed to Brandon Marshall his rushing goal for 2015 -- 1,000 yards. Marshall felt Ivory was selling himself short.

"I'm like, 'What? No, the goal is 1,500 or better,'" Marshall said Wednesday.

The New York Jets' wide receiver has been driving the Ivory bandwagon since Day 1, hyping him as one of the most underrated players in the NFL. This time, Marshall took it a step further."He's already the best running back in the league right now," he said. "Just watch the tape -- speed, quickness, agility, vision, endurance. He has it all."

Best in the league  ?

Obviously, Marshall is biased, but he does have some statistical support. Ivory is averaging a league-best 104.7 yards per game, tied with St. Louis Rams rookie Todd Gurley. Remember, Ivory missed a game with a quadriceps injury, which explains his yardage total -- 314, tied for 13th.Ivory isn't generating much national buzz, probably because he doesn't say much to the media. He's not a self-promoter, that's for sure. Marshall has become his promoter, so to speak, praising him at every chance.

"It doesn't matter what happened in the past," he said. "This is his year."Ivory, coming off a career-high 166 yards against the Miami Dolphins, certainly has caught the attention of the Jets' next opponent. Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden said, "He looks like an angry runner" -- an apt description of Ivory's physical style of running.

But is he the best in the league? It's not a vintage year for running backs, especially now that Jamaal Charles is done for the season. Adrian Peterson (372 yards, 5.0 per carry), who called himself "the Michael Jordan of football," is having a nice comeback season. Devonta Freeman (404 yards, eight touchdowns) is the new sensation, along with Gurley. And let's not forget about Eddie Lacy, Le'Veon Bell and Matt Forte, who has a league-high 438 yards.

It's probably a stretch to say Ivory is the best, but he has put himself in the conversation. If he continues to crank out yards at his current pace, he'll top the 1,500-yard mark.

"He doesn't even know how good he can be," Marshall said. "That's the scary part."

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/54979/brandon-marshall-on-chris-ivory-best-running-back-in-the-league

[kelly]

Chris Ivory, who amassed a career-high 166 yards on the ground in the Jets’ 27-14 Week 4 win over the Dolphins, has averaged 21 carries in his three games to date. The 6’0”, 222-pound Ivory, a bruising runner in his sixth season out of Tiffin University, is tied for first in the NFL with 104.7 yards per game on the ground.“We’re going to monitor that and make sure that we give him breaks and use other people in there to be able to run the football,” said offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. “We can’t just run him when he’s in there and then throw it when he’s not in there, everybody will figure that out. We have to give him some breaks and then the other guys we put in there have got to be able to run the football too, which I think we can do that.”

The Jets will face one of the most physical defensive fronts in Week 6 as the Redskins will be ready for battle at MetLife Stadium. Not only has the Jets offensive line paved holes in the ground game, but they also have only been charged with a league-low two sacks.“I think our line has done a good job with protection. I think Fitz understands where the ball needs to go and it needs to get out,” Gailey said. “It’s probably a combination of all that. As long as we keep everybody on the same page and knowing the routes to run and how they’re supposed to break and when they’re supposed to break, I think we have chance to continue on that. I think that’s one of our goals, one of our big goals is not giving up sacks.”

While Ivory is the Jets’ bell cow, the Redskins have adopted a committee approach at the RB position with Matt Jones, Alfred Morris and Chris Thompson.“They have a change-of-pace back, they have a downhill bruiser and they have a matchup problem with (number) 25, so we’re spending a lot of time thinking about those guys,” said Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers. “In some instances, they use him (Thompson) very similar to the way Philadelphia uses Sproles.”

The Jets, who are surrendering a league low 13.8 points per game, will continue to bring numbers against Washington and that doesn’t just mean in obvious passing situations.“When we pressure, sometimes there are run blitzes and sometimes there are pass blitzes,” Rodgers said. “When we look at ourselves, we want to be a pressure defense but we want to pressure the run as well as the pass. So we have run blitzes, we have pass blitzes and we play base. We just try to mix it up and keep the offense off-balance.”Special teams coordinator Bobby April has put the heat on his punt coverage team to execute better in space. Health could be a factor Sunday as the Jets will have all of their linebackers available for the first time this season.“We’re working to address it and we need to overcome it because we have to give our defense better field position,” April said. “Fortunately they’ve been playing good enough that they’ve been able to beat the odds so to speak and not necessarily have a great starting point after a punt. But we definitely have to do better in that – we’re last in the league in net and we’re challenging ourselves obviously to rise way, way above that.”

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Gailey-Jets-Will-Monitor-Ivory’s-Workload/389d8842-7ee8-4788-80a4-7161cbcda72e

[kelly]

–- Chris Ivory keeps making Brandon Marshall's boast look better and better.

The best running back in the league, according to Marshall, rushed for 146 yards and one touchdown in the New York Jets' 34-20 win over Washington on Sunday. And he did that on 20 carries after being rested for a good portion of the fourth quarter while the Jets led big."Everybody laughed at me," Marshall said of his Ivory declaration from last Wednesday. "There were a couple of guys, I wish I could remember all their names, they laughed at me when I said Ivory is the best. And he is. And he proved it again today.

"Eight-man box, nine-man box ... [Washington] came out and said, we don't care about the wide receivers, we are going to stop the run. And Ivory again put up over 140 yards. He is amazing and he is the best in the league."Ivory was his usual physical self, but he also showed terrific vision in seeing the open running lanes and where to cut for big chunks of yards. He had a 54-yard run early in the second quarter and was a threat in the passing game with three receptions for 50 yards.

Ivory's 196 yards from scrimmage marked a career high, topping the 175 he had in a game with the Saints in 2010.

Marshall wasn't too shabby himself Sunday. Despite losing a fumble early in the first half, the Jets' physical receiver had seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Marshall became the first Jets receiver to post four straight 100-yard-receiving games since Don Maynard in 1968."Man, people just making up any kind of records," Marshall said. "It's like, 'Hey, he had over 100 yards on turf on Sunday before the sun went down.' Anyone can make up any kind of stats. I am just trying to do my best and prove my worth."

He certainly made up for his fumble with some spectacular catches. He made a one-handed grab with his left hand going across the middle. And his 35-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was not only a terrific adjustment around a defender to an underthrown pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick; Marshall also caught the ball just before it hit the turf.But Marshall seemed a lot more impressed with Ivory, who has rushed for 312 yards and two touchdowns in his past two games.

Does Ivory agree with Marshall's assessment of him   ?

"Yeah, I feel like I am one of them, you know?" Ivory said.

What might surprise Marshall is that Ivory doesn't even think this is the best football he has ever played."One of the better years," Ivory said of how he's playing. "I can say that, but I don't think it is the best football I've played."

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/55107/chris-ivory-backs-brandon-marshalls-boast

[kelly]

Brandon Marshall was mocked this week when he called Chris Ivory the best running back in the NFL.

So Ivory stood up for his teammate the only way he knows — by running through, past and around the Redskins, and leading the Jets to their fourth win in five games, 34-20, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.“I feel like that’s a great compliment from him, being the type of player he is,” Ivory said after he ran for more than 100 yards for the second straight game — the first time he has done so in his six-year career — piling up 146 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. “It means a lot.”Asked if he agrees with Marshall’s assessment, the soft-spoken Ivory said: “I feel like I’m one of them.”

For him, that’s like declaring himself the best player on the planet.

Marshall, who had another big game, catching seven passes for 111 yards and his fourth touchdown of the season, refused to back down from his bold statement.“There was a couple of guys, I wish I could remember their names, that laughed at me when I said Ivory was the best,” Marshall said. “He is and he proved it again today.”The numbers are hard to argue. The Jets’ lone loss, against the Eagles at home, came with Ivory on the sidelines, nursing a groin injury. In four starts, he has run for 460 yards, four touchdowns and 5.5 yards per carry. On Sunday, he showed he can be a factor in the passing games, hauling in three catches for 50 yards.For the first time in his four seasons in New Jersey, Ivory is the unquestioned featured back, receiving 20 or more carries three times this season. The most carries he has had in a single season was 198 last year, but he’s on pace to shatter that mark with 83 already.

Offensive guard Willie Colon said he believes Ivory’s big start is more the result of new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s system fitting Ivory. The Jets are using all his attributes — speed, power and patience. He was previously pigeonholed as a power back, but Ivory has shown he has the quickness to match.“Chris has an ability, he can outrun a lot of guys,” Colon said. “A lot of safeties and corners don’t want to tackle him one-on-one. When they see him coming, they start back-pedaling a little bit. That’s on us to get him going. When we’re able to do that, it puts pressure on the defense.”Ivory wouldn’t say this is the best he has played since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2010. But he never has been this patient, which he credits to running backs coach Marcel Shipp. There is no secret. Shipp is always in his ear, telling him to wait until the last possible moment for the hole to open up.

“Once you see it,” Shipp tells Ivory, “hit it.”

“I have a lot of patience, and I’m able to allow things to develop,” Ivory said.

>    http://nypost.com/2015/10/19/chris-ivory-coaching-tip-has-helped-me-become-a-top-rb/

[kelly]

Chris Ivory had a career day on the ground and through the air against the NFL’s sixth-ranked defense Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Ivory’s 146 yards on the ground gave him back-to-back 100-yards rushing games for the first time in his six-year career. Combined with his 166 yards at Miami, his 312 rush yards in back-to-back games are the most by a Jet since Thomas Jones had 331 in 2009. And Ivory's 196 yards from scrimmage broke his personal mark that he set as a New Orleans rookie in 2010.

“I’m being very patient,” said Ivory in the locker room after the Jets defeated the Washington Redskins, 34-20, “probably the most patient I’ve been throughout my career. I’ve had a lot of patience and it has allowed things to develop.”Patience is a virtue, one that Ivory displayed through a well-balanced mix of run and pass calls from offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.Gailey dialed up numerous plays that enable Ivory’s size and speed to take advantage of matchups that resulted in big plays.

Ivory accounted for five of the Jets' 10 longest plays on the day. Two came in the third quarter, both on scoring drives for the Green & White.With 14:18 on the clock in the quarter, Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with Ivory on a 24-yard pass. Later, with 3:17 left, Ivory turned on the burners for a 32-yard run.“It’s nice for me as a quarterback to be able to turn around and hand it to Chris and watch him go,” said Fitzpatrick. “He’s an unbelievable football player.”

Wideout Eric Decker added: “You have to be able to complement the passing game with the running game and vice versa. It’s huge for us to get the run established.”Ivory’s fierce style of running has now caught the attention of many pundits asking if the 6'0", 222-pound tailback should be mentioned in the conversation about the league’s best.“I don’t worry about that,” said head coach Todd Bowles. “Chris is one of the best running backs we have. He is the best running back we have. We rely on him. That’s for outside people. We know how much we love him. That’s all that matters.”

Even though Coach Bowles downplays the accolade, teammate Brandon Marshall still defends his words that he exclaimed last week.“There were a couple of guys that laughed at me when I said Ivory’s the best,” said Marshall. “He is and he proved it again today. Eight-man box, nine-man box, they came out and said, ‘We don’t care about the wide receivers, we’re going to stop the run.’ Ivory, again, came out and put up over 140 yards. He’s amazing and he’s the best in the league.”

As the Jets gear up for an AFC East matchup this week against divisional foe New England, there is a lot to build on from Sunday and Ivory knows the importance of improving and taking the offense to the next level.“The further you go down the line, the better you have to get,” he said. “You start playing teams that are constantly getting better and better, and better opponents. I think we’re definitely getting better every week.”

>   http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Patient-Chris-Ivory-Takes-Center-Stage-Again/0b8a1779-e11b-46c9-ba6c-2fa78186abd4

[kelly]

We are now past the six week point of the NFL season, which means running back Stevan Ridley is eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list. Ridley started training camp there as he recovered from an injury. Todd Bowles expressed hope yesterday that he hopes the back can take the next step this week.

On if he’s expecting Stevan Ridley and Dee Milliner to practice this week…

We’re going to talk about it. Hopefully, we can get them in pads and just let them run around.

 

On if he’s referring to both players…

I’m not sure about both. I want to see how one of them is feeling. I’ll see how Dee is feeling. I hope to get Ridley back in.

 

On if Ridley is eligible to play…

Yes, he can.

 

On if it’s possible that Ridley will play…

Maybe. I haven’t seen anything. I can’t answer that.

 

On if Ridley will practice Wednesday…

I’m hoping to get him in pads and get him out there and let him run around.

The Jets can use Ridley. The broadcast crew Sunday noted Chan Gailey's desire to keep Chris Ivory on a pitch count since Ivory's punishing running style gets him pounded a lot. He is on pace for over 300 carries this season when he has never even had 200 in a single year. Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy have not done the job behind Ivory. Ivory has a tremendous average of 5.5 yards per carry. Combined, Powell and Stacy are averaging a hideous 3.1 yards per run.

 

Maybe Ridley can be productive and allow the Jets to get Ivory more rest.

 

>    http://www.ganggreennation.com/2015/10/20/9573043/bowles-hopes-ridley-can-practice-this-week

[kelly]

-- When he was a kid in East Texas dreaming of becoming the next Emmitt Smith, Chris Ivory made loud touchdowns. His mother, a member of the Longview Police Department, turned on the siren in her cruiser whenever Chris scored in a pee wee game. Word of the running back's exploits traveled to the surrounding neighborhood at the speed of sound.

Now, some 15 years later, Ivory is having the same effect for the New York Jets. He's off to the best start of his career, creating so much noise across the NFL that people are finally starting to take notice:

Who is this guy? How did he remain a secret for so long? Can he maintain his 115-yard-per-game pace?

This has been a 10-year journey for Ivory, with most of it spent in the shadows. He grew up in Texas, but he never was a lone star. He was the overlooked recruit, the kid who teased with his natural ability but was never able to finish what he started -- not in his two college stops or his first NFL stop with the New Orleans Saints.It's ironic because that's his greatest strength as a player -- the way he finishes runs. He does it with competitive greed and violence. More than 50 percent of his yardage -- 233 out of 460 -- has come after initial contact, one of the best ratios in the league. Everybody knows what he is, yet there's still a mystique about him.

"That's the thing: This guy is an unknown," said Marcel Shipp, the Jets' running backs coach. "You don't know what his potential is. I don't think there's a ceiling."

Ivory, 27, always has been a hard guy to figure out, dating to his days at Longview High School. He was a punishing fullback in coach John King's triple-option offense, yet he didn't attract much interest from recruiters. Ivory played on a team that sent eight players to Division I schools, including Trent Williams, a Pro Bowl tackle for the Washington Redskins. Ivory wasn't even the most coveted player in the backfield; the big star was tailback Vondrell McGee, who went to Texas.

One person recognized Ivory's talent -- Washington State assistant coach Leon Burtnett, who recruited Ivory.

So off he went to Pullman, Washington.

Ivory flashed tantalizing talent during his three years at Washington State, but he battled injuries at every turn and never carried the ball more than 60 times in a season. In July 2009, he was arrested and charged with assaulting another student, allegedly hitting him on the head with a bottle.Ivory was indicted nearly a year later on a charge of second-degree assault -- a Class B felony. At the time, he denied any involvement; he refuses to talk about it anymore. He never did jail time, and the case was dismissed in 2011.

When it came time for the NFL, he was branded a character risk by scouts, but they didn't know the whole story.

Early in his college career, Ivory's mother, Judy Ivory-Gilliland, was stricken with viral meningitis and nearly died. She lapsed into a coma and spent two months in the hospital, and another four months recovering. Relatives suspect she got sick as a result of driving sick kids home from school in her police car, something she did to help out. She's that kind of person.Distraught after learning of his mom's condition, Ivory flew home and spent all night in the hospital, praying at her bedside. The woman who made him smile with her siren was attached to a ventilator in a painfully silent room -- and he wanted to scream. People close to the introverted running back say it hit him hard.

"He got lost," King said. "He did some uncharacteristic things, but he got himself straightened out."

In a funk, Ivory returned to school, but it was difficult for him to be so far away from his mother. At times, he appeared distracted, according to former coaches. They put up with it because they saw fleeting moments of jaw-dropping talent, including 100-yard games against Stanford and Washington. Eventually, the patience ran out. A month after the alleged bottle incident, he was dismissed from the team for violating team rules: He overslept and missed a meeting. There was a new coaching staff at Washington State, and it wasn't interested in waiting for Ivory to fulfill his potential.One month before the 2009 season, Ivory was looking for a place to play. A former Washington State assistant, Dave Walkosky, was the head coach at Tiffin University, a Division II school in Ohio. He offered a spot to Ivory, who had never heard of the place.

"When I heard what happened, I was like, 'Are you kidding me? I've got a chance to get Chris Ivory? Am I missing something?'" Walkosky recalled.

Tiffin was a bad team, to put it kindly, and went 0-11 that season, including a 62-0 loss to Northern Michigan. After two games, Ivory walked into Walkosky's office and wanted to talk."We couldn't block anybody, and he was getting his butt kicked at tailback," Walkosky said. "I expected him to tell me, 'I can't do this, I'm leaving.' I wouldn't have blamed him. But he said, 'Coach, what am I doing wrong? What can I do better? Do you want me to play defense? What can I do to help us win?'"

Walkosky was blown away. "Thanks, Chris," he told him. "Just keep doing what you're doing."

Ivory injured his knee and wound up playing only four games. He was cleared to return late in the year, but Walkosky, not wanting to jeopardize Ivory's pro prospects by throwing him into a hopeless situation, wouldn't let him play.Between Tiffin and Washington State, Ivory finished his college career with 130 rushing attempts -- hardly a résumé that excites NFL teams. He created a minor buzz at his pro day by running the 40 in 4.48 at 228 pounds, but he still was regarded as an unknown with baggage.

"That upset me so much," Walkosky said of the character questions. "He's a good kid. He just doesn't talk much. That doesn't make him a bad kid."

Once again, one person recognized his talent. This time, it was Saints Midwest scout Dwaune Jones.

So Ivory went to New Orleans, signed as an undrafted free agent.

He was a revelation, leading the Saints in rushing as a rookie -- 716 yards and a 5.2 yards-per-carry average. His star burned out quickly, though, as injuries mounted in 2011 and 2012. He was buried on a crowded depth chart that included Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles. The Saints gave up on Ivory and traded him to the Jets for a fourth-round pick during the 2013 draft.

Once again, he was unable to finish.

"I don't know why they traded him," said a longtime personnel executive, speaking on condition of anonymity. "To me, he was the best back they had."Splitting carries with Bilal Powell (2013) and Chris Johnson (2014), Ivory was solid in his first two seasons with the Jets. Mindful of his durability issues, the previous coaching staff limited his touches. The new staff, surprised by his speed, made him "the bell cow," as Jets coach Todd Bowles likes to say.Shipp has worked with Ivory on trying to improve his patience, waiting for holes to develop before pressing the line of scrimmage. It's hard to keep a tiger in the cage when the door opens, but he's learning to set up blocks before attacking. He enjoys inflicting punishment, not absorbing it.

"He's always been effective, in my opinion, and it's going well and they keep feeding him," said New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, whose defense will face Ivory on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. "I'd say he's a guy who gets stronger as the game goes on. ... He's hard to tackle in the first quarter. He's hard to tackle in the fourth quarter."

Ivory dominated his last two opponents, the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins, rushing for 312 combined yards to bring his total to 460 -- third in the NFL. He's more than halfway to his career high (833), and let's not forget that he missed a game due to a quadriceps injury.

The Jets are 4-0 with Ivory, 0-1 without him.

"I wouldn't trade him for anybody in this league," Shipp said.

After a decade of detours, Ivory is back to being the kid on the neighborhood field. This time, he's making fans scream like sirens."I'm tickled to death," said King, his high school coach. "I know what he's been through, people second-guessing his ability to play at this level. He's proving everybody wrong."

>      http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/55216/the-journey-of-chris-ivory-dismissed-discarded-and-finally-celebrated

[kelly]

Tomlinson : Chris Ivory Is the Catalyst

video..

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Tomlinson-Chris-Ivory-Is-the-Catalyst/77ab2067-bfea-4510-8d47-733b4868f591

[kelly]

-- One year removed from his last football game, running back Stevan Ridley sounded confident Thursday he will make his New York Jets debut Sunday. He didn't try to hide his emotions about the possibility of facing his former team, the New England Patriots.

"The story couldn't be written any better," said Ridley, who began practicing Wednesday after six weeks on the PUP list with a surgically repaired knee. "I'm fired up about it."

Ridley acknowledged he'd have extra motivation because the Patriots didn't try to re-sign him last offseason. He spent four years on the other side of the intense AFC East rivalry, but he's already talking like a grizzled Jet.

"I'm with a new team that's doing tremendous," he said. "We're not crowning anybody early."

Ridley played for the Patriots from 2011 to 2014, rushing for a career-high 1,263 yards in 2012. His touches decreased, and he suffered torn knee ligaments last October. The Patriots made no effort to retain him as a free agent."You can put it on the business; you can put it on whatever you want to put it on," he said. "It'll be in the bank for me as motivation."With good depth in the backfield, the Jets (4-1) have been able to take a conservative approach with Ridley's return. But No. 2 back Bilal Powell might not play this week because of a sprained ankle, so there's a good chance the Jets will put Ridley on the game-day roster with Chris Ivory and Zac Stacy.

Coach Todd Bowles has remained noncommittal about Ridley playing, but it's definitely a consideration. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey conceded the running back's burst "isn't quite there yet," but the Jets are hopeful it'll be close to normal after a full week of practice.By rule, they have a three-week window to add him to the 53-man roster or put him on season-ending injured reserve.

Ridley conceded he's not 100 percent in football shape. He also said he's "not the magic piece to come in and push everybody to the side." The Jets don't need magic -- Ivory is the No. 3 rusher in the NFL -- but a pair of fresh legs always can help."I'm motivated because I'm going against my old team; I'm motivated because it's my first game back; and I'm motivated because it's a tremendous blessing to play in the NFL," said Ridley, who signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with New York.

"Wouldn't you be [excited]? Hey, this is my first time on the field in a year, so I'm excited. I can't go into a game saying I'm going to sit on the bench. No, I'm ready to play."

Ridley said he's not surprised his former team, and quarterback Tom Brady in particular, are playing so well in the aftermath of Deflategate."Boston is a different place, and it starts at the top," he said. "Tom is a competitor. The attitude he comes in with, it trickles down throughout the roster.

"The attitude we're coming in with -- we haven't been there. We're hungry. We're not going to give anybody the victory early. Yeah, they're going to be fired up; a lot of people are talking bad about the Patriots. That's what makes football -- the fans. However you slice the cake, we're trying to get a win as much as they are. ... May the best team win."

>     http://espn.go.com/newyork/nfl/story/_/id/13948844/stevan-ridley-newyork-jets-fired-potential-return-vs-new-england-patriots