JETS ARTICLES - THU 12/14

[Sperm Edwards]

New Test For Brick and the Line

Published: 12-14-06

By John Beattie

John Beattie is a reporter for the Jets and contributes to newyorkjets.com.

Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/new-test-for-brick-and-the-line

Simply put, the Jets offense is in rebound mode and the upcoming opponent isn

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/116607589416870.xml&coll=1

Jets: Vikings are tough to run on

Thursday, December 14, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Jets nose tackle C.J. Mosley, who was obtained from Minnesota along with a sixth-round pick for quarterback Brooks Bollinger in September, said he spoke with his pal, Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams, on Tuesday.

"He told me to tell them (the Jets offense) to not even try to run that ball," Mosley said yesterday, smiling.

The Vikings rank first in the NFL in run defense, yielding just 54.08 yards per game. They have a chance to break the NFL's all-time record of 47.18 yards rushing allowed per game, set by the 1942 Chicago Bears.

"They're real good, real stout," Mosley said. "They have that big bowling ball, Pat Williams (6-3 and listed at 317 pounds but closer to 340), and Kevin Williams (6-5 and listed at 311 but closer to 325) on the interior and it's just tough for offenses to block them."

Mosley, a second-year pro, had five tackles last week against the Bills in his best game of the season. He has been active for only three games but is expected to play against the Vikings.

"It's going to be a lot of emotion," Mosley said. "I was definitely surprised (by the trade), but it's a business. There are no hard feelings."QB Chad Pennington has thrown a career-high 15 interceptions this season, 11 in the Jets' six losses.

"I definitely need to protect the ball at all costs," he said. "Even when our offense isn't being as productive, you still have to take care of the football and make sure at the end of the game you have a chance to win. That's all you ask for."Bollinger, who started nine games (2-7) last season, said he enjoyed his three seasons with the Jets.

"I don't have a bad thing to say about anybody that I worked with there," he said yesterday via a conference call.

Bollinger (13-for-18 for 146 yards, no TDs, one INT) said he had a feeling he might be dealt. But he insisted he got a fair shot in training camp, where coach Eric Mangini staged a four-way QB competition with him, rookie Kellen Clemens, Patrick Ramsey and Pennington.

"I got the reps, all of us did," Bollinger said. "Chad separated himself. I really feel that he separated himself on the field, not just like it was a fixed deal going in."

Bollinger had been the backup to starter Brad Johnson before suffering a strained left shoulder against the Bears two weeks ago. He was the third quarterback last week. He didn't practice yesterday and is listed as questionable.Vikings RB Chester Taylor (ribs) didn't practice yesterday but is expected to play. ... Jets RB Curtis Martin will be honored at the 27th annual Thurman Munson Awards dinner on Jan. 30 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.The Jets yesterday signed S Andre Maddox to the practice squad. He was waived in training camp.

[Sperm Edwards]

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Jets: Ferguson blocking out disappointment

Thursday, December 14, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- D'Brickashaw Ferguson is a happy-go-lucky sort. The Jets' rookie offensive left tackle is as even-tempered as they come, the same guy every day.

But after Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills in which he yielded three sacks to underrated defensive end Aaron Schobel, including a momentum-shifting strip sack late in the third quarter, Ferguson was visibly shaken as he spoke to the media.

It was by far the worst performance of his young career. Yesterday, Schobel was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his play against the Jets.

"I think initially, you get a little emotional and disturbed and you're like, 'Man, I wish things had gone better,'" Ferguson said yesterday. "But again, when you really get a chance to relax and take emotion out of it, you're like, 'Okay, what did happen? What can I do differently?'

"It makes it a lot clearer. Then, you realize you have another week to play. ... There are some things I could've done different. Reactions. Sometimes the little things make the bigger difference. You better yourself by taking what you can from it and then going to the next game."

Unfortunately, Ferguson, who has been solid, if unspectacular this season, had his meltdown in the Jets' biggest game of the season. Games like that are why the Jets drafted him with the fourth pick overall in April.

Up to that point, Ferguson, who'll go against Vikings run-stuffing defensive end Kenechi Udeze (no sacks) on Sunday at the Metrodome, had held firm against the likes of the Patriots' Richard Seymour (twice), the Colts' Dwight Freeney and the Dolphins' Jason Taylor. He shut out Schobel in their first meeting this season.

Before Sunday's game, the only noteworthy sack Ferguson had allowed was a strip sack to Colts defensive end Robert Mathis in Week 5.

Last Sunday, with the Jets trailing 21-13 and facing a second-and-six from their 28, Schobel beat Ferguson to the outside and hit a scrambling Chad Pennington from the blind side, forcing a fumble that was recovered at the Jets' 18.

Four plays later, the Bills scored to take a 28-13 lead with 1:58 left in the third quarter. Game over.

Schobel's two other sacks came during garbage time on rookie quarterback Kellen Clemens on the final series of the game. He finished with nine tackles and pressured Pennington all game.

"It's disappointment but getting mad doesn't change anything," Ferguson said of his reaction to watching the film. "It's not going to change the outcome. By looking at what I did incorrectly and applying it to my game, that'll change things. I try to take emotion out of it and just play."

Schobel, a sixth-year pro, had entered the game with 9 1/2 sacks and a reputation as a high-motor guy who is relentless. After the game, he said Ferguson will be a good player, but right now his Achilles' heel is the power rush.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the Jets want Ferguson to get stronger and add weight. He's listed at 6-6, 312 pounds.

Privately, the Jets feel they should have given Ferguson more help against Schobel.

"This is just the way it works," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "Some weeks are better than others. The nice thing is that you get another opportunity this week to go out and improve."

Mangini said he has been pleased with Ferguson's progress and that he has "improved significantly" in his attention to detail. He called it "being a pro in your approach."

"A lot of times I'll start on Wednesdays, I sort of let (Ferguson) kick the day off with some questions," Mangini said. "Very rarely does he get things wrong."

Ferguson says that it is, indeed, attention to detail, not his superior athleticism, that will turn him into one of the premier left tackles in the league one day.

"You can see where the details can benefit you," Ferguson said. "Sometimes, as the levels go from high school to college, you can get away with a lot more things.

"But as the level increases, you can see where if I do this one little thing differently, the outcome would be dramatically different. ... I don't care what level. Every player is going to go through something that's going to challenge him."

[Sperm Edwards]

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Nowhere to run

Major roadblock: Vikings allow average of 54.1 rushing yards

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 14, 2006

C.J. Mosley still keeps in touch with his former teammates in Minnesota, and he came away from a Tuesday conversation with defensive tackle Kevin Williams with a message for the Jets.

"He told me to tell them not to even try to run that ball," Mosley said, with a nervous grin only a fellow defensive player could muster, considering the situation. As a Jets defensive lineman, he'll escape going eye-to-eye against a run defense that is approaching historic numbers, the kind of impenetrable wall the NFL has not seen in more than 60 years.

Some have tried to run against the Vikings, despite the admonitions of Williams and statistical evidence. Many have failed. After allowing 210 rushing yards in the first two games, the Vikings have clamped down, giving up 44.8 yards per game in the last 11. In two games the Lions totaled 13 rushing yards against them, including minus-3 yards on Sunday.

The Vikings are allowing 54.1 rushing yards per game; the 1942 Bears hold the record with an average of 47.2. Five teams basically gave up trying to run the football against Minnesota, recording 15 or fewer attempts. The Vikings are 3-2 in those games, losing to the Dolphins and Patriots.

"They are a legitimate, legitimate run-stopping group," guard Pete Kendall said.

Quarterback Chad Pennington called the unit "ridiculous."

Kendall said he has noticed that teams shy away from running the ball against the Vikings, but wouldn't speculate as to whether that indicates a rushing fear or a passing preference. The Vikings do have the 27th-ranked pass defense, and even with their run-stuffing abilities are a below-.500 team.

The Jets, who have slowly built their running game from nonexistent to respectable and are averaging 112.3 yards per game, seem willing to at least try to run against the Vikings.

"I don't think it's intimidating, but at the same time you have to give them their props," rookie running back Leon Washington said. "We see it as a challenge." But how much midweek posturing translates into Sunday play-calling remains to be seen.

"It's the combination of the good group up front backed by some problematic linebackers, then a very active secondary," Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former defensive coordinator, said of the key to the Vikings' success. In other words, there's very little they can't do.

The Vikings' defense starts with Kevin Williams and Pat Williams clogging the middle at a combined 628 pounds. At the second level, linebacker E.J. Henderson is the team's leading tackler. The second-, third- and fourth-leading tacklers are all secondary players, led by safety Dwight Smith. Not only are they active because teams try to run outside the Williams logjam, but they are also aggressive run-stoppers who come up to the line of scrimmage to make plays.

The Jets have shown remarkable balance in their play selection, passing 389 times and running 396. They've never attempted fewer than 24 rushes in a game. That could change this weekend.

Notes & quotes: LB Jonathan Vilma's struggles are being noted by opponents. "I got up on him a couple of times," Bills LT Jason Peters told Jets Confidential after playing against him Sunday, when Vilma was credited with one tackle. "He doesn't like it when somebody gets up on him and blocks him. He is more of a sideline-to-sideline, fill-the-gap type of guy. He is more of a 4-3 guy. The 3-4, I don't know. It's going to be hard for him to make plays in the 3-4." ... The Jets signed S Andre Maddox to the practice squad. Maddox was a Jets' 2005 draft pick who blew out his knee last year and was released in August ... The Jets listed FB B.J. Askew (foot), CB David Barrett (hip), LB Matt Chatham (foot), S Eric Smith (foot) and LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder) as questionable on the injury report.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS

Coach:

Brad Childress, first season (6-7)

Last week: Beat Lions in Detroit, 30-20.

About the offense:

QB Brad Johnson briefly lost his starting job two weeks ago, but when backup and former Jet Brooks Bollinger injured his shoulder, Johnson received a reprieve. He wasn't spectacular Sunday against the Lions, throwing his 15th interception, but he'll get the start against the Jets, according to Childress. Chester Taylor has 1,098 rushing yards and five TDs but is listed as questionable (ribs) and did not play against the Lions. His backup, Artose Pinner, ran for a career-high 125 yards and three TDs against his former team. Travis Taylor is Minnesota's leading receiver, though he has not had a 100-yard game this season and has caught three passes for 39 yards in the last two games.

About the defense: The Vikings have the fourth-best overall defense in the NFL, largely on the strength of their ability to stop the run. They have allowed only 703 yards on the ground, 341 fewer than the Ravens, who are No. 2 against the run. They held the Lions to minus-3 yards rushing, four weeks after they held the Dolphins to 7 yards. The Vikes are vulnerable through the air, however, giving up 228.8 yards per game and ranked 27th. That could become even more of a liability because defensive backs coach Joe Woods was charged with drunken driving Tuesday. CB Cedric Griffin was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for having an interception, forced fumble, fumble recovery and two broken-up passes.

The bottom line: Both teams need this game to stay alive in their wild-card races, and both probably look at it as a should-win. The Jets have struggled to run the ball most of the season, and the only reason to try it against the Vikings is to keep the linebackers honest with play action. Chad Pennington should be able to carve up the secondary if he is given more time than he had against the Bills. If the Jets can force Johnson into early turnovers, they might even see their former teammate Bollinger, who is listed as questionable.

Stopped cold

In three of the last four games, the Vikings allowed a total of 21 rushing yards on 29 carries, an average of .72 of a yard per carry. That's about the length of two footballs put end to end. Here are the recent victims of what is, by far, the best run defense in the NFL:

Team Running back Carries Yards Avg. per carry Season avg. per carry

Miami Ronnie Brown 11 5 0.45 3.9

Arizona Edgerrin James 4 15 3.75 3.3

Chicago Thomas Jones 12 32 2.66 4.1

Detroit Kevin Jones 9 (-3) (-0.33) 3.8

[Sperm Edwards]

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BROOKS JUST A SPECTATOR

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 14, 2006 -- Fate could have turned in a much more delicious direction for Brooks Bollinger, but it didn't.

Had the former Jet backup quarterback, now with the Vikings, not suffered a separated left shoulder two weeks ago against the Bears, he very well could have been starting against his former team Sunday in Minneapolis.

Instead, listed as questionable on the injury report, Bollinger is unlikely to play. He'll probably be the No. 3 emergency quarterback Sunday. He had replaced starter Brad Johnson, possibly for the season, in that Bears game, meaning if he'd stayed healthy he'd still be starting.

"It would have been fun," Bollinger said yesterday.

Still, Sunday's game will be a reunion of sorts for Bollinger, a Jet the first three years of his career before being dealt to Minnesota late in training camp.

Asked if he felt he got a fair shot at the starting job in the summer, Bollinger said, "I really feel that Chad [Pennington] separated himself on the field, not just like it was a fixed deal going in."

He added:

"From Coach [Eric] Mangini, all the way down the line, I felt that I was treated with respect."

*

Viking coach Brad Childress said yesterday he didn't know whether starting RB Chester Taylor, the team leader with 1,098 yards, or his backup, Artose Pinner, would start against the Jets. Taylor, who missed last week's game, is listed as questionable with a rib injury.

*

Mangini yesterday praised WR Wallace Wright, DB Jamie Thompson and WR Brad Smith for their standout work on special teams.

"Here are three rookies playing on special teams against arguably one of the best special-teams units in the game [buffalo], and all three of those guys did a nice job," Mangini said.

"Wallace is a guy who is an undrafted and unsigned rookie free agent who made it as a tryout. Jamie [who was just signed to the roster last week] has just been plugging along, and finally got a shot."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12142006/sports/jets/rushin_roulette_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

RUSHIN' ROULETTE

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 14, 2006 -- The numbers can be downright intimidating if teams' offensive players allow them to seep into their game-day psyches and affect their play.

The Vikings, the Jets' opponent Sunday at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, own the most dominating rushing defense in the NFL - possibly the most dominant in NFL history.

"It's ridiculous," Chad Pennington said yesterday with admiration in his voice of the staggering numbers the Minnesota run defense is putting up. "Fifty-four yards a game is just ridiculous. We just have to play really well to beat these guys."

* The Vikings are ranked No. 1 in the NFL in run defense, allowing a paltry average of 54.1 yards per game and an average of 2.7-yards per carry. They've allowed a total of 703 rushing yards this season. The nearest competition in that category, Baltimore, has allowed 314 more rushing yards and some 26 more rushing yards per game on average.

* The first two teams the Vikings played, the Redskins and Panthers, rushed for more than 100 yards on the Minnesota defense (103 and 107 yards, respectively) - but the last 11 opponents have failed to do so. In four of those 11 games, the Vikings have held their opponents to fewer than 17 yards rushing.

* The Vikings have not allowed a single 100-yard rusher this season.

* Beginning with the Jets, if the Vikings hold their final three opponents to a combined 51 rushing yards, they'll set the regular-season record with the lowest average of rushing yards allowed per game since the NFL began keeping records in 1920.

The all-time NFL record stands at 47.18 yards per game, set by the 1942 Chicago Bears in an 11-game season. The modern-day record (since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger) was set by the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who allowed 60.63 yards per game.

"It's remarkable how well they've played the run," Jet LG Pete Kendall said. "There have been some teams I've played against in the past that would finish in top 10 against the run but finish 25th in yards per carry.

"This group is not only outstanding in yards per game, but also leading league in yards per carry."

The 6-7 Vikings are coming off a game in which they allowed a minus-three yards rushing to the Lions, who in an earlier meeting against Minnesota had managed only 16 yards. That's a total of 13 yards rushing in two games.

The Jets are a modest 17th in the NFL in rushing offense, though they don't have a true No. 1 back. Lately, it's been Cedric Houston (76-for-277, a 3.6-yard average and four TDs) and Leon Washington (127-566, 4l.5-yard average, 3 TDs).

"I don't think it's intimidating, but you've got to give them their props," Washington said.

But Vikings defensive players don't believe Moore's words.

"I've been on top defenses before," Viking DT Pat Williams said. "[but] I've never been on a defense where people rush it 10 or 12 times and they just quit. But they look at us and say, 'I don't want any of that mess.'

[Sperm Edwards]

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Pennington aiming to bounce back for Jets

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: December 14, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - The hardest part of this week for Jets quarterback Chad Pennington is to not rush through his studies, hoping the clock ticks faster.

He badly wants to get to Sunday's game at Minnesota so he can erase the memory of last Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Bills. Pennington was 22 of 35 for 182 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown.

He now has a career-high 15 interceptions, including four in the last two games.

"I think there are multiple reasons," Pennington said. "One could be getting used to the new system. Another could be forcing some throws. Another could be just mere circumstance of a tipped ball or something like that. I have to concentrate on what I can control and that is decision making."

Pennington and the Jets' passing game will be crucial Sunday at Minnesota because the Vikings' defense is allowing an NFL-low 54.1 rushing yards per game.

"I have to be better at when our offense maybe isn't functioning as well as I would like," Pennington said. "Just ride the wave and get us to the fourth quarter where we have a chance to win. Don't ruin things early in the first three quarters."

Two thumbs up: Pennington, the proud alum, was at a Friday night screening of "We Are Marshall," the new movie detailing how the school's football program was revived following a 1970 airplane crash. His review: well-done but emotional to watch.

"I'm biased," said Pennington, adding he still had strong connections to the Huntington, W. Va., community that reveres the college's football team. "I thought it was going to be rinky-dink, but it was good."

Lukewarm reception: Wide receiver Laveranues Coles did not sound like coach Eric Mangini's biggest fan while speaking to Minnesota reporters. Asked about the players' reaction to Mangini's hiring, Coles said, "It's not like you can walk in and rant and rave and they're going to get rid of him. Maybe if he doesn't feel you fit the system. ... maybe he's going to get rid of you anyway."

Coles was then asked if he thought Mangini was a good hire.

"What I think really doesn't matter," Coles said.

Roster move: The Jets re-signed safety Andre Maddox, their fifth-round pick in 2005 out of North Carolina State, to their practice squad. He missed last season after injuring his knee in training camp, then was cut Sept. 2.

Martin to be honored: Injured Jets running back Curtis Martin will be honored at the 27th annual Thurman Munson Awards dinner on Jan. 30.

Injury report: Vikings 1,000-yard running back Chester Taylor (ribs) was listed as questionable and did not practice yesterday after missing the Lions' game. The Jets listed 15 players and wide receiver Brad Smith (shoulder), who had his shoulder wrapped Monday, is listed as probable and was able to practice.

[Sperm Edwards]

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Jets' Mosley wants his shot

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: December 14, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - The Vikings were in Dallas the night before their final preseason game when coach Brad Childress told his players there were going to be a few surprises.

"I could swear he was staring at me,'' C.J. Mosley said. "He stared at me for like five seconds. I felt like I was right in his face. The next day, the GM (vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman) pulled me aside and said, 'I have something to tell you.' He was kind of smiling. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.''

The Vikings had traded the second-year defensive lineman and a sixth-round pick to the Jets for quarterback Brooks Bollinger on Aug. 31.

The Jets (7-6) are at Minnesota (6-7) Sunday, and the 6-foot-2, 312-pound Mosley is hoping to be active for a second straight week for the first time this season. He's played in three games, and his five tackles in this past Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Bills were his first of the season.

"There's going to be a lot of emotion involved, but it's still a game and you've got to show up on Sunday,'' said Mosley, a sixth-round pick out of Missouri in 2005 who played in 12 games last season. "I was definitely surprised (by the trade), but it's a business, no hard feelings.''

It's highly unlikely Bollinger will get to play against his former teammates after injuring his shoulder in a 23-13 loss at Chicago Dec. 3. Bollinger had relieved ineffective starter Brad Johnson and completed 7 of 9 passes for 70 yards before getting hurt.

He is listed as questionable this week and was the Vikings' emergency quarterback in this past Sunday's 30-20 win at Detroit.

"It's just disappointing the way that it happened because my comfort level was growing and I had a chance to get in the game a little bit,'' said Bollinger, who started nine games for the Jets last season and played in 11 overall for the injured Chad Pennington.

But he was the odd man out after a four-way training-camp competition that also included veteran Patrick Ramsey and rookie Kellen Clemens.

"I really feel that (Pennington) separated himself on the field, not just like it was a fixed deal going in,'' Bollinger said. "He went out there and proved it. Who knows if behind the scenes I was out before the competition started or what.''

But Bollinger has a comfort level with the Vikings he never had with the Jets. Not only did Childress recruit him to Wisconsin, but Bollinger's wife grew up in the Minneapolis region and his parents live about three hours away.

Plus, the Vikings have already rewarded him with a contract extension, meaning he'll probably be given a decent shot at winning the job for next season.

Mosley's comfort level with the Jets can't be put on the same plane.

Learning coach Eric Mangini's 3-4 defense and the role he needs to play at nose tackle has proved difficult.

"I thought I'd get an opportunity to play a lot earlier, but it takes time,'' said Mosley, before joking, "it's the first time I even heard of a 3-4."

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Mangini plays boxing tapes for Jets before games

Thursday, December 14, 2006

By RANDY LANGE

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Eric Mangini was discussing technique in football's trenches in squared-circle terms. He talked about throwing punches and the importance of footwork.

"It's just like a boxer," the Jets' coach said, then caught himself and smiled. "Like I know. Now I'm Teddy Atlas."

But Mangini does know Atlas, the legendary boxing trainer, and has invited him to talk to the Jets. He has a video library of boxing matches and Ultimate Fighting bouts, one of which he shows to the team every Saturday night, each with a message.

The message has gotten across. The Jets have to win at Minnesota on Sunday, then at Miami on Christmas night, to keep their playoff dream alive.

They are ready to hit the road and fight.

"We've got a lot of guys who are feisty players. We're not going to take crap from anyone else," tight end Sean Ryan said. "I think that's just the personality of a lot of guys on the team. I think that bodes well for us."

"We're not going to let anybody push us over," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "We're going to fight back regardless."

The feistiness wasn't much in evidence in the 31-13 home loss to the Bills. The players couldn't argue about the results but insist they haven't lost their pugnacious spirit.

"It's just an important time of the year to let whoever you're playing against know you take them seriously," linebacker Matt Chatham said, "and that you're very adamant about coming away with a win."

That attitude emerged at Green Bay, when the Jets exchanged chippiness with chippiness, shove for shove, setting the early tone in their 38-10 rout.

And the road has been good to the Jets this season – they are 4-2 away from the Meadowlands. Two more wins and Mangini would join a short list of five men since 1990 who went 6-2 or better on the road in their first seasons as NFL head coaches.

Ryan said Mangini's mind-set was a subliminal part of the Jets' preparation for Green Bay.

"Coach Mangini put it great," he said. "We weren't going to be anyone's "SportsCentury'' moment, we weren't going to be anyone's homecoming queen. We wanted to show the Packers we were there to win the game.

"I think he does encourage it a little bit," Ryan said of an aggressive approach. "Obviously he doesn't want us to do anything stupid. But he also wants us to go on the road and not play scared."

Mangini has explained his preference for pugilism in terms of his upbringing under his dad, Carmine.

"I was exposed to boxing through my dad with 'Friday Night Fights.' He controlled the TV and that's what we watched," he said. "That was a great memory for me about that time. I think you can learn a lot from other sports and other athletes that you can apply to football. As I found fights that applied, my interest increased."

It doesn't hurt that Mangini also cut his coaching teeth under Bill Parcells in the late-1990s. Ryan, who came to the Jets from Dallas, was asked if Parcells encouraged a feisty nature on the Cowboys.

"He never discouraged it," Ryan said. "The Patriots have that swagger. The Steelers had that swagger last year. Winning teams have a certain swagger to them no matter where they are. 'You can't mess with us, whether it's your house or our house.' ''

Wide receiver Justin McCareins added that just like Atlas relentlessly training a boxer for a title fight, Mangini just doesn't let up on his players.

"We're used to coming out on the field for practice having our motors going," McCareins said. "There hasn't been a day yet where we've gotten an easy day."

It's time to see if all the days of training will pay off. The Vikings await in their house of pain, the Metrodome. The Jets must put the loss to the Bills behind them and summon the swagger that got them those tough wins at Tennessee, Buffalo, New England and Green Bay.

"We need to be on edge for Minnesota," linebacker Eric Barton said. "We need to be on our best game."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/479970p-403851c.html

Green rush faces Purple crush

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

The Jets have the Brick, but the Vikings have an entire wall.

In a virtual must-win game Sunday at the Metrodome, the Jets will face the stingiest run defense this side of the 2000 Ravens. Actually, you have to go back, back, back to the 1942 Bears to find a defense that gave up so little on the ground.

The Vikings have allowed only 54 yards rushing per game, the equivalent of one Willis McGahee run against the Jets. But are the Jets running scared of this modern-day version of the Purple People Eaters? Nah.

"Yeah, we can run on these guys," running back Leon Washington said yesterday. "With attitude and execution, you can run on any team in the NFL."

A lot of teams felt the same way, but ended up with embarrassing totals. The Vikings have held opponents under 18 yards rushing in seven games, including a whopping minus-3 from the Lions last week.

It's a huge challenge for D'Brickashaw Ferguson and the Jets' offensive line, along with the tight ends and backs. Some teams get discouraged by the Vikings and give up on the running game after a handful of failed attempts, but the Jets insisted they're not going to be bothered by the Minnesota mystique.

"I don't think they're intimidating," Washington said. "I don't think any team in the NFL can fight you off from something you need to do."

Said guard Brandon Moore: "I don't think players get intimidated. Sometimes coaches get intimidated. When it's one yard here, a 5-yard loss there, they kind of run scared. But players don't feel that way."

If the Jets sound confident, it could be because they have done their homework. Some scouts believe the Vikings are paper lions, the product of a soft schedule. There's some credence to that. In their last 11 games, the Vikings have faced only one top-10 rushing offense.

Of course, the Jets weren't going to admit that. In the team meeting, Eric Mangini read a scouting report on the Vikings' defense, putting their statistics in historical perspective. Listen up:

If the Vikings hold their final three opponents to a combined 51 yards, they would finish with the lowest rushing yards-per-game since the NFL started keeping records in 1920.

The record is held by the '42 Bears, who surrendered only 47.2 yards under legendary coach George Halas. The modern mark, post-1969, belongs to the '00 Ravens, who limited opponents to 60.1yards en route to a Super Bowl championship.

"It's ridiculous," quarterback Chad Pennington said of the Vikings' production. "Fifty-four yards a game is just ridiculous."

"Remarkable," guard Pete Kendall said.

The Vikings' 54 isn't an artificial number, either. Some run defenses are under-tested and overhyped because the opponent falls behind and starts throwing, but that isn't the case with the Vikings (6-7). In fact, they have held double-digit leads in only four games.

The most accurate gauge of a team's run defense is the per-carry average. For the Vikings, it's a league-best 2.7.

"They're a legitimate, legitimate run-stopping group," Kendall said.

The Vikings don't have any household names on defense, but they have two formidable tackles (Pat Williams and Kevin Williams) and a stout middle linebacker (Napoleon Harris). They form an impenetrable interior triangle, shades of the old Ravens' trio of Tony Siragusa, Sam Adams and Ray Lewis.

The rest of the Minnesota defense feeds off the middle three. Right end, former No.1 pick Kenechi Udeze, has 11tackles behind the line. A safety, either Darren Sharper or rookie Cedric Griffin, always seems to be near the line, giving them an eight-man front.

Jets nose tackle C.J. Mosley, acquired in a preseason trade with the Vikings, knows the Minnesota personnel better than anyone. Asked if his former defense is the real deal, Mosley said, "You better believe it."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/479969p-403850c.html

Brooks' doubts run deep

Former Jets QB Brooks Bollinger, traded to the Vikings before the regular season, hinted yesterday that he may have been victimized by a predetermined competition in training camp.

Bollinger, who competed with Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey and rookie Kellen Clemens, was the odd man out. He said Pennington "separated himself from the field, (so) it wasn't like a fixed deal going in. He went out there and proved it."

But in the backup battle, Bollinger said, "Who knows if, behind the scenes, I was out before the competition started or what?"

The four QBs split the practice reps evenly, and Bollinger suggested he needed more, saying, "I don't think I played as well as I could have with the reps that I had in practice. I think I was supposed to play quite a bit in that last (preseason) game, but it never came to that."

Bollinger, who went 2-7 last season as the Jets' starter, was traded before the last preseason game. The Jets received a sixth-round draft pick and backup NT C.J. Mosley in exchange for Bollinger.

COLES REALITY: Laveranues Coles, who has only seven catches in the last two games and didn't get any passes thrown to him in the second half of last week's loss to the Bills, attributed the decline to pass coverages designed specifically to stop him.

"I've got a lot of friends over there," said Coles, who usually draws the top corner and over-the-top coverage from a safety.

Asked if he thought it was odd that he didn't get one chance for an entire half, Coles said, "It would be odd for someone who doesn't understand the game."

WORKING WOUNDED: DT Dewayne Robertson (shoulder), TE Sean Ryan (thigh) and DE Kimo von Oelhoffen (shoulder) appeared on the injury report as probable. They all practiced. S Andre Maddox, a 2005 draft pick who was cut last training camp, was re-signed to the practice squad.

Rich Cimini

[Sperm Edwards]

December 14, 2006

The Jets

[Sperm Edwards]

Bollinger: Excited to compete against Jets and just say hello

Published: 12-13-06

By Jets PR Department

Regular Contributor

Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/bollinger-excited-to-compete-against-jets-and-just-say-hello

Following three seasons with the Jets, quarterback Brooks Bollinger was traded to the Minnesota Vikings last August in exchange for defensive lineman C.J. Mosley and a sixth round draft selection. Bollinger was dealt after Chad Pennington won a four-way training camp battle for the starting position behind center.

"Especially in camp, I think Chad separated himself," Bollinger said Wednesday. "Chad played day-in and day-out consistent and handled all of things that we were doing with the multiplicity of that offense and handled it very well. I really feel that he separated himself on the field - not just like it was a fixed deal going in. He went out there and proved it."

Read below for conference call excerpts from Brooks Bollinger and Coach Brad Childress

On helping the Vikings knowing the Jets’ offense…

You know as well as I do those guys (the Jets) are about as thorough as they come and I know what kind of job they do and I know how they operate. I don’t really know if there’s anything I can tell them, I mean obviously I’ve been around the personnel, but they just do so much on both sides of the ball and they do so such a good job of scouting themselves and changing things up, not showing the same look twice. What we were doing in training camp and what they’re doing now I’m not sure that they’re even close.

On his time with the Jets…

I feel good about it. I made a lot of good friends, got to work with a lot of good people all throughout my career there. I learned a lot about football, learned how to be a pro from some great pros. Both personally and professionally, while I was out there I got married and had my first child. There were a lot of things both off-the-field and on-the-field and I don’t have a bad thing to say about anybody that I worked with there

On the trade to the Vikings coming as a surprise…

You try to think about it and you try not to speculate about what could possibly happen, because there are so many variables and so many things that could happen. I thought that it was a possibility, I thought that if they did keep me around, and they talked about keeping four guys, I only had one year left on my contract so if they were going to get anything for me that would have been the time to do it. I thought that might have been a possibility and I thought them keeping me was a possibility and I thought maybe they’d wait it out and then cut me.

On get a new deal from the Vikings…

It is good to be somewhere where they gave me an extension. I felt like they came and actively got me and said, “Hey; you’re a guy that we want, you fit what we’re trying to do here.” Going through some coaching changes the last two years, when you’re the third quarterback and a sixth-round pick and the situation that I was in, it’s tough to survive those sometimes. When Paul (Hackett) left and Mike (Heimerdinger) came in, I made it through that one and then this next one got me. It was good to not be cut and have someone say, “Hey this guy is on the market, let’s throw him on the roster” but to have someone say, “We want this guy on our team,” that was a good feeling for me.

On starting against the Jets if hadn’t been injured…

It would have been fun. You never know what happens and it’s kind of the same situation where you have to put your head down and wait for an opportunity to arise. I haven’t seen any of these guys since I was their teammate. I mean I left work one day and that was the last time I saw them. I’m excited to both compete against them and just say hello and see some familiar faces.

On sensing the Jets would be this successful this season…

I’m not surprised. So much in this league depends on who stays healthy and getting a few breaks here and there. I knew a couple of things, I knew that they’d be well coached and I know the work that they put in and they definitely put in the sacrifices to be successful. They have a lot of talented players on that team. Am I surprised that they are there? No not at all. They’ve done a great job this year in finding a way to win football games.

On being in Minneapolis…

It’s great to be back close to family. My parents are about three hours northwest of here and her (his wife) family is like 10 minutes up the road. It’s great with a son, to have help and for them to be able to spend time with him as he grows up, it’s nice.

Head Coach Brad Childress

On what they saw in Bollinger that made him want to acquire him…

I’ve known Brooks back to his University of Wisconsin days. He was our red shirt freshman quarterback when we went to the Rose Bowl in 1993. He’s a coach’s son, he has very good skills and athletic ability, he has great mind. We played the Jets every year in the preseason at Philadelphia and I was able to kind of follow him. I remember a 75-yard drive during the preseason that he took down the field, which ended up beating us in the preseason, which is no small thing, when you think about who you’re playing with at the end of the game. He has incrementally gotten better as he’s been in the NFL.

On if Bollinger will be the number two quarterback this week…

I don’t know; he’s going to try and come up and do some things at practice. With all those guys, it’s a fight to get into Sunday. He was our emergency guy last week, I don’t have anyway of knowing how he’s going to respond to going a little bit harder.

On the running back situation…

I’d probably tell you the same thing. It’s one thing to run around in shorts and jerseys and it’s another thing to get whacked. That’s going to be on going this week. Artose (Pinner) did a nice job of coming in and filling the gap, but that’s what 53-man rosters are all about. You believe the people you keep have a chance to step in ably and contribute.

On Chester Taylor sounding upbeat about playing…

The guys are giving him the business on the bus about who should start next week. There’s a little bit of peer pressure there, coming back from the airport. These guys can get after each other pretty well. You never can tell whether it’s liable to be a Wally Pipp situation.

[Sperm Edwards]

Mangini: Barlow is in the mix this week

Published: 12-13-06

By Jets PR Department

Regular Contributor

Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/mangini-barlow-is-in-the-mix-this-week

For each of the past two games, running back Kevan Barlow has been on the inactive list even though the sixth-year veteran leads the Jets with six touchdowns. Cedric Houston and rookie Leon Washington have been the running duo of late, but head coach Eric Mangini insists that could change.

“He (Kevan) is in the mix this week, just like Cedric (Houston), when he was inactive, was in the mix every week,” Mangini said in his Wednesday press conference. “It will be based on the week of practice. Kevan is still working into a role on special teams. That is new ground for him. I don't think he's ever been on a show team, a special team, but he's jumping right in there.”

Read below for coach Mangini’s complete press conference transcript

New York Jets’ Head Coach Eric Mangini, 12.13

Opening Statement…

We re-signed Andre Maddox to the practice squad. He will be back with us today. He was in this morning.

I got to know Brad (Childress) a little bit not this past off‑season, but the off‑season before. I've always respected him as a coach. I've always thought he's been a great coordinator, facing him in Philadelphia in the Super Bowl when we were in New England. We had played them a couple times outside of that as well. I just think he's a really good guy, really smart guy. I look forward to getting to know him more here as time moves on.

Offensively you can definitely see Brad's influence. It's a well‑run offense. Chester Taylor is doing a good job. He's a threat across the board. He can really hit anywhere along the defensive front. That's always a problem. He's got good bursts, good long speed. He had that 95‑yard touchdown against Seattle. In terms of throwing the ball, he's been very effective doing that. I know Jermaine Wiggins from New England, as well. He's a guy that you wouldn't look and say he's going to catch a zillion balls, but he always does. He's very crafty. He has very good hands. With Brad Johnson, he has Super Bowl experience and he has a 60 percent completion rate 10 consecutive years. That's hard to do. He's pretty effective. When he's on, the offense is pretty effective.

Their run defenses are impressive. They're on the verge of breaking a record that's been in place since 1942 in terms of rushing yards allowed per game. Overall they're opportunistic, 31 turnovers. I think they're third in the NFL in interceptions. Effectively being able to stop the run, then being able to take advantage of the opportunities that are there in terms of the passing game with the interceptions makes it difficult.

On special teams, they have two good returners. Mewelde Moore is a threat as a punt returner. I know Bethel (Johnson) from New England. I feel like it's homecoming week. He is an explosive guy who made some big plays for us. He had a huge play when they were there in 2003 against the Colts at the end of the half where he ran a kick off back in the 38‑34 (New England win) game. He ran it back 92-yards, right there at the end of the half. He has the ability to do that at any point. He has rare speed. So that will be a challenge as well.

On Minnesota’s run defense…

Pat (Williams) and Kevin (Williams) are both very impressive inside. Their secondary is very active in run support. They're good tacklers. They're aggressive tacklers. They're stout. The linebackers do a really nice job flowing in terms of their reads and, present some difficulties in terms of picking them up. Even when you have a hat for a hat, they do a nice job of getting off the blockers. It's the combination of the good group up front backed up by some problematic linebackers, then a very active secondary.

On Justin Miller’s personality…

When I think of Justin, I think of him the way that he approaches the kickoff return game. He's very strong. He's very aggressive. He has that attacking style, which is outstanding. Justin did a nice job in the plays that he had defensively last week. That's all part of the process. He has a very important role for us on special teams and needs to continue to develop his role defensively. He took a positive step last week in terms of the reps that he had, and made a couple really nice plays in run support last week that I was happy with.

On Miller breaking into the starting secondary…

He needs to do the same thing across the board. It’s just consistency, continuing to improve his technique. He's got a lot of natural ability, size, strength, speed, those things. Now he’s just continually making progress each week with his technique.

On extra playing time Miller received last week…

He's had a couple of good weeks in a row in practice where we wanted to give him some more opportunities. Then he went in the game and took advantage of those opportunities. That really is the ongoing process where you show it out here during the week, then you get a chance on Sunday. That carries over into the amount of chances you'll get the following week.

On Miller forcing the fumble…

That's great. I wasn't even thinking of the fumble, I was thinking of the play on the perimeter. They came in, got Kerry (Rhodes). There was a two‑yard loss. He's got that aggressiveness that you like from corners.

On D’Brickashaw Ferguson…

Brick has been through a lot of games now. We've been through a lot of games as a team. He's started every one of them. He's gotten a ton of reps, not just in the games, in practice. He's faced some of the premiere pass‑rushers in the league. This is just the way it works. Some weeks are better than others. The nice thing is that you get another opportunity here this week to go out and improve. What were the mistakes? What things could I have done better? Then going and correcting those throughout the week and making sure you execute those the next time you play.

On Ferguson’s progress…

Brick has made real progress. One area where Brick has improved significantly is he's always been very conscientious, but his attention to detail is improving. Not that it was bad, but I think it's getting better. It's getting to that thing we talked about, being a pro, your approach. A lot of times I'll start on Wednesdays. I let him kick the day off with some questions. Very rarely does he get things wrong. I'm pleased with that. That's all part of the maturing process for those guys. Different styles of play, different schemes, different blocking schemes, how you prepare during the week, what you take away from the experience and put sort of in your vault so you can draw on it the next time.

On whether Ferguson relaxed on some plays late in the Buffalo game…

It would be hard for me to think that because (Aaron) Schobel, every play on tape he's like that. He's relentless. I really like the way that he plays. It doesn't matter whether it's the first quarter, fourth quarter, who he's playing against. That guy is relentless. That was also a point of emphasis throughout the week. There are no plays where maybe he'll slow down a little bit. He just doesn't do it.

On Ferguson struggling with power moves…

As athletic as he is, that really helps him in terms of leverage and angles. You can generate a lot of power with the proper base, the proper stance. When you throw your hands is really important. If you throw them too early, they can break them down. You really have no power. You always want to time it up almost like you're snapping into his chest where you can generate the most power. Those are things, regardless of whether you're 380 or 290, that can really help you also is your footwork, how wide your base is. You don't want to be more than shoulder-width apart. Then how you time off that punch which is critical for offensive linemen. On the flipside, you'll see with defensive linemen where they're breaking down the offensive linemen's hands. That's the counter to it. As they're going to throw the punch, you're always trying to chop that down and use it against them to generate some type of opening, some type of crease.

On Nick Mangold…

Nick is one of those guys that not a lot fazes him. That's good. That's really good. Even from the first week he got here after his exams. He put the ball on the ground a couple times. That fazed him and me. But as he moves on, he's very comfortable in there. He's comfortable working with Pete (Kendall) and with Brandon (Moore). He's comfortable working with the rest of the guys, which is incredibly important. With Chad (Pennington). He does a nice job of, as he sees something and is exposed to it, being able adjust to it. He'll get better with that. He started a lot of games in college and high school. He's been the starter for a long time. That's where he's comfortable being.

On expectations of Mangold…

I thought he was going to be a very good player. What I really thought was going to help him was his other characteristics, which you see all the time: The work ethic and all the things we stress and talk about.

While we're on the rookie parade, Wallace Wright, Jamie Thompson, Brad Smith, here are three rookies playing on special teams against arguably one of the best special teams units in the game. All three of those guys did a nice job. Wallace is a guy who is an undrafted, not only undrafted but an unsigned rookie free agent, who made it at a try‑out. Jamie has just been plugging along, and finally got a shot. Brad, a quarterback last year, now he's a force on special teams.

On Rashad Moore being inactive on Sunday…

That was really a function of C.J. Mosley. C.J., he's right along there with everybody else. He finally got his shot and produced pretty well. He made four tackles and had an assist, which is pretty good for his first significant action. I was happy with him. C.J. is another guy that has been in the shadows, has been working, and now has a shot. That was great.

On what Rashad Moore needs to get playing time…

As you're watching the tape, as you're talking to the coaches, as you're going through the meetings, if they are not the next guy in line, they've got to make a case for themselves to be the next guy in line. The last two to three weeks, C.J. has really made a case. It was heard. He was given the opportunity.

On Mosley becoming comfortable in his position…

Each guy is a little different. Some guys you see and hear a little earlier on. Some guys a little later. I don't think there's necessarily one path to getting the opportunity.

On Kevan Barlow being inactive…

He's in the mix this week, just like Cedric (Houston), when he was inactive, he was in the mix every week. It will be based on the week of practice. Kevan is still working into a role on special teams. That's new ground for him. I don't think he's ever been on a show team, a special team, but he's jumping right in there.

On Barlow’s off-season surgery…

With those surgeries, everybody has a different progression. He hasn't missed any significant practice time. The decision wasn't a function of that. It was a function of every other decision that goes into play when there's multiple guys at one spot.

On Laveranues Coles not getting any receptions in the second half versus Buffalo…

We are always trying to get Laveranues involved. Laveranues garners a lot of attention now. Sometimes you don't want to do that and put the ball in a spot where really they'd like you to go. When they throw a bunch of the coverage over there, defensively your mindset is always, ‘go ahead and throw to…’ Marvin Harrison, Laveranues Coles, throw to whoever the key guy is. You're actually kind of hoping at that point that the ball does go over there because of the type of scheme that you have. You're half thinking, ‘I really hope they don't go to the other side at this point’ because you're a lot lighter there in terms of the depth of the coverage.

On Coles drawing the attention of defenses…

Yeah, he's getting quite a bit. He's doing a good job with it. It's opened up some other opportunities for Jerricho (Cotchery) and some of the other guys to get involved. That's a plus and a minus. It's a plus because it means he's playing really well. It's a minus because it makes it obviously more difficult to get him the ball. It's something that's an ongoing process. We try to get him in the right spots, move him around and be able to force a situation where the double can't get there.

On defenses game planning to take Coles out of the game…

It just depends on the mindset of the defensive coordinator. You definitely go into games saying, Look, this guy is not going to beat us. If everybody else does, great, he's not going to. It's not necessarily always the case that you get that. Some people have different approaches where they're not going to adjust the scheme based on a player, where some teams are more true game plan oriented. This one element is not going to win the game. If they can win it with something else, then so be it.

On Justin Miller maturing…

Consistency is the key issue. It's just so important in the secondary because that one play where you're inconsistent ‑‑ there's not a lot of help. If you just have that one sort of pause or one hiccup, now it's seven points. Whereas a young guy in some other spots you can hit the wrong gap and someone can cover you up pretty quickly, the safety makes a tackle. It doesn't have the same dramatic effect.

On whether Miller is ‘hyper’ off the field…

I haven't hung out with him too much. He hasn't wanted to come over and play Play‑Dough with Jake and me. I don't know why. It's good times (smiling).

I'm not sure. The way that I gauge it is how he is in the building, how he is in the meetings. I've seen a lot of real progress with him. As you get older, you hopefully get wiser. Not that I have anything against young guys. I think young guys are great.

On running the ball against Minnesota…

There have been some good plays, some successful plays. Different people have tried to attack it different ways. The key thing is to try to find the plays that work the best for you and the times they're most effective. New England had a couple nice plays based off them, making progress in the passing game. Other teams did some nice things where they just stayed with the running game. I don't think the approach is just the one way, the New England way. I think that different teams have had success at various points that we'll draw on and incorporate in our plan.

On focusing too much on Minnesota’s impressive run defense stats…

There's an element of that when you look at numbers that are impressive. When you turn on the tape, it backs up the numbers. There's pretty strong evidence that they're good against the run.

On why Minnesota has struggled to win…

The five games they lost they lost by seven points or less. They've all been close games. They've been in every one of them with the exception of a few there. As you watch the tape, you see so many good things. Sometimes it's a play here or there, whereas somebody hits a big play, you have a big play that you just don't quite connect on and then you're losing games close. That can quickly turn around. It's much better than the alternative.

On Minnesota’s dominant defense…

I think their defensive backs are second, third, fourth and fifth in tackles. That's not always a good thing. If you're bringing them down the box, you want them to be able to make the plays. If you're playing cover two, they have perimeter run support, it can mean a couple different things. In their case, they are involved in the run support and they are successful with it they do a good job with it. Inside, it's a stout group backed up by some really active linebackers. They play well together, too.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://jets.scout.com/2/600523.html

Martin and Ewing to appear at Munson dinner

By Dan Leberfeld

Posted Dec 13, 2006

A lineup of five sports greats – Jets star running back Curtis Martin, Knicks all time center Patrick Ewing, Yankees starter Mike Mussina, former Yankees reliever and Thurman teammate Rich "Goose" Gossage, and Mets slugger Carlos Delgado – will be honored at the 27th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner on Tuesday night, January 30, 2007 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The announcement was made by the AHRC New York City Foundation , which benefits from the gala which the late, great Yankee catcher and captain Thurman Munson, who died tragically in a 1979 plane crash.

Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, has been involved in the benefit since its inception, raising nearly $8 million to assist children and adults with developmental disabilities. Those honorees will be receiving Munson Awards for their excellence in competition and their philanthropic work within the community. For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner contact 212-249-6188.

Martin is one of the NFL’s all time leading rushers, and has been one of the NFL’s top running backs of his era before a knee injury curtailed his action this season; Ewing is regarded as the greatest Knick in the franchise’s storied history; Mussina has been a stalwart mainstay on the Yankees pitching staff for six seasons since joining the Bronx Bombers in 2001; Gossage, a teammate of Munson’s during his six years in pinstripes, was one of the great relievers in the game during his generation; and Delgado, one of the game’s most feared sluggers, led the Mets to the National League Championship series in his first year in New York.

Len Berman of NBC Sports will once again serve as the master of ceremonies.

The Munson Awards Dinner has previously honored such notables as Willie Randolph, Mariano Rivera, Muhammad Ali, Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Arthur Ashe, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Willie Mays, Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Tom Seaver and John Franco, just to name a few.

The AHRC New York City Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 11,000 children and adults who have mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other developmental disabilities.

[Sperm Edwards]

Jets Sign S Andre Maddox to the Practice Squad

Published: 12-13-06

By Jets PR Department

Regular Contributor

The New York Jets announced they have signed safety Andre Maddox to the practice squad. The announcement was made by Jets’ General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.

Maddox, 6-1, 200 pounds, was originally selected by the Jets in the fifth round (161 st overall) of the 2005 NFL draft. After a knee injury in August of last season, Maddox was placed on Injured Reserve and was waived from the roster in September of 2006. At North Carolina State he participated in 47 games, made 27 starts and finished with 324 tackles, eight sacks and one interception in his four-year career as a linebacker.

[Sperm Edwards]

Coles: QB shouldn't take as much heat as Chad does

Published: 12-13-06

By Jets PR Department

Regular Contributor

Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/coles-qb-shouldn-t-take-as-much-heat-as-chad-does

Laveranues Coles is on pace for one of his best statistical seasons. In his seventh NFL campaign, Coles has already caught 75 balls for 921 yards and he has scored five touchdowns. Defenses pay special attention to #87, but Coles says that is nothing new.

"Even last year when people thought we weren’t doing so well and things weren’t going so well for the team, people always had their top corner match me and follow me around and they put a safety on the hash to try and keep me in check," Coles said. "I say the same thing all the time - there is nothing I haven’t dealt with or something I haven’t seen."

Read below for complete player transcripts from inside the Jets' locker room

New York Jets’ T D’Brickashaw Ferguson, 12.13

On having a short memory about bad games…

It’s a football game; things are not always going to go well and I don’t think you can accept that, but you have to deal with the adversity at hand. When that adversity is over, and you have a new challenge or test to take, you have to deal with that. This week, we have a new test, a new challenge and that’s what I’ll deal with.

On if he remembers things about players that he’s faced…

Mentally, but you try not to dwell on things that caused you problems in the past. It’s just something you learn by going through.

New York Jets’ WR Laveranues Coles, 12.13

On getting back out there after the Buffalo loss…

We have to practice first, we have a practice today that we have to go through. The main thing is trying to get our installments in, try to get the game plan down and that’s pretty much it.

On the Vikings’ run defense…

I’m sure everyone has heard about it, but again we have to get the game plan and get an understanding of it. It’s not left up to us to call the plays, coach has to call the plays. It’s left up to the players to execute.

On how teams defend him…

A lot of people are just starting to take notice, or I guess the writers are starting to take notice, but it’s been the same for me for most of my career. Even last year when people thought we weren’t doing so well and things weren’t going so well for the team, people always had their top corner match me and follow me around and they put a safety on the hash to try and keep me in check. I say the same thing all the time, there’s nothing I haven’t dealt with or something I haven’t seen. It’s something I dealt with week-in and week-out. Either someone else makes plays, like Jerricho Cotchery and other guys, or they find a way to get the ball in my hands.

On if he takes the attention as a challenge…

No. As a player, the most important thing you can have is people respecting you. That’s the main thing. You might not get the respect from the media side, but when you step on the field and come out of the tunnel, you know that the opposing team is going to know where you are and is going to pay pretty good attention to you. They’re going to wait in the huddle to see what direction I’m going in and they’re basically going to set their defense to me.

On Chad Pennington’s ability to bounce back…

I don’t always think that the quarterback should take as much heat as he does. It’s good that he gets a lot of credit when we win, but it’s not as good when we lose and everybody points the finger at him. It kind of goes along with the position, but again, it’s not just Chad; it’s all facets of the game that have to win. Chad alone can’t win it by himself, but then again Chad alone can’t lose it by himself. You have to take that in stride and as a team, put a great game together.

On not getting as many throws in the second half against Buffalo…

They did nothing different in the first half from what they did in the second half. It was the same game plan.

New York Jets’ G Pete Kendall, 12.13

On how D’Brickashaw Ferguson is dealing with his last game…

He seems fine. He’s an even-keeled kid. Without getting into too much, there are going to be times when you have a game like that and people on the outside looking in are going to look at the stat sheets and say, “You must have been awful,” but there are, as always, extenuating circumstances. He is not going to offer them as excuses and therefore I am not going to get into specifics to offer them for him. He’ll be okay.

On the most animated Ferguson has ever been…

You all wrote about that story in training camp, but that’s about it.

On Nick Mangold…

He’s the same way, even-keeled. He’s got a balanced approach. I guess it’s easy to be even-keeled though, when you’ve played as well as he has.

On how impressive Nick Mangold has been…

He’s done everything you would expect a center to do and the fact that he’s a rookie makes it more impressive. He’s been able to handle the mental aspect of it, and when that’s over with before the snap, he’s able to go out and handle the physical aspect of it as well.

On Nick Mangold vs. Kevin Mawae…

I’m sure you guys had all the stories written before the season, “Nick Mangold, he’s no Kevin Mawae.” They’re different types of players. I’m sure if he had some glaring breakdowns, that would have been the story, but he hasn’t had those glaring breakdowns. He’s a different player than Kevin, but I don’t want to say that they’re polar opposites. Kevin runs about as well as any center in the league, and with our scheme right now we don’t really ask the center to run as much. Nick hasn’t had the opportunity to develop or show those things. Kevin will forever be known as turning the corner and leading some sort of out side play with Curtis Martin right there at his hip. A lot of people think of a center as someone who can only go from A-gap to A-gap and that certainly wasn’t Kevin’s MO.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://thejetsblog.com/?p=1635

Running Will be Worse Than Usual in Minnesota …

When the Patriots played the Vikings back in Week 8, the radio up here in Boston was talking about how RBs Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon were going to rip the Vikings apart, and that should be the gameplan for the Patriots. Then they played the game, and here’s a few stats to give you a sense of how the Patriots dismantled this team:

15 Run Plays for 85 yards and 0 TDs (Long Run of 35)

43 Pass Plays for 372 yards and 4 TDs (Long Pass of 45)

Final score? 31-7 Patriots. Now, clearly there were other factors at work here, like that the Patriots also picked off 4 passes, but it’s clear on offense that their gameplan was to pass the ball to set up the run. Minnesota, by all estimations is the best team in defending the run just look at the stats on ESPN or more importantly, F.O.

Like Damocles sword dangling above Pennington’s head, this game is no different than the rest of the sesaon. The game and the season dangle precipitously above Pennington this weekend.