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Jets 2011 Preview, and other news on 9/8

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Jets Season Preview 2011: Mark Sanchez's progress, Plaxico Burress' potential and more

Published: Thursday, September 08, 2011, 4:30 AM

By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

9976490-large.jpg

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerQuarterback Mark Sanchez has led the Jets to the AFC title game in each of his first two seasons.

Rex Ryan placed a “C” on his quarterback’s jersey and charged him to lead the team this year. What was a role in the making is now official, and Sanchez has done his best this preseason to take the appropriate steps — lifting at 5:30 a.m. after a flight home from Houston, taking his new wide receiver out to dinner, or pulling rookies aside during camp for teaching moments. But the real test will be on the field, where Sanchez flourished at times last season. Now, it’s up to him to maintain consistency and bring together what some believe to be the most potent offense in Sanchez’s three years as a Jet. Working in the team’s favor? Sanchez has already said that the team’s success will begin and end with him this season.

2. Does Plaxico Burress have Pro Bowl potential left in him?

He promised reporters at the beginning of camp that, once he starts to move around, he’ll look like he’s 25 again. In limited action in the preseason, that seemed possible, especially in his debut when he hauled in three catches for 66 yards and a full-extension touchdown grab. But maintaining such potency will be one of the most important components for the Jets' offense this season. If Burress is on, he is able to draw coverage away from other wide receivers with machine-like efficiency. He towers over cornerbacks and possesses deceptive speed for his size. If he cannot return to form, the Jets will be seriously deprived of height in the red zone.

3. Will Brian Schottenheimer put all the right pieces together?

The word around the facility is that this team that believes it can score 30 or more points per game — a far cry from the 22.9 it averaged last season. Only one offense — the New England Patriots — reached that level (32.4 ppg) in 2011. In order for that to work, so many of the factors like Burress, Shonn Greene and Sanchez need to come together. But Schottenheimer, the offensive coordinator, needs to improve as well, growing with his offense. The coach was plagued by some calls late last year, especially the goal-line debacle against Pittsburgh, but has been touted as a head coach in the making. This year could pay dividends if he’s able to help his offense reach their lofty goals.

4. Will the defense respond without veterans Shaun Ellis, Jason Taylor and Trevor Pryce?

Mike DeVito and Sione Pouha have taken to the role of new leaders by organizing position dinners with all the defensive linemen during game weeks. Rookie Kenrick Ellis said he constantly finds himself taking a step back during practice just to learn certain techniques that can translate to what he’s working on. Muhammad Wilkerson, the team’s first-round pick, said DeVito and Pouha were instrumental in bringing him around during an abbreviated preseason. But the proof will be the first time the Jets are jammed up by a tough offensive line. Will the new mainstays, void of Ellis, Taylor and Pryce, be able to respond with much younger talent and give Rex Ryan another top 10 defense?

5. Will Shonn Greene be able to carry the load?

The idea is that LaDainian Tomlinson will be a third-down running back, and that Greene — who has been waiting in the background for two seasons now — can finally step in and take the bulk of the carries. In the preseason he looked strong, slicing through defenses with a comfortable 4.6 yards-per-carry average. But he is still a back that, Rex Ryan admitted, was built for November, December, January and February. This year, with more responsibility and less time on the bench, will be a huge indicator as to what Greene will be able to offer the team in the coming years and also how successful the passing game can be this year based in a more multi-dimensional offense.

*****

RETURNING LEADERS

Passing

Completions, Attempts, Yards, Touchdowns, Interceptions, Percentage

Mark Sanchez

278, 507, 3,291, 17, 13, 54.8

Mark Brunell 7, 13, 117, 2, 1, 53.8

Rushing

Attempts, Yards, Average, Touchdowns, Long

LaDainian Tomlinson

219, 914, 4.2, 6, 31

Shonn Greene

185, 766, 4.1, 2, 23

Joe McKnight

39, 189, 4.8, 0, 18

Receiving

Receptions, Yards, Average, Touchdowns, Long

Santonio Holmes 52 746 14.3 6 52

Dustin Keller 55 687 12.5 5 41

Defense

Tackles

David Harris 99

Bart Scott 81

Sacks

Bryan Thomas 6

Interceptions

Antonio Cromartie 3

*****

PLAYOFF BOUND IF ...

.. the Rex Ryan way continues

Sure, he’s guaranteed Super Bowls that he’s yet to deliver on, but there’s a lot to be said about making the AFC Championship game two years in a row. Players continue to preach about how playing for Ryan is better than almost any alternative. To name a few, Brodney Pool, Derrick Mason and Plaxico Burress all reportedly left money on the table to come here. Bart Scott and LaDainian Tomlinson restructured their contracts to allow the team to sign more free agents — all this to buy into the mantra that their head coach has been preaching for the last two seasons. If his message can resonate for another year, packed with stirring speeches and bold claims and the players continue to buy in despite times of turmoil, expect the Jets to be active in January.

HEADING HOME IF ...

... none of the gambles pay off.

There is always a chance that either one of Plaxico Burress’ bothersome ankles give way. There’s also a chance that just one training camp is not enough time for Muhammad Wilkerson to assume the role of a full-time starter. There’s a chance that Vladimir Ducasse — who had another enigmatic preseason — may have to be an everyday starter at some point this season if either Wayne Hunter or D’Brickashaw Ferguson goes down, and there’s a chance that LaDainian Tomlinson still has to take a bulk of the carries if Shonn Greene has trouble holding onto the football. These are all calculated risks taken by the Jets management, all of which could succeed seamlessly, or all of which could backfire.

*****

9976509-large.jpgWilliam Perlman/The Star-LedgerJets safety Jim Leonard has made a full recovery from a broken leg.

PLAYERS IN CONTRACT YEARS

S Jim Leonhard

After battling through an exhaustive rehabilitation schedule this offseason and making a full recovery from a broken leg, Leonhard is ready to come back and assume his role as the quarterback of Rex Ryan’s defense. And he picked a good time to do so, as he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season ends.

LB Bryan Thomas

At 32, he’s still a huge presence for the Jets coming off the edge and rushing the passer. And like Shaun Ellis was coming into this season, Thomas is now the team’s longest-tenured Jet. That being said, he does become a free agent after the season is over, so another year of leading the team in sacks — he finished with six last season — couldn’t hurt.

DT Sione Pouha

Named a defensive captain, his coaches praise the way he’s risen to the occasion and led a young core of defensive linemen through training camp. And if he’s able to keep it going through a successful season, he can expect good tidings in the free-agent market after the season. He signed a three-year extension in 2008 before even entering a full-time starting role.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson

He becomes a free agent in 2012 as well, but said he plans on playing at least through next season. Mark Sanchez lists him as his No. 1 security blanket in the passing game, and another productive year there could allow Tomlinson to ride off into retirement as a Jet.

*****

TWO MORE THINGS ...

1. As a defensive coordinator or head coach in the NFL, a Rex Ryan team has never been worse than No. 6 in the league when it comes to total yards surrendered. In 2009, they were No. 1 and last year, No. 3.

2. According to NFL.com, the No. 1 ranked fantasy player on the Jets roster is Santonio Holmes, who is 38th-best in the league and one slot ahead of New England Patriots wideout Wes Welker.

*****

9976518-large.jpgWilliam Perlman/The StarledgerFormer Giants receiver Plaxico Burress is now looking to make an impact on the Jets' offense.

NEW FACES

WR Plaxico Burress

The mammoth wideout has a chance to change the Jets’ dreary fortunes inside the red zone with his unparalleled ability to go up and get the football. He’ll have to show that almost three years away from the game hasn’t cut into his raw athleticism.

DL Muhammad Wilkerson

The rookie defensive lineman from Linden was thought of as a worthwhile replacement for the long-time Jet Shaun Ellis. With big shoes to fill, Wilkerson has maintained an aggressive mean streak throughout camp that has his teammates excited.

WR Derrick Mason

Mark Sanchez said the veteran wide receiver is playing like he’s 20 years old despite coming into camp at 37, with 15 years of experience. But Mason made no qualms about why he decided to don the green and white this season, and that’s to win the Super Bowl that’s been eluding him throughout his career.

KR Jeremy Kerley

Mike Westhoff’s next kick return/punt return project arrived in camp this summer and acclimated himself to the position right away. Through camp, he’s been the team’s primary option on special teams and will look to supplant the big shoes left behind by Brad Smith. Kerley has also been piloting the Wildcat formation throughout camp.

*****

DEPTH CHART

After taking the initiative to bring back pieces like Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie and Eric Smith, many of the depth chart questions were solved comfortably before the beginning of the preseason. Looking over the roster as a whole, the strength has to be at linebacker and in the secondary, where all of the starters and — perhaps just as importantly — almost all of the primary backups return from last season. With plenty of able bodies ready to come off the bench, already wise on the defense, it will allow coordinator Mike Pettine a significant amount of flexibility and comfort.

On offense, the depth has gotten better thanks to a few moves last weekend that patch up what was a scary-thin offensive line beyond the list of core starters. Losing Rob Turner for the beginning of the year with a broken leg will demand backups like Caleb Schlauderaff and Colin Baxter to put in some serious crunch time with position coach Bill Callahan just in case a freak accident occurs on Sunday.

More coverage:

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Offense

Position, Number, Player, Experience, Height, Weight

QB 6 Mark Sanchez (3, 6-2, 225) — 8 Mark Brunell (19, 6-1, 215)

RB 23 Shonn Greene (3, 5-11, 226) — 21 LaDainian Tomlinson (11, 5-10, 215)

WR 10 Santonio Holmes (6, 5-11, 192) — 85 Derrick Mason (15, 5-10, 197)

WR 17 Plaxico Burress (10, 6-5, 232) — 11 Jeremy Kerley (R, 5-9,188)

TE 81 Dustin Keller (4, 6-2, 250) — 82 Matthew Mulligan (3, 6-4, 265)

LT 60 D’Brickashaw Ferguson (6, 6-6, 310)

LG 68 Matt Slauson (3, 6-5, 315) — 72 Caleb Schlauderaff (R, 6-4, 302)

C 74 Nick Mangold (6, 6-4, 307) — 64 Colin Baxter (R, 6-3, 310)

RG 65 Brandon Moore (9, 6-3, 305) — 75 Rob Turner (4, 6-4, 308)

RT 78 Wayne Hunter (8, 6-5, 318) — 62 Vladimir Ducasse (2, 6-5, 325)

FB 38 John Conner (2, 5-11, 245) — 82 Matthew Mulligan (3, 6-4, 265)

Defense

Position, Number, Player, Experience, Height, Weight

DE 96 Muhammad Wilkerson (R, 6-4, 215) — 79 Ropati Pitoitua (3, 6-8, 315)

DT 91 Sione Pouha (7, 6-3, 325) — 93 Kenrick Ellis (R, 6-5, 330)

DT 70 Mike DeVito (5, 6-3, 305) — 94 Marcus Dixon (2, 6-4, 295)

WLB 57 Bart Scott (10, 6-2, 242) — 53 Josh Mauga (2, 6-1, 245)

MLB 52 David Harris (5, 6-2, 250) — 54 Nick Bellore (R, 6-1, 250)

OLB 58 Bryan Thomas (10, 6-4, 260) — 55 Jamaal Westerman (3, 6-3, 226)

OLB 97 Calvin Pace (9, 6-4, 265) — 50 Garrett McIntyre (1, 6-3, 225)

CB 24 Darrelle Revis (5, 5-11, 198) — 20 Kyle Wilson (2, 5-10, 190)

S 36 Jim Leonhard (7, 5-8, 188) — 27 Emanuel Cook (2, 5-10, 202)

S 33 Eric Smith (6, 6-1, 207) — 22 Brodney Pool (6, 6-2, 214)

CB 31 Antonio Cromartie (6, 6-2, 210) — 34 Marquice Cole (3, 5-10, 192)

Specialists

Position, Number, Player, Experience, Height, Weight

K 2 Nick Folk (5, 6-1, 221)

P 4 T.J. Conley (1, 6-3, 220)

LS 46 Tanner Purdum (2, 6-3, 270)

*****

ONE MORE THING ...

As a defensive coordinator or head coach in the NFL, a Rex Ryan team has never been worse than No. 6 in the league when it comes to total yards allowed.In 2009, they were No. 1 and last year, No. 3.

Conor Orr:
corr@starledger.com
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Jets face depleted Cowboys secondary with new-look receiving corps

Published: Thursday, September 08, 2011, 4:15 AM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

jetsjpg-eba963d479466d26.jpg

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerJets wide receiver Plaxico Burress (17) celebrates with Santonio Holmes after Burress scored a touchdown in the team's preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mark Sanchez recalls last year’s season opener unpleasantly, a 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in which the Jets struggled for first downs (six), total yards (176) and touchdowns (none).

“We were just trying too hard,” the Jets quarterback said Wednesday. “You get that pressure from ‘Hard Knocks,’ and you have to show the world everything you’ve got, and we have all these new players and we want to do so much.”

Not that there’s any less pressure for the offense’s 2011 debut Sunday night, when a new-look receiving corps including Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason is unveiled, and Sanchez enters an important third year.

And the person on the other sideline trying to stop them is none other than Rex Ryan’s twin, Rob Ryan, the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator.

Already, the chess match has begun — at least according to Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, who noticed defensive changes after the Jets acquired former Cowboys safety Andrew Sendejo off the waiver wire this weekend.

“It’s funny, because Rob had a defense already put in for the Jets, a bunch of stuff that I think he wanted to do in different areas,” Romo said during a conference call Wednesday. “Then, when the Jets (acquired) Andrew Sendejo, he ended up switching a lot of that stuff up. ... I’ve never seen that before, so I think there is a little cat-and-mouse game there, for sure.”

The Jets may be entering the contest with a pair of helpful advantages: The Cowboys could be without their top two corners, Terence Newman (groin) and Mike Jenkins (stinger/knee), not to mention Dallas has had just weeks post-lockout to install the scheme of newly hired Rob Ryan.

Rex Ryan will always praise his brother, calling him a “great teacher” Wednesday, but even he couldn’t hide how much better the Jets defense had it, returning 10 of 11 starters in Year 3 of the system.

“Probably a little easier for us,” Rex Ryan said.

Scouting the new Cowboys defense wasn’t quite so easy. Teams never show all their cards in the preseason. The Jets looked back at film of the Browns, where Rob Ryan coached last season, but Sanchez said that was only helpful to a degree because the personnel are so different.

Rex and Rob Ryan both learned from father Buddy Ryan, the architect of the legendary 46 defense with the Chicago Bears, and favor pressure-heavy systems. But while they might be twins, their schemes are fraternal, Rex Ryan said.

“He’ll bring a lot of corner pressures; he’ll do a lot of stuff that he learned under (Bill) Belichick’s tutelage,” Rex Ryan said. “He’s got his own trademark, and so do we here.”

That trademark could be limited, though, by personnel. Owner Jerry Jones acknowledged to Dallas-area reporters Wednesday that the Cowboys could enter the season with just three cornerbacks — charged with covering Burress, Mason and Santonio Holmes.

Mason said he picked Rex Ryan’s brain about Rob Ryan, supplementing the knowledge Mason gained by playing against Rob Ryan’s defenses twice a year for the past two years while with the Ravens. The exhaustive research also shows Mason isn’t taking for granted that his 15 years in the NFL give him an automatic advantage against potentially less-experienced defensive backs.

“With Rob coaching that defense, you’ve got to throw that out the window,” Mason said. “Regardless of who he has out there, they’re going to make you look crazy.”

Looking crazy is just what Sanchez is hoping to avoid. He learned his lesson last year.

“Go with what you know,” he said. “We’re a good rushing team, and we can throw the ball when we need to. Don’t get too cute; don’t make anything up on game day. Just play and have fun.”

For more Jets coverage, follow Jenny Vrentas on Twitter at twitter.com/Jennyvrentas

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Jets DB Darrelle Revis sees unique challenge posed by Cowboys wideouts, tight end

Published: Wednesday, September 07, 2011, 4:40 PM Updated: Wednesday, September 07, 2011, 9:14 PM

By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

8959771-large.jpgJohn O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerDarrelle Revis said facing Dez Bryant will be a lot like going against Terrell Owens.

The Jets' Darelle Revis would not come right out and say which of Dallas' wide receivers will occupy most of his time on Sunday night, but he did know that each of the top three threats — Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten — all require a different frame of mind to stop.

"Dez is your primary X receiver, you throw a lot of screens to him and you look for him down the field for the big play, I mean the guy is very strong, he's fast, he makes plays," Revis said. "I'll put Dez Bryant in the category of Terrell Owens — 6-3, 6-4 guy, about 230, very explosive. He's strong, you can tell he's strong at the line and he's coming into himself and being a great receiver. You can tell he has the talent to be one of the best in the league."

Austin, Revis said, is more of the variable with the way the Cowboys alter his location from snap to snap.

"He's in the slot, the next play he's in motion and the next play he's playing the X, they move him around a lot," Revis said.

And then there's Witten, who Revis says is QB Tony Romo's "go-to guy" and might present the biggest challenge in the passing game. Last year, passes over the middle proved a soft spot in the Jets defense. Teams would shy away from testing Revis or Antonio Cromartie on the outside and would find more success by dumping the ball over the middle to backs, tight ends or crossing receivers.

"This will be a good test for us early on, a lot of Witten's balls are inside and Tony looks for him in the middle of the field," Revis said. "It's a good test for our inside guys to handle Jason Witten."

* * *

The Jets injury report looks like this:

Out: WR Logan Payne (wrist) and OL Rob Turner (leg).

Limited: QB Mark Brunell (calf), FB John Conner (ankle).

Full participation: WR Plaxico Burress (ankle), TE Jeff Cumberland (hamstring), DE Marcus Dixon (knee), DT Kenrick Ellis (hamstring), WR Derrick Mason (knee), RB Joe McKnight and G Brandon Moore (illness), DT Ropati Pitoitua (ankle), NT Sione Pouha (knee), DB Darrelle Revis (hip).

For Dallas, TE Martellus Bennett (ankle) and CB Terence Newman (groin) did not practice. Newman will not play Sunday and Bennett’s status is still unsure.

CB Mike Jenkins will have an MRI on his knee, according to The Dallas Morning News, providing a very real possibility that Dallas will be without it’s top 2 starting corners.

Tackle Tyron Smith, who was listed as limited, has hyperextended knee according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. Watkins says the injury typically carries a 2-4 week recovery time.

WR Miles Austin (hamstring), C Phil Costa (knee), LB Bradie James (ankle) and CB Mike Jenkins (neck) were also limited.

* * *

Conner said that he'll have a heavy tape job for Sunday's game but feels fine after participating in team drills.

"It felt good out there running around, took me a while to get warmed up and after I got warmed up and everything I was good to go," he said.

"I did most of it, early on in practice I didn’t have that many reps, toward the end of practice, I had a lot of reps, and it felt good."

* * *

Rex Ryan said that he's only calculating wins for third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez, but that a completion percentage over 60 would be ideal.

How does Sanchez improve on the 54.8 he finished with last year?

More coverage:

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"I think there's been an emphasis on when things aren't open on your first and second read not to try and force it in and go back either to your first read or second read and try and make a great throw or a great play," Sanchez said. "Or just be able to run the ball a little bit."

* * *

Nick Folk, a former Cowboy, said everything is going smoothy with the kicking unit. After an abbreviated offseason and less time to gel after the loss of holder — and current Giants punter — Steve Weatherford, Folk said everything is in regular season form heading into Sunday.

"Everything is good right now, we're getting into a good groove there and then I feel like I'm kicking off pretty well too," he said.

They have been consistently hitting the 1.3 second goal from snap to kick.

"That's what we're aiming for, we'll probably be a little bit quicker a lot of times during games just because the adrenaline is pumping a little quicker and I have a little more time," Folk said.

* * *

Former Jets DT Kris Jenkins will join SNY as an analyst this season.
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Sanchez better prepared for season opener

Originally published: September 7, 2011 9:40 PM

Updated: September 7, 2011 10:05 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

image.JPG

Photo credit: Getty Images | Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets stands on the field before a pre-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. (Sept. 1, 2011)

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Jets blog: The Boone Docks

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez wants to forget about the dreadful performance turned in by the offense in last year's season opener, the awful display that took place in front of a national television audience.

The Jets left a pterodactyl-sized egg on the turf field of their new stadium in their 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, something that Sanchez believes can be attributed to one thing.

"Last year, we were just trying too hard," Sanchez said Wednesday. "You get that pressure from 'Hard Knocks' and you have to show the world everything you've got, and we have all these new players and we want to do so much."

About the only thing the Jets did that night was leave a nasty stench. They managed just 176 total yards of offense and Sanchez completed only 10 of 21 attempts for 74 yards as the Jets picked up just six first downs.

So Sanchez said they've learned their lesson from that debacle, and the emphasis in Sunday's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium is to play their game and be loose.

"We just want to be ourselves and go with what you know," Sanchez said. "We are a good rushing team, but we can throw the ball when we need to. We are going to have great field position with our special teams, our defense is going to get the offense the ball back, and that's it. Don't get too cute. Don't make anything up on game day.

"Just play and have fun."

Sanchez might be able to have a whole lot of fun against the Cowboys' suddenly banged-up secondary.

Starting cornerbacks Terence Newman (groin) and Mike Jenkins (neck / knee) both might be forced to sit out, opening up things even more for Sanchez to work some magic with wideouts Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress, Derrick Mason and Jeremy Kerley.

Sanchez said the Jets won't alter their approach if it turns out Newman and Jenkins can't play. He's sounding more and more like the leader Rex Ryan wants him to be, one of the many things that's impressed Mason in his short time with the team.

"His ability to have a short-term memory, him being so young but him having the intelligence of a veteran," Mason said, "a guy that goes out there and commands respect in the huddle. I think it's very critical for your quarterback to be a leader and show that leadership. And since I've been here, he's been able to do that."

One thing he hasn't been able to do yet: significantly improve his completion percentage. Sanchez has connected on only 54.4 percent of his passes in his first two seasons, a career number that increased slightly last season when he completed 54.8 percent of his attempts compared with 53.8 percent during his rookie season.

"If he's at 55 and we're winning games . . . " Rex Ryan said. "I don't have him on my fantasy football team, I just want my quarterback to win."

Still, Sanchez understands it's an area he must improve. He said there's been an emphasis on not forcing the ball at his first or second reads when the play isn't there, instead doing things like tucking the ball away and scrambling for some positive yardage, throwing it away or dumping it off for a short gain to one of his backs.

He has to be at the top of his game each week if the Jets are going to have a legit shot at being an elite team.

"If anything it's only gotten more intense and more important for me to be accurate," Sanchez said. "When you get playmakers like that, just get them the

ball and be accurate with it, give them a chance to catch and run.

"So that's my focus going into the game and understanding the game plan. I feel good about it already."

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Jets coach tells Cowboys fans to stay home

4:48 PM, September 7, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Cowboys fans invaded Giants Stadium for years when their team faced the Giants. With the Cowboys coming to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face the Jets, Rex Ryan was asked if he expects to see Cowboys fans in the stands.

"I don't know why they'd be here," the Jets coach said Wednesday. "They're coming into our stadium. It's probably not recommended that you wear Cowboys stuff, I would think."

Ryan always talks off the cuff, and it sounded like he was trying to make a joke, but it is ill-timed considering recent fan violence at stadiums in Los Angeles and San Francisco at baseball and football games, and in England at a soccer game this week.

Ryan father Buddy made no secret about how much he hated the Cowboys when he was head coach of the Eagles, and some of that may have rubbed off.

"Of course, when that’s one of your huge rivals, well of course you dislike them," Rex Ryan said. "This week, I can’t stand Dallas, but I’m a huge fan of theirs for the next 15 games in the regular season, but I don’t like them right now."

Dallas faces the other AFC East teams during this season.

The Cowboys have not faced the Jets in New Jersey since 2003.

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Simms says Jets' Sanchez is ready

5:54 PM, September 7, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Giants great Phil Simms likes what he saw from Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez at the end of last season, and expects it to carry over into the 2011 season.

"About this coming season, I have questions about the New York Jets but one of them is not the quarterback," Simms, an NFL analyst for CBS said Wednesday on a conference call. "I don't have any questions about him. It's questions about running back, some of the moves they made – will they come through – and the coaches can they do their part. But I think Mark Sanchez will definitely hold up his end."

Simms believes the turning poing for Sanchez came last December when coach Rex Ryan talked about benching the quarterback after a few dismal performances.

"Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez had a little bit of a conflict and both kind of got mad at each other," Simms said, "but I think what happened is the Jets really defined what they needed from him and, for lack of a better term, made him responsible, put his feet to the fire, and I thought he responded in the perfect manner. He was upset but he went out and he changed the way he was playing on the field. I thought from there all the way through the playoffs even in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers I thought Mark Sanchez was absolutely the perfect quarterback for the New York Jets."

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Coaches are twins, but Jets, Cowboys have different defenses

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:10 AM, September 8, 2011

Posted: 2:23 AM, September 8, 2011

Many people make the mistake of assuming Rex and Rob Ryan are identical twins because they look and sound so alike. The brothers are fraternal twins.

Rex Ryan made the same analogy about their defenses yesterday. Most people assume the Ryans run the same defense. But the Jets head coach and

Cowboys defensive coordinator have similarities in the way they run their defenses, but by no means are they carbon copies of each other.

“There are some differences,” Rex Ryan said. “He’ll bring a lot of corner pressures. He’ll do a lot of stuff he learned under [Patriots coach Bill] Belichick’s tutelage. He’s got his own trademark of defense and so do we here — the Rex Ryan, [defensive coordinator] Mike Pettine and [defensive backs coach] Dennis Thurman defense.”

rex_ryan--300x300.jpg

Jeff Zelevansky

Rex Ryan

The Ryans learned under their father, Buddy, the longtime NFL defensive coordinator and head coach. When the twins graduated from college, Buddy taught them the concepts of his famous “46 defense.”

The brothers coached together under Buddy when he was the head coach in Arizona, but then went in different directions. Rex ended up with the Ravens, and learned under Marvin Lewis. Rob went to the Patriots, where Belichick influenced his defense.

When the two meet on Sunday, the mind games will get cranked up. This is the ninth time they have faced each other, the fourth time in the NFL. Last year, Rex and the Jets beat Rob, then with the Browns, 26-20, in overtime.

Former Jets coach Eric Mangini was the Browns coach that day, and knows what to expect Sunday.

“Rob will say, ‘Rex is going to think I’m going to do this so I’m going to do that,’ ” Mangini, now an ESPN analyst, said. “Rex will be saying, ‘Rob is going to think I’m going to do this, so I’m going to do that.’ It will be fun to watch.”

Mangini coached with Rob in New England and Cleveland and game-planned against Rex’s defenses as the coach of the Browns and Jets. He said the biggest difference between the two systems is Rob plays more of the two-gap 3-4 system that Belichick popularized and Mangini used with the Jets. Rex uses a base 3-4, but has guys offset to create 4-3 looks.

One thing that is the same between the brothers is they love to bring the heat.

“Both guys find creative ways to blitz,” Mangini said. “That’s consistent.”

Rex spoke about how their systems have morphed from what their father ran in the 1980s with the Bears and Eagles, but Mangini said Rob would study films of Buddy’s defenses and steal concepts. He said in 2001 when the Patriots played the Falcons, Rob brought a box of Buddy’s tapes into the office and they installed some “46” looks. That week they had nine sacks.

The gamesmanship between the two already has started. The Jets picked up safety Andrew Sendejo off waivers last weekend after the Cowboys dropped him. That led to Rob rewriting the Cowboys’ game plan.

“It’s funny, because Rob had a defense already put in for the Jets, a bunch of stuff in that I think he wanted to do in different areas,” Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said. “Then, when the Jets [acquired] Andrew Sendejo, he ended up switching a lot of that stuff up, so I thought that was pretty interesting when I was watching the defensive side of the ball here this week. I’ve never seen that before, so I think there is a little cat-and-mouse game there, for sure.”

The Jets probably have the advantage in the scouting department because several members of the offense have faced the Jets defense for the last two years in practice and have seen some of the same concepts Rob employs. Plus, Rob has only had six weeks to install his complicated system in Dallas.

“Seeing Rex’s defense every day is a huge help and gives us a chance to see a ton of different pressures, a ton of different looks,” center Nick Mangold said. “It’s a big help for us.”

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Peyton Manning's injury could mean one less obstacle for Jets on road to Super Bowl

Gary Myers

Thursday, September 8th 2011, 4:00 AM

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Andy Lyons/Getty

The Indianapolis Colts can't say when Peyton Manning, their star quarterback out with a neck injury, will return. That could open the AFC wide for the Jets and other top contenders.

Antonio Cromartie has not called Tony Romo any nasty names, Darrelle Revis has not labeled Dez Bryant a slouch and Rex Ryan has not mentioned anything about kissing Jerry Jones' rings.

The Cowboys are America's Team, but the Jets clearly don't have the passion or hatred for Dallas that they do for the Patriots. LaDainian Tomlinson, who grew up in Rosebud, Tex., said he loved the Cowboys as a kid.

Instead of trash-talking the Boys this week, the Jets have not been shy about expressing the expectations they have for themselves this season.

Rex Ryan's guarantee that the Jets will win the Super Bowl has grown a little stale, of course. But it gets your attention when All-Pro center Nick Mangold, a level-headed team leader not prone to outrageous statements, is certain the Jets will be playing in Indianapolis on the first Sunday in February in Super Bowl XLVI.

"I want to go out there and I want to win the Super Bowl. If you have any goal or plan less than that, you're not going to do it," Mangold told the Daily News Wednesday. "I strongly believe we are going to win a Super Bowl this year. We've been close and gotten that taste. We feel this is the year that we are going to get over that hurdle and do it all."

Tomlinson came close in San Diego. He came close in his first year with the Jets. This year, he thinks he's getting there. "I just got to believe that it has to be us," he said.

The Jets' best players are all young: Revis, Mangold, Mark Sanchez, David Harris, Santonio Holmes and D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

But the Jets are also a team built to win now. And the opportunity is there this season. "I love this roster," Ryan said. "You look at it, there's no excuses."

Peyton Manning's neck injury - he is out for the Colts' opener on Sunday with no indication when he will be able to play - severely changes the landscape in the AFC. If Manning's injury keeps him out for a significant period, it eliminates Indianapolis as a Super Bowl contender. That's one less team for the Jets to worry about.

Kerry Collins can keep the Colts going in the short term, but Indianapolis, a team that otherwise has average talent, is all about Manning. Collins is not going to be able to carry the Colts through the season. Collins came out of retirement this summer to play for Indianapolis, but he hasn't played well since leading the Titans to a 10-0 start in 2008.

If Manning is not back soon, that leaves the Jets, Patriots, Ravens and Steelers as legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the AFC with the Chargers, annual underachievers, on the periphery.

The Jets can take the next step if Sanchez plays as well in the regular season as he has in the playoffs the last two years. It's hard to win the division and get home playoff games when the quarterback is not even completing 55% of his passes. The Jets have talked a lot this summer about Sanchez's leadership and his "ownership" of the offense. Now he has to start playing better.

He talked Wednesday about dumping the ball off for completions when the deep ball is not there. Five yards to LT is better than an incompletion 35 yards down the field to Holmes or Plaxico Burress. Getting his completions up to 60% should not be difficult.

Sanchez is in his third season. He has 31 regular-season starts and six playoff starts. He is 19-12 in the regular season and 4-2 in the playoffs. This year should be a turning point for him.

Ryan has played around Sanchez for two years. Don't win the game, kid, just don't lose it. Not many teams have won Super Bowls that way. The Jets need to let Sanchez play. Still, they didn't make it easy for him by bringing just Holmes back from his top four wideouts. He's had to develop chemistry with Burress and Derrick Mason on the run in training camp. There was no offseason.

Sanchez has been demanding of players much older than he is. "It's my turn to really take charge," Sanchez said. "That's been a good challenge for me. They've responded well. They know I'm working hard. They know that I mean well, that my intentions are good and when I get on them, it's never personal, that I just want the best out of them."

The only trash talk this week has been Packers QB Aaron Rodgers calling Sanchez's photo spread and his choice of clothes in his GQ shoot "embarrassing," and "terrible," for whatever that's worth. Keep that on file in case they meet in the Super Bowl.

The Jets played scared in the season-opening 10-9loss to the Ravens last year. But they got their season going the next week by beating New England. After Dallas on Sunday night, they have an easy game against the Jaguars, then three in a row on the road at Oakland, Baltimore and New England.

"If people who play this game or work in this profession - if you just play for the money, then you're in the wrong profession," Revis said. "I just think as a team we are focused and ready to play football."

The Jets don't play in Indianapolis this season, and if Manning is out for long, they won't play there in the AFC playoffs. The goal is to be there in February.

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Rex on Sanchez's completion rate: 'I don’t have him on my fantasy football team. I just want my quarterback to win.'

BY Manish Mehta

Rex Ryan isn’t overly concerned with Mark Sanchez’s low completion percentage. Although only two quarterbacks (Jimmy Clauson and Derek Anderson) finished last season with a worse completion rate than Sanchez’s 54.8%, Ryan, frankly, doesn’t care.

“You’d love to see your quarterback over 60 (percent),” Ryan said today. “Our system is probably a little different than others. We’ll take probably more shots down field than some teams will. ….The big thing is wins. Protect the football and let’s find ways to get wins. If he’s at 55 and we’re winning games, it doesn’t (mattter). I don’t have him on my fantasy football team. I just want my quarterback to win.”

Sanchez & Co. will look to have have a better performance than the 10-9 season-opening loss to the Ravens last season.

"Last year, we were trying too hard," Sanchez said. "(We) got that pressure from Hard Knocks, got to show the world everything we got and we got all these new players and you want to do so much. (This year, we) just (have to) be ourselves. Go with what you know. We're a good rushing team. We can throw the ball when we need to. We're going to have good field position with our special teams. Our defense is going to get the offense the ball back."

Ryan had a message for Cowboys' fans that plan to come to the game on Sunday night.

"I don't know why they'd be here," Ryan said. "They’re coming into our stadium. It's probably not recommended that you wear Cowboys stuff."

Contrary to popular belief, the Ryan brothers don’t run identical style defenses.

“I think we’re fraternal in that way, “Rex said about twin brother Rob. “There’s some differences. He’ll do a lot of stuff (that) he learned under Belichick’s tutelage. We’re definitely different. He’s got his own trademark of defense. So do we here: The Rex Ryan, Mike Pettine and Dennis Thurman Defense.”

Tony Romo admitted that Rob Ryan altered the defensive plan after the Jets claimed former Dallas safety Andrew Sendejo off waivers last weekend.

"It’s funny, because Rob had a defense already put in for the Jets, a bunch of stuff in that I think he wanted to do in different areas," Romo said. "Then, when the Jets (acquired) Andrew Sendejo, he ended up switching a lot of that stuff up, so I thought that was pretty interesting when I was watching the defensive side of the ball here this week. I’ve never seen that before, so I think there is a little cat-and-mouse game there, for sure."

Although fullback John Conner (left ankle sprain) was limited in practice, he did participate in team drills. Ryan expects Conner to practice more in the coming days.

"I expect him to play,” Ryan said of his fullback’s availability for Sunday.

Ryan made no secret that the Cowboys’ inexperienced offensive line will be challenged by the Jets’ defense. Rookie right tackle (and first-round pick) Tyron Smith will miss the game due to a hyperextended knee, according to ESPN Dallas.

“When you’re starting new offensive (linemen), no matter who you play, there’s going to be some adjustments,” Ryan said, “But when you play a defense like ours that’s been together and does multiple things, there’s probably easier defenses to face than ours.”

WR Plaxico Burress (ankle), CB Darrelle Revis (hip), DL Sione Pouha (knee), TE Jeff Cumberland (hamstring), DL Marcus Dixon (hamstring), DL Kenrick Ellis (knee), WR Derrick Mason (knee), RB Joe McKnight (illness), RG Brandon Moore (illness) and DL Ropati Pitoitua (ankle) practiced fully.

Aaron Rodgers clearly isn’t a fan of Mark Sanchez’s photo spread in the September issue of GQ. Sanchez, of course, received some good natured ribbing from his teammates over the shoot. Rodgers joked that he wasn’t a big fan one of Sanchez’s pictures with him standing in MetLife Stadium with a black tank top, white pants and fur coat slung over his shoulder.

“Look at this,” Rodgers said on the ‘Aaron Rodgers Show’ on ESPN Milwaukee. “That’s embarrassing. Page 94 of the GQ thing here. That’s terrible.”

“It’s just not really my style,” added Rodgers when asked if he’d consider doing a similar photo shoot. “I like my anonymity, I like my privacy. I like being able to be the quarterback during the week and, in the offseason, just be able to do what I want to do and not have to be in the public eye.”

Sanchez's response?

"I think he was, obviously, making a joke out of it, and that’s fine, giving me a good ribbing like the guys on our team," Sanchez said in a statement released by the team. "That’s totally understandable, but I’m just happy that it ended up working out for a good cause and we got to partner with two great companies and one great charity, with Hugo Boss and Tuesday’s Children. It worked out for the better and I can take a little razzing for the way it ended up. I know he’s just joking around, so that’s totally fine."

The Cowboys may be without their top cornerback Terence Newman, who missed practice today due to a lingering groin injury that has kept him out for more than a month. That would be good news for Santonio Holmes, who could exploit his matchup against Orlando Scandrick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Dallas reporters today that cornerback Michael Jenkins was injured in practice today, which means Dallas may be down to three healthy cornerbacks on Sunday: Bryan McCann, Alan Ball, and Scandrick.

"With Rob coaching that defense, you've got to throw that out the window," wide receiver Derrick Mason said. "He's a very good defensive coach and he will take advantage of the personnel he has in whatever way he chooses... With him not having his whole group on secondary, he's going to do what he has to do to make sure those guys succeed. We're not going to take it for granted if one or two of their guys don't play. We still have to go out and capitalize. As long as they got Rob as a defensive coordinator, they are going to be good."

Ryan called Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware "the best pass rusher in the league." He'll definitely be the focus for the offensive line on every snap.

Former Jets’ nose tackle Kris Jenkins will be an NFL analyst on CBS this season. He'll contribute to the NFL Today and Showtime's Inside The NFL, according to Sports Illustrated. Jenkins will also be the co-host for “Jets Gameplan” on SNY.

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lSorry about the other thread Slats. Looked for SFJ, didn't see it, and figured he had to work late last night

Haha! No need to apologize. Just figured you could start posting in this one before yours gets merged here, anyway. :)

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lSorry about the other thread Slats. Looked for SFJ, didn't see it, and figured he had to work late last night

you see how slats is fg? We just get hired, sign a brand new big $ contract with JN and these friggin scabs come busting through the gates

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you know what happened here is I saw Jets 2011 preview and didn't catch the "other news" part-I was still on my first cupa Joe

You don't need to explain yourself. You've been the "Jets News" guy for as long as I can remember posting on Jets message boards, both here and on the other side. This is what you do, and we love you for it. Now you've got guys like this slats fool trying to steal your spotlight, you don't need to put up with that crap.

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You don't need to explain yourself. You've been the "Jets News" guy for as long as I can remember posting on Jets message boards, both here and on the other side. This is what you do, and we love you for it. Now you've got guys like this slats fool trying to steal your spotlight, you don't need to put up with that crap.

The list:

1.) SoFla

2.) BG

Just keep it coming, guys....

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