Week 1 Gameday clippings

[gangreenman]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/sports/football/third-season-will-be-telling-for-jets-sanchez.html?_r=1&ref=sports&pagewanted=all

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — If a quarterback’s rookie year is roughly equivalent to an endless first day of school, learning playbooks and defenses instead of locker combinations and classroom assignments, then his third season is akin to his going away to college. No more pampering, no more coddling, no more excuses. For Mark Sanchez, MetLife Stadium will double as his freshman dormitory — if more than 80,000 people were paying to watch him study.

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Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

One of Mark Sanchez's weaknesses during his first two seasons was passing up sure short gains for elusive big plays.

The Jets’ opening game against Dallas on Sunday showcases Sanchez as a man in full, awash in expectations even higher than in seasons past, largely because of the burden assumed by third-year quarterbacks. Historically, this is when they begin revealing a deeper understanding of the offensive system and improved recognition of opposing defenses, overcoming deficiencies tolerated the first two seasons, but not as much anymore.

“You hit that third year,” Coach Rex Ryan said, “you pretty much know what you have after that.”

Even though each quarterback develops at his own pace, sometimes to the frustration of a demanding fan base, the natural progression in Sanchez’s evolution is toward becoming more of an asset and away from merely being a game manager supported by a ferocious defense and loads of offensive talent. To that end, the Jets invested nearly $50 million on a revamped receiving corps, re-signing Santonio Holmes and adding Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason. They imported Tom Moore, Peyton Manning’s offensive guru in Indianapolis, who spent much of training camp focusing on Sanchez’s red-zone efficiency, one of his primary shortcomings.

“Pressure is a privilege,” said the former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason, an analyst for CBS. “You want to be in GQ? You want to live up to being the fifth overall pick? That will sustain itself only if you play well in the field. You put yourself out there, you have to perform.”

From his first to second season, Sanchez improved in most offensive categories, including touchdowns, passing yardage and completion percentage.

The next step, Esiason said, is for Sanchez to emerge as “more of a reason why the Jets win, not why they don’t lose.” In other words, someone who can guide them to victories in important games — like the last two A.F.C. title games, against Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, in which the Jets lost in spite of him, not because of him — when other elements are lacking. A precedent for third-year improvement was set by many of the great quarterbacks, including Joe Montana and Troy Aikman, who made their first Pro Bowls, and Manning, who led the N.F.L. in passing yards and touchdowns.

Sanchez’s learning curve was accelerated because he started from his first game as a rookie, a rarity among recent players. Of the 121 quarterbacks drafted from 1998 to 2009, only the most durable and productive survived: Sanchez is one of eight to start at least 27 games over his first two seasons. With one exception, Vince Young, who was benched in Tennessee, each of the other six quarterbacks made progress — drastic progress, in some instances — during his third season: David Carr, Joe Flacco, Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan.

For Detroit, Harrington raised his completion percentage and threw for more yards and touchdowns with fewer interceptions. Ryan, playing in two more games with Atlanta, threw five fewer interceptions and for nearly 800 more yards than the previous season. In Houston, Carr’s completion rate jumped to 61.2 percent from 56.6 percent.

“That second summer, for me, it was like I’m actually a football player now,” said Carr, who is now Eli Manning’s backup with the Giants. He added: “You find you do things that you wouldn’t normally do before because you realize how important the little things are. I feel like it’s the same for every quarterback. You feel like you’re much more comfortable just being a quarterback, being the guy. And then go out and act like it.”

That off-season, Carr said he spent more time with the Texans’ coaching staff and his wide receivers. He showed up to training camp with a purpose, feeling almost like a coach. In that way, Sanchez can relate, having gathered teammates in Southern California for the second consecutive year for a weeklong camp, going over formations, protection schemes and routes. But his career arc more resembles those of Ryan and Baltimore’s Flacco, quarterbacks thrust into the spotlight because their teams, built on defense and a strong rushing attack, played well almost immediately.

Heading into his third season in 2010, Flacco trained in California with a pitching coach, who helped strengthen his shoulder muscles. The Ravens also traded for an elite receiver, Anquan Boldin. Though Baltimore lost in the divisional playoffs, Flacco posted career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, a product of what Mason called “noticeable changes.”

“They weren’t slight little things,” said Mason, who joined the Jets in August after spending the last six seasons in Baltimore. “Everyone noticed his poise, his command of the huddle, his decision making. That’s where Mark has to get. There have to be some big things that people notice, and for him, it has to be his leadership and his maturity and his completion percentage, which has to jump — it just has to. That shows the progression of a quarterback. That shows that this guy is our long-term guy.”

Confidence has never been in short supply for Sanchez, who has appeared in A.F.C. championships as many times as he has appeared shirtless in the pages of GQ. Inside — and on the outside, too — that perfectionist streak runs deep, and in his quest to make the textbook pass, Sanchez will sometimes overthink a play or hold on to the ball too long.

“I honestly think he needs to be more of a quarterback,” Holmes said. “And what I mean by that is just allow the playmakers to make the plays, and he just pitch and catch the ball and give us opportunities, and not put all the pressure on himself that he has to get the job done. Just allow his playmakers to make plays for him.”

Before working with Sanchez, the quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh had experience in Baltimore tutoring Kyle Boller, another rookie starter. In comparing his current pupil with Boller, whose on-field progress was stunted by injuries, Cavanaugh said Sanchez was “naturally more accurate, more of a natural thrower,” and further along in his development.

“You live with the mistakes, and you try to eliminate more and more until he becomes that seasoned guy you want,” said Cavanaugh, who left the Ravens before the 2005 season, Boller’s third year.

Of Sanchez, he said, “He’s played roughly 18, 19 games each year, and I think with him that he’s at a point now where he’s making the progress we’re looking for.”

By that, Cavanaugh means that Sanchez has a better grasp of game management, realizing when not to take risks. In the off-season, the Jets watched video of every throw Sanchez made last season, all 596 of them. They watched every incompletion, all 291 of them.

What they detected was a problem that the offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said plagued many young quarterbacks: an eagerness to make a big play instead of settling for a small gain. Sanchez said he was especially guilty when receivers ran deep routes; instead of shifting to a different option, like a running back or a tight end, he would wait too long for the receiver to try to gain separation.

“Don’t pass up early completions,” Sanchez said.

Those five words are his mantra, reinforcing the Jets’ emphasis in training camp on making better decisions. In an otherwise sluggish preseason game against the Giants, Sanchez misfired on some passes, particularly to Burress, but did not force the ball into coverage or commit any turnovers, unlike his more experienced counterpart, Eli Manning. Sanchez has not played since, devoting the intervening 12 days to studying the game plan, to watching film, to preparing for the Cowboys. On Sunday, he will arrive at MetLife Stadium, brimming with confidence as he begins this pivotal season. His campus awaits

[gangreenman]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/gang_will_loosen_up_for_this_opener_STKzBVJ9m4H3zlpto29ugL

Jets vow to loosen up for this opener

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated:

7:56 AM, September 11, 2011

Posted:

11:46 PM, September 10, 2011

The Jets enter the 2011 season in a similar way to how they entered the 2010 season -- plenty of hype, Super Bowl talk and high expectations.

They just hope this season starts off better than last year, when the season opener was a mess for them. On a rainy night against the Ravens, they managed just six first downs and 176 yards of offense.

Looking back on it this week, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez said he thought they might have pressed.

"I think last year we were just trying too hard," Sanchez said. "You get that pressure from 'Hard Knocks.' You have to show the world everything you got. We have all of these new players and we want to do so much. Let's be ourselves. Go with what you do well.

"We're a good rushing team. We can throw the ball when we need to. We're 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."

Tonight, the Jets vow not to make the same mistake. They say they understand that you can't play the whole season in one night.

"We were anxious to play," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "We felt like, 'OK we've got new toys, let's play with them.' This year, even though we have new additions, there's patience. This is a long season. We're never going to get anything accomplished other than a win the first week. We're not going to lead the league in offense or rushing or passing, nothing. Not the first week."

Coach Rex Ryan said he takes the blame for the loss to the Ravens last year. He thinks they emphasized not turning the ball over so much that the offense was afraid to turn it loose.

" I took responsibility for that one," Ryan said. "I thought we had the quarterback dialed in on not making mistakes and all that. But we forgot to tell him you can go ahead and make plays. So I think just play and turn it loose. We know how to play the game, we know how to protect the football. Do the things we've been preaching about all training camp long, and just go out and execute."

*

The Jets signed cornerback

Isaiah Trufant

off of their practice squad yesterday to take the roster spot left vacant when they cut wide receiver

Mardy Gilyard

on Friday.

*

The Jets will see two players tonight they traded away in order to land Sanchez. Safety

Abram Elam

and defensive end

Kenyon Coleman

were two of the three players the Jets traded to the Browns to get the No. 5 pick in the 2009 draft when they chose Sanchez. Both followed

Rob Ryan

to the Cowboys.

*

Jets kicker

Nick Folk

was a sixth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2007 and spent three years in Dallas. . . .

Plaxico Burress

has not played a regular-season game since Nov. 23, 2008, with the Giants at Arizona.

Read more:http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/gang_will_loosen_up_for_this_opener_STKzBVJ9m4H3zlpto29ugL#ixzz1XeTk1jSG

[Maxman]

Jets vs. Cowboys Preview, Prediction

by Tyson Rauch on September 11, 2011

in Game Previews

On Sunday night the New York Jets kickoff their 2011 season with a match-up against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium (8:20 EST). The Jets enter the game with grand expectations while the Cowboys are looking to bounce back coming off of a disappointing 2010 campaign. Lets take a look at some of the keys to the game from the Jets perspective.

Offense

1) Contain Ware- Demarcus Ware is arguably one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and the Jets must find ways to contain the explosive linebacker. Whether that means utilizing the short passing game, or moving coverage to Ware’s side, Gang Green cannot allow Demarcus to disrupt the passing game.

2) Establish the passing game- The Cowboys enter the game with a very banged up secondary and the Jets must take advantage of the opportunity to make plays in the passing game. Ideally the Jets offensive strategy should be to come out passing in order to get Sanchez comfortable and his receivers, notably Plaxico Burress, involved in the game plan early on. Once the passing game is established Gang Green can then implement their ground and pound ways.

3) Red zone efficiency- It is no secret that the Jets offense struggled in the red zone last year and that trend must change in 2011. Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense must take advantage of red zone possessions, putting up touchdowns instead of settling for field goals.

Defense

1) Dominate the offensive line- The Cowboys enter the game with an inexperienced, banged up offensive line which should be music to the ears of Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. The Jets defensive line led by Sione Pouha, Mike Devito, and Muhammad Wilkerson must dominate the battles in the trenches and stifle the running game which will allow the linebackers to get pressure on quarterback Tony Romo.

2) Contain Witten- There is a very good chance that Tony Romo will go to the short passing game to help offset the Jets pass rush. Gang Green must find ways to contain tight end Jason Witten as he could be Romo’s target early and often. I would not be surprised to see the Jets try to put a safety on Witten, possibly Eric Smith or Brodney Pool.

3) Get off the field on 3rd down- The Jets defense must get off the field on third down, especially when they force the offense into third and long situations. The last thing you want to see is breakdowns in coverage or communication issues that keep drives alive and the Cowboys in the game.

Prediction

While many are predicting a close game, I think the Jets should win this one going away. The Cowboys are entering the game with an inexperienced offensive line and a banged up secondary. That is not a good combination for any NFL team. I expect the Jets to jump out to a early lead, which will fuel a fired up home crowd as well as their defense. 27-17 Jets

Tagged as: Jets, New York Jets, NY Jets