Jets News 9-12

[flgreen]

September 12, 2011 10:34 AM 0 comments

Jets Rewind: Analyzing 'Jet Mike Mix' in 27-24 win over the Cowboys

BY Manish Mehta

For all the talk about the Rob Ryan’s defensive genius, it was Jets’ defensive coordinator Mike Pettine who made the defensive call of the game with 59 seconds to go in Gang Green’s 27-24 win over the Cowboys last night.

Pettine dialed up a play called “Jet Mike Mix” and added a wrinkle that wasn’t part of the original gameplan. He simply drew it up on the spot.

The Cowboys took over on their 41-yard line with the game tied at 24-24. On first down, the Jets disguised their early pre-snap look to give the illusion that Darrelle Revis had one-on-one coverage with no safety help on outside receiver Dez Bryant on the right side. Pettine added another piece by inviting Romo to flush to his right out of the pocket by shading safety Jim Leonhard to the left. Then, the Jets quickly morphed to “Two Man” -- or Cover-2 with a pair of safeties splitting the field. The receivers were effectively doubled-teamed with man coverage underneath.

Here’s the pre-snap breakdown from my morning film review:

The Cowboys had a 2x1 formation (two receivers to Tony Romo’s left and one to his right) with TE Jason Jason Witten and RB Felix Jones in the backfield. Revis was matched up against Bryant wide right. Antonio Cromartie was on Miles Austin in the left slot. Kyle Wilson covered Kevin Ogletree wide left.

The Jets had six men at the line of scrimmage with safeties Brodney Pool and Jim Leonhard seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, just outside the hash & inside the numbers. Then, Pettine baited Romo by sliding Leonhard back and shading to the quarterback's left side of the field to help Cromartie and Wilson before the snap. Pool didn’t move.

Romo, who was in shotgun, had enough time to survey the field after Leonhard changed his position on the field. At that point, the Cowboys' quarterback thought that he had Bryant singled up with Revis.

However, as soon as the ball was snapped, Pool bolted back and to the sideline to give Revis over-the-top help, effectively double-teaming Bryant.

Romo was fooled, and rolled right -- right into Pettine's trap. Revis, who had the underneath coverage, easily intercepted the Romo's errant pass and took it back 20 yards to set up Nick Folk’s game-winning 50-yard field goal.

“I don’t know if Tony was fooled by it a little bit,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “Unfortunately we made that turnover and gave them a chance to win that ball game.”

Bryant recognized the double team and correctly adjusted his route, which was initially supposed to be a comeback. Romo didn’t adjust with his receiver, who kept running up field.

“That’s on me to adjust with it,” Romo said. “And I didn’t. That was stupid.”

And it cost the Cowboys the game.

STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Cowboys were 246-0-1 when holding a 14+ point lead in 4th quarter before the Jets rallied to win last night.

STAT OF THE NIGHT II: The Jets rallied from a 14+ fourth-quarter deficit to win for only the third time in franchise history – and first since the "Monday Night Miracle" victory over the Dolphins in 2000.

Revis confirmed that the Jets’ plan entering game was for him to match up with Miles Austin. Antonio Cromartie was slated to cover Dez Bryant. However, Revis said the team made “sideline adjustments” after Bryant had early success. Bryant didn’t have catch after hauling in three passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.

Ground-and-pound? More like Chuck-and-Duck. The Jets had a 44-16 pass-to-run split. In other words, they threw it 73 percent of the time. Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. The Jets didn’t have a run longer than seven yards. Excluding Green and Tomlinson’s longest runs each (6 and 7 yards, respectively), the Jets gained 29 yards on 13 carries (2.2 yards per carry).

The Jets didn’t commit a penalty.

For more Jets news, follow Manish Mehta on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/TheJetsStream

[flgreen]

B&C Morning Show: Jets Soar While Giants Stumble

September 12, 2011 6:15 AM

Boomer & Carton, Max Herman, New York Giants, New York Jets

Boomer and Craig kicked off a new week of shows coming to you live from BGC Charity Day near the South Street Seaport. And it just so happens to be the day after the first NFL Sunday of the year…

The Jets managed to come from behind in the 4th quarter to beat the Cowboys. But from Craig’s standpoint, why start the show with that when he can poke and prod at Giants fans some more after their humiliating loss to the Rex Grossman-led Redskins?

Boomer thinks that Craig might be laying the Giant-bashing on a little bit too heavy, but quickly the focus shifts to Mark Sanchez and the victorious Gang Green.

The guys discuss why the Jets seem to keep Sanchez on a leash until they are trailing in the 4th quarter, as well as the range of emotions that go along with coming from behind to win a game late.

While Craig made sure to take a few shots at Giants fans along the way, the guys also touched on the great job the NFL did with regard to the commemoration of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

[flgreen]

Hidden Game-Changers

Don't Forget About These Five Plays

Nick Eatman

DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Touchdowns, interceptions, sacks, blocked punts and game-winning field goals will all make the highlight reel.

There are always a handful of plays that sometimes go unnoticed, or more like simply overlooked when compared to the ultimate game-changing plays.

Sunday night's 27-24 win for the Jets definitely had its share of both.

But in what has turned into a weekly segment during the regular season, it's time to focus on five plays – in chronological order - that are somewhat hidden, but could've affected the final outcome Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

1. LT on the Big-Screen

The Cowboys were in control midway through the second quarter. Leading 10-0 and keeping Mark Sanchez and the Jets out of sync, things were looking good for Rob Ryan's new defense. After a third-down conversion to tight end Dustin Keller with 58 seconds to play until halftime, Sanchez caught the Cowboys on a blitz, and tossed a screen to LaDainian Tomlinson, who scampered 32 yards to the Cowboys' 4. That set up a TD pass from Sanchez to Keller, and just like that it was 10-7 going into the locker room.

2. Witten Stopped Short

After the game, Jason Witten wasn't talking about his new contract extension or a controversial pick play at the end, but rather his 64-yard reception in the early fourth quarter where he was stopped at the Jets' 3-yard line.

The Cowboys had a 24-17 lead and seemingly had answered the Jets' previous touchdown to slice into what was once a 14-point lead. Witten caught a perfectly-thrown pass from Romo and was off to the races, only to be brought down by Jets safety Jim Leonhard. Afterwards, Witten was talking about possibly cutting back inside near the 5, or twisting his body around where his momentum might have just carried him into the end zone. Instead, the Cowboys never scored a point, and the drive ended on Tony Romo's lost fumble inside the 5.

3. Short Loss By Felix

This play might very well be the most unnoticed on the list. The Cowboys led 24-17 and had just forced a huge turnover on Danny McCray's sack and fumble. But the Cowboys took over with 6:08 to play at the Jets' 47 and ended up having arguably their worst drive of the night. It started with a two-yard loss by Felix Jones on the left side. That play changed the course of the drive. Now, it's 2nd-and-12 the Cowboys can't run as much clock as needed. An incomplete pass to Austin, then a delay-of-game penalty followed by a false start, and now it's 3rd-and-22. Another bomb that went incomplete and it's time to punt. We all know what happened next, and just like that the Cowboys went from a fumble recovery in Jets' territory to a fourth-and-forever that led to the blocked punt and tie game.

4. Ball's Missed INT

The performance Alan Ball turned in Sunday night was definitely commendable. The converted safety, forced into heavy minutes with Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins banged up, had a solid game from the cornerback spot.

But after Darrelle Revis' interception of Tony Romo in the final minute, Ball had a chance to return the favor on Mark Sanchez, who leisurely tossed a pass to the right flat for veteran Derrick Mason. Ball jumped the route and had a shot to pick off the pass but lost his footing for a moment. He stumbled as the ball hit him square in the hands and face. Two plays later, Nick Folk drilled a game-winning field goal.

5. Witten's Pick

It might have seemed like a long shot to get into field goal range following Folk's go-ahead score, but a 22-yard pass to Miles Austin put the ball at the Cowboys' 42 with 19 seconds left and a timeout. But that play was wiped out by Witten's offensive pass interference call for an illegal pick. Officials said Witten intentionally rubbed the defender covering Austin to free him up over the middle. Witten was irate after the game and even followed three officials off the field of play to reiterate his stance.

But had that play held up, the Cowboys would've only needed about 20 yards for a long field goal attempt by David Buehler, and had a timeout to use. That call turned it into first-and-20 at their own 10, too much for the Cowboys to overcome, capping off an improbable loss to the Jets.

[flgreen]

Halftime analysis: Jets trailed, 10-7

September, 11, 2011

Sep 11

10:02

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

The Jets got off to a terrible start in the Ryan Bowl, but settled down and closed to within 10-7 at halftime. Quick thoughts:

• Mark Sanchez got off to a decent start, going 5-for-5, but he was harrassed by a relentless Dallas pass rush and the Jets ended up punting on their first four possessions. RT Wayne Hunter, in the first opening-day start of his career, struggled against OLB DeMarcus Ware -- and that's an understatement. Ware had two sacks, beating Hunter and C Nick Mangold. In short, the Jets' new-look offense was a mess for 27 minutes.

• The Jets found some rhythm in their two-minute offense at the end of the half, resulting in a nine-play, 87-yard TD drive. Typical Sanchez; he always seems to play better when he's flying by the seat of his pants. He started looking for TE Dustin Keller, and found the seams against the Cowboys' depleted secondary. Sanchez went 6-for-7, 90 yards on the drive, including a 4-yard TD pass to Keller.

• What happened to the so-called new and improved receiving corps? Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason were on the field for 22 and 19 plays, respectively, yet they failed to catch a pass. Burress was targeted only once and Mason dropped a pass in the end zone. If they have trouble separating against the Dallas corners, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the season -- although some of that could be attributed to the intense pressure on Sanchez.

• The Cowboys did a great job of exploiting the Jets' weaknesses on the first drive. They got LBs Calvin Pace, Bryan Thomas and David Harris in pass coverage, and it wasn't pretty for the Jets. The Cowboys also attacked the middle, the Jets' Achilles heel. WR Dez Bryant caught a short pass between Thomas and Harris, in zone, and bolted 42 yards to set up their touchdown.

• The Jets started out with CB Darrelle Revis on WR Miles Austin, but they quickly switched after Bryant burned CB Antonio Cromartie for a 3-yard TD pass -- a classic jump-ball situation on a fade. After that, Revis was matched against Bryant.

• Overall, this probably was entertaining first half for the Ryan patriarch, Buddy, who came to watch his wons Rex and Rob, the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. After a fast start, things settled down into a defensive-minded game, with both Ryans unleashing blitzes on the opposing QBs. Paying homage to his dad, the Jets opened in a "46" defense for one play.

[flgreen]

Ware-ing down Jets new tackle Hunter

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 9:18 AM, September 12, 2011

Posted: 2:52 AM, September 12, 2011

Wayne Hunter may want to skip the film review of last night's 27-24 win over the Cowboys.

The Jets right tackle had a terrible time dealing with Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Hunter is the new piece of the starting offensive line this year after spending the last two years as a reserve.

"I think it was a good challenge," Hunter said. "It's all upside from here."

Ware abused the eight-year veteran. On the Jets' first play of the game, Ware beat Hunter for a sack of quarterback Mark Sanchez that resulted in a 5-yard loss. On the next two plays, Ware did not get to Sanchez, but he came close, bull-rushing Hunter into the backfield.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan thoroughly confused the Jets line.

"That's definitely Rex's brother," Hunter said. "It felt like it was the first day of training camp."

The Jets signed Hunter to a four-year contract this summer worth a little less than $13 million. He replaced Damien Woody, who retired after three years as a starter.

*

Receiver Plaxico Burress played his first regular season game since Nov. 23, 2008, with the Giants against the Cardinals. Burress did not have a catch until late in the third quarter, when Sanchez found him for an 18-yard gain.

Burress scored his first touchdown as a Jet with 11:56 left in the game on a 26-yard fade route over Cowboys corner Bryan McCann.

He gave the ball to his son, Elijah.

"I told my wife before I left the house that when I score a touchdown, I was going to give the ball to my son," Burress said.

He finished with four catches for 72 yards.

*

RB LaDainian Tomlinson had an eventful weekend. His wife gave birth to their daughter, Dayah, on Saturday. . . . The Jets had no penalties, the first time they have done that since Nov. 11, 2001 against Kansas City. . . . Two of the Jets' draft picks -- third-rounder Kenrick Ellis, a nose tackle, and fourth-rounder Bilal Powell, a running back -- were inactive last night.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/ware_ing_down_new_tackle_hunter_Gd0Sb5UTk6LPaa3IMPsj9M#ixzz1Xkc05UlG

[flgreen]

Rapid Reaction: Jets 27, Cowboys 24

September, 12, 2011

Sep 12

12:17

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: Rex Ryan wanted to win for New York, wanted it badly on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 -- and his team delivered a heart-pounding win over the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game lived up to the incredible hype. The Jets made plenty of mistakes, but they showed the NFL a new dimension -- a pass-happy attack. They also showed plenty of heart, but we already knew that about them. They proved it over and over again last season.

RESILIENT JETS: The Jets overcame 10-0 and 17-7 deficits, receiving contributions from all three units. Darrelle Revis made the biggest defensive play, intercepting a horrible pass by Tony Romo with 49 seconds left. It set up a 50-yard field goal by Nick Folk, who beat his former team with 27 seconds left -- the sweetest of endings for the ex-Cowboy.

RYAN BOWL: The blitzing brothers, Rex and Rob, staged a clinic on how to pressure the quarterback. Both teams unleashed a variety of pressure packages, resulting in a total of eight sacks, including four by the Jets. Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware (two sacks) was an absolute terror, exploiting the newest member of the Jets’ offensive line, RT Wayne Hunter, who allowed one sack and several pressures. The patriarch of the Ryan family, legendary defensive coach Buddy Ryan, watched from a private box. He had to be proud.

AIR SANCHEZ: Well, Ryan said they’d throw the ball more than in the past, and he wasn't kidding. Percentage-wise, this was the most pass-heavy game of the Ryan era. Ground & Pound was just a rumor. Sanchez's training wheels are officially off.

Trying to exploit a Dallas secondary that played without starting CB Terence Newman, and later lost starter Mike Jenkins for about a quarter and also No. 3 CB Orlando Scandrick, Sanchez came out throwing and ended up completing 26-of-44 for 335 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He threw scoring passes to Dustin Keller (4 yards) and Plaxico Burress (26 yards).

KILLER MISTAKES: For the most part, Sanchez played well, but he made one bad decision and one blunder -- and it cost seven points. Looking for Keller over the middle on the final play of the third quarter, Sanchez didn't see LB Sean Lee in a zone and was intercepted at the Jets' 38. Lee returned it to the Jets' 1, setting up a TD run by Felix Jones that gave Dallas a 24-10 lead.

Later, with a chance to rally the Jets to a game-tying score in the fourth quarter, Sanchez was sacked from behind by S Danny McCray and lost a fumble. Sanchez was careless with the ball, holding it in his right hand -- a bad habit that has plagued him throughout his career.

BLOCK PARTY: Needing a clutch play in the fourth quarter, the Jets' special teams came up huge, with Joe McKnight -- once a resident of the Ryan dog house -- blocked a punt. It was recovered by Isaiah Trufant, who returned it 18 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 5:00 to play. Trufant who? He was signed only Saturday off the Jets' practice squad, specifically for his ability to contribute on special teams -- a masterstroke by the Jets' decision makers. For the enigmatic McKnight, it was the biggest play of his brief career.

PLAX IS BACK: Burress, playing in his first NFL game in nearly three years, made a splashy return. A non-factor for nearly three quarters, showing no ability to separate, Burress came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring on a back-shoulder fade. It won't go down as a red-zone touchdown because it came from the 26, but it showed the type of impact he can have around the goal line.

The question is, what took so long to get Burress and Derrick Mason (three catches for 19 yards) involved in the offense? The Cowboys played without their top three corners for much of the second half.

WHERE'S NNAMDI? After being spurned by free-agent jewel Nnamdi Asomugha, the Jets settled for their own free-agent cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, whom they re-signed to a four-year, $32 million contract. Cromartie is a good player, but he had a rough night. He allowed two touchdown passes, a 3-yarder to Dez Bryant and a 36-yarder to Miles Austin. Both came in man-to-man, jump-ball situations in the end zone. In fact, Cromartie appeared to have the interception on the latter play, but Austin ripped it out of his hands.

Cromartie started out on Bryant, but after Bryant scored on the Cowboys' first drive, the Jets switched it up and put Darrelle Revis on Bryant.

WEAK SPOTS: Give Cowboys coach Jason Garrett credit; he did a fantastic job of attacking the Jets' weaknesses on defenses. He called plays that isolated the Jets' linebackers in space; their linebackers aren't adept in pass coverage. The Cowboys also picked on S Eric Smith, who got burned on a 64-yard completion to TE Jason Witten.

[flgreen]

Northjersey.com : Sports : Pro Sports : Pro Football : Jets

Jets rally for a wild 27-24 victory over Cowboys

Monday, September 12, 2011 Last updated: Monday September 12, 2011, 8:21 AM

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

Pages: 1 2 > display on one page | Print | E-mail

Click here for more photos from the game.

EAST RUTHERFORD – Relief was more the emotion than euphoria in the Jets’ locker room early Monday morning, and the feeling perhaps was summed up best by tight end Dustin Keller.

Jets placekicker Nick Folk (2) nails a game-winning field goal to defeat the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

TYSON TRISH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jets placekicker Nick Folk (2) nails a game-winning field goal to defeat the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

“We’re hoping to stop doing this,” he said after the Jets repeated a familiar 2010 script with a 27-24 comeback victory over Dallas in the season opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night. “I’d like to win the good old-fashioned way, by a blowout.

“This is getting too stressful,” he added with a half-smile after Nick Folk’s 50-yard field goal with 27 seconds left lifted the Jets past the banged-up Cowboys.

In a span of five games in October and November last season, the Jets went 4-1 with three come-from-behind wins in the fourth quarter. And the other victory? That one came in the final minute of overtime.

So it was familiar territory for the Jets when Mark Sanchez underthrew a pass to Dustin Keller and Sean Lee intercepted, taking it back 37 yards to the 1 on the final play of the third quarter. Dallas scored two plays into the fourth quarter on a 1-yard sweep by Felix Jones for a 24-10 lead.

The Cowboys had never lost a game they led by 14 or more points in the fourth quarter. But the Comeback Jets didn’t care.

“It just shows you the resolve of our football team,” coach Rex Ryan said.

“It took everything we had,” wideout Santonio Holmes said.

He’s right. After Jones’ score, the Jets responded by going 84 yards in only seven plays and 2:54, with Plaxico Burress catching a 26-yard scoring pass from Sanchez. It was Burress’ first touchdown since Nov. 9, 2008 for the Giants at Philadelphia, and it cut the deficit to 24-17.

But Dallas appeared ready for a back-breaking score when tight end Jason Witten badly beat safety Eric Smith and rambled 64 yards to the Jets’ 3 with a Tony Romo pass. But safety Jim Leonhard, who gives up 10 inches and 77 pounds in an individual matchup with the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Witten, managed to guide him out of bounds and save the touchdown.

“It’s tough getting the big guy down,” a smiling Leonhard said.

That proved to be huge.

On third-and-goal from the 2, Romo couldn’t find a receiver and tried to scramble for the score. His dive came up short of the end zone and Mike DeVito jarred the ball loose, with Sione Pouha recovering for the Jets at the 3.

“I was just on the back end to scoop it up,” Pouha said. “They’re not in [the end zone] until they’re in. That’s why the field is 100 yards.”

Sanchez had a lost fumble of his own on a sack, but the bumbling Cowboys went backward after Danny McCray’s recovery at the Jets’ 47. On fourth-and-22 from the Dallas 41, Joe McKnight broke through to block Mat McBriar’s punt and Isaiah Trufant scooped it up and went 18 yards for the game-tying touchdown with 5:00 to go.

“I just dove for it,” McKnight said. “It felt really good, especially on the anniversary of 9/11. … It feels good with the stuff I’ve been through.”

McKnight, a fourth-round pick in 2010, had a frustrating rookie season in which he got little playing time. And Trufant had an odyssey of his own.

He was waived by Philadelphia on Aug. 30, and flew home to Seattle that night. At 10 a.m. Pacific time the next day, the Jets called and told him he had been claimed on waivers.

He flew back and played in the Jets’ preseason finale, a loss to the Eagles, on Sept. 1. He then was waived by the Jets on Sunday, and signed to the practice squad a day later. Finally, he was signed to the active roster Saturday morning.

“This makes it all worth it,” he said. “It’s been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride.”

Just like this game. On Dallas’ next-to-last possession, Romo tried to force a pass to a covered Dez Bryant. Darrelle Revis’ interception and 20-yard return to the Dallas 34 set up Folk’s game-winner.

And oh, yeah, Folk was cut by Dallas on Dec. 21, 2009, but then signed with the Jets in Feb. 2010.

“I think it just it was more for the win,” Folk said, “for the Jets than it was for me beating the Cowboys. Especially on 9-11, it was just a great win overall. It did [mean something personally], but not at the moment.”

“I was proud of our guys for rallying,” said a subdued by happy Sanchez, who blamed himself for the two turnovers.

Fortunately for him, Romo was worse.

“I cost us the football game,” said Romo.

“We just let it slip away,” said Garfield native Miles Austin, who had five catches for 90 yards for the Cowboys, including a 36-yard score. “You have to play better from beginning to end. We have to finish better.”

And that’s something the Jets have mastered.

“The city stepped up 10 years ago” after the terrorist attacks, Leonhard said, “and this was really a celebration of what’s gone on in the last 10 years. We were glad we could pull out a win.”

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

[flgreen]

Jets' Plaxico Burress grabs key TD catch against Cowboys in official return

Published: Monday, September 12, 2011, 1:36 AM Updated: Monday, September 12, 2011, 3:20 AM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

.

Star-Ledger beat writers discuss Jets season-opening win against Cowboys Star-Ledger beat writers discuss Jets season-opening win against Cowboys The Star-Ledger's Jenny Vrentas along with Steve Politi and Conor Orr discuss the New York Jets season-opening win to the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium as the Jets had a chain of unlikely events in the blocked punt by Joe McKnight, the interception by Darelle Revis and then the game winning 50 yard field goal by Nick Folk to cap a 27-24 come from behind win. (9/11/2011) Watch video

Plaxico Burress scored a 26-yard touchdown — his first since serving a 20-month prison sentence for illegal gun possession — and immediately looked for his 4-year-old son in the stands.

When he found Elijah, wearing a matching green No. 17 jersey to his father’s, Burress handed him the football.

“I told my wife before I left the house, ‘When I do score a touchdown, I’m going to give the ball to my son,’ ” the Jets wide receiver said. “It was a great moment for him.”

Burress has had many emotional moments in his return to football.

Tonight’s 27-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys was another, his first regular-season game after a nearly three-year absence from football.

Burress was not a factor until after halftime — he was targeted just once for no receptions in the first half — but that’s when he made an impact.

Burress caught four passes for 72 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown that cut in half the Cowboys’ 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Burress acknowledged that, in his first full game since November 2008, he was a bit winded, although he was still able to make a late-game impact.

“I still have some football shape to get back into,” he said. “I expected to be a little fatigued going into the fourth quarter, which I was.”

Burress also said he left some plays on the field but looks forward to continuing to build chemistry with quarterback Mark Sanchez.

“We have a lot of work to do, you can definitely see that,” Burress said. “It’s good to have work to do and win a football game.”

CB Antonio Cromartie returned kickoffs for the Jets yesterday, which he said was the Jets’ plan all along, though they disguised that in the preseason. Cromartie was also used for one play on offense, a fake end-around. On defense, he was originally matched up on WR Dez Bryant, but after Bryant scored a touchdown on Cromartie, the Jets put Darrelle Revis on him.

Sanchez was sacked four times and hit several more but said after the game that he was feeling fine.

Revis missed three plays in the third quarter with cramps but returned on the next defensive series.

Third-round pick Kenrick Ellis was among the Jets’ inactives tonight. Fullback John Conner (ankle) and back-up quarterback Mark Brunell (calf), both of whom were listed as probable, were active.

More coverage:

• Complete Jets coverage on NJ.com

• Jets videos

• Jets photos

The rest of the Jets’ inactives: QB Kevin O’Connell, WR Logan Payne, S Andrew Sendejo, RB Bilal Powell, OL Caleb Schlauderaff and OL Rob Turner.

A handful of Jets players wore Reebok’s 9/11 commemoration cleats, including TE Dustin Keller, C Nick Mangold, DL Muhammad Wilkerson and WR Jeremy Kerley.

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

[flgreen]

Politi: Tony Romo plays the fool, Darrelle Revis the hero as Jets beat Cowboys

Published: Monday, September 12, 2011, 1:45 AM Updated: Monday, September 12, 2011, 3:18 AM

By Steve Politi/Star-Ledger Columnist

Star-Ledger beat writers discuss Jets season-opening win against Cowboys Star-Ledger beat writers discuss Jets season-opening win against Cowboys The Star-Ledger's Jenny Vrentas along with Steve Politi and Conor Orr discuss the New York Jets season-opening win to the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium as the Jets had a chain of unlikely events in the blocked punt by Joe McKnight, the interception by Darelle Revis and then the game winning 50 yard field goal by Nick Folk to cap a 27-24 come from behind win. (9/11/2011) Watch video

He insisted he was “not a stranger to getting interceptions,” but clearly, it was time for a reintroduction.

Darrelle Revis, the best cornerback in the NFL, had gone 603 days since he last made the play that defines his position. He had gone more than a season with opposing quarterbacks barely throwing the ball in his direction, suffering as an island without visitors.

But then, at the most unlikely time, he saw it: “That brown ball,” as he would call it later in a jubilant Jets locker room, floating to him as if he were the intended receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.

It was coming right at him with 59 seconds on the clock, with the score tied in the season opener and the crowd at MetLife Stadium hoping for a happy ending on an emotional night.

It landed in his hands, setting up a winning field goal in a 27-24 victory that, truth be told, felt more like a relief for this team than a celebration. On a night when Mark Sanchez and the offense couldn’t deliver a victory in the final minutes, Revis did. With his team dangerously close to falling into an 0-1 hole again, the best player on the field made the impact play that has eluded him for so long.

“I really don’t look at it as frustrating,” Revis said of his interception drought. “I just look at it, the guy who I’m covering, I try to cover him the best way I can. I don’t know what their game plan is or what they’re trying to do. All I can do is watch the guy in front of me.”

This time, on a play called “Jet-Mike-Mix” designed to trick quarterback Tony Romo into thinking he was looking at man coverage, Revis had his chance. Romo targeted receiver Dez Bryant, and with safety Brodney Pool providing cover behind him, Revis could make a play on the football.

Romo, who could fill a museum with awful turnovers, chose this moment — and this player — to unveil his masterpiece of stupidity. The quarterback who played brilliantly for three quarters made his second killer mistake, bookending a fumble near the Jets goal line earlier in the game.

“It was a dumb decision — too reactionary,” Romo said afterwards. “We win that football game if I don’t do what I did. It’s hard to swallow just knowing that we lost this game because of me tonight.”

Revis set the Jets up at the Dallas 34-yard line, and it didn’t matter that Sanchez and the offense only mustered two yards on the scoring drive. Nick Folk nailed a 50-yard field goal with 27 second left, and that wasn’t enough time for a shaken Romo to steal the moment.

“From now until the day I stop playing, people are going to test me,” Revis said, even though that hasn’t been true. “When it comes to my side, I’m not shocked or anything.”

The crowd was shocked. It might have been the most stunning development on a night filled with them.

This was a wild start to the 2011 season. Think about it: Of all the players who would rescue the Jets with a clutch play, where would Joe McKnight rank? Somewhere below 68-year-old Joe Namath and above the kid who runs onto the field to retrieve the tee after kickoffs?

But there he was, the underachieving running back most known for showing up to training camp out of shape in “Hard Knocks,” reaching out to block a fourth-quarter punt. Isaiah Trufant picked it up and raced into the end zone, Rex Ryan pumping his fist emphatically as the Jets tied the score.

A stadium that rocked with chants of “USA” to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 was shaking again, this time at the prospects of a comeback victory. But the supposed new-look offense stalled when Sanchez was sacked for a 2-yard loss on third down, which meant it appeared Romo would be the quarterback with the last shot at stealing this.

Sanchez might have thrown for 335 yards, but his one interception — a brainlock pass that linebacker Sean Lee took to the goal line — nearly cost his team the game. He still hasn’t learned to avoid the mistakes that hurt the Jets in his first two seasons as quarterback.

And the defense, the backbone of this team, gave up 390 yards to the Cowboys, hardly the start Ryan expected, either.

But none of that mattered when Romo fell into the Jets’ trap and lofted that foolish pass toward an island that had been deserted for so long.

“Just trying to make a play,” Revis said with a shrug, but he had spent 603 days waiting to make one as big as this.

He had his first interception in an eternity, and a short time later, the Jets had their first win of the season. Revis had “that brown ball” in his hands. The reintroduction came at the perfect time for the Jets.

Steve Politi: spoliti@starledger.com; Twitter.com/StevePoliti

[flgreen]

By Carlos Mendez

cmendez@star-telegram.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Dez Bryant's second year as a pro began with a big play.

He went up over Antonio Cromartie for a 42-yard catch.

But it ended with another big play -- for the Jets.

Bryant was victimized by the best cornerback in the NFL when Darrelle Revis stepped in front of him for an interception that put the New York Jets in position to win Sunday night's game.

Bryant had gotten the Cowboys going fast, catching a 3-yard touchdown pass over the defense of Cromartie.

After that, the Jets made their change and put Revis on Bryant.

Bryant got him for one catch, a 26-yard leaping grab on the sideline, but for the final three quarters, Bryant couldn't do anything.

The three catches in the first quarter were a good start for Bryant, the first-round pick from 2010 whom the Cowboys showed faith in when they released veteran Roy Williams at the start of training camp.

Bryant last year had 45 catches, the second-most ever for a Cowboys rookie, despite missing four games with injury.

He might have had a chance for a career high in yards (104 yards against the Giants last year), but he left the game in the third quarter. He was taken the locker room, and one report said he was getting fluids to fight cramps.

But the Cowboys showed the depth in their receiving corps.

Miles Austin had a 36-yard touchdown catch, wrestling the ball away on a high catch in the end zone against Revis, as the Cowboys took a 17-7 lead.

The drive stayed alive thanks to a 7-yard catch on third-and-6 from Kevin Ogletree, who beat Revis on slant to catch a well-placed ball from Tony Romo.

The Cowboys weren't at full strength with their receivers. Laurent Robinson, signed when the San Diego Chargers released him last week, was not active because of a hamstring problem.

The fifth receiver, Dwayne Harris, handled punt-return duties.

Bryant couldn't do much, however, after the first quarter, when he had the three catches that got the Cowboys going early.

He was tightly covered in the end zone on a third-and-goal play when Romo couldn't find a receiver, opted to scramble for the end zone and fumbled.

Austin, who wound up covered by Cromartie when the Jets cornerbacks switched, finished with three catches for 59 yards, and Ogletree had two catches for 12 yards.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/12/3359133/revis-gets-best-of-dez-after-jets.html#ixzz1Xke2Fxpf

[flgreen]

Jets Post Stirring Comeback over Cowboys, 27-24

By Randy Lange

Posted 11 hours ago

It was a night filled with trembling voices and teary eyes as the Jets, the Cowboys, the NFL and NBC observed the 10th anniversary of September 11th beforehand and at halftime of the teams' Sunday night season opener at MetLife Stadium.

And when the night turned to football, only one of those teams could stand taller on this biggest of stages. That team was the Green & White, although it took them almost every available minute to seal the deal.

The Jets got two touchdown passes from Mark Sanchez, one to Dustin Keller and one to Plaxico Burress — his first in almost three seasons — plus a punt blocked by Joe McKnight and returned by just activated Isaiah Trufant, then Darrelle Revis' first interception since the 2009 playoffs. All of that set up Nick Folk for his game-winning 50-yard field goal down Broadway with 27 seconds to play for their stirring 27-24 triumph.

Further, the win equaled the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in franchise history. What a way to put the finishing touches on an emotional night for New York City and the metro area.

"I'm just so proud that we were able to pull this thing out," said Rex Ryan, now 2-1 in season openers as the Jets' head coach.

"It was a perfect ending," said Keller. "You couldn't write it any better."

Much of the evening was looking like a depressing script mirroring the Jets' first regular-season game ever played in this stadium a year ago, when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in primetime, 10-9. But this rousing triumph helped put teeth into the Jets' offseason slogan to "Bring It Home" for the playoffs by winning more games — a lot more games — at home during the regular season.

And the Jets made no bones before the game or after that they had some extra incentive on their side for this particular opener.

"I just wanted to give consistent effort, and all the effort went to all the heroes, all the men and women that serve this country," said LB Bart Scott, who gave a fiery performance in posting a team-high eight tackles, his first sack in 12 games and a couple of tackles for loss. "This one didn't always go the way we wanted it to go, but it was all about competing, about giving yourself a chance."

Romo, who finished 23-for-36 for 342 yards, was sharp for the first three quarters of the game, including on his second touchdown pass, a 36-yarder that WR Miles Austin wrestled away from Antonio Cromartie as the two tumbled across the goal line. That put the visitors ahead, 17-7, with 8:05 left in the third quarter.

From there Sanchez, who caught a little fire on the first half's two-minute drive to his 4-yard TD throw to Keller, led the Jets to Folk's first field goal of the night and they were within 17-10 with 19 minutes remaining.

Then the hosts got the ball back and Sanchez had just hit Plaxico Burress with his first reception since November 2008. But no sooner did a warm ovation from the fans die down than Sanchez underthrew a seam route for Keller, with LB Sean Lee returning it into the shadow of the goal line on the last play of the third quarter. The play was ruled a touchdown, reviewed and changed to out-of-bounds inside the 1. On the second play of the final frame, Felix Jones took the toss left for that yard and the Jets were staring at a 24-10 hole.

"Fourteen points in this league, you think you have no chance," said Keller. Indeed, the Green & White have overcome only two fourth-quarter deficits of 14 or more points in franchise history.

But they set to work on No. 3. And Sanchez made it suddenly interesting when he hit Burress on a fade over CB Bryan McCann with 11:56 left to make it 24-17.

It was Plax's first touchdown reception since Nov. 9, 2008, for the Giants at Philadelphia, and his first Meadowlands TD since Oct. 19, 2008, vs. San Francisco.

No sweat for Romo, who led the Cowboys back to the Jets 4 with a 64-yard pitch-and-catch with TE Jason Witten, who finished with six catches for 110 yards. But the drama thickened when, on third down, Romo was forced to scramble by David Harris, fumbled when hit by Mike DeVito and recovered by Sione Pouha. Disaster averted.

"You just have to go in there and fight for it," said Pouha, who has demonstrated a penchant for having the ball come to him on opening night — he recovered two fumbles that last opener vs. the Ravens. "You just keep fighting, man. That's all that matters."

But first the Jets had to find a way to tie things. Sanchez, near midfield, was strip-sacked= from behind by Mike Jenkins, with S Danny McCray recovering. Six minutes remained and the Cowboys again had the ball.

But the Jets held firm, the 'Pokes set themselves back with two 5-yard penalties, and finally Mat McBriar dropped back to punt. But his kick was rejected by a diving Joe McKnight coming unblocked up the middle off the Jets' left-side overload. Isaiah Trufant, just activated from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday, took the bouncing ball 18 yards and MetLife erupted as the Jets had finally caught the Cowboys at 24-24 with five minutes left.

"You try to take advantage of every opportunity," said Trufant, who scored the Jets' first blocked-punt return TD at home since Chris Burkett in 1991. "You hear that thud of the ball, then my eyes lit up. I picked up on the first or second bounce. Then all I saw was the green and the cheering."

The stage was set for this next Jets fantastic finish. The Jets couldn't get out of their own end and with a minute remaining it looked as if this emotionally charged game was getting ready to head for overtime. But on the next play, Romo tried to get the ball to Dez Bryant but as Ryan said, D-coordinator Mike Pettine had "the call of the day" when he disguised the coverage on Bryant and Romo threw the ball right to Revis, who returned it to the Cowboys 34.

The Jets offense moved little but Folk moved the Jets in front for the first time and most important time when he calmly drove the 50-yarder down the middle against the team that cut their one-time Pro Bowl kicker during the 2009 season.

"I hit it really well," said Folk, who hit his third 50-yarder as a Jet. "I hit it just about as good as I could. I just trusted myself tonight, made sure it looked just like an extra point and put it down the middle."

"We kind of emulate what this city is all about," said Burress, who had four catches for 72 yards and his TD in his long-awaited return game, "just sticking together, being resilient through everything that was going on."

"We haven't played our best ball yet," said Revis, who had his first pick since the '09 AFC Divisional Round win at San Diego. "We did escape one, but I'll say one thing. We did show heart at the end. We showed heart and toughness and we fought back."

As all the Jets know this morning, you don't want to have to win all your games with heart and toughness and comeback effort. But it sure makes Monday's corrections a lot easier to take as the Jets begin preparation for next Sunday's home game against the 1-0 Jaguars.

Game Notes

Sanchez's 335-yard game was the third 300-yard passing game of his career and his second at home. The first one came in the last-second comeback vs. the Texans in this same stadium last season. ... Besides Burress, Derrick Mason had his first three receptions as a Jet. ... And LaDainian Tomlinson had a 32-yard reception, his longest as a Jet, to set up the Keller score. ... The Jets were held to 45 yards rushing, but their D walled off the Cowboys for a 64-yard ground game.

The Jets had no penalties marked off against them by referee Alberto Riveron. It was the first no-penalty game for them since 2007 vs. Philadelphia and the first no-penalty victory since 2001 vs. Kansas City. ... All five turnovers occurred in the second half, with the Jets winding up with a plus-1 advantage. ... Antonio Cromartie was the deep back on the first three Dallas KOs and returned all three for 51 yards combined.

The stirring pregame ceremony featured a coin flip presided over by former President George W. Bush, Robert De Niro reading a passage, "Taps" being played from Ground Zero and "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes in the stadium, and a full-field American flag fluttering to the National Anthem by Lady Antebellum. Halftime featured turned-down lights and a tribute to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary.

[flgreen]

The Jets Win As Only They Can

By Will Leitch

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 11: Nick Folk #2 of the New York Jets celebrates with teammates Dustin Keller #81, Mark Brunell #8 and Brandon Moore #65 of the New York Jets after FOlk kicked a successful 50-yard game-winning field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during their NFL Season Opening Game at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) They're pretty happy.

The new, sabermetric-esque study of the NFL popularized by Football Outsiders and Grantland's Bill Barnwell — both of which we've been poring over for a fortnight, preparing for the season — would call a game like last night's wild, inspirational, lunatic Jets 27–24 win over the Cowboys "non-sustainable luck due for regression." The Jets had no business winning last night. Mark Sanchez threw for a lot of yards but made the sort of mistakes that Mark Sanchez absolutely cannot make. Antonio Cromartie had a wretched game in the secondary. The offensive line looked shockingly weak. The Cowboys looked like the better team, all night. Well, almost all night.

As Yahoo's Shutdown Corner noted last night, the Dallas Cowboys, coming into this season, had never lost a game in which they led by fourteen points or more in the fourth quarter. And there was little reason to think that streak would be snapped last night, with the Cowboys up by seven, facing a third-and-goal, with nine minutes left. All the Cowboys needed was a field goal ... and the Jets forced a fumble. Hope again.

There was also little reason — less reason, really — to think that streak would be snapped when Sanchez committed his second turnover, fumbling with 2:51 left and giving Dallas the ball back at midfield. (It was not one of Sanchez's better moments.) The Cowboys just needed one first down, maybe two, to ice away they game. But three-and-out they went, and then, out of nowhere, Joe McKnight, the so-often-mocked former phenom, broke through, blocked a punt, the game was tied and Snoopy was doing a happy dance atop MetLife Stadium. Then came a terrible pass from Tony Romo leading to the first Darrelle Revis interception since December 13, 2009, and then a monster Nick Folk 50-yard field goal, and suddenly, ridiculously, the Jets had won. Somehow. The Jets were outplayed, and had their gaping flaws (the O-line, the lack of commitment to the run game, Mark Sanchez still) exposed ... and they still won in as stirring a fashion imaginable.

Rex Ryan, who was perhaps more revved up and anxious coming into this game than he should have been, was openly relieved afterward.

"We played far from a perfect game - not even close," Ryan said. "We tried to harness all the emotion we were feeling and turn it into passion. We just kept thinking momentum is coming our way and sure enough it did."

The Jets now look primed to be 3–0 — though with this team, you never know — heading into a Week Four match-up in Baltimore. The Jets' schedule is so tough this year that a home loss like this could have been more damaging than it should have been. We learned a lot about the Jets last night — that Sanchez and the O-line must improve, that Plaxico Burress has plenty left (and also has flexible celebration moves) — but we learned most what we already knew: That Ryan and company have inexplicable mojo that helps them win when they shouldn't. Of all the off-season changes, that was the one thing the Jets couldn't afford to lose. They haven't.

[flgreen]

Jets Take After Revis, ‘Just Trying to Make a Play’

Posted by Eric Allen on September 12, 2011 – 1:59 am

Darrelle Revis had gone close to 18 games without an interception. But on a magical night at MetLife Stadium, the streak came to an end in the 60th minute and his theft of Cowboys QB Tony Romo set up Nick Folk’s game-winner from 50 yards.

“I was just trying to make a play,” said the soft-spoken star. “I was just trying to fight out there and compete, and that’s all I try to do. That’s what the whole team tried to do the whole game.”

You come to expect the amazing from Revis and he didn’t disappoint before the frenzied Green & White faithful. He was his lockdown self for most of the evening and then took care of an errant Romo toss up the Jets’ sideline that was intended for Dez Bryant.

“I had a couple of opportunities last year. Last year I dropped a couple of balls. The plays are going to happen,” said Revis. “You just put your hands around that brown ball and catch it. That’s the biggest thing — just catching the ball.”

Crediting Mike Pettine with the call, Revis said the Jets fooled Romo into thinking a blitz was coming and trapping the inside receiver. Bryant torched the Jets on the opening drive for two catches and 45 yards, so the Jets moved Revis off of Miles Austin and onto Bryant.

“The job was for me to play Miles Austin and Cro to play Dez Bryant,” he said. “We felt it was best to switch up and for me to match up on Dez.”

Bryant was targeted eight times in Week 1 and he only got one catch on Revis. That came on the Cowboys’ second possession and it was a jaw-dropping athletic grab for 26 yards. But that was it as the two physically went at it throughout the evening, barking at each other and going toe to toe in combat.

Cromartie had a tough opener as he was charged with two scores. The visitors quieted the crowd early when Romo hit Bryant for a 3-yard TD to culminate a nine-play, 74-yard opening drive.

“I’m the one who gave up the two touchdowns,” Cro said. “On the Bryant touchdown, I was too far inside. Once I got in great position, I lost the ball. He made a heck of a catch.”

Then with Revis out with cramps and the Cowboys leading, 10-7, in the third, Romo and Austin connected on a 36-yard score. It actually appeared that Cromartie had more of the ball when he and Austin fell to the ground, but Austin kept battling and the tie went to the receiver.

“I thought every play was supposed to be reviewable, but I guess not. I feel like I had the ball when we went down to the ground and he tried to roll me over and take the ball out of my hands,” Cro said. “They called it simultaneous possession of the ball and they’re always going to give it to the receiver. They need to change that rule, but it’s something that you just have to fight more for the ball.”

Austin finished with five catches for 90 yards, but that included a 24-yard grab in the final seconds with the Jets in prevent. So Cromartie’s night could have looked a lot different if he came up with that pick and he very nearly intercepted a pass in the fourth on the Jets’ critical goal-line stand.

It’s hard to imagine Revis getting any better. His 15th career regular-season interception was his first INT since the AFC Divisional Playoff win over the Chargers on Jan. 17, 2010, and his first in regular-season play since the triumph at Tampa Bay on Dec. 3, 2009. Most quarterbacks elect to stay away from him, but Romo didn’t and he paid dearly.

“It was a great clutch play at the end and that’s all you can ask for,” Cromartie said. “He’s a great player and he does things you need to do consistently and he just goes out and makes plays.”

Revis, whose son celebrated his third birthday today, was humbled by the occasion. A historic come-from-behind win on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 was indeed something special.

“It was a great honor for us to win this game,” Revis said. “Let me back it up — for us to be scheduled for this game on 9/11, on this Sunday. It means a lot to people, it means a lot to this world. It was a tragic moment in the history of this world.”

[Jetsfan80]

“I was just trying to make a play,” said the soft-spoken star [Revis]. “I was just trying to fight out there and compete, and that’s all I try to do. That’s what the whole team tried to do the whole game.”

"Soft-spoken"? You kidding me?

[flgreen]

Darrelle Revis' gamble pays off, setting up game-winning field goal for Jets in fourth quarter

BY Hank Gola and Kristie Ackert

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Monday, September 12th 2011, 4:00 AM

Darrelle Revis was able to gamble on the game-changing interception Sunday night because he knew he had help over the top.

"Exactly," explained Revis, who went all of last season without an interception. "It was a 'trap' call (on the inside receiver). Coach (Mike) Pettine made a good call. He (Tony Romo) thought we were blitzing and he threw it into 5-coverage. We disguised our coverage and we did a good job."

Revis, who was beaten early in the game by Dez Bryant, wasn't surprised Romo came to his side.

"People are going to test me because they feel confident in what the play is," Revis said. "When the ball comes to my side, I'm not shocked or anything. It's just competition."

GOOD BY A MILE

Nick Folk had plenty of leg on his 50-yard game-winner.

"Tonight against the Cowboys, I felt I could have kicked it 65 yards," Folk said about beating his old team. "Tonight, though, I think it was more emotional playing on 9/11 than playing the Cowboys."

'A' FOR EFFORT

Many Jets were talking about how much heart they showed.

"Our play could have been better, but I hope our effort was something the city could be proud of," Bart Scott said. "We're going to fight."

LONG JOURNEY HOME

Isaiah Trufant took a circuitous route to the tying touchdown after he scooped up the blocked punt. Waived by the Jets before last year's AFC Championship Game, he was cut by the Eagles in August, re-signed by the Jets, waived by the Jets, re-signed to the practice squad, then activated off the practice squad 24 hours before the game. At one point, he flew home to Seattle and came back to the East Coast.

"I flew back on the red eye when I got the call to come back and play," Trufant said. "It's been somewhat of a roller coaster ride but I just try to grab any opportunity I can get."

HEROES ON DISPLAY

The parade of policemen, firefighters and military members involved in 9/11 and the aftermath marched across the field at various points before, during and after the game.

Prior to kickoff, fans at the Meadowlands waved small American flags, listened to Lady Antebellum sing the national anthem and turned in electric chants of "U-S-A!"

At halftime, the stadium lights were darkened, and the footprints of the World Trade Center towers were lit by member of Tuesday's Children, a charity providing services for the sons and daughters of those affected by the terrorist attacks.

Following the first quarter, Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry, a Medal of Honor recipient, was feted in the end zone. Former President George Bush was at midfield with wife Laura for the pregame coin toss.

DALLAS PAIN

Already without CB Terence Newman, the Cowboys lost fellow DBs Orlando Scandrick with an ankle injury before the Jets' fourth series and Mike Jenkins with 13:48 to go when he was flattened by an open-field block from Plaxico Burress. Jenkins returned at the two-minute warning. Nickel back Alan Ball came in to play the left corner against Santonio Holmes for the rest of the game after Scandrick was injured.

AUSTIN POWERS

Cowboys WR Miles Austin played Sunday night after missing three preseason games with a hamstring injury and put his team up 17-7 with a 36-yard catch by outwrestling Antonio Cromartie for a 50-50 ball in the end zone. Cromartie was also beaten on the first series of the game on a jump ball in the end zone by Dez Bryant. Austin, a product of nearby Garfield, had "FDNY" and "NYPD" printed on the back of his cleats. He was a 17-year-old high school junior when the terrorist attacks occurred.

FINAL POINTS

Dustin Keller picked up the Jets as they scored on a two-minute drill just before the half. The tight end had three catches for 32 yards, including a four-yard touchdown where he ran a delayed pattern after posing as a blocker. ... Every touchdown play is now automatically reviewed so the coaches don't have to challenge. That's why the interception return by Dallas' Sean Lee was brought back to the 1. ... In the house: LeBron James, a huge Cowboys fan; Carmelo Anthony; the Islanders' Matt Moulson; James Gandolfini; Ben Stiller; and Billy Crystal.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/12/2011-09-12_revis_gamble_pays_you_bet.html#ixzz1XkzZIePq

[flgreen]

Monday, September 12, 2011

Jets flawed but resilient again

Give Rex Ryan credit last night, not only for instilling in his team their incredible persistence and never-say-die attitude, but being honest.

“Obviously, we have a ton of work to do,” said the relieved, but happy Jets’ coach after the game. “We have a lot of corrections to make, but I’ll take this anytime.”

Here’s a look at some of those problems that need to be cleaned up. Fortunately, the internet has unlimited space. (Just kidding.)

Pass protection. Mark Sanchez was sacked four times, and hit numerous others. He seemed more subdued than happy at his locker after the game, perhaps from the pounding he took from the Dallas pass-rushers, as well as him chastising himself for his two key turnovers. RT Wayne Hunter needs to get better, and Hunter knows it.

Rushing offense. It was nonexistent, which was a major reason why Sanchez often was running for his life. The Jets totaled 45 yards on 16 rushes, as the “ground and pound” style Ryan talks about was nowhere in evidence.

Pass coverage. Although superstar CB Darrelle Revis made the key interception of Tony Romo in the final minute, setting up Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal, the Jets had plenty of troubles earlier. TE Jason Witten had six catches for 110 yards, as the Jets’ secondary again had trouble protecting the middle.

And CB Antonio Cromartie, re-signed to a four-year, $32 million deal on Aug. 1, had a rough night, as he was beaten for touchdown catches by both Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. He also wasn’t as explosive as Ryan had hoped on kickoff returns, averaging only 3 yards per carry.

Posted by J.P. Pelzman on 09/12 at 10:43 AM

[flgreen]

Winners & losers from Jets opening win

1:05 PM, September 12, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

The Jets put up a W in their first game of the 2011 season, but it wasn’t always pretty.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers from Sunday night’s 27-24 win over the Cowboys:

WINNERS

1. DARRELLE REVIS – He usually does not get tested but Tony Romo felt good after some early success in the game and threw his way. Mistake. The best player on the Jets made the biggest play of the game and sent the Jets on their way to the win.

2. NICK FOLK – The Jets kicker did his best to downplay the significance of playing his former team all week. He said the right things about that not mattering on the 9/11 anniversary, but it had to feel tremendous to kick a 50-yard game-winner against the team that cut him in 2009. I can tell Folk I saw Cowboys owner Jerry Jones minutes later on his way out of his suite and he looked like he had just eaten something rotten.

3. JIM LEONHARD – There were so many big plays in the dizzying fourth quarter that it’s easy to overlook Leonhard’s hustle play chasing down Jason Witten at the 3. If Witten scores there, the game might be out of reach for the Jets. But Leonhard never gave up on the play and then Romo fumbled three plays later.

LOSERS

1. SHONN GREENE – If anyone finds Greene, please return him to One Jets Drive in Florham Park, N.J. Bell cow? It’s not all on Greene. There were not a lot of holes to run through but he was invisible most of the night, rushing for 26 yards on 10 carries.

2. MARK SANCHEZ – He ended up throwing for a lot of yards (335), but he made two huge turnovers in the second half, and looked flustered by the Dallas pressure in the first half. Sanchez took a lot of hits, including a crushing one on his interception. He did not seem right after the game. It bears watching this week to see if he is OK.

3. WAYNE HUNTER – The new starter at right tackle had a rough debut. DeMarcus Ware beat him for a sack on the first play, and pushed him into the backfield on the next two plays. Hunter was not at fault on Ware’s second sack, but no one can feel confident in Hunter at the moment.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/winners_losers_from_jets_opening_GRENfB1nhafDU9gRvODFlK#ixzz1XlcmYWSy

[flgreen]

Jets playing-time breakdown

September, 12, 2011

Sep 12

2:34

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

The Jets ran a total of 64 plays on offense. Here's the unofficial breakdown by position (press-box view; allow for small margin for error):

RUNNING BACKS

Shonn Greene ... 33/64 snaps

LaDainian Tomlinson ... 33

John Conner ... 6

TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller ... 55/64 snaps

Matt Mulligan ... 20

Jeff Cumberland ... 19

WIDE RECEIVERS

Santonio Holmes ... 58/64 snaps

Plaxico Burress ... 53

Derrick Mason ... 43

Jeremy Kerley ... 1

Antonio Cromartie ... 1

Analysis: Clearly, Tomlinson still has a significant role on the team, even as the third-down back ... The Jets used a three-TE package on at least 11 plays; that explains the numbers for Mulligan and Cumberland ... Cromartie was used in the first quarter. He was split out to the left and was used as a decoy on an inside running play to Greene.

[JetsFanInDenver]

Jets playing-time breakdown

September, 12, 2011

Sep 12

2:34

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

The Jets ran a total of 64 plays on offense. Here's the unofficial breakdown by position (press-box view; allow for small margin for error):

RUNNING BACKS

Shonn Greene ... 33/64 snaps

LaDainian Tomlinson ... 33

John Conner ... 6

TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller ... 55/64 snaps

Matt Mulligan ... 20

Jeff Cumberland ... 19

WIDE RECEIVERS

Santonio Holmes ... 58/64 snaps

Plaxico Burress ... 53

Derrick Mason ... 43

Jeremy Kerley ... 1

Antonio Cromartie ... 1

Analysis: Clearly, Tomlinson still has a significant role on the team, even as the third-down back ... The Jets used a three-TE package on at least 11 plays; that explains the numbers for Mulligan and Cumberland ... Cromartie was used in the first quarter. He was split out to the left and was used as a decoy on an inside running play to Greene.

Nice. I did not see Cromartie on offense. But as well he did not catch the ball or else ......

[#27TheDominator]

Nice. I did not see Cromartie on offense. But as well he did not catch the ball or else ......

It's not a bad idea. Especially against teams that run man. If you can match him up on a slower corner you can get a cheap TD or draw safety help from the actual receivers. If nothing else, it might force teams to think about it during the week. The guy can run.

[JetsFanInDenver]

It's not a bad idea. Especially against teams that run man. If you can match him up on a slower corner you can get a cheap TD or draw safety help from the actual receivers. If nothing else, it might force teams to think about it during the week. The guy can run.

I was going towards the DB being able to snatch the ball out of his hands angle.

Although seriously while its not a bad idea how much do we expect him to do ? He is out there on KR's and with Revis Island being what it is i am sure he will have to do a lot more on coverage. Question is why do we need him out there. And which receiving option was on the bench to make way for him.

[#27TheDominator]

I was going towards the DB being able to snatch the ball out of his hands angle.

Although seriously while its not a bad idea how much do we expect him to do ? He is out there on KR's and with Revis Island being what it is i am sure he will have to do a lot more on coverage. Question is why do we need him out there. And which receiving option was on the bench to make way for him.

Oh, I got your joke. I just quoted you as a way to separate the Cromartie issue from the longer article.

I think the key is you let him in on one play. He has one route for the week. He doesn't even need a route. Just a 9 but it might be enough to make the other team worry that he has a different one. If I were drawing the play I would put Cro by himself on one side. Everybody else on the other side. HIs speed may force a better CB or safety help. This will help the other side. If not, he runs a fly. Open? Let it fly. It's not rocket science and probably will never work but anything that can make the defense think is good.

BTW, I thought Kerley played more. I think he was in on the first play and then I didn't notice him again. I figured he was there and I missed it.

[flgreen]

Inside the Jets' victory

September, 12, 2011

Sep 12

12:13

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Let's take a day-after look at the Jets' thrilling 27-24 victory over the Cowboys -- only the third time in team history they rallied to win a game after trailing by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter.

It was an entertaining game, with big plays and momentum shifts, but it also was a chess match between the two coaching staffs. The Ryan brothers, Rex and Rob, lived up to the family reputation, employing a variety of blitz packages. They threw the kitchen sink at each other and, once again, Rex beat his twin 'bro.

With help from Kim Meyer and John McTigue of ESPN Stats and Information, let's go inside.

EARLY ADJUSTMENT: The Jets' plan was to put CB Antonio Cromartie on WR Dez Bryant for the entire game (that's what Cromartie told me afterward), but it took only one play for the coaches to change their mind and scrap the plan. Bryant beat Cromartie on a jump ball in the end zone, a three-yard touchdown on the game's opening drive, and the coaches had seen enough.

They put Darrelle Revis on Bryant, and that was all she wrote. Tony Romo was 3-for-3 in the first quarter when targeting Bryant, totaling 71 yards and a touchdown. (That included a 26-yard catch on Revis.) After the first quarter, Romo targeted Bryant four more times for no catches and the crucial fourth quarter interception. In 2010, Romo was not intercepted once in 29 targets of Bryant.

Revis, of course, made the game-turning interception in the final minute. Ryan credited his defensive coordinator Mike Pettine with the "call of the night." Pettine called "Jet Mike Mix," basically a play in which Revis covers Bryant underneath, with help over the top from S Brodney Pool. They duped Romo and Bryant into thinking it was straight man-to-man. Revis, knowing Pool was behind him, took an aggressive approach and jumped the route. Truth be told, Bryant could've done a better job of going for the ball; maybe he was exhaused after a night of Revis.

SANCHEZ HANDLES PRESSURE: QB Mark Sanchez faced some heat from the outset, getting sacked/crushed by OLB DeMarcus Ware on the Jets' first play. (RT Wayne Hunter was beaten cleanly, the start of a long night for the newest starter on the Jets' O-Line.) Players said afterward that Rob Ryan, the Cowboys' new defensive coordinator, surprised them with looks they hadn't seen before. The Cowboys ended up with four sacks and six QB hits, but -- and this may surprise you -- they failed to fluster Sanchez when they rushed five or more players. That occurred on almost half of his dropbacks.

In fact, Sanchez threw his only interception of the night when Dallas sent four or fewer pass rushers, while throwing for a TD against five or more pass rushers. Sanchez also excelled when the Cowboys sent a member of the secondary, going 4-for-6 for 54 yards and nine yards per attempt.

Here's a breakdown:

Mark Sanchez by No. of Pass Rushers

Category .... 4 or Fewer .... 5 or More

Comp-Att .... 12-21 ........ 14-23

Comp pct .... 57.1 ........... 60.9

Yds/att ....... 6.3 .............. 8.8

RED FLAG: That old bugaboo from last season -- the ability to generate points in the first quarter -- lives on. The Jets have gone 16 straight games without an offensive touchdown in the first quarter. Sanchez has developed a reputation as a slow starter, but you can't blame this on him. He started 5-for-5. This time, you can blame the pass protection. The Jets were on their heels, reeling from the Cowboys' pressure schemes. It took nearly 27 minutes for them to settle down.

Not surprisingly, the offense finally found a rhythm when it went into a two-minute drill at the end of the first half. Sanchez always seems to play better when he's in a hurry-up, no-huddle mode; it allows him to play by the seat of his pants, which suits him. The Jets ended up scoring with 44 seconds left in the half to cut the Cowboys' lead to 10-7. Afterward, LG Matt Slauson told me, "Luckily, we scored before halftime or else it would've been a different halftime show in here. The coaches would've chewed us, but they were real positive."

ON THE FLY: It probably went unnoticed during the craziness of the game, but offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer made a great adjustment in the second half. He had to figure out a way to protect his quarterback from the Cowboys' blitzes, and this is what he came up with:

On their second possession of the third quarter, the Jets employed a one-back/three-tight end formation on at least five plays of a 10-play drive that ended with a FG. Ordinarily, that is "run" personnel, but they threw a curve by spreading the field, flexing out Dustin Keller and/or Jeff Cumberland, and throwing the ball against the Cowboys' big people. It forced the Cowboys to defend the spread out of their base personnel, meaning Ware and his pass-rushing partner, Anthony Spencer, had to drop into coverage instead of rushing Sanchez.

You can't pull that off unless you have receiving threats at tight end, and the Jets have that with Keller and Cumberland. In the long term, you probably don't want to keep the Big Three (Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason) off the field too long, but in this case, the strategy helped the offense out of its funk.

ATTACK UNTIL THE END: The Cowboys began the night without their No. 1 CB, Terence Newman, and they also had to play without their No. 2 and No. 3 (Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick) for portions of the game. The Jets bailed on their running game and kept attacking the secondary, finally capitalizing on the the Cowboys' lack of depth in the secondary.

After averaging 6.2 yards per attempt and throwing an interception against defenses with at least five defensive backs in the first three quarters, Sanchez averaged 7.7 yards per attempt with a touchdown in the fourth against nickel and dime defenses.

TROUBLE SPOTS: It's no secret that the Jets sometimes have problems defending the pass in the middle of the field. The Cowboys exploited that with their TE, Jason Witten, who caught six passes for 110 yards. He beat S Eric Smith in man-to-man coverage on a 64-yard pass play. On a few occasions, they took advantage of the Jets' linebackers in space, either on screen passes or with zone-beating crossing routes. Said one NFL scout: "Just as I thought. Hit 'em on the perimeters, with Felix (Jones) on the linebackers, and work the passing game between the numbers." No doubt, other teams will continue to attack the Jets in that fashion.