Jets News 9-13

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Rex Ryan disappointed in New York Jets defense against Dallas Cowboys, won't hand out game ball

BY Kevin Armstrong

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, September 13th 2011, 4:00 AM

Until the Jets' improbable comeback, Rex Ryan's face pretty much has only one expression as the Dallas Cowboys offense dissects Antonio Cromartie and Green's secondary.

Ron Antonelli/News

Until the Jets' improbable comeback, Rex Ryan's face pretty much has only one expression as the Dallas Cowboys offense dissects Antonio Cromartie and Green's secondary.

On "Celebration Monday" at Jets camp, Rex Ryan expressed disappointment in his defense for surrendering 390 yards to the Cowboys and took more time than usual to point out corrections on film of the 27-24 victory.

"We're not going to give a game ball to any defensive players," Ryan said. "There were times when - Bart Scott played tremendous - but when your defense is not consistent and we don't play to our standards, we're not getting game balls."

Special teams members got the majority of the honorary balls. Joe McKnight, who blocked a punt, and Isaiah Trufant, who returned the ball for a touchdown, received game balls. Trufant also impressed Ryan on a kick coverage.

Wideout Plaxico Burress, playing in his first game since November 2008 after spending 21 months in jail for illegal gun possession, caught a TD pass and made several key plays for the offense. Tailback LaDainian Tomlinson also earned one.

Ryan noted that Dallas TE Jason Witten "looked like he was open all night.

"Clearly with our scheme, with our communication, whatever the case may be, we have to do a much better job," Ryan said.

FURTHER REVIEW

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie said he was at peace with the touchdown that Cowboys wideout Miles Austin ripped from his grasp while on the ground in the end zone. He also questioned the league's new policy regarding official review.

"I thought we were supposed to review every single touchdown but I guess we didn't review that play," Cromartie said.

Cromartie, meanwhile, will also rotate kick-return responsibilities with McKnight. He will be encouraged not to run the ball out when it is kicked nine yards deep into end zone, as he did against the Cowboys. "Ideally we don't need to return anything past six yards," Ryan said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/13/2011-09-13_rex_plays_keepaway_on_awards.html#ixzz1Xq12VkBO

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Can Jets Make ‘Hurry Up’ Their 12th Man on Offense?

By GEORGE BRETHERTON

New York Jets

Dallas Cowboys

With just over three minutes to go in the first half against the Cowboys on Sunday, the Jets were looking for a spark. After four offensive possessions, the numbers were dismal: 3 first downs, 3 three-and-outs and a 10-point deficit on the scoreboard.

Did the Jets really want to take the chance of being booed off the field at halftime?

Whatever the motivation, Brian Schottenheimer’s decision to dust off the no-huddle playbook ended up giving the offense a needed boost. It wasn’t perfect; Mark Sanchez was unable to get a play off in the no-huddle right before the two-minute warning even though the previous play — a 3-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson — had ended with 2 minutes 22 seconds left on the game clock.

But the hurried pace was a positive factor on a drive that resulted in Sanchez’s touchdown pass to Dustin Keller with 37 seconds left in the half. The fewer the number of seconds elapsed between the Jets’ offensive plays, the better the result. On the same drive, the Dallas defense seemed sharper when the Jets took more time to run a play.

Let’s take a look:

1) Sanchez’s 9-yard completion to Tomlinson to the Dallas 47 with 1:30 left

On the Jets’ first play after the two-minute warning, Sanchez hit Keller for an 11-yard gain. That play ended with 1:50 left on the clock. On this completion to Tomlinson, Sanchez rushed everyone to the line and the ball was snapped at 1:36, only 14 seconds later.

2) Sanchez sacked by DeMarcus Ware with 1:24 left

With the clock stopped after the completion to Tomlinson, the Jets’ pace slowed. A full 38 seconds elapsed before Sanchez took the snap on this play, and Ware was there to wrap up Sanchez for a 6-yard loss.

3) Sanchez’s 17-yard completion to Dustin Keller to the Dallas 36 with :58 seconds left

After Ware’s sack, Sanchez rushed everyone to the line again. The ball was snapped on the completion to Keller with 1:05 left, only 19 seconds later. Keller ran out of bounds to stop the clock.

4) Sanchez’s 32-yard completion to Tomlinson to the Dallas 4

Even though the clock was stopped and the Jets huddled, they showed more urgency before this play. Only 32 seconds elapsed from when Keller handed the ball to the official on the sideline to when the ball was snapped to Sanchez for this completion to Tomlinson, a screen that fooled the Dallas defense.

The Jets used the no-huddle on five other plays in the game, all in the fourth quarter. The three plays right before Sanchez’s 26-yard scoring pass to Plaxico Burress were from the no-huddle, and resulted in an 11-yard completion, a 7-yard run and an incomplete pass. Another was a 19-yard completion to Keller on a 3rd-and-10 from the Jets’ 35 with just under seven minutes left. The final play from the no-huddle was an incomplete pass to Santonio Holmes with 1:28 left in the game.

Setting the tempo on offense is always the desired goal. Rex Ryan has been proved right in his two seasons as coach: “ground and pound” can be an effective way to set the tempo.

But if the Jets intend to become more of a passing team this season, don’t they need to find a way to help their passing game set a tempo?

Are the Jets going to throw the ball 75 percent of the time (48 pass plays, 16 rush attempts) as they did against the Cowboys? I wouldn’t count on it.

But even if that number is closer to 60 percent, the Jets should be looking to give Sanchez every edge he can get.

Call it the no-huddle, call it the hurry-up or maybe find a catchy name for it — perhaps the “Jet Engine Offense”? — but the Jets should have enough room in their offensive toolbox for this element.

Extra Point Would you like to see more of Sanchez in a no-huddle or hurry-up offense?

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Don't get 'Rexstatic' over Jets win

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 9:00 AM, September 13, 2011

Posted: 3:41 AM, September 13, 2011

More Print

headshotSteve Serby

It was one of the most thrilling, all-for-one-and-one-for-all-of-New York comebacks the Jets have given us, on an emotional red, white and blue stage turned green and white at the very end through resilience and resolve and fight and perseverence.

It means the trap has been rolled out for the Jets now, even longer and wider than the Stars and Stripes across the MetLife Stadium field Sunday night before Jets 27, Cowboys 24, because it covers the road from here to Indianapolis, from here to Super Bowl XLVI.

And Rex Ryan is making sure the Jets don't fall into that trap.

The Jets won the game, they won in the fourth quarter which is all that ultimately matters. They found a way to win, which is usually the mark of a championship team. They depended on all three phases, every last man, to win it.

But even on a day Ryan terms Celebration Monday, he moved swiftly yesterday to make sure that his team came down from Cloud Nine, and stopped taking bows, because you can't make your living living on the edge like that, waiting for the Tony Romos of this world to toss you the ballgame, especially when the mission statement is beating the Tom Bradys of this world.

And you won't win a Super Bowl if you'd rather be more lucky than good for all four quarters, especially on a night when you are defending the honor of your city 10 years after 9/11.

So Ryan nipped the Rextasy in the bud.

"We celebrate the victories, 'cause they are hard to come by, and you gotta earn every one of 'em," Ryan said. "It was good news, bad news. We have some corrections to make, clearly. We have to get better."

And in a tactic designed in part to rattle Gang Green's cage, Ryan uncharacteristically handed out five game balls -- to LaDainian Tomlinson, Plaxico Burress, Joe McKnight, Isaiah Trufant and Nick Folk -- but not a one to any member of his defense, which surrendered an appalling 390 net yards. Asked about the game ball snub, Ryan said:

"It is rare," Ryan said. "But it's good that they . . . get all mad at me, and everybody else, [defensive coordinator Mike] Pettine and you guys, that's good."

You make absolute judgments on a weekly basis in this NFL at your own risk, because the team you see one week will probably not be the team you see the next week. For example, don't expect the Bills or 49ers or Bengals to go 16-0. There are no perfect teams in this NFL.

On the other hand, we can't help ourselves from making snap judgments:

* Mark Sanchez: Yes, he will be airing it out more this season. But 44 times? And he and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer need to do a better job of getting Dustin Keller and Plaxico Burress involved earlier.

* Shonn Greene: A bellcow is supposed to do better than 10 carries for 26 yards. Tomlinson catching passes (6-73) out of the backfield is an alternative way to move the ball, but the Ground and Pound may be held hostage until Sanchez forces defenses to pick their poison.

* Antonio Cromartie: There will be other occasions when he reminds us why Nnamdi Asomugha was a target.

* Wayne Hunter: Damien Woody would have had problems with DeMarcus Ware, for what it's worth.

"We won a game where we didn't play our best. I think that means a lot," Jim Leonhard said. "There's a lot of teams that can't do that. We gotta clean a lot of things up, but it's much nicer making corrections after a victory."

No room for Rextasy.

"At times we looked like a dominant defense," Leonhard said, "and at times we looked very very average."

That's no way to win a Super Bowl.

"After watching the film again," a wisecracking Ryan began yesterday, "we still won."

And the Jets are 1-0.

"We don't lack courage, fight, and the belief that momentum's coming our way," Ryan said. "That's who we are. If we didn't have that [sunday night], there were several opportunities to just let that game go. But we refused to let go of that rope."

As he stepped off the podium in the interview room, a last thought came to Ryan.

"You know what?" he said. "I got one more game ball to give out, to myself, for winning the Ryan Bowl."

But he won't get Rexstatic about it.

steve.serby@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_gotta_get_better_HrL1ZmvUh485rJmiGvgEZN#ixzz1Xq1yi9XR

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Nothing pretty about Jets’ win

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

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FLORHAM PARK – Maybe Sione Pouha and Darrelle Revis should have kept the footballs when they got their fourth-quarter turnovers Sunday night.

At least the Jets' defense would have a souvenir or two from the team's opening-night victory.

Coach Rex Ryan gave out five game balls Monday, but none went to any defensive players — the first time Ryan could remember doing that after a win. The defensive-minded coach still was upset a day after his team allowed 390 yards to Dallas, even though Pouha's fumble recovery and Revis' interception helped tilt the game in the Jets' favor.

"Clearly," Ryan said, "we have to do a much better job. You have to give Dallas credit. They gave us some problems, both schematically and with their personnel. … We made a few mental mistakes that really cost us."

"There's definitely a lot of room for improvement on the defensive side," said cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who allowed touchdown catches to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. "We gave up too many yards."

Cromartie allowed a 3-yard fade to Bryant and a 36-yarder to Austin for the scores. The Garfield native outwrestled Cromartie for the deep ball, on which Cromartie appeared to first have for an interception.

On the touchdowns, Cromartie said if he had it to do again, he would correct "the placement of where I was. … The first one, I just lost the ball, otherwise I just would have jumped in the air if I would have found it. And on the second one, I just have to fight for the ball more and try to [position my body] a little bit better going for the ball.

Ryan wasn't too critical of Cromartie, noting that "the perfectly thrown ball is almost impossible to defend, and [Tony Romo] made a couple of those throws."

But the Dallas quarterback also made a couple of crucial mistakes: the fumble on an ill-advised scramble, and the pick, thrown in the direction of a well-covered Bryant. Because of those miscues and a blocked punt for a touchdown, the Jets were able to celebrate a win in a game in which they certainly weren't playing their best.

"It's much nicer making corrections after a victory," safety Jim Leonhard said.

And there are plenty of them to be made, and not just on defense.

Despite 335 yards passing by Mark Sanchez, the offense sputtered for much of the night as the running game floundered, producing only 45 yards. So the Jets were forced to attack the Cowboys through the air.

"First off, you have to give the opponent credit," Ryan said. "I think Dallas did a good job of mixing things up. They brought a lot of pressure in the running game, blitzing linebackers from about a yard depth, jamming it up in there. … [That strategy] kind of leaves you vulnerable a little on the outside, and we did make them pay a little bit later in the game with the pass."

"Our running game wasn't where it should have been," said right tackle Wayne Hunter, "so that's definitely going to take some work this week."

Hunter, who allowed a sack to DeMarcus Ware, called his own play "inconsistent" and added, "Some plays, I blocked him really well and some plays I kind of let off a little too early. I think I need to be more consistent and finish a lot more."

BRIEFS: Game balls went to RBs LaDainian Tomlinson and Joe McKnight, who blocked the punt; CB Isaiah Trufant, who returned the block for a score; K Nick Folk, who made the game-winner against his former team; and WR Plaxico Burress, who had a 26-yard scoring catch in his first game back after missing two years because of a prison sentence. … Ryan said that Cromartie and McKnight likely will be the primary kickoff returners going forward. … Ryan reported no new injuries, and said Sanchez probably was "sore" from the pounding he took from the Dallas pass rush, but nothing worse.

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

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Ryan: Count the Win but Make Those Corrections

Posted by Randy Lange on September 12, 2011 – 6:12 pm

The Jets will keep their “W” from Sunday night’s inspiring matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, and we don’t mean former President Bush. But head coach Rex Ryan isn’t kidding himself and wasn’t sugarcoating things for his players. Much work remains to be done now that the NFL regular season is under way.

“After watching the film again, we still won, so I think that’s the main thing,” Ryan said at today’s news conference at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. “It’s really what we thought it was. We had some good moments and then — whoof.

“Our correction period went a little longer than we normally do. With our scheme, our communication, whatever it may be, we’ve got to do a much better job. You’ve got to give Dallas credit — they gave us problems both schematically and with their personnel. Anytime you make those corrections and you found a way to win, it’s a good thing.”

How the game was viewed by Ryan and his coaches could be captured from the gameballs he announced he was giving out.

Two players on offense will receive the ceremonial oblate spheroids: RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who led the offense with 89 yards, 73 coming on six receptions, and WR Plaxico Burress, who returned to the game with a modest burst of four catches for 72 yards and his first touchdown in nearly three years.

Three balls go to special teamers: Joe McKnight and Isaiah Trufant for collaborating on the key blocked-punt TD return, and Nick Folk, who hit the game-winning 50-yard field goal and also finished strong with his last three kickoffs going for touchbacks.

And for the defense? None this time. How often does that happen to one of Rex’s prized units?

“Not too often,” he told reporters. “It’s good for that group to get all mad at me, mad at Pettine, mad at you guys. … When your defense is not consistent, when we don’t play to our standards, no gameballs.”

That’s not to say there weren’t some highlights. LB Bart Scott “played tremendous,” Ryan said. Darrelle Revis knew just what to do when Tony Romo marred his otherwise fine game by throwing the ball right into the middle of Revis Island. The D got stronger as the game went on, considering the Cowboys’ last five drives went fumble-two punts (one blocked)-interception-fumble to end the game.

A reporter theme today was if the Jets felt relying on fourth-quarter heroics, as they did last year and as they’ve now done for one game this year, was dangerous. Surely it is, and Ryan knows it. But he also knows that sometimes you need a few other clubs in your bag to pull out some victories, and he saw that in this game and again in the game video.

“I knew we had a lot of character and we had guts,” he said. “One thing you can say about this team is that we don’t lack fight. We may not win every game, but we have the belief that momentums coming our way. If we didn’t have that last night, there were several opportunities to let that game go. But we refused to let go of that rope.”

One Final Award

Ryan added one more gameball to his list as he left the podium: “That’s to me for winning the ‘Ryan Bowl’ again.” When Rex’s teams have played Rob’s teams the past four times, all four verdicts have gone to Rex — Ravens vs. Raiders in ’06 and ’08, Jets vs. Browns in ’10, and now Jets vs. Cowboys. Buddy Ryan, the twins’ dad, was at the stadium Sunday night and also was in Cleveland last year.

Trufant Facts

Ryan said he checks with all of his coordinators each week to decide “what’s in our best interests with the last spot or two spots on the roster.” This past week Mike Westhoff and Ryan agreed that special teams needed a dose of speed, so Trufant was signed from the practice squad and Mardy Gilyard was waived. “I thought of playing the young man from Dallas, Andrew [sendejo],” Ryan said. “I kind of like that, letting a guy play against his former team and all that. But at the end of the day we went with speed.”

The Jets also went with a slight downsizing, since Trufant checks in at 5’8″ and 170 pounds — “That’s small by Summit’s standards,” said Ryan about his favorite North Jersey high school team.

Trufant, who was playing in his third game as a pro, said he got a number of calls and messages from well-wishers last night over his highlight-reel 18-yard blocked-punt TD return that tied the game up. “The funny thing,” he said, “is that a lot of people thought I was still with Philadelphia.”

Philly waived him and the Jets re-signed him the day of the Jets-Eagles preseason finale. Now it seems he’s making himself tougher to cut from the Green & White game plans.

“His best play wasn’t the touchdown. It was on a kick,” Ryan said. “He was the first guy down the field, he hits the wedge, three blockers are on him, then he goes and makes the tackle. He’s an amazing little guy. He just looks short to me but he doesn’t look small.”

Rex Cetera

Ryan noted that “We gave up a touchdown on the opening drive of the game and on the opening drive of the second half. That’s something we’re not accustomed to doing.” True enough: It’s only happened once before in Rex’s Jets tenure, at last year’s game in Detroit. The last time before the Lions that the Jets gave up two half-leading TD drives was in ’03 vs. New England.

Mark Sanchez had five completions of 25 yards or longer vs. the Cowboys. That’s the most 25-yarders in a game in his NFL career. Similarly, his 205 second-half passing yards were the most in any half in his career. And his 335 total passing yards were 1 yard shy of his career high of 336, also in that OT win over the Lions last year.

Ryan said the plan for the immediate future is to rotate Antonio Cromartie and Joe McKnight as the primary kickoff returner. … The coach displayed a long treatment list to reporters, significant of the physical nature of the game, but had no injuries to report.

Extra Exposure from NFLN

The Jets-Cowboys game will be shown Tuesday from 8-9:30 p.m. as part of NFL Network’s “Field Pass” schedule. NFLN calls it “NFL Replay,” which offers an exclusive look at the previous week’s games in a condensed format. With the use of bonus NFL Films and NFL Network footage, including never-before-seen camera angles and coaches’ commentary, combined with exclusive wired sound from the field, locker rooms and sidelines, viewers will experience the game like never before.

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Sep 12th 2011

Rex Ryan Jets Press Conference Transcript 9/12/11

AUTHOR: Alan Schechter | IN: Jets | COMMENTS: None Yet |

Here is the Rex Ryan press conference transcript from today, courtesy of the team

Opening statement…

After watching the film again, we still won, so I think that’s the main thing. It was really what we thought it was. We had some good moments and then there were some where it’s like, ‘Whew.’ Our correction period went a little longer than what we normally do. Clearly, with our scheme, our communication or whatever the case may be, we have to do a much better job. You have to give Dallas credit. They gave us some problems, both schematically and with their personnel. Anytime you can make those corrections and find a way to win is a good thing because all the focus is on you and how we’re going to fix it. ‘If we did what we were supposed to do on this call, this is how things would’ve looked’, so that’s always a positive thing.

As far as injuries looked, (there is) nothing huge. I expect everybody to practice. Now, I want to show you guys, this is a typical list of after a game (holds up sheets of paper). When you play a physical football game, this is what your treatment list looks like. That’s over two pages of treatments. Now, that’s not the injury list, but that’s what happens in a typical game and that’s only the first game of the year. It shows it was obviously a physical game, a lot of bumps and bruises and guys getting tired and things. We had a celebration Monday today, which means we show the tape, we get our corrections done, we have recovery lifts, as we call it, then we go out and we have corrections. Obviously, they have Tuesday off, but we like to get them in here and move them around a little bit, get some of that general soreness out, get some of that treatment out, get the recovery lift and also watch the tape, get the game behind us and get the corrections in. Then, when you move on to Wednesday, then it’s full speed ahead on (the players). I know teams do things differently, but that’s why we call it a celebration Monday. With that, I’ll open it up.

On not committing any penalties in last night’s game…

That was a huge thing for us. We’re trying to be (better). Every team, I’m sure, has that goal (of) let’s be the least-penalized team in the league. Now, last year especially, we ranked up there and that was when everyone in the organization started doing pushups and all that kind of stuff to get better. It’s a focus thing. We feel we can control that. That’s a point of emphasis this year, trying to knock those penalties way down. If you have to beat us physically, I think you’ll have a tough time. I think we have an excellent football team. I think we are a talented team and if we can eliminate those mental (mistakes), eliminate the penalties, eliminate the self-inflicted wounds if you will, then we’re going to be tough to beat.

On Mark Sanchez’s health…

I was with him for four hours today. He went to this event with Mike Tannenbaum and myself in the city. It was for charity. He seemed fine to me. We all saw the game. I’m sure he was sore. I’m sure he was beat up. He’s not on the treatment list.

On possibly using the no-huddle offense earlier in the game to get Sanchez into a rhythm…

We definitely went to it. We thought that helped us in this game. You could be right. I think we want to get out. Sometimes, it’s a feeling out process. You go into a game, obviously we thought we were going to run the ball more than we did last night, but that never happened. You have to give credit to my brother (Rob Ryan) and to Dallas. They kind of took that run away from us, so we kind of had to make adjustments. We did a few different things with our three tight end sets and all that kind of jazz and, at the end of the day, we thought it was best to work on some no-huddle. As far as starting out in it, we think we’re an excellent running football game. I think if you get into that no-huddle, I think you’re more of a passing attack than we probably want to be. Certainly, I don’t disagree with you. I think Mark has done a great job in those no-huddle attacks.

On whether the emphasis on the pass last night was a result of the Dallas defense or a shift in the offense’s philosophy…

I definitely don’t want to be that (a passing team). I don’t want those numbers to ever be like that, but games are different. I’ll give you a perfect example. Last year, I was upset. I never thought we were running the ball enough. We go play Detroit and I’m like, ‘We are going to run the thing 35 times.’ Right before the game, I said, ‘Tomorrow, we are going to run the ball 35 times.’ Schotty (Brian Schotteheimer) is beating his head into this front and they’re pounding it in there. The week before they had given up like 180 yards rushing and here we are. We can get two yards a carry. They are just bringing them all in there and we kept running it and kept running it. You might recall that game, we had about 30 rushing attempts. When I tell our guys something, I believe it to be true. Schotty is great because he knows he’s covering my back. We’re going to have 35 rushing attempts. I remember going to those guys and I’m counting them myself. That’s only 30 or 29. I go over to our guys late in that game. I said, ‘Well, guys, I told you we were going to have 35 rushing attempts, and we’re going to. But, if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon win this game.’ They’re looking at me like I’m crazy. They’re like, “No, Rex, we don’t care about the 35 rushing attempts.” I wanted to make sure, if I told them we were going to have 35 rushing attempts, then we were. That day, I learned, as a head coach, that you have to be careful with statements like that because that wasn’t in the best interests of the New York Jets. We needed to adjust what we did. We had been beating our head for three quarters and all we had been doing is running and punting, so I learned right then, that I don’t need to put that on us. Yes, I would like to run the ball better.

On when he knew he would use the no-huddle offense…

Right before half was a great example. When we went to that no-huddle, we kind of got them on their heels a little bit, and I thought we gained some momentum. That was when I mentioned in to Schotty (offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) and Schotty agreed with me, that we were going to go do that. We open up the half and try to go (with) those three tight ends and all that. Then we knew we were going to have this in our pocket. That’s what happened. We didn’t think our defense was going to let them go down the field and score another touchdown the first drive. Usually, we’re good on those first drives. We gave up a touchdown with the opening drive of the game and the opening drive of the second half, something we’re not accustomed to doing, but then we went into that no-huddle attack.

On whether there was a point during the game that he thought it would have been good to have Nnamdi Asomugha…

I don’t know if Nnamdi was going to cover that tight end or not. Maybe we could have used him and tried him there. We tried everybody else there. That kid (Jason Witten) is a good player. He’s a great player. The other thing is, they had him targeted in that red zone. Our guys did a tremendous job. We had two guys smashing him, doing a great job on him in there. That was going to be Romo’s target. It just seemed like he was open the whole night.

On today’s corrections after giving up 390 yards on defense…

That’s painful. There was a few that were really disappointing to us, and those are the ones where you make the mental mistakes. Clearly, there was a few of those. Last year, I’ll be honest, we had, maybe as few of mental mistakes as any defense I’ve ever been around, and that’s a credit to Mike Pettine, Bob Sutton and DT (Dennis Thurman), and all those guys. They do a great job. It was uncharacteristic. We made a few mental mistakes that really cost us. Quite Honestly, Romo made a couple of throws on us—the perfectly thrown ball is almost impossible to defend, and he made a couple of those throws last night.

On whether he learned anything about the team after its first game…

I knew that we had a lot of character and that we had guts. For three years now, one thing you can say about this team, it doesn’t lack fight. We might not win every game, and we might not play great every game, but this team is going to give you what we have. We don’t lack courage, fight, that temperament, and the belief that momentum’s coming our way. That’s who we are. If we didn’t have that last night, there were several opportunities to just let that game go, but we refused to let go of that rope.

On if defenses are going to focus on the Jets’ pass attack after Sunday night’s game…

Yes, I mean I think so. I think when you look at it, the best would be, some weeks are going to be different. If you’re going to give seven-man spacing, you’re going to get the ball run at you more than you are if you have eight or nine guys down there. It just goes without saying. So I could see that happening, absolutely it can.

On if Antonio Cromartie is the primary option at kick returner…

Well I think (Mike Westhoff will) rotate him and Joe (McKnight), right now (that’s) our plan, to have both of them. Both of them are speed guys, but (Cromartie) could be exceptional back there.

On special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff telling Cromartie not to return kickoffs from nine yards deep in the endzone…

Well, I don’t know if he’s trying to break that record. I think he owns that record, right? The longest one, on that field goal or something. But ideally, we don’t need to return anything past six yards (deep in the end zone).

On how he balances a starter like Cromartie having such a big role on special teams…

Well that’s true and that’s a fine line there. I mean, it really is. We had Jim Leonhard return punts for us. An ideal situation would be that you feel great about maybe a backup player doing those things, where you have (Jeremy) Kerley doing the punt return. Other than the one he had bounce off of him, I thought he did a pretty good job this first game. But I think Joe (McKnight) can do a good job as a kickoff returner as well.

On only averaging 2.8 yards per rush attempt against Dallas…

First off, you have to give the opponent credit. I think Dallas did a good job of mixing things up. They brought a lot of pressure in the running game, blitzing linebackers from about a yard depth, jamming it up in there. It was tough, there’s no doubt. It kind of leaves you vulnerable a little on the outside, and we did make them pay a little bit later in the game with the pass.

On using swing passess and screens as a substitute for the run game…

Right, exactly, the same thing they were trying to do to us. They were fairly effective with the screen game and I thought we were as well.

On the decision to let McKnight return kickoffs instead of Cromartie…

Well, we had we had worked all week on mixing it. So it was just an easy switch. But you kind of feel it out, you let the guys try it and eventually we’ll do what we think is in our best interest.

On his message to the team today…

Just that, we celebrate the victories, because they are hard to come by and you have to earn every one of them. But it was good news, bad news. We have some corrections to make, clearly. We have to get better and you give Dallas a lot of credit, because they made a lot of plays both offensively and defensively. But we made enough plays at the end, when it counted. Our defense was at its best at the end of the game, in the fourth quarter. So that’s a good thing, but we made some mistakes. That isn’t who we are. And I share with you guys almost exactly what I share with them. I don’t try to hide anything, so you can ask them. What I’ve already covered is generally what I tell the team.

On LaDainian Tomlinson getting a lot of playing time…

He is a great route runner and he can still run the football, and he’s great in protection. But in that case where we’re doing a lot of our three-wide stuff, no-huddle stuff, (Tomlinson) is really the primary back in that and Shonn is more of a reserve in that role. That’s why he was in there, and he did a great job. He made a couple huge plays for us. The screen, the one on the first down where he made the run after the catch. He did a tremendous job. The catch getting out of bounds. In fact, he’ll get a game ball and things like that for his efforts. Nick Folk, I guess we’ll give him one, right? The game balls will be Folk, it’ll be (Tomlinson), it’ll be (Isaiah) Trufant, and the best play wasn’t the touchdown Trufant that had, it was on a kick where he was the first guy down the field. Here’s a guy that is small for Summit (High School) standards, and he ran down there, hits the wedge, there’s three blockers on him, and then he goes and makes the tackle. He’s an amazing little guy and the more he plays, he just looks short to me, he doesn’t look small anymore. But he did a great job. Obviously, Joe McKnight with the huge punt block. We’re not giving a game ball to any defensive players, even though Bart Scott played tremendous. But when your defense is not consistent and we don’t play to our standards, no game balls.

On if McKnight will get a game ball…

Yes. So you have three special teams game balls and then on offense Plaxico (Burress) will get one, and (Tomlinson).

On when he knew Trufant was getting elevated to the active roster…

Well, I check with (Westhoff) a bunch and we’ll go over the things on what we need. We’ll check with all three coordinators and really what is in our best interests for the last spot, two spots maybe. And, we generally will always will go to the guy who has the biggest impact on (special) teams. That’s generally what happens. And I think with that, we wanted his speed. We thought about playing the young man from Dallas, Andrew (Sendejo). There’s not chance I’ll even try the last name (joking). We were going to put him up, because I kind of liked that. Let a guy play against his former team and all that. But at the end of the day, we went with the speed, and it was the right move obviously.

On if he remembers another time that he did not give a game ball to the defense after a win…

Not too often. It is rare. But it’s good, that group well, “get all mad at me and everybody else, Pettine and you guys”. That’s good.

On if it was from the Miami game from a couple years ago…

Remember we lost that game?

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Jets coach Rex Ryan says ground game will be back after pass-heavy win over Cowboys

Published: Monday, September 12, 2011, 9:36 PM Updated: Monday, September 12, 2011, 9:42 PM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

Don’t read too much into Sunday night’s box score, Rex Ryan said.

The Jets coach hung his hat on being a ground-and-pound team in his first two seasons. But when the Jets made their 2011 season debut Sunday night, a 27-24 victory against the Dallas Cowboys, they recorded 44 pass plays to just 16 runs.

A new offensive identity? Not necessarily.

“I don’t want those numbers to ever be like that,” Ryan said. “But games are different.”

In other words, the team still prides itself on being strong on the ground. But when the Cowboys stymied the Jets’ runs with blitzes and stunts starting running back Shonn Greene said they had never seen, the Jets adjusted.

The result was extreme: the lowest percentage of run plays in Ryan’s tenure. The Jets ran on only 25 percent of their offensive snaps. Their previous low under Ryan had been 38.3 percent in the loss to Miami last December.

Ryan said the Jets realized early on it would be tough going on the ground. His twin brother Rob, the Dallas defensive coordinator, clogged the gaps and used a heavy dose of pressures and disguises to slow them down.

The Jets averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, running 16 times for 45 yards — the league’s next-to-lowest Week 1 rushing total heading into last night’s games.

Right guard Brandon Moore took the explanation a step further, saying the Jets planned to air it out to take advantage of “mismatches” against the Cowboys’ banged-up secondary.

“They were trying to stop our run; they had a couple wrinkles in there,” Moore said. “But our game plan was to attack the corners in the passing game, especially with the guys we have on the outside. ... That was just something (offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) and the coaches felt we wanted to attack, rightfully so.”

Moore referred to making use of receivers Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason.

The Jets also used some three tight end sets — with Dustin Keller, Matt Mulligan and Jeff Cumberland — to make the Cowboys think they were going to run, when instead they might pass.

Another factor in the skewed ratio was that the Jets fell behind on the opening drive of the game, and spent most of the rest of the night playing catch-up.

They went into no-huddle mode to score before halftime, and resumed that approach after the Cowboys scored on their first drive of the second half for a 17-7 lead.

In the hurry-up mode, the Jets generally use their “11 personnel,” a pass-friendly set with their top three receivers, Keller and usually running back LaDainian Tomlinson, because he is an explosive pass-catching option. Tomlinson caught six passes for 73 yards against Dallas, including a screen he took 32 yards in the two-minute drive before halftime.

Sanchez and the Jets have shown a penchant for the no-huddle offense, but Ryan had a reason for not using it from the opening kickoff.

“We think we’re an excellent running football team,” he said. “If you get into that no-huddle, I think you’re more of a passing attack than we probably want to be.”

So, yes, he still loves the ground-and-pound. But Ryan said he learned in last year’s comeback win at Detroit to never lock the team into one style. He told the players before that game that hey would run the ball 35 times. But late in the game, on pace for only 30 runs, he realized the Jets’ best chance of winning was to pass. So he ate his words.

The offense will work on the run game this week, right tackle Wayne Hunter said, learning from Sunday night and applying those lessons moving forward. The bottom line is flexibility, to be able to go after the area of the opposing defense that is most vulnerable.

“There are going to be days like yesterday when we have to throw the ball, and days when we have to depend on the run,” Greene said. “It goes back and forth.”

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

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Head's up: Sanchez is fine

September, 12, 2011

Sep 12

8:36

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

QB Mark Sanchez appeared groggy as he met with reporters early Monday morning, shortly after midnight in the aftermath of the Jets' 27-24 win over the Cowboys, but he was fine later in the day -- according to Rex Ryan.

The Jets' coach said he spent four hours with Sanchez and GM Mike Tannenbaum at a charity event in Manhattan, and "he seemed fine to me. We all saw the game. I'm sure he was sore. I'm sure he was beat up. He's not on the treatment list."

Ryan held up a three page list of players receiving treatment. "Nothing major," he said, adding, "When you play a physical football game, this is what your treatment list looks like." (Eric Mangini used to do that all the time. Kidding, of course.)

Sanchez didn't speak to reporters during the media period (he doesn't do Mondays), but he popped into the locker room briefly and seemed okay.

KICKOFF ROTATION: In the preseason, the Jets' plan was to spot Antonio Cromartie on kickoff returns, using him whenever they felt they needed a spark. Against the Cowboys, those plans went out the window. Cromartie returned three kickoffs, Joe McKnight only one.

From now on, Cromartie and McKnight will rotate, according to Ryan.

"I think Cromartie could be exceptional," Ryan said.

Cromartie also has new marching orders, courtesy of special teams coach Mike Westhoff, who demanded: Do not return a kickoff that lands nine yards deep in the end zone. Cromartie did that in the first half, and he brought it out only to the 13-yard line.

"I can't go 109 no more," Cromartie cracked, alluding to his league-record, 109-yard return on a missed field goal from his days with the Chargers.

It was a three-way game for Cromartie, who appeared in one play as a wide receiver. He said he's not sure if he'll get another chance in the future, although he claimed, "I could be a great vertical receiver."

ODDS AND ENDS: RT Wayne Hunter acknowledged his shaky performance in pass protection, but he attributed it to the competition -- star pass rusher DeMarcus Ware (two sacks). Said Hunter: "It can't get any worse than that." ... NT Sione Pouha, a proud Utah alum, was wearing a USC shirt in the locker room. The schools faced each other over the weekend, and Pouha lost a bet to the USC alums on the team, McKnight, Sanchez and WR Patrick Turner. Pouha has to wear a USC shirt every day, but he added his own form of protest. He enlisted a friend to splash the word "SUSPENDED" over the USC logo ... Ryan was annoyed that the defense allowed touchdowns on the opening drives of each half -- un-Jets-like.

AMAZING STAT: Forgot this from Sunday night. The Cowboys were 240-0-1 when leading by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter. Crazy.

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Rex: No game ball for defense this week

September, 12, 2011

Sep 12

9:09

PM ET

By Jane McManus

Darrelle Revis had the game-changing interception, Jim Leonhard chased down Jason Witten to prevent a Cowboys touchdown, and even Bart Scott earned praise from Jets coach Rex Ryan.

But none of them got a game ball this week.

“We’re not giving a game ball to any defensive players, even though Bart Scott played tremendous,” Ryan said. “But when your defense is not consistent and we don’t play to our standards, no game balls.”

Ryan is making a point by giving out game balls on offense and special teams but not on defense -- the part of the game he loves best.

“There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement on the defensive side,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “Just for us, we gave up too many yards.”

The Jets allowed Dallas quarterback Tony Romo to throw for 342 yards Sunday night. Witten exploited the weakness the Jets have traditionally had in guarding tight ends, with 110 yards on six receptions.

It didn’t help matters that across the field Rex Ryan’s brother, Rob, the Dallas defensive coordinator, was giving his offensive line a panic attack each time the ball was snapped. The Cowboys pretty much shut down the Jets' running game, forcing quarterback Mark Sanchez to throw the ball.

“The little that you have been hearing about (Dallas) is that they want to become more aggressive on defense and that’s the Ryans' playbook,” Leonhard said.

On the other side of the ball, Cromartie seemed to struggle next to Revis Island. After Dez Bryant scored on the first Dallas series of the game while being covered by Cromartie, the Jets switched Revis onto the young wide receiver.

Later, Cromartie and Miles Austin grabbed a jump ball in the end zone, but it was ultimately a touchdown.

“He’s frustrated obviously, he felt like he made a great play,” Leonhard said. “From my vantage point it looked like he did most of the work catching it, Miles did a great job of sticking his hands in there late and tying it up. And that's the rule, simultaneous catch goes to the offense.”

After the play, Cromartie was visibly frustrated on the sideline, and didn’t think he was having a very good game after an offseason when his name in free agency was eclipsed by Nnamdi Asomugha. But even Ryan said that Asomugha wouldn’t have been able to stop a player like Witten.

“In the beginning I thought I played pretty bad,” Cromartie said. "But going back and looking at the film and seeing how everything broke down I feel like I did a pretty good job.”

And if the whole cornerback thing doesn’t work out for Cromartie, he can always ask for more time at wide receiver, where he was put for one play against Dallas. When asked about moving to the offense, Cromartie laughed.

“I think I can be a great vertical threat,” he said.

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McKnight, Trufant Team Up for a Block Party

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 22 hours ago

The spotlight could not have been brighter on Sunday night, and the Jets were able to step out of the shadow cast by the Cowboys and bask in a Week 1 win. They snatched victory from the fast-closing jaws of defeat, thanks to a highly unlikely sequence of events.

A 26-yard TD pass by Mark Sanchez to WR Plaxico Burress cut it to 24-17 in favor of the Cowboys early in the fourth quarter.

A forced fumble by DT Mike DeVito of Cowboys QB Tony Romo at the Jets 3-yard line prevented Dallas from turning it back into a two-score game with nine minutes to go.

A Sanchez fumble gave the ball right back to the Cowboys, but the Jets forced a three-and-out and Dallas set up to punt.

And then it happened.

With the Jets down by 7 and just over five minutes left in the game, Dallas lined up to punt from its 41. It was a routine snap to Cowboys P Mat McBriar, but Jets RB Joe McKnight flew through a hole in the offensive line, blocked the punt, and Isaiah Trufant picked up the ball and ran free into the New Jersey night.

“Man, that’s real big,” said Trufant. “It’s greatly big for the city to get a win like that. Just to help the team win and start the season 1-0, that’s real big.”

While Trufant struggled to grasp the enormity of what he and his teammates had just accomplished, he nearly missed the opportunity to be a part of Sunday night’s game. He was signed from the practice squad on Saturday and was activated for the opener 90 minutes before kickoff.

Playing exclusively on special teams, Trufant had one job to do on Sunday night. He can confidently say he went above and beyond his duty, putting six of the most important points of the game on the board.

There was only one thing on his mind after scooping the bouncing ball at the Cowboys' 18-yard line.

“Getting to the end zone to score,” he said. “It was a great block by McKnight. I was just grateful the ball bounced my way and I was able to pick it up and run with it.”

For McKnight, it was the first blocked punt of his life. And he could not have picked a better time for it.

“Their punter has a fast get-off time, so [sT coordinator Mike] Westhoff told me that if I get back there, just try to get it,” said McKnight. “It came across my mind that he punts very fast, so I just took two steps across the line and dove for it.”

The play was designed specifically for the Cowboys, and was executed to perfection.

“It was something Westhoff drew up,” said special teams captain Eric Smith. “We were basically trying to get 2-on-1 on the wing. They slid their whole protection, brought their fullback all the way over, and didn’t have anybody to account for Joe.”

The legend of Mike Westhoff grows even bigger after drawing up the perfect play and calling it at a critical juncture in the game.

“It was a wide-open hole and all I had to do was run through it, put my hand out and block it,” said McKnight. “Originally it wasn’t supposed to be for me, it was supposed to be for [smith], but it just happened that way that it opened up for me.”

Smith clarified by saying the play was designed to spring one of the three Jets on the overloaded side of the formation; in this case, Smith, McKnight or CB Marquice Cole. While Smith and Cole drew the blocks, McKnight was left free, unabated to the punter.

It was a gratifying moment for the second-year man McKnight, who had well-documented struggles in his rookie season.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m a hero, but it feels good, especially after the stuff that I’ve been through. To get to this point today, it just feels good.”

The effort by McKnight was appreciated by all those wearing green on Sunday night, including his head coach.

“I said, 'Son, if you keep making plays like that, you’re going to be a part of this offense,' ” said Rex Ryan. “And he is. That was a huge, huge play.”

After the game, McKnight joked about what he felt when he blocked his first career punt.

“It kind of hurt my hand a little bit," he said, "but I’m OK now.”

The same can be said for Jets fans. At first, there was pain and disappointment. Later, ecstasy.

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Jets Steal Season Opener for Themselves, for New York

Sep 12th, 2011 | By Jon Wagner | Category: New York Jets, Top Story

Jets Steal Season Opener for Themselves, for New York thumbnail

With heavy hearts, thousands of New York Jet fans filled Met Life Stadium on Sunday night for their team’s 2011 season opener while millions more in the New York area watched on national television.

For all of them, the game was a temporary distraction from an otherwise difficult day during which Jet fans, New Yorkers, and Americans across the United States shared in recognizing the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.

While Patriot Day ceremonies were conducted in every NFL stadium that hosted a game on Sunday, perhaps the feelings among NFL fans were felt the strongest in the Jets’ home stadium with New York’s World Trade Center enduring the brunt of the horrific attacks a decade ago.

Appropriately, as if mimicking New Yorkers’ resiliency In the face of extreme adversity, the Jets (1-0) properly represented their city by overcoming tremendous odds to score the final 17 points – all in the final quarter – and win a thriller, 27-24, over fittingly, the Dallas Cowboys (who many still think of as America’s Team).

For the most part, the Cowboys (0-1) clearly outplayed the Jets, and Dallas took the largest lead of the game (24-10) early in the fourth quarter.

Given the history in such situations – Dallas had never lost (242-0-1) when leading in the fourth quarter by at least 14 points – the Jets appeared to facing an insurmountable situation.

That is, until Dallas quarterback Tony Romo (23-36, 342 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 lost fumble, 4 sacks) did what he’s often done in his NFL career – he played well, putting his team in a position to win, only to commit some costly fourth-quarter turnovers and cost his team the game.

Long before that however, things were going smoothly for Romo and the Cowboys.

Dallas took the opening kickoff and went 69 yards on nine plays to grab a 7-0 lead just 4:33 into the game on a three-yard touchdown pass from Romo to wide receiver Dez Bryant (3 catches, 71 yards).

The next seven possessions then resulted in punts (four by the Jets and three by the Cowboys) before Dallas went 47 yards on ten plays to increase its lead to 10-0 on a 34-yard field goal by Dan Bailey with 3:16 left in the opening half.

New York finally responded with a nine-play, 87-yard drive to trim Dallas’ lead to 10-7 on a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mark Sanchez (26-44, 335 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks) to tight end Dustin Keller (5 catches, 61 yards) just 37 seconds before halftime.

Keller was one of seven players with over 60 yards receiving. Wide receivers Plaxico Burress (4 catches, 72 yards) and Santonio Holmes 6 catches, 70 yards) complimented a team-high 73 receiving yards (on 6 catches) from running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Meanwhile, in addition to Bryant’s production, tight end Jason Whitten led Dallas with 6 catches and 110 yards while wide receiver Miles Austin added four catches for 83 yards.

Just as they did to start the game, the Cowboys similarly scored on their possession after halftime, going 73 yards on eight plays to lead 17-7 on a 36-yard touchdown pass which Austin held onto along with cornerback Antonio Cromartie in the end zone with 8:05 left in the third quarter (the tie went to Austin and the offense).

Former Dallas draft pick, kicker Nick Folk, then capped a 10-play, 64-yard drive and pulled the Jets to within 17-10 on a 34-yard field goal with 4:01 left in the period.

But, Dallas linebacker Sean Lee (who had a monster game with a game-high 11 tackles and a key interception), picked Sanchez off at the Jets’ 38-yard line and returned the ball to the New York 1-yard line.

That set up a one-yard touchdown run by running back Felix Jones (17 carries, game-high 44 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble) which gave the Cowboys a commanding 24-10 lead with 14:50 left in the game.

The Jets answered on the next drive though, going 84 yards in seven plays, trimming the Cowboys’ lead to 24-17 on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Burress with 11:56 remaining.

Three plays later however, the Jets let Jason Whitten roam free on a 64-yard gain to the New York 3-yard line.

The Jets appeared to be in trouble, but when shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis jammed Bryant in the end zone on 3rd-and-2 from the New York 2-yard line, Romo was forced to scramble. He tried to score up the middle but he lost the ball a split-second before his right knee hit the ground.

It was another costly late-game turnover, the type of which has plagued Romo many times. And, the worst with that was yet to come.

The Jets advanced the ball near midfield, but Sanchez fumbled when he was sacked by safety Danny McCray on a blitz.

The Cowboys took over at the Jets’ 47-yard line, but Jones lost two yards on a first-down carry and Romo threw a pair of incompletions.

That led to a game changer that continued New York’s remarkable comeback when Joe McKnight made a great diving bock with his right hand on a fourth-down punt by punter Mat McBriar.

Undrafted second-year player Isaiah Trufant (from FCS program Eastern Washington) scooped up the loose ball and scampered 18 yards, untouched, to tie the game, 24-24, with five minutes left.

The teams then traded punts, and the Cowboys seemed to be in decent shape to produce a game-winning field goal drive, taking over at their own 41-yard line with 59 seconds and one time out remaining.

On the next play though, Romo, instead of throwing the ball away, tried to force an ill-advised pass to Bryant, who was blanketed closely by Revis.

Too easy for an average cornerback, and for a talent Revis, it was a practically an automatic interception, which was brought back 20 yards to the Dallas 34-yard line.

The Jets could only move two yards closer, but that was enough for Folk to beat his former team on a 50-yard field goal inside the right upright with just 27 seconds left.

Like they have many times over the past two seasons, the Jets walked a fine line and came out on the right side between success and failure.

New York (9-7 two years ago and 11-5 last year, while reaching the AFC title game each of the past two years) could have easily been a mediocre 8-8 and missed the playoffs each of those two years if not for some lucky breaks and pulling out games the way they did on Sunday night.

Yet, once again, the Jets somehow found a way. And, on an emotional night, it was an especially satisfying gut-check win for millions of New York-area Jet fans.

Acknowledging the energy his team received from Jet fans on a special evening, head coach Rex Ryan said, “We fed off our fans. There is no doubt. Nobody left, they hung in with us the entire time. And, this win is for our community. We all felt it. And, we kept hanging in there, believing we could get it done, and that’s exactly what we did.”

During a more normal week, the Jets will try to do the same for their fans at home against Jacksonville (1-0) next Sunday at 1 pm ET.

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Ryan Watches Film but Hopes There’s No Sequel

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Unable to run against the Cowboys, the Jets used LaDainian Tomlinson to open things up. He caught six passes for 73 yards.

By BEN SHPIGEL

Published: September 12, 2011

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The next day, Rex Ryan studied videotape from the Jets’ season-opening game against the Dallas Cowboys. He came away relieved to discover that one aspect, at least, matched what he saw on Sunday night.

Related

Jets 27, Cowboys 24: Slow Start but Fast Finish as Jets Beat Cowboys (September 12, 2011)

N.F.L. Fast Forward: Passes in the Air, and Points in Bunches (September 13, 2011)

The Fifth Down

Jets

The Jets ran for a paltry 45 yards against the Cowboys and allowed 390 over all.

“We still won,” Ryan said.

As he spoke at Jets headquarters Monday afternoon, Ryan was not in a state of disbelief — far from it, actually. Yet he did seem a bit stunned, stunned because the Jets’ 27-24 victory, however heart-pounding and stomach-churning as their wins often are, resembled none of the first 24 he celebrated as their coach.

However vivid an imagination Ryan has, he never could have envisioned winning a game in which his two staples — a bruising rushing attack and a suffocating defense — abandoned him. The Jets ran for a paltry 45 yards and allowed 390 over all.

“Oh, that’s painful,” Ryan said.

The Jets ran 16 times, their fewest attempts in 39 games under Ryan. And only the Titans (43) had rushed for fewer yards through Sunday’s games.

Outclassed up front by Dallas’s pressure, especially from DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, the Jets averaged 2.8 yards per carry. Despite preparing all week for the creative defenses of Rob Ryan, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, the Jets faced schemes they had not seen before.

“A lot of blitzes and a lot of stunts and stuff,” said Shonn Greene, who rushed 10 times for 26 yards, “so running the ball was kind of tough.”

After halftime, the Jets adjusted in two ways. First, they started using sets with three tight ends, which usually signals a running play. But Jeff Cumberland, a backup tight end, is a skilled receiver, and teaming him with Dustin Keller spread out the Cowboys’ defense and allowed quarterback Mark Sanchez more time to throw. Cumberland’s 33-yard catch on the second possession of the second half ignited a drive that ended with Nick Folk’s 34-yard field goal.

Next, the Jets began incorporating LaDainian Tomlinson more into the passing flow, with Sanchez completing three of four passes to him in the flat. All three resulted in first downs. The running game’s struggles forced Sanchez to throw 44 times on Sunday — or on 73 percent of the Jets’ plays. “I don’t want those numbers to ever be like that,” Rex Ryan said.

And from here out, it is unlikely they will again. Greene’s meager showing notwithstanding, Ryan said the Jets had not amended their offensive philosophy, the so-called ground and pound, and had begun correcting mental mistakes and run-protection schemes heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.

The Jaguars have a talented back, Maurice Jones-Drew, but stuffing the rushing game was one thing the Jets did well Sunday, allowing 64 yards on 26 carries. Two of Dallas’s touchdowns came on passes that were defended by Antonio Cromartie.

On the first, Cromartie said he lost sight of the ball. On the second, when Miles Austin ripped the ball out of Cromartie’s hands as they fell into the end zone, Cromartie said he should have turned his body toward the ball. After giving up that pass, Cromartie, dejected, sat on the bench. His position coach, Dennis Thurman, approached and showed him how to catch the ball with his hands high, instead of palms up, which had given Austin better leverage.

What struck safety Jim Leonhard was the Jets’ breakdown on screen passes. With the Jets stuffing the run, Dallas involved Felix Jones and, to a lesser degree, DeMarco Murray by engaging them out of the backfield, something that Leonhard said the Jets should have recognized.

“At times we looked like a dominant defense,” Leonhard said, “and at times we looked very, very average.”

By Rex Ryan’s standards, “very, very average” is not nearly good enough. And so he awarded game balls to three special-teams performers — Folk, who kicked the go-ahead field goal; Joe McKnight, who blocked a punt; and Isaiah Trufant, who scored after recovering the blocked punt — and to Tomlinson and Plaxico Burress, but to nobody on defense. That, Ryan said, had not happened before.

EXTRA POINTS

Rex Ryan said Antonio Cromartie and Joe McKnight would continue sharing kick-return duties. Cromartie said he had been ordered by the special-teams coach Mike Westhoff not to run the ball out from 9 yards deep in the end zone, as he did Sunday.

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Cowboys fan uses Taser gun on Jets crowd at MetLife Stadium despite security on 9/11 anniversary

BY Gary Myers, Frank Digiacomo AND Bill Hutchinson

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Monday, September 12th 2011, 6:49 PM

Updated: Tuesday, September 13th 2011, 12:03 AM

Leroy McKelvey was charged with felony aggravated assault, felony possession of a stun gun and illegal possession of a weapon.

Aaron Showalter for News

Leroy McKelvey was charged with felony aggravated assault, felony possession of a stun gun and illegal possession of a weapon.

A diehard Cowboys fan wildly fired a stun gun in a crowd at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands injuring three people, including a Marine, cops said Monday.

Leroy McKelvey, 59, of Moncks Corner, S.C., used a Taser gun on Jets fans during an upper-deck brawl at halftime Sunday night, said Sgt. Julian Castellanos of the New Jersey State Police.

McKelvey is the father of Power 105.1 deejay Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of "The Breakfast Club."

Three men suffered minor injuries in the fracas at the nationally televised football game.

The melee erupted after a Marine became annoyed at McKelvey and his friends for not taking their hats off or standing during the National Anthem and speaking loudly during "Taps" and "Amazing Grace."

Witnesses told cops McKelvey got into a fight with the Marine, who was sitting at the end of his row in section 324 and refused to let him out to go to the restroom at halftime.

McKelvey pulled a stun gun from his pocket and fired, hitting the unidentified Marine in the neck and sending him tumbling down six rows, witnesses told cops.

The suspect's son said that his dad is a devout Jehovah's Witness and doesn't believe in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance or National Anthem.

"He's not a violent guy at all. He just likes to have fun," Charlamagne Tha God told the Daily News. "I would hope that an altercation didn't happen because of him not standing for the National Anthem."

It was not immediately clear how McKelvey snuck a Taser into MetLife Stadium, where there was tight security because of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and because former President George W. Bush was at the game.

McKelvey's son blamed Jets coach Rex Ryan for creating a hostile environment at the game by saying in earlier press conferences that "it's probably not recommended that you wear Cowboys stuff" to MetLife Stadium.

"He shouldn't have had a taser on him. But I really feel he took a risk because he felt threatened," said Charlamagne Tha God, explaining his father was wearing a Cowboys hat and jersey and sports tattoos of Cowboy stars on his shoulder and right forearm.

He said his dad suffered a broken nose in the fight.

"He got jumped by Jets fans when the Cowboys were leading by two touchdowns, so he was just defending himself," the son said.

The Jets mounted a second-half comeback to win the season opener 27-24.

McKelvey was charged with felony aggravated assault, felony possession of a stun gun and illegal possession of a weapon.

His son posted the $22,500 bail and was waiting Monday night for his father to be released from Bergen County Jail.

whutchinson@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/12/2011-09-12_cowboys_fan_uses_taser_gun_on_jets_crowd_at_metlife_stadium_despite_security_on_.html#ixzz1Xq9ZZfFm

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Just a heads up, it's currently September, not June.

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Interesting Jaguars Stats: Week 1

AUTHOR: Andrew Hofheimer | IN: Jaguars | COMMENTS: None Yet |

The Jaguars had the most rushing attempts of all teams in the NFL (47). Two of the other three teams with more than 35 rushing attempts had 25+ point leads going into the 4th Quarter (Houston and Buffalo).

(From ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky) six of Tennessee’s 11 possessions went three-and-out. Meanwhile, four of Jacksonville’s 11 series were 11 plays or more.

Maurice Jones-Drew is tied for the 9th most rushing yards (97) in the NFL.

He’s also tied for the 3rd most attempts (24) and 2nd most first downs (6).

Jones-Drew had one rush TD this week, tying him with 20 other players. No player had more than one rush TD.

Only seven teams gave up fewer than the 2 sacks the Jaguars offensive line allowed.

Luke McCown was tied with Matt Schaub as the 4th most accurate passer (70.8% complete). They are behind Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith, and Matt Stafford.

Mike Thomas is tied with Steve Smith (CAR), Roddy White, Mike Wallace, and Wes Welker for most receptions (8) amongst WR’s.

The Jaguars’ defense allowed the 2nd fewest rushing in the NFL this week (43).

The defense only allowed one rush to go for a first down.

The Jaguars were one of only three teams to not allow a rush of 10 yards or longer.

All five of Josh Scobee’s kickoffs went for touchbacks (even on a blistering hot day). The only other kickers who had 100% touchbacks were Sebastian Janikowski and Matt Prater, who both played in the cool, thin Denver air last night.

Scobee’s 48 yard field goal was tied for 4th longest this week.

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Just a heads up, it's currently September, not June.

Time fly's

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Jets defense gets no game balls

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6:03 PM, September 12, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Calling his defense's performane "painful," Jets coach Rex Ryan did not hand out any game balls on the defensive side of the ball Monday after Sunday's 27-24 victory over the Cowboys.

The Jets gave up 390 yards of offense. They played better at the end of the game and forced two Tony Romo turnovers in the fourth quarter. Still, Ryan remained unhappy with his D.

"It was uncharacterstic," Ryan said. "We made a few mental mistakes that really cost us."

Safety Jim Leonhard said the Jets need to back up their reputation.

"We obviously have a great defense on paper when you look at the talent we have but you have to go out there and execute," Leonhard said. "That's what we didn't do. We were hot and cold. At times we looked like a dominant defense and at times we looked very, very average. I think it's good to have that game early and get a victory and hopefully clean up some things and bring that energy week in, week out."

**

The game balls went to: RB LaDainian Tomlinson, K Nick Folk, DB Isaiah Trufant, RB Joe McKnight and WR Plaxico Burress.

**

It looks like Antonio Cromartie will be the team's primary kick returner. He served in that role against the Cowboys, and sounded like he believes that the job is his. Ryan said the Jets will rotate Cromartie and McKnight.

**

Quarterback Mark Sanchez looked groggy after Sunday's game, but Ryan said his quarterback is fine. Ryan attended a charity event with Sanchez on Monday.

"He seemed fine to me," Ryan said. "We all saw the game. I'm sure he was sore. I'm sure he was beat up."

Ryan said Sanchez was not on his list of players who received medical treatment Monday.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/jets_defense_gets_no_game_balls_g8vbvVg5PUAM0Tz9YIYlLP#ixzz1Xqc8XnNa

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New York Jets: 10 Takeaways from Week 1

September 12th, 2011 Chris Cipriano Posted in Game Stories

It has only been one week of play, but we learned a lot about the New York Jets after their 27-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Mark Sanchez showed he could step up and lead the team as the running game struggled to do much of anything.

Aging veterans LaDainian Tomlinson and Plaxico Burress showed they still have some gas left in the tank. However, it wasn’t all good.

The offensive line desperately missed Damien Woody, the offense failed to score in the first quarter again, and Antonio Cromartie got beat for multiple touchdowns.

Read about those storylines and more as part of the 10 biggest storylines from the Jets’ season opener.

1. The Training Wheels Are off Mark Sanchez

The New York Jets have been known for their “ground and pound” style of play under Rex Ryan. Behind a strong offensive line, the Jets have ran the ball as much as anyone and as effectively as anyone over the past two seasons.

Now in year three of the Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez era that appears like it is no longer the case. In Sunday night’s game, the Jets threw the ball 44 times, compared to just 16 runs. That matched the most passing attempts in Sanchez’s career and was the most pass heavy game since Ryan took over as coach.

Sanchez responded well, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes and throwing for 335 yards. Even as the running game improves, expect the Jets to pass a lot more than they have in previous years.

2. L.T. Can Still Play

All offseason all we heard about was how the New York Jets were ready to give Shonn Greene the lion’s share of the work in the backfield as LaDainian Tomlinson took a back seat. That was hardly the case in Week 1.

While Greene outpaced Tomlinson in carries ten to five, both of them were on the field for the same amount of plays. Also, Tomlinson proved extremely valuable as a receiver out of backfield leading the Jets in receptions (six) and yard (73).

Tomlinson looked fresh and like the better back. Don’t go writing off Tomlinson just yet.

3. Wayne Hunter Isn’t Damien Woody

Damien Woody retired in the offseason, leaving a gaping hole at right tackle for the New York Jets. The Jets had hoped second year man Vladimir Ducasse would step up, but he has been a massive disappointment.

That left journeyman Wayne Hunter as the only option at right tackle. Hunter was decent in a few starts last season after Woody went down with an injury. However, that wasn’t the case on Sunday night.

DeMarcus Ware terrorized Hunter whenever he lined up on his side. He beat Hunter or one sack and was putting pressure on Sanchez all night long. Granted, Ware is among the best in the game, but it wasn’t a great start for Hunter.

4. Mark Sanchez Can Win a Game by Himself

The New York Jets failed to establish much of anything on the ground against the Dallas Cowboys. They ran the ball 16 times for just 48 yards, good for a 2.8 yards per carry. Their longest run of the night was for seven yards. If you have watched the Jets at all the past couple seasons, you had never seen anything like that.

With the running game staled, it was up to third year quarterback Mark Sanchez to step up and lead the Jets to victory. And step up he did. Sanchez threw for 335 yards, only one off his career high, and two touchdowns.

While he did turn the ball over two times, he led the Jets back from down 14 points to victory in regulation.

He did all of this with no running game to take pressure off of him and while getting harassed by DeMarcus Ware and company all night long. The Jets can feel confident now that they can win because of Mark Sanchez, not in spite of him.

5. Plaxico Burress Can Still Play

Through three quarters of Sunday night’s game, Plaxico Burress was a non-factor. It appeared as if his first game with the New York Jets would go down as a forgettable one.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Burress came alive in the fourth quarter hauling in four receptions for 72 yards and a beautiful over the shoulder touchdown grab helping to spar the Jets comeback effort.

Burress also showed great hustle and effort leveling Mike Jenkins with a devastating downfield block on a Santonio Holmes catch and run.

6. Antonio Cromartie Sturggled

After watching last night’s game, it’s no surprise why the New York Jets made a serious run at Nnamdi Asomugha in the offseason.

The man they signed instead, Antonio Cromartie, got beat for touchdowns by Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. Cromartie struggled to be psychical with these receivers both at the, line letting them have a clean release, and in the air, losing the fight for the ball.

Cromartie has a chance to rebound next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have one of the worst receiving corps in the league.

7. Darrelle Revis Had an Interception

Darrele Revis had a forgettable start to the 2010 season after holding out all of training camp, injuring himself in the second week of the season. With a full training camp under his belt this season, Revis was back to being his usual self from the get-go.

After Antonio Cromartie was got beat a couple times by Dez Bryant, the Jets shifted Revis over to Bryant. Bryant had one catch early on Revis, but then wasn’t heard from for the rest of the game.

With the Dallas Cowboys driving to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, Revis undercut a pass intended for Braynt intercepting it, setting up the New York Jets up for the win.

With that interception, Revis now has more interceptions (one) than he did all of last season (zero).

8. Nick Folk Gains Confidence

After Darrelle Revis picked off Tony Romo it seemed like a New York Jets win was inevitable. However, after the Jets managed to gain just two yards on the subsequent three plays, the result of the game was up in doubt.

As Nick Folk lined up to attempt a 50-yard field goal, you couldn’t find a Jets fan willing to bet that Folk would make the kick. Then, Folk drained the kick right through the uprights giving the Jets the lead for good.

It had to feel good for Folk to start the season off by nailing a game winning 50-yard field goal. Hopefully, that confidence will carry over for the rest of the season.

9. First Quarter Blues Continue

The New York Jets have made it habit to get off to slow starts and that trend continued last night.

The Jets got behind 7-0 to the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter. This marked the 16 straight game the Jets have gone without scoring an offensive touchdown in the first quarter.

Most of the blame last night was on the offensive line. Mark Sanchez didn’t have enough time in the pocket and it wasn’t a surprise the Jets didn’t score their first points until they went into two-minute-drill mode.

The Jets won’t be able to play catch up every game and this will catch up to them sooner or later.

10. The Pass Rush Was Good

The New York Jets were expected to pressure Tony Romo and for the most part they did a good job. The Dallas Cowboys inexperience on the offensive line showed at times and the Jets took advantage.

In total, the Jets sacked Romo four times and pressured him a good amount. It was great to see Calvin Pace record a sack, as hopefully this is the year he records double-digit sacks.

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Benigno’s Best: Week 2 NFL Power Rankings

September 13, 2011 11:31 AM

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Joe B's Best (credit: Flickr/Jack Parrott)

1. Green Bay Packers (1) – Aaron Rodgers is off and running with a win over Saints. The offense has weapons everywhere including the rookie Randall Cobb.

2. New England Patriots (3) – Tom Brady was brilliant in his 517-yard masterpiece versus “The Fish.” But, the Pats defense is still in need of legitimate pass rusher. The loss of Dan Koppen hurts the O-line.

3. Baltimore Ravens (8) – Their dismantling of Steelers sent a strong message to league: This is still NFL’s most ferocious defense.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (2) – They did what they had to in beating a banged up Rams team, but I’m still worried about their offensive line.

5. New York Jets (5) – Shaky moments vs. “The Boys,” but this team continues to find ways to win.

6. New Orleans Saints (7) – Hard to move up when you lose, but they still had the Packers on the ropes in the closing seconds. The addition of Darren Sproles makes them even more explosive.

7. San Diego Chargers (9) – Nice comeback win against the Vikings. Still their special teams has got to scare you.

8. Chicago Bears (unranked) – Their pasting of Falcons reminds everyone that the Bears won NFC North last year.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (4) – Despite their opening week disaster in Baltimore, you know this team is good.

10. Atlanta Falcons (6) – Matt Ryan and company fizzled in Chicago. Still, when all is said and done, this is an elite NFC team.

Bubble teams: Texans and Lions

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Report: Banta-Cain to visit with Jets

Sep 13, 2011

By Phil Perry

CSNNE.com

It looks as though Tully Banta-Cain could be the latest face of the ongoing Border War between the Patriots and Jets.

According to Scout.com, Banta-Cain will visit Rex Ryan and the Jets on Tuesday.

Banta-Cain basically ran himself out of New England when he put off abdominal surgery until just days before the open of training camp. He has reportedly recovered well from the procedure, however, and even passed a physical last week while visiting the Oakland Raiders.

The Jets have been active players in the market for an athletic linebacker/defensive end who can pass-rush. They released former first-round pick Vernon Gholston during the preseason and then quickly signed and released Aaron Maybin, another former first round pick of the Buffalo Bills.

Banta-Cain, 30, was one of the Patriots' most frequently-used pass-rushers last season under Bill Belichick and recorded 45 tackles, five sacks and one fumble recovery.

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Ground Game 'Wasn't Where It Should've Been'

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 6 hours ago

After the madness of Sunday night’s thrilling come-from-behind 27-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets discussed their performance Monday afternoon. Pleased with the outcome, but disappointed with the execution, “relief” is the best way to describe the mood in the locker room.

Down by 14 in the fourth quarter, the Jets mounted a furious rally to erase the deficit. QB Mark Sanchez threw a career-high 44 passes, completing 26 passes for 335 yards, 1 yard less than his career high.

The pass-heavy attack was a departure from a typical Rex Ryan offensive approach, and the coach gave a reason for his change in philosophy.

“You’ve got to give Dallas credit, both schematically and in the personnel," Ryan said. "Going into the game, we thought we were going to run the ball more than we did. Give credit to my brother [defensive coordinator Rob] and Dallas. They took that away from us.”

The Jets ran the ball only 16 times for 45 yards, the lowest total for the Jets since Ryan took over as head coach in 2009.

“Our running game wasn’t where it should have been last night,” said RT Wayne Hunter. “That’s definitely going to take some work this week.”

Hunter was especially busy Sunday night as he often had to deal with Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware, who was wreaking havoc all over the field.

“It’s good to start off with a guy like Ware,” said Hunter. “It can’t get any worse than that. He’s got arms as long as Brick's [LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson's] on a 6’4” frame, and he knows how to use them. He mixes everything up and doesn’t give you one look all the time.”

Ware finished the game with four tackles, including two sacks. On the occasions when he didn’t find the backfield, Dallas was dialing up some other scheme that forced the Jets to adjust on the fly.

“They were pressuring a lot, filling in all the gaps, bringing a lot of secondary pressure," Hunter said. "They really disguised it as well as Rex does. Give a lot of credit to those guys. They came ready to play.”

Shonn Greene had 10 of the Jets' 16 carries for 26 yards. It was a frustrating night for the third-year back, but he was not about to accept the difficulties as indicative of a greater offensive problem.

“There are going to be games like yesterday where we have to throw the ball,” said Greene. “And there are going to be days we’re going to have to depend on the run. It goes back and forth.”

In order for the Jets to bounce back and improve their running game in Week 2 against the Jaguars, adjustments must be made. Today was the first step in addressing those concerns.

“It’s a copycat league,” said Greene. “Once one team sees another team give you some trouble with some things, they’re going to try to do the same.”

Although the tough sledding was frustrating for the offense, Ryan commended his troops for not getting discouraged.

“We don’t lack courage, fight, that temperament, and the belief that momentum is coming our way. We refused to let go of that rope.”

Pouha’s New Threads

In a friendly weekend wager, the team’s USC alumni laid pride on the line with DT Sione Pouha, an alumnus of Utah. The Trojans and Utes faced off on Saturday, with USC winning, 23-14. Before the game was played, Pouha entered into a bet with Sanchez, RB Joe McKnight and WR Patrick Turner, which would result in the loser wearing the colors of the victorious squad.

“It’s all in the name of fun, and it’s how we keep it joyous here in the locker room,” said Pouha.

Today, Pouha wore a gray T-shirt emblazoned with the USC logo. Apparently the gag didn’t end there, as the shirt was several sizes too small for Pouha’s 325-pound frame.

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Three up, three down

September, 13, 2011

Sep 13

12:28

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Each week, we will highlight some of the positive and negative performances from the game. Our take from the Jets' 27-24 win over the Cowboys:

THREE UP

1. Darrelle Revis -- He made two key plays. Everyone knows about the late interception, setting up the game-winning FG, but Revis also contributed to another turnover, Tony Romo's fumble with nine minutes to play. Romo looked for Dez Bryant on a fade, but he was blanketed by Revis. Romo pulled it down, ran and coughed it up.

2. LaDainian Tomlinson -- For a backup (wink, wink), he had a huge impact, catching six passes for 73 yards. His 32-yard screen set up a TD, and he made a huge third-down conversion in the fourth quarter.

3. Jim Leonhard -- Unlike Rex Ryan, we're going to recognize a player from the defense. Leonhard may have saved the game by knocking TE Jason Witten out of bounds at the 3 on his long catch and run. It turned out to be huge because, three plays later, Romo fumbled it back to the Jets. This was Leonhard's first game since his horrific leg injury last December. Pretty good return.

THREE DOWN

1. Wayne Hunter -- In his first start as the permanent right tackle, Hunter allowed a sack, at least four pressures and one tackle-for-loss, according to my film review. Yes, he faced arguably the best pass rusher in the league, DeMarcus Ware, but Hunter experienced some hiccups against others as well. He tends to lunge forward in his pass-protection set, making it easy for opponents to knock him offbalance.

2. Antonio Cromartie -- The $32 million cornerback got beat on two TD passes, by Bryant and Miles Austin. Cromartie admitted that he "played pretty bad" early in the game. The lowpoint was the Austin TD. It was a questionable call -- it looked like Cromartie came down with possession -- but he could've avoided the tie-up with better hand and body placement.

3. Derrick Mason -- The usually surehanded Mason dropped a pass in the end zone. It wasn't costly, as the Jets ended up scoring anyway, but that's a play he has to make -- a play any receiver has to make.

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Jets' Well-Traveled Trufant Hopes He Has NFL Home

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: September 13, 2011 at 2:18 PM ET

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Isaiah Trufant watched the football bounce in front of him and waited a split-second to judge where it was going.

Into his hands, the New York Jets defensive back hoped, as he screamed a plea in his mind that drowned out the 80,000 screaming fans at MetLife Stadium.

"Man, the whole time I was like, 'Please! Good bounce, good bounce!'" Trufant said. "And then, it bounced good and I just took it. It was wild, man, just crazy."

The well-traveled Trufant, promoted from the practice squad 24 hours earlier, completed one of the biggest plays of the Jets' 27-24 season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night by returning Joe McKnight's blocked punt 18 yards for a touchdown that tied it with 5 minutes left. It was a lucky bounce for a guy who has bounced around quite a bit while trying to pursue his NFL dream.

"He's an amazing little guy," coach Rex Ryan said, "and the more he plays — he just looks short to me — he doesn't look small anymore. He did a great job."

The diminutive Trufant — he's generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds — went undrafted out of Eastern Washington in 2006 and has since played in the Arena Football League and the United Football League, and hopes he now can stick in the NFL. The younger brother of Seattle's Marcus Trufant wasn't even expecting to play in the opener until the day before the game.

"Man, it was a roller-coaster ride, really," Trufant said. "You work hard everyday to hopefully get that opportunity to be active and when you do, you've got to try to take advantage of the opportunity you have. I was just able to make a play off a great block."

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur to Trufant, who was in camp with the Philadelphia Eagles this summer, cut on Aug. 30 and signed by the Jets the next day — after taking a cross-country flight back home to the Seattle area.

"That was a little bit rough," he said. "I got in around midnight and then the next morning around 10 a.m., I received a call from the Jets to hop on the red-eye that same night and fly back to the East Coast. It was all appreciated and all worth it."

Trufant's head kept spinning, though, because he was waived by the Jets three days later, signed to the practice squad the following day and then elevated to the active roster on Saturday.

"It's one of those things where you see we brought him back last week and you don't question it because you realize what type of player he is," safety Jim Leonhard said. "That's what Rex likes, that's what (special teams coordinator) Mike Westhoff likes. They don't care what you look like. It's all about production and passion for the game, and he definitely has that."

Ryan checks in with the team's three coordinators about the last few active spots going into games and nearly had former Cowboys safety Andrew Sendejo up so he could play against his former team.

"But at the end of the day, we went with the speed," Ryan said. "And, it was the right move, obviously."

Ryan raved about Trufant's effort, which earned him a game ball. And it wasn't only about the return.

"The best play wasn't the touchdown Trufant had, it was on a kick where he was the first guy down the field," Ryan said. "Here's a guy that is small for Summit (High School) standards, and he ran down there, hits the wedge, there's three blockers on him, and then he goes and makes the tackle."

That's the kind of stuff Trufant has had to do his whole career, playing bigger than he appears — definitely a guy after Leonhard's heart.

"He might not look the part, but he's a football player," said Leonhard, who at 5-8 faced similar challenges early in his career. "It's great to see people like that that some teams would just look at height and weight and say, 'We'll cross you off the list.' Rex has done that his whole career, giving guys shots."

After a solid college career, Trufant played for Spokane, Kansas City and Arizona in the AFL before going to the UFL in 2009. He won two UFL championships with the Las Vegas Locomotives, and was selected as the league's defensive MVP last fall. Trufant had a league-record four interceptions, including one in three consecutive games, along with 30 tackles and a fumble recovery.

That performance earned Trufant a shot with the Jets late last season, and he made his NFL debut in the regular-season finale against Buffalo. But he was waived in January and then had to wait out the lockout to see what the next step in his football journey would be.

"It's pretty tough, just the reality of it," said Trufant, who has one son and another on the way. "You've really got to hold onto your money because you never really know what could come from week to week, and having a family, that also takes a toll."

Trufant has had several conversations with his brother Marcus, a former first-round pick in his ninth NFL season who has encouraged him to keep pursuing his dream no matter the circumstances. Performances like the one he had Sunday might finally allow him to call the NFL home.

"It has definitely been crazy, but I'm just riding the wave," Trufant said. "I'm just trying to do what I can to stay active and be prepared for whatever I need to do. I'm ready for

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Jets Put on Their Titans Togs for Game vs. Jaguars

Posted by Eric Allen on September 13, 2011 – 3:42 pm

The Jets rested their Titans of New York uniforms last season, but they’ll take the classic blue jerseys and gold pants off the hangers for Sunday’s Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium.

The Green & White wore their Titans unis seven times from 2007-09, going 1-1, 2-0 and 2-1 respectively for a 4-1 mark in the blue jersey/gold pants/blue helmet ensemble. The Jets also split a pair of games while wearing white Titans vintage road jerseys back in 2009. In addition to the good record in blue Titans jerseys, the Jets have traditionally piled up the points in the dark unis, averaging 35 points a contest.

Before the franchise changed its name to the Jets, the Titans finished 7-7 in both 1960 and ’61 under head coach Sammy Baugh. That was good for second and then third place in the AFL’s Eastern Division. Their last year, 1962, wasn’t as successful as they dropped to 5-9 in their only campaign with Clyde “Bulldog” Turner at the helm.

Rex Ryan has always been a fan of the Titans gear and is frequently seen here at the facility representing the throwback look. This is scheduled to be the only time the Jets go with their vintage look in 2011 and they’ll do it before the home faithful before embarking on a three-game road swing to Oakland, Baltimore and New England.

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Thought we were done with those things. Hate em