Jets News: 9-19

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The Cro Show's All About 'Just Having Fun'

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 1 hour ago

The Jets' 32-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday quickly turned into "the Cro Show.” The athletic ability of CB Antonio Cromartie was on display as he returned two kickoffs, intercepted two Luke McCown passes, and was even involved on offense.

“I will say this,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “It would be ridiculous if we don’t comment on how good Cromartie was today as a kick returner and then with the two interceptions.”

It was an important game for Cromartie, after being scored upon twice in the season opener against Dallas. He accepted and met Sunday’s challenge, becoming a nuisance for the Jaguars’ offensive and special teams units.

“We as players know what our standards are,” said Cromartie. “We wanted to come out, have a great week of practice, and that’s what we did.”

His first interception came in the second quarter with the Jets leading, 12-3, and the Jaguars driving at the Jets’ 28-yard line. McCown tried floating a pass to WR Mike Thomas toward the end zone, but Cromartie was there, catching the ball at the 3-yard line and returning it 37 yards the other way.

“They ended up running a double post,” said Cromartie. “It was a formation we had seen from watching film. I knew it was a post. I just tried to jump on it.”

The second time around, the Jets led, 22-3 and the Jaguars had the ball at their own 22. Cromartie again jumped a route by Thomas and nearly returned it all the way. Two plays later, RB Shonn Greene punched it in from a yard out and the Jets increased their lead.

“I was in man-to-man coverage," Cro said. "It was something like third-and-short, and I knew they were either going to try to go quick or hit us with a deep ball. We played to our technique and came away with a big play.”

Overall, the Jets had four interceptions and held McCown to a final passer rating of 1.8.

“That’s a New York Jet record,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “It’s not my personal record, but we’re working on it. It was a big-time game for us.”

Actually, it wasn't a Jets record, but it was close. The Bengals' Carson Palmer had a 1.7 rating in the 2009 regular-season finale and the Buccaneers' Trent Dilfer had a 0.0 in a 1997 game.

In the locker room, S Jim Leonhard talked about what, exactly, that feat means.

“It just means we executed all day,” said Leonhard. “We put a complete 60 minutes together, which is what you try to do. It starts with the guys up front and moves all the way back. When our team is dialed in all week, this is what can happen.”

In addition to Cromartie’s two picks, S Eric Smith and LB Josh Mauga also intercepted McCown passes. The four interceptions matched the most for the Jets in the Rex Ryan era and led to 13 points for the Jets offense.

“A lot of guys have stepped up,” said defensive captain Darrelle Revis. “The communication was great. I think the big thing was that we started off very fast, upbeat, up-tempo on both offense and defense.”

In fact, the Jets scored an offensive TD on their first drive of the game. The score broke the streak of 16 consecutive games without a first-quarter offensive TD. It was all set up by Cromartie, who fielded the opening kickoff 4 yards deep in his end zone and returned it 39 yards to the 35.

“I’m just having fun,” said Cromartie. “Running kicks back is something that can set the tempo for the game and get the offense going.”

Cromartie finished with two kick returns for 85 yards. His interception returns netted another 63 yards. He accounted for 1 more yard and it came in an unlikely manner. Inserted at wide receiver, he took a reverse, tried turning the corner, but was stopped just after the line of scrimmage.

Cromartie truly was all over the field Sunday, and he made it look – and sound – so easy.

“I’m enjoying the game," he said. "The biggest thing is being prepared, knowing what you’re doing and just having fun with it.”

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MetLife Stadium security tight for NY Jets-Jaguars after stun gun incident during Cowboys game

BY Eric Barrow

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, September 19th 2011, 4:00 AM

Fans of the NY Jets and Jaguars alike are asked to spread their arms wide while being patted down from chest to ankle, then to spin around and be frisked from the back on Sunday.

Andrew Theodorakis/News

Fans of the NY Jets and Jaguars alike are asked to spread their arms wide while being patted down from chest to ankle, then to spin around and be frisked from the back on Sunday.

State troopers are stationed at every entrance of MetLife Stadium.

Andrew Theodorakis/News

State troopers are stationed at every entrance of MetLife Stadium.

One week after a Cowboys fan smuggled a stun gun into the stadium, a Jaguars fan from Jacksonville was ready for the tight security Sunday at the Meadowlands.

"I don't have a Taser," he announced after passing through security while wearing his Jaguars T-shirt, a garment he had thought about leaving at home.

"I was a little concerned (about wearing the colors in the stadium)," he said, considering what went on in Section 323 a week ago, when a fan wearing a Cowboys jersey jolted several spectators with a stun gun during an altercation on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

"I should be in the sky box with the Jets owner (to be safe)," joked Taylor's friend Mike Stantos, also from Jacksonville.

Fans at last week's Cowboys-Jets game said Cowboys backer Leroy McKelvey instigated the altercation by being disrespectful during the 9/11 ceremonies and national anthem. McKelvey, who had managed to get his stun gun through security, then proceeded to use it when taunting turned into a near physical confrontation.

"We're doing a full patdown now," one security guard said outside the stadium, noting the need to now frisk patrons' legs, down to the ankle. The edict came from the NFL before the season, but didn't become full public knowledge until late last week.

Fans coming into each gate were asked to spread their arms wide while being patted down from chest to ankle, then to spin around and be frisked from the back as well. Fans were also asked to show their cell phones and turn them on, a clear response to McKelvey slipping in his cell-phone-sized stun gun last week. All bags were searched, too.

"You've got 80,000 people coming in here," the security guard said when asked how a man could slip through the stadium's defenses with a stun gun. "I think we do a damn good job."

State troopers were stationed at every entrance, with some holding assault rifles.

Bill Powell, 48, who has been coming to Jets games for 16 years, noticed the uptick in security, calling his patdown "more thorough," but necessary under the circumstances.

"(The stun gun incident) has not stopped us from coming. We're here," Powell said. "But if I were bringing someone younger, I'd be more concerned."

As Powell was being frisked, the security guard reached into his cell-phone case and pulled out his phone to examine it, something Powell said had never happened before.

Tom Malmud, a season-ticket holder since 1965, felt the extra precautions were a little much.

"You've got 80,000 people coming in, you're going to have a couple idiots, but it's still over the top," said Malmud, 72, who spent $30,000 on two PSLs just so he could leave the lunacy of the PSL-free upper deck.

"300 section is so vulgar, I wouldn't bring my wife or grandkids," said Malmud, who now sells his 300-level seats and sits downstairs.

But it was Diana Walsh, with 4-year-old son Brian by her side, who summed it up best. "We live in New York," she said of the potential violence that can erupt at any Jets game. "What are you gonna do?"

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Antonio Cromartie rebounds from poor performance vs. Cowboys to dominate Jaguars for NY Jets

BY Kristie Ackert

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, September 19th 2011, 4:00 AM

Antonio Cromartie returns the second of his two interceptions on

Antonio Cromartie admitted he came into this season with a chip on his shoulder. He wanted to quiet his critics and prove his doubters wrong. He did not get off to a good start. Last week, in the season opener, he was blistered by the Cowboys and his critics had plenty to crow about.

Sunday, however, Cromartie dominated a hapless Jaguars team in the Jets' 32-3 win. The cornerback contributed in every aspect. He had two kickoff returns, averaging 42.5 yards.

He also made his second straight appearance on offense this season, and had the first rushing attempt of his career, a one-yard run on a reverse.

But it was his defense that left the critics speechless and the Jags stunned.

Cromartie had two interceptions, returned for a combined 63 yards. It was his first double-interception game since 2008, when he was with the Chargers.

"Honestly, I am just having fun, going out and making plays and enjoying the football game," said Cromartie, who had a total of three picks in 2010. "I like making plays."

Sunday, he made big plays.

PHOTOS: JETS DEFENSE ROCKS McCOWN, JAGUARS

In the second quarter, Cromartie picked off Luke McCown, who tried to place a long pass to receiver Mike Thomas in the middle of three defenders. Cromartie returned it 37 yards.

In the third, Cromartie stepped inside of receiver Cecil Shorts III for his second pick. He ran it back 27 yards and, at the goal-line, tried to hurdle McCown. He ended up stepping out of bounds at the 1.

"I should have just run him over," Cromartie said with a laugh. "But we scored on that drive, so that's what matters. We got points."

Last week, Cromartie was giving away points. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo targeted the cornerback all night and burned him twice for touchdowns.

"Last game was last game; it was a new week for me, I just go one week at a time," Cromartie said. "Last week, for me, I was disappointed in my performance. So I came in this week and made sure I studied the way I had to and I was ready."

Cromartie has looked at this whole season as a time to prove his critics wrong. He was hurt when the Jets went after free agent Nnamdi Asomugha to replace him this off season. Asomugha ended up joining the Eagles, and the Jets turned back to Cromartie.

The cornerback said he would be using that emotion to create "big things" this year.

That is why Cromartie seemed to be enjoying himself so much Sunday.

"It was fun, just going out and having fun and enjoying the football game," Cromartie said

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/19/2011-09-19_cromartie_picks_up_his_game.html#ixzz1YP1b8Bz4

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Plaxico Burress demonstrates mature perspective despite registering zero catches in NY Jets victory

Gary Myers

Monday, September 19th 2011, 4:00 AM

The Plaxico Burress of the Giants would have complained about finishing a game with no receptions, but the wideout now appears to have a better sense of the big picture.

Robert Sabo/News

Spending nearly two years in prison tends to force a person to put his life in perspective.

Plaxico Burress missed the birth of his daughter and was unable to collect on the final $25 million of his Giants contract, so going through an entire game without catching one pass didn't provoke a trademark temper tantrum, which was part of his diva act with the Giants.

That's big news and for now that's good news for the Jets. Still, it demands watching simply because of Burress' history of becoming a distraction when he doesn't get the ball. But maybe this is really the new Plax with a new attitude.

So, just as he claimed that the only thing that mattered was the Jets winning Sunday's game, I asked him if perhaps his attitude might have been different before he lost his freedom for nearly two years.

"I'm not really focusing on the past," he said after the Jets' 32-3 victory over the Jaguars. "Four months ago, I was so far away from playing football that I have nothing to complain about."

Mark Sanchez didn't even attempt a pass in Burress' direction until the first play of the fourth quarter. Still, Burress came off the field after every series, calmly placed his helmet on top of an equipment trunk next to the Jets' bench, and sat quietly.

He was not sulking. He did not yell at Sanchez. He didn't lobby for the ball.

PHOTOS: JETS DEFENSE ROCKS McCOWN, JAGUARS

Sanchez finally attempted one in his direction on first down from the Jaguars' 6-yard line, when he saw Burress wide open a couple of yards into the end zone. But Sanchez proceeded to sail it 10 feet over Burress' head, which is hard to do when the target is 6-foot-5.

"Man, he was open," Rex Ryan said.

Burress didn't wave his arms or stomp his feet and show up Sanchez ... like he had done with Eli Manning in his years with the Giants.

"I guess it kind of got away from him a little bit," Burress said. "Sometimes, it happens. I'm not complaining, throwing a fit or anything like that."

Will he explode if it keeps happening or are those days over?

This was only the fourth regular-season game of Burress' career that he went home with zero catches. It happened twice in his rookie year with the Steelers in 2000. It also happened in his final game with the Giants on Nov. 23, 2008, when he was on the field for only three plays and had to come out with a hamstring injury. It happened in the playoffs, too, when the Giants were miserable in a loss to the Panthers following the 2005 season, Burress' first with the Giants.

Ryan was so aware that Burress was getting shut out Sunday that he had Sanchez attempt a second pass to him in the end zone on third down after the QB air-mailed the first one. But Sanchez got pounded as he released the ball and banged his hand against a Jaguars helmet. The ball floated and fell incomplete.

"That was my fault," Ryan said. "I was trying to get Plax a catch."

Burress said he was doubled on all but two plays Sunday, a coverage the Jets did not anticipate. He was proud he received so much respect. He's always been able to beat double coverage, but the Jets have so many weapons, Sanchez didn't force him the ball. The result was that Dustin Keller had six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, and Santonio Holmes had three catches for 42 yards and a TD.

Burress kept running his routes and tried to make up for his lack of production with his blocking. "It's easy for me to stay motivated," he said. "Everything that I have been through, little things like that, it doesn't bother me. I got 14 more games to play with and a lot more in me to let loose. When that times comes, everybody will see it."

Last week in the first half, Burress had just one pass thrown in his direction, and it was incomplete. But in the second half, Sanchez went to him eight times, completing three, including a crucial 26-yard touchdown. The QB was well aware during the game yesterdy that Burress didn't have a catch.

"It's disappointing, but he's a pro," Sanchez said. "He was great about it."

Burress and cornerback Darrelle Revis each had two passes thrown in his direction Sunday. Burress didn't have a catch and Revis didn't have an interception. "I think the type of guys we have in here are winners," Revis said. "It doesn't matter who makes the plays, who gets the stats."

For now, Burress is fine with how things went Sunday. "I didn't catch a ball but we scored 30 points," he said. "I got a smile on my face. I'm going home happy."

The most important thing he said Sunday after 21 months in the slammer: He was going home.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/19/2011-09-19_no_catches_no_issue_for_plax.html#ixzz1YP2bTD8t

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Dustin Keller finds space in Jaguars zone, Mark Sanchez makes tight end engine of NY Jets offense

BY Kevin Armstrong

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, September 19th 2011, 4:00 AM

Dustin Keller celebrates his 11-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter on Sunday.

Andrew Theodorakis/News

Dustin Keller celebrates his 11-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter on Sunday.

Jets tight end Dustin Keller recognized the vulnerable section of the Jacksonville Jaguars' secondary as he ran vertically, read linebacker Paul Posluszny's hips and faked an outside cut before breaking inward, beating the defender for an 11-yard touchdown.

"It was just a really well thrown ball," Keller said. "They pretty much gave us the middle of the field."

Keller and quarterback Mark Sanchez rekindled their on-field relationship Sunday in the 32-3 romp over Jacksonville.

Connecting six times for 101 yards and one of Sanchez's two passing touchdowns, they met in soft spots of the Jacksonville zone, combining on a 37-yard play that saw Keller capitalize on the space allotted him.

"You let a guy like Dustin Keller get free down the middle a couple of times and we have some big plays," said Sanchez, who shook off pain in his right hand after hitting it on a Jaguar helmet to throw for 182 yards on 17-of-24 passing.

Keller, long considered a safety blanket during Sanchez's development the last two seasons, has worked with former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore, now a consultant for the Jets, on incorporating parts of Colts tight end Dallas Clark's game into his.

One aspect, in particular, is his execution in space and ability to create opportunities when linebackers and defensive backs attempt to limit them.

"I've learned a lot, mostly the little things by watching film and talking with Coach," Keller said.

Sanchez, who did throw two interceptions, cited Keller as a consistent resource, but also maintained that the Jets need to improve upon their offensive efficiency. He spoke of eliminating turnovers and penalties, especially as the team takes to the road the next three weekends.

"We're going to need to tighten things up on offense," Sanchez said.

Now in a contract year, Keller, still not the blocker Rex Ryan wants him to be, makes himself available across the middle when mismatched with linebackers unable to keep pace.

Sanchez made known it was Keller who was the option against the Jaguars, telling wideout Plaxico Burress, who was held without a catch, "Dustin is having his day."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/19/2011-09-19_tes_big_day_comes_dustin_time.html#ixzz1YP2meR2l

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NY Jets center Nick Mangold undergoing MRI on right foot Monday; reports suggest an ankle sprain

BY Kevin Armstrong, Eric Barrow and Kristie Ackert

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Monday, September 19th 2011, 4:00 AM

NY Jets center Nick Mangold limps off after injuring himself in the 32-3 Gang Green win.

Ron Antonelli/News

On crutches and with a protective boot on his right foot, Nick Mangold said he had no broken bones after leaving Sunday's Jets win over the Jaguars in the first quarter.

That was the good news. The All-Pro center was not able to return to the game and is going for an MRI Monday. He said he was not given an initial diagnosis, but there were reports it was a high ankle sprain.

"I'll get it all tested out and get a better idea," Mangold said.

Jaguars outside linebacker Daryl Smith collapsed on Mangold's leg in the first quarter. Mangold was back on the sidelines in the second quarter, hoping to be able to return.

"I thought we could give it a go, but (the ankle) didn't want to agree with me on that," Mangold said. "We were playing it safe."

Mangold has started every Jets game since he was drafted in 2006. Rex Ryan said he had no idea if that streak was in jeopardy.

"I really don't know, I hope he's back next week, but I am really not sure," the coach said. "Colin Baxter stepped in and did a nice job."

Baxter, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Arizona, spent training camp with the Chargers before he was cut. The Jets picked him up Sept. 4 after backup center Robert Turner broke his leg in the preseason.

Sunday was the first time he had ever worked with Mark Sanchez or the first-team offensive line.

There was an early snap and a missed block that caused Shonn Greene to get hammered behind the line.

"It wasn't our best effort collectively," right guard Brandon Moore said.

He said that Baxter will get a lot of attention this week in practice from the veterans on the line.

"Matt Slauson and I helped him make some calls and cleaning things up," Moore said. "I think we have a long week of practice ahead of us."

WELCOME TO THE NFL

Rookie defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson split through Jaguars left guard Will Rackley and center Brad Meester. He was on top of helpless quarterback Luke McCown in the Jaguars' end zone in the blink of an eye.

"My first sack," the Jets' first-round draft pick said with a smile. "And I got a safety to boot. I was pretty excited."

Wilkerson's sack and safety made him the first rookie in the NFL to get his first of each on the same play since Ravens LB Jameel McClain did it Oct. 26, 2008, against Oakland. Ryan was the Ravens' defensive coordinator at the time.

"It's nothing new for him and it is everything we expected for him to play like that," defensive captain Sione Pouha said of Wilkerson. "He was going against a center that has been in the league 12 years. It shows you the talent he has; we've been talking about it, talking about it and talking about it, and he showed it today."

HILL OF BEANS

Jets CB Darrelle Revis, who was called "overhyped" by Jaguars wideout Jason Hill during the week, made clear his thoughts on Hill not playing due to a hip injury.

"I was in tears that he didn't play," Revis said, laughing. "If you're going to trash-talk, at least show up and play so you can prove yourself. And he didn't today. So I'm going to give him some advice for the future: When you do call out people, make sure you suit up and play."

FOR DAD

On the cell phone of Sam Deluca Jr. there's a photo of an autographed picture of Ryan. The Jets' coach signed the picture, "To the DeLucas, Pull hard right, Sam. This time the end Zone is heaven."

It was a fitting farewell to Sam's father, former Jet Sam DeLuca Sr., who died Tuesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

In Section 323, the very same section a Cowboys fan tasered several people during the Jets-Cowboys game a week ago, DeLuca Jr. sat wearing a Jets jersey with the No. 65 on the back, the same number his father, a former Jet player and broadcaster, wore with the team in the early '60s.

"His passing has been the most difficult time of my life," Sam Jr. said moments after the Jets honored his father with a tribute on the stadium's big screens. "But the support we've gotten from family and friends and the Jets has been tremendous."

At the wake, which was held Wednesday and Friday, were former teammates Joe Namath, Dave Herman and John Schmitt - who recently was reunited with his Super Bowl III ring, lost over 40 years ago. Fellow broadcaster Spencer Ross also attended.

"We're trying our best," said Sam Jr. "That's what he would have wanted us to do."

BETTER LATE

At the end of a seven-yard gain by Sanchez, Jags cornerback Dwight Lowery, a former Jet, hit him as the QB stepped out of bounds. An unnecessary roughness penalty was called.

Lowery maintained Sanchez was in bounds.

"I would never hit Mark late," Lowery said. ... Safety Jim Leonhard tweaked his hamstring, but said he was fine. ... The Jets agreed to a one-year extension with backup DE Ropati Pitoitua.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/19/2011-09-19_nick_cant_walk_the_line.html#ixzz1YP3eMc2H

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D'Alessandro: Jets defense goes as the 'Cro' flies

Published: Monday, September 19, 2011, 4:50 AM

Dave D'Alessandro/Star-Ledger Columnist By Dave D'Alessandro/Star-Ledger Columnist

If you strip the gauze from our collective memory, you might recall that the only time we heard Antonio Cromartie complaining about something this year was on Twitter. It was during the Jets’ summer dalliance with Nnamdi Asomugha, and you could automatically wave it off as an acceptable form of protest, because we know that Twitter was invented to establish a platform for globalized whining.

Otherwise, for a guy who is purportedly high-maintenance, it’s time for the Jets fan to recognize their mercurial cornerback for what he is — a barometer for one of the league’s best defenses, and a cooler head than he gets credit for.

He had a bad opener against Dallas last Sunday night, but his reaction to it was telling: He was one of the few who showed up to Monday’s optional face time with the media, less than 12 hours after getting burned for a pair of scores.

This, you may agree, is no way to perpetuate a reputation for being a knucklehead. But he wanted to let everyone know that the Dallas game was an aberration.

“Last game was last game,” Cromartie said after the Jets' 32-3 win over Jacksonville Sunday. “It was a new week for me. I’ve got to go one week at a time, can’t (dwell) on it. I was disappointed in my performance, but I came in this week, worked hard and made sure I studied what I needed to know and just played football.”

He touched the ball five times against Jacksonville, and every time there was a rumble in the building that very few players can generate. The sum damage was two picks, two dazzling kickoff returns that led to scores, even a touch on offense. And five reactions from a MetLife crowd that sounded like 79,000 Airedale terriers sensing a looming earthquake.

They want so badly for him to do well, and that’s understandable. One can argue that the Jets’ defensive success is often based on how the Cro flies. They already have the NFL’s most dominant corner over on the other side, and there no more secure money-in-the-bank proposition in New York sports more than Darrelle Revis, agreed? Mariano Rivera, perhaps. But nobody else. Only you don’t think of Revis as often, because quarterbacks (save Tony Romo last week) stopped looking in his direction sometime in 2009.

That means when Cromartie is on his game, the Jets pass defense becomes a missile shield, and there is very little to be gained in the air. A facile analysis, sure. But what Cromartie did Sunday was the difference between an unwatchable comedy of errors and a 32-3 rout of a Jacksonville team that is pathologically bad.

“Player of the game,” Revis called Cromartie. “It’s great for him. When you make plays like that, it builds your confidence up — as a defense and as an individual. He gave two (TDs) last week, and this week he got two. It’s a great exchange.

“Last week is behind him. We’re here today and he had an unbelievable game.”

In the end, Cromartie piled up 149 all-purpose yards on those five touches, just another reminder why he’s irresistible as a kickoff-return man. Something tells you it’s his job for keeps now.

“Running back kicks sets a tempo for the game, and gets the offense going, so you give ’em a short field as much as possible,” Cromartie said.

When you have this kind of weapon, you change Rex Ryan’s thinking. This time, the Jets won the toss, chose to receive, and Cromartie went 39 yards with the opening kick to send the offense on its way to a 65-yard TD drive.

And on a day when the offense did its level best to keep the Jags around for as long as possible, Cromartie kept putting it on the doorstep. Muhammed Wilkerson’s safety was followed by a 46-yard Cromartie return, which led to a field goal. One of his two picks resulted in a touchdown, and his other, a 26-yard return nearly brushed the flag for a pick-six.

“That’s what I call a pretty complete game,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “Cro’s just such a dynamic player. We tried to get him that third pick, but it didn’t matter. He played great. It’s one of those games where you look forward to watching the tape.”

The Dallas game was, conversely, one to forget. But Ryan actually brought it up again, in this context: If Cromartie turns one way instead of the other, Miles Austin doesn’t catch that TD last Sunday night, the coach said. The point is, mistakes happen at cornerback. It’s how you deal with them that matters. Cromartie dealt with it like an avenging angel with fangs.

“We know as players what our standards are,” he said.

Ryan was more blunt: “I hope teams keep taking shots at Cro.”

The last team that tried was blown out by 29.

Dave D’Alessandro: ddalessandro@starledger.com

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Jets QB 'picking' up where he left off

By DAN TOMASINO

Last Updated: 8:56 AM, September 19, 2011

Posted: 2:38 AM, September 19, 2011

Mark Sanchez hasn't looked all that much better through the Jets' first two games of this season than he did last year, when he struggled so badly at times Rex Ryan admitted he was close to benching his franchise quarterback.

Sanchez, who is being counted on to improve significantly in his third season, threw two ugly interceptions yesterday and passed for 182 yards in the Jets' 32-3 blowout of the Jaguars. Sanchez committed four turnovers in the two games at home to start the season and now faces three straight games on the road.

"We should've been up 29-3 or whatever we won the game [by], we should've been up like that in the first half if I don't turn it over," Sanchez said. "We've got to put an emphasis on penalties and turnovers because they're drive-killers. . . . We need to be real sharp on the road.''

Sanchez finished 17-for-24 and threw a pair of touchdown passes, one in the first quarter to Santonio Holmes and one in the third to Dustin Keller.

Aside from those two drives, his performance was lackluster, and the crowd booed the offense loudly at times despite the glaring number of empty seats in the lower bowl.

Sanchez did not get his hyped receiver corps into the action, with Holmes registering just three catches for 42 yards to lead the group. Derrick Mason had one catch for seven yards. Sanchez failed to incorporate Plaxico Burress into the offense, throwing to the 6-foot-5, former Super Bowl hero just twice without a completion.

Sanchez favored tight end Dustin Keller, who had 101 yards on six receptions.

"The great thing is Mark is trying to throw to the open guy," Ryan said. "Sometimes coverage will dictate who will get more opportunities."

Sanchez did not throw to the open guy all the time, and the results were a pair of first-half interceptions.

"That's what happens when you force the ball down the field like that trying to get it to your receivers, you get intercepted," Sanchez said.

If not for a horrendous, four-interception performance by his counterpart, Luke McCown, which ruined any hope the Jaguars had of mounting an attack against Gang Green, Sanchez's inconsistency could have been disastrous.

The running game did the quarterback no favors by accumulating just 101 yards on 32 attempts (3.2 average), but the Jets anointed themselves a passing team as they chase a Super Bowl in 2011 and the aerial results have been less than inspiring.

The growing pains that many believed were in the past clearly are present.

dtomasino@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/in_year_sanchez_picks_up_where_he_9kGWbcLydouQjnn8cQXv0O#ixzz1YP4fI8WV

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Jets' Mangold needs MRI exam for ankle

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:56 AM, September 19, 2011

Posted: 2:44 AM, September 19, 2011

The scene inside the Jets' locker room was not all celebratory after yesterday's 32-3 victory over the Jaguars.

Center Nick Mangold sprained his right ankle in the first quarter, and never returned to the game. X-rays showed the ankle was not broken, but the All-Pro center will undergo an MRI exam today to determine how much time he will miss, if any. Mangold left the locker room on crutches and was wearing a walking boot on his right foot.

"[it's] very frustrating," Mangold said. "It's not what I want. It's not what I expected. It's difficult."

Colin Baxter made his NFL debut replacing Mangold. The Jets picked up Baxter two weeks ago off waivers from the Chargers. Baxter had one error on the timing of a snap, but fared well otherwise.

"Kind of got thrown in the fire there," Baxter said. "But I feel like I had a few stupid little mental mistakes I've got to eliminate. But other than that, I feel like it wasn't too bad."

Mangold has started 82 straight regular season games for the Jets.

*

Jaguars quarterback Luke McCown looked lost, going 6-for-19 with four interceptions before he was pulled in favor of rookie Blaine Gabbert. The Jaguars cut David Garrard two weeks ago, a decision that staggered members of the Jets.

"David Garrard gives that team the best chance to win," Jets receiver Plaxico Burress told The Post. "No doubt about it. They're a better team with David Garrard. Their players can't say it, but I can say it, whether they want to admit it or not."

McCown had a quarterback rating of 1.8, the worst ever posted by a Jets opponent.

*

First-round pick defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson registered a safety on his first career sack when he took down McCown on the first Jaguars possession of the game.

"It was awesome," said Wilkerson, the No. 30 pick overall out of Temple. "Felt great to get there and get my first career sack in the NFL."

Wilkerson had an X-ray on his shoulder after the game, but he said it was fine.

*

Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis was inactive due to a calf strain. . . . Jets safety Jim Leonhard had some tightness in his hamstring, but said it was just a tweak or a cramp. . . . Former Jets safety Dwight Lowery was flagged for hitting Mark Sanchez out of bounds. Lowery said: "He was definitely in bounds. I wouldn't hit Mark if he wasn't in bounds."

Linebacker Bart Scott had another sack, but was not talking after the game, saying, "I'm talking with my football pads. I'm mute." . . .

*

Linebacker Josh Mauga recorded the first interception of his career. . . . The Jets are 5-1 all-time in their throwback Titans uniforms.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/man_down_vJ2RAJ9ly8y1AoBv4Y8kLN#ixzz1YP59Tucc

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No catches? No problem for new Plaxico

Last Updated: 8:48 AM, September 19, 2011

Posted: 2:26 AM, September 19, 2011

headshotSteve Serby

Plaxico Burress sat alongside Santonio Holmes on the orange-and-white bench marked G Series, in the bright sunshine, the kind of sunshine he never got to bathe in for 20 long months inside the darkness of a nightmare place called the Oneida Correctional Facility.

The Jets had already picked off the Jaguars' tomato-can quarterback, Luke McCown, four times, and now Burress and Holmes and Derrick Mason joked with secondary coach Dennis Thurman as the scrubs were finishing off a 32-3 rout of the trash-talking Jaguars in garbage time.

In another time, in another place, on another team, New York would have witnessed an entirely different scene, an entirely different Burress. But on this day, his final stat line spoke volumes about the man he used to be and the man everyone should hope he is now: no catches, no tantrums, no sulking, no worries.

Bottom line: Plaxico Burress doesn't need to be Top Gun anymore.

So when someone wanted to know if it might have been difficult for him to stay motivated on a day when he was targeted only twice and Rex Ryan nearly got Mark Sanchez killed trying to get him a fourth-quarter touchdown in the red zone, Burress smiled and said: "It's easy for me to stay motivated, everything that I've been through. . . . Little things like that -- it doesn't bother me. . . . I don't let something like that get me down. I got 14 more games to play, with a lot more in me to let loose. So when that time comes, everybody'll see it."

He chuckled when asked if he ever remembered a game where he didn't catch a pass.

"Yeah one. . . . I believe it was the Carolina game [the Giants] played back in . . . '06, in the playoff game," he said.

The next day, after Carolina 23, Giants 0, Burress blew off the season-ending team meeting.

"I'm a rhythm player, so you really want to get a ball early, and kinda get into a groove," Burress said. "I didn't have a ball in the first half last week, so you just stay patient, just keep fighting. Just one of those days where they just weren't allowing me to try to beat 'em.

"They weren't gonna let me line up and just play single coverage. They played a split-safety, a lot of two-high coverages to stop me from getting deep or going down the field or stuff like that. . . . Just run the little slants and those routes and try to keep everything in front of 'em."

Burress chuckled when reminded that Ryan had tried to force feed him a touchdown.

"Yeah he was, he was, but it kinda got away, so . . . didn't get that one either," Burress said.

He has grown to accept that some days they lock you up with double coverage, other days you are rewarded with single coverage.

"This is how this game is, you know?" Burress said. "Made some plays last week. . . . Didn't make any this week. . . . Then [sunday] we play Oakland; they're an all man-to-man team. You never know. That's just how this game is, man. No plays this week. Big game next week."

At 34, only 104 days into his long-lost freedom, it is much easier for Burress to drink from a half-full glass.

"There's no need for us to try to force the ball into me in double coverage just to get me a catch," he said. " If teams want to pay me that much respect, then hey. . . . they went out and played me like that, hey, it says a lot about me too."

What says more about him is how his new teammates view him.

"Plax is a great teammate," said Dustin Keller. "Actually when he came to our team, I couldn't believe how good of a guy he was, how good of a teammate. He has a wealth of knowledge, and he just shares that with everybody. His whole thing, it's not about him, it's not about him getting stats."

Sanchez apologized to Burress about his goose egg.

"You know what, it's disappointing, but he's a pro and he was great about it," Sanchez said.

Keller (six catches, 101 yards, one touchdown), the beneficiary of the Jaguars' obsession outside with Burress and Holmes, recalled Burress in the huddle in the season opener when it was Cowboys 24, Jets 10.

" 'I hate losing. I hate losing.' That's what he kept saying in the huddle," Keller said. "He's definitely a team guy, and he fits into this team as good as anybody."

No one can call him a complete zero today.

steve.serby@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/changed_man_PNO6JPA4jpahtIvRNqOh0I#ixzz1YP5aZiPf

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Tight end leads Jets' air attack

Jets Blog

By MARK HALE

Last Updated: 8:56 AM, September 19, 2011

Posted: 2:27 AM, September 19, 2011

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The Jaguars put a lot of work into stopping Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and even Derrick Mason yesterday. They forgot about Dustin Keller.

"A lot of [it] fell on my shoulders," Keller said.

Keller simply shrugged those shoulders and helped the Jets demolish the Jaguars, 32-3. The athletic tight end scored his second touchdown in as many weeks and eclipsed the 100-yard barrier for the first time in a year, hauling in six catches for 101 yards. Included in that total were receptions of 33 and 37 yards.

Keller was easily the Jets' best receiver on the day -- in fact, he had more yards than every other one combined. He also had twice as many catches as the Jets' wide receivers combined.

"Keller's a great player. We all know that," coach Rex Ryan said before adding, jokingly, "I learned my lesson with the [Darrelle] Revis deal. I think he's up [for free agency] in a couple of years, so I'm not going to say anything nice about him."

Keller's contract is indeed expiring after next season, and though he switched agents to powerful Drew Rosenhaus, Keller insisted he's not thinking about money right now.

"Once the season starts," he said, "the only thing on my mind is the season."

Well, the other thing that's probably on Keller's mind is making sure he doesn't again fade out after a hot start. Last season he racked up five touchdowns in the season's first four weeks. He then proceeded to go without a score for the rest of the year, including the Jets' three playoff games.

Keller helped set up the Jets' touchdown against Jacksonville on their opening drive. He snagged a 33-yard pass, beating safety Courtney Greene and taking the ball to the Jaguars' 17-yard line. On the next play, Holmes caught a touchdown pass.

Keller's other big plays came in the third quarter. With the Jets leading 15-3 but on their own 8-yard line, Keller caught a 37-yard pass in which he spun away from another safety, Dawan Landry, and took the ball to the Jets' 45-yard line. Keller then capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown catch on which he beat linebacker Paul Posluszny.

"You see the matchup issues that he creates with other teams," Jets safety Jim Leonhard said.

Added Darrelle Revis, "We should throw him the ball all the time, if possible."

Additional reporting by Brian Costello

mark.hale@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/keller_game_pKaCOy5tkeec1evVabW5RK#ixzz1YP60t5aY

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Jaguars receiver skips trip to Revis Island

Jets Blog

By MARK HALE

Last Updated: 8:35 AM, September 19, 2011

Posted: 2:24 AM, September 19, 2011

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Durability apparently isn't one of Jason Hill's strong suits. And as far as Darrelle Revis is concerned, neither is bravery.

After Hill, the Jaguars' nearly anonymous receiver, inexplicably criticized Revis last week, the Jets' superstar cornerback answered yesterday. Hill wasn't active in the Jets' 32-3 rout at MetLife Stadium, out with a hip flexor injury. Revis ripped Hill afterward, calling him "a coward for not showing up."

"The focus wasn't on Jason Hill," Revis said, citing how the Jets prioritized stopping running back Maurice Jones-Drew, quarterback Luke McCown and others. "He's not even one of their go-to guys, one of their key guys to focus on. I think it's just a guy just trying to make a name for himself and try to call people out. That's what I really think.

"The other thing I said is if you're going to trash-talk, show up. Show up. To me, you're a coward for not showing up. You've got to back it up."

During the week, Hill, in response to a question about facing the Jets' vaunted secondary, told a Florida newspaper Revis was "overhyped."

The rest of the Jaguars, however, must not have thought so. Before the game, Revis spoke to Jones-Drew, questioning the star running back about what had gotten into Hill. Revis said Jones-Drew replied, "I don't know." Jacksonville then went out and attempted just two passes in Revis' direction all game.

And Hill, of course, wasn't on the field.

"So sad, so sad. I'm in tears," Revis said. "When you do trash-talk, you've got to be able to back it up. He wasn't out there. I don't know. I guess he got the New York Jets flu or something."

Revis pointed out that he has had trash-talk battles with other receivers. He said when those receivers said things, they played.

"I've been in these wars with Chad [Ochocinco], with [Terrell Owens], with the Randy Mosses. And they showed up to play, and compete," Revis said. "I think that's the biggest thing, is competing if you're going to trash-talk. Don't be sitting on the sidelines saying this or that [is] hurt.

"If it's really that much of a serious injury, then it is. But there's no reason for you to trash-talk then if you know you're not going to be playing this week."

Additional reporting by Brian Costello

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/after_all_the_hype_jags_receiver_XpuEza95K6EvPSoinDTZMP#ixzz1YP6YMQO7

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Jets replay: Antonio Cromartie star of the game

Monday, September 19, 2011

The Record

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Star of the game

Antonio Cromartie showed exactly why the Jets are trying to get him on the field as much as possible. His kickoff returns of 39 and 46 yards led to scoring drives, and he had two interceptions. He returned the second one 26 yards to the Jaguars’ 1-yard line to set up the Jets’ final touchdown.

Turning point

Again, Cromartie was the key here. After picking off Mark Sanchez for the second time, Jacksonville drove to the Jets’ 28. With the Jaguars trailing 12-3 in the second quarter, Cromartie picked off a Luke McCown pass and returned it 37 yards to the Jets’ 40.

Unsung heroes

The defensive front, starters Sione Pouha, Mike DeVito and Muhammad Wilkerson and reserves Ropati Pitoitua and Marcus Dixon helped keep Maurice Jones-Drew from making any game-breaking runs. Yes, he had 88 rushing yards on 18 carries, but was unable to wear down the Jets’ defense to make things easier for McCown, who was picked off four times.

Costly mistakes

Jets reserve DB Marquice Cole interfered with Cecil Shorts III, who was fielding a punt. The resulting 15-yard penalty placed Jacksonville at its own 44 and helped set up the Jaguars’ lone score, a 55-yard field goal by Josh Scobee. … RT Wayne Hunter had a 15-yard face-mask penalty and a 10-yard holding call to stifle two promising Jets drives. … Former Jets DB Dwight Lowery was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness call for hitting a scrambling Sanchez as he was going out of bounds. The infraction put the ball at the Jaguars’ 27 and the Jets scored a TD four plays later.

Eye-catching

ILB Josh Mauga’s fourth-quarter interception was his first as a pro. … Jets LB Jamaal Westerman was flagged for going offside on the Jaguars’ second possession of the first quarter. It was the Jets’ first penalty of the season. … McCown’s 1.8 passer rating was the lowest by a Jets opponent.

Looking ahead

The Jets (2-0) begin a three-game road trip in Oakland (1-1) on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. Then it’s off to Baltimore (Oct. 2) and New England (Oct. 9).

— J.P. Pelzman

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Jets notes: Mangold uncertain

Monday, September 19, 2011

The Record

Mangold: uncertain

Center Nick Mangold left in the first quarter with a sprained ankle after Jacksonville LB Daryl Smith rolled on his right ankle while Mangold was engaged with another defender. X-rays showed no fracture, but he was on crutches after the game and wearing a walking boot on his right foot. Colin Baxter, an undrafted rookie free agent, played the rest of the game. Mangold will undergo an MRI today.

Neither Mangold, a three-time Pro Bowler, nor coach Rex Ryan would speculate on how long he might be out or the exact nature of the injury.

"They haven’t given me a medical degree yet," Mangold joked.

More seriously, he added, "I know that the other guys are going to be ready and they’re going to get the job done if need be."

"There are some things I can clean up and be better [at], and I will," said Baxter, who had a few glitches, as would be expected. The most noticeable was an early snap to Mark Sanchez in the third quarter that resulted in Shonn Greene getting belted for a 5-yard loss. Greene got up gingerly but returned later.

Wilkerson’s big play

The Mo’s Zone doesn’t just apply to right field at Citi Field. It also briefly was the end zone in the first quarter, when rookie defensive end Muhammad "Mo" Wilkerson trapped Luke McCown for his first career sack and a safety.

"It was a great play by me," a happy Muhammad said. "It felt great. I heard the center talk to his guard, so I anticipated that the guard was going to help the center. So I went and pressured the center a little bit, took the guard and got my hips flipped outside of him. The quarterback was there, so I went and made the play."

"That kid is going to be a heck of a football player," Ryan said.

"You have to feel comfortable out there," Wilkerson said. "You can’t play uptight. I’m just trying to help out the defense and the 10 other guys."

— J.P. Pelzman

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

Antonio Cromartie's back on track

Monday, September 19, 2011

BY ANDY VASQUEZ

STAFF WRITER

The Record

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EAST RUTHERFORD — Antonio Cromartie was disappointed with the way he started his season. That much he’ll admit.

But the Jets cornerback wasn’t worried about redemption Sunday. Cromartie just wanted to have some fun.

The way it turned out, he got both at the expense of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cromartie did a little of everything for the Jets as they pounded the Jaguars, 32-3, at MetLife Stadium.

"It was a new week," Cromartie said. "The biggest thing is being prepared and knowing what you’re doing and going out and having fun."

After getting burned for two touchdowns in the opener against Dallas, Cromartie picked off two passes against the Jaguars. He also had two kickoff returns for 85 yards and even picked up a rushing yard – Cromartie carried the ball on an end-around in the second quarter.

"It would be ridiculous if we don’t comment on how good Cromartie was [sunday]," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "As a kick returner and then the two interceptions."

After the Dallas game, Ryan was not impressed with his vaunted defense. Sure there were some strong individual performances, but Ryan refused to hand out any game balls because the defense struggled as a unit.

But with Cromartie leading the charge Sunday, the defense responded. It picked off Jacksonville starter Luke McCown four times and held the Jaguars’ offense to 203 total yards.

"He gave up two [touchdowns] last week, and this week he got two [interceptions]," cornerback Darrelle Revis said of Cromartie. "So last week is behind him and … he had an unbelievable game. To me, he’s the player of the game. He made some spectacular plays."

"I hope teams keep taking shots at Cro," Ryan added.

Cromartie’s impact was felt from the first play of the game, when he took the opening kickoff back 39 yards. That prime field position helped the Jets score a first-quarter offensive touchdown for the first time in 16 games.

In the second quarter, Cromartie snatched his first interception of the season and in the third quarter, Cromartie put the Jaguars away for good with another interception.

McCown tried to beat Cromartie down the right sideline, but the cornerback jumped in front of Jacksonville receiver Cecil Shorts III and picked off the pass. Cromartie rumbled 27 yards down the sideline and dove into the end zone.

It was ruled a touchdown on the field, but a replay review overturned it. Cromartie had stepped out of bounds before reaching the end zone.

Still, he had done enough to set up the score; Shonn Greene cashed in a 1-yard touchdown two plays later to give the Jets an insurmountable 29-3 lead.

Cromartie and the Jets’ defense held McCown to a quarterback rating of 1.8. McCown was unwilling to give the Jets’ defense credit, saying, "It was nothing they were doing. I was just off."

But Cromartie and the Jets certainly believe they had a lot to do with the off day for McCown and the Jaguars.

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Sullivan: Dustin Keller fittingly in the middle of Jets’ attack

Monday, September 19, 2011

By TARA SULLIVAN

RECORD COLUMNIST

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EAST RUTHERFORD — Snap after snap, Jacksonville’s defense rolled toward the sidelines, the triple threat receiving corps of Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason demanding constant extra attention.

This is how the Jets offense is supposed to scare the opposition now, with the return of the downfield threat of Holmes and the free-agent addition of veteran savvy behind him dominating the Jets’ off-season maneuvering, putting secondaries on notice of a Jets offense prepared to air it out.

And while those three receivers fought their way through the extra coverage Sunday afternoon, waiting for throws that rarely came, Dustin Keller roamed the middle of the field like a kid on his personal playground.

Six catches, 101 yards and the game-sealing touchdown later, the big tight end reminded us yet again of the potential in his 6-foot-2, 250-pound athletic frame.

Two games into his fourth year in the league, Keller is poised to cash in his biggest jackpot yet on a burgeoning connection with quarterback Mark Sanchez, turning in the best offensive game in the Jets’ easy 32-3 win.

“It’s like I told Dustin,” a smiling Burress said after a game in which he had zero catches. “I said if teams want to line up and play us like that with split safeties, Dustin will just tear them to pieces.”

Sanchez wasted little time looking for the target who is big enough to battle linebackers over the middle and just fast enough to hang with cornerbacks beyond them. The Jets’ first touchdown drive in their last 16 first quarters was motivated by coach Rex Ryan’s in-your-face challenge during Saturday night’s team meeting, but it wasn’t truly ignited until the fifth play from scrimmage, when Sanchez connected with Keller for 33 yards.

One play later, Holmes was in the end zone with a 17-yard score and the Jets were in business.

“You just take what the defense is giving you and these past two games, they’re giving me quite a bit while they’re trying to shut down the wideouts,” Keller said. “I suspect as the season goes on that might change, but for now, Mark is taking advantage.”

So is Keller. Early in the second half, with the Jets ahead 15-3 but stuck in the game’s alternating series of offensive ineptitude, Sanchez found himself backed up at his own 8-yard line and risking a momentum turn of the field-position battle that had favored the Jets all afternoon. One drive-opening 37-yard catch by Keller and that concern was gone, and eight plays later, any concern about the outcome of the game was gone too.

Keller’s 11-yard touchdown solidified his standing as the day’s No. 1 option and sealed the Jets’ eventual win.

“I was getting bumped, and the middle linebacker [Paul Posluszny] stepped in,” Keller said. “Normally I’m breaking out and he suspected that, so I gave a little move outside and came underneath. Mark read it just like I did and put it right in front of him, and we got the touchdown.”

Wordless communication between quarterback and receiver is football gold, and maybe soon, we’ll see it between Sanchez and Burress the way we used to see it between Eli Manning and Burress. But for now, the Jets’ third-year QB is most comfortable looking for the team’s fourth-year TE.

“Him and Mark have a great connection. Their relationship has grown on the field because they’ve got such a good feel for each other, where they’re going to be at,” described Darrelle Revis, a cornerback who’d rather have Keller on his side of the line of scrimmage.

“Dustin is a big matchup problem. I put him in the same category as a Tony Gonzalez — someone who makes plays. Some people might think he’s not fast and then he can get open and run by you. He’s strong. He can box you in, the guy played basketball, or he can turn around and box you out because he’s got a big body.”

Keller’s teammates have plenty of fun at the expense of that big body, particularly Keller’s head, which they consider unnaturally large. Not in a figurative sense – if anything, Keller’s ego is not as outsized as his talent might demand. But in the literal sense of Keller needing a football helmet bigger than nearly everyone on the roster.

“He’s already got a balloon head – we probably need to take some air out of it,” Revis said. “We always make fun of him. He’s got the biggest chin and head I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Two games into the season and these Jets are comfortable in their jokes, smiling big smiles with a 2-0 start that is punctuating their belief that Ryan’s Super Bowl promises are still on track. Even Burress and his rare empty stat sheet reveled in what worked.

“I said in the preseason that I believe Dustin is a Pro Bowl tight end and I said that after practicing with him for a few days,” Burress said. “He’s athletic, he catches the ball consistently, he’s strong, he can get up and down the seam. He’s just one of the best all-around tight ends in football and I think this is the year he’s going to get his due. I believe he’s a Pro Bowl type tight end and he went out and showed it today.”

It was Keller’s playground.

E-mail: sullivan@northjersey.com

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Morning take: AFC East goes 3-1

September, 19, 2011

Sep 19

8:30

AM ET

By James Walker

It appears my good luck already is showing. The AFC East is 6-2 through the first two weeks.

Here are the most interesting stories Monday in the division:

The Bills' furious comeback against the Oakland Raiders provides hope for the season, writes Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News.

Morning take: The Bills are 2-0 and one of the NFL's early surprises. They showed tremendous heart overcoming a 21-3 deficit in the second half. We will know a lot more about the upstart Bills after next week's divisional showdown with the New England Patriots.

Mary Poaletti of Comcast SportsNet New England believes the Patriots' secondary needs to tighten up.

Morning take: The Patriots (2-0) are rolling in most areas with wins against the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers. But pass defense has been one constant weakness in both weeks. New England gave up 372 passing yards to San Diego on Sunday.

The New York Daily News reports Jets center Nick Mangold is due for an MRI and might have a high ankle sprain.

Morning take: The dreaded high ankle sprain usually keeps players out for a few weeks. The Jets' offensive line has been up and down and needs Mangold back as soon as possible.

Greg Stoda of the Palm Beach Post says rookie tailback Daniel Thomas was one of the few bright spots in the Dolphins’ loss to the Houston Texans.

[Bleedin Green]

The Jets agreed to a one-year extension with backup DE Ropati Pitoitua.

It's some of the subtle things like this that really have to help you love Tanny. Jumping the gun on extending a depth player they're really happy with not only helps you lock up a position, but can certainly help save some money too. That contract extension they gave to Pouha a few years back when he was some no-named backup was the same deal and has paid off huge dividends.

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"A bad day"

Jets beat Jaguars 32-3 as McCown throws four interceptions

Sunday, September 18, 2011 By John Oehser, jaguars.com senior writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Luke McCown said he didn’t see this coming.

Jack Del Rio sure didn’t, either.

Whatever the expectations, what happened to the Jaguars Sunday fell far, far short, and left a disturbing aftertaste, with McCown – in his second game as the Jaguars’ starting quarterback -- throwing four interceptions in a 32-3 loss to the New York Jets in front 78,834 at MetLife Stadium.

It started rough for the Jaguars, and on a picturesque mid-September day on which the defense played well at times, it never got better.

“That was not what anybody envisioned coming up here,” Del Rio said.

Particularly not McCown, who after completing 17 of 24 passes in the regular-season opener against Tennessee, never appeared comfortable against one of the NFL’s best, most-exotic defenses.

McCown, an eight-year veteran making his ninth career start, completed 6 of 19 passes for 59 yards and threw four interceptions, two in each half.

“It was one of those days where it was honestly nothing they were doing,” said McCown, who was replaced by rookie Blaine Gabbert to start the fourth quarter after completing one pass in the third quarter.

“This was on me, and I’ll do better.”

Gabbert, the No. 10 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, completed 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards and had a passer rating of 102.8.

Del Rio said as of late Sunday afternoon, no long-term decision had been made about the quarterback position.

The Jets had 15 first downs to 11 for the Jaguars and finished with a 283-203 advantage in total yards. The Jaguars stayed close in the first half, mostly because of a defense that limited the Jets and intercepted quarterback Mark Sanchez twice.

The Jaguars’ only points came on a 55-yard field goal by kicker Josh Scobee in the first half.

“It was a bad day for us,” Jaguars wide receiver Mike Thomas said. “Not much to say about it – just a bad day.”

While McCown accepted full blame, teammates said it was far from that simple.

“It’s on the offense,” Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. “One guy is not going to win or lose a game. We have a saying, ‘If Luke throws that ball up, we’ve got to go get it. It’s ours.’ It was a team effort. On offense, we didn’t do our part.

“No matter what happened, we lost the game as an offense.”

The Jets dominated the first half, after which the Jaguars trailed by 12 points – 15-3 – and were fortunate to be that close.

Not only did the Jets score on their first drive – a six-play, stunningly quick 65-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes – they upped the lead to nine points with a safety on the Jaguars’ first drive.

The safety came when Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson sacked McCown, grabbing the Jaguars quarterback at the goal line and throwing him into the end zone.

The Jaguars inched to within six, 9-3, when Scobee kicked a 55-yard field goal through a swirling wind with 3:02 remaining in the first quarter, but turnovers kept Jacksonville from getting closer before halftime.

The Jets pushed the lead to 12-3 with a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk early in the second quarter, then extended it to 15-3 with a 45-yard field goal by Folk 26 seconds before halftime.

McCown threw two second-quarter interceptions. One ended a Jaguars drive at the Jets 3 when Antonio Cromartie intercepted a pass overthrown to Mike Thomas, and the other ended a drive late in the quarter when safety Eric Smith intercepted McCown at the Jaguars 45.

Folk’s 45-yard field goal followed shortly thereafter and put the Jaguars in a two-touchdown hole entering the half.

The Jets pushed the lead to 29-3 with a pair of touchdowns 2:10 apart late in the fourth quarter – an 11-yard pass from Sanchez to tight end Dustin Keller and a 1-yard run by Shonn Greene. Greene’s touchdown came after Antonio Cromartie returned an interception to the Jaguars 1.

McCown threw his final interception on the ensuing drive, after which Gabbert entered the game.

And while the quarterback will undoubtedly be a topic this week, what the Jaguars focused on afterward was moving forward, something they did often last season. The Jaguars last season lost four games early in the season by 25 or more points, and recovered to move into first place in the AFC South late in the season. Now, they face a similar task.

“Last year, it was the same story, but then it was the defensive playing terrible,” Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “If you don’t come to play as a team, this is what will happen. We’ll bounce back. Regardless of what we did on defense, we still have work.

“Now, we have to focus on Cam (Newton) and the (Carolina) Panthers.”

In other Jaguars news:

*DE Aaron Kampman, out the first two games of the season with a knee injury that forced him to miss the last half of last season, will not return against Carolina next week, Del Rio said.

*The Jaguars also played Sunday without CB Derek Cox (chest), TE Marcedes Lewis (calf) and wide receiver Jason Hill (hip). Del Rio said more will be known about the status of those players later this week.

*RT Eben Britton, who missed the regular-season opener with a back injury, returned and played about 10-to-15 plays as a tight end. Del Rio said while he was able to play, he was not yet ready in terms of conditioning to play a full game. Del Rio said that could change by next week.

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Why Can’t All Jets Games Be This Easy?

By Will Leitch

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 18: Mark Sanchez #6 and Santonio Holmes #10 of the New York Jets celebrate during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on September 18, 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) Staring contest!

The Jets have some easier games on the schedule — at Denver, home against Kansas City, home against Miami (even if they've lost at home to the Dolphins in the last couple of years) — but it's a pretty safe bet they won't have a more relaxing afternoon than they did yesterday against the Jaguars. Well, maybe Week Eight, when they have a bye.

The Jets destroyed the Jaguars 32–3 yesterday in a game that was over by halftime, and probably before then. Even if there are easier games on the schedule this year — and there won't be — the Jets won't face a worse quarterback than Luke McCown, who went 6-for-19 for 59 yards and threw four interceptions. It wasn't entirely his fault: He had no receivers to throw to, and a fired up Jets secondary. (It never fails to confound us why an opposing receiver would taunt Darrelle Revis before a game. What's the point of that exactly? Particularly when you don't even play?)

Anyway, it was the platonic ideal of a Jets game, a defensive ball-control blowout. (The Jaguars never even reached the red zone.) Mark Sanchez threw a couple of touchdowns, and Shonn Greene scored a touchdown, even if once again he looked quite far from impressive.

The Jets knew — or had to have at least suspected — going in that this would be a blowout, which is why it's kind of funny that Rex Ryan felt compelled to give a big rousing pregame speech anyway.

Rex Ryan felt compelled to mention [a Jaguars player's "disrespectful" remarks] Saturday night in his speech to the team, according to players. It was an R-rated motivational talk, they said, and it was directed mainly at the offensive line and defense. It was Ryan's way of challenging them. For the latter unit, it was piling on. After a sloppy performance in the season opener, the defense was subjected to a week of tough love from the coaching staff. They got tired of hearing it, and unleashed their frustration on the Jaguars.

This sounds like a narrative construct to us. If Ryan is unleashing his R-rated motivational talks already, guy's gonna have four heart attacks by Week Fourteen.

We hope you went to the game yesterday, by the way, because the Jets don't play at home again until October 17.

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Schwartz: A Costly Victory For The Jets?

September 19, 2011 10:41 AM

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Reporting Peter Schwartz

By Peter Schwartz

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You’ll have to forgive the Jets if they’re feeling a little blue after their 32-3 win over the Jaguars.

And it has nothing to do with the fact that they wore their blue Titans of New York jerseys.

The victory may have come at a huge price.

Under normal conditions, the Jets would be sky high, but they are holding their collective breaths and crossing their fingers about the status of Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold. In the first quarter, Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith rolled over Mangold’s leg causing a sprained right ankle. Rookie Colin Baxter replaced Mangold and played the rest of the game.

“I was nervous at first,” said Baxter. “But overall it was exciting and it was a fun moment. When someone goes down, next man comes up and you have to go in there and perform.”

His performance was shaky at times, but the Jets were able to survive.

The good news is that X-rays on Mangold’s ankle were negative and an MRI is scheduled for today to determine the extent of the damage.

At this point its not known how long Mangold will be out or if he will even miss any time.

“I really don’t (know), said head coach Rex Ryan. “I hope he’s back this week, but I’m really not sure. Baxter stepped in and did a nice job. The young man stepped in and did a nice job. He snapped the ball a little early one time, but other than that, I thought he played well for us.”

Mangold has started every game since the Jets drafted him in the first round back in 2006. He’s been very durable over the years but there is a legitimate chance that he might not be able to play.

“Very frustrating,” said Mangold. “It’s not what I want. It’s not what I expected. It’s difficult.”

It will be difficult for the Jets to get by if Mangold is out for an extended period of time. After two home wins, the Jets have three straight road games at Oakland, Baltimore, and New England.

It’s not an ideal time to have an inexperienced rookie playing center.

After the game, Mangold was on crutches when he spoke with reporters.

“Just precaution,” said Mangold who thought he might be able to return to the game. “I felt like I could give it a go, but (the ankle) didn’t want to agree with me on that. I don’t know, we’re just playing it safe.”

The Jets may have to play it safe and keep Mangold on the sideline for a while. If that’s the case, they were certainly be looking around for some veteran help.

Is former Giant Shaun O’Hara healthy? Maybe he gets a phone call.

Aside from the Mangold injury, it was a pretty good day for the Jets. They wanted to be better at home this season and they are 2-0. Has it all been pretty?

No, but keep in mind its still early in a season that followed the lockout. The Jets do have some new pieces and it still might take some time for everything to mesh.

Critics may look to nitpick at Mark Sanchez for throwing two interceptions. There’s no doubt that he has to do a better job, at times, of reading defenses.

But here’s what I say to the critics…Quarterbacks are ultimately judged by wins and losses and here’s the bottom line on Sanchez. He is 2-0 this year. He led the Jets to a pair of winning seasons in his first two NFL seasons. Sanchez won four post-season games, all on the road, and took the Jets to the AFC title game twice.

Could they have done it with another quarterback? Perhaps. But Sanchez is the quarterback of this team and he wins games. Case closed!

GETTING DEFENSIVE

What a day for the defense! They picked off Luke McCown four times and shattered a franchise record as McCown notched a 1.8 quarterback rating. McCown was just 6 of 19 for 59 yards. The previous team record was set on October 29th, 1972 when the Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett registered a 5.4 rating. That day, Plunkett was 7 of 28 for 120 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Antonio Cromartie had a huge day. He did a little bit of everything including two picks and two big kickoff returns.

Here’s a look at Cromartie’s afternoon:

Quarter Cromartie’s Play Ensuing Drive Result

First Quarter 39-yard kickoff return 6 plays, 65 yards Touchdown

First Quarter 46-yard kickoff return 8 plays, 39 yards Field Goal

Second Quarter 1-yard rush 7 plays, 25 yards Interception

Second Quarter 37-yard interception return 6 plays, 16 yards Punt

Third Quarter 26-yard interception return 2 plays, 1 yard Touchdown

“It was good, said Cromartie. The defense, we did a great job of recognizing plays and going out and just playing solid. A lot of stuff we clicked on was play recognition and just going out and attacking.

Other defensive notes….

Linebacker Josh Mauga notched his first career interception, picking off McCown in the third quarter and returning it 11 yards.

Safety Eric Smith recorded his 5th career pick and his first since 2009 against the Tennessee Titans when the Jets wore the Titans of New York jerseys.

I think those jerseys are good luck!

Jets first round pick Muhammad Wilkerson registered his first NFL sack in the first quarter when he brought down McCown. The call on the field was a safety and was upheld after video review. The replays showed that it was very close. In fact, after looking at the replays, I honestly thought that the ball was not in the end zone, but my guess is that, perhaps, the replay was inconclusive.

Wilkerson became the first NFL player to record a safety on his first career sack since Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain, playing for Rex Ryan, notched a sack against the Raiders on October 26th, 2008.

FINALLY A FAST START

When Mark Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes on a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, it marked the first time since last October that the Jets found the end zone in the opening 15 minutes of a game.

“That was huge,” said Sanchez. “Rex challenged the offense last night in the hotel and he said we’re going to take the ball, we’re going to receive the ball, which we never do. So he put the challenge on us and we answered the call, now we just need to stay consistent in the first half, and that’s on me.”

Sanchez was also pretty nifty running the ball as took advantage of some opportunities when the Jaguars dropped back in coverage. Sanchez notched a career high 29 rushing yards on three carries.

Maybe it was the blue uniforms?

Back on September 27th, 2009, Sanchez scored the first rushing touchdown of his career on a ten-yard run against the Tennessee Titans on a day when the Jets wore the New York Titans uniforms.

Speaking of the blue and gold outfits…

THE TITANS OF NEW YORK KEEP ROLLING

If only the Titans of New York had this kind of success before they were renamed the Jets.

The Jets sported their navy and gold Titans uniforms in their victory over the Jaguars. After losing the first time they wore then, the Jets have won five in a row.

Date Opponent Result

10/14/07 PHI L, 16-9

10/02/07 at MIA W, 40-13

09/28/08 ARZ W, 56-35

10/12/08 CIN W, 26-14

09/27/09 TEN W, 24-17

09/18/11 JAX W, 32-3

Keep in mind that the Jets have also worn the white Titans jerseys twice and are 1-1 in those games.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Jets get back to work on Wednesday to begin preparations for Sunday’s 405pm kickoff against the Raiders in Oakland. The Silver and Black fell to 1-1 after a 38-35 loss to the Bills in Orchard Park.

What is it about the NFL scheduling format that always seems to have the Jets playing the Raiders on the road? I’ll delve into that when I preview Sunday’s game later in the week.

That’s all for now. Check back later in the week for more.

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Jets poach Jaguars

by Ted Berg on September 19th, 2011 at 10:14 am

That was pretty much the way the Jets drew up their defense before the season started. They got a good push from their pass rush, run defense that held Maurice Jones-Drew in check, and typical shutdown coverage from Darrelle Revis that forced Luke McCown to look elsewhere — mostly to Jets’ defensive backs. Of course, McCown appeared blessed with a rare combination of awful judgment and stunning inaccuracy, often throwing in the general direction of but nowhere actually close to receivers in double coverage. The Jets made four interceptions and dropped a host of others en route to the 32-3 victory.

Brian Schottenheimer and the Jets’ offense continued running on most first downs, a frustrating pattern until you consider this: By my count Mark Sanchez was 6-of-8 for 74 yards and a touchdown while throwing on first down, success obviously aided by the Jaguars’ efforts to stop the run. And one of Sanchez’s two incomplete first-down pass flew over the head of a wide-open Plaxico Burress in the end zone, a failure in execution but neither in judgment nor play-calling.

Sanchez threw a couple of interceptions, one marked by a great defensive play, the other by a poor pass into traffic.

But the big issue looming for the Jets’ offense involves the health of center Nick Mangold, who left the game late in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Mangold’s replacement, rookie Colin Baxter, looked downright awful. Not only did he twice botch the snap counts, he got pushed around by Jacksonville’s defensive linemen and missed multiple blocks that led to broken plays.

It was Baxter’s first NFL game, so it’s reasonable to hope he will improve once he adjusts to the speed at the new level. But subbing in a replacement-level center for one of the game’s best will hamper the Jets’ ground game and ability to employ complex blocking schemes. Baxter only appeared competent in straightforward pass-blocking assignments. If Mangold is out for any extended period of time, the combination of Baxter and tackle Wayne Hunter will turn the offensive line, one of the Jets’ preseason strengths, into a weak spot.

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Quick Hits: Jaguars @ Jets Week 2

by Bassett on September 19th, 2011 at 11:30 am

Mark Sanchez #6 Of The New York Jets Runs

The Jets destroyed the Jaguars yesterday – but it was still a quirky game for the Jets – it was the score that everyone wanted to see but the Jets still had some serious questions about how they played. Over the past few years, the Jets have made a habit of playing these type of games closer than they needed to be, and even though the score was lopsided, there’s still some concerns from a team that are setting their sights on the Super Bowl.

Things I Liked:

Dustin Keller — Keller had a big game for the Jets and his ability to change the field position of the team and his skills at the goal line are going to be an important part of the Jets offense this year as Sanchez transitions his receivers again early in the season. Keller now has two touchdowns along with more than five catches in both contests so far. Keller’s looked great in the receiving game and should be a solid contributor while the Jets continue to air out the ball and acclimate with their new receivers. My other thought is that Mason and Plax won’t get as open as Cotchery and Edwards did … so look for Sanchez to play more to his TE this season.

Antonio Cromartie — Cromartie had a big day as McCown looked off Revis most of they day in favor of the alternate corner. Cromartie took advantage of the Jaguars for two INTs and a return for score. Cro bounced back from a rough start and a very good tandem of Cowboys WRs and helped seal the victory for the Jets in doing so.

DE-FENSE!!! – The Jets had an impressive day on defense, led by Cromartie’s INTs. DeVito did a great job of taking on two defenders on multiple instances to allow his backers to make tackles, Kyle Wilson looked more comfortable at the nickel corner, Pouha had some great tackles in the trenches, Josh Mauga & Eric Smith had an INT (Smith could have had more) … but all around a great effort by the unit.

Things I Didn’t Like:

Offensive Line — It’s not fair, I know … Mangold is hurt, but Wayne Hunter had a bad second half and Collin Baxter is NOT an answer to replace Nick Mangold going forward for any extended period. Instead of worrying about one headache, now it’s two for the Jets with their Center and Right Tackle. The Jets are going to have to address the spot – and do it quickly.

The Running Game — It’s hard to blame the backs too much, but Maurice Jones-Drew still managed to run for 80+ yards on one of the best run defenses in the league with a middling line … so how can long can we make excuses for Shonn Greene, who started well but ended with a 3.1 YPC average? LaDainian isn’t the deus ex machina either as he was stonewalled for eight yards on six carries … I’m really starting to worry …

Third Down Efficiency — The Jets offense had a 25% conversion rate on third downs against a defense that’s not that good. If the Jets weren’t handing out game balls on defense last week, what’s their excuse for the offense this time around?

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Impact of Mangold injury plus other thoughts

The sprained ankle suffered by C Nick Mangold yesterday could have far-reaching repercussions for the Jets. Profootballtalk.com is reporting that it is a high ankle sprain, which means he could be out for several weeks, including the Oakland game on Sunday. If the Jets don’t go out and find a veteran center who is on the street [shaun O’Hara?] then waiver pickup Colin Baxter would start. Making one’s first start in Oakland has the potential to be particularly difficult, considering the notoriously raucous crowd there. The noise makes offensive-line calls and blitz pickups harder, and that’s for a veteran, let alone a rookie making his first NFL start.

Baxter had some glitches yesterday, at least twice not snapping the ball at the proper time. One time resulted in getting RB Shonn Greene drilled for a 5-yard loss, and the other occasion resulted in a false start on RG Brandon Moore. And the line wasn’t exactly humming like a well-oiled machine with Mangold in there, as the running game has sputtered so far with new starting RT Wayne Hunter [two penalties vs. Jax] in the lineup.

Other observations:

1. I give Rex Ryan points for honesty, but demerits for judgment. He admitted in the postgame that he had QB Mark Sanchez throwing into the end zone with a huge lead late in the third quarter because he wanted to get WR Plaxico Burress [no receptions] a catch. Sanchez got creamed on the play, and was slow getting to his feet. Ryan said, ‘he’s fine, but he took a big hit, that’s for sure. That’s my responsibility.’

I understand wanting to get everyone involved in the passing game, but trying to appease somebody and risking getting your starting QB hurt isn’t smart football in my book.

2. Can’t get too excited about the defense just yet, considering how poor Jacksonville is on offense without injured Pro Bowl TE Marcedes Lewis, but it was encouraging to see a dominant performance. I also like what the rejuvenated Bart Scott is doing. He has had one sack in each of the first two games. That matches his sack output in his first two seasons as a Jet.

3. Great game by CB Antonio Cromartie, but if I were the Jets, I would worry about all this work on special teams and offense perhaps exposing this game-breaking talent to potential injury. Remember, Darrelle Revis was an outstanding punt returner in college at Pitt, but there’s a reason why he’s never returned a punt as a pro.

4. I liked the way QB Mark Sanchez had a short memory and bounced back from his two early interceptions, but he still has a tendency to lock onto receivers way too much. That’s three picks in two games, and DBs and LBs already are jumping routes. He’s fortunate that Nnamdi Asomugha no longer plays for Oakland, although the Jets will see him in Philadelphia on Dec. 18.

Posted by J.P. Pelzman on 09/19 at 10:09 AM

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THREE UP

1. Antonio Cromartie -- When was the last time the Jets had an athlete as dynamic as Cromartie? Yeah, Brad Smith was terrific in a versatility kind of way, but he wasn't on the same level in terms of raw skills. Cromartie accounted for 149 yards with five touches -- two interception returns, two kickoff returns and one rush on an end around.

2. Dustin Keller -- The Jets sent a message to future opponents: If you want to play us in Cover-2, we'll just throw to Keller. He found the seams all day, racking up 101 yards on six catches, including a TD.

3. Calvin Pace -- He didn't have a sack, but he had at least two QB pressures, one tackle-for-loss and five tackles. Pace is showing what he can do when healthy. When he plays like this, the Jets don't have to blitz as often as they usually do.

THREE DOWN

1. Offensive line -- Facing mostly seven-man fronts, the Jets couldn't get anything going on first down -- 15 rushes for 30 yards. That's damning. Obviously, Nick Mangold's injury was a factor, but RT Wayne Hunter (two penalties, at least one pressure, one QB hit) struggled again and LG Matt Slauson didn't have one of his better games.

2. Shonn Greene -- Obviously, it wasn't all his fault, but they need more than 3.1 yards per carry from their feature back. A power back like Greene should've been more successful against the Jaguars' vanilla fronts. Ironically, his best moments came on runs outside the tackle.

3. Jason Hill -- We're going to break from tradition here and call out an opposing player. I'll quote Darrelle Revis from the post-game: If you're going to talk trash, at least show up to back it up.

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Burress not steaming over shutout

NFL.com Staff

By NFL.com Staff |

Published: September 19th, 2011

Plaxico Burress‘ first game in his return from prison played out ideally.

He had a key touchdown reception. He gave the ball to his son in the stands. The Jets won. All was good in the world.

Things weren’t nearly as smooth for Burress in the Jets’ Week 2 win over the Jaguars. Double-covered for much of the game, he didn’t register a single catch. Perhaps more surprisingly, Burress’ playing time was cut — he was on the field for just 35 snaps, as opposed to 53 in Week 1 against Dallas.

In the past, this was grounds for the type of temper tantrum that became customary earlier in his career. But on Sunday we were treated to a kinder, gentler Burress.

“I didn’t catch a ball but we scored 30 points,” Burress said in Monday’s edition of the New York Daily News. “I got a smile on my face. I’m going home happy.”

Burress wasn’t even targeted until the fourth quarter, when Mark Sanchez sailed a sure-TD over his head from six yards out. Burress was known to stomp and flail his arms when Eli Manning displeased him. He took the opposite tact with Sanchez.

“I guess it kind of got away from him a little bit,” Burress said. “Sometimes, it happens. I’m not complaining, throwing a fit or anything like that.”

So is this the new Plaxico Burress? A man who struggled through hardships and came out better on the other side? Or is this just an act, a bluff sure to give way if any more zeroes show up in his box score?

Time will tell, but we’re guessing Giants fans aren’t buying it.

– Dan Hanzus

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Inside the Jets' victory

September, 19, 2011

Sep 19

1:00

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

The tape has been reviewed, and opinions have been formulated. Here's a look back at the Jets' 32-3 laugher:

TWO-PICK: Going back to the opener, Mark Sanchez has three interceptions in his last five quarters. He threw two against the Jaguars, and there was a common denominator: Both came when he tried to throw underneath a two-deep zone. On the first throw, to Derrick Mason, he tried to squeeze the ball between the cornerback and safety -- a no-no vs. Cover-2. On the second throw, a tough third-and-15, he stared down Santonio Holmes and CB Rashean Mathis, with safety help over the top, read it all the way.

BRICK WALL: Being held to 45 rushing yards by the heavy-blitzing, front-disguising Cowboys was one thing; managing only 72 (we're not counting Sanchez's 29 yards on scrambles) against the Jaguars' basic, seven-man fronts is another story. The Jets averaged only 2.0 yards per rush on first down, and that's telling. If you want to blame it on Nick Mangold's injury, well, that definitely was a factor. Before Mangold left, they had 35 yards on seven rushes. But there were uncharacteristic breakdowns throughout the game that can't all be blamed on Mangold's absence.

3-IN-1: One of the Jets' best plays was Sanchez's 17-yard TD pass to Holmes -- perfect execution in all facets. It was a great call by Brian Schottenheimer. They showed a run-heavy look with three tight ends, but Sanchez executed a hard play-fake to RB Shonn Greene, freezing the linebackers. The pass protection was terrific, with Greene making a key block. It allowed Holmes to a run a triple move -- yes, a triple move. He cut left, right and left, making a leaping grab for the TD. The bonus: It ended the offense's streak of 16 straight games without a first-quarter TD.

SPECIAL K: TE Dustin Keller (six catches, 101 yards, 1 TD) shredded the Jaguars' Cover-2. He lined up in different spots in the formation, keeping the Jaguars off balance. Two catches came from the right slot, two from TE-right (customary spot), one from the left slot and one from TE-left.

THE PLAX FACTOR: Plaxico Burress didn't catch any passes, but he affected the game, especially on Keller's 11-yard TD catch. Burress lined up to the right, drawing a cornerback and a safety over the top. The Jaguars were in Cover-2, as usual, and the safety shaded toward Burress, leaving the middle open for Keller. He ran a short post on LB Paul Posluszny (a mismatch), and Sanchez fit the ball into a tight window. The safety arrived a split-second too late.

ANSWERING CRITICS: Going into the game, the Jets were dogged by two issues -- can't score in the first quarter, can't defend passes in the middle of the field. They responded to both. They intercepted Luke McCown four times, including two in the middle of the field -- S Eric Smith and backup LB Josh Mauga. So there.

CALLING OFF THE BLITZ: Facing an inexperienced journeyman quarterback who had few weapons at his disposal, the Jets figured to blitz and blitz often. In fact, they did the exact opposite. They relied on three- and four-man rushes throughout the game, letting McCown (and, later, rookie Blaine Gabbert) throw into seven- and eight-man coverages. Obviously, it worked brilliantly, as McCown finished with a 1.8 passer rating.

Here's an unofficial breakdown of the Jets' pass rushes, with McCown's results (and some Gabbert, too):

Three-man rush -- 2-for-5, 12 yards, two interceptions, one sack (safety by Mo Wilkerson). Note: DB Donald Strickland blitzed from the slot on the Eric Smith interception.

Four-man rush -- 8-for-16, 86 yards, one interception, two QB hits, one batted pass. Note: They used at least two overload blitzes out of the four-man rush, sending DBs on one side.

Five-man rush -- 1-for-4, 8 yards, one interception, one QB hit.

Six-man rush -- One sack (Bart Scott).

SCARY FLASHBACK: On a third-and-5 from the Jaguars' 5, ahead by 26 points at the start of the fourth quarter, the Jets called a pass. Rex Ryan admitted afterward that he wanted to get a catch for Burress. It nearly proved disastrous, as DE Matt Roth beat RT Wayne Hunter and hit Sanchez, his right arm extended and exposed, as he released the ball. It reminded me of the 2005 Jets-Jaguars game at the old Giants Stadium, when Chad Pennington -- arm extended -- was ripped down by a defensive lineman. He tore his rotator cuff for the second time. This time, the Jets got lucky.

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Winners & losers from Jets win over Jaguars

| More Print

1:00 PM, September 19, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

The Jets improved to 2-0 with their 32-3 dismantling of the Jaguars on Sunday. Here’s a look at the Jets winners and losers from that game:

WINNERS

1. ANTONIO CROMARTIE – The Jets cornerback took some abuse last week for giving up two touchdowns to the Cowboys. If you looked closely at those plays, though, he had good coverage and just made a small mistake against two good receivers. Sunday, he was all over the field. He got the day started for the Jets with a 39-yard kickoff return that set up the Jets offense for the first score of the day. He grabbed two interceptions, perfectly baiting Luke McCown on the second one. The Jets’ “other corner” had a huge day.

2. DUSTIN KELLER – Mark Sanchez had trouble finding wide receivers all day, and Keller became his security blanket. The fourth-year tight end had six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. He has become a sure-handed receiver and an adept route runner. He and Sanchez are very close off the field and that chemistry shows on Sundays.

3. MUHAMMAD WILKERSON – The Jets did not take Wilkerson in the first round for his pass rushing ability, but the rookie set the tone for the defense with his sack of McCown for a safety on the Jaguars’ first possession. From there, McCown looked lost. Wilkerson has stepped in quietly to fill the big shoes left vacant by Shaun Ellis. So far, he’s done that well.

LOSERS

1. SHONN GREENE – Where have you gone, Thomas Jones? Greene is doing nothing to inspire Jets fans to believe he’s the answer as the team’s every down back. He had 49 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown against the Jaguars. His long run for the day was 12 yards. The Jets can beat up the Jaguars with no running game. As the schedule gets tougher, they need to run the ball.

2. BRIAN SCHOTTENHEIMER – Part of Greene’s problem is the play calling. Schottenheimer never sticks with the ground game. At one point the Jets were moving the ball on the ground but then went away from it. And why is he getting cute against the Jaguars? You’re going to win the game without running reverses to Cromartie. Schottenheimer needed to figure out a way to get Plaxico Burress the ball earlier, too. At least the offense scored in the first quarter.

3. WAYNE HUNTER – There’s no DeMarcus Ware excuse this week. Hunter let Matt Roth drill Sanchez a few times, and he committed two penalties that put them in first-and-long situations. The Jets offensive line has been a strength for the last three seasons. Hunter needs to improve to keep it that way.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/winners_losers_from_jets_win_over_tuLSuuHzwHPJWXqgt3gXoN#ixzz1YQL8xYeV

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Nick Mangold's MRI confirms high ankle sprain

Published: Monday, September 19, 2011, 1:05 PM Updated: Monday, September 19, 2011, 1:49 PM

Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

An MRI this morning confirmed a high ankle sprain for Jets center Nick Mangold, and no additional damage, according to a person with knowledge of his injury.

There is "no reliable timetable" for Mangold's return, according to the person. The team will have to monitor the injury and see how it progresses. That person requested anonymity because the team has not yet announced the MRI results.

Mangold injured his ankle in the first quarter of Sunday's 32-3 win against the Jaguars. On a 7-yard run by Shonn Greene, linebacker Daryl Smith appeared to roll up on Mangold's right leg.

He was replaced by rookie Colin Baxter, claimed two weeks ago off waivers by San Diego.

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Should the New York Jets Bench Wayne Hunter?

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Sep 19, 2011 1:32 PM EDT

It is a simple question and one probably worth discussing since Hunter has been beaten badly in pass protection consistently during the first two games of the season. The Jets might be 2-0, but Mark Sanchez is not going to survive the season if he keeps taking shots like he did in the first two weeks.

I am against benching Hunter, though. I have a few reasons for it. The first reason is that there is nobody better to take his place. A guy might be bad, but he should be in the lineup if everybody else is worse. There is a reason he is starting.

The replacement would probably be Vladimir Ducasse. Ducasse looked even worse at times in the preseason in pass protection than Hunter has been, and Ducasse was playing against backups a lot, not the NFL sack king, DeMarcus Ware, and a good pass rusher like Matt Roth. He looked particularly slow dropping back against edge rushers at tackle. Ducasse seemed to improve as preseason progressed. He got some good push in the run game. He did not look like he would hold up at all at tackle right now in pass protection. He also had a false start problem.

You might say it cannot get any worse. It can. As bad as Hunter has been, Ducasse is liable to get beaten on even more plays, resulting in more shots on Sanchez. Hunter is not getting whipped on every single play, just a large percentage. Ducasse may well get beaten on even more passing plays. You might argue Ducasse is a better run blocker. That is true, but it does not address the problem of Sanchez taking too many big hits. Say what you will. The Jets wanted Ducasse to win the job. There is no way they want a second rounder in his second year on the bench not contributing. If he could do a good job as a starter, he probably would be starting already. Preseason is not the best judge, but if a guy is struggling against backups at times, he will probably have a really tough time against starters.

The pickings are slim in free agency. Pretty much everybody good is locked up. Forget about Damien Woody. August was the time to bring him in. The Jets did not think he could help. He is out of football shape and reports are that he has already started dropping weight.

You might disagree, but I think patience is the right course. Part of it is because I watched Hunter play two even worse games last year against Houston and Miami than he has played in 2011. He rebounded to play much better in his five starts. In those starts, he did not allow a sack. He allowed 1.6 attempts to be impacted by a pressure or a hit. That is not all world, but it is passable for a tackle not protecting the blind side. It was a vast improvement over what he did before.

How did the Jets get him rolling? I think back to Week 15 at Pittsburgh. Wayne was coming off a disastrous game against the Dolphins where Cameron Wake toyed with him. Things looked bleak going against Lamarr Woodley. Hunter held up. The reason he did was he got plenty of help. Brian Schottenheimer kept either Robert Turner or Ben Hartsock in to pass protect on over half the passes the Jets threw that day.

Hunter could not have been playing with a high confidence level entering that game. He picked up his play from that point. His technique was more consistent the rest of the way. A week later, Hunter had little help against the Bears and was excellent. Julius Peppers even gave Hunter credit in the postgame interview, denying speculation a bad field might have cut down on his traction.

Hunter is a mess right now. Just watching him, his footwork appears out of whack. He is getting crossed up, losing leverage, and getting beaten to the spot. He is never going to exhibit the power Damien Woody showed at the position. His game is more based on athleticism, which requires good technique. After he built a little confidence last year, he seemed to get things going. He will never be a top five tackle, but the Jets ran for 100 yards at Pittsburgh with him starting on the line last season. The team did not give him a new contract because the front office is stupid. He showed good things at the end of last year.

We are now right back where we were after that Week 14 Miami game. Brian Schottenheimer is once again going to have to do things to build Hunter's confidence. That means tight ends lining up next to him and chipping the outside rusher. It means backs staying in and shading to his side. It means quick hitting plays so the protection does not need to hold. It means screens and draws right to slow down the pass rush. It especially means a lot of Matthew Mulligan staying in to pass protect and even maybe a little Ducasse on six man lines to extend the edge.

The drawbacks are obvious. Taking a receiver out of the passing play makes it easier for coverage, which has an extra guy to dedicate to somebody else. It takes some things off the table. The reason the Jets paid their receivers is because these guys are supposed to be good enough to make up for these disadvantages. This drawback is less of a hit than an injured Mark Sanchez would be.

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Nick Mangold expected to miss 2-3 weeks

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on September 19, 2011, 1:50 PM EDT

Nick Mangold AP

A Monday MRI has confirmed Florio’s report from Sunday night: Jets center Nick Mangold has a high ankle sprain.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports Mangold is expected to miss a minimum of 2-3 weeks. No further ligament damage was found.

It comes at a bad time for the Jets — not that there is ever a good time to lose an All Pro center. The Jets have three straight road games coming up against the Raiders, Ravens, and Patriots.

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Thoughts on C Nick Mangold's injury

September, 19, 2011

Sep 19

3:05

PM ET

By James Walker

Here is more injury news in the AFC East: Jets center Nick Mangold (ankle) is expected to miss at least two weeks with a high-ankle sprain, ESPNNewYork's Rich Cimini reports.

Here are some thoughts on the injury:

It's no secret that this is a big blow for the Jets. New York already had trouble running the football. Mangold anchored the center of the offensive line. In many ways, he was the "quarterback" of that unit. Rookie Colin Baxter is expected to start in Mangold's place Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

I saw a lot of high-ankle sprains with the Cleveland Browns the past two years, and they're not pretty. There's various degrees of sprains and every player heals differently. But in my experience, two weeks could be generous. Some players with the Browns took about a month to recover. Mangold is very tough and will be pushing to return quickly. New York needs Mangold for the long-term and needs to guard against that, as well.

Mangold is the second starting center in the AFC East to suffer a leg injury. Patriots center Dan Koppen broke his fibula in Week 1 and will be out for a significant period. New England adjusted well Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. The Jets hope they can do the same without Mangold.

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Center Spotlight Could Be on Colin Baxter

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 41 minutes ago

As the final seconds of the Jets' victory over the Jaguars ticked off the clock, shadowed beneath the lopsided 32-3 victory was an unsettling loss. Starting C Nick Mangold suffered an ankle injury late in the first quarter and was replaced by waiver pickup Colin Baxter.

Today Mangold underwent an MRI that showed a high ankle sprain. This afternoon head coach Rex Ryan said of Mangold, “It doesn’t look good as far as playing this week” when the Jets travel to the West Coast to take on the Raiders in Oakland.

Baxter, an undrafted free agent from Arizona, spent training camp with the Chargers before being placed on waivers on final cutdown day. He was picked up by the Jets shortly thereafter, and will be hard at work over the next several days to be prepared possibly for his first NFL start.

“I’ve got to do a lot this week,” Baxter said in the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center locker room this afternoon. “I’ve been doing a lot with Coach Cally [bill Callahan] after practice, working on sets and technique. I’m in there with Rob [Turner] after meetings. I’m going over it at home, here and the hotel.”

Today, head coach Rex Ryan weighed in on what he thought of the young substitute center.

“I think Baxter did a great job considering how he was thrown in there,” said Ryan. “He had a couple of mental mistakes, but I was proud of the way he jumped in there. Whether it’s Nick or Baxter or whoever in there, we move on.”

Baxter said he prepares himself each week as if he is going to start, but admitted that until he entered the game on the last play of the first quarter, he had never actually snapped a ball to QB Mark Sanchez, having worked in practice mostly with backup Mark Brunell.

“I’ve got to work hard and keep getting better every day,” said Baxter. “I’ve got to clean up my mistakes. The things I did OK, I’ve got to do better. The things I did poorly, I have to do well.”

His work ethic was highlighted this afternoon by Ryan, who praised his approach to his job.

“The thing about that young man is that he doesn’t want to make mistakes,” said Ryan. “Those two mental mistakes were too much for him. You love the mentality that he has. He wants to go in there and compete.”

If Baxter indeed does get the call at center this week, it would end Mangold’s streak of 82 consecutive regular-season starts, which currently ranks fourth among active centers.

“It will be interesting now, because since I’ve been head coach of the Jets, Nick’s always been the center,” said Ryan. “I hope he can go, but we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, plans will be made to play without Mangold, who is a vocal leader on the offensive line and one of the key bodyguards for Sanchez. For a rookie like Baxter, there is no better role model to learn from.

“I’m definitely going to be in his ear all week,” said Baxter, “asking him questions about technique, plays and assignments. I just want to make sure I’ve got everything straight and see how he would do it.”

Brandon Moore, fellow offensive lineman and consummate veteran, spoke today about the importance of communication with the new, young center.

“Things that you wouldn’t normally have a verbal command for, you probably say more to confirm it,” said Moore. “Make sure he knows what he’s doing, I know what he’s doing, and everybody else knows.”

Baxter’s whirlwind rookie season will continue its torrid pace as the Jets will travel to Oakland on Friday for Sunday’s game.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “It goes to show that if you keep working at it, you’ll get your shot, some sooner, some later. Mine just happened to be sooner.”

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Just Can’t Wait to Get on the Road Again

Posted by Randy Lange on September 19, 2011 – 6:12 pm

Updated, 6:30 p.m. ET

My good friend Steve Serby from the New York Post popped the question to Rex Ryan today: To what do you attribute your success on the road?

You know Rex wasn’t going to blink at that question.

“If you bring a good team with you, you’ve got a chance,” Ryan said at his news conference today about 24 hours after the conclusion of Sunday’s second home win of the season by 32-3 over the Jaguars. “I think that’s the big thing. What we bring to the road is that we’re bringing a good team with us. We’re not intimated by any of the surroundings we’re going into. We’ve been together now for a third year and we know what it takes to prepare to go to the West Coast.”

That of course is a good thing because the Jets are about to begin preparations to embark on a most unusual three-game road trip in this still most unusual NFL season. It’s unusual for the Jets because they don’t normally play three away games in a row in the regular season. In fact, the last time it happened was in the early Eighties.

But the Jets have gotten much experience at these extended stays in NFL America due to their playoff exposure, which has given them unscheduled three-game road trips in the ’09 and ’10 postseasons.

And there’s no question Rex knows road. His away record as Jets head coach including those playoff games is a sterling 15-7 record. Not only is that the best road record among all head coaches in franchise history but he’s one of only two Jets field bosses to have a road record of better than .500. (The other: Bill Parcells at 13-12.)

But this trip looms large in the Jets’ 2011 season. Arguably, it could have a lot to say about the Jets’ ’11 season. The three-pack:

At Oakland (1-1) — The Raiders are improved from recent years, it’s their home opener, they’re packing the No. 4 rushing attack led by No. 2 NFL rusher Darren McFadden, and they’d no doubt love some payback for the Jets’ 38-0 whitewash administered at the stadium formerly known as Oakland Coliseum in 2009.

At Baltimore (1-1) — Another big Rex game, since he’s lost to his former employers twice (2009 preseason, 2010 regular-season opener). Jets are 0-3 all-time at the Ravens. And the Birds will be returning home off their own two-game road trip after opening with an impressive 35-7 thumping of the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.

At New England (2-0) — The Jets have shown themselves to be perhaps the NFL’s most adept team at winning at Gillette Stadium, since they’ve done it three times in the previous five seasons, including last season’s remarkable 28-21 AFC Divisional Round triumph. But the fact remains that in the regular season the Patriots have ruled their roost with 18 consecutive wins including Sunday’s 35-21 powering down of the Chargers.

One more factor to keep in mind, which is actually logical and yet the numbers bear it out, is that teams with three-game RS road trips find it harder to win Game 2 than Game 1 and Game 3 than Game 2.

There have been 36 scheduled three-game trips in the NFL since 2000. The teams involved in those trips have a robust winning percentage of .639 (23-13) in the first games of those trips. In the second games the figure slips to .444 (16-20), and in the third games the road-weary warriors’ success rate goes down to .389 (14-22).

It’s a tough road to hoe, but the Jets are getting ready to take it away. Yet just in case there’s any doubt, Ryan assured reporters and fans: “We’re confident on the road … but we’d much rather play at home.”

Injury Report

Ryan’s normally optimistic about his players’ return to action, so his day-after prognosis on Nick Mangold’s high ankle sprain said a lot.

“I would say his status for the game would be … very iffy,” Ryan said of his seemingly indestructible center.

“With that being said,” the coach added, “he thinks he can go. … I wouldn’t count him out. He’s a tough guy. The trainers will always do what’s in the best interests of the player. We’ll never put a guy out there who shouldn’t be out there.”

Andrew LeRay writes further about Mangold and his replacement for the last three quarters of Sunday’s win over the Jaguars, Colin Baxter. That story is now live on newyorkjets.com.

Ryan said three starters who were questionable for the Jags but started as usual came out of the game “no worse now than they were”: LB David Harris, WR Santonio Holmes and S Eric Smith.

Rex Cetera

Here’s a trivia question significant of nothing but still interesting: When was the last time the Jets started the season 2-0 and had seven takeaways in the two wins? The answer is that while the Jets have had 10 two-win starts in their history and while they’ve had 10 starts with at least seven takeaways in their first two games, they haven’t put those two pieces together in the same season since 1968. We all know what happened that year.

Ryan said the main reason Plaxico Burress had no receptions Sunday was because the Jaguars respected the heck out of the big wideout. That manifested itself in the Jags’ coverage. “Almost every snap in that game he was doubled, almost every snap,” Rex said. “Does he still have that respect? Absolutely. He’s a special player and people know it.”

Another OL alignment just in case would be LG Matt Slauson going to C and Caleb Schlauderaff going to LG. As for bringing in another O-lineman from outside, Ryan said, “I’m comfortable with the guys we have. I feel good about who we have.” … Early this evening the Jets announced they have released G Trevor Canfield and CB Julian Posey from their practice squad.

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Rex's Monday News Conference

By Jets Media Relations Department

Posted 1 hour ago

Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference Monday afternoon at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:

First off, I’m wearing the Titans stuff because we are 5-1 in those throwbacks. That went according to plan, so that was good. Plus it was a 4X, so I feel good about that.

Injury update: Nick [Mangold] did have his MRI and it showed a high ankle sprain. So I would say his status for the game would be, I assume, very iffy. I don’t think it looks very good as far as playing this week. But with that being said, he thinks he can go. And he’s started 80-some games in a row. We’ll see how it progresses. I wouldn’t count him out. He’s a tough guy, but the trainers will always do what’s in the best interest of the player and we’ll never put a guy out there that shouldn’t be out there. With that said, I think it’s iffy whether he plays or not, with all due respect to Nick. There’s were we are on that.

Eric Smith and David Harris and Santonio [Holmes], they’re no worse now than they were, so I think that’s a good sign that they’ll play. I hope to get them better and be ready to roll, so we’ll find out. Other than that, I can’t think of any other injuries off hand right now.

On Mangold’s high ankle sprain and if it could be a long-term injury…

I guess you’re always concerned when you get an ankle, but I guess if you asked Nick the question, he thinks he can go. We’ll see. Things effect guys differently. I’m sure if he were a running back, that would hold true. The fact that he has to run in a small area, we’ll see. It’ll be interesting now, because as being the head coach of the Jets, he’s always been the center. It’s Mangold. He’s always going to be out there. Just like Brandon Moore, he’s always going to be out there. D’Brickashaw [Ferguson], too. I hope he can go, but we’ll see.

On if there’s a risk of swelling to bring back Mangold too early…

That’s something, again, that’s why you put it in the trainers’ hands. The players, a lot of times, from the competitiveness of the guys, “I have to go.” You have to lean on the experts on this, and that’s what we’ll do.

On if he’ll need to simplify the offense for Colin Baxter…

I think Baxter did a great job in that game, considering he got thrown in there, I’m sure he was a little nervous. You kind of get thrown to the wolves there, but he played three-quarters of the game, had a couple mental mistakes, snapped the ball early that one time, but I was proud of the way he jumped in there. And we’ll always say, whether it’s Nick or Baxter or whoever, we go on and there’s no excuses. If he can’t go, remember last year. It’s almost a similar thing to when we lost Darrelle Revis in the second game of the season, when he pulled a hamstring. And now you have to replace Darrelle going forward, and we were able to do that.

Same thing with Nick. You probably have — well, no probably about it, the way Darrelle Revis is the best corner in football and it’s undisputable, the same thing you can say about Nick Mangold as a center. But we’ll find ways to get it done and it’s just what we do. That’s the New York Jets. When you have that decal on your helmet, you have to step in and do the job.

On if Caleb Schlauderaff would be the backup at center to Baxter…

Right, he could and it could be [Matt] Slauson, too. Slauson’s done that. He backed up, we worked him as a center before and Schlauderaff maybe could play guard. We feel OK there.

On if they will look for outside options to fill in offensive line depth…

I’m comfortable with the guys we have. I feel good about what we have.

On if he thinks the running game was better and if the offense will be balanced again next week…

Well, we’ll see. Again, that team Jacksonville did a pretty good job of holding Chris Johnson to 2.4 per carry. Sometimes a staple of a team like Jacksonville is the way they run the football and they stop the run. So regardless of how many guys they have down there, that’s who Jacksonville was. So I thought we did run it more efficiently this week than we had last week. And also, I’ll tell you the guy I was really happy with was [Mark] Sanchez, the three runs for 29 yards — he also had another big one called back. But I thought he ran the ball well. We’ve been trying to get Mark, when you face certain coverages, "Hey, don’t be afraid to just take off with it." And he did that. Because I can tell you, that stretches your defense out.

On if he would like to see the running game get going against Oakland this week…

I’ll take winning by 29. I’ll take winning by one, so I wasn’t disappointed in the way we ran the ball or did anything offensively. I thought we did a great job in all phases of the game. Will they anticipate that? This reminds me of when we played Detroit, when they had given up a bunch of rushing yards to some team. They came in and they put everybody down there. [Detroit head coach] Jim Schwartz was down there [joking]. Will that be what they do? I’m not sure. We’ll find out.

On how much of a leap it will be for Colin Baxter to be prepared for Sunday in a starting role…

I think he has a good grasp of our system, anyway. The fact that the terminology is similar to that of where he came from, San Diego, I think he already has a decent grasp of it. The thing about that young man is you can tell he doesn’t want to make the mistakes. Two mental mistakes, or whatever he made, was too much for him. You love that mentality that he has. He certainly understands that he doesn’t want to be the weak link. He wants to go in there and compete.

On if any tests were performed on Mark Sanchez’s shoulder…

No, he’s fine. A bruise or something.

On if he regrets trying to get Plaxico Burress the ball late in the game…

Yes, you don’t like to get your quarterback hit. If I knew he was going to get hit, would I have just run the draw or something like that? Yes, probably. I still like it. I’m glad we tried to get him a shot and tried to get him a pass in there. He did a great job. It’s just that [Dawan] Landry did a good job. He got just enough of a piece of Plax to disrupt the pass or that’s going to be a touchdown, the first-down play. But yes, I would love to take the third down back because you don’t want to get your quarterback hit. That’s on me. That was my call.

It’s interesting, though, when you look at Plax. Here’s a guy that has been out of football for two years, yet let’s see the kind of respect people have for him. Almost every single snap in that game he was doubled, almost every single snap. That just shows, does he still have that respect and everything else, absolutely. He is a special player and people know it, the fact that he has been out of the game for two years and he still has that kind of respect. You kind of wish, "Hey, no, just single him up there," but they’re no dummies. [Jack] Del Rio is a smart coach and he knows that this guy can hit you on a big play immediately, as soon as you put one guy out there. I think I was more frustrated about it than anybody because I want to see him catch the passes and all that kind of stuff. I think we all do, but I think the coverage dictates it sometime a little bit.

On if his ego was the reason that he wanted to get Burress a catch…

No, it would be more my ego than his, for sure. He’s great because of how he affects the thing. I see how he affects the game. He’s been great for us, not because of the catches he’s had, but by how he’s affected the game. You look at Dustin Keller and Dustin does a great job. He had a huge game and all of that, but some of that is due to Plax playing outside of him. The way he is, we’re going to get more seven-man spacing, so I think that will open up the running game, as well.

On how big a challenge it is to have accomplished receivers who are used to getting the ball…

Everybody signed up to come here to win, so that’s the beauty of it. So far, we’re 2-0. That’s good. The thing is, every one of those guys is really competitive. They all want to win. They all want the ball thrown to them. Yet more than anything, they want to win and they want their teammates to be successful. Santonio Holmes was coming over to me, saying, “Rex, let’s get the ball to Plax.” I’m like, "Yes, but you’re seeing the same coverage he’s seeing."

He knew how hard it was, but he’s just a great teammate. These guys just pull for each other and that’s fun to watch. You’re exactly right. All three of those guys are accomplished receivers. There is no doubt. They’re all Pro Bowl receivers. And yet they are there for the common good and they’re all happy with it. Whether it’s Patrick Turner making a catch, they’d be happy with that.

On why the team seems to enjoy playing on the road…

If you bring a good team with you, you have a chance. I think that’s the big thing and that’s what we bring to the road. We’re bringing a good football team with us. We’re not intimidated by any surroundings that we go into. Now, we’ve been together for going on our third year, we know what it takes, we know how to prepare going on the west coast, so we’re confident on the road, but we’d much rather play the game at home.

On if any defensive players received gameballs this week…

Yeah, they’ll be a couple of game balls out there. I think we all know one in particular that will get one. The Cromartie kid did OK, I guess [joking].

On if he has been around any other player with Cromartie’s type of athleticism…

Ed [Reed] was a different type of returner. He’ll go down as, he probably already does, having the most interception return yards of anybody in the history of the game. Ed’s a ballhawk. He plays safety. The thing that Ed is real crafty about, is once he gets it, he’ll take off and if it’s a deep pass, he’ll set you up one way and then bring it all the way across. He’s a different kind of returner. He’s never down until he’s down.

Cro is zero-to-60 in a second. His explosiveness is unreal. It’s funny, you compare those two, they have the longest returns in the history of this game. I think Cro returned a kick 108 yards or 109 yards, or something, and Ed returned an interception, I think, 108 one time. They’re both rare. They’re really exceptional. Look at Cro. He averaged 42 yards a kick return without popping a big one. That says a lot about him, as well.

On if Cromartie has earned the right to return any kick even if he is deep in the end zone…

What Mike [Westhoff]'s basically saying is that’s the standard deal. It’s 6 or more, you probably leave it in. But I’ve also heard Mike say, with Cro, he’s got a green light. He can bring it in from the parking lot. That’d be all right with us. He’s going to make you defend it. We do a great job of blocking. Our guys blocking up front have been tremendous, absolutely tremendous. Cro doesn’t need much, but our guys are doing a great job blocking the safeties, coming back doing a great job with their one-on-one battles, so we’re confident in our kickoff return.

On Sanchez’s decision making on his interceptions…

Well, we can be better there, that’s for sure. I think he was over 70 in his completion percentage, which was good to see. He probably wished he has two throws back, but you have to give them credit, as well. They were able to make the plays, especially the second pick. I think the young man did a great job of reading the route and made a great break on the ball.

On Shonn Greene and the team’s running game…

We’re close. First play of the game, Dustin [Keller] trips over the quarterback, [John] Conner ends up tripping over the guard a little bit, and he still goes for 3 yards. Maybe that’s a five, six, seven yarder. We’ve had some. We had a couple penalties on a long run. I think we’re close. I think we are. I think we’re getting better each week, and quite honestly, when you go back and really look at it, it’s not like we’re humming on all cylinders to start the season. We get a little bit better each week and we then finally find our grove. Our confidence in our running game will take off.

On RT Wayne Hunter taking penalties in Sunday’s game…

I think it’s all of us. We can all learn from a guy making a mistake. I guess he had a facemask penalty and a holding call, but those are things we try to clean up. The week before we had no penalties. This week, I think we had seven. We want to pride on ourselves in being the least penalized team in the league. Not just Wayne, but that’s for all of us. Sometimes, an offensive lineman, unfortunately, the only time you really notice one is when there’s a penalty or you give up a sack or something like that. It wasn’t all bad, the way Wayne played, he had a lot of good moments, as well. Unfortunately you see the penalties and the hit on the quarterback.

On choosing to receive the ball and if that will be something that happens in the future…

I think we could switch it up sometimes. It was just a challenge that we put out there to our offense and it was something I wanted to change. When I saw the stats and all that jazz, it was like, "I know we’re much better than this." wanted to issue the challenge to our guys and they stepped up and did it. And after they scored, they were kind of giving me the business. That’s why our defense had to go out and score on their first position, with the safety.

But we say it is a team deal. It’s not just the offense. It’s the team. The defense gets the ball back, create turnovers, create field position. Special teams as well, and that’ll help the offense, but the offense did a great job. We had a great kick return by Cro and then they marched right down the field and scored, so that was great, about as good a start as you can ever ask for.