Jets News 9-20

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Rex Ryan: Jets ‘Not Intimidated’ By 3 Straight Road Games

September 20, 2011 6:24 AM

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (WFAN/AP) — New York’s upcoming stretch may have some fans upset, but Brandon Moore refuses to look too far ahead on the Jets’ schedule.

The veteran guard knows a cross-country flight to play the Oakland Raiders on Sunday is next on the itinerary. Beyond that, he’ll deal with packing for the team’s other upcoming road trips when the time comes.

“I’m just worried about Oakland,” Moore said Monday. “Who’s after that?”

A game at Baltimore, followed by a big division matchup at New England.

“Well,” Moore said, “Oakland’s next week.”

The Jets opened with two straight home wins, but face an early-season test in which they’ll hit the road for three consecutive weeks — a stretch they haven’t seen in the regular season since the strike-shortened 1982 season.

Three straight road trips is nothing new for New York, though, after the Jets ended the last two seasons doing exactly that on their way to two straight AFC championship games.

“We’re not intimidated by any surroundings that we go into,” coach Rex Ryan said.

They’ve been a solid team away from home under Ryan, going 11-5 in the regular season on the road in his first two years as coach. The Jets are also 4-2 in the playoffs during that stretch.

“If you bring a good team with you, you have a chance,” Ryan said. “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.”

And, they’re already preparing the players for the trip to Oakland on Friday. There are little reminders posted, telling them to get 8 hours of sleep each night and to make sure they’re drinking plenty of water.

“We’ve just got to focus on Oakland, and that’s it,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “We have to make sure we come in and prepare for what we need to throughout the entire week and get ready for a long trip.”

The Jets’ next home game is Oct. 17 against Miami — a stretch of nearly a month.

“We know what it takes,” Ryan said. “We know how to prepare for going to the West Coast, so we’re confident on the road. But, we’d much rather play the game at home.”

It’s a crucial stretch so early in the season, and the Jets know there’s still plenty of room for improvement, despite a 2-0 start. Mark Sanchez and the offense want to get more consistent early in games and establish the running game, while the defense wants to shut down opponents the way it stifled Jacksonville on Sunday in a 32-3 victory.

“We did what we had to do,” wide receiver Santonio Holmes said. “I think we had a pretty good week of practice. Everybody was on key, making the right plays. We had a few penalties here and there that stopped a few drives later in the game, but to start the game the way we wanted to was big, and the defense, those guys played tremendous, lights out, from the beginning of the game.”

Ryan challenged the offense at the team hotel Saturday night, telling his players that if the Jets won the coin toss, he would put the ball in their hands for a change. The defensive-minded coach usually defers, but wanted to see his offense get off to a quick start, and Sanchez & Co. certainly delivered.

Sanchez efficiently moved the ball down the field, and Holmes completed the drive by leaping in the end zone for a terrific 17-yard catch that ended New York’s skid of 16 games without a first-quarter touchdown.

“When I saw the stats and all that jazz, it was like, ‘I know we’re much better than this,’” Ryan said. “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 possession.”

That came when rookie defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson flung Jaguars quarterback Luke McCown to the turf for a safety on Jacksonville’s third play from scrimmage. New York ended up intercepting McCown four times, including two by Cromartie, and showed flashes of dominance — albeit against an offense that had few weapons and a career backup at quarterback.

It was at least a confidence booster after the Jets allowed 390 yards of offense in the season-opening win against Dallas.

“It was a nice bounce back,” Cromartie said. “We just want to always go out there and prove that we’re the best, and I know Rex, that’s what he wants for us, so for us to go out and do that, it speaks a lot of volumes.”

After running the ball just 16 times against the Cowboys, the Jets doubled that Sunday and returned to the “Ground-and-Pound” approach that Ryan is so fond of. The results were modest — 101 yards for a 3.2 average per carry — but New York is optimistic about the prospects of its running game.

“I thought it was slightly better, but I’m not concerned with that,” Moore said. “That’ll get better as the season goes. We’ll be OK.”

The Jets will likely be without All-Pro center Nick Mangold, who has a high ankle sprain. But, the Raiders (1-1) are ranked 27th in the NFL against the run after giving up 217 yards rushing in a 38-35 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday — a game in which Oakland gave up five touchdowns on five second-half drives.

“Oakland lost a nail-biter at the end of the game, so I know those guys are going to be ready to play,” Holmes said. “We’ve got to be on top of our Ps and Qs this week, knowing we’ve got a short week with traveling and not let anything affect us, whether it’s injuries or the whole travel time.”

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Cro nearly took flight to Raiders

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 5:17 AM, September 20, 2011

Posted: 2:35 AM, September 20, 2011

More Print

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie could have easily been on the opposite sideline this week.

During the free agency period in July, it came down to the Jets and the Raiders for Cromartie's services. Oakland had just lost Nnamdi Asomugha, and the Jets had just lost out on Asomugha, who signed with the Eagles. Both teams turned to Cromartie.

According to a source, the Raiders offered substantially more than the Jets' four-year, $32 million bid. But Cromartie enjoyed his first year with the Jets, and felt he had a better chance to win with them.

A source said Raiders owner Al Davis personally made a plea to Cromartie, but in the early morning hours of Aug. 1, with training camp about to begin, Cromartie agreed to a deal with the Jets.

The move worked out for the Jets on Sunday. Cromartie had a huge game against the Jaguars with two interceptions, two long kickoff returns and even a rush on offense.

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The Jets failed to mount a rushing attack again on Sunday against the Jaguars, but coach Rex Ryan said he isn't concerned.

The Jets rushed for 101 yards, but 29 of those came on scrambles by quarterback Mark Sanchez. Lead back Shonn Greene had 49 yards on 16 carries in the 32-3 victory.

"I'll take winning by 29," Ryan said. "I'll take winning by one. I wasn't disappointed in the way we ran the ball or did anything offensively. I thought we did a great job."

If there were ever a week for the Jets' ground game to get off the ground, it's this one against the Raiders. The Bills averaged 8.7 yards per rush against the Raiders on Sunday.

"We haven't been as consistent as we'd like," guard Brandon Moore said. "There's definitely been some drives in there we can draw some positives from. [Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer] alluded to it -- we've got to be consistent for 60 minutes. I think when we do that we'll be pretty good."

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Plaxico Burress had no catches Sunday. Ryan said the Jaguars took him out of the game with double coverage, showing how much respect he still gets despite being out of the NFL for two full seasons.

"Almost every single snap in that game he was doubled, almost every single snap," Ryan said. "That just shows, does he still have the respect and everything else? Absolutely. He is a special player and people know it."

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Ryan said Sanchez is "fine" after getting drilled by the Jaguars' Matt Roth in the fourth quarter on an incomplete pass to Burress, a play call Ryan said he wishes he could have back because it put his quarterback at risk. . . . Wide receiver Santonio Holmes said his knee/quad issue gave him no trouble Sunday, and it was never a question in his mind whether he would play.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/cro_nearly_took_flight_to_raiders_xpCHeDicFbqfMBVlkX9m1M#ixzz1YUQ5dWQp

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Jets report card

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Record

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Rushing offense: D

The so-called ground-and-pound again was a no-show, as the Jets’ most consistent ground gainer was QB Mark Sanchez, who had 29 yards on three scrambles. Other than that, the Jets managed 72 yards on 29 carries, an average of 2.5 yards. For the second straight week, the offensive line got very little push up front, and certainly wasn’t helped by the absence of injured C Nick Mangold for the last three quarters.

Passing offense: C

Sanchez had two touchdown passes, but also threw two bad interceptions on which he stared down his intended target. Sanchez has three picks in the first two games this season after having none through the first five games in 2010. Although he was sacked only once, there were protection issues as he often had to step up in the pocket to avoid the rush. WR Plaxico Burress had no receptions, but the Jaguars often rolled their coverage to him. TE Dustin Keller was huge with six receptions for 101 yards and a TD.

Rushing defense: B-minus

Yes, Maurice Jones-Drew had 88 yards on 18 carries, but none of his runs were game-breakers. Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas combined to stop him for a 2-yard loss in the first quarter, and Thomas nailed him for a 3-yard loss in the third quarter.

Passing defense: A-plus

The Jets took advantage of journeyman QB Luke McCown, picking him off four times, with CB Antonio Cromartie (twice), S Eric Smith and backup LB Josh Mauga accepting the gifts. McCown’s passer rating of 1.8 was the lowest ever recorded by a Jets’ opponent as he was 6-for-19 for 59 yards with four picks. Rookie DE Muhammad Wilkerson sacked McCown for a first-quarter safety, and veteran LB Bart Scott notched his second sack of the season in the fourth period against rookie Blaine Gabbert.

Special teams: B

Cromartie had kickoff returns of 39 and 46 yards, both of which jump-started Jets’ scoring drives. K Nick Folk remained perfect for the young season by going 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 38, 45 and 23 yards. P T.J. Conley averaged 37.4 yards net on five punts. The Jets’ coverage units limited the Jaguars’ kickoff returners to an average of 17.3 yards.

Coaching: B

The defensive game plan by coach Rex Ryan and coordinator Mike Pettine was excellent, as they opted mostly to play coverage against McCown and bait him into mistakes, as opposed to blitzing him repeatedly. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer scripted a nice opening drive that resulted in a touchdown, the Jets’ first TD on offense in the first quarter since Oct. 3, 2010. But Ryan made a huge mistake exposing Sanchez to a hard hit on a pass play merely to try to get Burress a TD catch.

— J.P. Pelzman

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Transcript: WR Santonio Holmes 9/19

by Bassett on September 19th, 2011 at 11:45 pm

On how much of the game he played Sunday…

I think I played every snap but 20 maybe. All of 20 snaps, probably that I didn’t play. But that was by choice. I didn’t want to over-do it. But I felt like I was in good enough shape to play. I wasn’t hurt too badly where I couldn’t play.

On losing Nick Mangold due to injury…

Guys have to step up. We’re losing a valuable part of our offensive line, a guy that knows pretty much everything, makes all the calls, makes things a lot easier for Mark (Sanchez) and the rest of the guys up front. And we just definitely have to be on our P’s and Q’s now, we have to make sure we get our young guy in the lab and get him everything he needs to know.

On if Mark Sanchez could have thrown a more perfect pass on his touchdown catch…

That was a perfect pass. I didn’t realize why he threw the ball so high for me to jump for until after the play was over with. The defender (that) was standing right there would have made an interception if it was lower. Just being on the same page. I told him, ‘Anytime you throw it up in the end zone near 10, he can guarantee I’m going to come down with a touchdown.’

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Transcript: C Colin Baxter 9/19

by Bassett on September 19th, 2011 at 11:50 pm

On how he felt he played yesterday after watching the film…

Pretty much what I thought yesterday. There were some good things, there were some bad things. (There was) a couple of mental errors that I can’t have, that I’ll get cleaned up. A few technical things that I can get cleaned up, as well.

On how much extra studying he has to do this week to prepare…

I’ve got to do a lot this week. I’ve been doing a lot out there with coach (Bill Callahan) after practice, working on sets and technique. I’m in there with Rob (Turner) after meetings, going over books and going over it at home, here, the hotel.

On whether it was daunting to enter the game without ever snapping the ball to Mark Sanchez prior to Sunday…

Yeah, a little bit. I haven’t had problems with that. You just kind of go in there and you just play.

On how much he will speak to Nick Mangold in preparation of Sunday’s game…

I’m definitely going to be in his ear this week, asking him questions about techniques and plays and assignments, just making sure I’ve got everything straight, seeing how he would do it.

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Transcript: Rex Ryan 9/19

by Bassett on September 19th, 2011 at 11:55 pm

Opening Statement…

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 (82 consecutive regular season games). 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 interests 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 where 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 affect 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 if Mangold returns 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, (it’s like) “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 (was) 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. (He) had a couple of 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 Schlauderoff 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 Schlauderoff maybe could play guard. We feel okay there.

On if they will look for options outside of the team 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 (yards) 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, (and) 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 (and say) ‘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 (Oakland) 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 a starting role on Sunday…

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 because of the sack…

No, he’s fine. (It’s just) a bruise or something.

On whether 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 (the decision). I’m glad we tried to get (Burress) 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 Burress’ ego was the reason that he wanted to get him 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 whether any defensive players received game balls this week…

Yes, 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 okay, I guess. (joking)

On whether he has been around a 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 ball hawk. 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 (Cromartie) 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 (yards) one time. They’re both rare. They’re really exceptional. Look at Cro. He averaged 42 yards a kick return (vs. Jacksonville) without popping a big one. That says a lot about him, as well.

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

What Mike’s (Westhoff) basically saying, is that’s the standard deal. (If) it’s six or more (yards deep in the end zone), 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 alright 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 (unit).

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 (Greene) still goes for three 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 Wayne Hunter’s penalties…

I think it’s all of us. We can all learn from a guy making a mistake. I guess (Wayne Hunter) 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 to open the game and if that will be a trend for 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.’ I 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, creates turnovers, creates 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 (Antonio Cromartie) and then they marched right down the field and scored, so that was great. (It was) about as good a start as you can ever ask for.

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Should the New York Jets Change Their Offensive Line Look Without Nick Mangold?

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Sep 20, 2011 7:01 AM EDT

The Jets seem set to start Colin Baxter at center if Nick Mangold is unable to play Sunday. Baxter had a rough time with the snap count on Sunday and seemed to have trouble identifying his blocking assignments. In short, he looked like a developmental undrafted rookie.

This team seems to view Vladimir Ducasse as its top reserve lineman. We all know about some of his issues during preseason. There were also times he looked pretty good, particularly getting a push in the run game from the guard spot. One cannot help but wonder whether the Jets might be better off having Ducasse in there. I am not at all sold on him being a capable starter at this point, but he also might have a better chance to succeed than Baxter. Matt Slauson has a bit of experience at center. He backed Mangold up in 2009 and saw a few snaps of game action.

I understand going to an alignment with Ducasse at left guard and Slauson at center would weaken two positions instead of just one. It might be a more effective alignment, though. For all his questions, Ducasse is better than Baxter from what we have seen. We would also get a chance to see what Ducasse can do and perhaps how viable of a replacement he might be if Wayne Hunter continues to struggle.

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Sports

Jets’ Nick Mangold ‘Very Iffy’ Against Raiders With High Ankle Sprain

September 20, 2011 7:33 AM

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Nick Mangold might have to sit this one out.

An MRI exam Monday revealed that the Jets’ All-Pro center has a high ankle sprain that could sideline him for at least this Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

“I would say his status for the game, I would assume, (is) very iffy,” coach Rex Ryan said. “I don’t think it looks very good as far as playing this week.”

Mangold injured his right ankle in the first quarter of the Jets’ 32-3 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday. He had just made a solid block on a 7-yard run by Shonn Greene when he went down as the Jaguars’ Daryl Smith rolled into his leg.

He limped into the locker room for X-rays, which were negative, but didn’t return. He left the stadium on crutches and his foot in a boot.

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

High ankle sprains usually take a few weeks to heal, so it appears Mangold’s streak of starting all 82 regular-season games since he was drafted in 2006 is in serious jeopardy.

“He thinks he can go,” Ryan said. “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.”

Mangold was replaced by rookie Colin Baxter, an undrafted free agent originally signed by San Diego. Baxter will likely get the start if Mangold can’t go, as expected.

“It’s crazy, man,” Baxter said. “It just goes to show that if you just keep working at it, you’ll get your shot.”

Ryan said Baxter did “a great job” after having to take over as the center against Jacksonville, despite having not practiced snapping to quarterback Mark Sanchez until a few on the sideline just before he entered the game. There was one bad snap early, but Baxter otherwise seemed to play well.

“He stepped in and did the best he could with the position he was in,” right guard Brandon Moore said.

Baxter was signed by the Chargers out of the University of Arizona, where he was regarded one of the top prospects at his position, was waived on Sept. 3 and claimed by the Jets the next day. He said he’ll lean on Mangold and the rest of the offensive linemen as well as offensive line coach Bill Callahan this week and prepare as if he’s going to start.

“I’ve got to do a lot this week,” Baxter said. “I’ve been doing a lot out there with Coach after practice, working on sets and technique. I’m in there with Rob (Turner) after meetings, going over books and going over it at home, here, the hotel.”

Starting left guard Matt Slauson would be Baxter’s backup Sunday if Mangold doesn’t play. Baxter is actually the team’s third-string center behind Mangold and the injured Turner, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Jets will look elsewhere to find a veteran center to fill in for Mangold.

“I’m comfortable with the guys we have,” Ryan said. “I feel good about who we have.”

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Mangled Mangold has sprain, 'very iffy' for Raiders

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 Last updated: Tuesday September 20, 2011, 7:54 AM

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

An MRI taken Monday showed that center Nick Mangold suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday when Jacksonville linebacker Daryl Smith rolled on Mangold’s right leg. Although Jets coach Rex Ryan said he hasn’t yet ruled Mangold out of the game, Mangold could miss at least two games, according to a league source.

Ryan called Mangold "very iffy" for Sunday’s game at Oakland, notorious for its group of crazed fans behind one end zone, known as the "Black Hole."

"I don’t think it looks very good as far as playing this week," Ryan added.

Mangold has started 82 consecutive regular-season games, beginning with the opener of his rookie season in 2006.

Mangold’s replacement would be Colin Baxter, who filled in for Mangold for the last three quarters of the Jets’ 32-3 victory over the Jaguars on Sunday. Baxter was awarded to the Jets on waivers from San Diego on Sept. 4. He is an undrafted free agent who spent four years as a starter at the University of Arizona, the first as a left guard and the last three as a center.

Ryan admitted Baxter had a "couple mental mistakes" against the Jaguars, but added, "I was proud of the way he jumped in there. And we’ll always say, whether it’s Nick or Baxter or whoever [starting], we go on and there are no excuses. That’s the New York Jets. When you have that decal on your helmet, you have to step in and do the job."

Baxter "stepped in and did the best he could," right guard Brandon Moore said, "with the position he was in."

Moore, who has started 107 straight regular-season games, added that he and left guard Matt Slauson would help Baxter with the line calls.

Mangold has made the Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons, and Slauson admitted losing a player of that caliber "does hurt."

But Slauson added, "We have all the confidence in the world in Colin and we’ll adjust."

Baxter said that after reviewing the game tape Monday, his opinion of his performance was "pretty much what I thought [sunday]. There were some good things. There were some bad things. [There were] a couple of mental errors that I can’t have, that I’ll get cleaned up [and] a few technical things that I can get cleaned up, as well.

"I’ve got to do a lot this week," added Baxter, whose long hair, at least, is similar to Mangold’s. "I’ve been doing a lot out there with coach [bill Callahan] after practice, working on sets and technique. I’m in there with Rob [Turner] after meetings, going over books and going over it at home, here, the hotel."

Turner was Mangold’s backup until suffering a broken leg in the preseason opener on Aug. 15. He still is getting around the locker room on a motorized scooter, and is out indefinitely. Still, when asked about potentially signing a veteran center, Ryan said "I’m comfortable with the guys we have. I feel good about what we have."

He also noted that Baxter "has a good grasp of our [offensive] system," because it is similar to the one used by the Chargers.

Ryan indicated that Slauson likely would be Baxter’s backup, with reserve Caleb Schlauderaff also available to play guard if Slauson had to slide over to center.

BRIEFS: Ryan said QB Mark Sanchez was "fine" after taking a hard hit to his throwing arm after releasing a pass Sunday with the Jets ahead by 26 late in the third quarter. Ryan called it "a bruise or something." … The Jets will leave Friday for Oakland, as is their custom on West Coast trips.

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

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Pick 6 – Jets vs. Jaguars: I Smell A Massacre

by mkanter on September 20th, 2011 at 8:30 am

Santonio Holmes #10 Of The New York Jets Catches

Matthew Kanter takes a look at the Jets drubbing of the Cowboys and makes six observations from the game.

1) Keller Rising – Dustin Keller’s usage in his Jets career has been an enigma. It seemed like Jets fans were teased with monster games only to have Keller reel off games with no major impact. With Plaxico commanding double teams and defenses focusing in on Holmes as well, Keller can exploit the middle of the field. Through two games, Keller has 11 catches for 162 yards and 2 TDs. It seems like Tom Moore has helped the Jets utilize Keller like the Colts did for Dallas Clark for so many years. Keller will look to continue momentum against a Raiders squad who have been stingy against tight ends through two games.

2) Mangold Rush – I was at the game, so I didn’t see the play until I rewatched the tape, but the Mangold injury was ugly. Mangold’s current status is a 2-3 week injury at a best-case scenario. If it’s the dreaded high ankle sprain, things will get a bit dicier. High ankle sprains tend to linger on throughout the season, holding skill players out for up to 4-6 weeks. Since Mangold is a lineman (one of the toughest one’s at that), he should return earlier then a skill position would. Hopefully the injury occurred early enough where he will be able to rehab his normal timeframe, play though the remaining portion of the recovery period where he is 80% and be fully healthy by the postseason push. With Mangold out, the Jets line looks very shaky as they head into Oakland, Baltimore and New England. If the line fails to protect, the Jets very well could be looking at a three-game losing streak.

3) It Ain’t Easy Being Greene – I’ve been defending Greene while talking with some people, but after today’s game, you have to be a bit concerned. Greene has rushed 26 times for 75 yards, good (or bad) for a 2.9 YPC. This is down from a 4.1 YPC in 2010 and a 5.0 YPC in 2009. Of course, we are only two games into the season and panic is still a ways away, but it isn’t only the numbers. Greene doesn’t look overly impressive in any facet of the game. A good cog, sure, but he may not be the “bell-cow” that Rex wants. Greene seems like the type of back who needs about 20 carries a game to be effective, grinding away at the defense. Unfortunately, he isn’t able to receive that type of workload in a game. If the passing game is truly expanding, Greene may role, as well as his numbers, may be diminished.

4) First Quarter Whoas! – The Jets finally put together a first quarter that they can be proud of, scoring on their first drive of the game. The throw and catch on the touchdown from Sanchez to Holmes was incredible, but the route that Santonio ran was the prettiest part about it. A triple move gave Holmes just enough room to haul in the strike from Sanchez. The Jets uncharacteristically chose to receive the opening kick. I believe this decision was due to the fact they wanted to gain an early lead to put Luke McCown in an early deficit. The early deficit would in turn allow the Jets to dial up some blitz schemes, confusing McCown. Clearly this worked because…

5) Turnovers - Luke McCown was overmatched from the beginning. If there were to be an end to the storied McCown era in Jacksonville, this would be it. McCown was 6 of 19 for 59 yards and 4 interceptions. Truthfully, it was uglier then the stat line indicated. For a short span during the game, it felt like every pass was either intercepted or batted down. McCown didn’t really stand a chance. However, Sanchez was kind enough to chip in with two interceptions, giving me something to write about. Both interceptions were because Sanchez didn’t recognize the coverage. The second interception was due in part to Sanchez staring down his receiver and forcing the ball into coverage. Sanchez needs to cut down on the bonehead plays because there are far more intimidating defenses then the Jaguars.

6) Jets SMASH – Jets fans needed this one. After a patented Jets win in the opener, we needed to see a massacre. Good teams should handle the bad ones with ease (Steelers handled the Seahawks 25-0). Without their starting cornerback, Pro Bowl tight end and with Luke McCown as their starting QB, the Jets should have made sure this game was never close. And it never was. I asked for a 31-3 game going into it and they provided an extra point for me. How very nice.

Time to Go Nitpicking:

- Fantastic play by Mo Wilkerson on the safety. With a three-man rush, he beat a double team over the center and left guard for his first career sack and safety. Makes you wonder if Gholston provided the Jets anything, would we have a Super Bowl?

- After a week when the Jets went an entire game without penalties, they were back at it with seven penalties for sixty yards.

- Nice of you to show up, Jason Hill. If you are going to rip on Darrelle Revis, can you at least not be a WR who was cut from the 49ers, a team that hasn’t had a 1,000 yard receiver in a decade?

- Tremendous day for Eric Smith in coverage, especially after rolling his ankle in practice.

- Same goes for Cromartie. Revis wasn’t being looked at and Cromartie answered the challenge. Looked good as a kick returner too. Good instincts in the open field.

- I’d love to have someone consistent at kicker like Josh Scobee. No kick is too far.

- Though I don’t have any qualms with Folk at the moment. Let’s try and keep it that way.

- Great game by Pouha, who had two tipped passes.

- Poor tackling by Donald Strickland on Mike Thomas, letting him escape for another 6 yards.

- Very happy to see the running backs involved in the passing game. John Conner even got a catch.

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Benigno’s Best: Week 2 NFL Power Rankings

September 20, 2011 10:25 AM

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

1. Packers (1) – Showed championship mettle coming back from 13-0 to Carolina Cams to pull out win. Defense takes a hit with the loss of Nick Collins for the season. Big test this week in NFC championship game rematch in Chicago.

Next: @ Bears

2. Patriots (2) – Brady continues to light it up. Over 400 yards and three TD’s in the win over bumbling Chargers. Can someone lay a hand on this guy?

Next: @ Bills

3. Jets (5) – Defense did what it should in dismantling Luke McCown and Jags. Offense still shaky at times. Tough three game road trip to Oakland, Baltimore and New England. Nick Mangold’s injury doesn’t help.

Next: @ Raiders

4. Saints (6) – Nice rebound win over the Bears after tough opening loss at Green Bay. This is the games most explosive offense this side of Foxboro.

Next: vs. Texans

5. Steelers (9) – Back on track after shutting down hapless Seahawks. The beat down in Baltimore may be a blessing in disguise. Got to feel good with “Manning-less Colts,” next.

Next: @ Colts

6. Falcons (10) – “Matty Ice,” four TD passes plus Michael Vick concussion help Falcs make Vick homecoming a bad one after stinko in Chicago. Big divisional test versus young Bucs on Sunday.

Next: @ Bucs

7. Eagles (4) – Michael Vick’s return to Atlanta was not so triumphant as Philly lost game and Vick to concussion. Revenge minded Giants are up next. Mike Kafka anyone?

Next: vs. Giants

8. Lions (unranked) – Detroit in top ten, are you kidding me? Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson is quickly becoming one of the league’s prolific passing combos. At 2-0 this team may be for real. First divisional test up next in Minnesota.

Next: @ Vikings

9. Ravens (3) – Can you say let down? Baltimore had the Steelers still on the mind while losing in Tennessee. Matt Hasselbeck tortures Ed Reed and company for 358 yards? Come on! Defense should get healthy this week in St. Louis.

Next: @ Rams

10. Texans (unranked) – It’s their division now that Peyton is out of the picture. Don’t want to get too crazy over wins against the Colts and the Fish. Remember they started 2-0 last year. Barometer game this week in New Orleans.

Next: @Saints

Bubble Teams: Chargers & Bills

[rick34125]

thanks for the post. it's nice sometimes to have everything in one place.

btw, even though it takes a bit more time, the posts would be more readable with paragragh breaks and bold type where needed.

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Sanchez-Henne-Fitz Watch: Week 2

September, 20, 2011

Sep 20

11:00

AM ET

By James Walker

Sanchez, Henne & Fitzpatrick Icon SMIRyan Fitzpatrick, right, has outperformed Mark Sanchez, left, and Chad Henne through two games.

Last week the AFC East blog introduced the "Sanchez-Henne-Fitz Watch." This is our way to finally settle the debate, without bias, on who is the second best quarterback in the division.

Week 2 in now in the books. It's time for another round of grades.

Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

Result: W, 32-3 vs. Jaguars

Stats: 17 of 24, 182 yards, two TDs, two INTs

QBR: 77.6

Analysis: Sanchez continues to have turnovers for the second straight week. He threw two interceptions during a rout of the Jaguars. Sanchez now has four turnovers (three interceptions, one lost fumble) in two games. Otherwise, I thought Sanchez was accurate. His first drive to start the game was phenomenal. The 17-yard touchdown to receiver Santonio Holmes was probably the best throw of the game. The Total Quarterback Rating surprised me. I actually thought Sanchez made more big throws in Week 1 than on Sunday. The blowout most likely led to the higher rating. Sanchez made mistakes in the clutch in Week 1, which severely hurts his QBR.

Walker's grade: C+

Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins

Result: L, 23-13 vs. Texans

Stats: 12 of 30, 170 yards, one TD, one INT

QBR: 30.5

Analysis: Last week Henne played as well as I've ever seen him play. He torched the New England Patriots with his arm and legs. That showed his potential. But Henne wasn't nearly as good against Houston. He missed a lot of throws, especially in the red zone. Henne struggles at times with his accuracy on the outside. I also noticed him staring down receiver Brandon Marshall a couple of times and trying to force the ball. That's something opponents will notice on tape. I do like Henne's awareness to scramble (26 rushing yards). That is a definite improvement over previous years. He will need it, because his pass protection isn't the greatest.

Walker's grade: C-

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Result: W, 38-35 vs. Raiders

Stats: 28 of 46, 264 yards, three TDs, one INT

QBR: 82.2

Analysis: Fitzpatrick had the sixth-highest QBR for Week 2. This follows his No. 1 QBR rating in Week 1. It took a half to warm up. But Fitzpatrick put together another solid performance against Oakland. He was clutch during Buffalo's second-half comeback from a 21-3 deficit. Fitzpatrick's game-winning drive culminated in a six-yard touchdown pass to receiver David Nelson. There's a lot to like about Fitzpatrick. He's poised, smart and aggressive. That's why Buffalo is confident in Fitzpatrick throwing the football 46 times from the spread. The biggest concern after watching two games is his arm strength. Most of Fitzpatrick's completions are short. He didn't complete a pass for more than 19 yards Sunday against Oakland.

Walker's grade: B+

This week's winner: Ryan Fitzpatrick (three points)

Second place: Mark Sanchez (two points)

Third place: Chad Henne (one point)

Overall standings

1. Fitzpatrick (six points)

2. Henne (four points)

3. Sanchez (three points)

Bills fans rejoice. Fitzpatrick now has the lead through two weeks of the "Sanchez-Henne-Fitz Watch."

Check back next week as we grade each AFC East quarterback after Week 3.

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Jets prepare for three-game road swing

September, 20, 2011

Sep 20

11:28

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

It's a scheduling oddity, for sure. The Jets play their next three games on the road -- at Oakland, at Baltimore and at New England. The last time they did that in the regular season was the strike-shortened '82 year.

But the idea of hitting the road for three straight isn't foreign to the Jets, who did it in the 2009 and 2010 playoffs. They also did it in 2004, when they closed the regular season on the road and played two away from home in the playoffs.

Oh, by the way, the Jets are 6-0 under Rex Ryan against non-divisional opponents on the road.

Over the last three seasons, eight teams did the road hat-trick in the regular season, according to ESPN Stats and Information. Their combined record: 13-11. Here's a breakdown:

2010

Browns -- W-L-L

Broncos -- L-L-L

Steelers -- W-L-W

Falcons -- W-W-W

Rams -- W-W-L

2009

Giants -- W-W-W

Seahawks -- L-L-W

2008

Bears -- L-W-L

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Green Lantern: Jets Won’t Win Division In The Next Month, But They Could Lose It

Be Excited About 2-0 Start, But Keep In Mind The Dangers That Lie Ahead

September 20, 2011 11:38 AM

By Jeff Capellini, CBSNewYork/WFAN.com

NEW YORK (WFAN) — The last thing I want to do here is rain on the Jets’ early parade. This is a good football team that has shown a flair for the dramatic, a penchant for making big plays and appears to possess the mental focus needed to handle any and all situations.

But, of course, the Jets have played just two games against teams, frankly, they absolutely had to beat. If they had lost to either the Cowboys or the Jaguars all hell would have broken loose in Rex Ryan land, considering all the expectations thrust upon this franchise since the second half rally in Pittsburgh fell short last January.

Which is why the next five weeks could very well tell the tale of this regular season. Can the Jets play 3-2 or 2-3 football and still make the playoffs? Yes. But any idea of winning the AFC East will go out the window. The Patriots are that good and I don’t think there’s a defense out there, besides the Jets’, that can stop them. That’s not because there aren’t teams capable. It’s just that the Jets are the only team that really has.

The Jets are not built to simply get into the playoffs as a wild card. They have been constructed to win the division, get home-field advantage and get to the Super Bowl. And though I hate a world of absolutes, them be the facts, Jack.

And as we all know, the Jets have done nothing but make their lives very difficult in the postseason the last two seasons because they have been forced to play six playoff games on the road. I’m a firm believer in the fact that the Jets play better on the road. The reasons for this are hard to explain, but it seems like they simply come together better as a unit and bear down to handle the tasks at hand when they don’t feel comfortable.

But that aside, there’s no law against taking MetLife Stadium out for a spin in January and seeing what it can do. The postseason atmosphere in your own building dwarfs what it’s like in the regular season and the idea of the Jets actually having a week off before having to get back to work should appeal to just about everyone.

Ask the Steelers what playing at Heinz Field is like fully rested. I was there. Trust me, I know. I don’t know if MetLife can match Heinz in intensity, but I’d sure like to find out, as should any Jets player, coach or fan.

So for the Jets to put themselves in position to win the AFC East and further their cause toward getting some home games in the playoffs, they really cannot afford a hiccup in any of their next three games, which are all on the road and do not contain one gimme. They will start this pivotal stretch in Oakland this weekend, and not against the Raiders they destroyed out there two years ago.

After that game, they head to Baltimore and New England. I shouldn’t have to say much about the importance of either matchup. One is conference rival that’s owned the Jets throughout their existence and the other is the team that many believe could win anywhere from 14-16, yes, 16, games this regular season.

And when the Jets are done with that three-pronged minefield they get to come home and face Miami, which is never easy as any look back through history will tell you, and then San Diego, which is loaded offensively and likely will win the AFC West by a comfortable margin.

If the idea is winning the division, the Jets cannot afford to be any worse than maybe 5-2 heading into their Week 8 bye, and that’s pushing it. Forget the fact that after that week off they have to travel to new and improved Buffalo and then deal with the Patriots again. It’s way too early to look that far ahead. It’s probably way too early to look past this weekend, but so much is expected of this team it doesn’t hurt to remind everyone involved of what’s just around the corner and the ramifications of anything less than what we’ve grown to expect.

Now, you can look at the Jets’ 32-3 win over Jacksonville this past Sunday and beat your chest. They did a lot of things right. But the sheer number of positives does not in any way vastly outweigh the concerns. There are many.

The majority of this team’s ills are on the offensive side of the ball, the side that’s supposed to be the difference this time around between falling a half short and getting to the final game of the season.

And with that, we need to clear something up right here and now. The fans better get used to the idea that “ground and pound” is basically on its last legs. That is, it’s never going to gain any traction as a team-wide concept and public rallying cry without a cohesive offensive line. And right now, the Jets have anything but a cohesive offensive line.

The Jets have rushed for 146 yards in two games, or 3.04 per carry, a far cry from the rock-solid 4.45 season average from a year ago. The Jaguars, like the Cowboys before them, lived in the Jets’ backfield and destroyed Gang Green’s road graters at the point of attack.

The right side of the line has been abysmal, with guard Brandon Moore and tackle Wayne Hunter looking completely lost. Compounding this problem has been two key injuries. All-world center Nick Mangold may not return before the first New England game due to a high-ankle sprain and capable and interchangeable backup Rob Turner isn’t expected back from his preseason injury until possibly Week 9.

The Jets’ coaching staff seems to realize the problem because quarterback Mark Sanchez has already thrown 68 passes. He averaged nearly 32 attempts per game last season, but part of the reason for that was because the Jets found themselves trailing an awful lot. That shouldn’t be the case this season because the defense should be a lot better and because the Jets now have quick strike capability with their revamped trio of wide receivers; they have LaDainian Tomlinson being used as a pass-catching threat, a role he’s excelled at for a decade; and they have apparently fallen in love again with tight end Dustin Keller.

But what will make all of this work more efficiently is the running game doing its thing. Right now, though, it’s not. This offensive line needs to come together and quickly because over the next three weeks the Jets will see serious defenses featuring crazy good tackles like Richard Seymour, Haloti Ngata and Albert Haynesworth, plus a slew of pure pass rushers that, if things don’t get better on the pass protection end as well, could mean Mark Brunell sightings, given Sanchez’s penchant for nagging injuries.

Right now, the Jets are asking Sanchez to do too much considering the talent on the offensive side of the ball. Balance cannot just be about an equal number of passing and running plays per game. It must become about production as well.

Defensively, the complaints are few, but just keep in mind the Cowboys moved the ball seemingly at will at times and the Jaguars may end up this season with the worst passing attack in the NFL, this side of Seattle.

The Raiders are an improved offensive club that seems to have something with Jason Campbell under center. The Ravens’ offense appears to have finally surpassed its defense in prowess. The Patriots have a guy I don’t want to even talk about who has thrown for close to 1,000 yards in two games. Make no mistake, the Jets’ vaunted defense will be put to the test over the next three weeks.

So far, the big fear of pressuring the quarterback has been alleviated, with six sacks in two games, but it’s that consistency within the many schemes that must continue. The run defense has been solid as it basically put the clamps on both Felix Jones and Jet killer Maurice Jones-Drew. The secondary has also been very good, with Antonio Cromartie bouncing back huge from a terrible opener to be the player of the game against the Jags and Kyle Wilson looking more and more like his offseason of Darrelle Revis boot camp was indeed a brilliant decision.

So as I said before, feel good about this team’s start. The bottom line is the Jets are where they should be. But just keep in mind that the road ahead will be perilous. The “Any Given Sunday” adage is always in play in the NFL.

There are still a lot of people out there that don’t think the Jets are all they are cracked up to be. That notion can quickly be put to bed simply by this team doing what its done consistently over the last few seasons, going into hostile territory and finding a way.

Winning this division is going to be all about what the Jets do, not what any other team does against the Patriots. They simply cannot afford to count on anyone else but themselves.

Read more columns by Jeff Capellini

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Nick Mangold's Injury Cause for Major Alarm for New York Jets

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Sep 20, 2011 1:00 PM EDT

I am not one to panic easily. Heck, the day after 45-3 in Foxborough last year when the world seemed to be falling apart, I wrote this post talking about how the Jets had time to turn it around and beat the Patriots in the Playoffs. I would not say I am in panic about Nick Mangold's injury, but this has me more worried about any Jets injury since Chad Pennington's second rotator cuff tear in 2005.

Mangold is a unique player. He is the best in the league. You can bemoan Mike Tannenbaum not adding veteran interior line depth. Just remember the team had Robert Turner, who got hurt. Forget about three deep at center. A lot of teams cannot even go one deep at the position for quality play. Even if the Jets had Turner, or any other veteran it would be a huge dropoff even if not as huge as it is now. You cannot replace Mangold. He gave the Jets a center who could handle any interior defensive lineman in the league. That is an enormous edge. Heck, even when Darrelle Revis got hurt last year, the Jets at least had Antonio Cromartie. You can survive a top corner going out because it is possible to have a strong number two.

There is a bigger problem at play, though. The Jets offensive line was struggling with Mangold in there. Wayne Hunter comes to mind in particular. Leaks on the offensive line are a lot like the story of the boy in Holland plugging the dike with the hole. One is not too bad. More than one? You eventually cannot plug every problem. Brandon Moore could adjust and help Hunter more. Now with Mangold out, Moore has to spend a lot of time helping Colin Baxter because the best interior linemen require double teams. That means Hunter gets less attention, which is bad given his play.

Mark Sanchez was taking too many big hits with even the best center in the league starting. Now the Jets have replaced that center with an undrafted rookie. Yikes. It makes it more likely Sanchez takes a hit in the wrong spot and suffers a serious injury. Mark Brunell is the backup. That pretty much grounds the passing game. Yes, the Jets made the AFC Championship Game in 2009 with a subpar passing attack largely because of a defense still largely in tact, but remember this. The Jets had a top rushing attack that year and held the ball over 32:00 a game. That helped the defense a lot. It kept the unit fresh. That would be much tougher to duplicate. Why? You guessed it. The offensive line that helped the Jets do that is not the same. This team needs to rely on its passing game more, which leaves Sanchez vulnerable. It is a viscous cycle. Without Sanchez, a sputtering passing game and ineffective running game mean short drives. That means a more tired defense and extra possessions for an opponent to try and score, which will inevitably mean more points.

Get well soon, Nick.

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Jets add WR Scotty McKnight, LB Matthias Berning to practice squad

Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 2:38 PM Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 2:44 PM

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

F

Mark Sanchez's childhood friend, receiver Scotty McKnight, is back with the Jets as a member of their practice squad.

Both McKnight and LB Matthias Berning were signed today to fill two of the team's three vacant practice squad spots, the Jets announced.

McKnight, a seventh-round pick, was waived by the Jets as they pared their roster to 53 players. The rookie out of Colorado made one catch in the preseason, for a 14-yard touchdown.

Berning, an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan, also spent camp with the Jets and was on their practice squad for Week 1, before being cut last week.

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NFL sets touchdown record for first two weeks

NEW YORK (AP) -- NFL fans are seeing plenty of scoring so far this season.

There have been 172 touchdowns, the most in the first two weeks of any NFL season. A total of 1,502 points have been scored.

Quarterbacks are launching the ball, with a record 15,771 net passing yards through the first two weeks.

Seven teams are undefeated entering Week 3. That includes four clubs that did not make the playoffs last year -- Buffalo, Detroit, Houston and Washington.

The other undefeated teams are New England, Green Bay and the New York Jets.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/09/20/touchdown.record.ap/index.html#ixzz1YWO2aKpb

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Jets' Sanchez says arm is OK

| More Print

5:44 PM, September 20, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez said his right arm is fine Tuesday after he took a shot late in Sunday’s 32-3 win over the Jaguars.

“All systems are a go,” Sanchez said on 1050 ESPN Radio. "Our training staff is awesome. They’ve got me feeling great already. I’m ready to practice.”

Host Michael Kay asked if Sanchez would be ready for Sunday’s game against the Raiders. Sanchez said, “No question.”

Jaguars defensive end Matt Roth drilled Sanchez early in the fourth quarter Sunday. Jets coach Rex Ryan said Sanchez had a bruise Monday. The play sparked some criticism of Ryan because the team was up 29-3 at the time, but Sanchez said he should not have been on the bench.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “I wanted to be in.”

The Jets are expected to be without center Nick Mangold this week after the Pro Bowl player suffered a right high ankle sprain. Sanchez said he has confidence in backup Colin Baxter.

“He was in here early watching film today with Mangold,” Sanchez said. “He’s going to be just fine. I think he’s got the nerves out of the way.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/jets_sanchez_says_arm_is_ok_dXa1Sbxxti9gihAO82FVOM#ixzz1YXB6bpdD

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Jets' Mark Sanchez will 'no question' be ready for Oakland despite bruised throwing arm

Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 5:45 PM Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 5:46 PM

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

.

Mark Sanchez said he will "no question" be ready for this week's game at Oakland, despite taking a hit to his throwing arm in Sunday's win against the Jaguars.

"All systems are a go," the Jets quarterback said on ESPN 1050's "The Michael Kay Show." "They’ve got me feeling great already, so I'm ready to practice."

Coach Rex Ryan said yesterday Sanchez didn't need any tests on his arm after the game. The hit resulted in "a bruise or something," Ryan said.

The Jets had a 29-3 lead in the game when Sanchez took the hit. Jaguars defensive end Matt Roth got past right tackle Wayne Hunter, and Sanchez's right arm appeared to smack into Roth's helmet on his follow-through. Ryan took responsibility afterward, saying he had Sanchez pass on that play in hopes of getting receiver Plaxico Burress a touchdown and his first catch.

"It’s a normal protection; I wouldn’t think I would be taking a shot right there," Sanchez said. "So we didn’t expect that, obviously. Looking back, it's easy to say, 'Why was he in?' But if we throw a touchdown to Plax, it’s like, 'Alright, it was a good idea.' "

Sanchez said he didn't think he was kept in the game too long. He wanted to stay in to shake off the two early interceptions and get in a rhythm.

"I didn’t have the best game in the world," he said. "I completed a lot of passes, but I threw two of them to (the Jaguars). I wanted to stay in and rack up more completions for myself, just to keep playing well and get back on track and feel good about the game when we left it."

[flgreen]

Jets to induct four new players to stadium's 'Ring of Honor'

Published: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 4:12 PM Updated: Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 6:06 PM

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

n.

To honor their past while opening their new stadium last year, the Jets created a "Ring of Honor."

The inaugural class, honoring the team's all-time greatest players, had six members. Four more will be added during the Oct. 17 Monday night game against the Dolphins, according to a person with knowledge of the selections: Larry Grantham, Freeman McNeil, Gerry Philbin and Al Toon.

That person requested anonymity because the team has not yet announced the new inductees. An official announcement is expected next week.

Grantham, a linebacker, and Philbin, a defensive lineman, helped anchor the Jets defense on the Super Bowl III championship team.

McNeil was drafted No. 3 overall by the Jets in 1981 and played 12 seasons for the team. He is the franchise's second all-time leading rusher, behind Curtis Martin.

Toon, the Jets' first-round pick in 1985, played his entire 8-year pro career for the team. He is the franchise's third all-time leading receiver.

Martin, Weeb Ewbank, Winston Hill, Joe Klecko, Don Maynard and Joe Namath were the inaugural Ring of Honor class. They were inducted last summer in the first preseason game played at the Jets' and Giants' shared new home. Honorees are enshrined inside the newly named MetLife stadium in both end zones.

[Larz]

freeman was my first favorite jet, and I remember when they drafted toon

I'm old