Jets News 9-27

[flgreen]

Mark Sanchez Suffers ‘Minor Break’ In Nose; Jets’ Cromartie Has Bruised Lung

September 27, 2011 7:13 AM

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Another week, another injury for Mark Sanchez.

The Jets quarterback suffered what the team called a “minor break” in his nose during the 34-24 loss at Oakland, but has no limitations and will play in New York’s next game at Baltimore.

Meanwhile, cornerback Antonio Cromartie has a bruised lung and ribs and his playing status was uncertain. The team also announced that backup tight end Jeff Cumberland is out for the season after tearing his right Achilles’ tendon.

It has been a particularly rough start to the season for Sanchez, who was tested for a concussion after the season-opening win over Dallas, and bruised his throwing arm last week against Jacksonville.

“It’s probably ‘minor’ to everybody else, but probably more than that to him,” coach Rex Ryan said of Sanchez’s latest injury. “If we got our nose broke, we’d probably think it was more than minor. That happens. He got hit in the nose, but the thing I love about Mark is how competitive he is.”

Listen: Sanchez roughed up in Oakland

Sanchez was hit in the face on a sack by Oakland’s Kamerion Wimbley in the third quarter Sunday. He finished the game by wearing a visor, which he will do for the next few weeks including next Sunday’s game. He popped into the locker room briefly and didn’t speak with reporters — his weekly press conference is on Wednesdays — but had no bandage on his nose or visible signs that there was any issue with it.

After the game, Sanchez had a welt under his right eye.

“I just came off the sideline and my nose was killing me,” he said Sunday.

Ryan was unsure why a penalty wasn’t called on the play since Sanchez was hit in the face, comparing it to Muhammad Wilkerson being called for a questionable roughing the passer penalty in the second quarter.

“Our guy gets a broken nose and I don’t think there was a flag,” Ryan said, “but I guess he must’ve been hit in the chest and broke his nose. And then ours, I don’t know. Strange.”

While Sanchez should be fine, Cromartie’s injury was more significant. He was hurt in the second half, and taken to a hospital for further evaluation before flying home with the team. Cromartie wasn’t in the locker room during media availability, but was seen getting into his car and driving from the facility.

“I think he’s day-to-day right now,” Ryan said. “We’ll see how he progresses and hopefully he’ll be out there Wednesday.”

Ryan acknowledged that “it’s painful” for Cromartie right now and hard for him to take a deep breath, “but some of these young guys, they recover quick.”

Cumberland was seeing increased playing time in his second season with the Jets as a pass-catching tight end. He was injured early in the second quarter on an incomplete pass to him in the end zone when he came up limping badly.

Center Nick Mangold missed the first game of his career Sunday with a high ankle sprain, but was hoping to be able to play against the Ravens. Rookie Colin Baxter did a solid job filling in for Mangold.

“He’s probably day-to-day,” Ryan said. “I don’t think he’ll practice Wednesday, but he seems to be progressing, so hopefully we’ll have him back.”

[flgreen]

Defense Begins Process of Moving Forward

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 1 hour ago

When the dust had settled after the Jets’ disappointing 34-24 loss to the Raiders on Sunday, an aftermath of confusion and frustration swept over the New York defense. On Monday, their sentiments were refocused, determined to reverse their misfortune and get back on track.

“It’s very frustrating,” said CB Darrelle Revis. “We’ve been together for a long time. When you look at the film and you see mistakes happening, you’ve got to feel frustrated because guys know what to do in this defense. We’re all in this together. It’s up to the coaches and players to get these things corrected and move forward next week.”

Next week is a date with the Baltimore Ravens and is the second game of a treacherous three-game road stretch that started in Oakland and will end in New England. While still early in the season, each game carries extreme importance, and neither will be taken lightly by the Green & White.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to bounce back and show this league that we’re not just a trash-talking team,” said Revis. “As much as this one hurts, we’ve got to move forward. We’ve got to focus on Baltimore and then New England.”

Baltimore improved its record to 2-1 with a 37-7 road drubbing of the St. Louis Rams. The Ravens themselves were coming off a disappointing road loss at Tennessee in Week 2, falling to the Titans 26-13. The Jets will look for the same type of rebound on Sunday night, but it will take a stronger effort than in Northern California.

“We get things corrected, and stuff keeps popping up,” said S Jim Leonhard. “I wasn’t necessarily shocked, this is the NFL. When you get offenses that score quickly on you, you have to respond. We were very inconsistent all day long.”

Leonhard, like head coach Rex Ryan and several other players and coaches, came to New York from Baltimore in 2009. It will be the first regular-season game for the former Ravens in Baltimore, and they already have an idea of what to expect.

“It’s an emotional game,” said Leonhard. “They bring a lot of emotion. We have to match that. They’ll be ready to go, there’s no doubt about it.”

Revis agreed, imploring that the defense find its roots.

“We are a physical team,” he said. “That’s our identity. This upcoming game is going to be very physical as well. We’re going to prepare hard this week.”

Shortly after the Jets left the field at the end of their loss on Sunday, Ryan addressed the defensive problems. Today he reaffirmed his feelings that the defense would bounce back soon.

“We’re going to find out a lot about ourselves in the next two weeks,” said Ryan. “It’s a bend in the road, not the end of the road. It’s a long season. We’re not starting off with a bang, but I’m confident we’ll get it fixed.”

The locker room was not the typically joyful space for players this afternoon, but neither was it sullen. The Jets have accepted the outcome from Sunday, moved beyond the disappointment, and are quickly focusing on what’s ahead.

“You watch film, learn from it, and throw the game behind you,” said Leonhard. “We’ll make our corrections and move on.”

[flgreen]

Suggs, Lewis welcome back former Ravens, current Jets

Suggs calls Sunday a "family game" and a "heated rivalry"

Share18

By Edward Lee

6:00 a.m. EDT, September 27, 2011

No introductions will be required Sunday night.

That’s because the Ravens and the fans will be well-acquainted with former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, linebacker Bart Scott, wide receiver Derrick Mason and safety Jim Leonhard as they lead the New York Jets to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for a heavily-anticipated showdown on NBC.

Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs smiled when reminded about the team’s next opponent.

“We love it,” he said. “We love this game. This is a family game, but it’s also a heated rivalry. You’ve got to go beat up on the ones you love. Sometimes you’ve got to do that. We’ll see them.”

Get the Baltimore Football app for iPhone and Android

The Ravens will likely get an angry Jets squad that absorbed its first loss of the season in a 34-24 setback to the Oakland Raiders Sunday. Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis is counting on it and advocating that the team leave Sunday’s 37-7 rout of the St. Louis Rams in the rearview mirror.

“Once again, it’s always the next week,” he said. “Twenty-four hour rule, get done with it, and then next week is going to take care of itself. Of course, Rex is going to have them ready to play, and we’ll definitely be ready to play at home, too. So it should be a pretty good game.”

[flgreen]

NY Jets coach Rex Ryan not going to change, despite criticism from Joe Namath or anyone else

Filip Bondy

Tuesday, September 27th 2011, 4:00 AM

Don't expect Jets coach Rex Ryan to stop talking - or talking up his team - anytime soon.

It's been great fun being the Jets these past two seasons, backing up all the bluster by rubbing facemasks into the turf.

But here's the deal in the NFL: You don't just stop good opponents with schemes every time, or by telling them you're better than them, or even by instructing Joe Namath to go stuff himself.

Sometimes your defense must beat back opponents and cynics alike with muscle and bone, if you really want to impress them.

That's what the Jets need to do Sunday against Rex Ryan's old team, Baltimore, a football club that doesn't budge in any direction very easily. They need to remind everyone, including themselves, that they can tackle and hold the edge and ruffle quarterbacks right out of their game. They need to be the 2010 Jets. Not just tell people that's who they are.

The Jets did enough physical bullying the past two seasons to earn every bit of respect they were granted. They haven't done it so far this season, and ought to know it. So you might have expected Ryan Monday to give his guys a film review of the Oakland game more pitiless than anything Rex Reed ever penned.

Except he didn't, because Ryan doesn't operate that way.

"Immediately after the game, there's raw emotion," Ryan said. "The next day, there's no sense yelling at 'em again. You already had at 'em once. Now it's how you gonna fix it?"

There is a great deal that requires repair, including the team's intimidating reputation. Even Ryan said Monday he had only experienced such a defensive meltdown once in his career, when he was linebacker and defensive line coach with Arizona in a game against Washington in September 1995. "Before that, you'd have to go back to Morehead State," he said.

After the Jet defense was pushed around in two of three early games, the rest of the league has good reason to wonder whether this unit is anything as good as it thinks it is. And yes, it still thinks it is very special, despite ranking 12th overall in total defense.

"We should feel upset," Darrelle Revis was saying Monday about the loss in Oakland. "We shouldn't be happy or joyful about what happened. We feel like we're the better team. Up and down the roster, we're the better team.

"We've got to move on, don't point a finger at each other," Revis said.

"(The Baltimore game) is a great opportunity to show this league we're not just a trash-talking team."

Yes, this would be a fine time, for sure. The Jets have been very good about backing up their words under Ryan. They've been to two AFC title games. They're 2-1 this season, hardly reason to panic. And yet, there are more skeptics than ever wondering if these guys are as tough as their headlines.

Namath got on "The Michael Kay Show" Monday and complained that Ryan has been too busy praising the Jets.

"There's one thing about the athlete," Namath said. "You keep telling him how good he is, he's going to start believing it to the point that he may not be preparing quite the way he should. He may be losing some respect for the other team. I think these guys might be believing that they're better than they are."

Ryan, of course, wouldn't back down. "I'm not going to change who I am 'cause Joe Namath said something," the coach said. Then he invited Namath to drop by Jet practice sometime, become a backup quarterback.

This is what Ryan does, and does so very well. When Ryan came to the Jets, this entire franchise was in dire need of some serious ego-boosting. He did just that, with great effect. Ryan is the biggest sports personality in New York right now and his rising tide raised all boats. You wonder, though, whether the Jets went from laughingstock to laughing at opponents.

That might have been an issue with the Raiders. Overconfidence can't possibly be in play these next two weeks, when the Jets face Baltimore and then go up to New England. Nobody giggles at the Raven defense or at Tom Brady.

The Jets say they still know who they are. Now it's time they become recognizable to everyone else.

fjbondy@netscape.net

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/27/2011-09-27_only_guarantee_is_ryans_not_about_to_back_down.html#ixzz1Z9iqfvT4

[flgreen]

Jets' Mark Sanchez has broken nose, will wear protective face mask for next week's game with Ravens

BY Christian Red

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, September 27th 2011, 4:00 AM

Jets QB Mark Sanchez will wear a protective mask for his broken nose.

Paul Sakuma/AP

Jets QB Mark Sanchez will wear a protective mask for his broken nose.

The San-chize will be the Masked Marauder for at least the next two weeks.

After getting whacked in the face by Oakland linebacker Kamerion Wimbley during the third quarter of Sunday's loss, Mark Sanchez suffered a "minor break" of his nose and will wear a facemask for protection.

There was no flag on the play.

According to a team spokesman, Sanchez will have "no limitations" as Gang Green gets ready for its next game against Baltimore Sunday night.

"It's probably minor to everybody else. It's probably more than that to him," Rex Ryan said of Sanchez's injury. "If we had our nose broke, we'd probably think it was more than minor. The thing I loved about Mark was how competitive he was. You'd like to keep him from taking all those hits. Some of it is his own fault. You get outside the pocket, just get rid of it, Mark."

Ryan was asked whether or not he would contact the league about some of the officiating Sunday, particularly the roughing-the-passer call against the Jets in the second quarter, but also the non-call when Sanchez got injured. "Our guy gets a broken nose and I don't think there was a flag. But I think he must have got hit in the chest and broke his nose," Ryan said sarcastically. "Our (roughing-the-passer penalty), I don't know. Strange. I personally never thought it was roughing the quarterback. We submit plays in each week and we usually get better clarification later during the week."

BAD BREAK

As first reported by the Daily News, TE Jeff Cumberland is out for the season with a torn Achilles.

The Jets will elevate TE Josh Baker from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. TE Matt Mulligan said that he didn't think he would "necessarily get more passes just because Jeff is down. My role is always the same. I do whatever we can do to win."

BRUISED AND BATTERED

CB Antonio Cromartie has bruised ribs and a bruised lung and Ryan said he is "day-to-day. We'll see how he progresses. Hopefully he'll be out there (Wednesday). I'm sure it's painful. It's hard for him to take a deep breath." CB Donald Strickland said, "Of course I'm prepared to start" if Cromartie can't play against Baltimore. "I'm always prepared," said Strickland, adding that the defense had a "terrible day" against Oakland. "They socked us in the mouth and we didn't respond." ... Ryan said C Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) is "day-to-day as well," and will probably not practice tomorrow. ... The Jets will place backup OL Rob Turner on season-ending injured reserve, a source confirmed. Turner broke his leg in the preseason opener against the Texans. - Manish Mehta

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/27/2011-09-27_mark_to_mask_broken_nose.html#ixzz1Z9jAjDzM

[flgreen]

Jets legend Joe Namath concerned Rex Ryan inflating Gang Green's ego too much, leading to loss

BY Hank Gola

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, September 27th 2011, 4:00 AM

Hall of Famer Joe Namath (l.) had quite a bit to say about Jets coach Rex Ryan's (r.) style.

Bob Ellis/AP

Broadway Joe Namath can still throw the bomb and this one landed at the feet of Rex Ryan.

With the Jets having limped back from what at least one said was a "humiliating" loss to the Raiders in Oakland, Namath went on ESPN Radio Monday to suggest that Ryan has improperly inflated the team's egos.

"I think these guys might be believing that they're better than they are," opined the 68-year-old Hall of Famer. "Rex has been the only coach that we know, in maybe the history of the game that I'm familiar with, that keeps continually telling his guys how good they are. And they have been pretty good - pretty good - but they haven't won a championship yet."

Namath, the man who guaranteed victory in Super Bowl III, even called Ryan's bravado "rather alarming.

"There's one thing about the athlete," Namath said. "You keep telling him how good he is, he's going to start believing it to the point that he may not be preparing quite the way he should. He may be losing some respect for the other team."

Ryan wasn't buying it.

"I'm not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something," Ryan said at Monday's post-mortem press conference. "He can come in here and if he can still throw, we'll have him as a backup quarterback. But you know what? He doesn't know our team. Even though he's a Jet and once you're a Jet, you're always a Jet, he's on the outside. He's not in these meetings. I think if he was he'd be shocked at the preparation."

Namath, like most Jets fans, could not have been happy with the 34-24 loss and the way the Raiders, with Darren McFadden rushing for 171 yards, made the Jets' defense look nothing like the one Ryan has been touting.

Monday, the coach admitted he's "not used to getting crushed like that." He said he could remember only one other game in his 15 years of coaching in the NFL where that happened to him.

In a quiet locker room Monday, players like Darrelle Revis and Jim Leonhard talked about the need to play, as Revis called it, "up to our standards."

"Obviously we showed up as a different team and it didn't work out," Leonhard said. "We have to get back to playing that physical style of football. We're that team that you don't want to play and we haven't done that yet this year."

And that brings us back to Namath because, before the season started, the hyperbolic Ryan said his defense would be the best in football. Before Monday night's game between the Redskins and Cowboys, that defense was ranked a fair to middlin' 12th, thanks to two rough games against the Raiders and Cowboys, where they allowed 773 net yards combined. Those performances haven't eroded Ryan's confidence, he said.

"Nope," he said. "Like I say it's a long season, we're not starting off with a bang but I have confidence we'll get it fixed."

They'd better and Ryan knows it.

"It doesn't sit too well with me or anybody in this organization," he said. "The good news is we get to play Sunday. The bad news is we've got to play against a team that's rolling right now. You've got Baltimore and then you've got New England right after that, two of the toughest teams you can face. We're going to find out about ourselves big-time these next couple of weeks.

"It's going to challenge us as coaches, challenge us as players and I believe the team will be up to that challenge."

Otherwise, he'll be hearing it from more than just the old QB.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/27/2011-09-27_joe_no_talk_on_broadway.html#ixzz1Z9jUwjTd

[flgreen]

One bad loss can't ruin season, two might

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 2:59 AM, September 27, 2011

Posted: 2:15 AM, September 27, 2011

The funny part about schedules, especially football schedules, is that they all but dare you to jump to conclusions as fans. You do it every year, the moment next year's schedule is printed, right? Game by game. Week by week. Win. Win. Loss. That's a win. That's a loss. Win. Loss. Loss. Win. Win.

That's the "soft part of the schedule."

Those five weeks? I'll sign up for 3-2. I'll give my left arm for 4-1.

Charles Barkley had a terrific take on this years ago, when he was playing in Phoenix and the Suns lost an early game they shouldn't have lost.

"This time of the year," he said, "the bad teams don't know they're bad yet."

When you saw the Raiders early in the Jets schedule, out of habit you probably put a check mark next to the name. It has been so long since the Raiders were even credible, let alone competitive.

Maybe you knew better, knew they had swollen their talent level, upgraded their coaching. Maybe you took into account it would be Oakland's home opener, and a charged-up Black Hole can reduce even the strongest-willed teams to jelly. So maybe it wasn't as much of a surprise to you that the Raiders schooled the Jets 34-24 on Sunday afternoon.

And maybe it makes what Jim Leonhard said yesterday sound all the more telling.

"The biggest thing is, you watch a film like [the Raiders game film], you learn from it, and you throw it behind you. You can't let Oakland beat you twice," the Jets safety said. "We lost that game. It is what it is. We can't do anything about it at this point. You learn from the corrections and you move on.

"That's the way life in the NFL works. You have to take the next 24 hours, whatever, put the emotions behind you and move on to Baltimore."

See, because no matter how you felt about the Raiders in April or June or August, the fact is that what already seemed to be a rugged two-game stretch -- at the Ravens this Sunday night, at the Patriots next Sunday -- has already become an even more rigorous three-game stretch.

We all know about the bitterness that exists between the Jets and the Patriots, something that will probably last for decades after Bill Belichick peels a hoody over his head for the final time. But the wrinkle of life with the Jets that is both new and deeply felt is the relationship with the Ravens.

If Rex Ryan learned defense at the foot of his father, he became an expert practitioner in the employ of the Ravens, winning a Super Bowl ring and earning a reputation as a defensive savant. And though his move to New York -- and subsequent recruiting of some of his favorite coaches and players -- didn't have near the rancor of, say, Eric Mangini trying to empty the refrigerator on his way out the door in New England, Ryan still clearly has some strong feelings about his time in Baltimore.

And the fact is, the Ravens' defense hasn't exactly turned into Mike D'Antoni's Knicks since Ryan left, either. And, of course, the one time the teams faced each other the last two years, the Ravens won, on the road, in the kind of 10-9 defensive struggle Ryan seems to crave -- as long as the numbers are properly aligned on either side of the hyphen.

So this was going to be a hellacious assignment anyway, back-to-back weeks staring at two terrific teams and two rivalries packed with emotion and personal history. All of that off a disappointing, if not entirely stunning, loss in the East Bay.

"It wasn't up to out standards, and doesn't sit to well with me or anyone else," Ryan said yesterday. "We're going to find out about ourselves big time these next couple of weeks. I think this is just a bend in the road, not the end of the world."

Even the worst-case scenario -- which involves waking up 2-3 in 13 days -- isn't the end of the world. But for a team whose last two seasons ended on foreign turf, whose mission was to make sure they spent at least a portion of this coming January near the New Jersey Turnpike, it might feel that way.

Leonhard is right. Good teams lose games all the time.

They just don't re-lose them the next week.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/one_bad_loss_can_ruin_season_two_A9TgjeCu3SxMrQpqr27MTP#ixzz1Z9joK6mM

[flgreen]

Another break against Sanchez

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 5:13 AM, September 27, 2011

Posted: 2:13 AM, September 27, 2011

More Print

Another week, another injury for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez broke his nose during Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Raiders, a break the team is calling "minor." He is not expected to miss any practice time and will play Sunday against the Ravens. Sanchez will wear a visor on his facemask.

The injury occurred in the third quarter, when Kamerion Wimbley sacked him for a 9-yard loss. Wimbley's hand went through Sanchez's facemask and hit him in the nose. Jets coach Rex Ryan was upset no penalty was called, even though the Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson was flagged for roughing the quarterback for a much lighter hit.

"I'm not sure on that one," Ryan said. "Our guy gets a broken nose and I don't think there was a flag. I think he must have got hit in the chest and it broke his nose. Then our [penalty]? I don't know. Strange."

UPDATES FROM OUR JETS BLOG

This is the third week Sanchez is dealing with an injury. After the first game, he needed a concussion test. Last week, he injured his arm against the Jaguars.

"You'd like to keep him from taking all those hits," Ryan said. "Now, some of it is his own fault. You get outside the pocket, just get rid of it, Mark."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/another_break_against_sanchez_gVZvo77WBnRUV720eot5ZN#ixzz1Z9kGrMQ3

[flgreen]

Ryan: Broadway Joe's bad review simple ignorance

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 5:14 AM, September 27, 2011

Posted: 2:20 AM, September 27, 2011

Jets legend Joe Namath fired some shots at coach Rex Ryan yesterday, saying the Jets were not prepared in Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Raiders because Ryan has made them overconfident.

"It's rather alarming," Namath said on 1050 ESPN Radio yesterday. "It starts at the top. Coach Rex Ryan, he's been doing a great job, getting us to two conference championship games, but there's one thing about the athlete: You keep telling him how good he is, he's going to start believing it to the point that he may not be preparing quite the way he should. He may be losing some respect for the other team."

Ryan fired back, saying Namath does not know what he's talking about.

"I'm not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something," Ryan said. "Joe Namath can come in here and if he can still throw we'll have him as a backup quarterback. But you know what? He doesn't know our team. He's on the outside, even though he's a Jet and once you're a Jet you're always a Jet. But he's on the outside. He's not in these meetings. I think if he was he'd be shocked at the preparation."

Namath, who famously guaranteed the Super Bowl III victory by the Jets, said Ryan might be praising his team too much.

"I think these guys might be believing that they're better than they are," Namath said. "Rex has been the only coach . . . that keeps continually telling his guys how good they are. And they have been pretty good -- pretty good -- but they haven't won a championship yet. I think they've got to remember that there's room for improvement."

*

The Jets confirmed that cornerback Antonio Cromartie has bruised ribs and a bruised lung. Ryan said Cromartie is day-to-day but sounded hopeful Cromartie could practice tomorrow.

As for center Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain), Ryan said he doesn't think he will practice tomorrow but said he is progressing.

Backup tight end Jeff Cumberland tore his right Achilles tendon and is out for the remainder of the season. . . . Offensive lineman Rob Turner was placed on the season-ending injured reserved list, according to a source. Turner broke his leg last month in a preseason game.

*

On their last possession against the Raiders, the Jets had an interesting choice: Trailing by 10 points with barely a minute remaining, they could have gone for a field goal, then tried an onside kick to get the ball back and go for a touchdown.

Instead, the Jets tried to score a touchdown, and came up just short when Mark Sanchez was stopped at the 1 on fourth down. Ryan said he would have kicked the field goal if the drive stalled, but once they got inside the 10, he was thinking touchdown.

"If you can't score from the 2 you don't deserve to win it anyway," Ryan said.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/ryan_broadway_joe_bad_review_simple_khKN2CoebwBmhcPOOk6kbN#ixzz1Z9kcgYUX

[flgreen]

Jets coach confident defense will get fixed

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:05 AM, September 27, 2011

Posted: 2:20 AM, September 27, 2011

Three weeks into the season, Jets coach Rex Ryan is not ready to back off his prediction his team would have the best defense in the NFL.

This, despite a 34-point, 383-yard thrashing by the Raiders two days ago.

Asked if his confidence is shaken, Ryan answered: "Nope."

"Like I say, it's a long season," he added. "We're certainly not starting off with a bang. I have confidence that we'll get it fixed."

The Jets had better do something in a hurry. Two of their first three games have featured poor performances by the defense. Other than their game against the Jaguars, who had Luke McCown, a quarterback more suited for the Big East than the AFC, the normally stout Jets defense has looked atrocious.

DARREN THEM TO TRY: Raiders running back Darren McFadden, who torched the Jets for 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns, eludes the grasps of David Harris (52) and Eric Smith on a 2-yard TD run in the first quarter.

EPA

DARREN THEM TO TRY: Raiders running back Darren McFadden, who torched the Jets for 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns, eludes the grasps of David Harris (52) and Eric Smith on a 2-yard TD run in the first quarter.

The Jets rank 11th in total defense and 31st against the run through Week 3.

The Jets were still feeling the effects of Darren McFadden's 171-yard performance in Oakland's 34-24 win, trying to figure out what went wrong.

"Overall, it was not up to our standards by any stretch," Ryan said. "That doesn't sit too well with me or anybody in this organization."

Several Jets said they still felt they lost to a lesser team.

"No question, you feel like we're the better team," All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "Up and down the roster we're a better team than Oakland. We believe that. And to let one slip away, it's very frustrating."

The Jets don't have much time to regroup. This is a killer stretch in their schedule, with three straight road games. They go to Baltimore on Sunday night to face the Ravens, then play the Patriots at New England.

"We're going to find out about ourselves big time these next couple of weeks," Ryan said.

Revis said it's time for the Jets to back up their talking with their play on the field.

"It's a great opportunity for us to bounce back and show this league that we're just not a trash-talking team," Revis said. "We can come out here and play."

Ryan blistered his defense after Sunday's loss. Yesterday, he added they did some good things, but he was disappointed in letting McFadden run roughshod around the edge.

"We had a terrible day as a defense," cornerback Donald Strickland said. "We're held to a higher standard. We hold ourselves accountable. . . . One thing we pride ourselves on is stopping the run and we didn't get that done."

The Raiders, Strickland added, "out-physicaled us. They socked us in the mouth and we didn't respond."

Jets safety Jim Leonhard, who has been in Ryan's system since their days with the Ravens, said it has been a while since a team ran on a Ryan defense like that. Ryan recalled the 1995 opener when he was on the Cardinals staff and the Redskins rushed for 259 yards. According to ESPN, that was the last time a defense Ryan coached gave up as many yards as the Jets did Sunday.

Leonhard was upset the Jets didn't set the edge to prevent McFadden from getting outside like they had talked about all week.

"It's a team we shouldn't have done that to," Leonhard said. "They have a lot of talent. They make plays. But we show up and do what we're supposed to do that doesn't happen. We haven't given up that many rushing yards in a long, long time."

brian.costello@nypost.com

[flgreen]

Say it isn't so, Broadway Joe; Ryan disagrees with Namath's take on Jets

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

BY AL IANNAZZONE

STAFF WRITER

FLORHAM PARK – Jets coach Rex Ryan is more concerned with stopping the run than stopping Joe Namath from running his mouth.

But the legendary Jets quarterback definitely got under Ryan's skin with comments he made Monday on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio.

Namath said the overconfident Ryan has the players believing they're better than they are and it's affecting their preparation. Ryan responded by saying Namath is out of the loop.

"I'm not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something," Ryan said Monday evening at the Jets practice facility. "He can come in here … and if he can still throw … be a backup quarterback.

"He doesn't know our team. He's on the outside. Even though he's a Jet — and once you're a Jet you're always a Jet — he's on the outside. He's not in these meetings. I think if he was, he'd be shocked with our preparation."

Ryan's bravado and confidence in his team is undeniable. Even after Sunday's 34-24 loss in Oakland, where Darren McFadden ran for 171 of the Raiders' 234 yards on the ground, Ryan was unwavering in his belief that the Jets would become a great defensive team again.

What would you expect him to say? Ryan already stated this would be the best defensive team in the league. But they're one of the worst in rushing defense, ranking last in the AFC in yards allowed (136.7) and next to last in the league through three games.

"It's a long season," Ryan said. "We're certainly not starting off with a bang. I have confidence we'll get it fixed."

Namath was an ultra-confident player. He guaranteed a victory in Super Bowl III and delivered. That seems to be the issue he has with the Jets and Ryan.

Ryan has said before every season the Jets will win the Super Bowl. They have gone to the AFC championship game two consecutive years but never reached the big game. Namath said Ryan is doing a great job, but the Jets haven't won anything.

"I think these guys might be believing that they're better than they are," Namath said. "Rex has been the only coach that we know, in maybe the history of the game that I'm familiar with, that keeps continually telling his guys how good they are. And they have been pretty good — pretty good — but they haven't won a championship yet. I think they've got to remember that there's room for improvement."

Namath makes some valid points, and with the Jets' schedule and health of some key players, things could get worse before they get better.

The next two weeks, the Jets are at Baltimore and New England. Those two teams would like to stick it to the Jets as much as the Jets want to beat two of their biggest rivals.

The Jets lost tight end Jeff Cumberland for the season to a torn right Achilles he suffered in the Oakland loss. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie bruised a rib and lung Sunday. Ryan called Cromartie day to day and said he may practice Wednesday and play in Baltimore.

"I'm sure it's painful right now and it's hard for him to take a breath," Ryan said. "But some of these young guys … they recover quick."

The Jets also are expected to be without Nick Mangold for the second consecutive week with a high right ankle sprain, although Ryan didn't rule out his center returning.

At this point, Ryan has more important things to worry about than what Namath says.

"I welcome him to come out here and watch our guys prepare," Ryan said. "He'd see a team - in my opinion — that prepares as well as any team I've been around. So I disagree with him."

BRIEF: Mark Sanchez suffered a minor break in his nose Sunday. He has no limitations and has been cleared to play. The visor Sanchez wore on his facemask in the Oakland game will remain for at least a couple of weeks. He'll decide after that if he wants to keep it on.

E-mail: iannazzone@northjersey.com

[flgreen]

Jets Report Card vs. Raiders

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Record

Rushing offense: B-minus

The overall numbers were decent, with the Jets averaging exactly 4 yards per carry, but the ground game still has yet to become the force coach Rex Ryan expects it to be. Shonn Greene had his best game of the young season but still averaged only 3.9 yards on 15 attempts. The Jets' longest run, a 20-yarder by LaDainian Tomlinson, came in the fourth quarter when they trailed by 14.

Passing offense: B-minus

The overall numbers look pretty good, as Mark Sanchez threw for 369 yards and two TDs. But the main wideouts, Plaxico Burress (three catches for 55 yards, one TD) and Santonio Holmes (1-19) hardly were the factors they were expected to be against Oakland's struggling secondary. Tomlinson scored one TD and set up another with a 74-yard catch-and-run. Sanchez was sacked four times and hurried and/or knocked down on numerous other occasions. His lone interception was a poor decision that cost the Jets points.

Rushing defense: F

It simply was the worst game in this department of the Ryan era, as Darren McFadden freewheeled for 171 yards and two touchdowns thanks to a combination of individual talent and good blocking by the Raiders and poor technique and sloppy tackling by the Jets. On McFadden's 70-yard touchdown, TE Kevin Boss blocked down on LB Bart Scott at the point of attack, and CBs Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson were taken out of the play by downfield blocks.

Passing defense: B

The Jets allowed only two big plays, but both were costly. Boss' 28-yard catch in the first quarter set up McFadden's 2-yard rushing TD on the next play, and Michael Bush's 28-yard reception in the fourth quarter led to the clinching field goal. CB Darrelle Revis was his usual self, reducing speedy Darrius Heyward-Bey (1-5) to a bystander. The lone sack wasn't a great achievement, as LB David Harris touched QB Jason Campbell down after he tripped. Cromartie was flagged four times.

Special teams: C

Cromartie made the crushing mistake, a botched kickoff return that set up an Oakland TD. Joe McKnight returned one kickoff for 50 yards after Cromartie left with a rib injury. Jeremy Kerley had a brilliant 53-yard punt return but later drew the ire of special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff for failing to field a Shane Lechler punt that was downed at the Jets' 7. Punter T.J. Conley was solid with a 39-yard net average and two boots inside the 20 and K Nick Folk improved to 6-for-6 on FG attempts in 2011 with a 21-yarder.

Coaching: C

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was unable to dial up many big plays, but he also was hurt by Sanchez's inconsistency. And that inconsistency is why it probably wasn't a good idea to throw for it on a failed fourth-and-2 at the Oakland 37 in the third quarter. Ryan won his lone challenge, reversing a short Oakland completion, but his decision to go for a TD on fourth-and-goal in the final minute was questionable. A chip-shot FG at least would have extended the game and set up an onside kick.

— J.P. Pelzman

[flgreen]

Jets' Mark Sanchez suffers a broken nose, but won't miss time

Published: Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 12:00 AM Updated: Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 1:51 AM

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

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez left Oakland on Sunday with the first loss of the season — and, the team announced today, a “minor break” in his nose.

Sanchez will have no limitations and has been cleared to play, according to the team. But it marks the third time in three games that the Jets’ franchise quarterback has needed a post-game check-up.

“It’s probably minor to everybody else, but probably more than that to him,” coach Rex Ryan said. “If we had our nose broken, we’d probably think it’s more than minor.”

Sanchez finished out the 34-24 loss with a clear plastic visor on his helmet to protect his face. He will wear it for the next few weeks. After that, it will be optional.

He was sacked four times Sunday, all in the second half. Ryan said the nose injury happened on a 9-yard sack by Kamerion Wimbley in the third quarter.

There appeared to be a miscommunication on the play between right tackle Wayne Hunter and tight end Dustin Keller, who both blocked safety Tyvon Branch. That left Wimbley a free path to the quarterback. Sanchez ducked as he saw Wimbley. The defensive end spun Sanchez around with his right arm and his left hand appeared to then smack into Sanchez’s face.

Ryan seemed to imply, both after the game and today, that Sanchez took a shot to the face that should have been penalized.

“Our guy gets a broken nose, I don’t think there was a flag,” Ryan said, before quipping: “I think he must have got hit in the chest and broke his nose.”

Sanchez has been sacked nine times and taken several hits this season. After Week 1, when he was hit 10 times, he was tested for a concussion but did not have one. He received treatment last week for a bruised throwing arm suffered on one of the hits he took in the Jaguars win.

Now, Sanchez has a broken nose, though it is not expected to limit him and did not keep him from finishing out Sunday’s game — or diving for a touchdown on the final fourth-and-2 play, though he came just short.

“He’s a super competitor, and he’s tough, I don’t think there is any doubt about that,” Ryan said. “But you’d like to keep him from taking all those hits. Now some of it is his own fault. You get outside the pocket, just get rid of it, Mark. But again, quarterback is not our problem right now.”

The Jets played Sunday without center Nick Mangold, ruled out with a high ankle sprain. He was replaced with an undrafted rookie, Colin Baxter. Ryan said Mangold is “day-to-day” and sounded unsure if the three-time Pro Bowler will be ready for this week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Mangold, who functions as the quarterback of the offensive line, would certainly only help the protection of Sanchez — though coaches and teammates said Baxter fared well in his first start.

The pressure from the Raiders’ 4-3 front ramped up in the second half, when they used more movement and more power rush, Jets right guard Brandon Moore said. But there were no exotic looks, he added.

While Sanchez hasn’t yet taken a major hit that has sidelined him during a game or even a practice, the offense as a unit knows he must be on the ground less.

“Of course, we’ve got to do a better job,” Moore said. “Pass protection isn’t always just five guys, everybody is involved in that. But we know up front that we’ve got to do a better job of keeping him upright and keeping him clean. Whether he is hurt or not.”

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

[flgreen]

Darrelle Revis, Jets' defense looks to rebound against Baltimore Ravens

Published: Monday, September 26, 2011, 9:42 PM Updated: Monday, September 26, 2011, 10:22 PM

Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

For Jets head coach Rex Ryan, Sunday’s loss to the Oakland Raiders was a defensive nightmare he hadn’t seen since his years as a linebackers coach with the Arizona Cardinals.

It was a sentiment that was reflected by cornerback Darrelle Revis, who described today’s film session — a day after his team surrendered 234 net rushing yards — as anything but complimentary.

But for the defensive players, today was more about healing a wounded persona — the team is now 31st in the NFL in rush yards surrendered per game — before it gets away from them entirely.

That healing will start this weekend in Baltimore.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to bounce back and show this league that we’re not just a trash-talking team,” Revis said. “We can come out and play.”

Linebacker Jim Leonhard said the Jets were bogged down by inconsistencies. Ryan mentioned holding the Raiders to five three-and-outs, then having Darren McFadden bust loose for 27 yards on a broken halfback pass.

“We want to get that game behind us, but we have to learn from it,” Ryan said. “Overall, it was not up to our standards by any stretch.”

Leonhard acknowledged that with Baltimore and then New England coming, it’s not the easiest stretch to right the ship. But for now, he’s not concerned.

“Not yet,” he said. “... But there are a lot of things that we need to clean up, there’s no question about it.”

Antonio Cromartie is day-to-day with bruised ribs and lungs. The team said he was taken to the hospital on Sunday in order to determine if he could fly home with the Jets. Ryan said he hopes to see Cromartie practice Wednesday.

Kyle Wilson did not spell Cromartie at cornerback Sunday because he was also cramping up during the game, Ryan said. Donald Strickland took on most of Cromartie’s responsibilities.

Ryan said that the Jets would have kicked a field goal on the team’s final drive had they stalled anywhere before or at the 9-yard line after Dustin Keller’s 33-yard catch to set them up with first-and-goal. After the Jets got to the 2-yard line, though, Ryan called it “a no-brainier” to try for 6.

More coverage:

• Complete Jets coverage on NJ.com

• Jets videos

• Jets photos

Ryan called the roughing the passer penalty against Muhammad Wilkerson in the second quarter “strange.”

He said the team does submit calls to the league during the week for clarification.

Staff writer Jenny Vrentas contributed to this story.

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

[flgreen]

WR Michael Campbell is Signed to Practice Squad

Our first news story of the day is that rookie WR Michael Campbell from Temple University has been signed to the practice squad. He is filling TE Josh Baker's spot, who as you all know, was elevated to the 53-man roster yesterday. Campbell is 6-1, 203 lbs. He runs a 4.5 40-yard dash. He was on the roster during training camp, only to be cut by the end.

Campbell has nearly 1200 receiving yards in college over the course of three years, with 73 receptions and 9 touchdowns. Bear in mind he played in a low-efficiency offense in college. He's obviously a low-risk signing but will need plenty of polishing before he can actively contribute.

Star-divide

I have no issues with this signing. Campbell has good agility, strength, and speed. He's very raw, and is going to need a lot of work with the coaches. Having said that, I would probably have preferred another offensive lineman, considering the news yesterday about C Robert Turner. If someone else goes down, I would like to have some more depth that has had time to work with offensive line coach Bill Callahan. In any case, let me know what you think of the signing in the comments below.

[flgreen]

Darrelle Revis: Jets aren’t just trash talkers, we can play

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 27, 2011, 9:35 AM EDT

Darrelle Revis, AP

In the aftermath of their loss to the Raiders, there’s a debate heating up about whether the Jets need to engage in a little less conversation and a little more action. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis says Sunday night’s game against the Ravens will be the Jets’ chance to show what they can do.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to bounce back and show this league that we’re not just a trash-talking team,” Revis said. “We can come out and play.”

According to Revis, opposing teams are more motivated to beat the Jets because of the Jets’ reputation around the league.

“We have a target because of the market we’re in and we’re always being showcased for this game or that game or if something goes crazy,” Revis said. “But we know teams are out for us. We’ve been to the AFC Championship game the past two years and teams, they really want to beat us. They really do.”

That big target has largely been painted on the Jets’ backs by the very talk Revis mentions. Revis had better be right when he says they’re going to come out and play on Sunday, because the Jets do far too much talking to be a .500 team.

[flgreen]

J-E-T-S feeling the usual h-e-a-t

It's been a fun couple of years for the New York Jets. Rex Ryan, their head coach, keeps yapping, sucking all the air out of the room and keeping his players and the notoriously prickly Big Apple media entertained. And his team keeps winning, having appeared in two straight AFC Championship games to become the toast of football fans in an area once dominated by the now less-than-scintillating Giants.

But with the 2-1 Jets coming off a disheartening 34-24 loss to the Oakland Raiders and preparing to face the Ravens Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, Big Rex is now taking heat from an unexpected source: Jets legend and Hall of Famer Joe Namath.

In an interview with a New York radio station Monday, Broadway Joe basically ripped Ryan for telling his players how great they are, saying this distracted them from focusing on the constant need to improve in the NFL.

"It's rather alarming," Namath said. "It starts at the top. Coach Rex Ryan, he's been doing a great job, getting us to two conference championship games. But there's one thing about the athlete: you keep telling him how good he is, he's going to start believing it, to the point that he may not be preparing quite the way he should."

Well.

As you might imagine, Ryan was less than thrilled to hear he was being criticized by a member of the Jets "family."

And he basically told Namath to go pound sand.

"The great thing is, I'm confident with our football team," Ryan responded, according to news reports. "There's no question about it. I've never gone into a game I didn't think I would win. I'm not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something. Namath can come in here, and if he can still throw, we'll have him as a backup quarterback.

"But you know what? He doesn't know our team. He's on the outside. Even though he's a Jet, and once you're a Jet you're always a Jet, but he's on the outside. He's not in these meetings. I think if he was, he'd be shocked at the preparation."

Understand, this little dust-up with Namath isn't going to distract Ryan and the Jets as they get ready for the Ravens. Ryan has taken plenty of shots in his two years in New York and basically shrugged them all off.

But it's indicative of the kind of potential distractions a head coach has to deal with in the media capital of the free world. Little things become big things in that kind of pressurized environment. And soon enough, even a harmless -- if impolitic -- comment by a legendary quarterback gets blown out of proportion.

John Harbaugh ought to get down on his knees every day and be thankful he coaches in Baltimore, where the much-smaller media pool is far less critical.

If he wants to know how good he has it, all he'd have to do is sit in when Ryan talks to reporters after a loss.

It might really open his eyes.

[flgreen]

Five consensus playoff teams already in trouble as October looms

Story Highlights

Five teams you wouldn't expect are struggling after three weeks

Rams haven't won a game, while Eagles, Falcons are both 1-2

Steelers, Jets are off to 2-1 starts, but both have been humbled on the road

It never takes long for an NFL season to prove us wrong. Three weeks into the tale of 2011, conventional wisdom is already on something of a losing streak. Things might be all hiccups and giggles in Detroit and Buffalo, where the 3-0 Lions and Bills appear headed for a Rust Belt Super Bowl matchup -- wouldn't that be something? -- but early season problems abound in some unlikely venues around the league.

Consider this: In 2010, the Eagles, Falcons, Jets, Steelers and Rams combined to go 53-27 (.663), with four of those five making the playoffs and vastly improved St. Louis winning six more games than the year before. Only the Rams missed the postseason, and they weren't eliminated until a Week 17 loss at Seattle, in the NFL's final act of the 256-game regular season.

Heading into this season, all five looked like playoff locks, and I know of at least one Internet NFL hack who tabbed them to represent 5/12's of his postseason field. (Alas, I was not alone. Three of my fellow SI.com NFL "experts'' had them all represented in their preseason playoff predictions, and four others on our panel had four of those five teams making the postseason).

And you know what, they still might all get to January's Super Bowl tournament. September might be in the books, but nobody is more than two games out of first place in their division, meaning there's plenty of time to regroup and still make a season out of it. But make no mistake, this year has not been a coronation in Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Those five supposed powerhouses are a combined 6-9 (.400), with two of those wins coming in head-to-head play (the Eagles beat the Rams, and the Falcons beat the Eagles).

St. Louis remains winless at 0-3, the Eagles and Falcons aren't quite soaring yet at 1-2, and the Steelers and Jets (last year's AFC title game participants) are a worrisome 2-1, with each team being humbled once on the road (Pittsburgh at Baltimore, the Jets at Oakland), and narrowly escaping in a game they were expected to dominate (Steelers at the Colts, Jets at home against the Cowboys). Only in their twin Week 2 blowouts at home against the anemic Seahawks and Jaguars have the Steelers and Jets resembled the juggernauts they were projected to be.

Here's a further look at those five consensus playoff teams that are already in trouble as October looms. It's not too late for any of them, but in the NFL, it's never too early to panic:

• New York Jets (2-1, tied for second place, AFC East) -- At least for now, can we put to rest the notion that the Jets are a great running team, with a top-notch run defense to boot? The facts say they are neither in 2011. New York's vaunted "Ground and Pound'' attack is ranked 25th in rushing, averaging 82 yards per game, with a pedestrian 3.4 yards per rush and just 11 first downs. Lead back Shonn Greene has yet to crack 60 yards in a game, and his 3.3 average carry strikes no fear in the hearts of the opposition.

And somehow the Jets' run defense has been even more pathetic. New York got shredded for 234 yards on the ground in Sunday's 34-24 loss at Oakland, with a whopping 7.3 average run allowed and four rushing touchdowns. That was the worst display of run defense in big-talking Rex Ryan's 41-game tenure in the Big Apple, and New York is ranked 31st overall against the run (136.7) this season, with an average rush of 4.8 yards.

The Raiders dominated the line of scrimmage against the Jets, and New York's offensive line is simply not playing up to the elite level it's advertised at. Injured center Nick Mangold's absence hurts, and right tackle Wayne Hunter has been subpar. The end result is that New York's run-to-win formula isn't operative, and quarterback Mark Sanchez and the passing game is being asked to carry more of the offensive burden than anyone would prefer (Sanchez had a career-high 369 yards passing against Oakland, and threw for 335 yards, third most in his career, in Week 1 against Dallas).

Let's face it, New York gave up 390 yards of offense and was fortunate to win its opener at home against the Cowboys, only doing so because Tony Romo gift-wrapped the game with those two fourth-quarter turnovers. Then the Jets waltzed against the outclassed Jaguars, with Luke McCown at quarterback, and were manhandled by the Raiders.

That's two reasons for concern showing up in the first three games, and here are two more in New York's immediate future: The Jets' three-game road trip continues with Sunday night's showdown in Baltimore, and then heads for New England and the much-anticipated Week 5 renewal of that AFC East blood feud. New York best get its identity re-established, and in a hurry, or September might soon be recalled as the good old days.

• St. Louis (0-3, last place, NFC West) -- The Rams knew the start of the season was going to be challenging. In facing Philadelphia, the Giants and Baltimore in Weeks 1-3, St. Louis was drawing three teams that won a combined 33 games last year, including playoffs.

But there's losing, and then there's getting humiliated, and the Rams know the painful difference by now. St. Louis got beat by 18 points in its home opener against the Eagles, and that was nothing compared to the 30-point tail-kicking the Ravens administered to the Rams last Sunday in the Edward Jones Dome. In between came that aggravating and mistake-filled 12-point Monday night loss at the Giants in Week 2, a game in which St. Louis played with a distinct lack of urgency and execution.

The football follies were supposed to cease in St. Louis with the coming of franchise quarterback Sam Bradford in 2010, but somebody turned on the way-back machine this season. The Rams have been flagged 25 times for 262 yards in three games, and Baltimore gouged St. Louis for 406 yards and 27 points in the first half last Sunday, finishing with 553 yards in the 37-7 rout.

And now Bradford is getting banged up behind a Rams offensive line that looks lost. He suffered a toe sprain against the Ravens on one of his five sacks, and he's been dropped 11 times -- and hit at least twice that much -- in three games. In each of the Rams' losses, Bradford has lost a fumble that got returned for a touchdown, deflating St. Louis' hopes to stay in the game and opening the floodgates for its opponent. New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has certainly been no difference-maker so far, with the Rams' red-zone offense struggling and Bradford seemingly regressing.

The somewhat hopeful reality in St. Louis is that all 0-3s are not created equal. The Rams play in the NFC West, and no one's running away with that sad-sack division. St. Louis' tough schedule continues for another month or so (Washington, bye week, at Green Bay, at Dallas, New Orleans in the coming five weeks), but then the Rams finally get to play their three NFC West opponents six times over the season's last nine games. As improbable as it might sound, a 7-9 record might once again be good enough to win the division, and that means St. Louis would only have to play slightly above .500 ball from here on out to make the playoffs. The Rams can't count on that, but they can't be counted out just yet either.

• Philadelphia (1-2, last place, NFC East) -- OK, let's get something clear right off the top: If I hear or read one more reference to the "Dream Team'' having its season turned into a nightmare, I'm calling the cliché police and there will be arrests. With the Eagles losing their past two games in ugly fashion, everybody's had a chance to use that painfully tired phraseology by now, so let's all move on.

If you think all of Philadelphia's early season problems are related to keeping Michael Vick healthy and in the lineup, you're letting the well-chronicled saga of No. 7 obscure the big picture. For all the headline moves they made during that unprecedented summer signing spree, the Eagles still entered the season with issues at offensive line, linebacker and safety. Guess where the land mines have surfaced so far? At offensive line, linebacker and safety. Quite a coincidence, eh?

Vick shouldn't waste his breath pleading for the game officials to protect him more when his own offensive linemen can't get the job done. The pounding he is taking isn't all the line's fault, given his style of play combines the QB and running back positions, but there's plenty of blame to be had up front. The Eagles can't seem to pass block or run block, and their short-yardage execution remains an oxymoron thus far.

As for a defense that has given up fourth-quarter leads in the past two games, at Atlanta and home against the Giants, the Eagles are seeing opponents exploit their obvious weaknesses. Rookie linebacker Casey Matthews hasn't gotten the job done, whether playing in the middle or in the weakside slot, and Philadelphia benched safety Kurt Coleman in favor of Nate Allen last Sunday after Coleman couldn't prevent a 74-yard, first-quarter touchdown catch by Giants reserve receiver Victor Cruz.

That all-star group of Eagles cornerbacks, Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, made for good copy in the preseason, but their presence hasn't kept anyone from trying to throw the ball. With the issues at linebacker and safety, there are plenty of yards to be gained in the middle of the field, and Eli Manning threw for a staggering 11 yards an attempt against Philly, with four touchdown passes and 254 yards.

The Eagles appear to already be in crisis mode, but when aren't they? Philadelphia is only one game behind the rest of the division, and this week's visit from San Francisco should provide a relative breather for an Eagles defense that has been forced back on its heels. But it's imperative that Andy Reid's club gets to .500 and stabilizes a bit, because tough road trips to Buffalo and Washington await in Weeks 5-6.

• Pittsburgh (2-1, tied for first, AFC North) -- This has to be the least comforting 2-1 start to a Steelers season in a very long time. Head coach Mike Tomlin refuses to let go of the Week 1 debacle at Baltimore, and then Pittsburgh on Sunday night very nearly lost to a Manning-less Colts team that looks so bad at quarterback you couldn't blame them if they installed the single wing at practice this week.

The Steelers don't really do panic, but it's time for whatever stage comes just before some serious hand-wringing. Their offensive line was nearly wiped out against the Colts, with three of five starters going down with injuries: left tackle Jonathan Scott (ankle), tackle Marcus Gilbert (shoulder) and right guard Doug Legursky (shoulder). Scott's injury was the most serious, but the line's play has already been shaky, and the health issues aren't going to help in the least.

Pittsburgh's running game has been anything but a late-game hammer to bring down on an opponent's hopes. The Steelers rank 23rd in rushing, with just 85.7 yards per game and a paltry 3.3-yard average gain. Some of that is the line's fault for no ability to create openings, and some of it is the underachievement of lead running back Rashard Mendenhall, who is averaging just 3.0 yards per rush, with just 103 yards on 37 attempts (2.8) in Pittsburgh's most recent two games.

This year, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hasn't been able to make up for all that ails the Steelers offense with his typical late-game magic. He has thrown four picks and lost four fumbles, and the Steelers have 10 turnovers in their games. The result is Pittsburgh's margin of error is tighter than any time in recent memory, especially since the Steelers defense has been lacking in terms of big plays, with just one fumble forced and recovered, and no interceptions.

This week's trip to Houston poses a tough assignment for a Pittsburgh team that has not looked crisp on the road thus far. The Texans can score against anyone, and Houston desperately needs a bounce-back game on defense after giving up 40 points in a loss at New Orleans. The Steelers aren't the Steelers yet, and that's how you know it's a very different kind of year in the NFL.

• Atlanta (1-2, tied for last place, NFC South) -- Trying to figure out who the Falcons really are this season has been one of the real mysteries of 2011. They laid an egg in Week 1 at Chicago, played an uneven game at home against the Eagles in Week 2 but wound up winning with an impressive fourth-quarter comeback, and only woke up in time last Sunday at Tampa Bay to mount a too-little, too-late rally in the final quarter of a three-point loss. Atlanta has trailed by at least 10 points in all three of its games, and the slow starts (just 20 points in the first half this season) are putting Mike Smith's club into too many uphill situations.

Job one would seem to be the Falcons offensive line doing better at protecting quarterback Matt Ryan, and opening even more running lanes for Michael Turner. Ryan absorbed four more sacks in the 16-13 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday, and he's been dropped 13 times already in 2011 after going down just 23 times all last season. As for Turner, he had just 20 yards on 11 rushes against the Bucs, and it's hard for Atlanta to win when he poses no threat to beat you if you over-defend the Falcons' passing game.

The Falcons talked all offseason about being more explosive on offense, but the only time they've really looked dangerous is when Ryan is running the no-huddle late in games. That approach also conveniently seems to keep the pass pressure from getting to Ryan, and gets all his receiving weapons involved in the game.

I'm not sure why Atlanta hasn't thought to start a game in the hurry-up offense by now, a'la New England, because the Falcons look like a different team when they're in two-minute mode. The 14-point fourth-quarter comeback against Philly and the 10-point fourth quarter showing at Tampa Bay were both a case of Ryan running the no-huddle to near-perfection. Rookie receiver Julio Jones caught five of his six passes in the fourth quarter, good for 97 of the 115 yard he gained against the Bucs.

Atlanta's real issue may be that it's in transition as far as its offensive identity. The Falcons don't seem to know yet whether they want to throw it open and be a quarterback-driven, passing-first offense, or keep one foot in their recent past, with Turner's blend of power and speed running being essential to their formula for success. The sooner they figure out that passing-first teams win the Super Bowl these days, the further they will be toward reaching that long-awaited franchise goal. Maybe this week's trip to offensively challenged Seattle offers the perfect opportunity for Atlanta to begin its transformation.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/09/27/flawed/index.html#ixzz1ZAn5ZBF4

[flgreen]

Medical update on Buddy Ryan

September, 27, 2011

Sep 27

1:01

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Former NFL coach Buddy Ryan, Rex Ryan's famous father, is preparing to radiation treatment to battle cancer that spread to the lymph nodes in his neck, according to his doctor.

Five days after the Jets' season-opening win over the Cowboys -- aka the Ryan Bowl -- Ryan underwent surgery at the University of Kentucky's Good Samaritan Hospital.

Ryan "has skin cancer. He's had a lot of skin cancers through the years," his surgeon, Dr. Joseph Valentino, told the Herald-Leader of Lexington. "This time, it had spread to the lymph nodes in his neck."

Soon, Ryan will begin five to six weeks of radiation therapy.

In an interview with the newspaper, conducted Monday, Ryan wore a Jets cap and his Super Bowl III ring from the 1968 Jets. He was an assistant coach on that team. Ryan still is as feisty as ever. He was asked about the 1993 sideline incident in Houston, where he punched fellow Oilers assistant Kevin Gilbride -- currently the Giants' offensive coordinator -- during a heated dispute.

"You mean Kevin Gil-dumb?" Ryan asked. "He was wrong. He came at me and what are you going to do when someone comes at you? I slugged him."

[flgreen]

Green Lantern: ‘Broadway Joe’ Needs To Get A Grip On Reality

Legendary QB No Longer Has The Clout To Influence How Jets Do Business

September 27, 2011 1:01 PM

Jets, NFL, Sports, Syndicated Sports, WFAN Blogs

By Jeff Capellini, CBSNewYork/WFAN.com

NEW YORK (WFAN) — As expected, mass hysteria has taken over Jets Nation. The team loses one game and all hell has broken loose. This time, though, the source of the madness is someone you’d expect to know better.

Is over-reaction to losses simply a product of life in the NFL? Is it because the Jets have ridiculous expectations and nothing short of a Patriots-like season will be accepted? Or is it more about Joe Namath needing to inject himself into the stream of conversation and criticism because he’s got little else to do?

Probably a little bit of all three.

The only thing that’s not open to debate right now is the cold, hard fact that the Jets got their heads handed to them out in Oakland on Sunday. Everything else is a matter of opinion, and from where I’m standing it’s all very silly.

Namath seems to believe the Jets are overconfident. He said so in a recent interview. He seems to think Rex Ryan actually coddles his players too much by telling them how good they are all the time. Namath seems like he would be having the Jets running for hours through the streets of Florham Park as punishment for their putrid effort in the 34-24 loss to the Raiders. He’d be grabbing face masks, telling guys they suck, dumping over Gatorade buckets and running five-a-days in practice as a further reminder to the Jets that they haven’t won a damn thing yet.

Well, that’s certainly one approach. But it’s one we’ve seen before. I’m not sure it works anymore.

My guess is Ryan would be taking a far more subtle look at the situation. He’d be watching hours of film on his horrible defense. He’d be discussing with coordinator Mike Pettine how to fix said defense in time for this Sunday night’s clash with the high-powered Ravens down in Baltimore. He’d be working with his offensive coaches to fix this banged up and, as a result, highly ineffective offensive line. He’d be instilling confidence in his skill position players, assuring them that this run-blocking and pass-blocking mess will be fixed and that they should stay frosty.

I kind of prefer the Rex method a tad more than the assumed Broadway Joe method.

Namath needs to relax. He knows nothing of what it takes to coach an NFL team. I would have hoped this guy would know by now how to take a loss in stride, considering he was part of more than his fair share of them as a player. How is it possible, in his opinion, that suddenly Ryan’s core approach to the game is wrong after just one loss? I don’t get it. The same approach that has basically rescued this franchise from sports oblivion and made it one of the more attractive destinations anywhere is now suddenly antiquated? The mere fact that by using this method the entire culture of Jets football has done a 180 is now meaningless?

C’mon man. It’s one loss for crying out loud.

Now it’s nice that Namath decided to join up with the Jets and use his knowledge to help make Mark Sanchez a better quarterback. I’m sure much of what he taught the third-year signal caller has been taken to heart and employed out on the field. But this notion that Namath knows more than Ryan does about motivating an entire team is pretty funny.

Namath is a revered figure, obviously, and much of what he says will hit home with many of the older Jets fans, the guys who had season tickets back at Shea and could really do without the trash-talking, pump-yourself-up nature Ryan has brought to this team. But to many others, when Namath opens his mouth these days it becomes a cautionary tale on what not to say. He often spews some really strange things and has become, in a way, sort of that crazy uncle that you try to avoid at family reunions.

Don’t get me wrong. The guy was a great player as far as the annals of Jets history are concerned, but he doesn’t really have the pulse of this franchise anymore and it shows in his comments.

Namath, like many others, really hasn’t been paying attention since the lockout ended. The Jets have actually been rather humble by their lofty standards. I haven’t heard one diatribe from Bart Scott, the team’s king mouthpiece, very little from trash-talker extraordinaire Antonio Cromartie — and I’m talking before he embarrassed himself on national television on Sunday — and basically little to nothing from everyone else.

Even Rex, for his part, has been far less bombastic than usual.

The Jets haven’t really carried themselves this season as a group of guys that know who the hell they are, which is odd and may be part of the reason why they seem to lack that obvious edge when they take the field. Everyone else seems to think they are the same team, but reality is the public still sees the Jets as the loud-mouth group from last season, not the somewhat muted version of the same group they are this season.

To hear Namath criticize Ryan’s coaching methods is also funny because this is the same guy who shot his mouth off prior to Super Bowl III, saying that his 18-point underdog Jets would beat the mighty Colts. So I guess since Namath made good on his boast he now has license to thumb his nose at the franchise’s current emotional leader, forgetting of course that Ryan has hardly been Patrick Ewing in the prediction department. Better teams than the 2009 and 2010 Jets have lost conference championship games.

Maybe Namath is just bored or still craves the spotlight to a degree. Regardless, it just seems like his words don’t carry the same weight they once did. Does he really think he can be a master motivator from a distance? Now he’s George Steinbrenner firing off missives? Will the Jets suddenly show up at practice fearing for their jobs because a guy who won a ring four decades ago disapproves of aspects of what the franchise currently represents? Is he trying some deranged form of reverse psychology, sitting back and whispering to himself “Yeah, that should light a fire under them,” with the same air of confidence he wore like a badge of honor in the late 1960s?

Please.

The Jets are who they are as individuals. It’s part of their allure. Like it or not it’s their charm. It’s often maddening, but it’s largely effective and the vast majority of fans love every second of it. All the Joe Namaths shouting from the highest mountain tops on Earth won’t change that or alter perception.

The bottom line is as a team the Jets have some issues to iron out right now, many that words cannot fix. Let the guys worried about personnel and Xs and Os do their jobs. Leave the armchair quarterbacking to the true experts, the fine people of Twitter and Facebook whose passion for the team’s success rivals anyone’s, including that of a legend’s.

Namath needs to be above the Michael Strahans of the world. He needs to be a party elder, not a cheap-shot artist.

And Rex needs to keep being Rex. I guarantee you the day he sells out and becomes what the high and mighty few desire this franchise will once again go in the toilet.

He’ll win more than his fair share of damn games — and he’ll do it by hell or high water with his proven methods.

And never while wearing a mink coat.

[flgreen]

NFL tempts fate with Super Bowl 48 logo

Posted by Mike Florio on September 27, 2011, 1:31 PM EDT

Super Bowl New York Football

Though it’s not the official logo for Super Bowl 48 (the Roman numeral version of it is way too long), the branding image for the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl to be played in early 2014 includes something that could show up in the billions that day.

A snowflake.

“I think that’s great,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday upon the unveiling of the host committee logo, via the Associated Press. “A little snow would be great for us. But whatever comes our way, we’re going to be prepared for it.”

A little snow would be great, especially during the game. The 2001 Raiders-Pats snow globe playoff was so memorable in part because of the constant snowfall.

A lot of snow, particularly in the days preceding the game, could be a problem. There’s only so much that the powers-that-be can do to keep Mother Nature from smacking her kids around, and the powers-that-be did next to nothing in North Texas after an ice storm, the response to which essentially consisted of finding the nearest bed, hiding under it, and waiting for the ice to melt.

Here’s hoping that, in the end, a little snow is all we get in February 2014.

Given the eventual litigation resulting from too many people and not enough seats, maybe the logo should have also included a gavel.

[flgreen]

Interesting Developments for Sanchez, Offense

Posted by Randy Lange on September 27, 2011 – 3:54 pm

We all have our issues with the Jets’ Sunday stumble in the Black Hole — the run defense, Mark Sanchez’s first-quarter interception, the penalties, the protection …

But let’s put those aside to talk about a perhaps an interesting development for the Jets and that is the passing game. Could it be that the Jets’ offense is evolving from Ground and Pound into Air Rex?

Rex Ryan hinted at that during his remarks Monday at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. In fact, the head coach said something that sounded as if it came out of the mouth of Don Coryell.

“I think as long as you’re able to move the ball effectively, you don’t have to run it or you don’t have to throw it,” he said. “You’d like to be in a situation where, I looked at Baltimore yesterday, they were throwing it all over the place. I think they had 403 yards at halftime — that’s at halftime, by the way. This week, are you going to run it against Haloti Ngata over and over and against Ray Lewis? We’ll probably have to throw it more than we want.”

Now this could all be smoke and mirrors for the Ravens’ benefit. But the numbers, influenced to be sure by the game situations against Dallas and Oakland, are very un-Rex-like.

One measure of that is the Jets’ percentage of pass plays in this young season. Sanchez has dropped back 120 times while the Green & White have run the ball only 73 times. That’s a 62.2 percent passing offense. It’s the most pass-heavy three-game stretch in Ryan’s three-season tenure as coach.

In fact, it goes back even further for Ryan. He hasn’t been affiliated with a team that has thrown that much since he was the defensive coordinator of the 2007 Ravens, who threw the ball 65.6 percent of the time from Weeks 9-11 that year.

Now this approach wouldn’t work well if the quarterback wasn’t up to it. But Sanchez, except for a 16-minute span at Oakland when he suffered four sacks and a busted beak, threw well vs. the Raiders in compiling 369 yards, his most as a pro and the most by a Jets QB since Vinny Testaverde went for 373 in the 2003 home opener against Miami.

His 63.1 percent accuracy is the third-most accurate three-game in-season stretch of his career. And his 90.9 passer rating is the seventh-highest in a three-game span. Or, if you’d like to factor out the playoffs when Sanchez has been at his most accurate, it’s the third-highest three-game regular-season rating of his career.

Let’s go yards. In the first half vs. Oakland, Sanchez threw for 173 yards on 10-for-17 passing. A good chunk came on the 74-yard screen-pass-and-run to LaDainian Tomlinson, but every one of those 74 yards counts. And the 173 net yards is the most by a Jets QB in a first half since the 2006 season, when Chad Pennington cleared that figure three times. The second time was when Chad erupted for 241 yards at Green Bay against Brett Favre before he was a Jet. Two games later Pennington went for 239 in the big win at the Metrodome.

Sanchez has cleared 200 second-half net passing yards before, most recently in the opener against the Cowboys. And his 196 gross yards (including sacks) in the second half made a nice bookend with his first half.

Similarly, Sanchez’s 131 first-quarter yards at Oaktown was the Jets’ most net passing yards in an opening period since Pennington had 151 in the first 15 minutes of that ’06 win over the Packers.

Sure, it’d be great if all the wideouts can get a good piece of the action every game. It’s be even better if Sanchez can go for 369 in a victory. Best of all would be any yardage, a victory and an untouched Sanchez. But as long as he gets protection, he has shown he’s up to flinging it all around the park. If he can keep doing that, it will give the running game time to get its feet underneath it. It will also help the running game do that by making defenses balance themselves up a little more than they have early on.

And last, here’s a note on one of the Jets’ backs who could benefit from this passing game. No, not more trivia on Tomlinson, whose 116 receiving yards and 154 total yards we documented like crazy on Sunday. This note’s for Shonn Greene.

Greene had his best game of the season vs. the Raiders. The rushing numbers (15 carries, 59 yards) don’t show it, but when Greene was running off tackle, away from the big bad Silver & Black front, he was running with authority, as 10 first-half carries for 53 yards would better indicate.

And he had a rare receiving game. Seven times Sanchez threw the ball his way. Seven times he caught the ball. The last time a Jets back went at least 7-for-7, Leon Washington went 8-for-8 at San Francisco in 2008. The last time Greene had at least 47 receiving yards in a game was, well, never. That was his career high for receiving yards.

Added to the rushing total, Greene had a 100-yard game — 106 to be exact. Combined with LT’s 154 yards, that’s some nice production out of the Jets’ 1-2 punch.

There are no guarantees this offense will continue to evolve and grow. But why not? It will be something interesting to watch when the Jets run into their next brawny defensive opponent on Sunday night. As Rex said, the Ravens followed by the Patriots is a stretch that’s “going to challenge us as coaches, challenge us as players. And I believe this team will be up to that challenge.”