Jets News 9-30

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Cromartie’s Ribs Might Be Hurting, but His Pride Is Just Fine

Robert Galbraith/Reuters

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie says he will adjust his coverage technique after a penalty-filled game against Oakland.

By DAVE CALDWELL

Published: September 29, 2011

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Four days after a loss in which he was penalized four times, fumbled away a kickoff and bruised his ribs and a lung — all in the span of 3 hours 18 minutes — Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie was back at practice, not rattled at all.

Cromartie said he would wear “some stuff” to protect his battered torso in the Jets’ game Sunday night at Baltimore. He said he planned to adjust his playing style to cut back on the holding and interference penalties that plagued him in last Sunday’s 34-24 loss to Oakland.

Otherwise, he was the same old Cromartie. He was asked after participating fully in practice Thursday if the trip home from Oakland was long, considering that he had been hurt, that he performed poorly and that the Jets lost. Cromartie said he slept well. So much for agonizing over the defeat.

“Last week is last week,” Cromartie said.

About an hour earlier, Coach Rex Ryan said of Cromartie: “Last week, obviously, he had a tough week, like we all did. Maybe it wasn’t his best. But the one thing I liked about it was that he never flinched. He stayed aggressive.”

The Raiders tossed around the Jets’ defense, amassing 383 yards. The Jets tumbled to 31st in the N.F.L. in rushing defense after, allowing 234 yards to the Raiders. They are giving up 136.7 yards rushing per game, a lot more than the 82 they average on offense.

Even as the Jets prepared to stop a Ravens team that features the elusive and multitalented Ray Rice, the former Rutgers star, Ryan was having trouble being next-to-last (above only the St. Louis Rams) in a critical defensive statistical category.

“Most other coordinators have been there before and I have not,” Ryan said. “It definitely bothers me.”

There has been a lot for the Jets’ defense to clean up this week as they prepare for the Ravens (2-1), a opponent that believes in using blunt force on both sides of the ball, much as the Jets do.

“You can’t have a letdown after last week,” Jets safety Eric Smith said.

Asked if he still tasted the bile from the loss to the Raiders, even on Thursday, Jets nose tackle Sione Pouha thought for a moment, then said: “A little bit. Personally, I do. I use it more for fuel to fill the engine, not to burn down the house. They did something right, we did something wrong, but that was last Sunday. This defense will stand the test of time.”

Cromartie, held out of practice Wednesday, could not get back to the field quickly enough. He said he had no problem breathing. He said he was injured tackling Oakland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey on a third-down play in the fourth quarter.

“I changed the way I hit, because I didn’t want to get a fine,” Cromartie said.

Both he and Ryan said Cromartie would alter the way he used his hands. Cromartie is 6 feet 2 inches, comparatively tall for a cornerback (Darrelle Revis is 5-11) and taller than most of the receivers he covers. His hands tend to be higher as he locks on to a receiver, Ryan said.

“We need him to be more consistent,” the defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said of Cromartie, who had two interceptions a week earlier against Jacksonville. “We don’t need the great game, and then all the sudden it’s a clunker the next week. We need to get him to the point where we can be a little bit more middle of the road with him where he’s just solid.”

Cromartie was called for a 23-yard pass-interference penalty on the Raiders’ first drive, which ended with a touchdown. He was flagged for two defensive-holding penalties on consecutive drives in the second quarter. He had a pass-interference penalty in the third quarter.

He also fumbled the kickoff after Oakland took a 24-17 lead, a turnover that led to a Raiders touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Cromartie dropped the ball, then kicked it away while trying to pick it up, instead of falling on it.

“He compounded the mistake, and I wish he wouldn’t have done that,” the special teams coach Mike Westhoff said.

Cromartie said that the Jets would not face another kicker like Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski again and that he was still willing to return kickoffs if Ryan wanted him to. Ryan had said he was not so sure.

“He’s not going to return kickoffs — there’s no chance,” Ryan said.

He then paused.

“Unless we need him to,” Ryan said, arching his eyebrow and drawing laughs.

Last week might as well be last century to Cromartie. He was asked about the prospect of covering the Ravens rookie receiver Torrey Smith, who had five catches for 152 yards and scored three touchdowns last Sunday in a 37-7 victory over St. Louis.

“He had one big game,” Cromartie said, scoffing. “I don’t care who I play, to be honest with you. My job is to shut down that receiver.”

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Rex Ryan says Mangold could play without practicing

Posted by Mike Florio on September 29, 2011, 10:48 PM EDT

Dallas Cowboys v New York Jets Getty Images

Jets center Nick Mangold continues to miss practice after suffering a high ankle sprain on September 18. On Thursday, however, coach Rex Ryan suggested that Mangold could still play on Sunday night against the Ravens.

“I’m encouraged that he’s getting better,” Ryan said of Mangold. “Each day, he seems to be getting better. He hasn’t practiced, but he definitely feels like he’s getting better. The thing that’s encouraging about that is he’s doing some things, like stepping over deals, doing some change of direction things and some movement things where it’s not getting worse. It’s actually feeling better the next day, so I’m encouraged by that.”

Ryan said that it’s not necessary that Mangold return to practice before playing. “Guys, I’m not one of those ‘he has to practice’ guys,” Ryan said. “We’re talking about Nick Mangold here, so, no. He doesn’t have to practice.

Ryan said that, barring a setback, he’ll make a decision about Mangold’s availability on Sunday.

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Plaxico Burress helping NY Jets unexpectedly with crushing blocks of defensive backs downfield

BY Kevin Armstrong

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, September 30th 2011, 1:00 AM

The most pleasant surprise of wideout Plaxico Burress' short tenure with the Jets thus far has been his willingness, when not running routes, to decimate defensive backs.

"It's tough getting those jitterbugs," Burress said. "When you've got your shot, you've gotta take it."

Burress placed bull's-eyes on two Raiders last week, and blasted them on blocks. In Week 1, he leveled Cowboys corner Michael Jenkins. He counts each knockdown and celebrates them with fellow receivers in meetings.

"It's tough on the body but it actually helps you get in better football shape," Burress said. "We're not just gonna be these receivers who pat ourselves on the butt afterward. We want to dominate our defenders on pass plays as well as runs."

Burress experienced tightness in his hamstring during practice, but Rex Ryan expects him to be fine Sunday.

HOLMES ON CASE

Coming off a game against the Raiders when he was targeted twice, resulting in one reception for 19 yards, wideout Santonio Holmes expects to see more balls thrown his way this week against the Ravens.

"It's going to be in the game plan," Holmes said. "Hopefully (Mark) Sanchez and (Brian Schottenheimer) realize, putting the ball in my hands, I can make a big difference. And I'm pretty sure the defense is going to be more afraid if I do touch the ball more than two times and they're going to be satisfied if I don't at all."

Schottenheimer acknowledged Holmes made his opinion clear.

"I knew he was frustrated and I get that," the offensive coordinator said. "But again, the beautiful thing about it is, we were all here last year for the three or four games he won or helped us win. Believe me, it's something we want to do."

GOOD AS MANGOLD

Nick Mangold (high right ankle sprain) continued to show signs of improvement, but Ryan said no decision will be made on his availability until game day. Ryan noted that he is willing to play the center without practicing all week because of his experience and skill level. ... Ryan said Antonio Cromartie would cede kickoff return duties to Joe McKnight to reduce his role as the cornerback recovers from his bruised ribs and lung. "There is no chance," Ryan said. "Unless we really need him."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/29/2011-09-29_plaxico_burress_helping_ny_jets_with_blocks_of_defensive_backs_off_the_ball_doin.html#ixzz1ZRPVTF2J

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NY Jets must figure out how to stop Ray Rice, Ravens after being gashed by Darren McFadden

BY Manish Mehta

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, September 30th 2011, 12:53 AM

Nosebleed Thursdays, full-speed, bone-crunching 9-on-7 drills in Baltimore, are a thing of the past. Rex Ryan leaned on those intense padded practices with the Ravens to help his group prepare to stop the run each week. With fewer padded practices allowed on the new NFL landscape, Ryan has had to find new ways this week to erase the memories of an uncharacteristically porous defense in Oakland.

Linebacker David Harris admitted that Ryan "wasn't pleasant to be around" in the aftermath of the Raiders' 234-yard rushing game. The three most overheard words in Gang Green Land this week: Set the edge.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine even admitted that there were isolated incidents of a lack of full effort.

"Sometimes you can handle some technique mistakes, sometimes guys just (are) going against somebody that's better and coming up short," Pettine said. "But when it's a mental error or...a guy just being lackadaisical or it's an effort thing, those are the things that we consider unacceptable."

The Raiders' dominance dropped the Jets' run defense from No. 9 to No. 31. Gang Green's yards per carry allowed jumped from 3.3 to 4.8.

"Anybody that thinks that...there's 30 teams better than us at stopping the run, I would call you a little bit foolish," linebacker Bart Scott said. "The week before we were (ninth). So which are we...(ninth) or the 31st? It's up to us to prove which one we are."

Although the Raiders had runs with zone-based elements, the Jets will see a healthy dose of inside- and outside-zone runs Sunday against the Ravens. Expect Baltimore to test the Jets with stretch plays to running back Ray Rice early to find out whether Pettine's defense has corrected the mistakes that plagued them in Week 3. Although Ryan took solace in the fact that the defense wasn't consistently gouged by 8-, 9- or 10-yard runs against Oakland, he conceded that "it just doesn't feel good" to be near the cellar against the run.

"I don't want to be there," Ryan said. "Most other coordinators have been there before. I have not. So that definitely bothers me."

A week after Darren McFadden's speed gave the Jets fits, they'll have to contend with the multi-talented Rice, who's a threat running between the tackles or on the perimeter in addition to catching passes out of the backfield. The Ravens' zone-based running scheme has paved the way for 5.18 yards per carry (fifth-best in the league).

"There's no better wake-up call than to look at the schedule," said Pettine, whose defense held Rice to 2.0 yards per carry (43 yards) in last year's season opener. "We tell our guys, 'If you can't get ready for this one, then you're sitting in the wrong room.'"

Pettine will have Antonio Cromartie back after he missed the final nine minutes last week with bruised lungs and ribs. The cornerback practiced Thursday with a light protective vest that he'll wear on Sunday.

"I feel 100%," Cromartie said. "I got a little soreness here and there, but that's about it."

Neither Ryan nor Cromartie was overly concerned about his four penalties last week, either.

"My game is not going to change because of someone calling penalties that maybe shouldn't have been called," said Cromartie, whose pair of defensive holding penalties was questionable. "I'm going to continue being aggressive and keep playing the way I'm playing to try to be a playmaker for this team."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/09/29/2011-09-29_word_to_ravens_nevermore.html#ixzz1ZRPmIwLV

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Jets notes: Pettine blasts defense

Friday, September 30, 2011

The Record

Pettine blasts ‘D’

Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said Thursday that plenty of factors contributed to the Jets’ shoddy performance on defense at Oakland, and that lack of effort was one of them.

"Sometimes you can handle some technique mistakes," Pettine said.

"Sometimes guys just [are] going against somebody that’s better and coming up short. But when it’s a mental error or whether it’s a guy just being lackadaisical or it’s an effort thing, those are the things we consider unacceptable."

Pettine also blamed himself, saying, "Coaches included, we all stood in that [meeting] room and said, ‘This is on all of us.’ I didn’t have a good day. Our defensive staff, we didn’t have a good day."

Linebacker Bart Scott admitted players were "lethargic" and said playing on the West Coast may have had something to do with that.

Briefs

C Nick Mangold (ankle) again didn’t practice but coach Rex Ryan didn’t rule him out of Sunday’s game, saying it could be a game-time decision. He hasn’t practiced or played since being injured against Jacksonville on Sept. 18. … WR Plaxico Burress didn’t finish practice because of tightness in his hamstring, but Burress and Ryan expect him to play. DE Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder) is expected to play.

— J.P. Pelzman

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Jets' Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes relish chance to do more than catch the ball

Published: Friday, September 30, 2011, 5:00 AM Updated: Friday, September 30, 2011, 5:08 AM

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

A few years back, as the Ravens played the Giants, then-Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan watched closely as a run play unfolded and moved toward him. One of Ryan’s favorite players — cornerback Samari Rolle — was dismantled by a crushing block, strewn in front of Ryan along the Baltimore sideline.

Standing over Rolle was Plaxico Burress, at the time a Giant. Ryan barked in defense of his own guy, but at the same time found out all he needed to know about Burress as run-blocker.

“I dropped him right off at his defensive coach’s feet and let him know, ‘Hey man, go get another player,’  ” said Burress, who is now a member of Ryan’s Jets.

“Samari is a good friend of mine, and I didn’t want it to be him. But when the whistle blows, there ain’t no friends.”

So far this young season, Burress, who was limited in practice Thursday because of a tender hamstring, and Santonio Holmes haven’t put up the receiving numbers some had envisioned, combining for 17 catches (33 targets) for 258 yards and three touchdowns.

Each week, their production seesaws depending on which way defenses roll their coverage.

Holmes wondered aloud Thursday if offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer knew the damage he could do with the ball in his hands.

But a statistic that has proved thoroughly consistent is the one Holmes and Burress keep between themselves, one that does not exist in the boxscore and addresses one of the main reasons Ryan became infatuated with his two lead wideouts as premiere blockers: knockdowns.

“We try to get knockdowns,” Burress said. “We see how many knockdowns we can get every week. I think I’m leading right now.”

Added Holmes: “We go into our meeting room and we just have something else to laugh about. Whether it’s knocking those guys out and making big plays, it’s always helping the team out first.”

Delivering a savage block earns them a tally. So far, Burress says he leads the competition with three.

“It’s just trying to set the tone from the start of the game,” Burress said. “It’s going to be physical and we’re going to get after it.”

Burress went up 1-0 on a fourth-quarter catch by Holmes in the season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

As Holmes wormed through the Dallas secondary, Burress peeled in at the 35-yard line and blindsided Mike Jenkins, shooting him across the television frame and momentarily knocking him out of the game.

Against the Oakland Raiders last Sunday, LaDainin Tomlinson sprang loose for a 74-yard gain on a screen pass. Burress was out front, jamming his long arms into Raiders’ cornerback Chris Johnson, forcing him to backpedal long enough for Tomlinson to get free down the sideline.

Holmes continued the pursuit shortly after, sprinting back ahead of Johnson as Tomlinson neared the goal line.

More coverage:

Laying out in a full-extension blow, he sent Johnson tumbling into a pit of photographers. The knockdown tally was now tied at 1-1.

“It’s pretty fun to get out and get a chance to hit those guys,” Holmes said. “Because at any moment, they’re going to take their shots and try to get us out of the game and celebrate and be excited about it.”

On Mondays, Burress and Holmes have to reel through tape that can fluster them; times when they were open and they didn’t get the ball or entire series in which Oakland bogged them down in tight zone coverage.

But there is part of them that waits for the moment to see their tally go up in the knockdown game — something that keeps Burress at the edge of his chair, waiting to relive each one.

Said Burress: “I feel it.”

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

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5 questions for ... Rodney Harrison

Jets Blog

By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Last Updated: 9:05 AM, September 30, 2011

Posted: 2:17 AM, September 30, 2011

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Former Patriots safety and NBC analyst Rodney Harrison talks to The Post's Justin Terranova about the Jets- Ravens, Giants letdowns and why he's "very concerned" about his former team.

Q: Anything worry you about the Jets loss to the Raiders?

A: Sometimes you can become overconfident with your talent and the Raiders looked like a complete mess coming into the game. I think of the Jets as one of the most physical teams in the league and for them to get pounded on and make mental mistakes is not what you expect from a well-coached team. This is a big game for the Jets to prove that was a fluke.

Q: Surprised at the relative lack of talk with the Jets playing Ryan's former team -- the Ravens?

A: People are used to the talk at this point. I hear and see more teams respecting the Jets. When I used to play, the Jets were the Jets and you expected to beat them. Now, you know you have to come ready to play. They are going to talk, but they are going to back it up. They are going to hit you in the face.

Q: Can the Jets be the ground-and-pound team Ryan wants?

A: I don't think they are good enough to run the ball the way you want to when you lose Damien Woody and Nick Mangold. They just don't have the talent, but there is still things you can do to get the ball in your playma ke rs' hands, which will eventua lly open the run: Spreadi ng the ball out, throwing some screens to Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson.

Q: Are the Giants as good as they looked against the Eagles?

A: The Giants are such a funny team because it seems like their backs have to be against the wall in order for them to come out and play. They don't show that maturity, where they can have that success, they have to be backed into a corner before they play their best. They have to change that and keep it going. But you never know what Giants team you are going to get, and that's disappointing if you are Tom Coughlin.

Q: How concerned are you about the Patriots defense?

A: Very concerned. They can't get to the quarterback because they don't have a pure pass rusher. What if Tom Brady has an off- day like he did against the Jets in the playoffs. That's all it takes is one off-day in the wrong situation and you don't go anywhere. That's what they are facing now.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rodney_harrison_Gn6iGm0KFC1NUwEO3enk2N#ixzz1ZRSO5Cyn

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Jets corner calls out Ravens receiver

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 9:15 AM, September 30, 2011

Posted: 1:08 AM, September 30, 2011

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Antonio Cromartie's breathing has returned to normal, and to demonstrate yesterday he ran his mouth.

The Jets cornerback returned to practice for the first time since suffering bruised ribs and a bruised lung, and expects to play Sunday against the Ravens. He likely will cover rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith, who had five catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Rams in his first start.

Impressive? Not to Cromartie.

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"He had one big game," Cromartie said dismissively. "That's it. He has five catches for his whole career."

Big talk from Cromartie, who did not play well against the Raiders on Sunday. Before injuring his ribs and lung, he had four penalties and botched a kickoff return that resulted in the Raiders recovering the ball at the Jets' 13.

Coach Rex Ryan did not sound too impressed with Smith, a second-round pick from Maryland, either. In a conference call with Baltimore reporters on Wednesday, Ryan sounded like he thought Smith's big day was more a product of poor defense from the Rams.

"He's a fast guy, and all that kind of stuff, but I don't think he'll have equal success this week," Ryan said. "If he does, then I'm just going to stay in Baltimore."

Ryan was asked if he felt the Jets needed Cromartie back from the injury to cover Smith.

"If we want to shut them down, we can always put [Darrelle] Revis on [him]," Ryan said. "We'll do what's in our best interest. I think, the guy that I'd be more concerned with would be [Anquan] Boldin. He's the proven commodity."

Cromartie practiced fully yesterday after sitting out Wednesday. He injured his ribs and lung on a third-down tackle of Darrius Heyward-Bey. Cromartie said he made a late adjustment because he was worried about leading with his head and that left him in a bad position.

"I tried to change the way I hit him because I didn't want to get a fine," he said. "At the last second, I put my shoulder in too much and went from there."

Cromartie said he had so much trouble breathing Sunday night he felt like a "fish out of water." But he improved enough to do some conditioning Wednesday and return to the field yesterday. He will wear a light vest to protect his torso in the game.

Ryan said Cromartie had three interceptions in practice, so he feels confident Cromartie is fine.

The Jets signed Cromartie to a four-year, $32 million deal in the summer. So far he has had an up-and-down season. He got beat for two touchdowns in Week 1 against the Cowboys, then intercepted two passes against the Jaguars in Week 2. He followed that up with his four-penalty performance in Oakland.

"We need him to be more consistent," defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. "We don't need the great game up here and then all of a sudden it's a clunker the next week. We need to get [Cromartie] to the point where we can be a little more middle of the road with him where he's just solid. Learn from [Revis], I think [Revis] can bounce back from a bad play. I think [Cromartie] sometimes because he's so competitive and he wants to please, that it's one of those things where he feels he's letting everyone down and it snowballs on him."

Cromartie certainly seemed to have put last week's poor performance behind him while speaking to reporters. He was asked if he thought he would cover Smith or Boldin this week, and responded with more tough talk.

"I don't care who I play," he said. "My job is to shut down that receiver. Whoever I face is going to have a hard day."

brian.costello@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/raring_to_cro_AM6YQXfkBkPP5IfmP1Q2gI#ixzz1ZRSfeCo0

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Struggling Jets defense must stop Ravens' Rice

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 9:20 AM, September 30, 2011

Posted: 1:06 AM, September 30, 2011

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headshotMark Cannizzaro

Let's call out the Raiders' mugging of the Jets last Sunday for exactly what it was and where it might have left the psyche of this defense that fancies itself as the baddest on the planet.

The 34 points the Raiders branded on the Jets defense like a tramp stamp at the tattoo parlor and the way they did it (234 rushing yards) left many -- possibly including the Jets themselves -- questioning their manhood.

This is the worst scenario of all for Rex Ryan, who would rather lose a weight-loss contest to his twin brother, Rob, than watch his defense manhandled the way it was in Oakland.

The slipshod performance in Oakland left the Jets ranked 31st (out of 32) in NFL run defense, a foreign place for Ryan.

"That definitely bothers me," Ryan said. "Most other coordinators in the league have been there. I have not."

The evidence from the Oakland film was so bad, Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine yesterday called out players for "poor effort" -- a damning condemnation considering this was a first in the Ryan era.

"We have our standards of play and when we don't play up to them from an effort standpoint that's the most troubling," Pettine said. "When it's a mental error or a guy just being lackadaisical or it's an effort thing, those are the things that we consider unacceptable."

So now, in prime time on Sunday night in front of a notoriously ravenous home crowd in Baltimore, the Jets' defense faces a physical Ravens offense that makes the Raiders look like posers.

More lapses in effort and "unacceptable" play against the Ravens will get the Jets embarrassed on national television.

In this case, though, the tough opponent might just be a blessing for the Jets defense.

The Ravens and their imposing physical style, led by running back Ray Rice, whose 4,226 yards from scrimmage since 2009 is the most of any player in the league during that stretch except for Tennessee's Chris Johnson (4,307), might be the perfect elixir for Ryan's defense.

If the Raiders got the Jets' attention, the Ravens have their defense rapt.

"There's no better wakeup call than to look at the schedule and see that it's Baltimore week," Pettine said. "If you can't get pumped up for that one then you're sitting in the wrong room."

Defensive tackle Sione Pouha said: "Coming off a loss like that it's not who we have next but who are we? It's more important to concentrate on who you are than it is who you're playing. You can never lose your identity and who you are."

The Jets' identity against the Ravens better be about getting physical with Rice and his 5.6-yards-per-carry average on 231 rushing yards and his team-leading 14 receptions catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jets' run defense went California soft last week, allowing Darren McFadden (171 rushing yards) to have his way against it.

Ryan tried to reason that the Raiders had run four other plays exactly the same as McFadden's 70-yard touchdown run and the Jets defense stuffed them, saying the lack of consistency "bothered me more than anything I watched on tape."

Linebacker Bart Scott offered the most curiously-convoluted explanation of all for the defense being "lethargic," blaming it on being on the West Coast and out of their comfort zone and not knowing when to eat and properly "carb-load" and "hydrate."

"It was just one of those weird days," Scott said after delivering one of the weirdest explanations you've ever heard.

Scott, though, was defiant about the Jets' 31st ranking against the run, saying: "Anyone that thinks there are 30 teams better than us against the run is foolish."

The bravado all sounds great, but unless the Jets fix what ailed them last week, they'll be the ones playing the fools and their dream season could take a nightmarish turn as it heads to Foxborough next week with the Patriots salivating to avenge last winter's playoff loss.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/running_amok_IMK7xHwLRUIyva4e8m6pDO#ixzz1ZRT09Tnj

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It's been block party for Jets WR Burress

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 9:18 AM, September 30, 2011

Posted: 12:39 AM, September 30, 2011

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In the first three games of the season, Plaxico Burress has yet to have a big receiving performance for the Jets. But he has turned heads with the blocks he's throwing.

The former Giants receiver took out Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins in the first week with a vicious block, then registered two more big ones in Oakland. His block helped spring LaDainian Tomlinson on his 74-yard catch in the first half.

"It's just trying to set the tone from the start of the game that, 'Hey man, this is not just going to be one of those receivers where we're going to pat each other on the [butt] and walk off type of games,' " Burress said. "It's going to be physical."

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Burress has seven catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns through three games. Coach Rex Ryan said Burress' blocks have shown up in the highlights he shows the team.

"I can't tell you how much his teammates are impressed by it," Ryan said. "Everybody wants to see the touchdowns and all that, but it's the other things he's doing well. You talk about playing like a Jet, and he's totally bought in."

Burress was limited in practice yesterday after feeling some tightness in his hamstring, but said he will be fine for Sunday's game with the Ravens.

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Santonio Holmes was thrown to just twice against the Raiders. He's counting on that number increasing this week.

"It's going to be in the game plan," Holmes said. "Hopefully, [quarterback Mark] Sanchez and [offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer] realize by putting the ball in my hands I can make a big difference, and the defense is going to be more afraid if I do touch the ball more than two times and satisfied if I don't touch it all."

Schottenheimer said he and Holmes spoke this week, and the Jets want to get him the ball but can't have Sanchez force it.

"I knew he was frustrated and I get that," Schottenheimer said. "The beautiful thing about it is we were all here last year for the three or four games that he helped us win. Believe me, it's something that we want to do. I've talked in here, it's something that I can think about, but it's nothing that the quarterback needs to worry about."

*

Though Antonio Cromartie is expected to play Sunday, the Jets will stay away from using him on kickoff returns after he suffered bruised ribs and a bruised lung last week.

"He's not going to return kicks this week," Ryan said before joking, "there is no chance, unless we really need him."

Joe McKnight will handle return duties in Cromartie's place.

*

Center Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) did not practice. Mangold came out in a helmet and jersey to jog and stretch with the team, but could not go through drills. Ryan said he will wait until Sunday before ruling Mangold out. . . . DE Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder) and Burress (hamstring) were limited in practice.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/big_block_party_for_burress_aNCJBvtvqp0jHVyhBIgLsI#ixzz1ZRTHvyXp

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Plaxico says Tiki 'better than half the backs in the league'

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 9:18 AM, September 30, 2011

Posted: 12:50 AM, September 30, 2011

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Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress is in the middle of his NFL comeback, but he has wondered why his former teammate Tiki Barber is not getting the same chance.

Barber announced he wanted to come back to the NFL in March after four years away from football. But no team has signed him.

"It's crazy," Burress told The Post. "He's better than half the backs in the league."

Burress played with Barber for two years with the Giants, and said he thought Barber would have fit in with someone this year.

"You'd think with the lockout teams would be looking for a veteran guy since the young guys couldn't go through minicamps," Burress said. "I'm very surprised he's not on somebody's roster. But it's just Week 4. Maybe somebody will call him."

Barber is 36 and has not played since 2006, which must have scared away some teams. Burress points out, though, that Barber's game was never predicated on speed and thinks the time away probably helped Barber's body recover.

"I believe he can still play and have an impact," Burress said.

Burress thought of Barber last Sunday in Oakland when he threw a block along the Raiders sideline. In 2005, he threw a block in almost the same spot to spring Barber for a 95-yard touchdown.

Burress saw Barber at his best. He ran for more 1,860 yards and nine touchdowns in 2005 and 1,662 and five touchdowns in 2006 when Burress was his teammate.

"I never realized how good he was until I played with him," Burress said.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/plax_tiki_deserves_another_shot_Y6TWBp1srAoNdDL6pqUkeM#ixzz1ZRTW3Fbn

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Schwartz: Ravens Vs. Jets Preview

September 30, 2011 8:29 AM

Reporting Peter Schwartz

By Peter Schwartz

» More Columns

While last week’s loss to the Raiders was ugly and leaves the Jets with more questions than answers, we found out the following from Gang Green’s 34-24 loss in Oakland: It’s just one game.

The Jets quickly turned the page as they get set to face the Ravens Sunday night in Baltimore.

One week after a flat out disaster, the Jets have a chance to bounce back.

“The good news is we get to play Sunday,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “The bad news is that we have to play against a team that is rolling right now. You have Baltimore and then New England right after that, probably two of the toughest teams that you could face. So, we’re going to find out about ourselves big time these next couple weeks.”

Rex spent ten years in Baltimore as an assistant coach. He was the defensive line coach of the Super Bowl championship team in 2000. He was promoted from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator in 2005 and held that job through the 2008 season before leaving to take the head-coaching job with the Jets.

Great memories, but that was in the past.

“I love the people in Baltimore,” said Ryan. “They treated me great. They treated my family great, but quite honestly right now, I’m not concerned with them at all. I’m just worried about our football team.”

And this week, there is a lot to be worried about in Baltimore. The Ravens have always been a terrific defensive team, but now they have a pretty good offense to go along with it.

Let by quarterback Joe Flacco’s three touchdown passes, the Ravens set a franchise record with 553 total yards in their 37-7 win over the Rams last week.

Ryan was with the Ravens when Flacco was drafted in the first round out of Delaware in 2008. He recalls some internal discussions about the signal caller.

“I just remember (Director of Player Personnel) Eric DeCosta and Ozzie (Newsome) telling me about this quarterback, Joe Flacco,” said Ryan. “I’m like, ‘Joe Flacco? Let’s go with a defensive player’. I’m like, ‘Come on, let me see this guy. He’s not any good.’ Then, when he got here, it took about one day and then you saw him throw. It was like, ‘Whoa.’ He was so much better than anything we had that it was so obvious that when (Ravens Owner) Steve (Bisciotti) asked my opinion, it was like, ‘Oh, please. It’s not even close. It’s Joe Flacco.’”

And the rest is history.

The Ravens offense can score but they can also push people around. That sounds like a good challenge for the Jets defense.

“We are a physical team,” said cornerback Darrelle Revis. “That’s what we go by. That’s our identity. We know this upcoming game is going to be very physical and tough. We know the Ravens are going to bring it.”

Revis will need plenty of help in shutting down Anquan Boldin and company. That help will come from some of his friends including former Ravens safety Jim Leonhard who will be back at his old stomping grounds in Baltimore.

“It’s an emotional game,” admitted Leonhard. “Anytime you play them, they bring a lot of emotion. You have to match that, especially at their place, it’s a great crowd. They’ll be ready to go, so there’s no doubt about it, we have to go in there with the right attitude. We need a win.”

From the Ravens perspective, it’s a special week as well. There are so many connections between the two clubs that it makes for an exciting match-up come Sunday.

Are the Ravens pumped up?

“I think you kind of have to be,” said linebacker Ray Lewis. “It’s going to end up being the same thing, a lot of familiar faces on both sides. We know each other very well. Who was over here is over there now. It has natural fire by itself.”

Under fire is the Jets offensive line for what has been a rough first three weeks. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has taken a beating getting banged up in all three contests. He has been checked for a concussion, suffered an arm injury, and this past Sunday he sustained a minor break to his nose.

Keeping Sanchez upright this week will be paramount.

“Nothing’s changed,” said Sanchez. “We pride ourselves in protecting the quarterback. That’s a part of me making sure I understand the protections, making sure I get the ball out on time. And when I do stretch a play out to the sidelines, to get rid of it in time or complete the ball early enough to where I’m not putting myself in harm’s way. The onus is on me, just as much as anybody else.”

This will tough sledding for the Jets offense. The Ravens have the best scoring defense in the league at 13.3 points per game.

“This is one of the best groups we’ll face all year, a physical group,” said Sanchez. “They know their schemes really well. They’ve played together for a long time, so this is probably one of the best teams we’ll play, and we need to play well on the road, answer the call, and play well against this really good team.”

This certainly has the makings of a black and blue affair. The game features two physical teams, a hostile environment for visitors, and emotional homecomings for the likes of Rex Ryan, Jim Leonhard, Derrick Mason, and Bart Scott.

Faith Hill will say it best at around 8:15pm Sunday.

“I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday night!”

THE PREDICTION

This is a bad match-up at the wrong time for the Jets. They have a suspect line that may or may not have Nick Mangold and a running game that has been far from stellar. Going up against the Ravens defense, that’s a recipe for failure.

From a defensive standpoint, can they stop Ray Rice? The odds are no either on the ground or receiving out of the backfield. The Jets just won’t have any answers for him.

By the way, the Ravens are 20-5 under head coach John Harbaugh at M&T Bank Stadium in three plus seasons.

Ravens 27 Jets 10

BROADWAY JOE NEEDS A MUZZLE

The last time I checked, Joe Namath is not on the Jets coaching staff. And, after checking the media guide, I noticed that he’s not even part of football operations. So it a bit puzzling to me why so many people are interested in hearing his thoughts about how the Jets prepare for games and how he thinks that Rex Ryan has the players believing that they are better than they actually are.

Who really cares what he has to say?

One thing is for certain. Ryan has enough to worry about without the media telling him about Broadway Joe’s big mouth.

“I welcome him to come out here and watch our guys prepare,” said Ryan this week. “He’d see a team that, in my opinion, prepares as well as any team I’ve been around. I disagree with him (about the preparation).

This might sound a bit unprofessional, but most of you know that I grew up a Jets fan and I appreciate what Namath means to this franchise. Just the mere mention of his name either brings back fond memories of Super Bowl III or, for those of us who are too young to remember it (I was one), it’s a reminder of the one glorious day in franchise history that Ryan and company hope to replicate someday.

In fact, conjuring up the memory of Super Bowl III actually paints Namath as somewhat of a hypocrite.

Why was it okay for Namath to guarantee a win over the Colts in 1969, but it’s wrong for Ryan to pump up his players?

Isn’t that the job of a coach?

“The great thing is I’m confident with our football team. There’s no question about it. I’ve told you this many times, I’ve never gone into a game I didn’t think I’d win. I haven’t won them all, but I certainly think we can and will. 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 with the preparation.”

Again, Namath is royalty when it comes to the Jets and the team’s history. But he is not a high-ranking football official and he is not doing Ryan, GM Mike Tannenbaum, or any other hard-working member of the front office any favors by questioning how the team goes about its business.

I hope that Namath takes up Ryan on his offer to come spend a day with the Jets. Maybe Namath will realize that ripping the team during a paid interview is not in the Jets’ best interests.

He will always be Broadway Joe, but for now, he’s persona non grata.

JETS/RAVENS SERIES

The Ravens lead the all-time series 6-1 and have won six straight including last year’s 10-9 victory in the Jets’ first regular season game at what is now called MetLife Stadium. The Jets actually won the first meeting between the two teams. That was back on November 2nd, 1997 when John Hall kicked the game winning field goal in overtime as the Jets prevailed 19-16.

Hall had missed five of his last six field goal attempts heading into that game. But on that day he booted four including the 37-yard game winner prompting this classic quote from head coach Bill Parcells after the game.

”We’re trying to get this kid out of his diapers and into his street clothes,” said Parcells. “Today, he took his Huggies off.”

Now if the Jets could only get off the schneid against the Ravens.

It’s not the official Super Bowl XLVIII game logo, but the NY/NJ Host Committee unveiled its logo this week while also adding new members to the organization. The game is not until 2014, but preparation begins years in advance for the biggest sporting event in the world.

The logo features the George Washington Bridge connecting New York and New Jersey. Also, in the spirit of the NFL’s first cold-weather Super Bowl, there is a snowflake.

The committee is co-chaired by Jets owner Woody Johnson and Giants executive Jonathan Tisch.

JETS RANK IN SI KIDS BOOK

Sports Illustrated KIDS has a new book out called “1st And 10”, a collection of ten lists for various football categories. The book is for kids and my five-year old son Bradley loves it, but I have to tell you that an adult football fan is going to have a hard time putting it down.

Some of the categories in the book include top ten quarterbacks, top ten play innovations, top ten nicknames, top ten coaches, and top ten helmets.

Another subject is top ten rivalries and the Jets are on that list. The Jets/Dolphins rivalry is listed as #8 on the list. The picture below was a rather interesting choice by Sports Illustrated. It’s from the 1993 season when the Jets wore throwback jerseys and helmets.

Schwartz: Ravens Vs. Jets Preview

(credit: SI)

The only issue is that the helmets they wore were green instead of white. I guess that’s because the Jets were wearing green helmets at the time and they didn’t want Boomer Esiason to get confused.

In any event, the book is terrific and it makes for some great debates when you see how some of the lists turned out.

I don’t want to give too much of the book away, but the Jets are in there a few times.

That’s all for now! Check back after the game for more. Enjoy the game on Sunday night.

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Morning take: Cromartie taunts Ravens WR

September, 30, 2011

Sep 30

8:30

AM ET

By James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Friday in the AFC East:

New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie called out Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Torrey Smith, saying he had "one big game."

Morning take: Cromartie isn’t impressed with the rookie, who had a slow start until last week. You knew trash-talking would pick up at some point between these two teams.

The Miami Dolphins have to do a better job of protecting quarterback Chad Henne.

Morning take: All things considered, I think Henne has improved from previous years. He's off to a decent start despite poor protection and several big drops by receivers.

New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo says it's time for the defense to step up.

Morning take: That's not a secret. The question is can the unit step up? It's a long season and there's plenty to fix on that side of the ball for New England.

Buffalo Bills No. 1 receiver Steve Johnson (groin) returned to practice on Thursday.

Morning take: Johnson said this week that his groin injury feels better than last week. Buffalo was cautious by letting Johnson miss Wednesday’s practice to help with recovery.

[Jetsfan80]

Cromartie shouldn't be calling ANYONE out after last week.

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Plaxico thinks NFL teams are “crazy” not to sign Tiki

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 30, 2011, 9:15 AM

Former Giants teammates Plaxico Burress and Tiki Barber both tried to get back into the NFL after long absences this season. Burress was welcomed back with open arms and signed with the Jets. Barber was largely ignored and has been described as devastated and flabbergasted that no one will sign him.

It turns out that Burress is flabbergasted that no one will sign Barber, too.

“It’s crazy,” Burress told the New York Post of Barber’s failure to find a team. “He’s better than half the backs in the league.”

It’s true that when Barber and Burress last played together — in 2006 — Barber was better than half the backs in the league. You could make a case that Barber, who topped 2,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his last three seasons, was better than all the other backs in the league. But it’s 2011 now, and the idea that Barber, at age 36, is still better than half the backs in the league is farfetched.

Still, Burress holds out hope for his old teammate.

“I’m very surprised he’s not on somebody’s roster,” Burress said. “But it’s just Week 4. Maybe somebody will call him.”

That’s doubtful. The Dolphins called him in for a workout, and after getting a look at Barber declined to bring him into training camp. And no other team has even gone so far as to kick the tires on Tiki. If any NFL team believed Burress might be right that Barber is better than half the backs in the league right now, Barber would be in the league right now.

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Offensive Advantages Are on the Outside for the New York Jets

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Sep 30, 2011 10:15 AM EDT

Once again, this new look pass first offense the Jets sport should probably focus on looking to exploit the Ravens on the outside with their receivers against some unspectacular corners instead of trying to pound the ball against an excellent front. The Ravens have had to deal with injuries in their secondary this year. Domonique Foxworth is on IR, while Chris Carr and first round pick Jimmy Smith have been banged up.

The listed starters on their depth chart are Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams. The Jets can present them with some matchup problems. Gang Green should particularly look to create matchups where Plaxico Burress takes on Webb, and Santonio Holmes faces Williams. Webb is only 5'10" and 182 pounds. Burress has a huge size advantage. On the other side, Williams looks a bit shaky. The Ravens seem to like playing off coverage but particularly so with Williams from what I have seen. The corner seem to play conservatively, giving up space underneath on comeback routes to guard against getting burned on a double move. A speedy deep threat like Holmes who comes out of breaks so well can give him problems.

If the Jets are going to win, they probably need their receivers to exploit these areas where an edge exists.

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Three things that could go right/wrong for Ravens vs. Jets

By Jeff Zrebiec

10:00 a.m. EDT, September 30, 2011

Three things that need to go RIGHT …

1. Provide a healthy serving of Rice. The Jets’ run defense was gouged for 234 yards by Darren McFadden and the Raiders last week. The Jets feel it was an aberration, but Ray Rice could test that theory.

2. Ravens defense proves best. In what will be billed as a battle of two elite defenses, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed will be anxious to show their former coordinator that they’re still the gold standard.

3. Ravens win fourth quarter. Both Ravens wins have been blowouts, but such a scenario would be a surprise this weekend, so they’ll need to make key plays late.

Three things that could go WRONG …

1. Ravens turn the ball over. In their two victories, the Jets forced seven turnovers. In their one loss, they created zero. Rex Ryan’s team feeds off mistakes

2. Old nemesis returns to form. A week after expressing displeasure about his role in the Jets offense, wide receiver Santonio Holmes faces an opponent that he’s torched for seven touchdowns in eight games.

3. Ravens get stranded on Revis Island. Even with a run-first mentality, the Ravens’ receivers will have to make plays down the field and that is never easy against Darrelle Revis and Co.

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Around the Empire

The city doesn't sleep, and neither do we.

Week 4 NFL Picks: Giants Keep Momentum, While Jets Lose Again

by Jared Smith • Sep 30, 2011 10:00 AM EDT

My weekly NFL picks were put on hold last week as I got married -- save the anti-marriage comment for yourself, I actually love this women. So, I have some catching up to do this week and there are some solid games to chose from.

After the jump see who I picked to win as the New York Giants visit the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Jets are at the Baltimore Ravens.

Star-divide

Giants (-1) at Cardinals: The G-Men sure showed something last Sunday with a huge victory over their division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the question is: Can New York keep the momentum going on the road? Answer: Yes. Prediction: Giants 24, Cardinals 17.

Ravens (-5) vs. Jets: Gang Green will look to try and rebound after losing a tough game at the Oakland Raiders last week. However, Baltimore is not the team you want to play if you're looking for a rebound. Prediction: Ravens 27, Jets 17.

Bills (-3) at Bengals: If Buffalo's come-from-behind victory against the New England Patriots last week didn't make you Billieve in this non-named squad. Then, a blow out of Cincinnati will. Prediction: Bills 34, Bengals 17.

Titans (+1) at Browns: Sadly, no one is giving Tennessee quarterback Matt Hasselback credit for his solid early-season play. Well, that will change this week after he leads the Titans to a decisive victory on the road. Prediction: Titans 23, Browns 14.

Cowboys (-1) at Lions: Everybody is jumping on Detroit's bandwagon, but Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is playing at a high level despite working with a bunch of players who don't know the playbook. That will change this week. Prediction: Cowboys 27, Detroit 24.

Week 2 results: 2-2-1. Overall record: 5-4-1

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Ravens or Jets - Who you got?

September 30, 2011 9:50 AM by Dan Kolko 1 Comment

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Teams usually don't like having their bye week too early in the season. They'd rather have the week off deeper into the year, allowing players time to rest and let their bumps and bruises heal prior to the final playoff push.

I think the Jets might actually be a little envious that the Ravens will have their bye next week, however.

Both of these two squads play a physical, pad-smacking, buckle-up-your-chinstrap brand of football, and they'll be left feeling the effects of Sunday night's game well into next week. More importantly, however, if John Harbaugh's guys are able to emerge victorious, they'll head into the bye with an impressive 3-1 record.

Here's how these two teams match up statistically entering Sunday's game:

Total Offense

Ravens: 389.0 yards per game (11th)

Jets: 360.7 yards per game (16th)

Rushing Offense

Ravens: 127.7 ypg (8th)

Jets: 82.0 ypg (25th)

Passing Offense

Ravens: 261.3 ypg (13th)

Jets: 278.7 ypg (10th)

Total Defense

Ravens: 329.3 ypg (13th)

Jets: 325.3 ypg (11th)

Rushing Defense

Ravens: 84.0 ypg (6th)

Jets: 136.7 ypg (31st)

Passing Defense

Ravens: 245.3 ypg (17th)

Jets: 188.7 ypg (6th)

Turnover Ratio

Ravens: +6 (t-1st)

Jets: +1 (t-13th)

When you break down the overall philosophies of these two teams, you find lots of similarities between them. Both the Ravens and Jets have traditionally been run-oriented offenses under their current coaching staffs, but have thrown the ball more this year than many would've expected. For the Jets, that means that third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez's role in the offense is slowly growing, as have his options in the passing game.

Plaxico Burress joined the Jets' wide receiving corps this year, teaming with Santonio Holmes to give Sanchez an athletic duo who have proven their talents in big games. Derrick Mason now is Jets colors as well, and tight end Dustin Keller is a favorite of Sanchez's and is a threat ... that is, if he's been able to peel himself up off the turf at the Meadowlands since last year's monster hit by Ray Lewis.

The pressure will be on the injury-plagued Baltimore secondary to contain those three receiving options and limit big plays down the field.

If you move to the other side of the ball, the similarities between the teams continue with their aggressive, opportunistic defenses that will get after the quarterback and thrive on forcing mistakes. Jets coach Rex Ryan is known for his exotic blitz schemes, and with his brand of "organized chaos", he'll send any player at the quarterback at any time.

The Jets have one of the top cornerback tandems in the NFL featuring the All-World Darrelle Revis and the tough Antonio Cromartie. Revis is probably the top corner in the game today, and often times, he completely takes away the wide receiver that he's matching up against. Cromartie is physical and has good speed, as well, but he's vulnerable to allowing the big play and makes his share of mistakes.

Given the Ravens' situation at wide receiver (Lee Evans will likely miss his second straight game due to injury) and how tough the Jets are in the secondary, Baltimore will have to rely heavily on running back Ray Rice and tight end Ed Dickson.

New York's run defense has surprisingly struggled this season, as evidenced by the 234 rushing yards they allowed last week to the Raiders, and if those struggles continue, Rice could have a big day. Dickson will need to work the middle of the field and pick up yardage through the air, as Anquan Boldin and the Ravens' receivers might provide much against the Jets' corners.

This is a tough game to predict, especially given the fact that the Jets will come into Baltimore fired up off of last week's loss in Oakland. They'll want to prove those 234 rushing yards allowed were a fluke, and would hate to drop to 2-2 on the season with a matchup against the Patriots looming next week.

I think the team that's able to force the most mistakes will come away with the win, and at home, facing a still unproven quarterback in Sanchez, I give the Ravens the edge. Put me down for a 20-17 Ravens win.

What about you? Do you see the Ravens scratching and clawing their way to a win and a 3-1 record on the season, or will Rex get his first win against his former team?

Who you got?

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Sunday Night Football Preview and Prediction: New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens

September 30, 2011 By Steve Kubitza Comments (0)

This Sunday night’s game between 2010 playoff teams the Jets and Ravens is actually an anticipated matchup compared to the game last week, even though the Colts didn’t do too badly. (Or did the Steelers just do that bad? Either way, the Colts are 0-3 and Curtis Painter is their starting quarterback. He’s no Ryan Leaf, but at the same time he is no Peyton Manning…)

Let’s take a look at this game, which will feature Jets head coach Rex Ryan going up against the future Hall of Famers he used to coach in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

jets-ravens preview prediction point spread pick

Jets-Ravens Preview

The Jets are heading into Baltimore in a matchup that features two of the top teams in the AFC. Both are 2-1 heading into the game. The Ravens’ loss came to a surprisingly good Titans team, while the Jets lost to another surprising team in the Raiders.

The Jets need this game more than the Ravens. I know it is still early, but the Jets are in a division with not only the perennial powerhouse Patriots, but now the Bills seem to be for real. A loss in this game would drop the Jets to 2-2, and it doesn’t get any easier next week with a trip to Foxboro.

The Jets defense was torched last week by the Raiders. They gave up 234 yards rushing alone, with 149 more through the air. The offense actually outgained that of the Raiders by 66 yards. The difference was two turnovers by the Jets compared to zero by the Raiders.

Rex Ryan is certainly not happy with his defense after last week’s performance. They will need to tighten up the gaps as Ray Rice will definitely try to exploit their weakness up front.

The Ravens are coming off of a dominant win in St. Louis against a Rams team who is among one of the biggest disappointments of the year, along with the Chiefs.

Torrey Smith caught three touchdown passes in the first quarter alone, and Flacco went on to throw for a total of 385 yards. They gained 168 more on the ground, and will likely run the ball early against the Jets.

Jets-Ravens Prediction

The Ravens look like the better team coming into this game. I have a tough time trusting the Jets’ defense until I see them do well against a quality team. They only allowed 3 points against the Jaguars, but they are not much of a test. (I would apologize to Jags’ fans for that jab at their team, but I’m not sure that there are actually fans of the Jaguars in existence).

The Ravens will run the ball early, and if they are successful they can use that to set up the play action. The Jets are always capable of pulling off the amazing, but I don’t see it this week.

Ravens 31-Jets 24

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Jets' Nick Mangold will not practice fully this week

Published: Friday, September 30, 2011, 11:26 AM Updated: Friday, September 30, 2011, 11:44 AM

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

Jets center Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) will not get in a full practice this week.

Mangold once again dressed for practice and participated in warm-ups and stretching with the team. But when team drills began, Mangold headed off to the side to do stretches and movement drills with the strength and conditioning staff during the portion of practice open to the media.

His status for Sunday's game will be listed later today, though coach Rex Ryan has already said Mangold will likely be a game-time decision.

Mangold sat out last week's game at Oakland and has not practiced since injuring his ankle against the Jaguars. He will at least be listed as limited but, if he continues to sit out team drills in the portion of practice closed to the media, will be a non-participant.

CB Antonio Cromartie (ribs) and WR Plaxico Burress (hamstring) were participating in drills during the portion of practice open to the media.

[JiFtheOracle]

Jets' Nick Mangold will not practice fully this week

Published: Friday, September 30, 2011, 11:26 AM Updated: Friday, September 30, 2011, 11:44 AM

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

Jets center Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) will not get in a full practice this week.

Mangold once again dressed for practice and participated in warm-ups and stretching with the team. But when team drills began, Mangold headed off to the side to do stretches and movement drills with the strength and conditioning staff during the portion of practice open to the media.

His status for Sunday's game will be listed later today, though coach Rex Ryan has already said Mangold will likely be a game-time decision.

Mangold sat out last week's game at Oakland and has not practiced since injuring his ankle against the Jaguars. He will at least be listed as limited but, if he continues to sit out team drills in the portion of practice closed to the media, will be a non-participant.

CB Antonio Cromartie (ribs) and WR Plaxico Burress (hamstring) were participating in drills during the portion of practice open to the media.

Please dont rush Mangold back. This game isnt even going to be close and its not worth risking further damage. Save it for NE. At least we have a chance in that game.

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Please dont rush Mangold back. This game isnt even going to be close and its not worth risking further damage. Save it for NE. At least we have a chance in that game.

That's exactly what Rex is thinking. 27-10 Jets

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Friday practice report

September, 30, 2011

Sep 30

12:17

PM ET

By Jane McManus

Nick Mangold was again in uniform and went through warmups with the Jets, but the center did not participate in position or team drills again. Mangold has a high ankle sprain and didn't play last week in Oakland. Since Baltimore is closer, coach Rex Ryan could delay making the decision. Backup Colin Baxter worked in his place.

CB Antonio Cromartie, who has a rib/lung injury, seems to be improving and practiced with the team during the portion of practice the media can observe. Ditto WR Plaxico Burress, who left practice early Thursday with a tight hamstring.

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The Byrne Identity: Electricity At The Castle

There are 400 NBC staff members in Baltimore ready to show Ravens-Jets to the world. by Kevin Byrne

Sep 30, 2011, 1:26PM

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The Whole World Will Watch Ravens/Jets

There is no doubt about it. Sunday night’s game against the Jets is a big-time sporting event.

The game will be the most-watched TV program in the United States on all of television next week. It will be seen around the world.

Players, coaches and NFL executives from every team will be watching also. They all know that the Ravens and Jets are two of the best teams in the NFL right now. They all know the game will likely have serious implications on making the playoffs and seeding. John Harbaugh has even talked to the players about it.

What a start to the season for us. We hosted the Steelers, the team that represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in February, at M&T Bank Stadium for the opener three weeks ago. And, now we have the Jets, the team the Steelers beat in that title game here Sunday night.

How dynamic is that! Bring on the “7 Nation Army” chanting. This is going to be a happening.

Electricity At The Castle

While everyone here (at our facility in Owings Mills – the one the media call “The Castle”) understands that the season won’t be lost for the team that loses Sunday night, there is still a heightened electricity here this week. Maybe it’s because guys like Rex Ryan, Bart Scott and Derrick Mason are coming back to M&T. Maybe it’s the reality that, right now, both of these teams are really good.

You could just feel an extra sizzle with the NBC-TV folks buzzing around here. There’s Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels. There’s Michele Tafoya. Bob Costas will be here Saturday morning to interview Ray Rice for the NBC pre-game show. (In fact, NBC has over 400 people in Baltimore and at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday as part of their broadcast crew.)

One of the most impressive people here is Dick Ebersol, the former head of NBC Sports who is now a consultant to the network. Going back to Munich in 1972, Dick has produced for television some of the greatest Olympic moments in history, along with being the father of “Sunday Night Football in America.” A number of times in his career, Ebersol has been selected as “The Most Powerful Man in Sports.”

One more interesting detail about the longtime NBC Sports chief... In 1974, Ebersol, who had dropped out of Yale when he was 20, was hired by NBC as the Director of Weekend Late Programming. The network was looking for new ideas to get young people to watch television on weekend nights, long a graveyard for programming. In 1975, Dick and his NBC cohort, Lorne Michaels, conceived and developed a show called “Saturday Night Live.” Now, that’s pretty cool.

Josh Charles To The Ravens' Defense

Baltimore’s Josh Charles, the Emmy-nominated actor for CBS-TV’s “The Good Wife,” is devoted to the Ravens. He’s recognized in New York, where he now lives, by the Ravens’ logos on the helmet he wears while tooling around the city on his Vespa. Josh has worn a Ravens’ uniform on “The Jimmy Fallon Show” and talks publicly about the Ravens whenever he can.

On Tuesday, Charles was on “The Dan Patrick Show.” Josh met Patrick when Dan called the game for a recent celebrity flag football contest that was televised nationally. Charles, in fact, caught a touchdown pass from Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino in the game and broke out into an excellent imitation of Ray Lewis’ “Squirrel Introduction Dance.” Charles and Patrick eventually talked about Josh’s devotion to the Ravens, and Charles mentioned that he did not like some of the things Dan and Bob Costas had said about the move of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore way back when. Patrick told him that he should come on his show and talk about it.

Unbeknownst to Charles last Tuesday, Patrick had Costas waiting on a phone line to join the on-air conversation. “They surprised me, but we got to talk about it. I didn’t want to be impolite, but I stood my ground without trying to embarrass anyone,” Charles said.

Here is the Josh Charles interview with Dan Patrick and Bob Costas. (The discussion about the Ravens starts around the 15:00 mark.) Our man Josh throws it down against Costas. Josh calls Bob out for comments he made prior to our ripping of the Patriots in the 2009 playoffs and about Art Modell and the moving of a franchise at the Ravens’ first-ever game in 1996 (against the visiting Raiders.)

Zeus Is Gone

Not lost in the shuffle of going to St. Louis and winning last weekend was the passing of former Raven Orlando “Zeus” Brown. Zeus was found dead last Friday at his downtown Baltimore home. While it appears no foul play was involved, the cause of death has still not been determined.

Many stories about Brown were told by players, staff and some coaches during our travels to and from St. Louis and while we stayed in the land of the Arch. There was one common thread: We all smiled while remembering the imposing and kind-hearted (off the field) man. As a player, Zeus never let up. He had such insecurity about keeping his job, he brought tremendous intensity not just in games, but every practice. His goal was to physically dominate every person who dared cross his football path. Frankly, he played with mean intentions, and at 6-foot-7, 350-to-60 pounds, he was ferocious.

My favorite Zeus story came from Scott Pioli, the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. In 1993, Scott was a personnel assistant with the Cleveland Browns, and he was sent to South Carolina State to work out a prospective draft choice. Orlando heard that there was an NFL scout on campus and sought out Pioli. At the time, Zeus was an overweight (maybe close to 390 pounds) defensive tackle.

Brown told Scott that he wanted to work out for him. Scott explained that he was there to work out someone else and that he didn’t have time to work out Zeus. Zeus insisted. Pioli said, “No.” Well, he said “No” for awhile until Zeus, according to Scott, said: “You’re working me out.”

Talk about persistence, intimidation and “He’s-a-very-big-human-being-and-I’m-going-to-work-him-out” moment. Orlando impressed enough to get an invite to a rookie camp, and the rest is history.

Before we took the field against the Rams last Sunday, John Harbaugh told his team “to play like Zeus played. Let’s be relentless.” We were to the tune of a 37-7 victory. Let’s be relentless again against the Jets. Let’s beat them.

Enjoy the game. Talk with you next week,

Kevin

Kevin Byrne, a Ravens senior vice president, has worked in the NFL for 32 years. Byrne has been with the Ravens since the start of the franchise in 1996. Earlier in his career, Byrne was the sports information director at Marquette University, his alma mater, when they won the 1977 NCAA basketball championship under coach Al McGuire.

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Jets' Aaron Maybin expects to be active vs. Baltimore

Published: Friday, September 30, 2011, 1:37 PM Updated: Friday, September 30, 2011, 1:56 PM

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

Aaron Maybin, signed by the Jets on Wednesday, said he expects to be active for this week's game against Baltimore, "barring any unforeseen circumstances."

"Nothing has been said definitively, but I've been practicing, I've been in the rotation," Maybin said. "The plan was for me to come in and be ready to go for this game on Sunday."

Maybin, a former first-round pick, spent the final weeks of training camp with the Jets after being cut by the Bills. He survived the first cut-down to 53 players but was let go when the team claimed players off waivers at the end of the preseason. The Jets kept in touch with the pass-rushing outside linebacker and told him they may bring him back if a spot opened up, which happened when back-up center Rob Turner (broken fibula) went on injured reserve this week.

Maybin said he has been practicing this week on defense and also on several special-teams units. These sessions are closed to the media except for the first 30 minutes. He is still catching up on the playbook but has focused on knowing what is in the game plan for Baltimore. He is anticipating a role based on what he has done on the practice field.

"Coming in for situations, not just pass-rush situations but specifically rush situations and situations where a guy of my attributes is needed to get on the edge and force some things from a pressure standpoint," said Maybin, who is from Baltimore. "And also on special teams, helping wherever they need me to come in and play."

The Jets already have a designated pass rusher, Jamaal Westerman, though coach Rex Ryan was lukewarm on Westerman's performance when asked this week. Ryan said "he hasn't been great, but he has done a decent job."

Ryan also said signing Maybin wasn't a reflection on Westerman. The third-year player out of Rutgers said he doesn't think his playing time will be affected, since the Jets use so many personnel packages.

"It is part of the business of the game," Westerman said of Maybin's signing. "All I can do is control myself and control what I do out there. When I get my opportunities to go out there, whenever it is, how few, how many, just go out there and be consistent and keep doing more and trying to play better and keep improving. That’s the only thing I can control."

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Mangold Limited at Practice, Questionable for BAL

Posted by Randy Lange on September 30, 2011 – 2:11 pm

Nick Mangold’s ankle tops the Jets newswire this afternoon. “He was limited today — he actually took some reps,” head coach Rex Ryan reported at the top of his news conference.

Considering Mangold sat out Sunday’s Raiders game and didn’t practice the first two days this week, that’s good news. The not-as-good headline is that he’s listed as questionable for Baltimore on Sunday night.

“He really is questionable,” said Ryan. “He’s not one of those you-really-know-what’s-going-to-happens. He really is a gametime decision.”

What’s spurring Mangold back from his high ankle sprain suffered against the Jaguars is his own prideful and resilient nature, plus the nature of his possible dance partner, Ravens nose Haloti Ngata.

“Nick wants to compete against the best and Haloti is the best,” Ryan said. “He’s trying to do what he can to get ready, and he has been doing that. … I think your great competitors want to go against the best. Nick, I think, still wants that opportunity.”

If Mangold is ruled out as late as 90 minutes before the 8:30-ish start to the game, Colin Baxter will make his second pro start, and if the ball’s in his court, he, too, will welcome his next playing time Sunday.

“Haloti’s one of the best defensive tackles in the league,” Baxter said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for me to get to see where I’m at.”

All the other injured Jets are probable for this game, including WR Plaxico Burress (hamstring), who, as he predicted, returned to full practice today, and rookie DE Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder), the only Jet besides Mangold limited for the end-of-week workout.

We’ll put the Ravens’ injury summary here as soon as we get it.

Offense Still Working It

By no means was Ryan wasn’t offering it as a prediction of what will happen Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium, but he said that while his defense and special teams had fine practices today, the offense did not.

“The first three periods, it started off where we made some mental mistakes and it never looked really good,” the coach said. “Now we closed the practice and looked really good.”

Rex also liked the interaction between Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes.

“Mark missed a pass to Santonio, so we repeated it and he hits it,” Ryan said. “After I practice I see him working on it, 30 throws, trying to make sure they’re on the same page. That was encouraging.”

It’s especially encouraging because a Tone on the same page with his QB has made for bad music for the Ravens recently. In his last seven games with the Steelers vs. the Birds (including one playoff game), Holmes has caught eight TD passes and at least one in each game. He’s averaged 4.9 catches in those games for 19.3 yards a catch and 74.2 yards a game.

“Tone’s a playmaker, whether he’s turning a short pass into a long gain or running over the top of you,” Ryan said. “There’s a reason he was our No. 1 priority this offseason. He’s a talented guy.”

Rapid Changes for Baker

Josh Baker’s already gotten a career-full of Jets transactions to his name in a little over two months. The TE from Northwest Missouri State was signed as an undrafted free agent on July 27, waived on Sept. 3, signed to the practice squad the next day, released from the P-squad the day after that, and re-signed to the practice squad on Sept. 14.

Then on Tuesday, in the wake of Jeff Cumberland’s season-ending Achilles injury, was signed to the active roster.

Some other rookie might be starry-eyed about the prospects of suiting up and making his pro debut — in Sunday primetime, no less. But Baker’s got a veteran’s handle on his situation.

“To be honest, unless you’re a franchise player, no job is secure. Every job is week by week. Next week I might not be here,” he said this week. “You can only control the controllables.”

Baker could be active for the Ravens or he could be one of the Jets’ seven inactives, depending on what the Jets need at other positions and on special teams. He should make the trip to Crabcake City, but it’s not a guarantee.

None of that mattered this week as he and newly signed practice squad TE Martell Webb gave their best scout team impressions of Ravens TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta for the first defense at practice.

Needless to say, Baker would love to suit up, for his own reasons as well as to be able to renew acquaintances with a certain Ravens QB he knew quite well in college. Before transferring to Northwest, Baker played on the same Delaware offense for a while with Joe Flacco.

“I still have his cell number and I did leave a message for him this week. I’m sure he’s three times busier than I am this week,” Baker said.

I asked him if he engaged in a smack with his old Blue Hens teammate. No way, he said, again with a vet’s savvy.

“You can’t trash-talk him on voicemail because then he’ll replay it for everybody down there,” he said. “You’ve got to do that 1-on-1.”

Josh hopes to get that chance this weekend.

Weekend Appearances for Two Jets Alums

Two Jets defensive line alumni will be on hand at Dick’s Sporting Goods three-day grand opening weekend in Yonkers, N.Y. Joe Klecko will be on the Ridge Hill site, 45 Fitzgerald St., in Yonkers on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. And Kris Jenkins will make an appearance Sunday from noon-2 p.m.

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Rex Ryan says Nick Mangold will be a game-time decision at Baltimore on Sunday

BY Kevin Armstrong

Jets center Nick Mangold was limited in practice Friday and will be a game-time decision Sunday night when the team faces the Ravens in Baltimore. He is listed as questionable on the team's injury list

"If the game was today, I'd say no," Jets coach Rex Ryan said.

Mangold, who suffered a high ankle sprain early in the Week 2 win over the Jaguars, did not travel with the team to Oakland last weekend. He is expected to make the trip to Baltimore and check in with his trainers regarding his status.

"He wants to compete against the best," coach Rex Ryan said.

Rookie reserve Colin Baxter has played in his place.

***

Ryan deemed the performance of the offense in practice as "sloppy", and said the unit needs to improve before playing the Ravens.

"If we're gonna win, we better be at our very best," Ryan said.

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Injury report: Ravens vs. Jets

By Ken Murray The Baltimore Sun

3:07 p.m. EDT, September 30, 2011

Cornerback Chris Carr missed practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jets with a thigh injury.

Carr had not been on the injury list previously this week. He missed the Ravens’ Week 2 game in Tennessee with a hamstring injury. It’s uncertain if this injury is the same or new.

The Ravens also list linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (thigh) as doubtful and left guard Ben Grubbs (toe) as questionable for the Jets. Ellerbe did not practice this week and Grubbs practiced only briefly on Thursday.

Click here to find out more!

Five Ravens – none of them surprising – will miss Sunday’s game, including wide-out Lee Evans, who is dealing with a lingering ankle problem.

Get the Baltimore Football app for iPhone and Android

Also scratched are safety Haruki Nakamura (knee), wide-out David Reed (shoulder), and cornerback Jimmy Smith (ankle).

Center Matt Birk (knee) and defensive end Cory Redding (toe) are probable.

The Jets list center Nick Mangold (ankle) as questionable after he had limited practice Friday and wide receiver Logan Payne (wrist) is out.

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress (hamstring) and cornerback Antonio Cromarite (ribs) are probable after participating in a full Friday workout. Also probable for the Jets are defensive tackle Mike DeVito (shoulder), linebacker David Harris (toe), wide receiver Santonio Holmes (shoulder) and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder).

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News Update

Haters_tiny by bobdolethesnapplelady on Sep 30, 2011 3:06 PM EDT

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) scrambles away from Baltimore Ravens' Brandon McKinney (91) during the third quarter of an NFL football game at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. The Ravens won 10-9. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

about 1 year ago: New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) scrambles away from Baltimore Ravens' Brandon McKinney (91) during the third quarter of an NFL football game at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. The Ravens won 10-9. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Hey everyone. Here's a bit of an afternoon update on what's happening.

DE/OLB Aaron Maybin is, barring something major, going to be active this weekend. It sounds like they have some specific packages to allow him to use his speed. Hopefully we'll see the beginnings of something awesome this weekend with Maybin.

C Nick Mangold is a true game-time decision. He was and has been limited in practice. According to Rex, if the game was today, he wouldn't start, however he said that by Sunday his status will be 50/50.

The offense had a bad day of practice today, committing a lot of mental mistakes, but finished practice strong.

WR Plaxico Burress practiced fully after a tightening of his hamstring. He's playing on Sunday, make no mistake about it.

Per Jason LaCanfora, Baltimore WR Lee Evans is likely out. This means CB Antonio Cromartie would be on WR Torrey Smith. That's a matchup I want to see. Take the jump with me and I'll give you my take on these developments.

Star-divide

I'm excited to see what Maybin has. As we've seen, he's done well in the pre-season and it's very possible that he takes the next step. I'm interested to see what kind of packages Rex has in store for Maybin, and I really wouldn't be shocked if he gets a sack and a handful of pressures in his first game as a Jet.

As for Mangold, don't expect to see him play this weekend. He's 50/50, but I can't imagine they'd put him out there at those odds. Why risk further injury to your All-Pro center when we'll need him even more next week? If he's not playing, expect to see a decent amount of Conner and LT helping Colin Baxter block Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, and Ray Lewis from destroying Mark Sanchez.

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The Jets Would Like to Defend Better This Time

By Seth Rosenthal

Rex Ryan's Jets pride themselves on their defense, and they'd like to continue to do so. With that in mind, events like last week's collapse in Oakland, in which Darren McFadden and friends regularly caught the Jets out of position and on their heels, must be few and far between. They head to Baltimore this week, former home of Ryan and a number of his players, and will be damned if they're going to let the Ravens rack up points the way the Raiders did. In the meantime, they've made all the requisite noise to drive that point home. It started at the top, with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine blastin' and lambastin' his charges for their negligence.

Said Pettine:

"You can handle technique mistakes, and sometimes guys just go against somebody who's better and you come up short, but when it's mental errors or it's a guy being lackadaisical or it's an effort thing ... those are things we consider unacceptable," Pettine said Thursday.

"We have our standards of play and, when we don't play up to them from an effort standpoint, that's the most troubling. It's certainly something we talked about Monday when we watched the tape."

That's an oft-invoked line of thinking from coaches. "If we're losing because my team's players are worse than the other team's players, then there's nothing we can do about that, but if we're losing because everybody's acting like a butt-head and making stupid butt-head mistakes, then that's very bad and it makes me sad," is probably something that Vince Lombardi said, albeit in his own words.

Erasing stupid butt-head mistakes is a point of emphasis for pretty much every tier of the defense. New York was disappointed enough in their pass rush against the Raiders that they felt it necessary to add Aaron Maybin back into the mix. He may or may not play, but something must change to ensure that Joe Flacco feels pressure. The rush defense must be sharper, too, as Ray Rice would happily gobble up the same opportunities that Darren McFadden (171 yards) did last week. And in the air, the Jets must keep track of both Anquan Boldin, the stalwart, and Torrey Smith, the rookie receiver who looked much better last week against the Rams (five catches, 152 yards, three touchdowns) than he did against that minor earthquake last month. It remains to be seen how the New York corners match up with Boldin and Smith, though it's probably an easy choice. Gang Green Nation expects Darrelle Revis, not the recovering Antonio Cromartie, to take Boldin. Cromartie, for his part, isn't scared of either of 'em, injured lung be damned.

So, words have been said and moves made in hopes of empowering an unusually sluggish Jets defense. Their task on Sunday is to stifle those familiar Ravens so thoroughly that we all forget the Raiders game even happened.

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No fines for Wilkerson or Wimbley

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 30, 2011, 4:14 PM

Jets coach Rex Ryan was angry this week when his quarterback, Mark Sanchez, got his nose broken by Raiders linebacker Kamerion Wimbley with no flag being thrown, especially considering that in the same game, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell drew a roughing the passer penalty for nothing more than getting bumped in the shoulder by Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson.

After reviewing the situation, the NFL says Ryan is half right: Wilkerson did nothing wrong when he bumped into Campbell, but Wimbley didn’t do anything wrong with his hit on Sanchez, either. The league office confirmed to PFT that neither Wilkerson nor Wimbley was fined.

The decision not to fine Wilkerson just makes sense: Wilkerson barely bumped into Campbell, and that play did not warrant a flag.

The hit on Wimbley was a closer call: It didn’t look like an intentional cheap shot, but in the course of taking Sanchez down, Wimbley got his hand inside Sanchez’s facemask, breaking his nose in the process. It was reminiscent of the hit that Haloti Ngata laid on Ben Roethlisberger last season, which drew Ngata a $15,000 fine. But Wimbley got off easier than Ngata.

[Larz]

Plaxico Burress helping NY Jets unexpectedly with crushing blocks of defensive backs downfield

BY Kevin Armstrong

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, September 30th 2011, 1:00 AM

The most pleasant surprise of wideout Plaxico Burress' short tenure with the Jets thus far has been his willingness, when not running routes, to decimate defensive backs.

"It's tough getting those jitterbugs," Burress said. "When you've got your shot, you've gotta take it."

Burress placed bull's-eyes on two Raiders last week, and blasted them on blocks. In Week 1, he leveled Cowboys corner Michael Jenkins. He counts each knockdown and celebrates them with fellow receivers in meetings.

"It's tough on the body but it actually helps you get in better football shape," Burress said. "We're not just gonna be these receivers who pat ourselves on the butt afterward. We want to dominate our defenders on pass plays as well as runs."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sKI744m4xg

[spjets]

that was a great hit