Jets News 10-4

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Jets week a departure

But players vow to just play ball

By Julian Benbow

Globe Staff / October 4, 2011

FOXBOROUGH - Rookie running back Stevan Ridley has only been in the Patriots locker room for two months and he has already gotten the obligatory Jets week warning from coach Bill Belichick.

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Nothing’s off limits - wives and toes included - when it comes to the buildup for Sunday’s run-in at Gillette Stadium.

Ridley’s making sure to take the “do-as-told’’ approach.’’

“It’s big, man, I know it’s big,’’ Ridley said. “[but] Coach made it clear that we don’t want to get caught up in that. So I know as a rookie, that I’m not going to get caught up in that. I’m just going to go out there and play ball.’’

In all likelihood, they won’t be as loud or as cocky as they were the last time (back-to-back losses have a way of muzzling a team), but the Jets will return to Foxborough for the first time since January, when they walked into Gillette and kicked the Patriots out of the playoffs in the divisional round.

That all but erased the memory of the 45-3 beating the Jets took at Gillette a little more than a month before.

The Patriots are 3-1 after winning Sunday in Oakland, but their loss is in the division to Buffalo (3-1). The Jets are 2-2 after getting picked over by Baltimore Sunday night, but they’ve yet to play a division game.

“I’m more than sure it’s going to be a physical game,’’ said running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. “It always is when we play those guys. So we want to have our [hard] hats ready.’’

Since Rex Ryan took over as coach of the Jets in 2009, the regular-season series between the teams is split (2-2).

“It’s a big game for sure,’’ tight end Rob Gronkowski said. “It’s the Jets coming into town, so we’ve got to get prepared, practice like we’ve been practicing, and prepare like we’ve been preparing and get ready for game time.’’

Doing what it takes Linebacker Dane Fletcher remembers former Patriots backer Mike Vrabel lining up as a tight end. Now Belichick is asking Fletcher to play some fullback.

“I watched him as a kid,’’ Fletcher, 25, said with a grin. “If I could fit into the kind of guy he was, that’d be great.’’

Fletcher occasionally has run routes, but mostly he’s looking for bodies to crash into. He said he got the heads-up that he could see some action on offense when the Patriots, who were preparing for the season opener against Miami, released Sammy Morris.

“We wanted to try to have somebody who was active for the games that we actually use there,’’ Belichick said. “Dane kind of has a good feel for that.’’

“They tell me to go run my face into some people, I’ll do it,’’ Fletcher said.

Belichick said fullback is similar in some ways to linebacker.

“Linebackers, you kind of have to see the hole, like a back does,’’ he said. “When you get on the other side of the ball and you’re a running back, you’re sort of seeing that same space that you would see as a linebacker - that’s where you want to go.

“You don’t want to go in back of your guys; you want to go where they aren’t. That’s sort of the same thing a linebacker does, is to try to see those openings and know that’s where you fit into them because your linemen have the other areas occupied. It’s not the same, but there’s some carryover there.’’

Thomas Welch, promoted from the practice squad just before Sunday’s game, filled in on the banged-up offensive line but also lined up at tight end. It was the first time he had done it since he was at Vanderbilt.

Belichick knew the 24-year-old had some experience. Welch was a quarterback in high school but moved to tight end after hurting his shoulder. He was recruited as a tight end, but grew into a tackle.

A good read After snagging one of Jason Campbell’s passes Sunday, defensive lineman Vince Wilfork is second on the team in interceptions with two - one behind Kyle Arrington - and he leads the Patriots in interception return yards (47). Belichick isn’t shocked.

“It doesn’t surprise me if he gets his hands on it, no,’’ Belichick said. “He’s got really good hands. He’s very athletic; he has very good hand-eye coordination. He makes those plays in practice. I’m not saying every day, but we’ve seen him catch the ball out there.’’

Entering the season, Wilfork never had picked off a pass. The Patriots are plus-4 in giveaway/takeaway differential.

“He read Campbell’s eyes, kind of saw the ball come out and just stepped right into it,’’ Belichick said. “It’s tough for a quarterback to see that - you’re looking at the coverage downfield, you’re not really looking at the defensive line.’’

Starting to stop The Patriots, who were last in opponent’s third-down conversion percentage a year ago and next-to-last entering Sunday, stopped the Raiders on 8 of 13 third downs. “We had our moments,’’ Belichick said. “We had third-down stops in the red area which were big - kept the points off the board. We’re always looking to improve. Whatever it is, there’s still room for improvement.’’ . . . The Jets are a bit thin at linebacker. Bryan Thomas is out for the season with a torn left Achilles’ tendon suffered in a loss to the Ravens, and Garrett McIntyre is day-to-day with a concussion.

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com.

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Jets report card: F for the offense

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The Record

Rushing offense: F

The already struggling ground-and-pound was pounded even further by the Ravens, who limited the Jets to 38 yards rushing. The Nick Mangold-less line was unable to generate much of a push up front, and Shonn Greene (10 carries, 23 yards) couldn't make much happen on his own, either. A counter-trap run by FB John Conner for 13 yards was the highlight.

Passing offense: F

Mark Sanchez completed only 11 of 35 passes as he was harassed all night by Baltimore's defense. He lost three fumbles and threw an interception, all of which were converted into Ravens' points. Two strip-sacks were returned for touchdowns, as was a third-quarter sideline route in which Sanchez was hurried by the rush of Terrell Suggs and never bothered to look off CB Lardarius Webb, who stepped in front of Santonio Holmes for the pick and 73-yard score.

Rushing defense: B

This area improved greatly after being ineffective at Oakland. Ray Rice was limited to 66 yards on 25 carries, although he had a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. LB Calvin Pace forced a fumble by former Dolphin Ricky Williams, and NT Sione Pouha notched his second recovery of the season. The Ravens averaged 2.8 yards per carry.

Passing defense: B-plus

Baltimore QB Joe Flacco (10-for-31) was inaccurate, but part of it was because the Jets generated some pressure, especially newcomer Aaron Maybin, who had a strip-sack of Flacco. David Harris returned an interception 35 yards for a score in the second quarter, giving the Jets some hope. The Ravens' wideouts weren't factors because of CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

Special teams: B-plus

Joe McKnight stepped in for Cromartie as the primary kickoff returner after Cromartie was hurt at Oakland last week, and returned Baltimore's first kickoff 107 yards for a score, the longest play in team history. The Jets' coverage units played well. Punter T.J. Conley was solid with a 38.8-yard net average and two punts inside the 20, and Nick Folk improved to 7-for-7 on field goals with a 40-yarder.

Coaching: D

Special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff designed yet another terrific blocking scheme for McKnight's touchdown, and the recent rules (no wedge formations, kickoffs from the 35) haven't seemed to bother Westhoff and the Jets. But the Jets were too quick to pull C Colin Baxter in the second quarter, making a bad situation worse. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer didn't have his best game, but it's hard to know what to dial up at the moment considering how inaccurate Sanchez is and the awful protection. Defensive-minded Rex Ryan has to take blame for the poor offense, too.

— J.P. Pelzman

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Rex Ryan not shaken by losses

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets traveled light to Baltimore over the weekend, failing to bring along their running game and pass protection.

But when they take to the road again Sunday at New England, Rex Ryan won’t forget to pack something he always carries.

"I will never lose confidence," Ryan said Monday, when asked if his confidence has been shaken by the Jets’ two consecutive losses. "As long as I’m coaching, I won’t lose confidence."

Even though there isn’t a lot of reason for it at the moment. The Jets are coming off embarrassing losses, and now face a New England team that has won 29 consecutive regular-season home games with Tom Brady starting at quarterback.

And he’s healthy, as demonstrated by his 226 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-19 win at Oakland on Sunday. And while it’s true the Jets upset the Patriots in Foxboro, Mass., in the playoffs last January, that only provides more reason for revenge-minded New England and Brady to be on point.

"I’d rather play Summit [High School], and Summit’s playing pretty good right now," Ryan joked. "I just want to win. In fact, I don’t know how many regular-season games New England’s won in a row at their place [18 with and without Brady]. There’s probably easier assignments than going up against New England at New England. That’s the cards that we were given and we’re going to play them."

It then was suggested to Ryan that because he considers division games to count as 1 1/2 games, perhaps a game against the two-time defending AFC East champs should count as 1 3/4.

"I’m with you on that math," Ryan said with a smile. "That sounds good to me. I’ll go for that."

More seriously, he added, "It’s huge. We’re not going to deny that. It’s huge. [it] absolutely is. This is a team that we have to beat. No offense to Buffalo. Buffalo’s playing great. The simple fact is [New England has] won it two years in a row since I’ve been in this division. We need to knock them off."

But to do that, the Jets need much better play from their offensive line. Center Nick Mangold, who has missed the last two games because of a high ankle sprain, might practice on a limited basis Wednesday, Ryan said. His return would stabilize a line that was beaten repeatedly Sunday.

Ryan said the Jets remain committed to running the ball, despite gaining only 38 yards against the Ravens.

"It’s something we have to be able to do," Ryan said. "It’s no great secret that we need to be able to run the ball better. We have to, and that hasn’t changed."

He plans to stay with Shonn Greene as the feature back, despite Greene having only 157 yards on 3.1 yards a carry through the first four games. Ryan made it clear he doesn’t think that lack of production should be blamed on Greene alone.

"We have to be better at blocking on the perimeter," Ryan said. "We have to get better at handling the inside things, handling the [run] blitzes, the stunts and things like that."

THOMAS OUT FOR SEASON: OLB Bryan Thomas, a 10-year veteran, will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles suffered against Baltimore. Ryan called it a "huge loss," but said he wasn’t ready to "anoint" a starter, indicating the position could be filled by committee. Candidates would include Jamaal Westerman, Josh Mauga, Garrett McIntyre and Aaron Maybin. McIntyre suffered a concussion against the Ravens and his status for Sunday is uncertain.

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

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Jets' Rex Ryan says team must focus on the run game again

Published: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 4:00 AM

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

Immediately after the Jets’ 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Rex Ryan appeared “hurt,” left guard Matt Slauson said. But the coach had changed his tune by Monday, mad and heated at how the Jets offense broke down Sunday night.

So when he met with his team back at Jets headquarters, he delivered a message: We have to get back to running the football.

Does that mean the Jets are bringing back their ground and pound?

“Absolutely,” Slauson said.

The Jets started off the season with a plan to throw the ball more, with talented receivers and quarterback Mark Sanchez in his third year. But four games in, with a 2-2 record and passing 63 percent of the time, they have seen the cracks in that plan.

Ryan felt the team became one-dimensional in the loss to Baltimore, which allowed the Ravens’ talented defense to get after Sanchez aggressively. The Jets’ protection could not hold up, allowing the quarterback to get hit 10 times, now a total of 26 hits this season.

“A lot of our problems stem from not being able to run the ball,” Slauson said. “We’ve put such an emphasis on our passing game because of Mark’s maturity and all of our outside threats, we’ve been working that so much, and our running game kind of got put on the back burner a little bit. That’s really shown in games. So now we’re going to start emphasizing the run a lot, because in the past, everything we could do was because we could run the ball so great. We need that identity back.”

Ryan admitted that it was a “possibility” the Jets got caught up in wanting to bring along their air attack this year. But since the Jets “built this team to run the football,” they need to find a way to do it effectively. The Jets’ run offense is ranked 28th in the league with 284 yards on 92 carries, a 3.1 yards-per-carry average.

Ryan said among the areas the Jets need to improve are blocking on the perimeter and handling blitzes and stunts inside. He does not plan any lineup changes in the backfield, though. Lead back Shonn Greene has 157 yards on 51 carries this season.

“How about we give Shonn Greene a chance?” Ryan said.

The offensive line has drawn ire after its performance Sunday night. Receiver Santonio Holmes called out the unit after the game, and quarterback Joe Namath joined in during a weekly radio spot Monday.

Ryan believes the Jets have the personnel to block for the run game and protect Sanchez — but they have to execute better. Getting back center Nick Mangold, who has missed two games with a high ankle sprain, will help. Today, the Jets plan to work out free agent Brandon Manumaleuna, a veteran tight end who could be a blocking presence.

“He’s not going to make it through the season if he keeps getting hit 10 times a game,” Ryan said of Sanchez.

Included in the 10 hits on Sanchez were three lost fumbles. For the first, Ed Reed blitzed unblocked from the left side. Slauson said the Jets did not identify the front correctly, and the left side of the line should have slid in Reed’s direction. Haloti Ngata later recorded a forced fumble, which left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson called “pointless” and “needless” because it resulted from a communication error.

More coverage:

“It wasn’t anything about Baltimore, it was all about us,” Slauson said. “Baltimore just took advantage of our youth inside and our inexperience and wanted to throw everything at us.”

The Jets need to get it fixed quickly, and their solution right now appears to be reverting to the identity that carried them to back-to-back AFC Championship games. Because even the ever-confident Ryan doesn’t like where this team is at.

“Right now, we’re not going to the Super Bowl,” Ryan said. “It’s at the quarter pole. We’re 2-2. We’re not even in the playoffs, so how can we get to the Super Bowl? ... My confidence in our football team, by the time we get to the finish line, we’ll be right there. All I’m doing is basing it on my past experiences. You don’t go to the playoffs based on the quarter pole.”

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

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Jets coach throws tirade at offense

Posted: 3:42 AM, October 4, 2011

Rex Ryan unloaded on the Jets offense -- aka A Schotty in the Dark -- in a team meeting yesterday with a tirade that lasted five minutes and was designed to rouse them from their alarming slumber with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the hated Patriots waiting in ambush to kick the Jets while they're down.

"He yelled at us," Matt Slauson told The Post.

For how long?

"Well it was a short meeting because he wanted to get us to film. . . . It was probably like five minutes or so."

GOING GREENE: After Rex Ryan berated the Jets' offense during a team meeting yesterday, it seems Gang Green will start to refocus the offense on Shonn Greene and the running game.

UPI

GOING GREENE: After Rex Ryan berated the Jets' offense during a team meeting yesterday, it seems Gang Green will start to refocus the offense on Shonn Greene and the running game.

Has he ever done that before?

"Yeah . . . well not quite that extensively. . . . But, yeah, we've been yelled at before."

But the tape was anathema to Ryan because it showed Mark Sanchez and his offense taking it on the chin from a defiant Ravens defense that took no prisoners.

Ryan never promised an outfit that would be Grounded and Pounded like that.

"He said, 'Our running game's gonna be back, that's gotta happen,' " Slauson said. " 'I don't care if we have to run it 60 times a game.' "

Back to the future, and with the Patriots lurking, the future is now.

I asked Slauson: "A lot of F-Bombs?"

"Yeah. That's Rex. Even when he's happy he's dropping F-Bombs (smile)."

Was it silent in the room?

"Yes. I haven't seen the room like that since [the Monday following] New England in Week 13 or whenever it was."

Ryan referred back to a sloppy Friday practice by the offense. He had mentioned it to the media on Friday.

"He did say our Friday practice for our offense was an issue," Slauson said. "He said we need to put an empashis on practicing it. And that was our emphasis last week, too, because before the Oakland game, our defense really didn't practice great, and then we lost. So we put an emphasis on having really good practices in the week, and the offense did great. . . . Wednesday, Thursday, great practices. Friday -- lazy."

The defense was spared Mount Ryan's molten fury.

"Strictly offense-related," Slauson said.

I asked Slauson: How does the offense feel being called out in front of the whole team?

"We don't like it . . . it hurts," he said. "Especially on the offensive line, because we feel mostly responsible. We're responsible for about 99 percent of that loss."

Did he direct his anger at the offensive line, or the entire offense?

"It was yelling at the team, while directing it towards the offense," Slauson said. And specifically the running game . . .

"That was half of the ordeal."

What was the other half?

"The execution, and the mistakes, and the practice."

Did he bring up the Patriots at all?

"He did say that we're gonna get it fixed, and we should be excited to play the Patriots because everyone's counting us out, and we get a chance to beat them now," Slauson said.

Ryan has repeatedly told fans and media the Jets have nothing to hide, which frees his players to be themselves and speak their mind. Ryan was subdued at his press conference last night.

"I'm subdued, but there's probably a little more fire burning inside of me than maybe I'm letting on to," he said.

Informed that Slauson had told the media the head coach was "[ticked]" Ryan declined to elaborate.

"One thing about me, there's a lot smarter guys than me and all that stuff, but there's nobody more competitive," Ryan said, "and they're gonna get my best shot."

The Jets find themselves in crisis mode in large part because they have been seduced by the growth of Sanchez, but too much so for their own good.

"We need to get our identity back as a running team that throws after the fact," Slauson said.

When asked about Santonio Holmes calling on the offensive line and Sanchez to step it up, Ryan said: "The good thing about us is we don't mute ourselves. We don't tell our guys, 'Hey let's not say this or not say that.' At that time, you get it handed to you like Baltimore handed it to us, you don't feel real good about it. The frustration is we know that Mark can be a great quarterback, we gotta protect him."

Joe Namath, on ESPN radio yesterday, called Holmes' postgame comments "a mistake" and potentially divisive.

"We don't care one bit about what Joe Namath has to say," Slauson said. "He means nothing to us."

Sounds like the Rexplosion has the Jets in an ornery mood.

steve.serby@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rexplosion_may_ground_the_jets_ZAqDqctAXpTtPxnV1OQTfJ#ixzz1ZoxOFRhQ

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Jets lose LB Thomas for season

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:43 AM, October 4, 2011

The Jets received more troubling injury news yesterday. Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon in Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Ravens.

Thomas is the longest-tenured Jet, having been taken in the first round of the 2002 draft by the team.

"That's going to be a huge loss to us, obviously," Jets coach Rex Ryan said.

Thomas suffered the injury in the first quarter Sunday while rushing Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. It was clear immediately that he was in major pain and had to be carted to the locker room.

Jamaal Westerman, normally a pass-rushing specialist, replaced Thomas on Sunday, but Ryan said he is not necessarily going to be their every-down replacement

"I'm not ready to anoint anybody the starter there," he said.

UPDATES FROM OUR JETS BLOG

Ryan said the Jets could use Westerman or Josh Mauga, who usually plays inside linebacker, at the spot. They also have Aaron Maybin, but he has only been on the team for a week and is probably not ready to play coverage. Ryan said another alternative is playing four defensive linemen.

It would not be surprising if the Jets sign another linebacker this week either.

Thomas is generally underappreciated by fans because he has never lived up to his draft day billing as a pass rusher. But Thomas is highly respected in the locker room and does a lot of the dirty work on the Jets defense, stopping the run and providing coverage.

"It's tough when you lose a guy that is a true Jet, a guy that's played a lot of snaps for us," safety Jim Leonhard said. "We've got some guys that need to step up. There's no question about it. We feel like we have the guys in the room that can do it."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/injury_ends_season_for_vet_thomas_f5nkOcff7qhiO5MBeRztnK#ixzz1ZoxseNPf

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Jets know offense far from Super

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:22 AM, October 4, 2011

Posted: 3:29 AM, October 4, 2011

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Rex Ryan's Super Bowl predictions have become . . . well, predictable. But the Jets coach delivered a twist on his usual refrain yesterday after watching his team get taken apart by the Ravens Sunday night.

"I'm going to say this: Right now, we're not going to the Super Bowl," Ryan said. "It's at the quarter pole, we're 2-2, we're not even in the playoffs so how can we get to the Super Bowl if we're not even in the playoffs?"

Still, even after watching the Ravens manhandle his offense in a 34-17 defeat, their second straight loss, Ryan remains confident the Jets will turn it around.

WAY OFF THE MARK: With Mark Sanchez and the Jets struggling on offense, especially with the passing game, Rex Ryan said the team will re-commit to the 'Ground and Pound' attack that has worked so well over the last two seasons.

Neil Miller

WAY OFF THE MARK: With Mark Sanchez and the Jets struggling on offense, especially with the passing game, Rex Ryan said the team will re-commit to the "Ground and Pound" attack that has worked so well over the last two seasons.

"There's one goal that we have and this franchise is going to chase it," Ryan said. "We're at 2-2, a game behind the leaders in our division and we haven't played a division game yet. Is it going to be easy? No, of course not. But I think we'll be there. I will never lose confidence."

UPDATES FROM OUR JETS BLOG

Ryan blasted his offense yesterday during the team meeting, one day after the Ravens forced four turnovers and embarrassed the unit. The Jets had 150 total yards, 38 on the ground.

The Jets ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing offense as of yesterday. They are averaging 71 yards per game on the ground, a far cry from their "Ground and Pound" identity of the past two seasons. Ryan said the Jets must re-commit to running the ball.

"We've got to get a heck of a lot better here," Ryan said. "We're a team that prides itself on running the football, being able to run and we haven't been successful so far."

The beleaguered offensive line got an earful yesterday after failing to get the running game going and watching quarterback Mark Sanchez get hit 10 times Sunday night. The coaches told that group the Jets must run the ball more, beginning this week in New England.

The offense has not had an identity through the first four games. The receivers have not caught many passes. The running game has been grounded. Sanchez has had some good moments, mixed in with plenty of poor ones.

"I think right now we're kind of in flux," guard Matt Slauson said. "We're trying to figure [our identity] out, I think. Because of our playmakers on the outside we've been trying to emphasize a lot more passing. So our execution on the run game hasn't been great. But in the past the reason we've been able to pass so well is because our running game is stellar. We need to get that back. We need to get our identity back as a running game that throws after the fact."

When someone suggested trying someone other than Shonn Greene, who is averaging 3.1 yards, Ryan took the onus off the back.

"How about we give Shonn Greene a chance?" he said, seeming referring to the lack of holes for him to run through.

Ryan was subdued while addressing the media, but said that was deceiving.

"I'm bothered by the fact that I think we're a better football team than we're playing right now," Ryan said. "We're not executing as well as I thought we'd execute by now. It's just something that's on us as coaches, on me. I'm subdued but there's probably a little more fire burning inside of me than I'm letting on, too."

The Jets do not have much time to regroup with the rival Patriots staring them down this week. The Jets trail the Pats and Bills by one game in the AFC East. This is Gang Green's first divisional game, and even thought it's early October, this already feels like a crucial spot.

"It's huge," Ryan said. "We're not going to deny that. This is the team that we have to beat. No offense to Buffalo. Buffalo is playing great but the simple fact is this team's won it two years in a row. So, we need to knock them off."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/mad_rex_grounds_pounds_jets_tUpCLUhgA5RMFlbTHpex5K#ixzz1ZoyG84bL

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Namath rips Jets again

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:39 AM, October 4, 2011

Posted: 2:44 AM, October 4, 2011

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Joe Namath took aim at the Jets again yesterday, but this time he ripped Santonio Holmes, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and the offensive line instead of coach Rex Ryan.

Namath took issue with Holmes' postgame comments after the 34-17 loss to the Ravens when the wide receiver criticized the offensive line and quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Holmes said Sunday: "It starts up front with the big guys. They've got to do a better job of protecting Mark, and Mark has to do a better job of making reads and getting the ball to where he needs to, so his playmakers can make plays."

"That was a mistake, it surely was," Namath said on 1050 ESPN Radio. "For Holmes, as a captain, to go outside, to the media, and start pointing fingers. . . . I mean, he's right about the ball getting out late to him [on Sanchez's third-quarter interception], and he's right about the offensive line, but that can create a problem in the locker room. . . . That divisiveness can bury a team. They've got to correct that right away."

UPDATES FROM OUR JETS BLOG

Ryan said he did not have a problem with what Holmes said.

Namath called the offensive line "scary" and called it a "reach" to take center Colin Baxter out, replacing him with Matt Slauson and inserting Vlad Ducasse at left guard.

The Jets legend then took a shot at Tannenbaum for selecting Ducasse and not admitting it was a mistake.

"I'm not sure what's going on there," Namath said. "We picked some poor players and we're not owning up to it. That's what it amounts to. You've got guys on the roster who have been picked and you keep trying to say, 'OK, they're going to work out.' Well, guess what? We tried that with [Vernon] Gholston and it didn't work out.

"You have to [say], 'Hey, I made a bad pick, a bad selection,' and move on. The Jets didn't do that and it's a little late for the season to get it righted."

Last week, Namath criticized Ryan for having the Jets overconfident. Despite Namath's stature in Jets lore, his comments do not carry much weight inside the locker room.

"We don't care one bit what Joe Namath has to say," Slauson said. "He means nothing to us."

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Sanchez was hit 10 times Sunday, enough for Ryan to worry about keeping him healthy.

"He's not going to make it through the season if he keeps getting hit 10 times a game," Ryan said.

*

Ryan said he is hopeful the Jets will have All-Pro center Nick Mangold back this week after missing the last two games with a high right ankle sprain. . . . Reserve linebacker Garret McIntyre has a concussion and is day-to-day.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/namath_rips_holmes_gm_line_rTV2kf5M27SRvTiQhnHPpI#ixzz1Zoycgjq8

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Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas lost for the season with torn Achilles tendon suffered vs. Ravens

BY Christian Red AND Manish Mehta

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Tuesday, October 4th 2011, 4:00 AM

Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in Sunday's loss. Rex Ryan called it a "huge loss to us," and added that the Jets' front office would "never say no" to possibly scouring the market to find a replacement.

"But right now, we've cross-trained Josh Mauga, (Jamaal) Westerman. We have Aaron Maybin. We have options here," Ryan said.

NAMATH BOMBS AWAY

For the second consecutive week following a Jets' loss, Joe Namath detonated with critical comments of his former team. After the loss to Oakland, Broadway Joe singled out Ryan, but Monday Namath had wideout Santonio Holmes, as well as offensive line coach Bill Callahan and offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse, in his sights.

"That was a mistake, it surely was," Namath said of the critical comments Holmes made about the offensive line. Namath appeared on ESPN's "The Michael Kay Show."

"For Holmes, as a captain, to go outside, to the media, and start pointing fingers ... that can create a problem in the locker room. ... That divisiveness can bury a team. They've got to correct that right away."

Namath said putting Ducasse in the game was "a real reach, man. I know coach Bill Callahan ... is a heck of a coach, but come on, who are we trying to convince that these players are quality?"

Ouch. Ryan jabbed back last night. When discussing the pressure QB Mark Sanchez faced against Baltimore, Ryan said any star QB would have had a "rough day" with the exception of one.

"That's why I was saying, Joe Montana can be the quarterback - maybe not Joe Namath - but Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, whoever, would have had a rough day," Ryan said.

GOLDEN RETURN?

Ryan said C Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) "will probably be limited" at practice tomorrow, adding he was "getting better." Ryan said training staff worked on the idled Mangold "pretty good" before Sunday's game and that he had "no issues."

TIGHT SPOT

The Jets will bring in 10-year veteran tight end Brandon Manumaleuna for a visit Tuesday, according to a source. Manumaleuna last played for the Bears in 2010.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/04/2011-10-04_jets_lose_lb_thomas_for_season.html#ixzz1Zoz8WztN

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Jets coach Rex Ryan subdued after loss to Baltimore Ravens, but 'fire' still burning inside him

BY Christian Red

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, October 4th 2011, 4:00 AM

ay.

If there were roars to be heard from Rex Ryan at the Jets' Florham Park, N.J., practice facility - less than 24 hours after the team got thumped by Baltimore, 34-17 - they were emitted behind closed doors.

Ryan, visibly humbled by the Jets' second straight dismal performance, addressed the media in uncharacteristcally measured tones Monday.

"I'm subdued, but there's probably a little more fire burning inside of me than maybe I'm letting on," Ryan said. "One thing about me, there's a lot smarter guys than me, but there's nobody more competitive."

The usually big-talking Ryan had to back off his months-long boast that the Jets are a lock to make the Super Bowl. A 2-2 record can do that.

"I'm going to say this - right now we're not going to the Super Bowl," said Ryan. "It's at the quarter pole. We're 2-2 (and have lost two straight). We're not even in the playoffs. How can we get to the Super Bowl when we're not even in the playoffs? But my confidence in our football team? By the time we get to the finish line, we'll be right there. It's not easy to make the playoffs, but I think that we'll be there."

To that end, Ryan stressed a need to amp up the running game, which recorded a paltry 38 yards Sunday night in Baltimore. Shonn Greene had 23 yards on 10 carries.

"We're a team that prides itself on running the football and we haven't been successful so far," Ryan said.

And if the Jets need any incentive to keep Mark Sanchez healthy, they need look no farther than down the Turnpike in Philadelphia, where Michael Vick is getting creamed on a weekly basis.

"When you look at (Sunday's) game (against the Ravens), I don't care if Joe Montana's back there. That kind of pressure - it's hard to execute," Ryan said. "(The Ravens' defense) wasn't backing off one bit. And neither would I. (Sanchez) is not going to make it through the season if he keeps getting hit 10 times a game."

Sanchez, who was 11-for-35 for 119 yards, threw one interception, was sacked twice, fumbled four times and was under pressure all night. Ryan said he thought he had the offensive personnel in place to be effective and did not anticipate any radical changes, although he is still waiting for the return of veteran center Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain).

"We just want to win. Clearly right now, we are what our record says we are," said Ryan, whose team next faces New England on the road Sunday.

"I'm bothered by the fact that I think we're a better football team. We're not executing as well as I thought we'd execute by now. It's something that's on us as coaches. It's on me.

"There's one goal that we have and this franchise is going to chase it. I will never lose confidence. As long as I'm coaching I won't lose confidence."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/04/2011-10-04_ryans_view_is_not_so_super.html#ixzz1ZoziNeWy

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NY Jets coach Rex Ryan talks around Super boast as test vs. Patriots awaits

Gary Myers

Tuesday, October 4th 2011, 4:00 AM

The Jets were feeling so good about themselves before they beat the Patriots in the playoffs in January that Antonio Cromartie was quite candid in expressing his dislike for Tom Brady.

In a conversation with the Daily News the Tuesday before the game, Cromartie called Brady "an a$$----," and then the Jets went up to Foxborough and beat the Patriots.

Are the Jets feeling that good about themselves now as they get ready to go back to New England?

Not really.

Rex Ryan sets the tone for the Jets, and after the embarrassing loss in Oakland and Sunday night's debacle in Baltimore, he was less than emphatic yesterday about reinforcing his guarantee of the Jets winning the Super Bowl this season.

The Jets, for now, have lost their swagger.

I asked Ryan yesterday if he is losing confidence in his Super Bowl guarantee considering what's gone on the last couple of weeks. He was not really direct in his answer, which is a huge change. He seemed to be backpedaling faster than Darrelle Revis covering Calvin Johnson.

"I'm going to say this: Right now we're not going to the Super Bowl," he said. "It's at the quarter pole. We're 2-2. We're not even in the playoffs, so how can we get to the Super Bowl when we're not even in the playoffs? But my confidence in our football team? By the time we get to the finish line, we'll be right there. All I'm doing is basing it on my past experiences. You don't go to the playoffs based on the quarter pole."

Of course, when Ryan made his Super Bowl guarantee in February it was early in the offseason and the Jets had not yet lost a game. He offered no qualifications back then even when the Jets had a full season to play. He's qualifying it now with three-quarters of a season left.

Watching his quarterback turn the ball over four times with three returned for touchdowns could make any coach think twice about booking dinner reservations at an Indianapolis steak house in early February. Ryan was subdued yesterday, reminiscing how down he was after the Jets lost 45-3 to the Pats in December. He went back to Baltimore where he coached for 10 years and wanted to show off his team that he took to consecutive AFC title games in his first two years.

Instead, he was embarrassed.

Realistically, how could his confidence not be rattled? Mark Sanchez has regressed and is getting beaten up every week, the offensive line is unable to protect Sanchez or open holes for the running game and Ryan's shutdown defense is shutting down offenses only every other week.

If the Jets can't run, they can't win. Sanchez is not ready or good enough to sling it around every week like Brady or Aaron Rodgers. In four games, the Jets have rushed for just 284 yards, 30th in the league. That's an average of 71 yards per game - less than half of what they did in 2010. Last year, the Jets averaged 148 yards rushing.

Ryan made a point of telling his team yesterday it is going to get back to running the ball. But Shonn Greene, who stepped up in the playoffs in 2009 when Thomas Jones ran out of gas at the end of the season and did the same in the postseason last year when LaDaianian Tomlinson was just about on empty, has been a dud as the featured back. Here's the scary part for the Jets: Greene has no track record that says he can handle the job.

Ryan says the confidence he had in his original guarantee is not shaken, even if it sure sounds that way.

"We got three quarters of the regular season still to play," he said. "I'm going to tell you this - there is one goal we have and this franchise is going to chase it. That's as simple as that. We're at 2-2, a game behind the leaders in our division and we haven't played a division game yet. Is it going to be easy? Of course not. It's not easy to make the playoffs. But I think we'll be there. There is no doubt. I will never lose confidence. As long as I'm coaching, I won't lose confidence. I don't care."

So far, the finger-pointing hasn't started in the locker room. Santonio Holmes stirred things up a little bit after the game Sunday night when he said the oiffensive line has to do a better job of protecting Sanchez and Sanchez has to do a better job of reading defenses so he can get the ball to his playmakers. Pretty innocuous. Pretty accurate.

The Jets now face their first crucial game of the season in New England. If they beat the Patriots, the angst of the last two weeks will fade away. That how it works in the NFL. But if the Jets lose, then not only will team chemistry be tested, but they will be fighting from behind in the AFC East and trying to make the playoffs. This is a virtual must-win.

"It's huge," Ryan said. "We're not going to deny that. It's huge. Absolutely it is. This is a team we have to beat. No offense to Buffalo. Buffalo is playing great. The simple fact is this team has won it two years in a row since I've been in this division. We need to knock them off."

And if the Jets win this game, then Ryan might even get back to making Super Bowl guarantees instead of talking around them.

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'Let's Work Together, Make Improvements'

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 2 hours ago

In the aftermath of the Jets’ 34-17 loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, the team regrouped to watch video and begin to correct the number of mistakes that plagued them. It was a disappointing performance by the offensive line, and one that was addressed Monday afternoon in the Jets' meeting rooms and locker room.

“We had some mistakes and played an awful game,” said LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson. “But at the same rate, we know what we’re capable of. We know a lot of the things that happened in that game were self-inflicted, and if we just execute our assignments and focus a little bit more, I think we’ll have a lot of success in the future.”

Ferguson’s tune is a familiar one, nearly echoing the words of the defense after the loss to the Raiders in which Oakland ran for 234 yards. In Baltimore, the Jets’ D responded in a big way, holding the Ravens to an average of 2.8 yards per carry and QB Joe Flacco to a completion percentage a shade over 32 percent.

Acknowledging the shortcomings of his unit, Ferguson has no doubts that the offensive line will rebound in a big way.

“We’ve been playing together for a while, and we’re the type of group that sticks together,” he said. “We have tough skin. Let’s work together. Let’s make improvements.”

QB Mark Sanchez found himself on the ground more often than in any other week this season, as Baltimore recorded two sacks and an additional 10 hits on the Jets’ quarterback. Immediately after the loss, head coach Rex Ryan said that Sanchez “struggled mightily” over the course of the game. Monday he had a slightly different message.

“I think it was the pressure,” said Ryan. "He struggled mightily statistically when you look at those stats, but it wasn’t just him. It was the pressure.”

That same pressure disrupted any attempt the Jets made to run the ball against the mammoth defensive front of the Ravens. Constantly in the backfield, the Ravens held the Jets to 38 rushing yards on 19 attempts. Ryan and his coaching staff do not take pride in the lopsided run-to-pass ratio.

“We expected to throw the ball more this year, there’s no doubt,” said Ryan. “But we still have to find a way to run the ball more effectively. We have a tremendous center [in Nick Mangold], one of the best left tackles in football [Ferguson], the best right guard in the league in my opinion [brandon Moore], a massive right tackle with athleticism [Wayne Hunter], and a huge left guard [Matt Slauson]. We have to be able to run the football more than 38 yards.”

Mangold has missed the last two games due to a high ankle sprain, and his status for Sunday’s divisional tussle with New England is uncertain. Ryan said he hopes his center will be able to go Sunday. "He'll probably be limited" at Wednesday's practice, the coach said, adding, "He's getting better."

However, Ferguson was not about to use Mangold’s absence as an excuse.

“Sometimes when there are new pieces, things happen," he said. "You have to be realistic about that, but at the same rate, there’s no reason we can’t expect a high level of performance and execution. It’s up to us to hold ourselves to a high standard, and go out there and do the things we already know we are capable of.”

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Namath again lays into Jets

Posted by Michael David Smith on October 4, 2011, 7:10 AM EDT

Joe Namath AP

The man who led the New York Jets to victory in Super Bowl III is not done ripping this year’s version of the Jets.

Joe Namath, who last week said Rex Ryan has made the team too cocky, this week said G.M. Mike Tannenbaum has done a bad job in the draft, especially on the offensive line, where 2010 second-round pick Vlad Ducasse hasn’t worked out as expected.

“I’m not sure what’s going on there,” Namath said on ESPN 1050, via the New York Post. “We picked some poor players and we’re not owning up to it. That’s what it amounts to. You’ve got guys on the roster who have been picked and you keep trying to say, ‘OK, they’re going to work out.’ Well, guess what? We tried that with [Vernon] Gholston and it didn’t work out. You have to [say], ‘Hey, I made a bad pick, a bad selection,’ and move on. The Jets didn’t do that and it’s a little late for the season to get it righted.”

But while Namath criticized the Jets’ offensive line, he also criticized Jets receiver Santonio Holmes for telling reporters after Sunday’s game that the line needs to do a better job of protecting Mark Sanchez.

“That was a mistake, it surely was,” Namath said. “For Holmes, as a captain, to go outside, to the media, and start pointing fingers. . . . I mean, he’s right about the ball getting out late to him [on Sanchez's third-quarter interception], and he’s right about the offensive line, but that can create a problem in the locker room. . . . That divisiveness can bury a team. They’ve got to correct that right away.”

Namath isn’t necessarily wrong in his criticisms, but he is running the risk of sounding like his criticisms are personal. No one likes to hear the old guy talk about how things were different “back in my day,” and that’s what Namath is starting to sound like.

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Morning take: Rex Ryan jabs Joe Namath

October, 4, 2011

Oct 4

8:00

AM ET

By James Walker

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

After taking criticism about his team from former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, head coach Rex Ryan offered a sly jab at Namath.

Morning take: Both guys like to talk. So maybe both should come to an agreement not to poke at each other in the media. Ryan has a football team to coach and Namath can move on to other things.

It is backup linebacker Gary Guyton's time with the New England Patriots in place of the injured Jerod Mayo (knee).

Morning take: Mayo will be missed. But New England's defense still has a lot of room to grow. It couldn't do much worse than the first few weeks.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross backs Tony Sparano, saying "Tony is the right coach."

Morning take: You have to wonder how much of this is financial. Ross just gave Sparano a contract extension in the offseason. Firing him after four games would not be a good return on that investment.

Buffalo Bills rookie left tackle Chris Hairston will make his first career start in place of the injured Demetrius Bell.

Morning take: Buffalo's offensive line played well above expectations during the first month of the season. But this unit lacks depth, and that will be tested Sunday against Philadelphia.

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BGA: Jets at Ravens

by Bent on October 4th, 2011 at 6:00 am

Mark Sanchez #6 Of The New York Jets Reacts

This analysis is based on watching and re-watching TV footage. As such, it is not always possible to accurately determine everything that was going on. However, every effort has been made to ensure that the information below is as complete and correct as possible.

Coming up, your detailed analysis of yesterday’s disappointing loss to the Baltimore Ravens, including a detailed look at the struggles on the offensive line and how the Jets were able to stop the run. As ever, I’ll be looking for any positive signs to have come from the loss. Don’t forget, there will also be BGA Extra later in the week, where I will respond to your questions or requests from the comments section.

All our worst fears were confirmed this week, as the formidable Ravens’ front seven proved too much for the makeshift Jets’ offensive line to handle. Although the defense steadied the ship after a decidedly rocky start, the offense never got in gear and the Ravens scored three defensive touchdowns.

When Nick Mangold suffered his high ankle sprain, it was a lot to ask for Colin Baxter to hold the fort, especially with the rest of the line not yet fully in synch. The offensive performance against the Raiders last week far exceeded my expectations in terms of yards and points, but maybe that meant I was expecting too much from a game which initially loomed large as the worst possible matchup for a Mangold-less Jets team.

Clearly this was the most important factor in last night’s loss, because not only did the pass protection make it almost impossible to move the ball, it also contributed directly to three scores. Had they gone three and out and then punted the ball on those three possessions, perhaps they would have won 17-13. Maybe that’s the way this team should aim to play instead of constantly striving to be a high-powered offense.

Let’s get into the position-by-position recaps, where – unlike Santonio Holmes, we do point some fingers:

Quarterback

Let me preface this by saying that we shouldn’t forget that Sanchez played well in the first three games and has shown some improvement in certain areas. It’s also worth pointing out that a lot of his mistakes last night came because of the overwhelming pressure on him. You could even take into account the fact that he had a few passes dropped. However, Sanchez should not get any kind of free pass, because he struggled badly from start to finish.

I would attribute the first touchdown mostly to him. The first thing I’d expect my quarterback to do on every snap (not just the first play of the game) when playing the Ravens is to account for Ed Reed. He looked over at Reed, then looked away from him and, as he did, the two safeties swapped positions and Reed lined up on the blindside. I know it’s not Sanchez’s job to call the protections, but on a short pass – even one that was designed to go to the right, away from Reed – you still need to account for any blitzer that might come off the edge, whether it’s Ed Reed or not. Whether he was trying to somehow bait Reed by NOT looking at him, I don’t know, but he came off the edge and, because he hadn’t seen him, Sanchez hesitated for a split-second too long and the ball was in the endzone five seconds later.

Without dwelling too much on his other mistakes, Sanchez went on to fumble two snaps, had another “fumble” returned for a touchdown and threw a back-breaking pick six, one play after the Jets had got the ball back in scoring range down ten in the third quarter. It may be time to reign back his at-the-line responsibilities too, at least until Mangold is back. He changed plenty of plays at the line, but many of these ended in confusion.

What’s distressing is that, in every other game this season, Sanchez has made a series of excellent throws, to more than balance out the few mistake he had still been making. In this game, however, it’s difficult to point to a single throw that he could be proud of. Maybe the one saving grace is that Sanchez has had these kind of “spiral out of control” games before and bounced back. The fact that this is the first one for a while (Miami last year?) is another reason to hope it’s an aberration.

The most positive thing I saw out of Sanchez was his efforts to keep Colin Baxter’s confidence up after his second bad snap. You could tell Sanchez was initially frustrated, but then figured that blaming him wasn’t going to help, so he gave Baxter words of encouragement and they practised the snap of the ball a few more times. Now, this wasn’t particularly successful – in fact, after being given Sanchez’s vote of confidence, Baxter was benched for a couple of series, which may have completely shot to pieces everything Mark said – but from Sanchez’s point of view, I think he handled that situation correctly.

The fact that this is the most positive thing I can say about his performance underlines how faint that praise is, but as I noted above, there were other factors that he had no real control over.

Offensive Line

As I probably didn’t even need to say earlier, this was where the Jets floundered. Most offensive lines would struggle to contain the likes of Haloti Ngata, Terrence Cody and Terrell Suggs, let alone one that just swapped out a potential Hall of Fame candidate for a guy who was repeatedly dominated at the point of attack by 49ers rookie DeMarcus Dobbs just a month prior.

Not all the pass protection (and run blocking) issues were down to the linemen though – as we’ll see later, the tight ends let the side down too, and we’ve already discussed how Sanchez was to blame for some of the confusion.

Statistically, Baxter won’t get credited with as many hits and pressures as some of the other linemen, but I would have to give him at least partial blame for almost all of the pressure that came up the middle. By my count, Matt Slauson gave up four QB hits. However, all of these were because Baxter was constantly being driven backwards in the pocket. For example, on one play, Baxter was driven into Slauson, whose man then ran a stunt underneath and had a free path to the quarterback.

I would suggest that if a healthy Nick Mangold had been able to hold his ground better in the middle – which is no mean feat against guys built like Cody and Ngata – then none of these hits would have happened. Slauson did get beaten a few times, but in the type of situation where Mangold would often be on hand to help him out. He definitely seemed to struggle more when he was at guard next to Baxter than when he was the center.

Baxter himself gave up two QB hits, had the two fumbled exchanges with Sanchez and again didn’t make a positive impact in the running game, on one occasion getting badly beaten with his man (a backup) stuffing the runner for a loss. It was the constant bullrushes that seemed to have the most persistent impact though.

Brandon Moore only gave up one pressure by my count, although he was beaten several times in both the running game and in pass protection. The pressure he did give up was exactly the same as the Slauson example above – Baxter was driven backwards and Moore’s man stunted underneath. It’s difficult to know whether Baxter, Sanchez or Moore is most at fault for some of the confusion that led to things like false starts or linemen not being ready for the snap, but as he was making the linecalls, he must have played some part in this. There was one play where Sanchez tried to audible with the game clock running down and Moore was yelling and pointing as they rushed to get the play off. The end result was that nobody knew what they were doing and nobody was ready for the snap.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson also had a disappointing game, by his standards, especially after playing so well last week. He gave up a hit, a sack and a couple of pressures, although one of these was actually similar to the issues the guards had with Baxter. On this occasion, it was Slauson that was driven into Ferguson and got in his way.

Vladimir Ducasse filled in for a couple of series at guard and had his struggles too. On one play, he clearly had no idea who he was supposed to be blocking and ended up more or less running round in circles trying to find someone to block and on another, he once again got the snap count wrong and false-started. Not all his mistakes were down to miscommunications, though. In the running game, he whiffed on a block at the second level and failed to sustain another one. On the play where he doubled-teamed Ngata with Ferguson, but then released to pick up a blitzer, I would probably attribute that to Ferguson’s mistake. Also, I’d imagine the Jets have prioritized helping the center out in that situation all week, even though on this occasion it was Slauson and not Baxter that needed the assist.

Although I don’t blame him for that one, Vlad didn’t really do anything right, although his raw physicality was on show when he was one-on-one with Ngata and actually moved him off his spot. You can probably count the number of guys in the NFL that can do that on a regular basis on one hand, so if they could somehow harness Ducasse’s abilities, all may not yet be lost. Once again, in the unfamiliar guard position and at short notice, it wasn’t exactly ideal for him. It was also interesting that they finally used him as an extra tight end.

I’ve decided to leave the best til last. That’s right, Wayne Hunter was much better in pass protection last night and certainly couldn’t be blamed for the protection issues. I have him down for only one pressure and that was with less than five minutes to go, on a screen pass where he initially blocked the guy and then let him go, which may even have been by design. Hunter did a much, much, better job of staying in front of his man – often Suggs and sometimes Ngata – this week. I even had him down for more positive run blocks than anyone else too!

Hunter’s overall performance was far from perfect – he false started once, failed to sustain his block and let his man make the tackle a couple of times and seemingly blew an assignment on one play where he basically blocked nobody. However, in the context of the turmoil going on around him, this seemed to provide further evidence that he is slowly getting more comfortable. He almost had one other disaster on the above-mentioned play with the clock running down. As the ball was snapped, he was nowhere near ready and a lineman shot the gap between him and Brandon Moore, who – along with Slauson – clearly had no idea who to block. Hunter somehow managed to recover and trip/land on the lineman before he could get to Sanchez, who was then nailed by Slauson’s man. I have no idea how to grade that play, but I think it sums things up.

Receivers

As I mentioned, it wasn’t just the linemen who struggled in pass protection. Matthew Mulligan was badly beaten by Suggs for the hit that led to Sanchez’s pick six. Dustin Keller may also have been at fault on one play where he was in the backfield and failed to pick up a blitz up the middle and seemed to be partially at fault on the opening play. When Sanchez hesitated and ended up being stripped by Reed, that was probably because Keller – the likely target – wasn’t ready for the snap and was really slow getting out of his stance, throwing off the timing.

On a day when Sanchez completed less than a third of his passes, none of the receiver’s numbers are going to look too good. Let’s not dwell on that and hope they can move on from this and recapture their early season form against a less-than-formidable defense next week.

I will make one receiver-related observation before we move on, though. One week after I praised Patrick Turner’s blocking and wondered aloud whether they’d use him in Jeff Cumberland’s role in the three TE package, they did exactly that, lining the three of them up next to one another on the left side and running a sweep over to that side. Turner missed the key block and Greene ran out of bounds for no gain. Go figure.

Running Backs

There’s not a great deal you can say about the running backs, either. There was no real room to run – again – Entering this week’s game, both Greene and Tomlinson, even without many long runs to boost their total, are in the middle of the pack for NFL backs with 2.3 yards per carry after contact. That means they are basically getting met within a yard of the line of scrimmage on every play. Yards BEFORE contact last year was 2.4 per carry as a team so that’s a very big reason why their average is down and almost completely absolves them of any blame in my eyes. Shonn Greene better stop fumbling though.

Some have suggested that they could have done what they did last week and passed the ball to the backs instead. The problem with this is that the Ravens were usually in a zone coverage behind their blitzes. If not, they either sent one inside linebacker and left one to spy the back or sent both inside guys and dropped someone like Suggs underneath. (This is also a sober reminder of what this kind of defense allows you to do when you have elite personnel in the front seven, so you can get constant pressure without sending everyone). That doesn’t mean a screen pass won’t work, but you do need to be able to block, which was kind of a problem last night.

They actually did try and run several screen passes – something they’d been very successful with so far this season – but the Ravens were playing pretty close to the line, knowing that the protection wouldn’t hold up long enough to enable the Jets to go downfield.

One looked set to work well, but Brandon Moore failed to block Ray Lewis and he blew it up. Another failed because a blitzing DB somehow guessed the snap count – maybe Baxter was “tipping his pitches” somehow – and was on Sanchez before Tomlinson could turn around for the ball.

They did also try some WR screens, including one to Holmes that Sanchez threw too close to the blindside linebacker and it was batted down. The worst of all was the one which was intercepted and returned for a score. With Terrell Suggs bearing down on him almost immediately, Sanchez never should have thrown that pass, but he basically rushed it without looking and didn’t get enough on it. The play wasn’t going to gain many yards anyway, so it would have been better to throw the ball away. By then, I expect Sanchez was in “trying to make something happen” mode and didn’t want to take a sack on first down.

The other option to get the ball to the backs would be an underneath checkdown, but there was rarely enough time for the clearout route to create the space and – with the Ravens often in a zone – this could have failed anyway.

John Conner continues to make more of an impact with the ball than as a blocker. That isn’t part of the plan, although I do like that option.

I believe Joe McKnight had one tackle, one forced fumble, one pressure, one great block, one touchdown…and one offensive snap. I reckon the last of those numbers is likely to go up.

Defensive Line

After promising to fix the run defense, it looks like Rex Ryan has done exactly that. The Ravens did rack up some yardage once the game was all-but-over, but even including those yards, they were limited to 2.5 per carry. Last week, I wrote that I was confident the Jets would sort their run defense out, because I recalled when they vowed to fix the zone defense last year and did so immediately. However, that was another game where almost everything else went wrong (the 10-6 loss to Miami). Does Rex perhaps over-focus on fixing the defense all week to the detriment of Sanchez and the offense?

On defense, the player who seemed to be involved in most of the positive plays against the run was Sione Pouha. He got penetration or shed his block to stuff a run on several occasions and also recovered a fumble. It wasn’t a perfect game for Pouha, who was driven off the line a couple of times, didn’t generate any pass rush and missed a few tackles, but he was one guy who played hard for 60 minutes.

Mike DeVito jumped offside and was driven off the line by double teams quite a few times, but did make a couple of good plays against the run. They seemed to target him, with little success.

Muhammed Wilkerson continues to flash against the run every now and again. He had two tackles for losses and two others close to the line. He also had a pressure and a hit. His man did get the better of him a few times, but on Ray Rice’s touchdown he was clearly held, which certainly could have changed the way things ended up.

Marcus Dixon had a fumble recovery and a pressure, as well as a good block on McKnight’s touchdown runback, but didn’t do much against the run. Ropati Pitoitua had another strong game off the bench, making three stops close to the line, including one for a loss and pressuring the QB a couple of times.

Linebackers

Before moving on, we must assess how big of a loss Bryan Thomas will be. Jamaal Westerman and now Aaron Maybin have had their moments, but I wouldn’t refer to either as an ideal every down player. I think Westerman, while he was good against the run in preseason at times, is a bit overmatched in the running game, as he showed when Vontae Leach barged him out of the way to set up Rice’s touchdown and with his missteps last week. The good news is that the Jets have plenty of packages where they only use three linebackers anyway, so they may be able to scheme around it. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them make a move though.

One move I would probably not advocate at this stage would be to use Bart Scott on the outside and Josh Mauga next to David Harris. While I have no doubt that Scott would do a good job in that role, Mauga saw some playing time last night and did not really shine. He did record one pressure, but the run defense looks less sturdy whenever he’s in the game.

After I observed that Bart had not been attacking the line of scrimmage as much this season, they went back to that a lot more last night and it did disrupt a lot of runs – although at one stage, he may have just been trying to hit someone as hard as he could out of frustration. Aside from his play against the run, Scott hit Joe Flacco twice and had a couple of pressures.

David Harris of course scored a touchdown and made several tackles, but he was also taken out of a couple of plays by his blocker. He did get one pressure as a pass rusher. I noticed that he was on the punt coverage unit after Thomas was hurt.

Calvin Pace had a solid game, with a pressure and two hits. More importantly, he didn’t lose contain all day, except on a play where he was held and drew a flag. He made a great play to force a fumble near the end.

Although he was blocked out on the TD and driven back for extra yards on another play, Westerman didn’t fare too badly against the run, making or assisting on three tackles near the line. He also had a few pressures, perhaps spurred on by Aaron Maybin’s quest to steal some of his reps.

Maybin had two pressures and two missed tackles…and that was just on his first play! Later on, he made a big strip sack (his first in the NFL) that looked like it had the Jets back in it. Much like in preseason, tackles were easily redirecting him upfield, but he is so fast and relentless that he can often get back into the play if the quarterback is one that holds onto the ball like Flacco. That enabled the Jets to rack up what I think will be a season high in QB disruptions with somewhere between 15 and 20.

Defensive Backs

After the extremes of the last two weeks, it was comforting to see Antonio Cromartie have a “normal” game for once. He had one penalty, but didn’t give up any big catches and made one nice tackle in the flat. Darrelle Revis, of course, pitched another shutout. Someone should invent an EYA (earned yards average) statistic.

We didn’t see much of Kyle Wilson, which is a good thing. On another day (opening day last season, for example) he might not have got away with that contact in the endzone, though. Donald Strickland was actually beaten for three big catches and another one that was dropped. He could be on the field for 75 snaps next week, so he needs to do better.

Jim Leonhard broke up two passes and was only beaten once. Eric Smith shared a sack with Brodney Pool but seemed to have been benched for a short while after giving up a couple of catches and missing a tackle to set up a big gain. He did redeem himself with a pass breakup downfield. Pool had a third down tackle to force a punt, but did not make much of an impact. Looking ahead to next week, the Jets might use three safeties a lot, although if Aaron Hernandez is out again, that may be less likely.

Special Teams

Another big play (almost two) from McKnight, but this week also saw some disappointing punts from TJ Conley and a terrible kickoff by Nick Folk. Marquice Cole also botched a chance to down a punt at the goal line and Jeremy Kerley didn’t make an impact returning punts

Conclusions

There’s not much else to conclude from this game but, as bad as it seemed, the Jets have rebounded from worse in the past. Sunday will be tough, but a strong performance would be a big step in the right direction.

I really hope I don’t have to do this every week, but the best of wishes to Bryan Thomas in his recovery from the Achilles injury which has sidelined him for the rest of the season.

[flgreen]

Ravens reflect on Ryan

Players speak fondly of former Ravens defensive coordinator

By Edward Lee

10:00 a.m. EDT, October 4, 2011

Aside from the multiple highlights of the Ravens defense pounding the New York Jets into submission via a 34-17 victory Sunday night, one of the more memorable scenes was the trio of Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Jarret Johnson sprinting across the field at the game’s conclusion to mob Jets coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

“Me and Ray and Sizzle ran up to him and I got my punch in the gut and we got to talk to him a little bit,” Johnson said. “Obviously, he’s upset. Rex is a super-competitive guy. So when he loses a game like that, he’s going to be upset, but it was great to see an old friend, and it was great to compete against him. Great to see [current Jets and former Ravens linebacker] Bart [scott] and those guys. Former brothers – and there’s nothing like getting after them like that. He created us, now he had to deal with us. It was fun. “

Added defensive tackle Haloti Ngata: “It was awesome. He helped a lot of us grow as players when he was here. Now to go against him is fun. It’s great that we can beat him like that. It felt great.”

Ryan, who had spent 10 years with the organization as a defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, was praised by Lewis, who has been with the Ravens since 1996.

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“There’s one thing about this game,” Lewis said. “The game will fade, but brotherhoods like that will never fade. That man taught me too much, and I have too much respect for him. The game will always be the game, but partnerships like that last a lifetime.”

[flgreen]

Gut-Check Time For ‘Frustrated’ Jets; Angry Rex Ryan Still Confident In Team

October 4, 2011 8:46 AM

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) – Botched snaps, lousy throws and lots of turnovers. Throw in a sputtering running game and it all has Jets coach Rex Ryan extremely frustrated.

This is certainly not what Ryan envisioned for his team. Two bad losses on the road and now the capper: a game against the rival New England Patriots.

“I’m bothered by the fact that I think we’re a better football team than we’re playing right now,” Ryan said. “We’re not executing as well as I thought we’d execute by now.”

Ryan let his team know that – on Sunday night after New York’s 34-17 loss at Baltimore, and again at the team meeting Monday.

“Last night was definitely kind of hurt, very emotionally hurt,” left guard Matt Slauson said when asked to describe Ryan’s mood.

And, Monday? Slauson said the brash coach was, well, pretty ticked off.

At his press conference, Ryan appeared more somber than usual, no smiles or jokes. It’s only Week 5, but it’s gut-check time for the Jets (2-2).

“It’s just something that’s on us as coaches, that’s on me,” Ryan said. “That’s why, to me, I’m subdued, but there is probably a little more fire burning inside of me than I’m letting on.”

There are plenty of improvements to be made, and the embarrassing loss to the Ravens provided some clear indicators that if the Jets plan to reach the AFC championship game – and beyond, as Ryan has promised – things need to get better fast.

“Guys are frustrated,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “You never want to lose games. You never want to lose back-to-back games. We realize we have a tough one coming up. It’s not getting any easier.”

Wide receiver Derrick Mason stood at his locker after getting beat by his former teammates and issued a challenge.

“Obviously, there are some things that need to change,” he said. “They have to change. It’s evident. You saw it, there are some cracks, and nobody really wants to identify the cracks. Until we identify the cracks, we’re going to keep having the same problems. Whenever somebody wants to fill up the cracks, then we can continue to move forward.”

What are the cracks? Well, take your pick. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes said it all starts with the offensive line, a shell of the once-dominant unit it had been. Of course, All-Pro center Nick Mangold has missed the last two games with a high ankle sprain, but the line isn’t protecting Mark Sanchez enough and not providing much running room.

“I don’t think he was calling us out maliciously at all because it is true,” Slauson said. “If we don’t do our jobs, no matter how good Mark is or the receivers are, they aren’t going to be able to anything. We have to be able to pick up the pressure so Mark can deliver him the ball and they can just run.”

Sanchez was under pressure all game and finished 11 of 35 for 119 yards with a hideously low 30.5 quarterback rating. Worse, he couldn’t protect the football. He had three of his turnovers returned for touchdowns, while the other set up a field goal by the Ravens.

“I don’t care if Joe Montana is back there, (with) that kind of pressure, it’s hard to execute,” Ryan said. “There were times when it was like, shoot, they weren’t backing off one bit and neither would I. They hit him. I think they had like 10 hits on the quarterback. He’s not going to make it through the season if he keeps getting hit 10 times a game.”

Ryan sarcastically suggested that the solution could be for the Jets to use seven offensive linemen if it helps keep Sanchez off his back.

“Obviously, we don’t like it at all,” Slauson said. “I mean, especially since we in the past have been recognized as a strength, so it doesn’t feel good. But we aren’t going to falter. We’re just going to keep on working, keep on getting better and we’re going to be back. We’re going to be back very soon.”

Ryan insists that his “Ground-and-Pound” run-first approach on offense will also make a return. There has been too much throwing and not enough running for his liking.

“

It’s no great secret that we need to be able to run the ball better,” he said.

Sure, Shonn Greene hasn’t done much in his first season as the lead back, running for just 157 yards and 3.1 yards a carry. But, Ryan’s not making any lineup changes yet.

“Shoot,” Ryan said, “how about we give Shonn Greene a chance?”

The Jets have been here before, as Slauson pointed out, hitting a rough patch during the past two seasons with many fans and media playing out the worst-case scenario. New York ended up making it within a game of the Super Bowl both times.

“Our confidence isn’t shot,” Slauson said. “It’s not gone and our season isn’t over by any means.”

Ryan wouldn’t put his team in the Super Bowl at this point, saying it’s too early to talk like that. But, he still believes his guys are headed to the postseason.

“By the time we get to the finish line,” Ryan said, “we’ll be right there.

[flgreen]

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings: Green Bay Packers clear No. 1; Giants surge past slumping Jets

BY Hank Gola

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, October 4th 2011, 11:25 AM

NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning leads Big Blue (3-1) past the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

We are one-quarter of the way through the NFL season, time to take stock. Well, that's easy. There is one great team in the league, the current holder of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. After the Packers, there is this big amoeba-like blob of teams that float around and bounce into each other each week.

There isn't even a clear-cut worst team in the league, just a bunch of bad ones.

2. (2) Saints (3-1):

Avoided a letdown against the Jaguars.

3. (3) Lions (4-0):

Winning games where they once were blown away.

5. (5) Ravens (3-1):

LB Jarret Johnson on Rex Ryan: "He created us. Now he has to deal with us."

6. (9) Texans (3-1):

Statement win for defense vs. Steelers.

7. (11) Bucs (3-1):

Not great against Colts but only loss has been to Lions.

8. (4) Bills (3-1):

Must not have been accustomed to fourth quarter lead. Eagles game huge now.

9. (15) Chargers (3-1):

Philip Rivers' best game.

10. (13) Redskins (3-1):

In wide-open NFC East, they've become legit contenders.

11. (14) GIANTS (3-1):

Tom Coughlin deserves credit for getting most out of this team.

12. (7) Raiders (2-2):

Patriots gave them a reality check.

13. (8) JETS (2-2):

After Sanchez' play Sunday night, maybe Rex should sign Namath.

14. (17) Titans (3-1):

Matt Hasselbeck is making Chris Johnson's woes irrelevant.

15. (10) Steelers (2-2):

O-line is going to get Roethlisberger killed.

16. (12) Cowboys (2-2):

Tony Romo giveth again.

17. (16) Bears (2-2):

When all else fails, they still have Devin Hester.

18. (18) Falcons (2-2):

Nearly gave it away in Seattle.

19. (20) 49ers (3-1):

Alex Smith is playing his best football under Harbaugh.

20. (19) Eagles (1-3):

A lot of people are loving this.

21. (24) Bengals (2-2):

Defense proved it can play against Bills.

22. (21) Browns (2-2):

They are as mediocre as their record says they are.

23. (23) Panthers (1-3):

They're losing some very winnable games.

24. (25) Seahawks (1-3):

Tarvaris Jackson a surprising bright spot.

25. (26) Cardinals (1-3):

Forget Victor Cruz. It looked like they gave themselves up in the last 5:16.

26. (22) Broncos (1-3):

Now that was a mismatch.

27. (27) Jaguars (1-3):

They were semi-competitive against the Saints.

28. (28) Dolphins (0-4):

Is there a contract out on Tony Sparano?

29. (31) Chiefs (1-3):

Hey, somebody had to win last week's game.

30. (30) Rams (0-4):

This may be too big of a hole, even in the NFC West.

31. (32) Colts (0-4):

They're showing fight, if not W's.

32. (29) Vikings (0-4):

They have perfected the art of losing.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/2011/10/04/2011-10-04_nfl_week_4_power_rankings_green_bay_packers_clear_no_1_giants_surge_past_slumpin.html#ixzz1ZpTYzAff

[flgreen]

NY Jets legend Joe Namath rips into Gang Green for second straight week

BY Manish Mehta, Christian Red and Hank Gola

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Tuesday, October 4th 2011, 10:20 AM

For the second consecutive week following a Jets' loss, Joe Namath detonated with critical comments of his former team. After the loss to Oakland, Broadway Joe singled out head coach Rex Ryan, but Monday Namath had wideout Santonio Holmes, as well as offensive line coach Bill Callahan and offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse, in his sights.

"That was a mistake, it surely was," Namath said of the critical comments Holmes made about the offensive line. Namath appeared on ESPN's "The Michael Kay Show."

"For Holmes, as a captain, to go outside, to the media, and start pointing fingers ... that can create a problem in the locker room. ... That divisiveness can bury a team. They've got to correct that right away."

Namath said putting Ducasse in the game was "a real reach, man. I know coach Bill Callahan ... is a heck of a coach, but come on, who are we trying to convince that these players are quality?"

Ouch. Ryan jabbed back Monday night. When discussing the pressure QB Mark Sanchez faced against Baltimore, Ryan said any star QB would have had a "rough day" with the exception of one.

"That's why I was saying, Joe Montana can be the quarterback - maybe not Joe Namath - but Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, whoever, would have had a rough day," Ryan said.

After the Jets limped back from a 34-24 loss to the Raiders in Oakland, Namath went on ESPN Radio the following day 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 his post-mortem press conference after the Raiders loss. "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."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/04/2011-10-04_ny_jets_legend_joe_namath_rips_into_gang_green_for_second_straight_week.html#ixzz1ZpTvTvPA

[flgreen]

New stat rates Mark Sanchez's game worst

October, 4, 2011

Oct 4

11:31

AM ET

By Alok Pattani & Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Information

Mark Sanchez’s numbers on Sunday were so bad that they set the new standard for awfulness for ESPN’s new Total Quarterback Rating.

You may have heard about this new metric, devised by ESPN Stats & Information to rate quarterback performance on a scale from 0 to 100. It’s more useful than the NFL’s passer rating because, among other things, it looks at not just the results for a quarterback (both running and passing), but the situations in which those results occurred (touchdowns to put a team ahead late have greater value than yards gained with a team winning by 30).

Over 46 plays, Sanchez rated an 0.6, the worst of any quarterback involved in 40 or more plays in a game over the last four seasons.

Coincidentally, of the five worst quarterback performances by this metric, two of them came against the Jets. Josh Freeman scored an 0.9 against them in Week 14 of the 2009 season (Sanchez broke the mark set by Freeman, and Raiders quarterback Andrew Walter in 2008). Two weeks earlier, Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme tallied a 1.6 against Rex Ryan’s defense.

Plug Sanchez’s game from Sunday into the NFL’s passer rating, and it’s not quite the standard-setter. His 30.5 ranks tied for 13th-worst among Jets quarterbacks in the history of the franchise, via a search of data on Pro-Football-Reference.com (setting the minimum to 30 pass attempts).

Joe Namath, who has had a lot to say about Sanchez’s performance these first four weeks, actually had two games- one at the beginning and one at the end of his Jets career- with a lower passer rating.

In a 24-0 loss to the Oilers, on October 16, 1966, Namath was 16-for-37 with no touchdowns and four interceptions, for a passer rating of 14.6 (second-worst in Jets history, just behind a Richard Todd game from 1977).

In a 38-24 loss to the Patriots, Namath was 16-for-36 with five interceptions, for a passer rating of 29.2.

Namath also had something Sanchez has yet to have, a no-touchdown, six-interceptions game in a 43-0 loss to the Dolphins on October 19, 1975.

[flgreen]

New York Jets Problem: Lack of a Pass Rusher

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Oct 4, 2011 11:30 AM EDT

We move on to one of the most cited problems with the Jets, the lack of a guy who can get to the quarterback.

The Problem: The Jets cannot get to the quarterback without blitzing. Nobody can win a one on one. They need to either fool the opposing blockers or just send more than they block. The issue predates Rex Ryan. This has been the case since John Abraham was traded. You cannot complain about the deal. The Jets got the pick they used to take Nick Mangold. A center like Mangold is rarer than a pass rusher. The Jets just have not been able to find one.

Who Is to Blame? Again, Mike Tannenbaum has to take the heat here. There might not have been a DeMarcus Ware style pass rusher available this year, but there were plenty of cheap potential upgrades there in free agency. Matt Roth, Manny Lawson, and Tully Banta-Cain are three. They got outbid for Antwan Barnes. You cannot blame the pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha either. The Jets surely could have found enough cap room for at least one of these guys even with Nnamdi in the fold. Even more bizarre was the training camp signing of Aaron Maybin, tacitly acknowledging this area needed an upgrade. Instead of going for a good bargain veteran, the team tried to breathe life into a Draft bust.

Viable Options to Fix the Problem: The Bryan Thomas injury might prove to be a blessing in disguise in this area. You hear a lot about the little things Thomas did. Frankly, from watching him play, I think those are overrated anyway. He's an ok cog if you have nobody else. Nothing more. He was not a good pass rusher. Now Jamaal Westerman gets a chance. I am willing to bet he outperforms Thomas and helps the pass rush a bit. It also means more chances for Maybin, who has actually shown some flashes. Banta-Cain is still available, and the Jets could use somebody for depth. One of the biggest knocks on him as a pass rusher was that a lot of his sacks came against Buffalo. That would be an attribute for an AFC East team.

Prognosis: No matter what happens, this should be all right. The Jets coaching staff has schemed around the problem for two years and produced top ranked defenses. Part of it has been the excellent coverage the Jets have both giving pass rushers extra time and allowing Gang Green to send extra men. The exotic looks have created a solid pass rush. The staff has shown flexibility too. At the end of last season, the blitzes were not working so the coaches played more coverage, and with nobody getting open, the rushers had all day to get to the quarterback. It is unlikely anybody mentioned will emerge as a top pass rusher, but any improvement at all helps.

[Bleedin Green]

New York Jets Problem: Lack of a Pass Rusher

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Oct 4, 2011 11:30 AM EDT

We move on to one of the most cited problems with the Jets, the lack of a guy who can get to the quarterback.

The Problem: The Jets cannot get to the quarterback without blitzing. Nobody can win a one on one. They need to either fool the opposing blockers or just send more than they block. The issue predates Rex Ryan. This has been the case since John Abraham was traded. You cannot complain about the deal. The Jets got the pick they used to take Nick Mangold. A center like Mangold is rarer than a pass rusher. The Jets just have not been able to find one.

Who Is to Blame? Again, Mike Tannenbaum has to take the heat here. There might not have been a DeMarcus Ware style pass rusher available this year, but there were plenty of cheap potential upgrades there in free agency. Matt Roth, Manny Lawson, and Tully Banta-Cain are three. They got outbid for Antwan Barnes. You cannot blame the pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha either. The Jets surely could have found enough cap room for at least one of these guys even with Nnamdi in the fold. Even more bizarre was the training camp signing of Aaron Maybin, tacitly acknowledging this area needed an upgrade. Instead of going for a good bargain veteran, the team tried to breathe life into a Draft bust.

Viable Options to Fix the Problem: The Bryan Thomas injury might prove to be a blessing in disguise in this area. You hear a lot about the little things Thomas did. Frankly, from watching him play, I think those are overrated anyway. He's an ok cog if you have nobody else. Nothing more. He was not a good pass rusher. Now Jamaal Westerman gets a chance. I am willing to bet he outperforms Thomas and helps the pass rush a bit. It also means more chances for Maybin, who has actually shown some flashes. Banta-Cain is still available, and the Jets could use somebody for depth. One of the biggest knocks on him as a pass rusher was that a lot of his sacks came against Buffalo. That would be an attribute for an AFC East team.

Prognosis: No matter what happens, this should be all right. The Jets coaching staff has schemed around the problem for two years and produced top ranked defenses. Part of it has been the excellent coverage the Jets have both giving pass rushers extra time and allowing Gang Green to send extra men. The exotic looks have created a solid pass rush. The staff has shown flexibility too. At the end of last season, the blitzes were not working so the coaches played more coverage, and with nobody getting open, the rushers had all day to get to the quarterback. It is unlikely anybody mentioned will emerge as a top pass rusher, but any improvement at all helps.

What the hell is this "article" supposed to be? For starters, the pass rush has moved faaar down the list of problems so far this offseason and while not great, it's certainly seemed improved so far this year, and then it ends saying how it probably won't be an issue, so what was the point of this? It's just so peculiar.

My favorite part is it criticizes the Jets for not signing someone like Tully Canta-Play, who is still on the street and the Jets decided against signing after working him out, while trashing the Maybin move. Did this guy even watch Sunday's game? In just a handful of snaps in his first game with the team he put more pressure on the QB than anyone else on the team, including a strip sack. The Jets have a whole list of problems on offense and even a few on defense that are a much bigger concern to this team right now than it's pass rush, that's for sure.

[flgreen]

Inside the Jets' loss to the Ravens

October, 4, 2011

Oct 4

1:34

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Thoughts and observations after breaking down the tape:

PREDICTABLE START: Whenever a wide receiver gets ignored in a game or complains about not getting the ball enough, the Jets always seem to make a concerted effort to throw to him on the first play of the next game. It happened in Oakland with Plaxico Burress, who made a reception on the first play after being held without a catch the previous week. It's like Brian Schottenheimer's way of pacifying his players.

So, on Sunday night, you knew they'd throw to Santonio Holmes on the first play. Remember, Holmes chirped last week about wanting the ball. Sure enough, Mark Sanchez looked for Holmes on the first play, a quick slant. Thing is, LB Jameel McClain read it, too. He cut off the passing lane by dropping into that zone, forcing Sanchez to pull it down and giving Ed Reed time to blind side Sanchez for his strip sack.

PROTECTION NEEDED: On the two strip sacks, by Reed and DT Haloti Ngata, the Jets didn't keep any RBs or TE's in for extra protection. They had five plays in pass routes, with all the pressure on the five linemen.

KILL SHOT: It flew under the radar, but Brodney Pool made an absolutely devastating block on Bernard Pollard on Joe McKnight's 107-yard kickoff return. If Pool blasted Pollard any harder, he would've sent him to the Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Have a feeling that'll show up on Rex Ryan's "Play Like a Jet" video this week.

NOT PLAYING LIKE A JET: One play that won't show up in the highlight reel will be OLB Jamaal Westerman on Ray Rice's 3-yard TD run. Westerman encountered FB Vonta Leach, the lead blocker, but instead of taking him on, he ducked a shoulder to avoid a head-on collision. It allowed Rice to cut to the inside toward the end zone.

LEAKY LINE: The press-box stats gave the Ravens 10 QB hits on Sanchez, but it may have been more. Looking at the tape, it's hard to assign blame on certain plays because there were unblocked rushers. This much was apparent: LG Matt Slauson surrendered at least two QB hits, C Colin Baxter allowed one and TE Matt Mulligan allowed one (Terrell Suggs on the Lardarius Webb interception).

Obviously, the Jets are concerned with their tight-end blocking. Veteran free agent Brandon Manumaleuna is scheduled for a tryout Tuesday, a source confirmed.

BRILLIANT DISGUISE: Kudos to defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who schemed up a great play to confuse Joe Flacco and force him into an interception (returned for a TD by LB David Harris). The Jets ran a zone blitz with three DBs rushing the passer -- S Eric Smith, CB Kyle Wilson and McKnight (his first play ever on defense). Harris, Calvin Pace and Marcus Dixon faked rushes and dropped into coverage. McKnight created pressure with a corner blitz and Flacco forced a horrible throw.

RUNNING WOES: In an attempt to run the ball and/or protect Sanchez, the Jets used a higher percentage of two-back sets than usual. But it didn't help in the running game. Here's a breakdown of how they ran in three different personnel packages:

2 RB/2 TE/1 WR -- Six rushes for eight yards.

2 RB/1 TE/2 WR -- Five rushes for 15 yards.

1 RB/2 TE/1 WR -- Four rushes for 12 yards.

In other words, on 15 of their 16 designed running plays, they had two RBs and/or two TEs in the game, making it somewhat predictable for the Ravens.

ODDS AND ENDS: Rough game for TE Dustin Keller, who had three drops ... FB John Conner made no effort to recover the loose ball on Ngata's strip sack. Maybe he thought it was a pass, not a fumble, but he should've pursued it anway ... Holmes didn't bother to chase Webb on his 73-yard interception return. Holmes, the intended receiver in the flat, just watched Webb tear down the sideline.

[flgreen]

New York Jets Problem: Safeties in Coverage

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Oct 4, 2011 2:00 PM EDT

Our next problem the Jets have is the starting safeties in coverage.

The Problem: The starting safeties are not very good in coverage. Eric Smith is strong against the run and a good situational player. He is also too slow to cover athletic tight ends. Jim Leonhard is a very instinctual player with a good nose for the ball. He makes a lot of great plays. His 5'8" 188 pound frame makes him a mismatch against big tight ends. If paired with a good cover guy, either would be fine. Together, they do not make a very good pair.

Who Is to Blame: Rex Ryan has to take most of the heat on this one. Even assuming Kerry Rhodes was too much of a locker room problem, there was no reason to start this pair together other than they are both a coaches' dream with their attitudes, brains, and work ethics. Never mind the Jets were great at the position in coverage at the end of last year with these guys out playing a Brodney Pool-Dwight Lowery duo. For some reason, Pool has ended up on the bench, and Lowery, a converted corner who made big plays against the pass fell completely out of favor and was traded to Jacksonville. It is tough to imagine Mike Tannenbaum making the move if his defensive minded coach did not sign off. The Jets would have had a good mix at the position had they rotated the four. Smith and Leonhard are good against the run. Lowery is good in coverage. Pool is a good all around player.

Viable Options to Fix the Problem: They could start the guy who looked like a complete safety and a great playmaker in Pool near the end of last season. He is better than either current starter.

Prognosis: Smith and Leonhard are coaches' favorites. The staff seems to want to talk itself into this duo because it likes both players. They are both smart guys who have their strong points. You want heady guys as the last line of defense. More important, though, is having guys athletic enough to make plays when needed and match up with athletic gamebreakers. Pool fits this bill better, but he is rotting on the bench despite being the best safety on the team. The staff has not come around yet. I cannot say when or if it will happen. Based on what I have seen, I am not optimistic.

[Integrity28]

In other words, on 15 of their 16 designed running plays, they had two RBs and/or two TEs in the game, making it somewhat predictable for the Ravens.

ODDS AND ENDS: Rough game for TE Dustin Keller, who had three drops ... FB John Conner made no effort to recover the loose ball on Ngata's strip sack. Maybe he thought it was a pass, not a fumble, but he should've pursued it anway ... Holmes didn't bother to chase Webb on his 73-yard interception return. Holmes, the intended receiver in the flat, just watched Webb tear down the sideline.

These couple of tid-bits pretty much say it all beyond the OL woes, don't they...

"predictable"

"drops"

"no effort"

"should have pursued"

"just watched"

[flgreen]

Rex and Broadway Joe: the best show in the Big Apple

Poor Rex Ryan. Has this guy had a tough week already or what?

First his New York Jets get clobbered 34-17 by the Ravens in a game in which his young quarterback, Mark Sanchez, turned into a human pinata for the Ravens' Rottweiler defense.

Then Ryan has to figure out a way to repair the Jets' psyche for another road game this weekend against a tough divisional rival, the New England Patriots.

And now Joe Namath is yapping again.

One week after the Jets' icon took Ryan to task for praising his players too much and giving them a false sense of complacency, Broadway Joe criticized Jets wideout Santonio Holmes for going off on the offensive line after the drubbing by the Ravens.

Namath also chided the Jets offensive line coach, Bill Callahan, for throwing shaky lineman Vladimir Ducasse in against the Ravens, who basically pounded him like ground chuck.

Somehow, for the second week in a row, Ryan managed not to explode and rip Namath. And this, of course, demonstrated tremendous good sense, since no one can look good lashing out at a 68-year-old Hall of Famer who's been a sports icon in New York for over 40 years.

Instead, Ryan merely replied that any quarterback would have had a rough day going up against the pressure the Ravens put on Sanchez.

Well, any quarterback but one. And that one wasn't named Joe Willie Namath.

"That's why I was saying, Joe Montana can be the quarterback -- maybe not Joe Namath, but Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, whoever, would have had a rough day," Ryan said, taking a gentle jab at his tormentor.

But you know Ryan wanted to go all Mount Vesuvius on Namath and tell him to stick it. And maybe it'll come to that if Namath keeps showing up on New York radio stations yapping like your crazy aunt's chihuahua about the Jets' supposed deficiencies.

For now, though, it's fun watching Namath play the loose cannon know-it-all on what ails the Jets. And it's even more fun to watch Ryan, with his blood pressure red-lining and steam slowly hissing out of his ears, react without getting in his car, tracking down Namath and strangling him.

You talk about a reality TV series. If the Jets lose to the Patriots Sunday and Namath takes to the airwaves again to rip Gang Green, this could be the best entertainment New Yorkers have had in years.

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Joe Namath no longer your cool uncle, now telling Jets to get off his lawn

Rick Chandler

Oct 4, 2011, 11:28 AM EDT

Remember when Joe Namath was your cool uncle? I’m talking about this guy, the one who hosted the Joe Namath Show. Now he’s your grandfather, complaining about the government and how you aren’t applying yourself in school.

On Monday Formerly Broadway Joe took issue with the Jets’ Santonio Holmes, who criticized his team’s offensive line. New York Post:

Namath took issue with Holmes’ postgame comments after the 34-17 loss to the Ravens when the wide receiver criticized the offensive line and quarterback Mark Sanchez.

“That was a mistake, it surely was,” Namath said on 1050 ESPN Radio.

“For Holmes, as a captain, to go outside, to the media, and start pointing fingers. … I mean, he’s right about the ball getting out late to him [on Sanchez's third-quarter interception], and he’s right about the offensive line, but that can create a problem in the locker room. … That divisiveness can bury a team. They’ve got to correct that right away.”

Of course, Namath is going to the media to criticize a player going to the media, but who am I to quibble?

But Joe wasn’t done. He then ripped Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum for selecting guard Vlad Ducasse and not admitting it was a mistake.

“I’m not sure what’s going on there,” Namath said. “We picked some poor players and we’re not owning up to it. That’s what it amounts to. You’ve got guys on the roster who have been picked and you keep trying to say, ‘OK, they’re going to work out.’ Well, guess what? We tried that with [Vernon] Gholston and it didn’t work out.

“You have to [say], ‘Hey, I made a bad pick, a bad selection,’ and move on. The Jets didn’t do that and it’s a little late for the season to get it righted.”

Jets center Matt Slauson: “We don’t care one bit what Joe Namath has to say. He means nothing to us.”

What Matt Slauson should have said: “No comment.”

Of course that goes for Joe as well. He should be in Barbados watching Jets games on TV at a swim-up tiki bar while being fed grapes by supermodels. The last thing he should be worrying about is how Rex Ryan is running the team.

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Dissecting the Jets' rushing woes

October, 4, 2011

Oct 4

3:31

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

So now Rex Ryan wants to get back to running the football, which begs the question: What happened to Ground & Pound in the first place?

In 2009 and 2010, the Jets averaged a league-best 160.3 yards per game. Right now, they're averaging 71 yards and 3.1 per carry.

Get this: In the first 32 games under Ryan, the Jets had only three sub-100-yard rushing days. This season, they already have two -- and the other two were 100 and 101.

What happened? Here's a consensus based on personal observation, interviews with scouts and opinions from players:

• They've become infatuated with the passing game, figuring QB Mark Sanchez -- in his third year -- would be able to handle more responsibility and would thrive with the Santonio Holmes-Plaxico Burress-Derrick Mason troika at receiver. But the offense is too one-dimensional and Sanchez has nine turnovers in four games. By declaring a re-commitment to the running game, Ryan basically is admitting that Sanchez isn't ready to carry that kind of load.

• RB Shonn Greene might not be an ideal fit in the Jets' zone-blocking scheme. The scheme requires a back with vision and cut-back ability; Greene is a straight-ahead power back. He's averaging 3.1 per rush, the lowest among the league's top 40 rushers.

• Nick Mangold, arguably the best center in the league, has missed the last 11 quarters because of an ankle injury. We all saw Sunday night what he means not only to the line, but the entire offense.

• RT Wayne Hunter, the only new starter on the line, has settled down a bit the last two games, but he's not nearly as good a run blocker as his predecessor, Damien Woody.

• Brandon Moore, whom Ryan calls the best right guard in football, missed nearly all of training camp as he recovered from off-season hip surgery. Basically, his training camp is ending just about now.

• They lost versatile backup Rob Turner in August to a season-ending leg injury. Don't laugh, he was an important part of the running game, used as an extra blocker in "Jumbo" packages.

• The front office didn't adequately re-stock the line with experienced depth, and it has been exposed by the Mangold and Turner injuries.

• Because of the new CBA rules, teams are spending less time practicing in pads than ever before. That definitely has an impact on line play, both sides of the ball.

• Maybe their running plays have become predictable. LaDainian Tomlinson suggested as much last week, saying he hears from opponents that tell him they've figured out the Jets' scheme.

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New York Jets Problem: Head Coach Game Management

Gangreen-large_tiny by John B on Oct 4, 2011 3:31 PM EDT

Let us now talk about an issue that does not get a ton of press but is still an issue. Rex Ryan is an excellent head coach. He is top notch in most areas of his job, including game planning, adjusting in game on his side of the ball, motivation, and player development. There is one area where he is very weak, though.

The Problem: Rex Ryan does a poor job managing the game. We saw our latest episode Sunday when he called a timeout on an extra point just to yell at the officials over a call. That is an alarming loss of composure. Sure, the game was probably lost at that point, but comebacks do happen. The Jets might have been able to use that timeout. Rex cannot torpedo his team just because he gets mad.

There are other examples, though. Think back to the Playoffs against the Colts. Rex seemed content to sit and try a 50 yard field goal at the gun until an ill advised timeout by an even worse game manager, Jim Caldwell, got him to reconsider. That game might have ended differently had the Jets not decided to take a deep shot to Braylon Edwards to make the kick easier. We can also discuss Week 5 of 2009 when the Jets did not take timeouts to preserve time for its offense with Miami driving for the winning score because Rex, showing hubris, later stated he was sure his defense was going to get a stop.

The failures in game management are well documented. There are plenty more blunders near the end of a half or with timeouts near the end of games.

Who Is to Blame? It is obviously the coach who manages the game poorly.

Viable Options to Fix the Problem: It is only experience. Rex does seem to learn from some of his mistakes. He openly admits errors in his press conferences and works to correct them. The Jets tried to have a clock management coach named Dick Curl when Herm Edwards was having similar issues. It worked out terribly.

Prognosis: This is just a weakness that comes with all the good Rex brings to the table. Every single coach has an Achilles heel. Rex's seems to be running a game. There has not yet been a game where this has been the ultimate deciding factor. Hopefully it will stay that way.

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McKnight's Got Talent and He's Showing It

By Randy Lange

Posted 40 minutes ago

One of several motivations for Joe McKnight's emergence as a potential triple threat on the field is just receiving a little love.

"I'm working hard," he said after making the key punt block in the

Jets' opening-night comeback win over the Cowboys back on Sept. 11, "to get people to like me."

How do we like him now?

The shame of Sunday night's game at Baltimore was that the Jets lost to the Ravens. Had they won, McKnight would be an even bigger story than he already. After all, he began that game by forcing a fumble on Baltimore's opening kickoff return, then recorded the longest play in Jets history and one of the longest in NFL history for the Green & White's first touchdown, then surprisingly showed up on a blitz off the edge that led to Joe Flacco's hurried interception to David Harris for the second TD. Whew!

Before we immerse ourselves in Jets-Patriots week, here's one last look at McKnight's night, in particular that lightning-strike kickoff return, and what it may portend for him and the Jets down the road.

McKnight may have gotten his chance because Antonio Cromartie, who many worried would sustain an injury that would hurt his play as the starting corner opposite Darrelle Revis, bruised his rib and lung making a defensive play at Oakland. That opened the door for McKnight to return that game's last kickoff, which he did skillfully behind excellent blocking for 50 yards.

"Any opportunity I can get I'm going to take advantage of," he told Bob Wischusen on Monday night's "Inside the Jets" on 1050 ESPN Radio. "Coach Westhoff gave me the opportunity this week to take kickoff returns and I try to make the best of everything I do."

That best came through when he was shot out of a cannon through the onrushing Ravens on his first return Sunday night. The historic nature of the return has been referred to before. Here are two charts. The first shows all the 100-yard players in

Jets/Titans history (ROOKIES in CAPS):

Date Jets Returner Opp Type Yds

10.02.11 Joe McKnight @ bal KOR 107

12.27.09 Brad Smith @ pit KOR 106

11.15.98 Aaron Glenn @ ind MFGR 104

10.01.06 Justin Miller vs. IND KOR 103

10.28.60 LEON BURTON vs. OAK KOR 101

12.14.97 LEON JOHNSON vs. TB KOR 101

9.15.96 Aaron Glenn @ mia IR 100

And here are the longest plays in NFL history, including rookie Randall Cobb's 108-yard kickoff return for the Packers on their opening night and McKnight's return. Note the name at the top of the list. Cromartie owns the longest play in league annals, a 109-yard missed field goal return when he was a Charger:

Date NFL Returner Team Opp Type Yds

11.04.07 Antonio Cromartie SD @ min MFGR 109

11.13.05 Nathan Vasher CHI vs. SF MFGR 108

11.12.06 Devin Hester CHI @ nyg MFGR 108

9.09.07 Ellis Hobbs NE @ nyj KOR 108

9.08.11 RANDALL COBB GB vs. NO KOR 108

9.30.02 Chris McAlister BAL vs. DEN MFGR 107

11.23.08 Ed Reed BAL vs. PHI IR 107

10.02.11 Joe McKnight NYJ @ bal KOR 107

The only thing McKnight hasn't done this year so far is contribute on offense. But he knows he can do it, based on his 32-carry, 158-yard outing in last year's regular-season finale vs. Buffalo.

"Against the Bills I kind of had a breakout game. Thirty-two carries — that's the most I ever had as a football player," he said. "I told myself after that game to just keep making progressions, try to show the coaches I can make plays."

Head coach Rex Ryan has noticed a lot more of the good things the last 13 months or so than he did during McKnight's first offseason and preseason with the team in 2010, as anyone who watched "Hard Knocks" will remember.

"I wasn’t that high on Joe back then," Ryan said Monday. "I think we knew he had the physical capability, and when I don’t see him showing it for whatever reason, I’m not blind, either. On an honest evaluation, he wasn’t ready. And then as the season went on, the thing that impressed me was not just as a scout-team offensive guy but as a scout-team defensive player. That was when I realized, hey, this kid is ready for a bit of a role.

"You can’t take away his God-given talent. That’s something he has. He’s also shown that he’s got playmaking skills. Forcing a fumble, blocking a punt, returning a kick 107 yards, forcing an interception. The kid has talent."

The kid also has patience. McKnight was asked by Wischusen if there's more ballcarrying in his near future.

"I hope so, but right now I've just got to be patient," he said. "If they really want to put me in there, they'll put me in there. Right now I've just got to take advantage of the opportunities I have, try to make the best of them and try to open the eyes of the offensive coordinator and the offense to put me in there."

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A look back at the Jets' 34-17 loss at Baltimore

Published: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 5:50 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 6:13 PM

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

By Monday evening, after his staff had hours to review film, Rex Ryan had painfully relived the Jets’ crushing errors in their 34-17 loss to the Ravens

“The tape doesn’t lie,” he said yesterday.

The game was one of the most bizarre Ryan said he had ever seen, with the teams combining for five return touchdowns (an NFL record), seven turnovers and 16 penalties.

The Jets came out on the losing end after being dominated, particularly up front, by the Baltimore defense. What happened? Here are 10 things from the Jets’ second straight loss that warrant a second look -- before preparations for this week’s trip to Foxborough, Mass., begin.

1. Protection breakdowns

This was the story of the night, as the Ravens went after the Jets’ front line and won those battles, breaking free to the quarterback on too many occasions. The result was a battered quarterback who turned the ball over four times. On the first forced fumble by S Ed Reed, the line didn’t identify the front properly and did not make the call to slide to the left. That adjustment would have allowed LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson to pick up Reed and put LG Matt Slauson on OLB Terrell Suggs. The second fumble was a high snap by rookie fill-in C Colin Baxter. The third forced fumble came at the hands of T Haloti Ngata. Both Ferguson and LG Vlad Ducasse, briefly rotated into the game when Slauson was tried at center, contacted Ngata but both released. LB Jameel McClain blitzed inside, so Ducasse turned his attention to him. Ferguson said there was a “miscommunication.” On Sanchez’s fourth turnover, a pick-six, he was drilled as he threw by Suggs, who ditched TE Matt Mulligan on an inside move to get into the backfield. The Jets used Mulligan as a blocker on about 15 snaps, and also put in Ducasse once as a sixth offensive lineman, but the front could not hold up.

2. Mark Sanchez

After the game, Ryan said Sanchez struggled “mightily” -- but he clarified that he meant his quarterback’s passing statistics were subpar, because of the pressure he faced Sanchez, who had a 30.5 passer rating, was hit 10 times, the most this season, and seemed to have players bearing down on him many more times than that. WR Santonio Holmes blamed Sanchez for the interception by CB Lardarius Webb, explaining that ran a swing route on the play and the quarterback cannot throw late to the flat when there is a squatting corner. Webb was able to roll down onto Holmes’ route with Reed behind him on his side of the field. But as mentioned above, Sanchez was hit as he threw and may not have had enough time to process the coverage.

3. Defense on the rebound

This game was a stinker for the Jets, but unlike last week at Oakland, this loss did not rest with the defense. The unit gave up only one touchdown to the Ravens offense, RB Ray Rice’s 3-yard touchdown run. Rice was bottled up, held to a season-low 2.6 yards-per-carry average with just 66 yards on 25 carries. And QB Joe Flacco, whose passer rating was 37.4, went through a stretch of more than two quarters in which he did not complete a pass. Between the 2:01 mark of the first quarter to the 11:50 mark of the fourth quarter, Flacco was 0-for-12, with an interception returned for a touchdown. The Jets defense also came up with three takeaways.

4. The loss of Bryan Thomas

Thomas was known among the Jets for being the player who did a lot of the important dirty work on the field that often went unnoticed. Coaches believed Thomas had an under-the-radar good season last year, and at 32, was off to a good start this year. Thomas had recorded a pressure on Baltimore’s first series and, on the play when he suffered his season-ending Achilles injury, he was pushing back RT Michael Oher. Jamaal Westerman stepped in for him the rest of the game, but Ryan made clear there would be a competition or possibly a “by committee” fill-in moving forward. Westerman was given a role of “designated pass rusher” this season and is still working on becoming a complete OLB. Rice’s touchdown was paved when FB Vonta Leach blocked Westerman.

5. Aaron Maybin

Signed the Wednesday before the game, Maybin played just a handful of snaps (five, by an unofficial count) but made an impact. Ryan said the plan was to use Maybin on passing downs to challenge Baltimore’s protection with his speed, and that’s exactly what he did. On his first play, a third-and-10 on Baltimore’s first drive, Maybin lined up with his hand down on the right side of the defensive line. He got past LT Bryant McKinnie and slipped down before he could bring down Flacco. But he got back up and continued to chase him in a circle, as LB Bart Scott also got free and came after Flacco. The pass was incomplete. Maybin’s most notable play was his forced fumble in the third quarter -- his first career sack. Again he came around McKinnie, who pushed him before he got to Flacco. Maybin got up and ran after Flacco, diving for him and knocking loose the ball, which teammate Marcus Dixon recovered.

6. McKnight’s 107-yard kick return (and other contributions)

McKnight said he vowed all week to take a kickoff to the house, filling that role for Antonio Cromartie, and he did on his very first chance. He was nearly untouched to the end zone, scathed only as CB Chykie Brown dove at McKnight as he crossed the goal line. Mulligan and Dixon formed the two-man wedge in front of McKnight, blocking a pair of Ravens linebackers, and FB John Conner blocked WR LaQuan Williams off to the side. WR Pat Turner pushed aside LB Brendon Ayanbadejo while Westerman and LB Nick Bellore double-teamed another Ravens player, and then S Brodney Pool laid out S Bernard Pollard (a borderline questionable block to the back, but it was not called) to open the final hole for McKnight to scamper through. McKnight had also forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, though the Ravens recovered, and played one snap on each offense and defense. On offense, he ran a fake end-around in the fourth quarter. On defense, he was charged with using his speed to blitz the right side and force Flacco out of the pocket as LB David Harris dropped back on a third-down play in the second quarter. The result? Harris’ pick-six

7. Run game

The Jets’ longest run of the night was a 13-yard carry by FB John Conner, on which they caught Ray Lewis in a rare error by using an unbalanced line to the right and running left. Six carries between Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson went for no gain or negative yards. On one of those negative runs, a 2-yard loss by Greene, Ngata made a ridiculous move to shove aside reliable RG Brandon Moore. The team gained 38 yards on 19 carries, a 2.0 yards-per-carry average.

8. Defensive substitutions

Two players got more reps on defense than usual: Pool and LB Josh Mauga. They first replaced Scott and Eric Smith for the final four plays of the drive that ended in Rice’s 3-yard touchdown. Ryan said Scott and Smith had not been benched, this was simply part of the team’s “Reno” package (for Nevada-Reno grad Mauga, perhaps?) to utilize depth and field fresh players. Mauga usually does not rotate in on defense but played about 11 snaps, unofficially, through the game. Pool normally comes in on several sub packages, but he replaced Smith in a few situations and drives this week. Pool said the plan was to spell Smith a bit from his dual defensive and special teams duties.

9. Rex’s Timeout

Ryan called a time out after Ngata’s forced fumble and the resultant Baltimore defensive touchdown. The officials had already reviewed the play and upheld the fumble and score, ruling that by the time Sanchez’s hand came forward in a throwing motion, it was emptied of the ball and thus was not a forward pass. Why call a time out after the play had been reviewed and upheld? The referee did indeed give a somewhat roundabout explanation, and Ryan initially thought the crew was reversing the ruling to an incomplete pass. Ryan said he wanted a “better explanation,” but he also hinted at something else with which he disagreed. “I thought Haloti actually hit him in the back with his helmet first, but that being said, he made a great play,” Ryan said. It did look like Ngata led with his helmet when he sacked Sanchez from his blind side, which may have been a missed penalty flag.

10. Roughing the punter

Speaking of a missed flag, Reed collided with the plant leg of Jets P T.J. Conley on a second-quarter punt, which was not called. On that same play, Mauga was called for a 10-yard offensive holding penalty. According to the NBC broadcast, the penalties would have been offsetting and the down would have been replayed. Later, Conley was hit again, by Pollard, but this time Pool appeared to block Pollard into his teammate, not a penalized offense for the Ravens player.

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TE Brandon Manumaleuna's workout with #Jets today went well, but no signing is imminent: source.

about 2 hours ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@RichCimini

Rich Cimini

Like I said, I only sort of liked this move for the Jets as I felt like it was a half-measure. If the Jets felt that a solid sixth blocker on the field was what could carry them through, then that’s fine, but if a signing isn’t imminent, then it means they’re probably not signing him this week. If they wanted him to play this week, he’d be suiting up tomorrow for practice.

The Jets have already made a lot of moves around their line that have befuddled me … so bringing in a guy like him, and then not signing would be just another on the list

By Bassett