Jets News 10-5

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Sources: Jets pass on OLB Tully Banta-Cain and OL Shaun O'Hara for now

BY Manish Mehta

The Jets released WR Michael Campbell and TE Martell Webb from the practice squad today. The Daily News has learned that Gang Green signed offensive lineman Dennis Landolt to fill one of those spots. Landolt, who was in camp with the Jets before getting cut, was released from the Saints practice squad last weekend.

The News has also learned that the Jets right now aren't interested in signing veteran free agent offensive lineman (and former Giant) Shaun O'Hara. A source tells the News that the Jets aren't interested right now in signing free agent outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, who worked out for Gang Green a few weeks ago. It would have been an interesting twist if the Jets added the former Patriot in the run-up to Sunday's showdown in Foxborough. Banta-Cain still could be a viable option if the Jets' outside linebackers don't adequately fill the void left by Bryan Thomas, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday.

Tom Brady was predictably unsympathetic to the Jets’ recent rash of injuries. Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas was the latest to go down with a season-ending torn Achilles. All-Pro center Nick Mangold’s status for the Sunday is still up in the air after he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2.

“Join the club, man,” Brady told a Boston radio station on Tuesday. “We’ve had plenty of injuries. Every team does. It’s football. Everybody gets riled up in Week 2 or 3, but depth is very important on every team. How a team adjusts to when players aren’t in there (is big). But they’ll be ready to play. They have a lot of good players. It’s going to be a fun game. … This is one we gotta go get.”

Bill Belichick admitted that Plaxico Burress was on the Patriots’ radar before the veteran wideout signed with the Jets.

“We did look at him in the offseason just because of his general availability as we normally do,” Belichick told New England reporters on Tuesday. “Look at all the players that are not connected with a team….We look at everybody. Obviously, you don’t get everybody. Some things come together, some don’t.”

Outside linebacker Aaron Maybin will likely get more playing time with Bryan Thomas out for the season with an Achilles injury. Maybin, who was cut by the Jets after the preseason only to return last week, had his first career sack on Sunday night against the Ravens.

“I said to Aaron… forget about what’s happened to him in the past,” Ryan said of the Bills’ former first-round pick. “When we had him (for the last two preseason games), he did flash pass rush ability. He had three sacks in the preseason on like 12 rushes. It doesn’t matter who you’re going against… you can go against air and people don’t make those plays. So, I think we were intrigued by him.”

Former Jet running back Danny Woodhead’s status for Sunday remains unknown after he suffered a sprained ankle in Oakland last week.

According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks have a microscopic 3.6 rating when throwing at Darrelle Revis, who has allowed only three receptions through the first four games.

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Jets GM to blame for undermanned offensive line

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 8:45 AM, October 5, 2011

Posted: 12:31 AM, October 5, 2011

headshotBrian Costello

ON THE JETS

The Jets should have handed out "blame balls" instead of game balls after Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Ravens, because there would have been plenty to go around. From Mark Sanchez to Vlad Ducasse, targets were easy to find.

But this loss did not fall on the shoulders of Ducasse, who looked overmatched in his brief appearance, or Sanchez, who turned the ball over four times. In fact, the blame did not lie on anyone on the M&T Bank Stadium field.

Instead, you needed to look in the second row of the press box where general manager Mike Tannenbaum sat, growing angrier and angrier with each breakdown below.

VLAD TO WORSE: When it comes to the crumbling Jets' offensive line, the main culprit is not Vlad Ducasse (above), but GM Mike Tannenbaum, who did little to shore things up in that area.

Jeff Zelevansky

VLAD TO WORSE: When it comes to the crumbling Jets' offensive line, the main culprit is not Vlad Ducasse (above), but GM Mike Tannenbaum, who did little to shore things up in that area.

It was Tannenbaum who left the Jets' offensive line more shallow than the conversation at the Kardashian dinner table. He was the reason the Jets had rookie Colin Baxter at center in place of the injured Nick Mangold. He was the reason that when Baxter faltered, the Jets had only Ducasse to turn to.

Tannenbaum was the reason his franchise quarterback, the one he took with a No. 5 pick two years ago, took more hits than a Floyd Mayweather opponent.

"I feel that way after every loss that I did not do my job well enough because we didn't win the game," Tannenbaum said yesterday. "Ultimately, in our profession I'm held to a standard and our charge here is to win professional football games. After any game, I take losses really, really hard. No one is a tougher critic on me than myself."

To that I say: Let me take a shot.

Tannenbaum's first mistake was kicking Damien Woody to the curb in February. The common refrain is Woody retired. But the 33-year-old had no plans to retire until the Jets released him to save $3.35 million.

The Jets thought Wayne Hunter could take over at right tackle because he played well at the end of last season when Woody was injured. Hunter showed just what kind of mess this line would be on their first play this season when the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware blew by him to hit Sanchez.

The next critical moment for Tannenbaum came when Rob Turner broke his leg in the team's first preseason game in Houston (partly because Ducasse got beat on the play, incidentally). The Jets could have signed veteran centers Shaun O'Hara or Andre Gurode, who have a combined eight Pro Bowl selections between them. Instead, Tannenbaum signed . . . no one.

At the end of training camp, he picked up Baxter off waivers and traded for Caleb Schlauderaff, both projects instead of proven commodities. The Jets felt it was better to bring in players who could be here long-term rather than short-term fixes.

Maybe down the road that will play out as a good choice, but the tattoo of Haloti Ngata's facemask that Sanchez now has in the middle of his back is Exhibit A that decision looks poor at the moment.

And that brings us to Ducasse. The truth is he should not be on the field. That was clear after two series Sunday night. It's too soon to give up on him. The 2010 second-round pick has not had an off-season with the coaches, and has been shuffled between guard and tackle.

That being said, the early returns are not good.

"We still believe that he's going to be a good player for us," Tannenbaum said.

VLAD TO WORSE: When it comes to the crumbling Jets' offensive line, the main culprit is not Vlad Ducasse (above), but GM Mike Tannenbaum, who did little to shore things up in that area.

Jeff Zelevansky

VLAD TO WORSE: When it comes to the crumbling Jets' offensive line, the main culprit is not Vlad Ducasse (above), but GM Mike Tannenbaum, who did little to shore things up in that area.

From 2008-10, the offensive line was one of the Jets' strengths. In the first two years, the group of Nick Mangold, Woody, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Brandon Moore and Alan Faneca played 35 straight games together. Last year, Matt Slauson stepped in for Faneca and the line continued to thrive.

"The Jets have been almost spoiled by these past couple of years," Woody, now an analyst with ESPN, said.

Woody watched Sunday night like everyone else as his former linemates looked like the JV.

"It made me feel bad," Woody said. "They haven't played well all year. You can't sugarcoat that."

No, you can't. And if Tannenbaum wants to figure out why, he should start by looking in the mirror.

APB out for Gang leaders

Anyone who watches "Breaking Bad" knows how dangerous it can be to play with chemistry. The Jets may learn that lesson the hard way.

At 2-2 and with three-quarters of the season left, the Jets are at a critical moment where they need their leaders to show the way. But the question with this team is: Who are the leaders?

The Jets have lost several key voices in their locker room over the last two years: Thomas Jones, Alan Faneca, Damien Woody, Kris Jenkins, Tony Richardson, Jerricho Cotchery and Shaun Ellis.

All of them were nearly as valuable in the locker room as they were on the field. The 2011 Jets feel like they are still searching for their identity and part of that comes with who will lead the way.

Jets coach Rex Ryan named five captains in the preseason -- Mark Sanchez, Santonio Holmes, Sione Pouha, Eric Smith and Darrelle Revis.

None of them were in the Jets locker room Monday when the media showed up looking for answers about Sunday's dismal loss to the Ravens. That's part of the job when you're a captain. Look no further than Derek Jeter, who stands in front of his locker before and after nearly every game.

Kudos to Jim Leonhard, Brandon Moore, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Matt Slauson, who showed up Monday and explained to their fans, through reporters, what went wrong.

Being accountable counts more than just wearing a "C" on your shoulder.

Taking Joe to the Matt

MATT Slauson vs. Joe Namath?

That's not much of a contest if you're comparing Jets careers, but the third-year guard took on the biggest legend in team history when he fired back at Broadway Joe, who is on the radio more than Lady Gaga.

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

That was a poor choice of words. Slauson should not have added the second part of that statement, but clearly Namath's rips are wearing on the Jets. Slauson is honest, talkative and eager to please. That tripped him up in this instance, and he probably knows it.

If the Jets players really want to shut Namath up, they should play better. If the Jets win, Namath can't take shots at Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum or anyone else.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/broken_line_DLZTFKYNIJFpBblCl4WrvN#ixzz1ZuoYUxAF

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Sanchez, Jets encountering early turbulence

By Greg A. Bedard

Globe Staff / October 5, 2011

What’s more valuable, an All-Pro center or a Pro Bowl linebacker and defensive captain?

The answer could determine the latest Jets - Patriots battle Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots lost linebacker Jerod Mayo to a left medial collateral ligament sprain, and he is expected to miss six weeks.

The Jets have been without center Nick Mangold the previous two games - both losses - because of an ankle sprain. The offensive line has been a borderline disaster, and bottomed out with a 34-17 loss to the Ravens Sunday night in which the Jets had 150 total yards of offense.

“The Jets’ offensive line is in bad shape right now,’’ said an AFC scout, whose primary responsibility is the AFC East. “If they can’t protect [quarterback] Mark Sanchez, they’re going to have a long day. Sanchez doesn’t like to get hit. Teams that hit him early have the most success against him.

“That offensive line, if Mangold doesn’t play, it’s going to be a long day for them. I’m sure the Patriots are going to blitz them once they saw what Baltimore did to them. Once you hit Sanchez, he can’t get back on track. That will be one of the keys.’’

With or without Mangold, can the Patriots get to Sanchez? That’s the question. They didn’t in the Jets’ 28-21 victory in the playoffs, when the Patriots knocked Sanchez to the turf just once.

Besides the loss to the Browns, when quarterback Colt McCoy went untouched, that was the lowest total of the season. Sanchez was nearly flawless, completing 64 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdowns against zero interceptions.

The lack of pressure last season caused the shift to the 4-3, but that certainly hasn’t been a cure-all. The Patriots had five quarterback pressures in a loss to the Bills , but improved to 11 in Sunday’s win over the Raiders.

Against the Ravens, the Jets started rookie Colin Baxter at center and he was benched after three series. The Jets moved left guard Matt Slauson to center, but UMass product Vlad Ducasse also struggled.

“I still don’t think the Patriots can generate pressure without blitzing,’’ the scout said. “I haven’t seen them do it yet. They don’t have a premier perimeter rusher, so they need to blitz.’’

In the three meetings with the Jets last season, the Patriots did not go heavy with the blitz. They sent more than four rushers at Sanchez 28 times on 92 dropbacks (30.4 percent). Broken down by game, the Patriots sent at least one extra rusher 30.3 percent in a loss in New Jersey, 26.5 percent in the romp at Gillette, and 36 percent in the Jets’ playoff victory.

Mayo is the team’s best blitzing linebacker, but they’ll need to compensate for him in other ways.

“They are going to lose a lot,’’ the scout said. “If I was the Jets I would try to spread the Patriots out on third down, and just throw it. Or spread them out and run perimeter runs, and mix in counters.’’

Tight end Dustin Keller, now under the tutelage of former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore, has finally started to flourish. But receivers Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason have not had big impacts since signing as free agents.

“Santonio Holmes is the guy,’’ the scout said. “Mason runs good routes, but he’s not a burner. Plaxico is slow.’’

The other big focal point will be how quarterback Tom Brady handles the Jets defense, which flustered him in the playoff victory.

The Jets played mostly coverage against New England last year, and since the Patriots didn’t bother to run, Brady couldn’t find open receivers.

Not counting the Patriots’ final touchdown drive or short-yardage situations, the Jets played just 11 of the other 67 snaps in their base 3-4 defense. The Jets played just as much with five defensive backs (28 snaps) as they did with six, seven, and eight defensive backs combined (28).

The Patriots have some handy knowledge with end Shaun Ellis and safety James Ihedigbo being former Jets.

“[The Jets] know Brady pretty well,’’ the scout said. “Brady doesn’t like to get hit either, but I think Brady has a little bit more incentive to play because he hasn’t played well against the Jets. I think he’s a little bit more ticked off about it. I think Shaun Ellis will help him with what the Jets are thinking. By him having some knowledge of how Rex [Ryan] thinks about Brady, I think he’ll be able to help Brady out. But I just think he’s in the zone right now.’’

Greg A. Bedard can be reached at gbedard@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @gregabedard.

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Defense excelling in pressure situations

PEPPER JOHNSON He’s not a stats guy PEPPER JOHNSON He’s not a stats guy

By Monique Walker

Globe Staff / October 5, 2011

There aren’t many statistics that present the Patriots defense in a positive light. That’s not important to defensive line coach Pepper Johnson.

When it comes to getting pressure on the quarterback, Johnson said, his group is doing what is being asked. The Patriots have six sacks this season, which ranks near the bottom of the league, but the quantity isn’t important to Johnson.

“I’m a little more than satisfied,’’ Johnson said. “I’m quite sure the question has spawned from stats and not really detail of watching the game.

“I’m watching our guys do what we’re asking them to do. We’re actually hitting the quarterback. We’re just not coming up with the sacks.

“I’m not much of a stat person. I just know how we have been affecting some throws. We’ve been getting as much pressure as we possibly can from the situations that we are in.’’

Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth has missed the last two weeks with a back injury, and it remains to be seen whether he will be available this week. But overall, Johnson said, his group of veteran defensive linemen is finding ways to make an impact.

“We’re getting a lot of good plays and a lot of productive plays from some guys that are playing some techniques and are doing some things that they’re not normally used to doing or accustomed to doing,’’ Johnson said.

“It’s kind of hard teaching some old dogs new tricks, but we have some guys that are buying into the system and working at it, working hard to try to do some of the things that we ask them to do.’’

The facts on Plax When receiver Plaxico Burress became available this year, there were a few interested teams. Count the Patriots among them.

Belichick said the Patriots looked at Burress, just as they evaluate all available players. The Jets eventually signed Burress, and this season he has 10 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

In preparing for Burress this week, Belichick said he has plenty of film to work with.

“We did look at him in the offseason just because of his general availability, as we normally do - look at all the players that are not connected with a team,’’ Belichick said. “He hasn’t played in a while until this year, and I think there’s plenty to go off of this year. He played quite a bit in preseason.

“Strong, physical guy, can go up and get the ball. Even if he’s covered, he’s really not covered because he’s capable of going up and taking the ball away from the defender. Good down the field, good on the catch-and-runs, hard guy to tackle.’’

Play it again Looking at film from last season’s playoff loss to the Jets may be a necessity for preparation, but that is all the Patriots should take from the game, according to cornerback Devin McCourty. “The outcome and the emotions has nothing to do with now,’’ said McCourty. “You’re just watching it for scheme and all that stuff.’’ . . . McCourty, safety Josh Barrett, and safety Ross Ventrone read to preschoolers at the Foxborough YMCA yesterday as part of the team’s campaign to celebrate volunteerism . . . Barrett was on injured reserve with a shoulder injury last season, but he doesn’t need to be prepped about the Patriots-Jets rivalry. “It’s an important game and an important week,’’ Barrett said. “We’re tied for first place in our division and we’re at home. It’s an important week and a huge game.’’ . . . Opposing quarterbacks haven’t had much success this season launching passes in the direction of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Through four games, he has allowed three receptions, according to ProFootballFocus.com. “He is a really good player,’’ said offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. “He’s a guy that’s playing at a very high level and has been at a high level.’’

The call stands Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie isn’t changing his tune from the comments he made last season about Tom Brady in the days before the teams battled in the playoffs. After the Jets lost to the Ravens Sunday, Cromartie told Newsday he meant what he said when he made a range of comments that challenged Brady to “be a professional’’ and “let your play speak for itself.’’ Cromartie’s comments at the time were in reaction to what he viewed as Brady being disrespectful after throwing a touchdown in the fourth quarter of New England’s 45-3 win in December. “What I said last year, I meant it,’’ Cromartie said. “I’m not going to take back anything. I’m definitely looking forward to this rivalry game. I still have the same feelings. Feelings don’t change. Whatever I said last year is not going to change.’’ . . . Ventrone has returned to the practice squad, the team announced yesterday. Ventrone was cut from the 53-man roster Saturday to make room for offensive lineman Thomas Welch, who was signed off the practice squad.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @monwalker.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

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Jets week ahead: at Patriots

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Record

At Gillette Stadium

Sunday, 4:15 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2; Radio: ESPN-AM 1050

Early line: Patriots by 9 1/2

The Jets have suffered back-to-back, double-digit defeats for the first time in the Rex Ryan era and are facing their third consecutive road game. Of course, they also appeared to have little chance in January as nine-point underdogs at New England in the playoffs, yet shocked the Patriots with a 28-21 win. New England QB Tom Brady said in August he’ll "never get over that loss," so you can be sure he and the usually businesslike Patriots have circled this game on their schedules.

On the hot seat

Shonn Greene: Ryan stated his support Monday for Greene, the featured back who is averaging only 3.1 yards per carry this season. Granted, there haven’t been many holes to run through given the struggles of the offensive line, but Greene managed only 23 yards on 10 carries in the loss to Baltimore. If C Nick Mangold (ankle) is able to return from injury this week, that would help Greene, although it’s worth noting he had only 26 yards on 10 carries in the opener when Mangold was healthy.

Game plan

The Jets’ offense merely would like to score some points for itself after being responsible for 24 of Baltimore’s 34 points Sunday. Mark Sanchez & Co. should be able to do some things against a New England defense ranked at the bottom of the NFL in both total and passing defense. The Patriots are tied for 18th in rushing defense, but are allowing 4.8 yards per carry and will be without standout LB Jerod Mayo (knee). The Jets will have to change up their defensive plan from the brilliant one they conceived in January, when they blitzed rarely and blanketed the Pats with coverage. That’s because New England is running the ball better now, as rookie Stevan Ridley (97) and BenJarvus Green-Ellis totaled 172 rushing yards at Oakland on Sunday.

— J.P. Pelzman

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Pelzman: Hey Rex Ryan, speed it up

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Record

As Joe Flacco dropped back to pass on a third-and-11 in the second quarter Sunday night, he probably wasn't prepared for an opposing running back to be streaking toward him.

The Jets' Joe McKnight possesses the kind of speed a team needs in the NFL.

Actually, at that moment, the Baltimore quarterback probably wasn't concerned with whether it was a cornerback, safety or a running back moonlighting on defense who was heading toward him from his right side. Flacco simply knew he needed to get rid of the ball quickly as the Jets' Joe McKnight was racing toward him, and Flacco did unload it. Right into the waiting arms of linebacker David Harris, who returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.

As McKnight also demonstrated on the Jets' other touchdown Sunday night, his 107-yard kickoff return, speed is a huge factor in NFL games. And it's something both the Jets' offense and defense could use a bit more of.

So as unusual as it is to use somebody such as McKnight in such situations, it makes sense. He has seen time at cornerback on the scout team in practice, and in preseason. He also could be very valuable in his day job as a change-of-pace running back to starter Shonn Greene, who is more of a between-the-tackles type of runner.

When asked about using McKnight more on offense, coach Rex Ryan joked Monday, "Well, we gave him that one shot in the backfield; he forced an interception. Is that the backfield you're talking about?"

But Ryan added of the second-year pro, "The kid's a football player. I think if we can ever establish the rhythm we want to establish, I think he can do some things offensively for us."

Speed also caused a turnover in the third quarter for the Jets. Outside linebacker Aaron Maybin, re-signed last week to help the pass rush, caught a scrambling Flacco from behind for his first career sack and punched the ball loose, setting up a recovery by teammate Marcus Dixon. Yes, it's true that Maybin, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, was a bust in Buffalo for two years before being waived by the Bills and signed by the Jets in August before being waived again.

But his raw speed is something that cannot be taught.

Ryan said of Maybin's unproductive past, "That's what we had talked about when we brought him back — forget about what's happened to him in the past. When we had him [in the preseason], he did flash pass-rush ability. … I think we were intrigued by him. [back] then, he never really knew the defense, but when we had the opportunity, we brought him back."

After the game, Maybin said the first sack didn't mean much because it occurred in a loss, but added that he is happy with his current situation.

"It felt great to be out there," he said. "I'm excited about this opportunity, and I feel I'm somewhere I belong. I'm very comfortable with this team."

Maybin still has to develop more pass-rush moves to fulfill his potential, but he at least now has more career sacks than former Jets' bust Vernon Gholston.

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

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NY Jets struggling running the ball with Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson behind struggling O-line

BY Manish Mehta

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, October 5th 2011, 4:00 AM

Panic hasn't set in yet, but the Jets' sub-par rushing attack is certainly a cause for concern. Gang Green's ground-and-pound game that paved the way to two consecutive AFC Championship Games has been MIA through the first four weeks of the season. Rex Ryan's team uncharacteristically ranks 30th in rushing (71 yards per game) and rushing average (3.1 yards per carry). A year ago, the Jets averaged 5.1 yards per carry through the first four games.

Also, Shonn Greene hasn't made an impact in his first season as the team's feature back, and the once dominating offensive line isn't consistently opening holes.

"We built this team to be able to run the football," said Ryan, whose team is averaging 9.8 fewer rush attempts per game than it was a year ago. "We ought to be able to run the football more than 38 yards (like last week against the Ravens)."

Ryan made it clear that the Jets will put more emphasis on the run Sunday against a Patriots defense that allows 109 rushing yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry.

Although Greene is off to a slow start (3.1 yards per carry), he's fared well against the Patriots with a 4.3 yards per carry average in three games last season. Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson combined for 119yards on 27 carries in the AFC divisional playoff win in Foxborough a year ago.

For all the Patriots' offensive firepower, Bill Belichick's team has defensive deficiencies that the Jets should be able to exploit if their offensive linemen correct the mistakes that have plagued them early on.

"We've been playing together for a while and we're the type of group that sticks together," said left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

"We have tough skin, so we'll look at the plays and say, 'Hey, you didn't do what you were supposed to do on that (play).' We'll just fix it and proceed."

SHARE THE PAIN

Tom Brady was predictably unsympathetic to the Jets' recent rash of injuries. OLB Bryan Thomas was the latest to go down with a season-ending torn Achilles.

All-Pro center Nick Mangold's status for the Sunday is still up in the air after he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2.

"Join the club, man," Brady told a Boston radio station Tuesday. "We've had plenty of injuries. Every team does. It's football. Everybody gets riled up in Week 2 or 3, but depth is very important on every team. How a team adjusts to when players aren't in there (is big). But they'll be ready to play. They have a lot of good players. It's going to be a fun game. ...This is one we gotta go get."

Belichick admitted that Plaxico Burress was on the Patriots' radar before the veteran wideout signed with the Jets.

"We did look at him in the offseason just because of his general availability as we normally do," Belichick told New England reporters. "Look at all the players that are not connected with a team....We look at everybody. Obviously, you don't get everybody. Some things come together, some don't."

MAYBIN'S BIG CHANCE

OLB Aaron Maybin will likely get more playing time with Thomas out for the season with an Achilles injury. Maybin, who was cut by the Jets after the preseason only to return last week, had his first career sack on Sunday night against the Ravens.

"I said to Aaron...forget about what's happened to him in the past," Ryan said of the Bills' former first-round pick. "When we had him (for the last two preseason games), he did flash pass-rush ability. He had three sacks in the preseason on like 12rushes. It doesn't matter who you're going against...you can go against air and people don't make those plays. So, I think we were intrigued by him."

LETTING GO

The Jets released WR Michael Campbell and TE Martell Webb from the practice squad. Gang Green signed offensive lineman Dennis Landolt to fill one of those spots, according to a source. Landolt, who was in camp with the Jets, was released from the Saints practice squad last weekend. ... The News has learned that the Jets aren't interested in signing veteran free agents OL Shaun O'Hara or OLB Tully Banta-Cain. It would have been an interesting twist if the Jets added Banta-Cain, a former Patriot, in the run-up to Sunday's showdown in Foxborough. http://twitter.com/TheJetsStream

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/05/2011-10-05_jets_rush_order.html#ixzz1ZusmeegJ

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Scouting the Patriots

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

6:00

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

Here we go. A mere 263 days after the epic playoff game in Foxborough, the Jets and Patriots meet again. Here's an early look at the Patriots (3-1):

• The only thing you can say about their offense is "wow." The Patriots have scored at least 30 points in 12 straight regular-season games, two shy of the NFL record (Rams, 1999-2000). They have produced 2,030 total yards, the best four-game start since the merger in 1970. Like I said, wow.

• QB Tom Brady is having an off-the-charts season. He has thrown at least two touchdowns in 13 straight regular-season games, tied with Peyton Manning (2004) for the longest such streak in NFL history. He passed for only 226 yards in last Sunday's win over the Raiders, but it was his best game of the year in terms of decision making and managing the offense, according to Bill Belichick.

• The Jets have to figure out a way to contain WR Wes Welker, who is having an MVP-type year. His numbers are ridiculous -- 40 catches, 616 yards and five TDs. He's on a 2,400-yard pace. Since joining the Patriots in 2007, he's had only one game against the Jets in which he failed to catch six passes. He caught seven in last January's playoff game, but he made bigger headlines with his mouth, making foot jokes in reference to Rex Ryan.

The Jets usually don't put CB Darrelle Revis on Welker, but here's wishing they would. It would be a showdown for the ages.

• The Patriots' defense is the polar opposite of the offense, which is to say it stinks. They've allowed 1,910 total yards, the worst four-game total since the merger. Against the Raiders, they yielded nine plays of 20 yards or more. But Belichick is pleased with his red-zone defense; he said it's the best it's been in years.

• The defense will be without LB Jerod Mayo (sprained knee), who was injured in Oakland. Officially, the Patriots haven't said anything about his timetable -- gee, what a shock -- but reports say he will miss at least a month. Mayo is the David Harris of their defense, and it's a big loss.

• The Jets will see some familiar faces, DE Shaun Ellis and S James Ihedigbo, both of whom left on bitter notes. Ellis will deny it, but this is his Super Bowl. He's playing a lot (42 out of 70 snaps last week, according to ESPNBoston.com), but he missed a few tackles in Oakland. He'll be sky high to face his old team. In the playoff game, he dominated Brady, and now he'll be looking to do the same to Mark Sanchez.

• Rookie RB Stevan Ridley has provided a spark in the backfield. He rushed for a career-high 97 yards last week, oddly gaining all of his yards while running right.

• The Patriots will wear their 1980s red throwback uniforms.

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Jets should give McKnight more touches

October 4, 2011 8:42 PM By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

It would have been unfathomable to even consider it a year ago today, when Joe McKnight's claim to fame was serving as a punch line. He drew laughs for his vomiting episodes in rookie minicamp.

That's why it may seem almost comical to suggest this idea: Start giving McKnight more carries.

The Jets already have figured out that shuffling their offensive line isn't going to do the trick, as millions learned during Sunday night's pummeling by the Ravens. So it's time they look at an alternative solution if Rex Ryan really wants to re-establish that "Ground and Pound" mentality.

The second-year running back showed some of his oozing potential with his lightning-quick, 107-yard kickoff return in the first quarter against Baltimore, the Jets' longest play ever. McKnight is eager to continue earning the coaches' trust, hopeful they'll give him a crack at lining up more frequently behind Mark Sanchez.

"Yeah, I want to keep doing it," McKnight said. "I want to make more plays so I eventually can get some offensive carries. I'm still being patient. But even though I'm being patient, I've got other ways to make plays and get opportunities."

Look, no one is saying McKnight can be the savior for the Jets' 30th-ranked rushing attack, considering the 5-11, 205-pounder has a paltry 14 yards on six attempts this season, all in the Week 2 blowout of the Jaguars. However, he could be a viable solution if given even a handful of carries.

"When they are ready to put me in there and the time is right, they'll put me in there," McKnight said, "and I'll just have to go in there and try to make plays."

The offensive line is not creating the gaping holes that were so prevalent during Ryan's first two seasons, when he declared it the best in football. McKnight might be that change of pace the Jets sorely need, because he has the speed to slide through those shrinking holes.

McKnight, who is averaging 4.5 yards on 45 career carries, showed he's adept in space and that he can kick it into a much faster gear, in a way that Shonn Greene can't. Maybe the Jets can motion McKnight out of the backfield in three-wide receiver sets with Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason, possibly creating a nightmare scenario if they can get McKnight matched up on a linebacker.

"Well, we gave him that one shot in the backfield, he forced an interception. Is that the backfield you're talking about, the defensive backfield?" Ryan cracked Monday when I asked him about the possibility of more touches for McKnight.

"I don't know. When you look at him, the production he's had -- he returns a kick for a touchdown, forces a fumble on a kickoff, causes an interception -- the kid's a football player.

"I think if we can ever establish the rhythm we want to establish, I think he can do some things offensively for us."

.

Seriously, though, the Jets hope he also can do some things defensively when called upon. McKnight's pressure, as Ryan indicated, was a key in linebacker David Harris' 35-yard interception return for a touchdown Sunday. McKnight was lined up at cornerback and blitzed from Joe Flacco's right side, forcing him to throw before he wanted to.

"I hope it shows people that I can play this game and that I can play different positions," McKnight said. "But I just want to show the coaches that I can play cornerback. So I think this week, as we keep going, I'm going to get more and more to do."

And from this perspective, that should entail having Sanchez hand off to him more than once.

Many happy returns for Westhoff

Joe McKnight's 107-yard score Sunday night -- the longest play in franchise history -- was the Jets' 15th kickoff return for a touchdown since special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff joined them in 2001. McKnight also became the seventh different player to run back a kickoff for a TD in Westhoff's tenure. Leon Washington (4), Justin Miller (3), Brad Smith (3), Chad Morton (2), Jerricho Cotchery and Jonathan Carter also did it.

Kickoff returns for TDs in the NFL since 2001:

Rank Team TDs

1 Jets 15

2t Browns 10

2t Patriots 10

Patriots' place

In the midst of a two-game tailspin, the Jets venture into enemy territory Sunday against the Patriots. It's the Jets' first AFC East game, and a win would tie New England at 3-2 overall.

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

Familiar face

Shaun Ellis used to hate the Patriots. Now he's one of them, signing in August after he felt disrespected by the Jets' offer of one year for the veteran's minimum of roughly $910,000. Ellis had 72.5 sacks in 11 seasons as a Jet.

"You're going against your former team, you're going to try and put everything you've got into it,'' Ryan said. "We expect that from Shaun. He's been a great player for a number of years."

Return of Mangold?

All-Pro center Nick Mangold hasn't played the past two games because of a high ankle sprain. Ryan remains hopeful he'll have the leader of the offensive line back against the Patriots.

The Jets were forced to juggle the line against the Ravens, shuffling Matt Slauson from left guard to center and using Vladimir Ducasse at left guard for three series to let center Colin Baxter clear his head.

"Will he practice Wednesday? He'd probably be limited," Ryan said of Mangold. "They worked him pretty good before the game and he had no issues, so he's getting better."

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Link: Does Shonn Greene Have Cutback Vision Issues?

by Bassett on October 5th, 2011 at 9:10 am

Trying to analyze what’s wrong with the Jets running game is a popular topic right now, and Rich Cimini of ESPN did an analysis of what he thinks is amiss.

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.

To explain, the reasoning here is that in a zone-blocking scheme, vision is important – coupled with the fact that he’s a north-south runner. You never know who precisely a lineman will be blocking – they are assigned an area to attack and likely two players will double team one defender, and that can even happen twice on the same play. Once the would-be defender is neutralized, one of the blockers will disengage and find the next defensive player (likely a linebacker) to block for the running back.

For a running back, it requires that they know where the double team is taking place, flowing to it and then once the first defender is neutralized – anticipating who the disengaging lineman will block next and taking advantage of the proper cut based on that.

What’s being said here is that it’s his combination of both vision AND cutback agility that are hampering his game.

So here’s a few things that stand out to me on hearing (what I feel like is the first time) that Shonn Greene has insufficient cutback and vision .

1) Greene played for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa. Ferentz is one of the college game’s biggest proponents of zone-blocking and has based his offense on the inside-outside stretch play. I have a hard time believing that Greene would have been successful at Iowa if he couldn’t read a zone block and then flow to the right spot.

2) Leaving LaDainian aside, the Jets running back on the team with the best vision might be Joe McKnight. So maybe that’s another reason why he’ll likely start seeing more carries, but he’s not equipped to take on the amount of punishment between the tackles that Greene can.

3) The Jets just drafted Bilal Powell, who has just ‘adequate‘ cutback vision according to CBS Sports. If the trait was so important to the Jets, then the team could have drafted a player like (Buffalo’s) Johnny White instead, who is said to have good vision and was taken just a few picks after the Jets picked Powell and is similar size (though White had injury concerns).

Lastly and most importantly, it’s hard to use even good vision to read where the hole is – when the offensive line is in shambles. Maybe if Greene had X-Ray powered eyes, then his vision would be better, but his teammates have done him no favors so far this year.

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Tannenbaum Called to Carpet Regarding OL

by Bassett on October 5th, 2011 at 10:00 am

Are there barbarians at the gate already for the 2011 Jets season? New York Post journalist (a very erudite barbarian in my opinion) Brian Costello wrote a well written and very opinionated piece questioning Mike Tannenbaum’s snoozing through all the alarms this off-season and pre-season regarding the teams issues around the offensive line, explaining that it’s Tannenbaum that’s to blame for the predicament the team is now in.

And we agree with virtually all of it, we even wrote as much two days ago, but in retrospect, we just didn’t have the stones to name Tannenbaum.

Costello writes some similar arguments to ours, but adds some great quotes from Damien Woody, the man who could have eased some of the team’s current line dilemmas.

“The Jets have been almost spoiled by these past couple of years,” Woody, now an analyst with ESPN, said.

Woody watched Sunday night like everyone else as his former linemates looked like the JV.

“It made me feel bad,” Woody said. “They haven’t played well all year. You can’t sugarcoat that.”

No, you can’t. And if Tannenbaum wants to figure out why, he should start by looking in the mirror.

It’s the Peyton Manning Effect. Right now, we’re seeing how bad the Colts truly are without Manning. We’re seeing just how poorly the team has evalutated the supporting talent, because the front office has been so spoiled with a player like Peyton. For instance, if the Colts aren’t playing with a two touchdown lead, how much of an impact player can Dwight Freeney really be?

It’s the same thing with the Jets. They’ve gone so long without serious injuries to their line, that now once it starts to even slightly resemble anything more like Pittsburgh’s the wheels are coming off everywhere else.

Please don’t get me wrong, I really like Mike Tannenbaum as the GM of the team. On the whole, he’s been the best GM the team has had in a long time – if just for one reason. His best attribute is understanding the market (for a free agent, trade, etc.) and finding inefficiencies in it to bolster the team’s talent (i.e. Jenkins, Edwards, Cromartie, Holmes) to make for a more competitive team on the field.

But to have seen so many red flags as the team headed towards the season (we all saw them) and to still continue on in the direction he did was mind-boggling. Bent has mentioned that the other night he saw the physical spark from Ducasse in some of his matchups with Ngata, which is promising, but it’s clear that he’s not all the way there yet … or even three quarters the way there.

This whole thing reminds me of when the Jets brought in Damien Woody, who had been playing with a dismal Lions team as a Right Tackle for just a few games. Mangini watched film of his play there and liked what he saw. Heading into the 2008 season, the question was whether or not Woody could hold up on the exterior of the line (he’d been a Center and Guard for much of his career) for more extended periods of time.

Woody was in the autumn of his career … so there were real questions. Of course, the easy argument that I tried to make at the time for Damien Woody going into 2008 was, that ANYONE had to be better than Anthony Clement. And better he was. So all I’m trying to make as an argument is that when looking at the Jets bench (Vlad Ducasse, Colin Baxter, Caleb Schlauderaff) ANY free agent veteran lineman HAS to be better right now than any of them can be this year.

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Something to watch: Patriots WR Julian Edelman battling an ankle injury

Edelman RaidersThis isn’t in the territory of sounding the alarm, but it’s definitely something to watch. Patriots WR Julian Edelman showed up at the facility today in a walking boot, I’m told, thanks to an ankle injury he suffered in the win over the Raiders.

Edelman did finish the game, returning a punt in the fourth quarter. He had one catch for 11 yards, one rush for -1 yards, one punt return for 15 yards, and two kick returns for 47 yards. He does a lot.

But when he got his ankle rolled up on during one return, he left injured. It’s worth noting that Tom Brady wore a walking boot during last season, then played. So, Edelman could be OK. But he showed up on his off-day to receive treatment (reporters were not in Foxboro today), meaning something is wrong. We’ll see how this develops.

If Edelman can’t go, perhaps Wes Welker, captain Matthew Slater, or orsecond-year receiver Taylor Price gets the call on returns. In fact, it would be a perfect way to ease Price into the mix. When healthy, he may be their most explosive receiver.

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Ellis Admits He Still Says “We” When Talking About Jets

October 5th, 2011 Matt Loede Posted in News

Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald reports Shaun Ellis, the Jets 2000 first-round draft pick and 12-year veteran, a player who thought he was going to be a Jet for life, is now on the Patriots, having chosen New England and its roughly $5-million salary over the Jets and their league minimum. Now, he faces his old team Sunday.

After a long talk with Ellis recently, his battle against his former team was the subject of my story in today’s Herald.

To me, I was most struck by how much he still identified with the Jets, even though he’s in a different uniform. Tough to wipe that away after a decade

“(Expletive), it’s hard,” Ellis told me, laughing. “You know what I mean? When you’re talking or whatever, (Patriots) will be like, ‘You with us now, you ain’t over there.’ So, just got to re-train my whole thinking. I’ve been there forever. … Sometimes, I catch myself saying ‘We.’ But it’s one of them things. It’s like, ‘Oh, did I say that? I ain’t there no more.’

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Damien Woody says "early returns don't look good" for Jets

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 12:00 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 12:00 PM

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

Damien Woody spent the past three seasons with the Jets. Now retired and an NFL analyst for ESPN, the former right tackle isn't very optimistic about the 2011 Jets, now 2-2 after back-to-back road losses.

"Do I think it will get turned around? I don’t know," Woody told a group of reporters today via conference call. "I really don’t know. It's early in the season; we’re only at the quarter point. But right now, the early returns don’t look good on how they are performing."

Woody was asked to elaborate later: "Right now, I’m just going off what I see, and what I see is a team that can't run the football, they can't protect the passer; a quarterback that is struggling, he's completed 55 percent of his balls, he's committed a lot of turnovers. Now, can they turn it around? Look it’s the quarter point of the season, there's a lot of season left -- yeah, they could turn it around. But I'm just saying, what I've seen so far at this point, it’s going to be tough."

Woody said what strikes him most is the offense's identity crisis. Rex Ryan told his team Monday it will be shifting back to ground and pound, but Woody, who was part of the offensive line as it excelled for the past three years, doesn't believe flipping that switch is so easy.

"The thing I have a problem with is Rex says, 'We’re going to go back to ground and pound; we are going to run the ball,' " Woody said. "But that’s something you have to do from Day 1. You can't just flip the switch and just say, 'Oh, we are going to be a rushing team now.' That’s something you have to do from the beginning; that’s your identity, The run game is so hard, it’s almost impossible to just flip the switch and just be a run team, it really is."

Woody also thinks the prospect of switching back to ground and pound successfully is dimmed by the new practice rules under the new collective bargaining agreement. Teams may hold just 14 padded practices through the course of the season and were also limited in training camp.

"I think the new rules hurt the Jets really bad," Woody said. "In order to go back and try to be this ground-and-pound team, you have to practice that, you're going to have to practice that in pads ... It's hard to really establish that physicality (without pads). I think you see it on both sides. You see the slip in the run defense. I think the pratcice rule has really hurt the Jets as a whole."

Woody said the Jets offensive line hasn't performed up to the high standard set the last few years, and he is confident the players would admit that themselves. He also said that the replacement at his position, Wayne Hunter, would naturally have some "growing pains."

"This is Wayne's first year being 'The guy,' " Woody said. "My hope with the situation is that as the season progresses, he's going to get better. Right now he's run into some bumps in the road. It's hard in the National Football League, it's hard to be the guy and go out there and play at a high level every game. I'm sure (offensive line) coach (Bill) Callahan and Rex understand the challenges that lie ahead, are going to put the necessary work in."

Woody picked the Patriots to win in Sunday's AFC East match-up, explaining he does not think the Jets can keep pace with New England's explosive offense. He thinks the Jets have many talented players in place but are not coming together as a collective team.

"I think they are a talented group, but the thing is, when you are not executing as a whole, whether on offense or defense or special teams, it doesn’t matter the collection of talent you have," Woody said. "I always reference, (my five years) in New England, we didn’t have the greatest collection of talent but played great as a team, and that’s why we were so successful. Right now, these guys aren’t playing collectively great. They have some good parts, but collectively they're not playing really great as a team. There's no magic spell that’s going to get them fixed, the only people that can fix it are the people in Florham Park."

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Woody has got to be really enjoying what has happened to the Jets. It's his old position that is causing most of the problems. Jets released him to save 3.35 M. Then paid Hunter almost the same money. Yep this has to be fun for him.

With that said I don't think Woody being on the team right now would make that much of a difference. He suffered an Achilles injury late in the season. Usually takes a full year to get over an Achilles, plus Woody wasn't exactly the model work out warrior.

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Tomlinson on the Offense’s Transition Game

Posted by Eric Allen on October 5, 2011 – 12:02 pm

Just days before the Jets critical clash with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, LaDainian Tomlinson joined us for an appearance on “Four Quarters” and talked about the offense’s identity.

“I think we’re obviously in a bit of a transition. We don’t run the ball as much as we used to. We’re trying to be a little bit more balanced,” he said. “We want to be a team that can do both. If you stop our running game, we want to be able to throw the football. If you’re playing coverage against us, we want to be able to run the football.”

Despite their poor showing in Baltimore without All-Pro C Nick Mangold, the Green & White rank No. 11 in scoring at 25 points per game. After the offense accounted for just three points against the Ravens and allowed three touchdowns themselves while Mark Sanchez repeatedly got hit in the pocket, head coach Rex Ryan told his team they have to find a way to run the football.

“Coach has stated to us that we have to find our running game and we agree. We have to make these runs work that we’re calling and we’re game-planning during the week, and I think we will,” said Tomlinson. “We’re putting more of an emphasis on it and I think you’ll see a change.”

Once a formidable rushing club, the Jets are ranked 30th in both rush yards per game (71.0) and per attempt (3.09). The offensive line has had its share of problems as OL Rob Turner is on injured reserve, Mangold has been out since Week 2 with a high ankle sprain and rookie undrafted free agent Colin Baxter was pushed into the starting role at center. The Jets hope Mangold can return against the Patriots after they averaged 2.0 yards a rush and totaled 38 on the ground in B-More.

“I don’t think it’s fair to say we’re going to change and go back to the Ground & Pound because it’s only been four games. We’re 2-2,” Tomlinson said. “We’ve had some real explosive games where we’ve put up a ton of yards and really looked good.

“I think people need to be patient. I think any time you are in a state of transition and you’re kind of changing the philosophy a little bit — I’m not say we’re changing it all the way because we’re still going to run the football, but we’re being more balanced. Anytime you’re doing that, it takes a bit of time so people just need to be patient.”

After Shonn Greene was anointed the bellcow in the offseason, the third-year back has averaged 3.1 yards on his 51 rush attempts. The holes just haven’t been there on numerous occasions and Tomlinson has preached patience to Greene.

“When you’re a young guy and it’s your chance and you want to show everybody what you can do and it’s not going quite the way you want it to, you can have a tendency to feel like ‘Hey, it’s a reflection on me’ and lose that confidence,” Tomlinson said. “But Shonn is handling it well. He understands it’s a long season and we’re going to get things going.”

Statistically the Patriots have the NFL’s worst defense and they rank 18th overall against the run (108.8 yards per game). But they are 3-1 mainly because they’re scoring 33.8 points a game and the Jets are going to have to not only move the ball but score touchdowns in Week 5.

“For us, we have to think about right now. We have to win now. We have to win this game,” Tomlinson said. “We can’t say it’s a long season. We have to play like our backs are against the wall because we can drop the Patriots to the same record we have and be tied in the division.”

Having embraced his role as a “third-down” back, Tomlinson is a terrific blocker and is averaging a healthy 15.4 yards per reception.

“I’ve always said that whatever my role was, I’m going to be the best at it. When it was defined that I was going to be the third-down guy coming out of the backfield catching passes, I accepted the challenge and said I’m going to be as good as I can be, be the best at it,” he said. “It’s something I felt like it wasn’t difficult to do.”

But it’s his role at home as a proud dad that has Tomlinson beaming. He and his wife, Torsha, welcomed a baby daughter to the world on Sept. 10 — one day before the regular season kicked off.

“The past month has been great. Obviously we had a new addition in my family, Dayah. There have been times when I haven’t slept much, honestly, and then there have been times where Dayah has been able to let me sleep throughout the whole night,” he said. “There are ups and downs to it, but I’ll tell you what — there is no greater joy than having kids. We’re just excited about, we’re blessed and we’re looking forward to the future.”

His immediate football future has a weekend trip to the northeast on the itinerary. Tomlinson says the Jets gained confidence from their AFC Divisional Playoff triumph at Gillette Stadium in January, but he said each game has a different script.

“They are a very prideful group with a great head coach, a great coaching staff and great players. I’m sure Bill [belichick] is telling them the thing that happened last year and how we acted after the game,” he said. “So there will be a sense of revenge on their part.”

“Four Quarters” with LaDainian Tomlinson will air this week on newyorkjets.com. Click here to watch any “Four Quarters” episodes you may have missed.

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Jets C Nick Mangold dressed for practice; Calvin Pace, Plaxico Burress not in pads

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 12:40 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 12:46 PM

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

Jets C Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) was dressed for practice today and participated in some walkthrough drills with the first-string offense.

OLB Calvin Pace was not in pads and spent the portion of practice available to the media with the trainers on the far end of the field.

WR Plaxico Burress was also not in full pads and was over with the training staff.

OLB Garrett McIntyre (concussion), one of the candidates Rex Ryan listed as a possibility to replace Bryan Thomas at outside linebacker, was not in pads or in uniform. Ryan had said he was day-to-day earlier in the week.

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More PT for Maybin Because of BT?

by Bassett on October 5th, 2011 at 11:00 am

maybin While he was cast off from the team during cutdowns in favor of a player that the team would later just shelve on the Injured Reserve, Aaron Maybin made his time on the field count Sunday night against the Ravens.

Because of that, it looks like Maybin should see more time in packages this weekend against the Patriots according to the Daily News.

OLB Aaron Maybin will likely get more playing time with Thomas out for the season with an Achilles injury. Maybin, who was cut by the Jets after the preseason only to return last week, had his first career sack on Sunday night against the Ravens.

"I said to Aaron…forget about what’s happened to him in the past," Ryan said of the Bills‘ former first-round pick. "When we had him (for the last two preseason games), he did flash pass-rush ability. He had three sacks in the preseason on like 12rushes. It doesn’t matter who you’re going against…you can go against air and people don’t make those plays. So, I think we were intrigued by him."

Maybin is going to be a more and more of a help to this team this year – especially with the news that BT is out for the season. He’s no replacement, but he’s certainly going to be more and more a platoon player for the Jets. As we saw Sunday night, he might not get to the QB on a direct route, but it’s evident that he’s a disruptor on pass plays, and the Jets need more of that right now. His lateral movement and inability to counter-move offensive linemen needs some serious refinement, but he brings something that none of the other pass rusher the Jets have right now.

Not sure if you saw Maybin’s reaction after his forced fumble, but he was jubilant. Then, on the sidelines after Sanchez threw the pick, but he was obviously frustrated. In one game, I’ve already seen more passion from Maybin than I saw in three years from Vernon Gholston.

Maybin isn’t the penultimate three-down outside linebacker right now, but he’s a shot in the arm to the Jets defensive pass-rush, to be sure.

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Rex Ryan jabs Patriots' offense

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

1:00

PM ET

By James Walker

The struggles of the New York Jets' offense is well-documented. New York is No. 25 in the NFL offensively after four games.

But Jets coach Rex Ryan jokingly turned the spotlight on the New England Patriots' offense during Wednesday's conference call with the Patriots' media.

"You talk about our offense ... I think their offense is struggling," Ryan said, according to Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald. "[it's] only second in the league."

Ryan may want to recalculate his numbers. New England actually is leading the NFL in total offense at 507.5 yards per game. Perhaps Ryan was talking about scoring. New England (33.8) is tied for second in that department with the Detroit Lions (33.8).

Either way, Ryan knows Patriots (3-1) quarterback Tom Brady & Co. will be motivated after last season's playoff loss to New York. The Jets (2-2) took control of the game in the fourth quarter and held on for the, 28-21, upset victory.

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Brady not playing Jets games until Sunday

Oct 5, 2011

By Mary Paoletti

CSNNE.com Staff Reporter

FOXBORO -- Tom Brady is not in the mood this week.

The hype, the politics, and the mind games that Jets week comes packaged in: not interested. When Brady stepped to the podium Wednesday the force field was immediately activated.

Right out of the gate, he was asked about New England's 2010 playoff loss to Rex Ryan's crew. Does an early postseason exit -- at home, no less -- serve as extra motivation for this October match up?

"That was a long time ago, so that game doesn't have much bearing on this week," he said evenly. "We're a different team."

And that was the end of that.

According to the Patriots quarterback, this is a brand new chapter in a very old book. Anything beyond the X's and O's is a distraction. It's superfluous -- not even amusing. Brady is settling in for a huge divisional game, one that's impossible to predict based on the past. The Jets' current 2-2 record, one that houses back-to-back losses to the Bills then Ravens means nothing to the Patriots.

"They're a tough team, very physical," Brady said. "They lead the league in a bunch of defensive categories. They're very challenging to play. They have been since -- it's always the Jets -- since I got here 10 years, 12 years ago. It's a fun game to be a part of. I hope we go out there and play better than the last time we played them."

New England lost last season's AFC east title bout 28-21. It gave the Jets the series edge for the year after a regular season split. And there was some sense in the result; Ryan's New York was better last season overall.

But a few things have changed. The Jets are ranked No. 25 in total offense with 308.0 yards per game to New England's gaudy 507.5. Quarterback Mark Sanchez's 55.1 completion percentage (81-for-147) is well below the fold (Brady is 109-for-163, 66.9 percent). The Patriots also have a 13 to 6 touchdown advantage.

Brady: Don't care. Don't care. Don't care.

"They were good last year, they're good this year, they were good two years ago.... I think as long as Rex is coaching that team, they're going to have a good defense. They've got a lot of good defensive players: David Harris and Bart [scott], good front, corners who can cover, safeties, ...it's a good team."

Even after a 34-17 loss in Baltimore last week? Yup.

"They still played pretty well defensively," he said. "I don't think Flacco threw for 50 percent. The Ravens had a bunch of scores -- defensive scores -- but that doesn't really affect me any. We're preparing for a very good defense; tough, physical style that's good in pass coverage. They lead the league in first down defense. They lead the league in third down defense. They're one of the best we play all year."

Flacco actually threw for 32 percent on 10-for-31 passing. It was ugly. As Brady mentioned, the Ravens scored, but got touchdowns on two fumble returns and a pick. The Jets defense isn't getting lucky on interceptions with a 325-pound tackle throwing up his hands at the right time, they're getting the plays from the guys expected to make them: linebackers Josh Mauga and David Harris each have one, safety Eric Smith has one, shutdown cornerback Darelle Revis has one, and his partner in crime, Antonio Cromartie, has two.

And Cromartie can't wait to visit New England.

He's expressed a vehement dislike for Brady in the past and set his sights on the Patriots QB while still in Baltimore. Brady is wary of the threat because he respects the talent.

"

[Cromartie's] very good. Excellent player. They have two very good corners. They've got a bunch of good corners, actually. The two that are out there regularly on defense are very good -- both fast, both physical. They play well at the line of scrimmage. They're very disruptive. They lead the league in pass defense."

What Brady doesn't respect is the melodrama. As soon as the questions turned to the off-field games, to Cromartie's insults and yammering, he clammed up.

"I don't care what he says about me. I really don't."

The rest of the presser was lost. Even questions about game planning couldn't bring Brady out of his mood.

On adjusting to Revis? "We kind of just call our plays and wherever he lines up, he lines up on them. If a guy gets open, he gets the ball as we've shown, and if he doesn't, somebody else gets the ball.

On how much he's using receiver Wes Welker? "You throw to the open guy. If he's open, he'll get it. If he's not, someone else will get it. He's done a good job of getting open."

A third question about Cromartie's criticisms was the death blow.

"I really don't care what he says," Brady said. He gave a curt thanks and walked out.

To think the lack of engagement indicates a lack of bloodlust for the rivalry is all wrong. It's because this week is tremendously important to Tom Brady and the Patriots that they've put blinders on.The focus is ahead, it's on the future. And it's on the field.

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Revisiting the playoff game plan

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

1:49

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Rex Ryan, Mike Pettine and the defensive staff devised a genius game plan that befuddled Tom Brady & Co. last January in the AFC divisional playoffs, a 28-21 Jets victory. It'll be interesting to see if they go back to that plan Sunday or change it up. Chances are, it'll be a combo platter, as Ryan likes to say.

Here's a quick refresher on what they did last Jan. 16, with stats compiled by ESPN's K.C. Joyner:

• CB Darrelle Revis was assigned to Deion Branch most of the game. Branch, one of the Patriots' outside receivers, was on the field for 48 pass plays -- and he was covered by Revis on 33 of them. He also was on Branch for 19 of 25 running plays.

Predictably, Brady stayed away from Revis, targeting Branch only five times. He caught one ball for eight yards.

• Nickel back Drew Coleman covered slot receiver Wes Welker a good chunk of the time. In fact, he was on Welker for 18 of 24, non-zone passing plays, according to Joyner's film review. It worked, as Welker was held to three catches for 23 yards.

• The Jets packed the middle of the field in zone situations, often dropping seven into coverage and leaving Revis and CB Antonio Cromartie alone on the outside. It was a coverage-based plan that absolutely confused Brady, who looked lost and was sacked five times.

Potential problems for Sunday's game: Welker is playing the best football of his career, and the Jets don't have Coleman anymore. They've been using Kyle Wilson on slot receivers, but he might not be ready for Welker. They could try Donald Strickland or they could try Revis, who ordinarily doesn't cover slot receivers. On a conference call with the Boston media, Ryan refused to divulge his plans for Revis.

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In the Nick of time

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

1:56

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

It was a sight for the Jets' sore eyes: C Nick Mangold, the anchor of the offensive line, was back on the practice field Wednesday, working with the first-team line during the walk-through.

Technically, Mangold (high-ankle sprain) returned to practice last Friday, but he was very limited and took only a few reps. Chances are, he'll be limited Wednesday (we'll find out a little later), but the prosect of a full week of practice means there's a very good chance he will play Sunday against the Patriots. The beleaguered line needs him in the worst way.

I

n other practice news, WR Plaxico Burress and OLB Calvin Pace sat out with undisclosed injuries. For Burress, it could be hamstring tightness. He experienced soreness last week and missed a little practice time.

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By A. Sherrod Blakely

CSNNE.com

FOXBORO — The New York Jets have a lockdown cornerback in Darrelle Revis.

The Patriots have the most unstoppable receiving force in the game now, with Wes Welker.

A trip to Revis Island seems a given, right?

For all the talk that the New York Jets' loquacious head coach Rex Ryan spews out, mum's the word on his plans for how much Revis will spend defending Welker.

When asked who Revis will cover, Ryan said, "Whoever we put him on. How's that?"

Ryan later revealed that he does indeed have a plan in mind on how to use Revis against the Patriots.

"Whoever we put him on, he'll cover," Ryan reiterated. "If that's (Deion) Branch; if that's Welker. If that's Chad Ochocinco, Randy Vataha, he'll cover."

Welker has been among the NFL's more productive receivers since he arrived in New England in 2007, and is off to the best start catching the ball in his career.

Through four games, Welker leads the NFL in catches (40) as well as yards receiving (616).

Although the 40 catches has been impressive, his yards per catch average (15.4) is also a career-high for the nine-year pro.

"Wes is a really smart player," said Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. "And understands our scheme and [the opponent's] scheme as far as defensively what he's seeing."

Ryan admits defending Welker is a bit challenging, even with a cornerback as talented as Revis.

"The big thing would be that he plays in the slot and a lot of times it's hard to get … he's not just an outside receiver," Ryan said. "He's a slot receiver a lot of times."

Known primarily for finding seams across the middle of the field and in the flats, Welker is also managing to get balls thrown his way deeper downfield.

"A lot of that is dictated by the coverage they're seeing," Ryan said. "They were seeing a lot of Cover-2 (defense) this past week, and Welker kept beating them on 7-routes."

But Ryan is wise enough to know as well as Welker has played this season, his success is in many ways, indicative of the Patriots receivers.

"They're really smart. They identify the defense. They adjust routes based on the coverage, based on your leverage," Ryan said.

And nobody is doing a better job of that this season for the Pats, than Welker.

"He is obviously, he's a tremendous player," Ryan said.

A. Sherrod Blakely can be reached at sblakely@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Sherrod on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sherrodbcsn

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Brady on Cromartie: “I don’t care what he says about me”

Posted by Michael David Smith on October 5, 2011, 1:40 PM EDT

Tom Brady AP

Prior to last season’s Jets-Patriots playoff game, Antonio Cromartie went off on Tom Brady, saying, among other things, “F— him, a–hole.” Asked about Brady this week, Cromartie said he’s not backing down from anything he said in the past.

But if Cromartie was hoping to get Brady to engage in a war of words, he’s going to be disappointed.

“I don’t care what he says about me,” Brady said when asked about Cromartie today.

Brady did say, however, that he respects both Cromartie and Darrelle Revis as opponents.

“He’s very good, excellent player,” Brady said of Cromartie. “They have two very good corners. They have a bunch of good corners actually. Two that are out there in their regular defense are very good. They’re both fast. They’re both physical. They play well at the line of scrimmage. They’re very disruptive. They lead the league in pass defense, so it kind of tells you everything you want to know about them.”

But when asked about Cromartie saying he doesn’t like the way Brady acts after Patriots touchdowns, Brady reiterated, “I really don’t care what he says.”

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Belichick expects Jets to bounce back

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

2:29

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Patriots coach Bill Belichick chatted with the New York media via conference call Wednesday morning.

Predictably, he wasn't too expansive about the teams' last meeting, the Jets' playoff upset.

Predictably, he praised the Jets despite their recent struggles.

Predictably, he downplayed his rivalry with Rex Ryan.

A few highlights from Belichick:

• On whether the playoff loss to the Jets still sticks with him: "Of course. You never want to end your season the way it ended for us. That game’s in the past. Nothing we can do about it. Time to move on and face the challenges we have this week."

• On whether he will study the playoff game in preparation for Sunday: "It’s a combination of all those things. We played them three times last year. There’s certainly things to be learned from each of the three games. And then, there are things to be learned from what we’ve seen from the Jets this year in preseason and their four regular season games."

• On the Jets' performance against the Ravens: "I think Baltimore is kind of one of those games. Unfortunately, we’ve all had a few of those along the way. It was a good night for Baltimore, and not as good a night for the Jets. I’m sure that they’ll bounce back. I don’t think that’s really indicative of their team. I wouldn’t put too much stock in what happened Sunday night."

• On their decision to sign Shaun Ellis and whether his performances against the Patriots over the years were a factor: "Shaun has been a good player for the Jets since 2000, when he came in to the league. He has definitely played well against us. He’s played well against a lot of people. He’s a good football player, so I’d say that was the main point with Shaun."

• On where he'd rank his coaching rivalry with Ryan as compared to others: "I don’t rank them. I just try to prepare our team for each game and do the best that we can during the week to be prepared, go out and make good decisions and help the team win on Sunday. What’s important to me are the final results and trying to help this team win. That’s what we ask all our players to do and that’s what I try to do. I’m sure Rex is trying to do the same thing. He’s a good coach and they’re a good football team. It should be a great matchup on Sunday."

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Is playing Jets C Nick Mangold risky?

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

3:20

PM ET

By James Walker

How big is Sunday's game between the New York Jets and New England Patriots? Jets Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold is trying to return fairly early from a high-ankle sprain.

But how early is too early? Also, is one game worth the risk for New York -- even if it is against the Patriots (3-1)?

High-ankle sprains have kept some players out for about a month. Mangold, one of the toughest players in the NFL, is practicing after missing two games. There are different degrees of sprains. Perhaps Mangold had a lower-grade sprain or his rehab process went very well.

The Jets (2-2), following a two-game losing streak, want to get back to ground-and-pound football. It's most likely their best chance to beat the Patriots, who have the 32nd-ranked defense. The Jets will like their chances even more if Mangold's ankle holds up in practice this week.

Mangold is still the team's best interior offensive lineman even if he's not 100 percent. But New York needs to be careful that playing Mangold Sunday doesn't cause any setbacks. The Jets need their starting center for the long haul.

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Plaxico (elbow) on injury report

October, 5, 2011

Oct 5

4:18

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

Wednesday's practice report from Florham Park:

Did not practice: WR Plaxico Burress (elbow), LB Garrett McIntyre (concussion), OLB Calvin Pace (abdomen).

Limited participation: C Nick Mangold (ankle), DE Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder).

Full participation: CB Antonio Cromartie (ribs), DT Mike DeVito (shoulder), LB David Harris (toe), S Eric Smith (triceps).

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Jets WR Plaxico Burress says elbow is fine, Nick Mangold confident he'll play Sunday

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 4:02 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 4:36 PM

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

Due to swelling and stiffness in his left elbow Plaxico Burress did not participate in practice today.

Burress said that he noticed the inflammation late last night but did not think it was anything pertaining to an injury from the Ravens game (Rex Ryan thought it was). He called the ballooning elbow "freakish" and said that it happened while he slept yesterday.

Afterward, Burress came in and took some medication.

"One of those things where I was talking to the trainers last night, had a little stiffness, had a little inflammation. They just shut me down today but I expect to be out there tomorrow.

"I'll be out there tomorrow. Nothing serious."

Ryan said that Burress had the elbow drained today and that he looked "fine" on the far field doing some light work with the trainers.

* * *

Jets C Nick Mangold said that if today was game day he'd be out there with his teammates.

"I'd say (chances are) pretty good," Mangold said of starting against the Patriots on Sunday. "We'll see, it's day-by-day. It's looking good....Everyday keeps getting a little better."

Mangold said that he's made progress since Sunday night. Earlier in the day, he ran up and down the field at M&T Bank Stadium, coming up a little gingerly after a few drills.

He was out at practice in full pads today running with the first-string offense.

* * *

OLB Calvin Pace had an abdomen issue, but Ryan said that he'll be fine. Pace did not practice with the team today, joining Burress with the training staff.

OLB Garrett McIntyre (concussion) did not practice. Ryan said that "he seems to be doing better each day." McIntyre was mentioned as a possible candidate to fill Bryan Thomas' spot in the starting lineup or, at least work in with a platoon.

DT Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder) was limited in practice. CB Antonio Cromartie (ribs), DT Mike DeVito (shoulder), LB David Harris (toe) and S Eric Smith (triceps) were full.

WR Logan Payne (wrist) and OLB Thomas (Achilles') were out. Ryan said that he has yet to decide what to do with Thomas' vacant roster spot since he is out for the season.

* * *

For the Patriots, WR Julian Edelman (ankle), DT Albert Haynesworth (back), TE Aaron Hernandez (knee), LB Jerod Mayo (knee), T Sebastian Vollmer (back), RB Danny Woodhead (ankle) and DT Mike Wright (concussion) did not practice yesterday.

CB Kyle Arrington (chest), S Josh Barrett (thumb/hamstring), CB Leigh Bodden (groin), S Patrick Chung (hand), CB Ras-I Dowling (hip), DT Shaun Ellis (knee), LB Gary Guyton (hamstring), and DT Kyle Love (ankle) were limited.

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Jets reminded to keep feelings "in house" after Santonio Holmes' critical comments

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 4:29 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 5:08 PM

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

Santonio Holmes shared some critical words after the Jets' 34-17 loss in Baltimore, specifically calling out the team's offensive line and quarterback Mark Sanchez in his post-game interview.

By today, Sanchez said the policy to "keep things in house" had been addressed among the players, though he declined to get into further specifics about how or in what forum.

"Moving forward, that won't happen," Sanchez said. "We’ve talked about it, and those individual improvements and stuff, that happens on a personal level. You go with your coaches, and you go through your reads, and I'm going to get better. That kind of stuff doesn’t go past this locker room."

Holmes said Sunday night that the offensive line needs to do a better job protecting Sanchez, and the quarterback needs to do a better job making his reads and getting the ball to his playmakers. He also said Sanchez was at fault for the pick-six on a pass intended for Holmes, because Sanchez threw the ball too late.

Holmes said today that he did not remember his post-game comments or why a stir was created. When reminded, he said his point was that everybody needs to improve, receivers included.

"If anybody feels bad about that then I'm sorry, but as a captain, that’s my job to point it out amongst ourselves," Holmes said. "And if the media took it the wrong way, I apologize for it. But as far as meaning it to dictate anything negative on my team, I would never do that. I didn’t sign back here to be that guy."

Holmes said he did not catch any flak from his teammates and was not spoken to about his comments by coach Rex Ryan.

When asked if his words are weighted differently because he is a captain, Holmes said, "it should be."

"If coach put a 'C' on my chest, everybody should listen to what I have to say, whether it is good or bad, and let's build from it," Holmes said. "Let's not take it out and say, 'OK, we are going to trash this person for saying something bad about the team in the media.' No, let's all grab what we talked about, and let's grow from it, and let's make this team better."

Later, he added: "If anybody else takes that as negative, that’s the way it's going to have to be taken. I said it for a reason, because we do need to do a better job of what we do. There's no excuses to be pointing any fingers at nobody. We win as a team, we lose as a team."

Former Jets quarterback Joe Namath, among his many criticisms of the team this week, also called out Holmes for making these comments against his teammates. Holmes' response?

"Joe Namath doesn’t work for the New York Jets," Holmes said. "He doesn’t coach here, he doesn’t have anything positive to say about us. We can't feed into what he talks about on the outside to the media."

Holmes did affirm his confidence in Sanchez's ability to lead the team.

"As far as what he has going on, he is our starting quarterback, we are going to continue to believe in what he is doing for us right now, and I think right now he is doing a wonderful job," Holmes said "Whatever I have said in the media before, I don’t even remember because that was last week. This is a new week coming up. I feel excited about what he's done as far as stepping into practice this week."

This week, the Jets will face the Patriots and their No. 32-ranked defense. Many of the players said the numbers are misleading, but Holmes offered a different take.

"I think the numbers speak for themselves on how well those guys are not playing on their defense," he said.

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Tom E. Curran

By Tom E. Curran

CSNNE.com Patriots Insider

FOXBORO - Key Patriots on both sides of the ball were missing from the early portion of Patriots practice Wednesday.

Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who's going on two weeks of inactivity because of a balky back, was not on the field. Neither were running back Danny Woodhead (left ankle), wide receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Aaron Hernandez (MCL).

Hernandez has missed two games with his injury. The initial timetable for his return was four-to-six weeks. If he's able to come back for the Jets game, his three-week convalesence will be a big boon for the Patriots.

As expected, Jerod Mayo wasn't at practice either (MCL). Neither was Sebastian Vollmer (back) and defensive lineman Mike Wright (concussion).

Tom E. Curran can be reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com

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It’s Patriots Week

by Lisa Zimmerman on October 5th, 2011 at 5:12 pm

FLORHAM PARK–Nick Mangold was dressed and participated in individual drills during the 30 minutes the media was at practice. His overall status for practice was “limited.” Mangold said he’s “coming along.” When asked what he thought the chances of his playing on Sunday were, he said, “pretty good. ”

Three players did not practice at all, Calvin Pace with an abdominal injury, Garrett McIntyre with a concussion and Plaxico Burress with an elbow injury. Burress fell on his elbow during the game and then in the middle of the night on Tuesday he woke up to find it completely swollen. Ryan said he had the elbow drained, but Burress said he just had some ultrasound on it. It’s safe to say, they’re attending to it.

With the Patriots game on Sunday, you can be sure that they will make sure everyone is as healthy as they possibly can be.

Mark Sanchez came in this week seemingly raring to go. He said they’ve reviewed and corrected the mistakes from Sunday and had a very “positive day.” He added, “I’m really proud of this group.”

As for how he’s able to remain so upbeat, he said, “I get propped up every day from (Mark) Brunell, (Kevin) O’Connell and Coach Cavanaugh.

If you were wondering, the ground and pound is officially back. What seems to have happened is that by adding two new high profile receivers in Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason, there were so many targets they almost didn’t know what to do with everyone. Brian Schottenheimer is of course more partial to the passing game and for a while they deferred to him. However, they’re not winning and Rex Ryan likes to run. So…they’re going to run.

Santonio Holmes made some comments after the game on Sunday that sounded like he was being critical of members of the offense. Today, he tried to clarify those. “I have to do a better job of catching the ball. [sanchez] has to do a better job of completing passes.”

It’s not been made clear who Darrelle Revis will cover against New England, but he said of Wes Welker, “He’s probably the toughest receiver to cover in the slot.”

Mangold’s injury has exposed, in my humble opinion, some otherwise overlooked weaknesses on the offensive line. Without Mangold to his right, Matt Slauson is just not the same player. It seems clear that his talents may not be of the same level and the team was able to stay solid up front simply because Slauson had help on both sides with Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Brandon Moore is obviously not 100% after his off-season hip surgery, so he is doing all he can to help himself and take care of his own assignments. As for Wayne Hunter, he seems to be improving, but he’s always a risk for a penalty and he’s been inconsistent. With all of that taken into account, Colin Baxter pretty much held his own for a guy who has only been in the system for four weeks.

Bryan Thomas was not around and although he is not yet officially on injured reserve that will come soon. Ropati Pitoitua is coming back from the same injury and has spoken to Thomas about it to try to give him any support he can. Pitoitua told me that the one advantage Thomas will have is there is no lockout. Pitoitua wasn’t allowed to interact with the staff in any way so he had to go out and find his own trainer to help him rehab. Thomas will be able to work with the team’s training staff.

Ryan announced that he is being inducted into the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame. To enhance the occasion he wore a suit jacket, which had been festooned with a paper cutout of the school’s mascot (a bulldog) on the front and the letters “H O F” on the back. All were, of course, in the appropriate blue and white school colors. His brother Rob is being inducted as well.

Ryan pointed out that Sunday’s game now features two Hall of Fame coaches going head to head; Bill Belichick is a member of the Wesleyan University Hall of Fame. He then went off on a tangent about how Belichick also played lacrosse, which Ryan knows nothing about except, “I do like the idea of hitting people with a stick.”

Not really an anecdote, but mildly interesting, Jarron Gilbert was wearing jersey No. 84 today instead of his usual 71.Eighty-four is reserved for receivers and tight ends. Three players told me that they thought Gilbert is being converted or will spend time at both positions (remember he’s on the practice squad). So far, we haven’t gotten confirmation from the team about this.

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Joe Namath has plenty to say (again) about 2011 Jets

Published: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 6:35 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 05, 2011, 7:00 PM

Star-Ledger Staff By Star-Ledger Staff

The Joe Namath 2011 World Tour continued tonight when the Super Bowl III-winning quarterback appeared on "NBC SportsTalk" on Versus.

And as has been the case of late, he wasn't bashful about pointing out everything he thinks Rex Ryan and the current crop of Jets are doing wrong.

"I'm a big fan of the Jets ... (but) I do like to say what I feel."

The rest of the, um, highlights:

On whether he was surprised about the reaction to his comments last week: "Yes, because I wasn't expecting it. But after giving it some thought, I understand why. ... I have an expert opinion."

On Rex Ryan's Super Bowl talk: "He's a different animal. The good thing is he's had them in the (AFC) championship game the last two years, and there's a lot of this season left."

On Mark Sanchez being able to lead the Jets: "I know he can, but it's a team game ... and he needs help. ... If you don't have the horses up front on both sides of the ball, it's going to be a long season."

On what the Jets haven't done well: "They're not executing properly."

On the defense: "The defense has been playing well. It played well last week against the Ravens. I look for the Jets defense to keep the offense in the game."

Oh, and he picked the Patriots to win Sunday's game.

Namath isn't the only retired quarterback to offer unsolicited comments about his old team. Brett Favre this week mentioned that he was surprised it took Aaron Rodgers so long to win a Super Bowl.

:

Rodney Harrison, who played for the Patriots and now is an analyst on NBC's Football Night in America, said such criticism from Favre tarnishes his image as a Hall of Fame player.

"Everything he accomplished in his career is now diminished," Harrison said last night. "It just shows how classless ... this guy is."

Again, Harrison was talking about Favre. Nonetheless, an interesting point.

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Jets coach makes own Hall of Fame blazer

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.

Associated Press

Last Updated: 7:06 PM, October 5, 2011

Posted: 6:27 PM, October 5, 2011

Rex Ryan is a Hall of Famer, and he’s got the jacket to prove it.

The Jets coach showed up at his news conference Wednesday wearing a navy blazer with a big logo slapped on the left side of the chest with the words “SWOSU Hall of Fame 2011” below a picture of an angry bulldog.

“What it is, is a Hall of Fame blazer,” Ryan said with a big grin.

He then pulled out a letter from Southwestern Oklahoma State University that congratulated him on being among this year’s inductees. Ryan was a defensive end, as was twin brother Rob for the Bulldogs, and he graduated from SWOSU, located in Weatherford, Okla., in 1986.

“I’ll say this, anytime I got a letter from the office of the president, it’s usually not a good thing,” Ryan said.

With the Jets (2-2) in the midst of a two-game losing streak and taking a lot of criticism from fans and media, Ryan got back to keeping things loose. Yes, even with New York having to go to New England to face Bill Belichick and the AFC East-rival Patriots (3-1).

“It boils down to two Hall of Famers butting heads,” Ryan said. “So, that’s why I’ll wear the jacket today.”

Belichick is in Wesleyan University’s Athletic Hall of Fame after a standout career as a center and tight end, and as a captain on the lacrosse team.

“We know he’s going to have a bust in Canton and all that in that other minor Hall of Fame,” a smiling Ryan said. “Two great athletes, obviously. I think I could’ve held my own with him on the football field, but I also saw that he was a lacrosse player and I have no idea what I’m doing in lacrosse. I do like the idea, though, of hitting people with a stick, so I think I might’ve been all right.

“So, he clearly has it.”

So, Rex, who’s going to present you on that big day? Maybe Rob, and add this to the sibling rivalry?

“Well,” Ryan said smiling again, “unfortunately I found out my brother got the same letter.”

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Jets' Cromartie stands by critique of Patriots' Brady

| More Print

6:23 PM, October 5, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said his feelings have not changed about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady nine months after calling him a derogatory name.

"I don't have nothing to add," Cromartie said Wednesday. "My feelings are still the same. Nothing's going to change."

Days before the Jets faced the Patriots in the playoffs in January, Cromartie blasted Brady for pointing at the Jets bench during the Patriots' 45-3 regular-season win in December. He used an expletive to describe Brady.

He did not repeat that Wednesday, but did not back down.

"Do I respect him? Yes," Cromartie said. "The guy has three Super Bowl rings. When I'm on the football field, I don't really give a damn."

In Foxborough, Mass., Brady cut off his press conference after getting asked about Cromartie three times.

"I don’t care what he says about me – I really don’t," Brady said.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/jets_cromartie_stands_by_critique_nLyKW39G1wd5RtbuTTPfXL#ixzz1Zx5dJ8at

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Jets Sanchez, Holmes seem at odds over comments

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5:19 PM, October 5, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes have been unable to get on the same page on the field, and now the Jets teammates sound like they are at odds off of it.

Sanchez said the team spoke about not going public with criticisms of each other after Holmes ripped the offensive line and Sanchez after Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Ravens.

"Moving forward, that won't happen," Sanchez said Wednesday. "We've talked about it. Those individual improvements and stuff that happens on a personal level. … That kind of stuff doesn't go past this locker room."

Problem is, no one seemed to include Holmes in this decision. He said no one said anything to him about his remarks, and defended what he said, pointing out he's a captain.

"If coach put a 'C' on my chest, everybody should listen to what I have to say whether it's good or bad and let's build from it," Holmes said. "Let's not take it out and say OK, we're going to trash this person for saying something bad about the team in the media."

After the loss in Baltimore, Holmes did not hold back.

"It starts up front with our big guys, they need to do a better job protecting Mark, and Mark has to do a better job making his reads and getting the ball to playmakers," Holmes said Sunday night.

Sanchez said he did not take offense to the comment but that it was addressed. He would not go into detail about whether he spoke with Holmes individually or if it was a team meeting.

"Within this locker room we talk about stuff like that," he said. "That's about as far as I'm going to go on that."

Jets legend Joe Namath criticized Holmes on the radio this week for making those comments in the media. Holmes does not seem to value Namath's opinion.

"Joe Namath doesn't work for the New York Jets," he said. "He doesn't coach here. He doesn't have anything positive to say about us. We can't feed into what he says on the outside to the media."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/jets_sanchez_holmes_seem_at_odds_jnn96zIj9i0ZE4mbBOjmvM#ixzz1Zx6W1573