Jets News 10-10

[Bugg]

"Take a look at the quarterback, who in five weeks has been told this is his team (and was then given game plans that seemed like they were co-authored by the opposing team's defensive coordinators) and has now been neutered to the point at which the Jets' brain trust seems hysterically hell-bent to run the ball through imaginary holes and eight-man boxes, all in the name of reclaiming some moral highground-and-pound."

It's like they don't self scout nor look at tape of opponents. At all. And despite all this ground and pound nonsense you are not winning in Foxboro with 21 points and 166 yards passinga against piss poor corners. And on any day the NFL in 2011 begs you to pass. If you cannot throw a pass of more than 22 yards in any game so far youa re going to lose. There's no reason to play deep on the Jets, so the LBs and DBs are cheating up. Heck, they aren't even cheating; they're daring them to throw deep because 1. the OC doens't even bother and 2. the QB either because of lack of talent or 1 doesn't do it.

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Jets’ Offense Just What The Doctor Ordered For Embattled Patriots ‘D’

October 10, 2011 9:20

AMNEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — The Patriots were upset that opponents kept piling up yards on them.

They took it out on the Jets.

Even without star linebacker Jerod Mayo, the Patriots allowed just 255 yards and held the Jets without a first down on seven of their 11 possessions in a 30-21 win Sunday.

“We said, ‘Enough’s enough,’ and that’s where you make your stand,” said Patriots defensive end Andre Carter, who had seven tackles.

It was a surprising showing by a defense that entered the game last in the NFL with an average of 477.5 yards allowed. And it played without its signal-caller, Mayo, who missed his first game because of a serious knee sprain.

I think every week we’ve been getting better and better and better (defensively) and today was a good day to get back on track,” defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said.

The Patriots (4-1) never trailed and won their 19th consecutive regular-season game at home. The Jets (2-3) lost their third straight.

“We lost two in a row last year but we bounced right back from it,” Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez said. “This is a little different territory. So we’re going to see what a lot of guys are made of on this team and it’s my job to get guys ready to play this next week against Miami.”

BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns and Tom Brady completed 24 of 33 passes for 321 yards, a touchdown and an interception after starting the day with an NFL-best 388 yards passing per game.

“We want to be an offense that can be able to do whatever we want to do, run or pass, and complement our defense,” said Green-Ellis, signed in 2008 as a rookie free agent from Mississippi.

The Jets didn’t do any of that well enough.

Sanchez completed 16 of 26 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns one week after going 11 for 35 for 119 in a 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. And the Patriots outrushed the Jets 152 yards to 97.

“I thought we did some good things” on offense, New York coach Rex Ryan said, “but lacked a little consistency, obviously, and you have got to convert on third down.”

The Jets were just 3 for 11 on third down, compared to the Patriots’ 7 for 14.

“They did a great job spreading the ball around,” New York cornerback Antonio Cromartie said.

Before last season’s 28-21 playoff win over the Patriots, Cromartie called Brady an expletive and said the quarterback showboated and pointed at the Jets sideline after a late touchdown during a regular-season game.

But few players referred to the rivalry after Sunday’s game. And the crowd was subdued in a lackluster first half and behaved most of the time as if the Jets were just another opponent.

Brady had another strong day, completing 24 of 33 passes for one touchdown and one interception as the Patriots scored at least 30 points for the 13th straight regular-season game.

The Patriots led 10-7 at halftime and 27-14 after Stephen Gostkowski’s 24-yard field goal with 12:57 left in the game.

Then Sanchez led a comeback by completing 5 of 6 passes for 65 yards on an 85-yard drive capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 7:14 left.

But the Jets couldn’t stop the Patriots, who held the ball for 6:12 as Green-Ellis ran 10 times for 59 yards.

“BenJarvus is a great guy to block for,” Patriots guard Logan Mankins said. “He reads the play out, he finds the hole and he won’t fumble.”

Gostkowski ended the march with a 28-yard field goal, his third of the game, with 1:02 remaining.

“Against New England, you’ve got to get off the field,” Ryan said. “They did a great job sustaining drives. You’ve got to give them all the credit. They earned it.”

On the first play of the third quarter, Brady and Wes Welker connected for a 73-yard gain. Three plays later, a wide-open Deion Branch caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brady on the left side of the end zone.

“I took my eyes off of him,” Cromartie said. “I took one peep. As soon as I peeped, he went the opposite way. That’s all on me.”

The Jets came right back when Joe McKnight returned the kickoff 88 yards one week after scoring on a 107-yard kickoff return. They needed just three plays to reach the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Jeremy Kerley, cutting the lead to 17-14.

But the Patriots defense never let them catch up.

“That was definitely our best game,” Carter said, “and now we have to continue to get better.”

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What Schottenheimer Complaints? Rex Ryan, Jets Receivers Deny Report

October 10, 2011 10:31 AM

NEW YORK (WFAN) – Is there trouble brewing in the Jets locker room?

According to the New York Daily News, wide receivers Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and Derrick Mason have “individually gone to Rex Ryan in the past few weeks” to sound off on offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s play calling.

But before Sunday’s game, the Jets issued a statement denying the report. Ryan said after the Jets’ 30-21 loss to New England that no players have come to him with complaints.

“That’s Ripley’s to me,” he said. “If it is (true), maybe I got hit in the head or something. I don’t remember that.”

Mason, Burress and Holmes also denied the claim.

“OK, let me say this: I’ve been in this thing 15 years and I’ve never criticized the offensive coordinator to a head coach. Never once,” Mason said. “Whoever told you all that I wish you would tell me who it is so I can ask why they put my name in that mess. … I’m not part of it.”

The receiver added: “I’ve always said the play-caller makes the play calls and the players have got to make them work. If we make them work then they’re great play callers. If we don’t make them work then everyone wants to jump on the OC.”

Despite a return to Ryan’s preferred “ground and pound” offense, the Jets still sputtered to just 31 yards of offense in the first quarter against the Patriots.

New York had 14 first downs to New England’s 26, and was 3 of 11 on third down.

“Whoever wrote that story, they’re just making up stories to sell papers,” said Burress, who hauled in three catches for 42 yards. “I’ve never went in to talk to Rex personally about anything.”

Even with the big three receivers on board, Schottenheimer will surely start to feel the heat in the media and from Jets fans — again – if Gang Green continues to lose.

“I honestly have no idea where that came from or who could have said it,” said Holmes, according to the New York Post. “I have no issue with coach Schottenheimer and I didn’t talk to Rex about anything.”

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Super Bowl? Memo To Jets: Wins Come First

October 10, 2011 11:13 AMFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WFAN/AP) — The most consistent area for the Jets lately has been the final outcome.

Gang Green’s skid reached three straight with a 30-21 loss at New England on Sunday, when New York sputtered to 31 yards of offense in the first quarter and the worn-out defense failed to stop the Patriots down the stretch.

Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl prediction is looking less secure with each passing week.

“Against New England you’ve got to get off the field. They did a great job sustaining drives,” Ryan said. “You make mistakes against that football team and they absolutely kill you. And they don’t need any help with the offense that they have. You can’t make mistakes.

“We made just enough of them to help (them).”

“We expect to go to the Super Bowl,” said safety Jim Leonhard. “We’re far, far from that right now. We’ve hit a rough stretch. We’re doing a lot of good things, but we’re not executing well enough to win games.”

The Jets (2-3) were 3 for 11 on third-down conversions while gaining just 255 yards against the Patriots, who were the NFL’s lowest-ranked defense entering the game.

Mark Sanchez passed for 166 yards, one week after a 119-yard performance in a 34-17 loss to the Ravens.

“I knew we were going to need some big plays on third down and that’s where we really lost the game,” said Sanchez, who completed 16 of 26 passes. “You can’t win like that. Not against these guys. You’ve got to keep them off the field and make it easier on your defense.”

Before the game, the Jets issued a statement denying a report that receivers Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and Derrick Mason went to Ryan individually recently to complain about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s system.

Ryan said after the game that no players have come to him individually with complaints, and both Burress and Mason denied the claim.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns for New England and Tom Brady had another strong game, completing 24 of 33 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots scored at least 30 points for the 13th straight regular-season game.

In the last meeting between the Jets and Patriots, Sanchez outplayed Brady in New York’s 28-21 playoff win on Jan. 16, adding to the fierce rivalry between the AFC East teams. But the crowd was unusually subdued throughout the first half Sunday, perhaps because of the lackluster play that included six penalties by each team.

The Patriots (4-1) won their 19th straight regular-season game at home. They never trailed, scoring the first 10 points and leading 10-7 at halftime.

The Jets staged a comeback after falling behind 27-14, marching 85 yards to a 21-yard scoring pass from Sanchez to Holmes. Sanchez was 5 for 6 on the drive for 65 yards — more than 40 percent of his total for the game.

But the Patriots came right back, holding the ball for 6:12 and scoring with 1:02 remaining on Stephen Gostkowski’s 28-yard field goal, his third of the game.

On the first play of the third quarter, Brady and Wes Welker connected for a 73-yard gain. Three plays later, a wide-open Deion Branch caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brady on the left side of the end zone.

“I took my eyes off of him,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “I took one peep. As soon as I peeped, he went the opposite way. That’s all on me.”

The Jets struck right back when Joe McKnight returned the kickoff 88 yards one week after scoring on a 107-yard kickoff return in a 34-17 loss at Baltimore. New York needed just three plays to reach the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to Jeremy Kerley, cutting the lead to 17-14.

Green-Ellis, who had 27 carries, then scored his second 3-yard touchdown with 1:20 left in the third quarter, and Gostkowski added a 24-yard field goal with 12:57 to go in the game.

The Jets failed to get a first down on their first four possessions, punting on each one. But on their next series, they held the ball for 7:54 and scored on Shonn Greene’s 3-yard run, the 13th play of a 78-yard drive, as they cut the lead to 10-7.

The Patriots got the ball with 3:17 left in the half and had a second-and-10 on the Jets 11 with 9 seconds remaining. Brady threw the ball to Aaron Hernandez at the goal line, but the tight end deflected it and Cromartie caught it behind him, returning the interception 42 yards as time ran out.

It was the first regular-season red-zone interception Brady has thrown at home in his career.

New England had taken a 7-0 lead when Green-Ellis scored on a 3-yard run midway through the first quarter.

It went to 10-0 on a 44-yard field goal by Gostkowski with 11:15 left in the second quarter. The Jets appeared to have the Patriots stopped when Hernandez failed to catch Brady’s pass on third-and-5 at the Jets 39, but Kyle Wilson was called for illegal contact, giving the Patriots a first down.

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Haynesworth happy to be back in mix

Oct 10, 2011

By Tom E. Curran

CSNNE.com

FOXBORO -- It was a quiet day on the stat sheet for Albert Haynesworth. All goose eggs except for one quarterback hit. But individual numbers aren't the measure for defensive linemen.

You really have to watch the infighting as it unfolds and look at team numbers for the opposing offense. And on Sunday, those numbers came up looking pretty good for the Patriots.

Haynesworth, after two weeks off with a back issue, was a welcome re-addition.

"It felt great to get back out there and to not hurt," Haynesworth said when asked how he felt after his layoff.

Having him on the field for a game against the Jets -- and Haynesworth didn't start; Kyle Love and Vince Wilfork were the defensive tackles -- made an impact at least in reputation. He's one of the best in the business at being big, mean and powerful, even when he's not 100 percent. So the Jets weren't going to bully him with their "ground and pound."

"I like that," he said when asked about the Jets' bullish approach. "The run's the easiest thing to play. Rushing the passer is hard. I like (dealing with the run). They want to run at me that's great. I hate the run aways. But run at me, that's great."

Haynesworth said it was cramps that caused him to take a knee in the second half and walk slowly to the sidelines. He also said the defense remains a work in progress.

"Even though the core of the defense is the same, we still got new pieces," he pointed out. "Me, Andre (Carter), Shaun (Ellis) so we need time to jell. We didn't have a minicamp or an offseason so we just have to let this defense jell and once we do, we'll become a good defense. We know we got the talent, we got all the parts, we just needed to put that together and that's what we did, we had to focus."

The Patriots' focus falls next on Dallas.

Tom E. Curran can be reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Tom on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tomecurran

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Pats (finally) take some strides defensively

Oct 10, 2011

By A. Sherrod Blakely

CSNNE.com

FOXBORO — A work in progress.

The New England Patriots certainly have to feel good about their 30-21 win over the New York Jets, and how they limited the Jets to just 166 yards passing.

"This was definitely our best game," said defensive end Andre Carter.

While that may be true, the Patriots still have plenty of room for improvement defensively as they improve their record to 4-1 and remain atop the AFC East standings with the Buffalo Bills.

Even coach Bill Belichick gave props to the way his team played defensively … sort of.

"We had our moments," he said. "We had our moments."

Especially in limiting the Jets to three-and-outs on seven series.

"It was really big and it is one of the things we really harp on in practice and putting us in the position to getting off the field after third down," said defensive end Mark Anderson who had three tackles and 1.5 sacks. "We executed the game plan well, stopping them on first and second-down and putting them into a position on third-and-long, we then put the pressure on the quarterback and the defensive backs playing bump-and-cover which gave us a chance to make plays."

In a weird way, the Patriots defense was aided in part by the Jets, who were determined to be more balanced this week offensively - even if it meant not throwing the ball as much against the league's worst pass defense.

New York, which came in among the NFL's worst rushing teams, had 97 yards rushing on 25 rushing plays for a 3.9 yards per carry average.

Well aware that the Jets would look to run the ball more, the return of defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth (back) to the lineup was even more important.

"I like that," Haynesworth said on the Jets' strategy to run. "The run is the easiest thing to play, and rushing the passer is hard."

It certainly has appeared that way for the Patriots this season.

But Sunday was a new day, a new opponent, a new quarterback.

And while Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had decent numbers - 16-for-26 passing for 166 yards on Sunday - they were all season-lows among quarterbacks who have faced the Pats this season.

In fact, Sanchez became the first quarterback this season to not pass for 300-plus yards against the Patriots this season.

"It's not just one thing that's going to beat these guys," said Sanchez, who also threw two touchdowns against the Patriots. "You don't just come out and throw it 50 times. It's not our identity.

I

t's easy to say from an outside perspective, 'these guys are last in the league (in pass defense); just throw it every down.' We're not built like that. We're built for the long haul."

So are the Patriots, whose defense continues to trend in the right direction.

"Certainly there are things we can improve on," Belichick said before adding, "but I think we have improved and hopefully we keep building on that and continue to get better each week."

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

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Curran: Patriots getting better; Jets getting worse

Oct 9, 2011

By Tom E. Curran

CSNNE.com Patriots Insider

FOXBORO - I don't know who said it first, but it's a line they like to use around Gillette Stadium: "You're either getting better or you're getting worse."

That platitude was in practice Sunday afternoon. The Patriots - with their once sadly amusing defense and forgotten running game - bowed up on the blowhard New York Jets.

And the Jets? Owners of a three-game losing streak and entering back-to-back games against teams coming off of their bye weeks, they may have played better than they did last week but their identity crisis seems to be just beginning.

We'll get to that in a few paragraphs. First, let's look at what the Patriots were able to accomplish in improving to 4-1 (keeping pace with the powerful Bills).

As opposed to the last time these two teams met, the Patriots were able to establish balance. Thirty-three throws, 35 runs, and 7-of-14 on third down.

The two key drives they reeled off were an 11-play drive that covered 77 yards and consumed 4:12. That came in the third quarter when the Patriots lead was 17-14 and they hadn't put together a sustained drive that resulted in points since early in the second quarter.

The second drive began with 7:14 remaining and the lead 27-21. A 13-play, 69-yard drive (54 coming on the ground from BenJarvus Green-Ellis) that chewed up 6:12 and ended with a game-icing field goal with 1:09 remaining.

After weeks of deservedly being called a finesse team, the Patriots lined up and rammed the ball down the throats of an increasingly disinterested Jets defense.

“That’s always huge," said tight end Rob Gronkowski. "You don’t want to give them a chance to come back. Give them any small chance, any play, they can come right back and score a touchdown no matter what the play is. So you always want to close it out and not give them a chance . . . You just want to finish it off in the game and we did with the field goal.”

In the playoffs last year, the Patriots spent gobs of time trying to process what the Jets were doing before the snap. Sunday, they were decisive and destructive.

"That was a big part of the win. I thought we were balanced," explained Tom Brady. "Ran the clock out at the end, that was important. We needed that win. We have to run the ball. If they have a lot of DBs out there, then we have to run it. If they put big guys in, we still have to run it. You just can’t throw the ball every single down against these guys, they make it too tough."

The Patriots were the tougher team Sunday. And Brady had a lot to do with that with getting the offense into the correct running play at the line.

"They give you a lot of different looks," said Bill Belichick. "They stem in and out of things and overload and then switch it and just change things up on you, so you’ve got to be careful about running plays that just have no chance. You want to stay out of those and try to give yourself something that you at least have an even fight, fair numbers on. That's the quarterback’s responsibility and a couple times we just got caught in it. They did a good job. They maneuvered in a way that we weren’t able to do that, but I thought he did a good job handling that."

At his locker after the game, Brady lamented the plays missed, the throws not made, the points left on the board. But it was - relatively speaking - an improvement for this offense even though it mustered fewer yards than in the first three weeks of this season.

Defensively? No griping. A group that was good for a 30-plus play per quarter didn't allow a play of more than 20 yards until the fourth quarter and there were only two of those.

It helped that Mark Sanchez was less than accurate and that Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schotteheimer had a curious day of playcalling (throwing on short yardage on the first three Jets' series with no success; never challenging the Patriots' corners on the outside where they've been vulnerable). But the Patriots responded to New York's proclamation that they would ground and/or pound the football at them. The Jets made yards (25 carries, 97 yards), but their ineptitude on third down kept them from getting any flow.

"We knew coming into this game they were going to try to get the ground game going," said Vince Wilfork. "At times they did, but at times we buckled down. I think you just saw two teams today that play each other all the time and it’s always tough. When you play a division game, it’s always tough.

Especially with the Jets. But you just saw two good football teams go at it. We know one another.

You may see a few wrinkles, but they do what they do. They play physical. They challenged us this week and I think we rose to the occasion."

This defense hadn't done that to a great extent this season. Moments? Yes. A full game of it? No. But they did it against the Jets, a team that they really, truly revile.

"They were going to make plays, we were going to make plays, but we knew we had to hang in their tough and play good solid football and then we knew we’d be ok. I think we did tonight," added Wilfork. "I think third down was a plus for us tonight. The yardage, no big plays- that’s part of the most impressive stat for us. Like I said, we weren’t perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction."

And as the Patriots keep getting better, establishing an identity, the Jets are reeling.

Asked in the postgame if this is the toughest situation the Jets have faced, Rex Ryan said, "It’s probably right there with them. You know, we are the only NFL team in history to go to the playoffs having overcome two three-game losing streaks. We’ve been down that road before, but to get back to winning, you have to roll your sleeves up and get after it. And start working and preparing and believing in each other and we can turn the tide."

It's never a good sign when you're able to dredge up stats about how good your team is when it goes in the tank. Because, at some point, the time comes when that team finds that the best way to respond to three-game losing streaks is to avoid them. The Jets aren't there yet. Their head coach may know that there is no switch to flip, but the annual preseason victory parades and proclamations are eventually going to backfire.

And that process may be in motion right now.

Tom E. Curran can be reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Tom on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tomecurran.

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Giants, Jets Fans Can Be Miserable Together

by Ed Valentine • Oct 10, 2011 10:27 AM EDT

A common theme between New York Giants and New York Jets fans is trash-talking about which team is better, or which team currently "owns" New York. Today, though, neither fans of Big Blue nor Gang Green should be in the mood for much bragging. Fans of both squads should be united in feeling miserable about what they watched on Sunday.

The Giants (3-2) lost a home game to a Seattle Seahawks team that entered MetLife Stadium 1-3 and had the league's worst offense. The Seahawks proceeded to roast the Giants' defense for 424 yards, and the Giants turned the ball over five times.

Star-divide

After the loss Giants' coach Tom Coughlin said, "We played poorly. When you don't deserve to win you don't win."

The Jets went to Foxboro and lost their third straight game, falling to 2-3 with a 31-21 loss to the New England Patriots. The Jets were better than they had been in a brutal 34-17 loss a week ago to the Baltimore Ravens, but it was obvious they weren't good enough.

"Obviously they (the Patriots) are the better team right now," said Jets coach Rex Ryan.

The Giants were lost Sunday in a sea of turnovers (five), bad blocking and defensive mistakes. Giants' defensive end Dave Tollefson was correct to call the performance "embarrassing."

With Nick Mangold back at center the Jets looked a little better offensively ... but not nearly good enough. The Jets were even forced to issue a statement pre-game denying that several of the team's wide receivers had gone to coach Rex Ryan to complain about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Whether they did or didn't the Jets have issues. Their offense isn't good enough, and their defense isn't as dominant as it was supposed to be.

So, today, Jets and Giants fans can be miserable. Together. Which, I know, is not any comfort to fans of either team.

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Not all bad?

by Ted Berg on October 10th, 2011 at 10:40 am

It’s pretty hard to assess the Jets’ performance in their 30-21 loss to the Patriots yesterday without a firmer sense of how good (or bad) New England’s defense really is.

If it’s as awful as it played in the first few games of the season, so is this loss. Though Nick Mangold’s return helped the Jets’ offense look a hell of a lot better than it did last week against the Ravens, Gang Green still couldn’t sustain many long drives and managed only 97 yards on the ground. Bill Belichick and the Patriots countered the Jets’ attention to stopping their passing game by letting BenJarvus Green-Ellis run wild, and the Jets didn’t appear apt to adjust in turn.

If the Patriots’ defense is actually closer to that team’s normal (excellent) standards, then the Jets’ loss Sunday is not all bad. Mark Sanchez, afforded a bit more time to throw the ball, played well in spite of some butter-fingered (and allegedly mutinous) receivers. Shonn Greene flashed some of the bruising ability he hasn’t shown much of in almost two years. And the Jets’ defense, for better or worse, managed to rough up Tom Brady a bit.

Maybe I’m being a bit too optimistic, but this didn’t feel like a game that belongs in the same category as the losses in Oakland and Baltimore. It seemed more like the type of football game that could have easily gone the other way had a few close calls fallen in favor of the Jets: If Deion Branch had lifted his knee off the ground before being touched on the would-be fumble, for instance, or had Plaxico Burress’ toe landed an inch short of the sideline instead of an inch over it.

But they didn’t, so the Jets sit below .500, with critics beating their chests and hooting with glee.

And again: If the Patriots’ defense is actually terrible, this game could forebode an awful season for our blustering heroes. I strongly suspect that it isn’t.

Also: Seems pretty clear that opposing offensive coordinators are going to try to exploit Eric Smith’s lack of speed. Smith can tackle anybody, but he’s vulnerable in coverage. Of course, he’s hardly the only guy to fault in the loss.

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Everyone Just Relax About the Jets

By Will Leitch

FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 9:

Everyone is freaking out about the Jets right now, and with good reason: With their 30-21 loss to the Patriots yesterday, the Jets have lost three in a row and are now 2-3 and two games behind both the Patriots and the Bills. (The Bills!) Their wide receivers are reportedly complaining about the offensive coordinator. The whole enterprise is in danger. The Jets look vulnerable. But perhaps a look on the bright side is in order?

Before one of the tabs starts doing a "GIT OUT OF TOWN REXY!" cover based off some weird online poll, three reasons Jets fans should not be despairing right now.

1. They didn't look too bad yesterday. The score makes it look like the Jets were moderately blown out, but they weren't: If they'd had one third down stop late, they'd have had a chance to drive for the win. Shonn Greene looked better too; the real problem was a slow start for the offense. The defense had its problems, but everyone's defense has problems against the Patriots. If anything, yesterday's loss was a game-calling one; it was not Brian Schottenheimer's best day. Still, fact is: The Jets had a real chance to win on the road against New England, and that's impressive whether you're 2-2 or 15-0. The Raiders and Ravens losses were demoralizing. You could see the Jets slowly starting to pull it together yesterday. You could see the team they're supposed to be.

2. That was a really tough road trip. Sure, the Jets went 0-3 on the road, but they weren't playing losers and dopes. The Raiders, the Ravens, and the Patriots are all playoff contenders. It's highly unusual for an NFL team to play three straight road games, and downright rare for a team to play three winning teams on the road. It's never good to lose three in a row, obviously, but it would have been far worse had they lost to the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Rams.

3. It does get slightly easier now. Here are the Jets' games the rest of the season: Miami (next week), San Diego, BYE, at Buffalo, New England, at Denver, Buffalo, at Washington, Kansas City, at Philadelphia, NY Giants, at Miami. The best teams there (San Diego, New England) are at home, if you think Philadelphia might be completely dead by then. Heck, if they can figure out a way to win at Buffalo, and then hold serve at home, they might not lose. All right, so that's a bit much, but there are eleven winnable games left on the Jets' schedule. Or, more to the point: Eleven games that shouldn't be any tougher than the last three were. The season is still so young. Everybody chill.

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Plaxico on Buffalo’s success: “They’ve got good wings”

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on October 10, 2011, 10:25 AM EDT

The Jets have built themselves a hole in the AFC East.

Not only do they trail the Patriots by two games, they are also looking up at the 4-1 Bills. That isn’t foremost on the Jets’ minds at this point.

“I can’t worry about [buffalo],” Derrick Mason told Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports.

“They’ve got good wings,” Plaxico Burress helpfully added.

“We just lost to New England,” Mason said. “Now we have to move on to Miami. . . . I don’t even know when we play the Bills.”

Mason, who only took six snaps in Sunday’s game and is falling well short of expectations, is smart to not worry about other teams. The Jets need to find something they do well other than defend the pass.

The three-game losing streak had Rex Ryan searching for answers Sunday evening and cooling his usual bravado. Mark Sanchez patted Ryan on the butt as the coach left his press conference, like the big man needed a pick-me-up.

“I hate seeing Rex like that,” Sanchez said.

We agree. Sad Rex Ryan is sorta depressing.

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Report: Derrick Mason benched for complaining

Posted by Josh Alper on October 10, 2011, 11:04 AM EDT

The Jets took the unusual step of issuing a statement hours before kickoff to refute a report that the team’s wide receivers had complained about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason all joined in the denials after the team’s 30-21 loss to the Patriots. Mason was particularly defiant, even after spending most of the game on the bench while Jeremy Kerley played when the team went with three receivers.

“I’m not part of it,” Mason said. “I come here and do what they ask me to do and play good football.

I’ve always said the play-caller makes the play-calls and the players have got to make them work. If we make them work then they’re great play callers. If we don’t make them work then everyone wants to jump on the OC.”

Rex Ryan said that the team wanted to see more of Kerley, but Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com is reporting that’s not the entire story. Cimini reports that Ryan benched Mason because of his mouth.

There’s another report, from Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger, that Mason has had a hard time picking up the offense. Both add new wrinkles to figuring out a Jets offense that’s in freefall after Sunday’s dismal showing against a Patriots defense that spent the first four weeks being shredded by their opponents.

Regardless of the reason for Mason’s benching, he’s been a disappointment since joining the team as a free agent. Kerley caught a touchdown on Sunday and the speed he’s shown on punt returns could give the Jets something they need on offense as they try to find a way forward after two terrible outings.

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Report: Derrick Mason benched for complaining

Posted by Josh Alper on October 10, 2011, 11:04 AM EDT

The Jets took the unusual step of issuing a statement hours before kickoff to refute a report that the team’s wide receivers had complained about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason all joined in the denials after the team’s 30-21 loss to the Patriots. Mason was particularly defiant, even after spending most of the game on the bench while Jeremy Kerley played when the team went with three receivers.

“I’m not part of it,” Mason said. “I come here and do what they ask me to do and play good football.

I’ve always said the play-caller makes the play-calls and the players have got to make them work. If we make them work then they’re great play callers. If we don’t make them work then everyone wants to jump on the OC.”

Rex Ryan said that the team wanted to see more of Kerley, but Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com is reporting that’s not the entire story. Cimini reports that Ryan benched Mason because of his mouth.

There’s another report, from Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger, that Mason has had a hard time picking up the offense. Both add new wrinkles to figuring out a Jets offense that’s in freefall after Sunday’s dismal showing against a Patriots defense that spent the first four weeks being shredded by their opponents.

Regardless of the reason for Mason’s benching, he’s been a disappointment since joining the team as a free agent. Kerley caught a touchdown on Sunday and the speed he’s shown on punt returns could give the Jets something they need on offense as they try to find a way forward after two terrible outings.

This is total Cimini BS.

Mason was benched because he is done. Kerley at least brings speed to the table. Let's see if he can catch

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Should We Be Encouraged from the Loss?

by Bassett on October 10th, 2011 at 10:55 am

Bob Glauber writes in Newsday that after last night’s loss, Jets are a long way from a playoff appearance, but that there are things to be encouraged by the team from last night’s loss in New England.

I’m not big on moral victories, and neither is Ryan. But he’s smart for stressing what his team did well against an elite team like the Patriots instead of dwelling on the negatives.

Look, we all saw what the problems were: a 27 percent third-down conversion rate on offense, a 50 percent third-down conversion rate on defense, and 446 yards offense by the Pats.

But the defense did play well in spots, holding New England to 10 points in the first half. And Sanchez did rally the Jets with a terrific 11-play, 85-yard drive to make it a one-score game.

Not finishing it off showed there still is much work to be done, especially with a tough schedule after what should be a win against the Dolphins next Monday night at home. After that, five of their next six games are against teams with winning records, including the Patriots, two games against Buffalo, and one against the Chargers and Redskins.

He’s right, this isn’t a gimmee league. And while the Chargers and Redskins still might not be the most convincing teams record-wise, they’re still playing better than the Jets have. While the Jets are going to go up against some weaker defenses in the coming weeks, they still are going to have their hands full.

I’ve gotten the sense that because the Jets went to the AFC Championship game twice in a row it’s given some folks around the team freedom to be licentious in their assuming the Jets will bounce back … they did it the past two years, right? The difference is that I think this team is less talented. Less talented at Safety, less talented at Wide Receiver, and less talented on the Offensive Line.

The talent issue would be fine, IF Sanchez was picking up the slack, but he’s not. While he had a good statistical day yesterday, some of his numbers seemed like “empty calories” statistics … they took place against prevent defenses, and they didn’t come regularly enough when they were most needed.

The Jets can’t just expect that the AFC Championship game is going to happen every year. While the Jets were publicly saying last night that they’ve not hit the panic button, they have eleven games left and they will need to go 8-3 over that time to even think about heading to the playoffs.

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Green Lantern: Do Jets Or Giants Own NYC? Why Do You Care? They Sure Don’t

So Far, Gang Green Just A Hype Machine, Big Blue Lacking Killer Instinct

October 10, 2011 1:13 PM

By Jeff Capellini, CBSNewYork/WFAN.com

NEW YORK (WFAN) — This space is usually reserved for weekly observations and opinions on the Jets, but if I spent the next 1,500 or so words simply regurgitating that which my colleagues have already broken down in detail I’d be doing my employers and readers a disservice.

I’ve decided to try something new. And if this bothers you or comes off as crude media speak and ultimate armchair quarterback fighting, I really don’t care. Someone has to say it.

You hear the debate on a daily basis on the radio, in print, on television and on the Internet: which team is the true representative of New York City and its outlying areas? The new-age swagger of the Jets or the old school mentality of the Giants? The Gang Green Army led by the latest incarnation of Patton or the Big Blue Machine that’s carried the torch, often admirably, for 60 years?

The answer is simple and undeniable.

Neither.

The NFL should hold open tryouts for any team to come in here and attempt to showcase the type of talents the Tri-State Area truly deserves. Because what you have witnessed from MetLife Stadium’s current tenants over the 2011 season’s first five weeks has been an utter embarrassment.

The 2-3 Jets have failed to live up to any form of hype and the 3-2 Giants have found ways to squander that which has been handed to them. It’s been pretty disgusting.

Let’s start with the Jets, who always “can’t wait” to get their perceived swag on. My questions are many. What swag? What “elite” defense do you mean? Which “ground and pound” running game are you referring to exactly?

To this point the Jets have sold you, the hard-working and over-charged public, a bill of goods.

Three weeks ago I wrote a column warning nearly everyone that despite the Jets’ 2-0 start they had not won a damn thing. They could easily go on what was a pivotal early season three-game road trip and throw away any chance they had of winning the AFC East. Low and behold, threes games later, the Jets are now two games out of the division lead and 1-3 in conference play.

Now you may not put too much stock in the Bills’ 4-1 start or may think the Patriots, despite their 30-21 win over Gang Green on Sunday, aren’t all that defensively. And you could be right, but what indication have the Jets given you to make you believe they will catch and pass either? I thought the idea this season was getting home playoff games? Well, unless something changes, and I mean in a hurry, this team will be lucky to even be around for meaningful January football, let alone showcase whatever it is they think they have in front of their deserving fan base.

The Jets are so screwed up right now the fan base has no idea who to blame. The players may say they are a united front, but it sure doesn’t look or feel that way. Every week something new falls apart. Even in victory they haven’t looked right.

One week the defense fails to show up; the next the offensive line is in shambles; the next both take quarters off. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer walks around with the biggest bull’s-eye in the NFL on his back, while defensive coordinator Mike Pettine somehow gets a free pass or ends up in witness protection. Rex Ryan, for all of his motivational speeches and F-bombs, has looked much smaller in stature of late. While I still believe this guy is the right man for the job, whatever message he’s trying to send has yet to sink in.

Or maybe it’s something more. Maybe the Jets simply aren’t that good, or have been a product of elaborate schemes hiding many faults. If you look at their roster, the Jets, talent-wise, should be feared and menacing. But then the games start and they look disorganized and fragile.

You want to sum up the Jets’ season to this point? Look no further than the fourth quarter on Sunday. After not even attempting to throw the ball down field over the previous three quarters, quarterback Mark Sanchez engineered and 11-play, 85-yard drive that culminated with a 28-yard scoring pass to Santonio Holmes, who for one week at least disappeared from the back of a milk carton. The drive took 5 minutes, 47 seconds and, more importantly, kept the Jets’ somewhat winded defense off the field.

Ah but wait. What happens the second the now-rested defense gets back on the field down 6 with more than half of the quarter still to play? The Jets proceeded to get destroyed on the ground by the immortal BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Patriots put together a methodical 13-play drive that resulted in a field goal with about a minute to play, sealing the game.

There was nothing elite about the defense during that drive. Zero. The Jets may lead the world in three-and-outs on offense, but they did their job the previous possession. The defense then went out and spit the bit.

Again, bill of goods? You’d be a fool to make up an excuse.

Now, let’s segue over some 250 miles to MetLife for the Giants’ matchup with the lowly Seahawks, the Tavaris Jackson-led and, later, Charlie Whitehurst-led Seahawks, mind you.

All Big Blue did was turn the ball over five times in a 36-25 loss to arguably the worst offensive team in football, maybe this side of Jacksonville, or, dare I say it, the locker room across the way every other weekend.

Now I realize the Giants were dealt serious blow after serious blow earlier in the season with a slew of season-ending injuries to key components that would have made you think they somehow offended God in the offseason. But the fact of the matter is, on paper and considering just how bad the rest of the NFC East is, the Giants should win the division. Do you honestly believe in the Redskins? The “Dream Team” Eagles are a joke and embarrassment to their fan base, and if I worked at CBS Philly I’d be having a field day right now. The Cowboys? Who? What? Huh?

The Giants should be 4-1 right now and on cruise control. Talk should be about bringing Tom Coughlin back long-term, instead of the predictable mantra that’s followed this poor man around every time his team has lost a game it should have won.

Eli Manning has a Super Bowl ring and at times can be as good as any quarterback you want to name, but more often than not this guy is just a turnover machine, mostly because he throws a crappy ball. I realize his numbers this season are very, very good, but when he goes south he ends up on Antarctica alone.

Manning has the familiar pose that’s always captured by quick-thinking photographers — head down, aw shucks replaced by where’s the nearest rock for me to crawl under. And he has this look despite having crazy good receivers — and I’m talking about the ones that aren’t injured.

The Giants are supposed to be a team that is much more balanced on offense than the Jets. They have monster running backs and a very good run-blocking offensive line. Yet against the Seahawks, who allow nearly 100 yards per game on the ground, they managed 69. I tend to think Seattle’s run defense, statistically, is even softer than what the numbers show because they give up a slew of yards in the air and, generally, opponents don’t have to pass all that much to beat them.

Yet, there were the ‘Hawks on Sunday holding the Giants to 2.8 yards per carry. Now, I understand that Brandon Jacobs didn’t play, but c’mon. Ahmad Bradshaw is a “beast” right? DJ Ward carries the ball out of the end zone? Are you serious?

I got a buddy on Twitter who tried to convince me that no team finds a way to lose more than the Giants. I laughed at first and reminded him of the team that I follow, but then I thought about it a little more. Do the Giants play down to their opponents? Do they take stretches of games off? Are they not inspired on some level? The answer is probably a bit of all three.

Consider this: The Giants got Osi Umenyiora back on Sunday and the guy was a demon. Bookend him with Jason Pierre-Paul, with a healthy Justin Tuck mixed in also, and you have the potential for a devastating line. A line that, even missing one of them, that should never — ever — allow Marshawn Lynch to run for 8.2 yards per carry — as he did Sunday.

The Giants simply leave a lot to be desired on both sides of the ball for reasons that defy logic.

So here we are, heading to Week 6 of an NFL regular season that will be over before you know it. The Jets have been the bigger all-around disappointment of the two area teams mostly because they have failed to live up to their own hype, the hype they created by getting to the last two AFC Championship games and then talking about how even greener pastures were just around the corner. The Giants have failed because, despite their injuries, they have given away some opportunities that have demanded to be capitalized on and have this penchant for disappearing at absolutely the worst possible moments.

Is there a long way to go? Sure. Will both teams make the playoffs? I’d say there is a good chance.

But this notion that either fan base should pound its chest and declare that its team “owns New York” is laughable. They both stink right now. The other shoe drops on a weekly basis. Consistency is just a word in the dictionary, unless, of course, you are looking up consistently inconsistent.

There should be a big “space available” sign in front of MetLife right now. Neither team should be considered worthy of calling that stadium home.

And neither team currently represents you. If you think they do, all I can say is thank God the NHL has started up again.

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Slow Starts Burying the Jets

by Bassett on October 10th, 2011 at 9:24 am

Mark Sanchez was at the podium last night, stunned and disappointed with his team’s performance, and had no answers for the media on the most important question … against a terrible defense, why another slow start?

“I hate seeing Rex like that," the Jets’ QB quarterback said. "It’s frustrating."

The frustration started early, as the Jets began with four straight three-and-out possessions against the league’s 32nd-ranked defense. The reason is because the Jets were awful on third down.

"I don’t know the reason why we came out so slowly," Sanchez said. "We probably had the best week of practice all year this week. Guys were into it, we knew the plays, knew the game plan."

Sounds like Mark is answering his own question. If practice was good, everyone knew the plays and the team was motivated, then it comes down to execution. With Sanchez, it’d be easy to think we’d be past some of this by now. After watching the Sunday Night game, I was watching two QBs rifling the ball downfield for much of the game, and it just only helped me to see how far away the Jets offense is from anything like the Packers, or even the Falcons for that matter.

It seems like every week the team starts slow. There’s no urgency, the offense gets mired and the team has to punt it away. I don’t care how good this defense is, the Jets can only punt it away on Brady so many times before he does what he did. What impressed me was that the Jets were able to stop Brady as much as they did.

Going into the season the offense had struggled with first quarter points, and has again in 2011. At first, you’d think that it’s all on Sanchez, because his running of the offense seems to always get off to a slow start, but ironically, looking at some of Sanchez’s splits. he’s his most accurate (73.9%) and averaging more yards per attempt (10.91) in the first quarter than any other quarter … of course, his numbers fall off a cliff in the second and third quarters.

Where are the answers? It’s hard to say, but I think that coaching and execution are both to blame.

I think that the dropoff in the level of talent this year is now only really being fully appreciated, and the Jets are sitting two games behind the divisional leaders and are falling into a serious hole with a losing record.

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Three up, three down

October, 10, 2011

Oct 10

1:58

PM ET

0

By Rich Cimini

The Jets are 2-3, off to their worst start under Rex Ryan. They could easily be 1-4. Time to panic? Not yet. But if they lose to the winless Dolphins Monday night, it’ll be that time.

Here's Sunday's 30-21 loss to the Patriots in a nut shell: The Jets allowed the Patriots to turn two weaknesses (pass defense and rushing offense) into strengths. The Patriots didn't allow the Jets to do much of anything.

For now, a quick look at the 30-21 loss to the Patriots.

THREE UP

• Shonn Greene. Ordinarily, you wouldn’t get excited about an 83-yard rushing performance, but this represented progress for Greene. This was the old Greene. He was physical and made 45 yards after contact, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

• Joe McKnight. He makes our “Up” list for the second week in a row, thanks to his 88-yard kickoff return. He’s the best thing the Jets have right now, a legitimate weapon who has made people forget about Brad Smith.

• OLB Jamaal Westerman. In extended playing time because of the season-ending injury to Bryan Thomas, Westerman led the team with two sacks. He displayed good closing speed, a dimension they sorely need on defense.

THREE DOWN

• Defensive line/linebackers. The Jets loaded up on defensive backs, keying the pass – the way you have to play Tom Brady. They dared the Patriots to run, and they did. The defensive front, put in a tough position, wasn’t up to the challenge. The Patriots ran 11 times out of 13 plays on their clock-eating, game-clinching FG drive in the fourth quarter. They needed a stop to save the game, and the stop never came.

• Plaxico Burress. He dropped two passes and missed another opportunity when he failed to get two feet down on a sideline pass. It wasn’t an easy play, but it was a third-down play they needed to have.

• The secondary. All things considered, this wasn’t a terrible performance, but it could’ve been so much better if they could’ve eliminated a couple of mistakes. CB Antonio Cromartie got caught peeking at Brady at the goal line, and he let WR Deion Branch wander into the clear for a 2-yard touchdown pass. CB Darrelle Revis and S Eric Smith had a miscommunication on a zone call, letting Wes Welker get deep for 73 yards.

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The Fifth Down - The New York Times N.F.L. Blog

October 10, 2011, 2:28 pm

Are Better Times Ahead for the Jets?

By BEN SHIPGEL

It was somewhat surprising that the Jets left Gillette Stadium late Sunday night with mixed emotions. Players spoke of frustration, of shock, at losing three consecutive games, all against quality A.F.C.

opponents. Yet they also sounded much more encouraged than in weeks past, happier certainly than after the debacles in Oakland and Baltimore.

“It’s a shame,” Matt Slauson said, “because our team did get better this week. Still, too many mistakes made.”

Slauson wondered why the Jets have lost their aura of confidence on the road, where they went 15-7 the last two seasons, but perhaps his general optimism reflected the feelings of their coach, Rex Ryan, who told his players that a turnaround was imminent, that he saw evidence of improvement. This is the Jets’ third three-game skid under Ryan, and, as he is quick to mention, they still reached the playoffs in 2009, when it happened twice.

The Jets’ staggering offense – 151 yards through three quarters against the N.F.L.’s worst defense? – presents potential for discord, and steering his team through this adversity will be a stiff test for Ryan, perhaps the stiffest of his tenure.

The schedule suggests that luck swings toward the Jets next week, when the hapless Dolphins visit MetLife Stadium on Monday night. If they do not defeat Miami, much larger problems exist. Even if they win, a victory hardly legitimizes their standing as playoff contenders, let alone Super Bowl contenders.

If the Jets, as they say, witnessed progress Sunday – in Shonn Greene’s rushing performance, in the offensive line – then it almost would seem more representative of their improvement if a more challenging opponent appeared on the schedule. Then, the Jets could know glean a better idea whether, despite being 2-3, they are headed toward respectability or infamy.

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AFC East Power Rankings preview

October, 10, 2011

Oct 10

2:30

PM ET

By James Walker

New England Patriots (4-1)

Last week: No. 3

Result: W, 30-21 against the Jets

Analysis: The Patriots continue to roll with their division win over the Jets. New England's running game continues to evolve and the defense is making some improvement. That is bad news for opponents. The Saints (4-1) barely escaped with a win against the Carolina Panthers (1-4). Therefore, I’m voting for New England to move up to the No. 2 spot.

Projected ranking: No. 2-4

Buffalo Bills (4-1)

Last week: No. 9

Result: W, 31-24 against Philadelphia

Analysis: The Bills got back to playing solid football in Week 5. They all but buried the "Dream Team" Eagles, who are now 1-4. Expect Buffalo to move up a few spots thanks to another quality win. The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, ranked ahead of the Bills entering Week 5, also suffered losses.

Projected ranking: No. 5-7

New York Jets (2-3)

Last week: No. 14

Result: L, 30-21 against New England

Analysis: The Jets played better against New England, but they still lost for the third consecutive week. I still think the Jets are dangerous, because of their talent. But they haven't put it together consistently and certainly aren't good enough to beat the elite teams. Until proven otherwise, New York deserves to be in the middle of the pack.

Projected ranking: No. 14-16

Miami Dolphins (0-4)

Last week: No. 31

Result: Bye

Analysis: The Dolphins didn't play, so don't expect much movement. They are one of three winless teams remaining in the NFL. Miami's starting quarterback, Chad Henne, is out, and the team is down to backup Matt Moore the rest of the season. The Dolphins will have had two weeks to prepare when they travel to play the struggling Jets next week on "Monday Night Football." The Dolphins usually play New York tough, so it could be an interesting matchup.

Projected ranking: No. 30-32

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Why Mason’s Benching is Indicative of Larger Problems

by Bassett on October 10th, 2011 at 12:49 pm

So it’s coming out today that Derrick Mason was benched for the first half because of his comments to the press last week.

Derrick Mason, who made critical comments after last week’s ugly loss in Baltimore, was benched for the first half and wound up playing only a handful of plays. Ryan said, with a straight face, he wanted to give more opportunities to rookie Jeremy Kerley as the No. 3 receiver, but he sat Mason because of his mouth, ESPNNewYork.com has learned.

Those comments from Mason’s mouth I’m guessing were the ‘cracks’ ones about the team struggling to identify the issues.

Interestingly, Santonio Holmes threw specific teammates under the bus, yet he gets to walk on calling out both his quarterback and his offensive line.

To be fair, Rex’s has few rules when it comes to the media. His self-admitted main axiom is as follows: always mention at least two teammates. So maybe Holmes fit his comments under that directive, and was thus within the law. Meanwhile, Mason never mentioned two teammates … so maybe that’s why he was benched.

And so, after the game yesterday Derrick Mason strongly denied any association in complaining to Rex Ryan about the Jets offense – specifically Brian Schottenheimer’s offense and wanted to know who was saying that to the press.

“OK, let me say this: I’ve been in this thing [the NFL] 15 years and I’ve never criticized the offensive coordinator to a head coach — never once,” Mason said. “I’ve got enough problems going on myself. I’m not going go add another to it. Whoever told you all that I wish you would tell me who it is so I can ask why they put my name in that mess. I can’t speak for Santonio or Plax, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t do anything like that.

“I’m not part of it,” Mason said. “I come here and do what they ask me to do and play good football. I’ve always said the play-caller makes the play-calls and the players have got to make them work. If we make them work then they’re great play callers. If we don’t make them work then everyone wants to jump on the OC.”

The only thing I’ll say again about the matter (since we don’t know who it was) is the following: who benefits most from telling a story to make Brian Schottenheimer (and maybe collaterally the receivers as well) look bad? It’s multiple choice, but you could probably count the main suspects on one hand.

So what happened? Was Mason’s benching solely related to his mouth? Or was it something else altogether? Jenny Vrentas writes that Derrick Mason has struggled to pick up the Jets offense and so Jeremy Kerley was the beneficiary Sunday.

It appears as though this was the team’s plan all week as it prepared for the Patriots. All of Mason’s reps were taken on the scout team last week, and none with quarterback Mark Sanchez, according to a person who was at practice.

One potential reason is that Mason has been slow to pick up the Jets offense, according to another person with knowledge of Mason’s standing with the team. This is surprising because Mason came from the Ravens, and their offensive system under Cam Cameron is very similar to Brian Schottenheimer’s with the Jets. These people requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the team or Mason.

Meanwhile, Jerricho Cotchery languishes on the Steelers bench without a single reception on the season. So far, Mason has not produced as the team has needed him to, he’s gotten in trouble with the coaching staff and now he apparently can’t pick up the offense … Cotchery didn’t want to be in New York, but I’ll warrant the offense would be in a better place if an unhappy Cotchery was.

The irony here is that Cotchery was dissatisfied for most of the 2010 campaign – but of course he shut up about his concerns and wasn’t a public distraction. Cotchery was the guy that the Jets couldn’t find some common ground with to keep him, and so they released him. Stupid move.

In 2011, the Jets passing game hasn’t been very robust. The Jets receivers particularly are not playing well. Through Week 4 (FO’s updates are due tomorrow) the Jets receivers rank poorly (Plax 62th, Holmes 74th, Mason 80th) in their DVOA ratings. DVOA ratings rank receivers on a per play basis. In other words, they’re not the impact players the Jets need them to be, and since the Jets offense relies on shorter passes, they’re not even keeping the chains moving when they do get thrown to.

Scheme x Execution = Offense

If the scheme is zero, then even if the execution is good, it’s still bad. If execution is zero and the scheme is good, then it’s still bad.

The Jets need to get their team right, and the offense is at the heart of the issue. Sanchez was supposed to be ready for the big jump in year three, but he’s not shown enough of one so far. So the Jets (specifically Rex Ryan) are trying to revert to their running game – something Ryan feels like through which he can control the offense more successfully.

Waiting for the front office cavalry to ride to the rescue? So far, the front office seems unwilling to add more higher end or even veteran free agent talent to this team – even when desperately needed on the offensive line, so I wouldn’t expect the Jets to scour the trade market or free agency this week like the Jets did with Braylon Edwards two years ago. This will likely be the team that the Jets go with til the end of the season.

So for the Jets, it’s likely get better with the team they have, or get run over …

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Rex Ryan doesn't believe Jets will lose confidence, unity

Published: Monday, October 10, 2011, 4:10 PM Updated: Monday, October 10, 2011, 4:17 PM

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

.

The Jets are off to a 2-3 start, their worst under Rex Ryan. But the coach today affirmed his faith in his team, despite a three-game losing streak and reports of internal fractures.

"I don’t see us losing our confidence," Ryan said in his press conference today reviewing the Jets' 30-21 loss to New England. "I think maybe people outside of that room are going to lose confidence.

We’re not. I'm confident in the fact that I see signs of us getting better."

Ryan cited the 2009 Jets, who became the first team ever to bounce back from two three-game losing streaks to make it to the AFC Championship Game, as an example of the experience he'll draw on in this time. He said is this is "our opportunity" to handle adversity and added that he is not worried about the team falling apart in tough times.

"We put together a lot better football team and a group of characters than that," he said. "We’re 2-3 right now. That’s when you get stronger; that’s when you come in together and you build that character. This is a resilient bunch, I’m telling you. We’ll see. I believe in this football team. We may get beat, but we’re not going to get beat because we don’t believe in each other or we’re coming apart at the seams. That’s not who we are."

Later, Ryan added: "I think this locker room is closer than what we’re giving it credit for."

Ryan also expressed his confidence in offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer after the offense's inconsistent outing in the Patriots loss. Most notably, the Jets had seven three-and-outs and a third-down conversion rate of just 27 percent against the league's worst-ranked defense heading into Week 5.

Ryan said he feels "great" about Schottenheimer and "fortunate" to have him and the rest of the offensive staff aboard.

"We’ll get this thing right, I think," Ryan said. "We made strides. It might not be statistically that you see it, because we didn’t do a great job on third down, but I think we’re making strides."

A Daily News report Sunday said that receivers Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and Derrick Mason went to Ryan to question Schottenheimer's system. When asked if he needed to talk to Schottenheimer after that came out, Ryan again strongly denied the report.

"I said it was untrue, because it was untrue," Ryan said. "The great thing is, with that one, I can guarantee it was untrue because I was the guy supposedly that had the conversation. Well, I can tell you this:100 percent, I did not have the conversation. So that was it."

Asked if he would get more involved in the offense, Ryan said "this whole team is my responsibility, so that’s how I look at it. I’m not there to say hey you need to run this or you need to run that, but I’m here for this whole football team and this has my name on it."

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Rex gets serious

Rex Ryan tried returning to comedy last week with his faux ‘Hall of Fame’ jacket from his alma mater, but it didn’t lead to a victory, although Ryan again said today he was ‘encouraged’ by the Jets’ performance in their 30-21 loss at New England yesterday. So there were few yuks in his news conference today, as he instead focused on what his team must do to get better before they host

Miami a week from today in what Ryan termed a ‘critical’ game for the Jets.

His mantra to reporters was ‘It comes down to alignment, assignment and technique acoss the board. It’s as simple as that.’ Ryan said he means that about both sides of the ball, later adding, ‘everything you do starts with alignment, assignment and technique.’

Translated, he means he believes the talent is there for the Jets to turn things around from their current three-game slide. They simply must do the little things better.

Another talking point was how the Jets survived two three-game losing streaks in 2009 and became the only team to make the playoffs under those circumstances. ‘We’ve been resilient in the past,’ Ryan said, ‘and we’ve overcome something and I think we’ll overcome it now.’

He said he isn’t worried about any potential internal dissension and fractures among the team. ‘We put together a lot better football team and group of characters than that,’ Ryan said. [They certainly put together a group of characters, but how much character do they have? We’ll all find out.]

Ryan also did his best to defuse the controversy over a Daily News story that said WRs Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason all came to him individually to complain about embattled [seems to be about time to start using that prefix] offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Ryan reiterated that the story wasn’t true, saying, ‘I can guarantee that it was untrue because I was the guy that supposedly had the conversations’ with those players. As for Schotty, Ryan said, ‘I feel great [about him]. We’re fortunate to have Brian coaching with us.’

He again said WR Jeremy Kerley’s increased playing time at Mason’s expense came because ‘I wanted to get Kerley involved more. ... Derrick is still going to be a part of what we’ do. He also stated Mason’s lack of PT ‘had absolutely nothing to do’ with his critical comments to the media after the Baltimore loss.

‘I don’t put a muzzle on anybody,’ Rex said.

Posted by J.P. Pelzman on 10/10 at 02:53 PM

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Jets coach not happy with Mason's production

4:44 PM, October 10, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

Jets coach Rex Ryan hinted Monday that the reason wide receiver Derrick Mason did not play in the first half of Sunday's loss to the Patriots was the wide receiver's lack of production.

Mason caught one pass in the 30-21 loss in New England and was barely on the field. Ryan said Sunday night he wanted rookie Jeremy Kerley to play more. The head coach repeated that Monday, but it sounded like Mason was benched due to his struggles early this year.

"Guys, let's face it, I thought Derrick would catch 80-90 balls. OK, that hasn't happened," Ryan said.

"I thought we were going to be [in] more three-wide [receiver formations] but in that particular plan we tightened it up a little bit. Each week will be different."

ESPN reported that Mason was benched due to his postgame comments last week when he talked about cracks in the offense. Ryan denied that.

"It had nothing to do with a conversation he had with the media," Ryan said. "I had a conversation with Derrick and the reason he didn't play as much had absolutely nothing to do with a conversation he had [with the media.] You guys know I have an open policy with the media. I don't put a muzzle on anybody."

Ryan said Mason's role could be increased depending on whom the Jets are playing. The 37-year-old signed with the Jets in August. He has 13 catches for 115 yards.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/jets_coach_not_happy_with_mason_Rj9s3lfm8Yg3WV1M5ShlVL#ixzz1aPxWdtH6

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Ryan Believes in His Resilient Bunch

Posted by Eric Allen on October 10, 2011 – 4:49 pm

Last season, the Jets didn’t suffer their third loss until Week 13 as the Patriots won a 45-3 contest at Gillette Stadium. The Pats again hung loss No. 3 on the Green & White in 2011, but this one

came much earlier as Sunday’s 30-21 decision in Foxboro, MA occurred in Week 5.

With his club in the midst of a three-game losing streak after a 2-0 start, Rex Ryan still believes in his group even as the skeptics grow seemingly by the day.

“I don’t see us losing that confidence,” he said Monday. “Maybe people outside of that room are going to lose confidence — we’re not. I’m confident in the fact that I see signs of us getting better and we have to obviously.”

Even though the Pats had huge statistical advantages over the Jets in total yards (446 to 255), rush yards (152 to 97) and first downs (26 to14), the visitors were very much in the ballgame until the end.

“Improvements can come in two different ways. Either you improve by changing what you’re doing or you get better at what you’re doing,” Ryan said. “When I look at it, there is a lot of room for improvement as far as it comes down to basically alignment, assignment and technique across the board.”

After Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes hooked up for a 21-yard TD in the fourth quarter, the Patriots led 27-21 with 7:14 remaining. But the Jets couldn’t get a key stop as BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran 10 times for 59 yards on a drive that took 6:12 off the clock before a Stephen Gostkowski field goal iced the game away.

“With that team, you’re not 100 percent sure you’re expecting the run. If you stack them all up there, he (Brady) has a chance to burn you like he has everybody. It’s still a cat and mouse game at that time,” Ryan said. “It’s easy to look back and say you should have expected run. Well with New England? Really? Is that what you’re going to think? You have to kind of pick your poison against them and they out-executed us at a critical time.”

The Jets weren’t efficient enough on third down throughout the game. The defense, which entered the game tied for first at limiting teams to just a 26 percent conversion rate, allowed the Pats to convert on seven of their 14 opportunities. But Mark Sanchez and the offense had seven three-and-outs and were just three of 11 on third down.

“We’re playing against a pretty good offense and you have to limit their possessions. That’s one of the things you have to do if you’re going to stop them,” Ryan said. “When we’ve beaten them in the past, that’s what we’ve done effectively is we’ve limited their possessions.”

Rookie WR Jeremy Kerley was a bright spot, hauling in three passes for 35 yards including a 9-yard TD in the third quarter.

“I wanted to get Kerley involved more. He was targeted three times for three catches. Derrick (Mason) was targeted once with once catch. Derrick is still going to be a part of what we do,” said the Jets third-year head coach. “I just thought we could do some things with Kerley, we’re excited the way he’s out there on the practice field and we’ll see going forward.”

Kerley played 18 offensive snaps and the decision to give him the increased time was not due to a disciplinary move with Mason.

“Each week will be different. I can tell you this — it had nothing to do with a conversation that apparently he had with the media,” he said. “I had a conversation with Derrick and the reason he didn’t play as much had absolutely nothing to do with the conversation he had with me.”

The Jets were able to get Shonn Greene going a bit Sunday as he rushed for a season-high 83 yards on 21 carries. All-Pro C Nick Mangold returned after a two-game absence and Ryan believes the offense made progress under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

“That whole group is an excellent staff and we’ll get this thing righted. We made strides,” he said. “It might not be statistically where you’ll see it because we didn’t do a great job on third down, but we were making strides.”

The road is often not a smooth one in the NFL. In Ryan’s first season in charge of the Jets, the club endured a pair of

three-game losing streaks before earning a trip to the postseason as a wild card entry.

“You rely on your past experiences. We can go back and we’re the only team in the history of the National Football League to make it to the playoffs and overcome two three-game losing streaks,” Ryan said. “Unfortunately we’ve had the experience, but we know how to get out of it. It’s just to go at it, have that resolve and work at it, and we can come through this again.”

The mistakes have to be cleaned up. Little things — setting the edge on a run, not jumping early before a snap or getting deep on a zone drop — can add up. Ryan doesn’t anticipate any lineup changes as his Jets look to respond to adversity once again.

“That’s when you get stronger. That’s when you come in together and build that character. This is a resilient bunch and I believe in this football team,” he said. “We may get beat, but we’re not going to get beat because we don’t believe in each other or we’re coming apart at the seams. That’s not who we are.”

INSIDE THE JETS

A pair of defensive regulars will be Bob Wischusen’s guests on tonight’s edition of “Inside the Jets” radio show. Jamaal Westerman, who had his first two sack game of his career on Sunday against the Pats, and rookie DE Muhammad Wilkerson, a first round pick of the Jets last April, will break down Week 5 and look ahead to Week 6’s Monday night contest with the Miami Dolphins.

Westerman has assumed a starting position at OLB after Bryan Thomas went on injured reserve with an Achilles injury while Wilkerson has been a starter in each of his first five pro games.

“Inside the Jets Radio Show, presented by Coors Light” on 1050ESPN radio is aired weekly the day after every game at 7:00 PM. The live show is hosted by Bob Wischusen at Grasshopper off the Green located in Morristown, New Jersey.

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Within shaky Jets defense, some players may be straying from assignments

Published: Monday, October 10, 2011, 4:56 PM Updated: Monday, October 10, 2011, 6:57 PM

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

s.

Eric Smith echoed at least part of Rex Ryan's sentiment today when he said that the Jets' defense was having some technique issues that proved glaring in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots.

"Guys not necessarily doing the technique the way they're supposed to and teams are taking advantage of it," Smith said.

For the most part, this defense has been together for three seasons, which is what makes the timing of this issue bizarre. Smith said that some players have been deviating from certain techniques to try and make plays outside of the design.

"It is a little surprising because we know everyone on our team can take care of their job and do their responsibility," Smith said. "But I think we have some guys that may try and do other things outside their job and that may lead to bigger plays or other gains than it should be."

Ryan referenced technique mistakes on both sides of the ball, along with errors in alignment and specific assignments.

Smith was asked specifically about a 73-yard catch by Wes Welker that set up a crucial Patriots touchdown in the third quarter. Welker appeared to split Smith and Darrelle Revis before gaining the separation that led to the huge gain.

Before the snap, Smith said his responsibility was tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was in the Patriots backfield split off to the right side.

"We were in quarters coverage and when my tight end blocked, Revis and I would have been doubling Welker low and high and we basically didn't have either one.

"It wasn't a communication thing because we made the communication before the snap."

* * *

When asked about the state of the defense, Sione Pouha had this:

More coverage:

"I myself, I'm watching the film right now, I watched the TV copy when I got home and I'm watching the hard version right now (presumably coach's film) and personally, for myself there's a lot of things could have done to be more effective and help David (Harris) and Bart (Scott) get around a little bit.

"Everybody is making sure there's no stone unturned on their part, and they all, I mean I need to do better to contributing to the defense."