Jets News 10-18

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Rapid Reaction: Jets 24, Dolphins 6

October, 17, 2011

Oct 17

11:30

PM ET

By James Walker

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Here are some thoughts on the New York Jets' 24-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on "Monday Night Football."

What it means: The Jets (3-3) won the "Desperation Bowl." New York snapped a three-game losing streak and prevailed in a must-win game. The Jets were falling behind in the AFC East and now are back to .500. A win also calms the in-house bickering among players in New York for at least a week. The Dolphins, meanwhile, fall to 0-5 and haven't won a game since Dec. 12, 2010. They remain in the "Suck for Andrew Luck" sweepstakes, which will make some Dolphins fans happy.

Revis vs. Marshall: It was a fun battle to watch between Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall and New York Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis. Marshall, who threatened to get ejected in the first half, played all four quarters and played well. He went one-on-one against Revis most of the game and had six receptions for 109 yards. Marshall's best play also turned out to be his strangest play.

He caught a deep ball well in bounds but stumbled out for a 46-yard reception. The play could have been Miami's only touchdown in the game.

Moore Watch: Former backup quarterback Matt Moore made his first start in Miami to poor results. Moore was 16-for-34 for 204 yards and fell to 7-7 as a starter. He also threw two interceptions to Revis.

Red zone, third-down woes: The Dolphins continued their trend of being one of the NFL's worst teams in the red zone and on third down. Miami was 0-for-3 in the red zone. The Dolphins settled for two field goals and an interception. Miami also was an abysmal 2-for-12 on third down.

What's next: The Jets have a tough stretch coming up, starting next week at home against the San Diego Chargers (4-1). New York then will face the Buffalo Bills (4-2) and New England Patriots (5-1).

The Dolphins will host quarterback Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos at Sun Life Stadium. Miami is 1-11 in its last dozen home games.

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Jets vs. Dolphins: Santonio Holmes, Jets snap three-game losing streak by dominating Miami, 24-6

Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 1:57 AM Updated: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 2:00 AM

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

Santonio Holmes Jets.JPGAndrew Mills/The Star-LedgerJets wide receiver Santonio Holmes prances into the end zone past Miami Dolphins linebacker Kevin Burnett tonight as the Jets ended a three-game losing streak. Holmes had caused a stir with his criticism of teammates last week.

Jets coach Rex Ryan stood in front of his team Saturday morning and, for a few moments, addressed a matter bigger than the Miami Dolphins.

A receiver and offensive lineman had traded strong public comments in the prior days, portraying the Jets as not just a losing, but also a fractured team. So Ryan pulled slides from training camp listing the team’s goals and the sorts of barriers that could keep them from those goals.

His message, two days before facing a division foe on “Monday Night Football,” was simple and true.

“We can’t afford to have this bickering and all this drama in the locker room,” left guard Matt Slauson said. “We have to be a team. We’ve got to stay close and just play. And that’s what we did.”

The Jets’ 24-6 win against Miami tonight ended their three-game losing streak and evened their record at 3-3, if not an overwhelming win against a winless team starting a new quarterback. But, perhaps just as important, the players saw it as a necessary declaration of unity after a turbulent week.

Said linebacker Calvin Pace: “For those who thought we had a rift, it’s over now.”

Ryan, in a statement move quarterback Mark Sanchez deemed “great,” sent Santonio Holmes and Brandon Moore out for the coin toss as game-day captains. The pair had exchanged strong public words last week, Holmes critical of the offensive line and Moore critical of Holmes’ criticism, leading to a joint sit-down with Ryan to clear the air.

Holmes scored a 38-yard touchdown tonight, and Moore was part of a strong showing by the offensive line, which kept Sanchez upright for most of the night and gave him ample time to throw.

The offense, which has struggled to find command or identity through the early part of the season, was hardly dominant tonight. It matched last week’s opening run of four three-and-outs, not completing a pass until late in the first quarter and not making a first down or a score until late in the first half.

Sanchez, who was 14-of-25 for 201 yards and one passing touchdown, also scored on a 5-yard draw play at the end of the first half. Those two touchdowns, a 28-yard Nick Folk field goal and an interception returned for a touchdown by Darrelle Revis were all the Jets needed for their first division win — and for the frustrations of the past week to abate.

“The page is turned,” Moore said. “He’s a great teammate. He had a great day today, made a lot of plays for us. Mark did a great job, and I’m just looking forward to getting back on the winning streak again.”

Somehow the Jets had backed themselves into a must-win game in Week 6, at least if they wanted to maintain their season goals as realistic.

The Dolphins moved the ball well early on, picking up big chunks against the Jets defense and accruing 215 yards by halftime. But while the Jets offense spent the first half searching for a rhythm, it was largely Revis who kept his team in the game.

Miami quarterback Matt Moore surprisingly looked Revis’ way nine times. Revis defended both of Moore’s tries to Brandon Marshall in the end zone, forcing the Dolphins to settle for a pair of first-half field goals instead. Most damning was when Revis picked off Moore at the goal line, racing 100 yards for a pick-six.

The Jets have a daunting stretch ahead, with the Chargers, then the Bills and Patriots after the bye week. They had overcome three-game losing streaks under Ryan — twice in fact — but never four.

Locker room discord, at least the kind that leaked publicly, also loomed large.

Ryan called the discord of the past week “unfortunate, that it happened, but that’s the way it goes.”

He said it was in the past. So did Holmes, who added that he and Moore looked at each other before the coin toss and said, “It’s time to play football.”

Football, of the winning kind, was just the remedy this team had ordered.

“You lose three games in a row, and people try to pull your team apart,” safety Jim Leonhard said.

“And if you let them, it can really affect how you play on the field. It was big for us to right the ship today.”

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

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Rapid Reaction: Jets 24, Dolphins 6

October, 17, 2011

Oct 17

11:40

PM ET

By Rich Cimini

The New York Jets snapped a three-game losing streak, taking care of business against the inept Miami Dolphins 24-6 on Monday night at MetLife Stadium.

What it means: The Jets (3-3) still have a season. For Team Turmoil, this was an absolute must-win. It wasn’t artistic, and the competition wasn’t great, but the Jets needed a win to stay in the race.

They still have many issues to address, but at least they can tackle them while still in the race, enjoying some peace and harmony -- we think.

Bickering Jets: They set aside their differences, for one night anyway, and put together a solid team effort. How’s this for a transparent move by Rex Ryan? WR Santonio Holmes and RG Brandon Moore, who exchanged a war of words last week in the media, were named game captains by Ryan.

It was an odd sight, seeing Holmes and Moore walk side by side to midfield for the coin toss. Only three days ago, Moore ripped Holmes and questioned his leadership as a captain, responding to Holmes’ public criticism of the offensive line.

Revis saves the day: The Jets got off to a shaky start, and the crowd was getting restless. They needed a game-changing play, and they got one from their best player -- CB Darrelle Revis, who made a 100-yard interception return to give the Jets a 7-3 lead. It was the biggest play of the night.

He added another late interception, two of three takeaways by the Jets.

The Dolphins recovered a muffed kickoff return and appeared to be on their way to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter -- and the crowd would have turned on the Jets -- but Revis stepped in front of a poorly executed pass play and took it the distance. It tied the team record for the longest interception return.

Dolphins QB Matt Moore wasn’t afraid to challenge Revis, especially in the end zone. He picked on Revis three times in the first half -- all throws to WR Brandon Marshall -- and all three came up empty. Revis broke up one pass, intercepted another and caught a break on the third (a drop by Marshall).

Oh, by the way, Marshall played the entire game, failing to fulfill his prediction that he’d get ejected in the second quarter.

Oh, those three-and-outs: Oops, they did it again. After a week of talking about how they were going to fix their notoriously slow starts, the Jets went out and went three-and-out on their first four possessions -- a repeat of last week’s clunker in New England. To their credit, they rebounded nicely.

They scored on three of their next four possessions, going 81, 79 and 50 yards to take a 24-6 lead. Mark Sanchez displayed poise, rallying from a jittery start. He scored on a 5-yard QB draw and threw a 38-yard TD pass to Holmes, who took a shallow cross and weaved through Miami’s overmatched secondary.

Committee approach: After a sluggish first half by RB Shonn Greene, the Jets changed their approach in the backfield, using LaDainian Tomlinson more than usual in the second half. Even seldom-used Joe McKnight got a few snaps. Let’s face it: Greene still hasn’t made a single memorable run this season. This change-up was overdue.

The O-line answers: Wonder what Holmes thinks of the line now? The embattled line, called out on two occasions by Holmes, gave Sanchez solid protection (one sack). Pass-rusher Cameron Wake was invisible, thanks largely to RT Wayne Hunter, an early-season goat.

What’s next: The Jets are home against the San Diego Chargers, which means Tomlinson will face his former team for the first time since their bitter divorce in 2010. After that, the Jets hit their bye week.

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Miami Dolphins (0-5) are inept on offense again as they fall 24-6 to the New York Jets

By Ben Volin

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 12:18 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Brandon Marshall didn't get kicked out of Monday night's game against the New York Jets - and that was about the only thing that went right for the Dolphins.

The offense, which entered the game 29th in the league with an average of 17.2 points per game, was even more inept under backup Matt Moore.

And the defense once again couldn't get any pressure on the quarterback.

The result? The Jets strolled to a 24-6 victory, dropping the Dolphins to 0-5 and giving them their eighth loss in a row dating back to last year.

"We just didn't make any plays," coach Tony Sparano said. "We've got to learn how to get out of our own way."

Marshall had joked about intentionally getting himself tossed out as a means to fire up the team. He had six catches for 109 yards but no major impact.

"It's a nasty feeling in the locker room," Marshall said after the game. "This is embarrassing."

The Dolphins are 0-5 for the third time in the last eight years, the other occasions being 2004 and '07.

The Jets (3-3) had allowed 30-plus points in three straight games - all losses - but the Dolphins could manage only two field goals and 308 total yards with Moore. He was subbing for Chad Henne, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the previous game.

It was the first time the Dolphins failed to score an offensive touchdown since a mid-November loss to Chicago last seasons. The defeat also was Sparano's first in three visits to the home of the Jets.

"Nobody's going to come bail us out except ourselves," Moore said.

The same problems that plagued the offense in previous losses to New England, Houston, Cleveland and San Diego did them in again Monday.

Yet again, they couldn't score in the red zone, settling for the two field goals even after getting inside the Jets' 5-yard line.

The Dolphins entered the game last in the league with a 26 percent conversion rate on third down, and converted just 2-of-13.

And once again Marshall missed out on a pair of potential touchdowns.

Moore's slant pass to him in the second quarter certainly was thrown a bit too hard, but the ball went right through Marshall's hands for his fifth dropped touchdown of the season.

Marshall did have a nice 46-yard catch at the end of the first quarter, but couldn't prevent his momentum from carrying him out of bounds. Marshall had a clear path to the end zone if he had been able to maintain his balance.

The Dolphins' night was doomed when they couldn't take advantage of the Jets' offensive ineptitude in the first quarter.

Miami outgained New York 173 yards to 10 in the opening quarter, but the Jets held a 7-3 lead after the Dolphins settled for a short field goal and Darrelle Revis returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown.

It was the second-longest interception return against the Dolphins in team history, behind the 102-yard return by the Raiders' Mark Anderson in 1992.

The Jets' defense dominated over the final three quarters, holding the Dolphins to 135 more yards. The Dolphins' first six second-half possessions resulted in this: punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble and interception.

Davone Bess' fumble midway through the fourth quarter ended any hopes of a Miami comeback.

Moore, making his 14th career start and first since last November with Carolina, failed to see several wide open receivers and completed just 16 of 34 passes for 204 yards and two interceptions, both to Revis.

The Dolphins' defense, which entered the game 27th in points allowed and 30th and yards allowed, played much better with Vontae Davis (hamstring) and Koa Misi (neck) returning to the lineup.

The Jets scored just 17 points on offense and didn't convert a first down until midway through the second quarter, but Mark Sanchez did just enough to get the Jets to victory and end their thr-game losing streak.

Sanchez was sacked just once as he completed 14 of 25 passes for 201 yards and a 38-yard touchdown to Belle Glade native Santonio Holmes. Sanchez also had a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Jets a 14-6 halftime lead.

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Miami Dolphins fall to 0-5 as Revis, Jets dominate

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis had two interceptions — including one he returned 100 yards for a touchdown — as the Dolphins fell to 0-5.

By David J. Neal

dneal@MiamiHerald.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Jets played in the first Monday Night Football game, back in 1970.

The game the Dolphins and Jets presented to America on Monday could have ended Monday Night Football if not for contractual obligations.

Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall dropped a potential touchdown pass. OK, that’s not unusual anymore, but Marshall also ran out of bounds with nothing but air and fake grass between him and the end zone. The teams’ combined first-half fumbles (four) exceeded their third-down conversions (two). Both quarterbacks, the Dolphins’ Matt Moore and the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, demonstrated incredible myopia concerning obscenely open receivers.

In the end, the Jets broke the comedy long enough for a long catch-and-run by Santonio Holmes in the fourth quarter and a really long interception return by Darrelle Revis in the first quarter. Those two plays accounted for the difference in a 24-6 loss that plunged the Dolphins to 0-5.

“It’s tough right now,” Marshall said. “When you lose, everything looks bad. It’s a nasty feeling. …

We’re not going to give up. We owe it to our city. We owe it to our owner. This is embarrassing. We have way too many players in our locker room to be sitting at 0-5. Hopefully, things can get turned around. We’ll see what happens.”

Holmes’ touchdown, with 11:50 remaining, saw him run clear across the field to space, then post-reception, run through attempted tackles by Jimmy Wilson and Reshad Jones for a 38-yard touchdown and a 24-6 Jets lead. Game.

Moore ended the game 16 of 34 for 204 yards and two interceptions, both to Darrelle Revis.

Marshall caught six passes for 109 yards, but no touchdowns and at least one key drop. Reggie Bush ran for 71 yards on 10 carries, just more than half of which, 36 yards, came on the first play from scrimmage.

Sanchez threw for 201 yards and one touchdown on 14-of-25 passing. Shonn Greene ran for 74 yards on 21 carries. The Dolphins outgained the Jets 308-296 in yardage.

“It was there for us,” Dolphins guard Ritchie Incognito said. “We came in at the half and that game was right there for the taking.”

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said the third-down failures — the Dolphins finished 2 for 13 on third down — frustrated him because the team used the bye week to work specifically on third down and there weren’t many “third-and-forevers,” as he put it.

While the offenses traded variations on failure in the first quarter, the Dolphins’ Marlon Moore downed a Brandon Fields punt at the Jets’ 2. Two drives later, starting from the Jets’ 47, Moore hit running back Daniel Thomas for 12 yards on a checkdown and Marshall for 20, working against Revis on the left sideline. But on second-and-goal from the Jets’ 5, Moore, with time, threw to tight end Anthony Fasano while tight end Charles Clay stood in the end zone with the nearest Jets defender being one of the retired Jets being honored at halftime.

Revis knocked down Moore’s third-down throw to Marshall and Dan Carpenter kicked a 23-yard field goal. On the kickoff, Carpenter, for the second time, perfectly placed the kickoff in front of the last line of blockers. The ball bounced off Jets linebacker Garrett McIntyre and was recovered by the Dolphins’ Austin Spitler at the Jets’ 18.

Three plays later, instead of 10-0 or even 6-0 in favor of the Dolphins, the Jets led 7-6. Revis made contact with Marshall — or Marshall tried to run over Revis, depending on your point of view — and Marshall stumbled as Moore threw to him. Revis took the pass between the numbers and took it back 100 yards for a 7-3 lead.

“Trying to get position,” Marshall said. “It’s either a post or a fade route. He played it a little bit in between. It was just one of those plays we didn’t make.”

Marshall seemed ready to redeem himself when he got behind Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie as Moore scrambled. Marshall took in Moore’s pass, turned up the sideline and headed for a 65-yard touchdown … until he suddenly listed to his left and stumbled out of bounds.

Still, the 46-yard gain to the Jets’ 19 could have led to a touchdown. In fact, it should have. But two Dolphins timeouts and three plays after that bizarre play, Marshall dropped a third-and-goal pass slightly behind him.

So, the Dolphins trailed only 7-6 when Sanchez got lukewarm. He found tight end Dustin Keller for 27 yards late over the middle, then zipped a pass right to Holmes for 20 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson stumbled 9 yards with a shovel pass to set up third-and-4 on the Dolphins’ 5. Sanchez scored on a quarterback draw to give the Jets a 14-6 halftime lead.

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Jets replay vs. Dolphins

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Record

Star of the game

Darrelle Revis showed why he’s the leader of the Jets defense with his three tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions. But it was his first-quarter interception that changed the game.

Turning point

The Jets were trailing 3-0 and had just fumbled a kickoff, giving Miami an opportunity to seize early control. But when Dolphins QB Matt Moore tried to find WR Brandon Marshall in the end zone, Revis read the play and picked off the pass on the goal line. Then he weaved effortlessly through several Dolphins for a 100-yard interception return and a touchdown. The Jets led 7-3 with 5:52 left in the first quarter. They wouldn’t trail again.

Coaching decisions

The Dolphins early offensive strategy was puzzling. They chose to throw at Revis — the best CB in the NFL — repeatedly. Miami threw at Revis four times in its first three possessions. It didn’t work out well for the Dolphins.

Eye-catching

The Jets offensive line didn’t allow a sack in the first three quarters and gave Mark Sanchez plenty of time and space to operate. … The Dolphins used backup T Nate Garner as an extra TE on some plays. Garner was a seventh-round pick of the Jets in the 2008 draft but was waived before that season began.

Costly mistakes

The Dolphins showed repeatedly why they’re winless. Miami receivers dropped several easy balls.

When they held on, it didn’t work out much better. Marshall caught a first-quarter pass and had a sure touchdown as he ran unattended down the sideline until he inexplicably lost his balance and ran out of bounds at the 19-yard line.

Looking ahead

The Jets (3-3) host San Diego (4-1) at MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday.

— Andy Vasquez

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Dolphins' Marshall can't explain why he went out of bounds

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

BY ANDY VASQUEZ

STAFF WRITER

The Record

EAST RUTHERFORD -- On a night of inexplicably awful Miami Dolphins football, one play stood above the the rest.

Well, perhaps it staggered below the rest.

Miami’s best player, enigmatic WR Brandon Marshall, caught the ball and he was going to score a touchdown.

The Jets defense was behind him and had no way to catch him. As Marshall raced down the sideline, there was only 30 yards of empty FieldTurf and the end zone beckoning in front of him.

But, for a reason Marshall didn’t explain after the game, he ran out of bounds at the 19-yard line. A sure touchdown turned into a 46-yard completion. Miami later settled for a field goal and wouldn’t score again in Monday’s 24-6 loss to the Jets.

“It was one of those things where I just didn’t play well, didn’t make enough plays,” Marshall said, when asked why he ran out of bounds. “None of us made enough plays tonight. At the end of the day, they made more plays than us.”

The spotlight isn’t new to Marshall, a sixth-year player out of UCF. He garnered some controversial attention last week when he said he planned on getting ejected before halftime against the Jets -- Marshall’s plan was to start a fight with a Jets defender; he mentioned Antonio Cromartie and Bart

Scott by name.

As he walked off the podium after Monday’s game, Marshall was asked if his ejection comments were a joke.

“Obviously,” he responded.

Indeed, Marshall stuck around for the whole game and turned out to be Miami’s most influential offensive player. He was targeted a game-high 13 times, for six catches and 109 yards.

Marshall came into the game thinking he would be covered by Cromartie. But instead, the Jets decided to stick their best defender, Darrelle Revis, on Marshall.

“I guess they respect me over there,” Marshall said. “I wasn’t expecting that. Talked to [former Jet Jason Taylor] a little bit about their game plan against me last year, and I was expecting Cromartie.

[but] I felt good seeing Revis on me. Games like this you want that talent, you want to be able to have that opportunity. And, you know, we fought.”

Revis won the battle convincingly, however. He intercepted a first-quarter pass intended for Marshall, and returned it 100 yards for Jets touchdown.

Like Marshall’s non-touchdown earlier in the game, Revis’ interception was just another frustrating play in a season full of them for the Dolphins. Miami is 0-5 and frustration is setting in. You could see it on Marshall’s face and hear it in his voice as he stood at a podium in the recesses of MetLife

Stadium late Monday night.

“It’s tough right now,” he said. “When we lose, everything looks bad. It’s a nasty feeling in the building. It’s a nasty feeling every day. And the only thing we can do is fight to try to get a win.

“We’re not going to give up. We’ve got way too much character in the locker room. We owe it to the city of Miami. We owe it to ownership to play better. This is embarrassing. We have way too many players in our locker room to be sitting at 0-5. Hopefully we can get things turned around. We’ll see what happens.”

E-mail: vasqueza@northjersey.com

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Jets snap three-game slide with 24-6 win over Dolphins

Monday, October 17, 2011 Last updated: Tuesday October 18, 2011, 8:36 AM

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

EAST RUTHERFORD – Rex Ryan said it best after the Jets’ 24-6 victory over pitiful Miami at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.

“We needed a win in the worst way,” the Jets’ coach said.

And that’s what they got, waiting for an overmatched Miami team to make the key mistakes that would allow the Jets and their still-inconsistent offense to break a three-game losing streak that had led to finger-pointing in the locker room.

They can thank their superstar, Darrelle Revis, who singlehandedly turned momentum and excited a crowd of 78,912 that was very nervous until his game-changing play.The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback intercepted a Matt Moore pass intended for Brandon Marshall and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, giving the Jets (3-3) a 7-3 lead with 5:52 left in the first quarter and putting them ahead to stay. Television replays showed Revis apparently held Marshall before the pass was thrown, but nothing was called.

The play was a third-and-7 from the Jets’ 15 after a short Miami kickoff had bounced off the Jets’ Garrett McIntyre and was recovered by Austin Spitler at the 18. Miami had taken a 3-0 lead on Dan Carpenter’s 23-yard field goal on its previous possession.

But instead of Miami (0-5) grabbing a 10-0 lead, the Jets were ahead. Moore threw the ball right to Revis, who caught it at the goal line and saw plenty of open space.

“They always tell you to run to the near sideline” after an interception, Revis noted, adding that he saw Miami players running that way.

“I started running,” he added, “made one cut, I saw daylight and I just kept on running.”

Miami’s third red-zone trip of the first half resulted in a second field goal, and more frustration. Late in the first quarter, Marshall badly beat longtime rival Antonio Cromartie for a 46-yard catch to the Jets’ 19. The problem was he couldn’t keep his balance and thus stepped out of bounds with open space between himself and the goal line.

Marshall didn’t answer directly when he twice was asked why he stepped out of bounds, offering only “it was one of those things where I just didn’t play well, didn’t make enough plays.”

Neither did the Jets’ offense, until its final drive of the first half. After the Jets’ fourth consecutive three-and-out, they finally got rolling. Mark Sanchez converted a third-and-9 from the Jets’ 20 with a 14-yard crossing route to rookie Jeremy Kerley, elevated to the third wideout job after the trade of Derrick Mason last week.

Sanchez went 4-for-5 for 70 yards on the 81-yard march, which he concluded himself with a 5-yard quarterback draw through the open middle of the Miami defense. The Jets led 14-6 with 1:14 to go in the half.

“We did it right before halftime when we needed to,” Sanchez said. “The defense got us the ball back and [we] started rolling.”

Sanchez, who was inconsistent yet still posted his second consecutive turnover-free game, finished 14-for-25 for 201 yards with one touchdown, connecting with Santonio Holmes for a 38-yard score that gave the Jets (3-3) a 24-6 lead with 11:50 left and iced the game.

The offensive line, criticized twice publicly by Holmes recently, gave Sanchez enough time on the play, and Holmes turned a routine slant into a crowd-pleasing score, helped by a downfield block by fellow wideout Plaxico Burress. Sanchez was sacked only once.

Right guard Brandon Moore, who took offense to Holmes’ latest public criticisms, was one of the captains for the game as Ryan tried to cement team unity, sending both Moore and Holmes out for the coin toss.

“In every locker room, things like that happen,” Ryan said of the sniping. “We’re moving past that.

We’re chasing something much bigger than that.”

Sanchez also led the Jets on a 13-play, 79-yard drive to a 28-yard Nick Folk field goal for a 17-6 lead in the third quarter. Sanchez had 24-yard passes to both Dustin Keller and Joe McKnight on the possession, but didn’t see a wide-open Keller in the end zone on third-and-7 from the Miami 10 and instead checked down, throwing incomplete to running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Still, he had a much better night than Moore, who went 16-for-34 for 204 yards with two interceptions, both to Revis, and a 41.8 passer rating. He defended his decision to go after the player many feel is the best corner in the NFL.

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Sullivan: Revis makes grand appearance with 100-yard INT return

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Last updated: Tuesday October 18, 2011, 8:37 AM

By TARA SULLIVAN

RECORD COLUMNIST

EAST RUTHERFORD – For so many minutes of so many football games, Darrelle Revis is the invisible superstar, his superior coverage abilities enough to scare quarterbacks into ignoring his very existence, even at the expense of simultaneously snubbing their best receiver.

Monday night at the Meadowlands, Tony Sparano and Matt Moore went against that conventional wisdom, deciding it was safe to invite Revis off his island and into their football party.

“They wanted to attack him,” Jets’ guard Brandon Moore said. “Go at your own risk.”

Revis punished the Dolphins with a 100-yard interception return that did more than save the Jets from their most putrid quarter of football of a pretty putrid season so far. Revis’ first-quarter magic pulled the Jets back from the brink of looming disaster, pumping oxygen into a team that was gasping for air just minutes into a must-win game they would eventually win, 24-6.

The Jets’ offense somehow managed to look worse than it has at any point this year, going the entire first quarter without a first down, a 12-and-out skid that was uglier than it sounds.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez looked skittish, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer looked desperate, running back Shonn Greene looked useless, and the night suddenly looked ominous.

Enter Revis, who played right up to his billing as the Jets’ best player. When a team is most in need, when it sinks into the depths of dire circumstance, it falls to the stars to do something about it. Revis answered the call.

“He is the best in the league,” Sanchez said. “The only bummer is that I have to practice against him every day. Makes you better, but it was nice to see him do it to another quarterback.”

Revis was targeted almost immediately by a new quarterback desperate to connect to his best (only?) offensive option, receiver Brandon Marshall. Revis couldn’t stop Marshall from nabbing an 8-yard pass on Miami’s first possession and a more surprising 20-yard one on the Dolphins’ second. But Marshall, who spent the week trashing the Jets and promising to get himself ejected for fighting, couldn’t complete the next one that came his way, a 3rd-and-5 pass from the Jets’ 5 that would have given Miami a touchdown.

Revis batted the ball away, jawing long enough afterwards to give Marshall a chance to make good on the ejection promise. Marshall didn’t bite, but by his next opportunity, probably wished he had.

The Dolphins had taken the early lead on Dan Carpenter’s 23-yard chip shot field goal, and found themselves right back in the deepest part of Jets’ territory when the Jets’ best unit this season muffed the ensuing kickoff and Miami recovered at the 18.

Three yards later and facing a long third down, Moore and Sparano figured it was time to take a shot at Revis again. “You’re always surprised,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “But at the same time, we do a good job of putting him out there by himself, and teams have to fight that tendency to ignore him. They like their matchup with Brandon Marshall on anybody, and we like ours with Darrelle.”

Moore eyed Marshall in the left corner of the end zone. Marshall wasn’t ready, Revis was, and 100 yards later, including the final five yards completed by way of a backwards trot, Revis gave the Jets a 7-3 lead.

They never gave it back.

“It settled everything down,” Leonhard said.

Instead, the Jets started taking back their identity. They broke a three-game losing streak. They replaced a week’s worth of tumult that began with the bloodless exile of Derrick Mason and ended with the bloody infighting between Santonio Holmes and his offensive line with the best remedy sports has: victory. Though we can’t yet say whether the Jets are as good as they think they are, not against a team as bad as the winless Dolphins, we can say they are not as bad as they would certainly be had they lost to their AFC rival to the south.

“We needed a win in the worst way,” said coach Rex Ryan, who won’t need to banish another player this week, taking the kumbaya route instead by sending Holmes and verbal sparring partner Moore out together as captains. “I’m just happy we got one.”

As the game dragged on and it became increasingly obvious just how bad the Dolphins are, how Marshall managed to grab a 46-yard pass over the middle and turn a wide open swath to the end zone into an out-of-bounds run down the left sideline, how that potential go-ahead touchdown turned into another chip shot field goal, how much these Dolphins seem intent on leaving Andrew Luck with no choice but to take his talents to South Beach, the Jets started righting themselves.

There was Sanchez leading his best drive of the season just before halftime, a possession that included four – four! – first downs. From his own 19-yard line, Sanchez finally started picking apart the Dolphins’ lowly secondary. A 34-yard pass to Mason replacement Jeremy Kerley on 3rd-and-9 from his own 20 sent the crowd into a round of mock applause, cheers for the home team’s initial first down of the night.

Greene started pounding some ground, tight end Dustin Keller came out of the Sanchez/Schottenheimer witness protection program, Holmes got the downfield pass he spent the week whining for, and from the Miami 5, Sanchez called his own number. Quarterback draw for a touchdown, a 14-3 lead that was more than enough against the lowly Dolphins.

Yet for all of Sanchez’ newfound confidence, it was Revis who set the winning tone. He doesn’t usually get this chance. He went all of 2010 without a pick, a byproduct of his relative invisibility.

He’d already fixed that on opening night, an emotion-infused 9/11 debut in which he snared a late Tony Romo mistake to set up a last-second game-winning field goal. He added another on Monday night, victimizing a shockingly naïve Moore one more time in the fourth quarter.

“We made some plays on him early to his side. Was that the game plan to stay away from him? No,” Moore said. “Was that the game plan to attack him? No. It was kind of a feel thing. We made some plays to him, but he got me twice.”

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Miami Can’t Marshall Its Resources on Revis Island

Posted by Andrew LeRay on October 18, 2011 – 2:04 am

The Jets defense showed its true colors in Monday night’s 24-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins. A dominating third-down performance combined with a stifling effort defending the red zone led the Green & White to the victory.

“We needed a win in the worst way,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “I’m just happy we found a way to get one.”

Helping the cause was a buzzing third-down defense that prevented 11 of Miami’s 13 conversion attempts.

In addition to preventing conversions, the Jets stonewalled the Dolphins in the red zone. Miami failed to score a touchdown three times within the Jets’ 20-yard line, settling for two chip-shot field goals and turning over the ball at the goal line in the most momentous play of the game.

In the first quarter, with the Dolphins leading, 3-0, and threatening at the Jets’ 15, Miami QB Matt Moore tried forcing a throw to Brandon Marshall. But Miami’s main wideout was blanketed by CB Darrelle Revis, who intercepted the pass and took it 100 yards the other way, backpedaling into the end zone the final 5 yards to give the Jets the lead they never lost.

“That’s what we strive for is making big plays,” said Revis. “We stepped up today and finally made some key plays all over the field.”

Revis would finish the game with three tackles, two interceptions and four pass deflections, but no play was more important than his pick-six. The 100-yard return transformed a possible 10-0 Miami lead into a 7-3 Jets advantage.

“That was huge,” said Ryan. “Anytime you can get a red-zone interception and turn it into points, that’s a huge play. I thought he did a tremendous job against [Marshall], especially in the red zone.”

Revis and Marshall locked horns early in the game, and the matchup proved intense throughout. Moore targeted Marshall three times before the interception, completing his first two passes for 18 yards. Revis then broke up the third attempt in the end zone and intercepted the fourth.

“He’s a beast,” said Revis of Marshall. “One of the best in the league. It was a good matchup tonight. That’s what happens when you go against the best. It’s a battle for all four quarters.”

Marshall finished the game with six catches for 109 yards and was targeted 13 times. He accounted for more than half of Moore’s 204 passing yards.

Revis is normally avoided like the plague by opposing passers but saw heavy action throughout Monday night. While many may have been amazed at how often he was thrown at, number 24 was not among them.

“I want balls thrown at me so I get the opportunity to make plays,” said Revis. “Going up against Brandon, he’s a key player on their offense. I’m not surprised. When you have a great corner and a great receiver going against each other, you expect the ball to come at him every time.”

The rest of the Jets defense followed Revis’ lead of rising to the challenge, especially in the second half. The Dolphins were held to 93 total yards in the final two quarters: 22 rushing and 71 through the air.

“I think we just really clamped down at halftime,” said Revis. “There really wasn’t anything crazy they were doing, just things that we needed to tighten up.”

Now with the book officially closed on the losing streak, the Jets will look ahead to hosting the San Diego Chargers on Sunday before heading into the bye week. According to Revis, it was a win they had to have.

“We still have a lot of football to play, but this was a must-win for us,” he said. “We felt we couldn’t come out of here with a loss. Overall, I think we’ve got to stick together, and that’s what we did all week.”

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'Mayhem' Maybin makes impact

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

3:02

AM ET

Is Aaron Maybin starting to shed the dreaded 'bust' label?

It's a small sample size, but Maybin has made an impact so far with the Jets. And that continued on Monday night.

The former first-round pick sacked Miami quarterback Matt Moore and forced him to fumble in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 24-6 win over Miami. He also knocked the ball out of Reggie Bush's hands earlier in the game.

"He's self-proclaimed 'Mayhem,' and I think it's a pretty good nickname for that kid. I said to the team, 'The crazy guy played pretty good for us,' " Rex Ryan said after the game.

Overall, Maybin has two sacks and three forced fumbles in three games with the Jets.

Maybin, the 11th overall pick in 2009, didn't record a sack in 27 career games with the Bills. He also never started, drawing the ire of fans and media. He hit rock bottom last season, when he was declared inactive for five straight games.

Could things be turning around for Maybin with the Jets?

"I love the way he runs all over the place," Ryan said. "He has a relentless motor and he's always thinking about getting those takeaways... Eventually, he's going to learn our whole defense and that's really going to be exciting."

RUNNING GAME GETS STUCK: Don't let the Jets' final rushing numbers mislead you.

The Jets finished with 104 yards on the ground, but their running game was stuck in neutral for most of the night.

They had just 18 yards on 10 carries in the first half, with five of those coming courtesy of a Mark Sanchez touchdown run.

Shonne Green had just 34 yards through three quarters.

McKNIGHT'S ALRIGHT: Joe McKnight caught the first two passes of his NFL career and returned the first kickoff he got his hands on for 31 yards against Miami.

"He can do a lot of things, and we're starting to see that now," Rex Ryan said. "He made a couple of great catches. He's a match-up nightmare."

JASON RETURNS: Jason Taylor said there wasn't an added significance to his return to MetLife Stadium on Monday. It was just another loss for the Dolphins.

"It doesn't matter who the opponent is, they are all tough to swallow," said Taylor, who assisted on a tackle.

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Jets playing-time breakdown

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

2:48

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

An official look at the playing time in Monday night's 24-6 win over the Dolphins, not counting the Jets' final drive (press-box view, allow small margin for error):

RUNNING BACKS

Shonn Greene ... 26 snaps

LaDainian Tomlinson ... 25

John Conner ... 20

Joe McKnight ... 2

TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller ... 40 snaps

Matt Mulligan ... 27

Vladimir Ducasse ... 2

WIDE RECEIVERS

Santonio Holmes ... 48 snaps

Plaxico Burress ... 40

Jeremy Kerley ... 19

Patrick Turner ... 3

Analysis: The Jets, trying to get the running game going, used a lot of two-back and two-tight end packages ... At times, Mulligan was used as the only tight end in the base offense ... Ducasse was used as an extra tight end in the "jumbo" package ... Tomlinson, who usually plays only as the third-down back, got some work in the base offense when Greene got off to a slow start.

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Cro should be ready to go

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

2:21

AM ET

Antonio Cromartie left Monday night's game midway through the fourth quarter with a groin injury.

He said afterward that he felt fine and expects to play Sunday against San Diego. Cromartie added that no tests were planned for the injury.

It is unclear when Cromartie got hurt.

What is clear is that he got burned -- and bailed out -- by Dolphins wideout Brandon Marshall.

Late in the first quarter, Marshall beat Cromartie badly and found himself wide open down the sideline. Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore hit him in stride but Marshall inexplicably stepped out of bounds at the Jets' 19, ruining what should have been an easy 65-yard touchdown.

Other than that, Cromartie, wasn't targeted as much as usual on Monday.

Oddly, Miami coach Tony Sparano had Moore throw to Marshall, who was covered by Darrelle Revis, again and again.

Cromartie could have his hands full next Sunday when San Diego comes in to town. He'll either have to cover Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson or Malcom Floyd.

The veteran corner spent four years in San Diego before the Jets acquired him in a trade prior to the 2010 season.

So he should have plenty of motivation to get healthy for Sunday's game.

"We're playing San Diego so I'm expecting that he'll heal quickly," Rex Ryan said.

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Holmes: No beef with O-Line

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

1:51

AM ET

For the record, Mark Sanchez had a solid four seconds to deliver the ball to Santonio Holmes on Holmes' fourth-quarter touchdown reception on Monday night.

And, in case you're wondering, Holmes didn't have a problem with the offensive line on that play.

In fact, Holmes was complimentary of the big guys after the Jets' 24-6 win over the Dolphins.

"The offensive line did a good job protecting Mark, opening up a few holes for the running backs," Holmes said. "It was good today."

That was quite a departure from Holmes' assessment of the line a few days ago.

Holmes called out the offensive line for the second time in two weeks last Thursday, saying the unit is at the the root of the offense's problems.

"I may be criticized again for saying it, but it starts up front. The big guys know it. If they give Mark (Sanchez) enough time to sit in the pocket and complete passes, I think everything changes," Holmes said.

Right guard Brandon Moore, considered a quiet team leader, didn't take kindly to Holmes' remarks.

"I've never seen a captain do that," Moore said. "That's not leading. That's not being a leader. It actually fragments the locker room. It's not productive."

The Holmes-Moore feud apparently ended on Monday night around 8:25.

That's when both men took the field as Jets team captains, representing the team for the pregame coin toss.

"We both looked each other in the eye and said let’s go, it’s time to play football," Holmes said.

Things started slow for Holmes, Moore and the rest of the Jets offense.

But after four straight three-and-outs to open the game, the Jets, and Holmes in particular, started to produce.

Late in the second quarter, Sanchez hit Holmes for a 20-yard gain, setting the Jets up at the 11. Two plays later, Sanchez capped off the 11-play drive with a five-yard touchdown run to give the Jets a 14-6 lead.

Holmes struck again early in the fourth.

With Sanchez bouncing around the pocket, Holmes found a soft spot in the Miami zone. Sanchez hit Holmes in stride and, thanks to a key Plaxico Burress block, the Jets' $50 million man sprinted into the end zone untouched for his third touchdown of the season.

"'Tone stayed alive and then he just flew into the end zone," Sanchez said.

After the game, Holmes wasn't interested in revisiting his feud with Moore.

"We’re not talking about that.... We won the ballgame and we're moving on," Holmes said, tersely.

If you're a Jets fan, that's exactly what you wanted to hear.

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Revis' star shines brightest in Jets' win

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

1:53

AM ET

By Jane McManus

Darrelle Revis saw his mark, Miami receiver Brandon Marshall, stumble a bit as he ran a double post in the end zone. That was all the cornerback needed to intercept the pass. “I started running, made one cut, I saw daylight and kept running.”

All the way to the Jets' end zone.

“That was huge,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “Any time you can turn a red zone reception into points, that’s a huge play.”

Revis' 100-yard interception return matched the longest in team history -- Aaron Glenn did it against the Dolphins on Sept. 15, 1996 -- and highlighted the cornerback's huge game. Revis scored the first touchdown in the 24-6 win over Miami during a first quarter in which the Jets' offense moved with all the precision of a Swiss-made watch -- after it has been run over repeatedly by a Hummer.

So as the Jets' offense struggled and Miami’s marched, Revis stuck like glue to Marshall in the end zone, where the running back went 0-for-3 on his first three passes -- all on third down -- including one drop. It was the busiest first quarter the Jets cornerback could remember.

“They came at me a lot today,” Revis said. “I like to compete; I want balls to be thrown at me so I can get opportunities to make plays. I felt that they were going to come at me anyway, didn’t matter who the quarterback was. Just going up against Brandon -- he’s their No. 1 receiver. He’s the key player on their offense.”

Marshall got yards, all told, 109 on six catches. Only 63 of those were against Revis, and Marshall was targeted 13 times.

“That was a great matchup between Brandon and Darrelle,” Ryan said. “The kid’s a heck of a receiver. It was a great matchup, and I thought Revis did a tremendous job, especially in the red zone for us.”

The two are friends off the field. During the week leading up to the game, Marshall made some tongue-in-cheek comments about how angry he would get during the game, and expected to be ejected in the second quarter. Instead, he spent much of the game talking to Revis.

“We had about 30 conversations, TV timeouts,” Revis said. “The one play where me and him got tangled up with the ball, we were talking then. He was like, ‘That’s a catch,’ and I said, ‘No, that’s not a catch; it hit the ground,’ and I said I had my hand on it. He was laughing then. It was good, it was good competition; it’s always good to play against Brandon.”

That play came on third-and-4 in the fourth quarter after Marshall made a 6-yard catch for a first down. The Jets challenged the call, however, and it was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass.

Revis intercepted a ball intended for Clyde Gates with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter, a bookend on the game. It was the kind of performance that gives him a free pass from criticism by fellow captain Santonio Holmes.

“I’m definitely glad that my team and my guy, Revis, came out on top with two interceptions today,” Holmes said. “He played really big for the defense.”

Linebacker Calvin Pace was another highlight on the defense, with seven combined tackles and two sacks. Ryan had told the defense it needed to look for opportunities to turn plays into points, something that carried the Jets until quarterback Mark Sanchez got the ball moving downfield late in the second quarter.

“Couldn’t lose four in a row; I tell you that,” Pace said. “We knew that definitely we had to step our game up way more than we had in the last three weeks. They made some plays, but the thing I’m most proud of we handled adversity very well, and we finished. We finished the game the way you’re supposed to finish, with sacks and turnovers.”

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Jets report card

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 3:41 AM, October 18, 2011

Posted: 3:39 AM, October 18, 2011

OFFENSE C+

They were heading for an F early in this game, but they played much better in the second and third quarters. Mark Sanchez (14-of-25, 201 yards, 1 TD) found his rhythm in the second quarter and made some nice throws after looking awful early. They had four three-and-outs to open the game, a major problem. Plaxico Burress (one catch) was missing in action again.

DEFENSE B+

Darrelle Revis turned this game around with his 100-yard interception return. All of the momentum was going in the Dolphins’ direction after they recovered a muffed kickoff return inside the 20. But Revis grabbed his first of two interceptions and returned it for the Jets’ first touchdown. The defense took care of business against another sub-par quarterback, like they did against the Jaguars.

SPECIAL TEAMS B-

The muffed kickoff by Garrett McIntyre brings down the grade. Punter T.J. Conley (7 punts, 48.0 yard average) was the team MVP in the first half. Kicker Nick Folk hit his one field goal attempt and the coverage units did a good job.

COACHING A

This was a trying week around the Jets offices in Florham Park. Players were sniping. The team had lost three in a row. But Rex Ryan navigated the problems with his usual player-friendly style. Sending out Santonio Holmes and Brandon Moore, who took shots at each other last week, for the coin toss was

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_report_card_muCkneNt11KPIqEVzFOnDJ#ixzz1b8yoePXZ

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Touchdown helps Holmes put Jets' sniping in past

Jets Blog

By MARK CANNIZZARO

Last Updated: 8:36 AM, October 18, 2011

Posted: 3:39 AM, October 18, 2011

Santonio Holmes, utilizing his Jets captaincy as a platform, has had a lot to say of late.

Following the loss in Baltimore three weeks ago, he criticized the offensive line for not giving Mark Sanchez enough time to get the ball down the field.

He did it again early last week, spurring Jets veteran right guard Brandon Moore to lash out at him Friday, saying calling out his teammates in public is not the way a captain is supposed to operate.

Fortunately for Moore and the Jets, Holmes played like a team captain last night, catching three passes for 63 yards, including the game-clinching touchdown, a 38-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter that capped a 24-6 win over the Dolphins.

After the game, though, while a number of Jets spoke about the team squashing any perceived rift in the locker room, Holmes became suddenly tight-lipped, refusing to get into his spat with Moore.

“We’re not talking about that, we’re moving on to the next question,” Holmes said. “We just won a ballgame today, and that’s what we’re focused on right now. What happened last week was last week. We’re looking forward to what’s going on next week. We’re moving on to the next game.

That’s where we are with that right now, not what happened last week.”

Linebacker Calvin Pace, who said he spoke to Holmes about the disagreement late in the week, defended the receiver.

“I think some of the things he said were taken out of context,” Pace said. “Some of the things he said were meant to motivate, not criticize any individual. But he said it.

“I know what he was trying to say and it just wasn’t printed the way he said it, I don’t think. I talked to him and I think he meant well. He was trying to say some things, trying to motivate everybody.

“He showed what type of player he is and stood out today. That’s what being a big-time player is about.”

It seemed like Moore had buried the hatchet with Holmes.

“We play as a team together,” Moore said. “I was happy to see him do well as well as all the other guys. That’s over with. Santonio is my teammate. That’s over with.”

Holmes credited the offensive line and Mark Sanchez for his TD catch.

“Great job by Mark stepping up in the pocket and eluding tacklers,” he said. “He got the ball to me quickly and the rest happened with blocking down the field with Plaxico [burress] and [Jeremy] Kerley and the rest is history.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/holmes_goes_from_gripes_to_grabs_6SnCufIpwrvZgDZq61CYqI#ixzz1b8zNMANq

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Taylor in no mood to talk after Dolphins loss to Jets

Jets Blog

By BART HUBBUCH

Last Updated: 8:36 AM, October 18, 2011

Posted: 3:39 AM, October 18, 2011

This wasn’t how Jason Taylor wanted the Jets to see him again.

The frustration of the Dolphins’ 0-5 start was written all over Taylor’s face as he stood in the deathly quiet Miami locker room after a 24-6 loss to his former team that wasn’t even really that close.

Taylor went to the AFC Championship with the Jets last season, but with the Dolphins a mess and going nowhere, the only way the 37-year-old pass rusher will do that this year is through the purchase of a ticket.

That obvious realization explained Taylor’s testy mood after yet another Miami meltdown in a season already full of them.

“Every loss is tough to swallow,” Taylor said.

Asked if losing to the Jets in such ugly fashion in his first game against them since leaving, Taylor

wasn’t having any of it.

“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, they are all tough to swallow,” he said.

Taylor’s own performance — or lack thereof — probably added to his sour postgame mood. He barely showed up on the statistics sheet, registering all of one tackle for the game. That didn’t come until late in the second half, long after this disaster was in the books.

He had questioned his teammates’ heart after an ugly loss to the Chargers earlier this month, saying: “If you don’t want to be on this train, get off it.”

Taylor wasn’t in finger-pointing mode last night, however, perhaps realizing a chance to draft Andrew Luck next April is more likely than a sudden turnaround in South Florida this fall.

He is trying to stay upbeat, considering how quickly he waved off one question about whether he ever felt a sense of “here we go again” during the loss to the Jets.

“I never feel that way,” he said.

But if Taylor hoped to convince anyone he truly is optimistic, it was lost as soon as he cut off the postgame interview after just 58 seconds.

“Got to go, guys,” he said, storming off.

bhubbuch@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/taylor_in_no_mood_to_talk_6gWw3TJtDLdZ5dYm83Fs3I#ixzz1b90CpZwU

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Dolphins wash up on shores of Revis Island

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 8:56 AM, October 18, 2011

Posted: 3:39 AM, October 18, 2011

So this is what it looks like when the best player on the field, best player on the Jets roster, is fully engaged, fully challenged, treated as a football player and not a museum piece. So many weeks, you can go whole quarters, whole halves, and never hear an announcer say the words “Darrelle Revis.”

Not this time. Not this week.

“I knew what was coming,” Revis said. “When you have a great receiver and a great cornerback, the ball’s going to be thrown that way. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

So Matt Moore, kid quarterback, started throwing toward his best player, Brandon Marshall, even though Revis was covering him on almost every down.

Third Miami play from scrimmage? Moore to Marshall for 8 yards, just shy of the first-down stick, Revis on the coverage.

Second-and-five on their next possession? Moore to Marshall for 20 yards, Revis on the coverage, Marshall maybe getting away with a shove, a star’s non-call. It shouldn’t be surprising; Revis Island exists because quarterbacks go out of their way not to throw Revis’ way. Matt Moore threw his way.

Good for him.

Bad for him.

“They wanted to attack him,” Jets guard Brandon Moore would say later. “But you run a risk when you do that.”

Revis saved a touchdown when Matt Moore searched out Marshall at the end of that drive. Moore was unbowed. The Jets fumbled the kickoff after Dan Carpenter’s field goal put the Dolphins up 3-0. Miami was set up. Third-and-seven at the Jets’ 15, Revis bumped Marshall, slowed him, and Marshall seemed sluggish getting back in the play.

Moore looked for him anyway.

Revis, at the goal line, may have added an extra nudge. He also got a star’s non-call. And suddenly he also had a football in his hands. And something else.

Suddenly, Revis had the Jets’ season in his hands. Suddenly, a MetLife Stadium crowd of 78,912, all of them more ornery than Lewis Black, all of them fearful the woeful Dolphins were fixing to bury the Jets a little deeper in the muck, rose and screamed and whistled and roared. It wasn’t going to be 6-0 Dolphins, wasn’t going to be 10-0 Dolphins.

It was about to be 7-3 Jets on the way to 24-6, on the way to a victory that doesn’t elevate near as much as a loss would have decimated, but will do just fine for now. All because Revis, engaged and challenged, targeted in a way he’s almost never targeted, made a play when the Jets were desperate for a play.

“You’re taught to head for the nearest sideline when you pick one off,” Revis said. “But I looked up, saw there were a couple of Dolphins heading for the sidelines, so I made a move inside. And when I did, you could’ve driven an 18-wheeler the rest of the way.”

He backpedaled the last few steps, crossed his arms, drank in the adulation of a mob that was frantic for something to feel good about. If he could have looked under his teammates’ facemasks, under their jerseys, he would’ve seen something else, too: instant gratitude.

“That play boosted our confidence,” LaDainian Tomlinson said. “It made everyone relax.”

“He made them pay,” Brandon Moore said.

Sure, we can talk about the Dolphins, about how brutal they looked behind their backup quarterback, about how terrible their defense is, about how they have clearly entered themselves into the league-wide sweepstakes for Andrew Luck. They are now 0-5 on merit.

But they will win a few games this year. And if they get to 10-0 last night, there’s no underestimating how dark the place loomed where the Jets were headed. In the opening minutes of the season, it was Tony Romo who decided to sample the accommodations on Revis Island, and Revis picked him off and set up a game-winning field goal.

Now it was Matt Moore’s turn.

“It was kind of a feel thing,” Moore said. “I felt comfortable going there.”

Revis, grateful for the workout, returned the favor the best way he knew how: one game-changing interception, one game-clinching one. One season-saving performance by the best player on the field, shedding mothballs and grabbing footballs.

Quite a night. Quite a player.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/dolphins_wash_up_on_shores_of_revis_AxtQ9Mh4Vsuk6E3lqB3gPJ#ixzz1b90utz85

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Another quiet night for Jets' Burress

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:36 AM, October 18, 2011

Posted: 3:02 AM, October 18, 2011

Did the Jets trade Plaxico Burress, too?

For most of last night's 24-6 victory over the Dolphins, it seemed like Burress had been exiled like his buddy Derrick Mason. Burress had one catch for 16 yards in the game, and it didn't come until there was 2:02 left in the third quarter.

Burress was targeted just four times in the game. It looked like the Jets were trying to force the ball Burress' way again in the fourth quarter.

Up 24-6 with 6:16 left to play, Mark Sanchez launched a 47-yard pass toward Burress in the end zone that fell incomplete. It seemed strange the Jets would still be throwing deep with such a big lead.

Burress has not had more than four catches in a game this season, and the season-high four came in the opener against the Cowboys. He had no catches against the Jaguars in week two and three catches the previous three weeks.

The 34-year-old veteran has not made waves about his limited role but he can't be happy.

*

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie left the game with a groin injury. He said he just "tweaked" the muscle. Cromartie said he will play Sunday against the Chargers, his former team.

"Can't miss that one," he said.

Coach Rex Ryan said he pulled center Nick Mangold late because they had a big lead. Mangold is still dealing with a high right ankle sprain.

*

Joe McKnight continues to get an increased role with the team. He lined up as a wide receiver several times, and had two catches for 29 yards.

McKnight also returned punts for the first time, fielding three punts. The Jets likely made that move because their usual returner, Jeremy Kerley, now has an increased role on offense as the third receiver.

The Dolphins did not give McKnight many chanes at returning a kickoff. They kicked it short repeatedly with it working perfectly in the first quarter when the ball bounced off blocker Garrett McIntyre's knee for a fumble Miami recovered.

*

The Jets had some different faces on their active roster last night. Rookie defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis made his debut after being inactive for the first five games.

Ellis, a third-round draft pick, made several impressive plays, including a tackle inside the Jets' 5 and a backfield tackle of Reggie Bush.

Defensive tackle Martin Tevaseu was active for the first time this season. Tevaseu was active last year in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. Tight end Josh Baker also made his debut, returning a kickoff for 16 yards.

*

At halftime, the Jets held a ceremony to honor Al Toon, Freeman McNeil, Gerry Philbin and Larry Grantham as the newest members of the team's Ring of Honor.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/plaxico_remains_missing_in_action_0DJw7DtjVhseFZmSx1bccP#ixzz1b91l6HKO

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NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Four years removed from the worst season in franchise history, the Miami Dolphins are trying to ignore the whispers that another 1-15 record is in the making.

The Dolphins fell to 0-5 Monday night, victimized by Darrelle Revis’ 100-yard interception return and two long, timely drives by the Jets’ offense. New York ended its three-game slide with a 24-6 victory that kept Miami at the bottom of the league.

“This is embarrassing,” said receiver Brandon Marshall, who was the target on Revis’ first of two

picks. “We have way too many players in our locker room to be sitting at 0-5. We owe it to the city of Miami, to ownership … to turn it (around).”

They couldn’t do so against their AFC East rival, whom the Dolphins had beaten three straight times in New Jersey. The few times Miami threatened, it bogged down deep in Jets territory, winding up with field goals of 23 and 21 yards by Dan Carpenter.

Coach Tony Sparano, whose seat gets hotter by the week, said the Dolphins emphasized not allowing game-changing plays during practices in their bye week. Then they got on the Meadowlands field and not only couldn’t find the end zone, but yielded those exact plays.

Again.

“All week long, for two weeks, all we were talking about was developing a next-play mentality,” Sparano said. “Big plays have hurt us, they’ve just been different (kinds of) big plays.

“A good player brings it back, he does what a good player does,” Sparano added of Revis’ first-quarter TD, the longest interception runback in the NFL this season. “We’ve got to learn to get out of our own way and that’s important.”

Safety Yeremiah Bell, who was with the Dolphins for that 1-15 debacle, doesn’t want to hear any comparisons.

“We know it’s all on us,” he said. “’07 was 1-15 and this is a way better team than the ’07 team. We have a lot more players.

“It’s very frustrating when you’re 0-5 and not making plays. We can’t think about 0-5, just have to put it away.”

Marshall didn’t live up to his promise to get ejected sometime in the second quarter. He also said he might start a fight with Jets linebacker Bart Scott or cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Nothing came close to that.

Mark Sanchez threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and ran for another score as the Jets — who called this a “must-win” game — capped a tough week with a win.

With the losses mounting and the season already on the brink of spinning out of control for the Jets (3-3), they traded wide receiver Derrick Mason to Houston and then had to deal with some infighting as Holmes called out the offensive line for not giving Sanchez enough time to throw deep. Right guard Brandon Moore fired back, saying those comments could have a “fragmenting effect” and were not what a captain, which Holmes is, should do.

Ryan, who insisted his team’s Super Bowl hopes would not be undone by locker room disharmony, even sent Holmes and Moore out as the captains for the pregame coin toss.

Turns out, the Dolphins showed up at just the right time as the Jets got their season back on track.

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Jets' Mark Sanchez gets strong protection from offensive line in victory over Miami Dolphins

Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 1:49 AM Updated: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 10:45 AM

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

The offensive line, maligned both outside and inside the Jets' locker room this season, held up well in tonight’s 24-6 win against the Miami Dolphins.

Despite Miami’s winless record, the team has some talent in its front seven, including Cameron Wake — 14 sacks last season and three so far this year — as well as ex-Jet Jason Taylor, now a situational player for his long-time team.

But Mark Sanchez, who had been sacked 13 times in the first five games, went down just once tonight, for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter. He also had ample time to throw, including on a 24-yard completion in the second half that helped set up a field goal.

“It’s gotten to the point where guys don’t even listen to outside influences,” right tackle Wayne Hunter said. “But to have a game (like this) for us personally means a lot. It builds up confidence going into the next game.”

Hunter drew early criticism this year, particularly after he struggled against Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware.

But he held up very well tonight against Wake, whom he said he was primarily matched up on. The Jets also regained some of their physical presence in the ground game behind the line and running back Shonn Greene, though their rushing total of 104 yards was not extravagant.

Sanchez also did not turn the ball over tonight, after giving it away 11 times in the first five games, in part with the help of the better protection.

“I was really proud of the way the offensive line protected the quarterback,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “Mark stayed in there for a couple of those big plays.”

CB Antonio Cromartie left the game in the second half with a groin injury. Ryan said he expects Cromartie to “heal quickly” with his former team, the San Diego Chargers, up next week. C Nick Mangold (ankle) was taken out late with the game in hand.

RB Joe McKnight split punt return duty with WR Jeremy Kerley, the fifth-round pick who was used as the No. 3 receiver after the demotion and subsequent trade of veteran Derrick Mason.

Third-round pick Kenrick Ellis was active for his first professional game. He recorded three tackles, one for a loss. Ellis, a Division 1-AA All-American for Hampton, came to the Jets with raw talent that needed to be refined. He was a healthy scratch for each of the first five games.

Inactives for the Jets were QB Kevin O’Connell, WR Logan Payne (wrist), RB Bilal Powell, CB Donald Strickland (concussion), CB Isaiah Trufant (hamstring), C Colin Baxter and DE Ropati Pitoitua (knee).

Jets greats Larry Grantham, Freeman McNeil, Gerry Philbin and Al Toon were inducted into MetLife Stadium’s Ring of Honor at halftime.

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

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Politi: Jets' sluggish offense is sped up by lackluster Miami Dolphins

Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 1:37 AM Updated: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 10:46 AM

Steve Politi/Star-Ledger Columnist By Steve Politi/Star-Ledger Columnist

Rex Ryan always does a masterful job of easing the tension around his team with laughter, and tonight was no different. Here was his one-liner assessing his team’s offense:

“Once we got going,” the Jets coach said after this ugly 24-6 win over the Miami Dolphins, “we were hard to stop.”

Ha! Good one, coach!

Wait. He wasn’t kidding?

Well, then give him points for unintentional comedy. Because the first part of that quote — “once we got going” — is glossing over the tiny detail that it took a full quarter and a half for this offense to even get a first down against the worst team in football.

And the second part — “we were hard to stop” — ignores the fact that the woeful Dolphins did a pretty good job of doing just that, when the Jets weren’t doing it themselves.

Yes, the offense improved. The line blocked better for quarterback Mark Sanchez, who completed 14 passes to seven different targets for 204 yards. It had a couple of sustained scoring drives, including an 81-yarder in the second quarter, and one big play from wide receiver Santonio Holmes, who sprang from a couple nice blocks downfield to score from 38 yards out to ice this.

Still, it was hard to gloss over this point: The Jets don’t beat good teams with that offense, and this brief interlude against the NFL’s junior varsity is coming to an abrupt end.

The Dolphins looked like they were trying to take one more step toward the No. 1 pick and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. It was hard to pinpoint what was more inexplicable — quarterback Matt Moore targeting Darrelle Revis until the cornerback finally returned one 100 yards for a touchdown, or receiver Brandon Marshall stepping out of bounds with nothing but open field in front of him.

The San Diego Chargers, the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots are up next on the schedule, and they’re a combined 13-4 and unlikely to be as generous. This victory averted a total collapse, because with cracks already showing in the locker room, there is no way this team would have survived a four-game losing streak.

“It doesn’t have to be pretty all the time,” Sanchez said. “It doesn’t matter. We got the win.”

But Sanchez and Co. are giving little reason for optimism. Go three-and-out on the first four possessions against Philip Rivers and the Chargers next week, and the Jets won’t be staring up at a 7-6 lead on the scoreboard.

The line did do a better job protecting Sanchez, and that was evident when Sanchez joked that he “held the ball for about an hour and a half” before finding Holmes with a short pass that the receiver, with a key block from teammate Plaxico Burress, turned into a 38-yard touchdown.

But the Dolphins still sacked Sanchez twice and, especially early, kept him under pressure. The Jets are still not the power running game that Ryan wants them to be, and they’re not “letting it fly a little more than we have in the past,” to borrow Ryan’s preseason pledge.

So what are they? Holmes wasn’t about to repeat his comments from last week about the offensive line, but it’s still mostly true. The Jets haven’t protected Sanchez well enough to really open up the passing game.

Sanchez was supposed to make a big jump in his third season, to improve his accuracy to the 65-percent range. But as a quarterback, he looks almost exactly like he did last year, with flashes of promise mixed in with heaps of mediocrity. He found Holmes for the touchdown, but two drives earlier, missed a wide open Dustin Keller in the end zone as the Jets had to settle for a field goal.

ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer summed it up like this before the game: “He’s missing wide open guys at times — at times the game is moving too fast for him. And what I hoped I would see this year was just kind of a settling. And normally, you see it in a quarterback’s feet. When his eyes slow down and his brain slows down, his feet settle and there’s more rhythm to his feet.”

There’s no rhythm at all to this offense. Burress looks either old or disinterested — he had another drop and begged for a flag when he was blanketed in the end zone — and the running game barely cracked 100 yards even with a full quarter of garbage-time opportunities.

And all this came against the NFL’s version of the junior varsity, a team that isn’t even trying. This offense was enough to end that three-game losing streak, but it has to be better than this. Because the varsity is coming.

Steve Politi: spoliti@starledger.com; Twitter.com/StevePoliti

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Jets' Darrelle Revis keys win over Miami Dolphins with 100-yard touchdown return

Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 1:26 AM Updated: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 10:46 AM

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

Before capping off a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter tonight, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis spun away from the end zone and faced back in the direction of Matt Moore — the Miami Dolphins quarterback who, curiously, kept throwing the ball in Revis’ direction.

Earlier in that first quarter, Moore had connected with Brandon Marshall twice on the Dolphins’ first two drives, both with Revis in coverage, for a total of 28 yards.

But this time, with 6:11 remaining in the opening quarter, was just one too many.

Marshall broke inside and the pass from Moore floated outside. Revis waited with his heels on Miami’s goal line, grabbed the ball and swerved through a pack of stumbling Dolphins. By the time Revis reached midfield, there wasn’t an opposing player within 10 yards in pursuit.

“Just backpedaled into the end zone,” Revis said. “I felt like Deion Sanders.”

By an unofficial count, the Dolphins tested the cornerback nine times amid a 24-6 Jets win at MetLife Stadium tonight. And in a game in which the Jets' offense continued to sputter, it was a decision Miami would come to regret as Revis’ interception return for a touchdown gave the Jets a lead they would never relinquish.

Before the pick-six, Miami held a 3-0 lead and was driving again, further deflating a Jet team on a three-game losing streak.

Revis finished the game with two interceptions, hauling in his second with 4:55 left in the game on a pass intended for Clyde Gates. He exited the field by whipping the football through the goalposts.

It was Revis’ third career two-interception game.

“I’m not surprised,” Revis said of the Dolphins’ game plan. “When you have a great corner and a great receiver going against each other you expect the ball to go to him every time.”

Coming into tonight’s game, Marshall promised he would play uninhibited, far more aggressive than he had all year. He planned to get in a fight with several Jets players and be ejected by halftime.

After those first two drives, Revis turned Marshall into a docile observer. His only big catches — one a 46-yard grab against Antonio Cromartie to end the first — came against other corners.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, on a third-and-4, Moore threaded a quick-slant pass to Marshall. Revis managed to jam both of his hands onto the ball and wrestle the receiver to the ground.

Initially, the ruling on the field was a completed pass as the mercurial Marshall jawed at the cornerback and flexed his arms. Revis said they argued while the officials reviewed the play. That is, until it was determined an incompletion. The Dolphins would finish the night 2-for-13 on third down.

“I would love for teams to keep throwing (at Revis),” safety Jim Leonhard said. “We love it, we like that matchup all day.”

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

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Schwartz: An Imperfect Win At A Perfect Time For Jets

October 18, 2011 11:15 AM

By Peter Schwartz

There was a moment in the second quarter of Monday night’s game when I really thought that NFL Films called MetLife Stadium to order that all footage of the Jets 24-6 victory over the Dolphins to be destroyed.

It really was that bad, but the Jets are not about to throw it back as they put the brakes on a three game losing streak.

“We needed a win in the worst way,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “We’re just happy that we found a way to get one.”

Let’s be honest. The Jets were very fortunate that they were playing the winless Dolphins. Because a good team would have blown the Jets out of the water the way they were playing early in the first half.

The Jets went three and out on their first four possessions and had the lead only because of Darrelle Revis’ 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Revis was covering Brandon Marshall.

“He ran a double post,” said Revis. “Brandon cut in front of me and he kind of tripped a little bit. I kind of moved out of the way and the ball was right there.”

That matched Aaron Glenn for the longest interception return in Jets history. Glenn also accomplished at feat against the Dolphins back in 1996 in Miami.

The offense did pick up a bit, as Mark Sanchez would score on a five-yard touchdown run just before halftime. That was the 8th career-rushing touchdown for Sanchez, moving him past Joe Namath for third most by a quarterback in team history.

I wonder if Namath will find a way to complain about that this week.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes on a 38-yard touchdown.

“It was a good job by Mark of first, stepping up in the pocket and eluding the tackler,” said Holmes.

“He got the ball to me quick.”

Ryan did a wonderful job diffusing the turmoil of this past week by meeting with Holmes and guard Brandon Moore to discuss the matter. After Holmes made critical comments about the offensive line this past week, Moore fired back saying that comments like that can fracture a locker room and it’s not something that a captain should do.

So after the meeting, Ryan had another idea.

He made Holmes and Moore captains for the coin toss.

“I talked to both of them,” said Ryan. “We had to get some things off our chests but I can assure you that we’re together. That’s the important thing.”

Nothing like a win to end a squabble!

“It’s water under the bridge,” said Moore. “It’s not an issue. We’ve moved forward.”

The karma seemed to work as the Jets won the toss and now everything is all smiles in Jetsland!

For the moment.

Here’s the bottom line. The Jets still have to find a way to be more consistent on both sides of the ball.

The offense has to start games a little faster because better teams will put them in a hole like in the Ravens and Patriots games. The running game is still non-existent and that has to get better.

Even though they held the Dolphins to six points and held Miami to 2 of 13 conversions on third down, the Jets defense is giving up two many big plays. I did think that third round pick Kenrick Ellis played well in his NFL debut but collectively, the unit needs to pick things up in a hurry.

I mean fast as the competition gets better this week against the Chargers.

But, not all was bad as Calvin Pace had 2 sacks and Aaron Maybin recorded a sack and two forced fumbles.

In the end, a win is a win is a win.

“It feels good, feels great, just getting a win at home,” said Sanchez. “It’s just what we needed.

We’re back on track.”

For the moment.

The locker room turmoil takes a back set to a win as the Jets improve to 3-3 and they have a chance to get back over .500 before the bye week.

While the bleeding has stopped, there is a lot to improve upon.

JET LINERS

The Jets improve to 3-0 at home this season and are now 8-3 at New Meadowlands Stadium/MetLife Stadium.

After three games, the just are giving up just 11 points a contest at home.

With the victory, the Jets are now 20-25 all-time on Monday Night Football including 7-5 against the Dolphins, 5-0 at home.

The Jets snapped a three game home losing streak against Miami.

Jets players and coaches wore pink Jets gear to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Jets flight crew cheerleaders wore pink belts and shook pink pom-poms. As part of the NFL’s “A Crucial Catch” program, pink Jets merchandise is available at www.jetsshop.com. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

At halftime, Freeman McNeil, Al Toon, Larry Grantham, and Gerry Philbin were formally added to the Jets Ring of Honor.

At one point during the game, some “members” of the media sitting in the row in front of me in the press box had to be told by a Jets representative to stop cheering. No….Joe and Evan were not in the press box!

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Jets will enjoy a day off on Tuesday. Their short work week begins on Wednesday when they begin preparations for Sunday’s game with the Chargers as Ladainian Tomlinson faces his former team for the first time. Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is set for 1pm.

IN THE COMMUNITY

On Tuesday, Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson and defensive tackle Marcus Dixon will visit two New Jersey schools as part of the NFL Play 60 Challenge. It’s a six-week program created by the NFL and the American Heart Association that encourages students to participate and track at least sixty minutes of physical activity each day.

Wilson and Dixon will visit with students at Madison Junior High School, Harding School and Ridgedale Middle School. They will stress the importance of staying active so that they could lead a healthy lifestyle. Also, one boy and one girl who successfully complete the program will be chosen to be featured in the Play 60 Jets football game on Sunday, November 27th when the Jets take on the Buffalo Bills.

On a final note, a minor miracle occurred last week. I signed up for Twitter! You can now follow me @pschwartzwfan.

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Home Sweet Home: New York Jets End Skid, Defeat Miami Dolphins and Remain Unbeaten at Home

Published: 14 minutes ago

Jon Presser

New York Jets Lead Columnist

The Star-Ledger-US PRESSWIRE

It’s amazing what a home game against a winless team can do for a sputtering team’s confidence.

There’s no doubt that the New York Jets still have a lot of kinks to work out if they want to be where they want to be. But in the NFL, there’s no such thing as a bad win.

It wasn’t the prettiest win, but there is no reason to ever apologize for a win in this league.

The Jets (3-3) defeated the hapless Miami Dolphins (0-5) Monday night in a game dominated by the Jets defense, led by All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, who had two interceptions, one of which he returned 100 yards for a touchdown.

Revis, normally avoided in coverage by the likes of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, was tested repeatedly by Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore, and let’s just say Moore found out why the elite quarterbacks leave “Revis Island” alone.

Revis was thrown at 11 times by my count, allowing 4 receptions for 51 yards to Brandon Marshall, with a long of 20.

In addition to the two interceptions, Revis also had four passes defensed and three solo tackles, showing off on the national stage why he’s the best in the game. Maybe Moore will get the memo next time.

Marshall, meanwhile, did not make good on his promise to make this game interesting whatsoever.

His biggest play saw him beating Antonio Cromartie and then losing his balance and drifting out of bounds, costing his team a touchdown.

Stats-wise, Marshall had a pretty good game, gaining 109 of Miami’s 204 total receiving yards. But after yapping about being a “monster” and wanting to fight people, he was all sizzle & no steak, so to speak.

The Jets defense gave up 173 yards in the first quarter but settled down to allow just 135 yards combined in the second, third & fourth. Miami was held to just a 15% conversion rate on third downs, going 2 for 13 for the game.

The Jets offense, however, still showed the signs of inconsistency that have plagued them in recent weeks. They began the game with four consecutive three-and-outs, with a dismal 10 yards of total offense in the first quarter.

Yet, when they finally got it going, Mark Sanchez and company were able to move the ball effectively. After the first four drives, in which Sanchez was 3 for 7 for 14 yards, he then went 11 for 18 for 187 yards the rest of the way.

Sanchez finished with a solid 95.6 rating overall, with zero turnovers and a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Speaking of Holmes, he and right guard Brandon Moore were chosen by coach Rex Ryan to represent the team at midfield as gameday captains.

It was a gesture of solidarity to emphasize that there is no schism in the locker room, despite some comments being blown up in the media during the course of the week.

With their 24-6 victory, the Jets are now 3-0 at home at MetLife Stadium and 0-3 on the road.

They’ve allowed just 11 points per game in their three home games, compared to 33 points per game allowed on the road.

They still have a ton of work to do before they start to look like serious contenders, there’s no doubt about that. But a division win can cure a lot of ills.

Next week, they will face their toughest home matchup since Week 1 when the San Diego Chargers come to MetLife Stadium.

It will be the first time that ex-Chargers LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie will ever face their former team in their NFL careers.

A win over San Diego to get the Jets to a 4-3 record going into their Week 8 bye would ease a lot of the pressure on a team that has not yet played up to their full potential.

Follow me on Twitter @metsjetsnets88 / Contact me at metsjetsnets88@gmail.com

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Jets blitz

Jets Blog

By BART HUBBUCH

Last Updated: 12:15 PM, October 18, 2011

Posted: 12:13 PM, October 18, 2011

HERO

Darrelle Revis might have saved the Jets’ season with his 100-yard interception return in the first quarter and ended up with two picks on the night. The Dolphins weren’t afraid to throw on the All-Pro cornerback, and it didn’t take Revis long to make them realize just how foolish that was. Revis also was a big reason why Brandon Marshall caught just six of the 13 passes thrown his way.

ZERO

It’s almost unfair to single out Dolphins fill-in quarterback Matt Moore, considering he was only recently signed to take over for the injured Chad Henne, but Moore showed last night why he lost his job in Carolina last year to Jimmy Clausen. When Moore wasn’t under-throwing receivers, he was over-throwing them. Revis’ pick-6 was almost predictable as Moore went 16-for-34 for 204 yards while being sacked four times.

UNSUNG HERO

Jets linebacker Bart Scott finally had a breakout game after a deathly quiet season had prompted whispers about the veteran’s effectiveness. Showing terrific energy, Scott had five tackles, a half-sack and forced a fumble in by far his most complete performance since the 2010 regular season. Scott’s play did the talking last night, and it was loud.

TURNING POINT

Revis’ winding interception return for a TD — the Jets’ longest in more than a decade — couldn’t have come at a better time. Gang Green’s offense was stagnant, the fans at MetLife Stadium were booing and surly and a loss to a previously winless team seemed more than possible when Revis stepped in front of Moore’s errant pass for Marshall and weaved his way to the end zone midway through the first quarter. The Jets never trailed after that.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_blitz_qQYRc2PQrbGMPEPwfe4oxH#ixzz1b9XsPff2

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Sullivan: Schotty handles critics with class, just like Dad

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Last updated: Tuesday October 18, 2011, 12:51 PM

By TARA SULLIVAN

RECORD COLUMNIST

EAST RUTHERFORD – Brian Schottenheimer learned his lesson early in life – being a coach means being criticized. What once was directed at his father, former NFL coach Marty, now comes at him as Jets offensive coordinator.

As the unit he coaches sputtered and coughed its way into the sixth game of the season Monday night against Miami, a 24-6 Jets’ victory, Schottenheimer’s once-budding reputation has stalled as well. But rather than using his time or energy to respond to critics who lambaste his play-calling and stew over the Jets’ 29th overall offensive ranking heading into Monday night, Schottenheimer remembers how it felt to have a ringside seat to the craziness. And he remembers how well his dad deflected the barbs.

"A long time ago, I’ll never forget, we were at breakfast one day after the [Kansas City Chiefs] lost [to the Dolphins]," Schottenheimer recalled the other day. "Nick Lowery missed like a 50-yard field goal. And we were at the breakfast table and some guys were talking about the game and talking about, ‘Boy, Marty Schottenheimer, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. That guy’s a bozo,’ this and that. And so my mom and I and [my] sister were kind of stewing, like, ‘Can you believe this?’ "

His dad said nothing, but what happened next has stayed with Brian in a much stronger way than any words.

"All my dad did when we were done [was] he walked over and introduced himself. He said, ‘How are you doing? I’m Marty Schottenheimer. I don’t take myself too seriously. I do the best I can,’ " Brian said. "The guy sent him like a five-page letter in the mail apologizing. ‘I didn’t know you were there.

I’m sorry. Thank you for what you’ve done in Kansas City.’

"All you can do is handle yourself with class. I think my father did that."

In today’s 24/7 news-cycle world, Brian Schottenheimer needs more than those old-school coping methods to survive. With the explosion of television, sports-talk radio and social media outlets giving experts and fans countless platforms to hurl opinions, the circus has grown exponentially. Now the son is the target, smack in the middle of the biggest ring. And now the question is whether he’ll ever get the chance to be his own ringmaster.

It was only two years ago that Schottenheimer turned down a chance to interview for the head coaching opening in Buffalo, choosing instead to continue working with Jets coach Rex Ryan, the architect of New York’s defense. Schottenheimer wanted to finish the Super Bowl work he was confident would be completed with the Jets long before it would with a franchise that — at the time — represented the dregs of the AFC East.

But here’s the cruel reality of the NFL coaching fraternity. Windows open slowly, but close quickly.

What once seemed inevitable for a hot young assistant coach with a famous last name and a strong family legacy has taken a sharp turn onto a cold and lonely road without a clear destination. A head coaching job seems awfully far away now, lost in a haze of slow starts, inconsistent play and, lately, reports of in-house grumbling. With play-calling that won’t seem to commit itself to the ground-and-pound philosophy Ryan is loyal to or the air-it-out aggressiveness Santonio Holmes complains doesn’t happen enough, Schottenheimer is caught playing tug of war with himself.

And he never stops hearing about it.

"In all reality, it comes with the territory," he said. "I do the best I can. This staff works our tails off.

We have to be more consistent. And when you’re not winning games and there are things you’re missing, you’re going to take heat in the position I’m in. … I think the first year or two on the job you kind of [say], ‘Boy, that’s unfair.’ But again, I think I’ve probably had a lifestyle of learning about it.

For the last couple of years, I just realized it’s a long season. It’s a marathon."

Yet the Jets’ offense under Schottenheimer’s direction is running out of room to catch up. The three-game losing streak heading into Monday night’s game had to be halted, and as much as Ryan’s defense needs to shore itself up against the run, it’s up to the offense to get this team moving. Despite Ryan’s professed encouragement over signs of improvement during last week’s loss at New England, the offense left the field in three-and-out disappointment seven times in 11 possessions.

And despite Holmes’ public stance that more downfield shots would come with better offensive line play – an assertion that threatens to tear at the very fabric of the locker room – veteran running back LaDainian Tomlinson believes it’s merely a demand for better execution. If players did their jobs better, Schottenheimer would look better, too.

"It’s unfair, because he’s not the one that’s out there throwing the ball, catching it, running it, blocking," Tomlinson said. "He can’t do any of that."

What he can do is rely on the lessons of his life, the ones his father lived.

"It’s funny, because I used to be on the other side of it. I used to be the guy in school getting in fights with kids talking about my dad, and now you sit there and you worry about your kids and stuff," Schottenheimer said. "The thing I took from him, you do the best you can; you have trust in yourself and what you’re doing. You stay true to yourself, and if you do that, at the end of the day, you have that to fall back on."

E-mail: sullivan@northjersey.com

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Rex Ryan says Mark Sanchez-Plaxico Burress connection 'just a little off'

Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 1:15 PM Updated: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 1:19 PM

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

When the Jets signed Plaxico Burress this offseason, they hoped he could be a dominant red-zone target who could use his height advantage to benefit Mark Sanchez and the passing game.

But through six games, the receiver has just 14 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns. In the Jets' 24-6 win against Miami Monday night, Burress had just one catch for 16 yards.

"I'm not down on Plax whatsoever," Jets coach Rex Ryan said on a conference call today. "I think there are going to be times when he will have 10 catches, I truly believe that is coming. Just keep working, and it takes a while to get a feel for a guy. I think the chemistry is there, it’s just a matter of fine tuning just a little bit more, and I think we’re going to be just fine."

Ryan pointed to several reasons why the connection between Sanchez and Burress hasn't been extremely productive yet: In some cases, Sanchez has come off his read to Burress too early and gone to a check-down instead. Other times, the timing on Burress' route has been off and the throw has been slightly in front of him or behind him.

"It just seems like we’re missing just a little bit," Ryan said. "I think the first play of the game, I thought we had a chance to get to him, get the ball to him, but it went a different way. It’s just a little off, but I'm encouraged by the fact that, 'Hey, we’ll keep working,' and I really think as the season goes on, you're going to see better and better chemistry and having the ball thrown to Plax more.

Burress was absent from football for nearly three years, and has had not quite three months to build chemistry with Sanchez.

"They work hard on the practice field; they’re doing some good things," Ryan said. "We’re about where we thought we’d be."

* * *

Ryan said CB Antonio Cromartie has a groin pull and could have finished Monday night's game if it had been necessary. He expects him to be limited in practice Wednesday, increase his workload during the week, and be ready for Sunday's game vs. San Diego.

C Nick Mangold (ankle) will likely follow last week's plan: at least limited in practice until Friday and play Sunday, Ryan said. The coach also expects CB Donald Strickland (concussion) to return this week.

* * *

Ryan said RT Wayne Hunter will earn a game ball for his performance blocking Miami's Cameron Wake Monday night.

"That’s an outstanding pass rusher, and Wayne took him for most of the night one-on-one," Ryan said. "Everyone knows the kind of player Wayne is, but that’s great to see."

Ryan also said "sometimes the offensive line is taking a little bit too much of the heat."

"Quite honestly, in some of the pressures and all that, it’s not even the line's fault," he said. "They can only block five guys."

* * *

Ryan admitted the offense's slow starts "kind of blows me away." The Jets, for the second straight week, opened with four three-and-outs.

"Believe me, we search for answers and all that. I'm just not sure," Ryan said. "We’re going to make some calls, do different things. I’m at a loss for you. It just seems strange. But once we get past that stage and we start having a little success, then boom, we start moving the ball effectively. I think that’s certainly a challenge to us. I don’t know. Drink coffee? I don’t know what it is. We’ve got to find something."

* * *

Rookie DT Kenrick Ellis made his pro debut last night and played a significant amount of time. He was in on two tackles for a loss.

"He's what we think he can be," Ryan said. "I think he's got a chance to be really something, and the young man is working really hard, so it’s good to see him have some success."

[flgreen]

Rex Ryan on Jets' slow starts: 'It's crazy. It kind of blows me away.'

BY Manish Mehta

Rex Ryan is still baffled by the Jets’ consistent slow starts. For two straight weeks, the offense had opened with four consecutive three-and-outs. Last night, Ryan’s prized defense even stumbled out of the gate, allowing 173 yards in the first quarter. (They gave up just 135 yards for the rest of the game).

“It’s crazy,” Ryan said today of the sluggish starts. “It kind of blows me away…. It just seems strange.”

He joked that maybe the scoreboard operator should put a “2” to indicate the quarter at the beginning of the game. Or…

“I don’t know… drink coffee? ” he quipped.

The Jets’ offensive line did a solid job protecting Mark Sanchez in last night’s 24-6 win over the Dolphins. Rex said the maligned unit did “a tremendous job” in pass protection. Ryan also maintained that the “offensive line has taken too much of the heat” this season.

Ryan admitted that he’d like Shonn Greene, who rushed for 74 yards last night, to get about 25 carries a game. The coach also admitted that he’s has plenty of belief in veteran LaDainian Tomlinson too.

"I’m comfortable playing LT a lot because I think he’s still a great back,” Ryan said.

Ryan anticipates Antonio Cromartie will be limited in practice on Wednesday with a groin pull, but he expects the cornerback will play Sunday against the Chargers, who traded him away last year. Fellow cornerback Donald Strickland, who missed last night's game with a concussion, is expected to play against San Diego too.

Nick Mangold will likely be limited in practice this week, but Ryan expects him to play on Sunday.

Ryan isn’t overly concerned that Plaxico Burress hasn’t been more involved in the offense. Burress, who had one catch for 16 yards last night, has only 14 catches this season. Ryan went as far as to say that he expects Burress to have a 10-catch game in the future. “It just seems like we’re missing just a little bit,” Ryan said of the chemistry between Sanchez and Burress. “It’s just a little off.”

Rex Ryan on the Carson Palmer trade to the Raiders: “It shows the Raiders are in the win-now business."

Ryan was a little surprised that the Jets are home underdogs against the 4-1 Chargers next week.

"If we play to the best of our abilities, I think we'll come out on top," he said.

Rex Ryan heaped some praise on third-round pick Kenrick Ellis, who had two tackles for loss in his pro debut last night. “I think he’s got a chance to be really something,” Ryan said. “It’s good to see him have some success.”

For more Jets news, follow Manish Mehta on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TheJetsStream

[flgreen]

AFC East Stock Watch

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

1:00

PM ET

By James Walker

FALLING

1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins head coach: A national audience witnessed the end of an era in Miami. Even with two weeks of preparation, Sparano failed to accomplish anything against a division rival -- the New York Jets -- and fell to 0-5 on the season. Sparano entered the year on the hot seat and suffered his eighth consecutive loss. Miami owner Stephen Ross has publicly backed Sparano, but Sparano is heading toward his third consecutive losing season. Now the owner is expected to cut bait barring a sudden and unexpected turnaround.

2. Buffalo Bills' defense: It's been a season-long issue, but the Bills' defense is only recently getting bad press after the team lost two of the last three. Buffalo allowed 400 yards for the fifth consecutive game in a 27-24 loss to the New York Giants. The Bills also failed to force a turnover for the first time this season. Buffalo's defensive issues are plentiful. The Bills struggle stopping the run, allow too many big passing plays and can't generate a pass-rush. Buffalo has two weeks to work on these issues during the bye week.

3. Matt Moore, Dolphins quarterback: The Matt Moore era in Miami didn't get off to a good start. He threw for 204 yards and two interceptions in a 24-6 loss to the New York Jets. Moore, like former starter Chad Henne, struggled most in clutch situations. Miami was 2-for-12 on third down and 0-for-3 in the red zone. Moore also was sacked four times. The Dolphins can't win many games with this kind of performance from their starting quarterback.

RISING

1. Darrelle Revis, New York Jets cornerback: Revis showed on "Monday Night Football" why he is, in my opinion, the best cornerback in the NFL. Revis had a high-profile matchup with Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall and recorded a pair of interceptions. One was returned for a 100-yard touchdown and changed the momentum in New York's favor. Revis also recorded three tackles and had four passes defensed. Most teams avoid throwing at Revis. The Dolphins were one of the few to test the Pro Bowl corner and paid for it.

2. New England Patriots' defense: The Patriots are quietly fixing their much-maligned defense. New England has allowed just 37 points in two games. The defense kept the Patriots in the game this past weekend when the offense struggled for three quarters against the Dallas Cowboys. Stopping the run has been key. New England is allowing an average of 87 rushing yards per game the past two weeks. Patriots coach Bill Belichick now has a bye to make further improvements.

3. Calvin Pace, Jets linebacker: Revis wasn't the only Jets defender who had a big game. New York linebacker Calvin Pace was all over the field. He recorded seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. The Jets' defense finally looked like the top unit it was the past two years under head coach Rex Ryan. Miami was an easy opponent. The Jets' defense must continue this improvement with a tough upcoming schedule.

[flgreen]

Rex Ryan on Jets' slow starts: 'It's crazy. It kind of blows me away.'

BY Manish Mehta

Rex Ryan is still baffled by the Jets’ consistent slow starts. For two straight weeks, the offense had opened with four consecutive three-and-outs. Last night, Ryan’s prized defense even stumbled out of the gate, allowing 173 yards in the first quarter. (They gave up just 135 yards for the rest of the game).

“It’s crazy,” Ryan said today of the sluggish starts. “It kind of blows me away…. It just seems strange.”

He joked that maybe the scoreboard operator should put a “2” to indicate the quarter at the beginning of the game. Or…

“I don’t know… drink coffee? ” he quipped.

The Jets’ offensive line did a solid job protecting Mark Sanchez in last night’s 24-6 win over the Dolphins. Rex said the maligned unit did “a tremendous job” in pass protection. Ryan also maintained that the “offensive line has taken too much of the heat” this season.

Ryan admitted that he’d like Shonn Greene, who rushed for 74 yards last night, to get about 25 carries a game. The coach also admitted that he has plenty of belief in veteran LaDainian Tomlinson too.

"I’m comfortable playing LT a lot because I think he’s still a great back,” Ryan said.

Ryan anticipates Antonio Cromartie will be limited in practice on Wednesday with a groin pull, but he expects the cornerback will play Sunday against the Chargers, who traded him away last year. Fellow cornerback Donald Strickland, who missed last night's game with a concussion, is expected to play against San Diego too.

Nick Mangold will likely be limited in practice this week, but Ryan expects him to play on Sunday.

Ryan isn’t overly concerned that Plaxico Burress hasn’t been more involved in the offense. Burress, who had one catch for 16 yards last night, has only 14 catches this season. Ryan went as far as to say that he expects Burress to have a 10-catch game in the future. “It just seems like we’re missing just a little bit,” Ryan said of the chemistry between Sanchez and Burress. “It’s just a little off.”

Rex Ryan on the Carson Palmer trade to the Raiders: “It shows the Raiders are in the win-now business."

Ryan was a little surprised that the Jets are home underdogs against the 4-1 Chargers next week.

"If we play to the best of our abilities, I think we'll come out on top," he said.

Rex Ryan heaped some praise on third-round pick Kenrick Ellis, who had two tackles for loss in his pro debut last night. “I think he’s got a chance to be really something,” Ryan said. “It’s good to see him have some success.”

For more Jets news, follow Manish Mehta on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TheJetsStream

[Lego My Lageman]

John Connor almost behead Marshall on the 1st play of the game

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Winners & losers from the Jets win

, October 18, 2011 ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

The Jets ended their three-game skid with a 24-6 victory over the Dolphins on Monday night. Here’s a look at the Jets winners and losers from that game:

WINNERS

1. Darrelle Revis – The Jets cornerback saw more passes thrown his way than usual, and he took advantage. Revis’ 100-yard interception return was a game-changer. The Dolphins looked ready to go up 10-0 after recovering a muffed kickoff return, but Matt Moore floated one to Revis, who then weaved his way through Dolphins for the touchdown. The chasm between Revis and the second-best cornerback in the NFL seems to widen by the week.

2. Wayne Hunter – The new right tackle was everybody’s favorite piñata after the Week 1 debacle against the Cowboys. Hunter has rebounded, and Monday he shut down Cameron Wake, who came into the game with three sacks. The line did a great job protecting Mark Sanchez, and it started with Hunter.

3. Calvin Pace – For three years he’s been criticized for not getting to the quarterback enough, but the outside linebacker is quietly having a nice season. He had two sacks against the Dolphins and tied for the team lead with seven tackles.

LOSERS

1. Plaxico Burress – It’s hard to make a 6-foot-5 wide receiver disappear, but that’s what the Jets offense has done. Burress had one catch against the Dolphins and that didn’t come until late in the third quarter. Sanchez did not even target him until the third quarter. Burress has not had more than four catches in a game yet. This feels like another ticking time bomb in the Jets’ locker room.

2. Shonn Greene – Rex Ryan’s “bellcow” back has been terrible this year. Some of the blame falls on the offensive line, but often Greene just looks like he lacks explosion when there are holes. He finished with a respectable 74 yards Monday, but most of that came late in the game when the Dolphins gave up. He had just 14 yards at halftime. LaDainian Tomlinson saw more time on first and second down Monday, a sign that the coaching staff is losing patience with Greene.

3. Antonio Cromartie – He looked lost at times in coverage, most glaringly when he allowed Brandon Marshall to get behind him for a big gain that should have been a touchdown. Cromartie continues to be one of the most inconsistent players on the Jets. When he’s good, he’s really good. When he’s bad, it’s painful to watch. This week, he faces his former team, so he should be motivated.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/jetsblog/winners_losers_from_the_jets_win_05EUN7f6VEw4AzqqqWhcCL#ixzz1bA8Xyaqk

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Power Rankings: AFC East

October, 18, 2011

Oct 18

2:00

PM ET

By James Walker

Here is how the AFC East fared in ESPN.com's latest Power Rankings:

New England Patriots (5-1)

Power Ranking: No. 2 (same)

Walker's vote: No. 2 (same)

Analysis: The Patriots are the clear No. 2 team in the NFL for the second straight week. They received a unanimous, second-place vote from our panel. New England's defense is coming around, which makes the Patriots dangerous. Quarterback Tom Brady will have the offense clicking in most games. But in the few that Brady struggles, the defense needs to be ready. The AFC doesn't look very deep this year. The Baltimore Ravens (4-1) are a legitimate threat to the Patriots. But, other than that, there is clear separation between the Patriots, Ravens and the rest of the AFC thus far.

Buffalo Bills (4-2)

Power Ranking: No. 10 (down four spots)

Walker's vote: No. 10 (down three spots)

Analysis: Buffalo remains in the top 10 after a good effort against the New York Giants. The Bills are 1-2 on the road. They are a young team that can't seem to pick up a quality win away from Ralph Wilson Stadium. The offense is fine. Buffalo isn't playing perfect offensively, but that cannot be expected. The Bills still are scoring enough points to win and make big plays. It's the defense that needs to hold up its end. Until that happens, Buffalo will continue to be in nail biters every week.

New York Jets (3-3)

Power Ranking: No. 16 (up one spot)

Walker's vote: No. 13 (up two spots)

Analysis: I might be overrating the Jets a bit. They're not playing well, but I like the talent on this team. I keep waiting for New York to put it all together. The Jets did some good things against the winless Dolphins. But you have to consider the opponent. Maybe the Jets will show more against a good team next week in the San Diego Chargers (4-1). The Jets can't afford any additional losing streaks if they want to make the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins (0-5)

Power ranking: No. 30 (same)

Walker's vote: No. 30 (up one spot)

Analysis: No doubt about it, the Dolphins are one of the worst teams in the league. The defense has drastically underachieved and the offense is awful on third downs and in the red zone. Quarterback Matt Moore (204 yards, two interceptions) is not the long-term solution in Miami. The team needs to find its future at quarterback before it can turn the team around. The "Tony Sparano Watch" also will be hovering over the team the rest of the season.