flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Fast fix sought for Jets' first-quarter troubles Thursday, October 20, 2011 BY J.P. PELZMAN STAFF WRITER The Record FLORHAM PARK – On Tuesday, Rex Ryan jokingly suggested drinking more pregame coffee as a potential remedy for the Jets’ continuing problem of slow first-quarter starts. But for left guard Matt Slauson, make that a decaf, please. "I think [Monday] what it was, was we were over-juiced," Slauson said Wednesday. "We were so excited, so confident, that we were kind of overdoing it a little bit. I think once we all settled down and started playing football again, it was fine. But we were all just so excited to get out there." The result was yet another fruitless start on offense. Against Miami, the Jets went three-and-out on their first four possessions, matching their start the previous week in a loss at New England. Fortunately for them, they were able to overcome it because they were playing the woeful Dolphins. But a similar start Sunday against visiting San Diego and its capable offense could build an insurmountable come-from-behind climb for the Jets. Quarterback Mark Sanchez said the Jets must not "get too caught up in it. … Don’t tell ourselves, ‘ We start slow.’ Just think fast. Think fast. We know our plays. Prepare fast. Start every practice off fast, start every drill off fast. Don’t take time to warm up, just go. That’s kind of been my mentality. "The big thing about starting fast is sustaining drives, and we’ve got to convert on those third downs early. If we don’t hit them early, we’ve got to hit a bunch late and we did, so it all worked out." The Jets’ offense has scored only two first-quarter touchdowns through six games, so it’s not surprising the slow starts are weighing on the minds of the players. It was a problem last season, too, when the Jets didn’t score a first-quarter offensive touchdown after the fourth game of the regular season. Including playoffs, they went 16 straight games without one until pulling off the feat against both Jacksonville and Oakland last month. Since then, they’ve had none. Slauson even admitted he missed his block on the first play against the Dolphins because he was so intent on getting out of the blocks as quickly as possible. "The first play, I missed [Randy] Starks," he said, "and it’s because I fired out as hard as I possibly could, because I just wanted to get out there and go." "I wish I knew" the answer, said Ryan, who has fielded questions about it each of the past two days, adding they’ve tried "everything. But it’s hard to put your finger on it. Is it the play at the quarterback spot? Is it this, is it that? I don’t know. I wish I did know, we’d all be able to say, ‘OK, this is exactly what it is.’ But we’re still searching. There’s no question. We’ve had [sanchez] warm up a bunch [pregame], we’ve had Mark not warm up, we’ve taken the ball [after winning the coin toss], we haven’t taken the ball." Sanchez has a 98.5 passer rating in the fourth quarter, but only an 82.3 overall rating, largely because of his first-quarter struggles. "By the end of the game," Sanchez reasoned, "if you’re hitting 40-plus percent on third down, it doesn’t matter. It might look bad early and it looks like, ‘These guys aren’t doing anything yet.’ It might give the other team momentum, but when you start piling up third-down conversions, it doesn’t matter if you do them in the first quarter or the fourth quarter, we just need to hit our numbers. … You can’t win the game in the first quarter, anyway." No, but the Jets might be on their way to losing some games if they don’t correct this problem, and soon. E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Jet notes: Rex mouths off again Thursday, October 20, 2011 The Record Rex mouths off again Jets coach Rex Ryan said recently he won’t muzzle his players. Nor will he do that to himself, obviously. On a conference call with San Diego media Wednesday, Ryan said, "Well, I think I would have had a couple rings" when asked what might have happened had he been hired by the Chargers after he interviewed with them in February, 2007. "I’m telling you," he said with a laugh, "those teams were loaded." A Jets spokesman said Ryan didn’t mean his words as a slight to San Diego coach Norv Turner, who got that job in 2007, and then Ryan called him to tell him so. Ryan was Baltimore’s defensive coordinator when he was interviewed by Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, and he credited that interview with helping to raise his profile. Turner later said, "I hadn’t seen his quote and I was a little bit surprised by the call. And then after I saw the quote, I didn’t have a chance to ask him this, but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the last couple of years." "Things happen for a reason," Ryan said during the conference call. "Obviously, Norv Turner has done a great job there and A.J. and everybody. That’s a great franchise. He was probably the best guy for the job at that time." Cro’: No hard feelings Former San Diego CB Antonio Cromartie will play his old team Sunday for the first time since the Chargers traded him to the Jets in March 2010. When asked if he had circled the game on the calendar, he said, "Yes, I have. It’s something that I was definitely looking forward to. It’s against a former team, the team that gave me an opportunity to play in the NFL, so I’m definitely looking forward to it." But he said he isn’t bitter. "That was two years ago," he said. "There’s no hard feelings now." Cromartie, who suffered a groin injury Monday against Miami, sat out practice Wednesday but expects to return today. Both he and Ryan expect him to play Sunday. "I just wanted to see how my body felt," he said, "before going back out on the field." — J.P. Pelzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Jets' Burress fires back at critics Last Updated: 9:14 AM, October 20, 2011 Posted: 3:33 AM, October 20, 2011 Plaxico Burress isn’t the explosive weapon he used to be as a Giant. He hasn’t been a red-zone menace. He hasn’t been getting open enough. He has three drops over the past two games. He doesn’t have anywhere near the chemistry with Mark Sanchez that he had with Eli Manning. From afar, Burress appears to be a prisoner of his own rust, of Father Time, of his advancing football mortality. He has 14 catches and two touchdowns. After six games a year ago, Braylon Edwards had 21 catches with four touchdowns and one DUI. Burress, wearing a What-Me-Worry? smile, fires back now with this message, paraphrased here for critics and concerned Jets fans alike: I am not shot. I asked him: “Do you still think you can dominate on any given Sunday?” Burress said: “When I lose that mindset, I’ll walk away from the game.” Then I asked him: “Do you have any doubt in your mind that you will once again be a feared wide receiver? Burress said: “No doubt about it.” Why? Burress said: “ ’Cause I know me.” What would he tell people who wonder if he is washed-up? Burress said: “That has never stopped me from having success in this league, what anybody has said.” Does it motivate him? Burress said: “Not at all. Look at all I’ve been through (chuckle).” Finally, I asked him what he would tell Jets fans, already down on their team and pessimistic about beating the Chargers on Sunday, about himself. Burress said: “We will be just fine. And it’s going to be sweet.” To this point, it has been more sour than sweet for him and Sanchez. “We’re not on the right page right now. ... We just got to work to get on the right page,” Burress said. At the end of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII season, Burress and Manning could have written a book together on the right page. “When you’re seeing the same coverage as your quarterback ... you give him the hand signals and you’re just going out there pitching and catching. That’s when you know you’re developing a bond,” Burress said. “Those things take time. All the quarterbacks that I’ve played with over time, it didn’t happen in the first six games. Anywhere that I’ve been, it didn’t happen on the first six games nowhere. When it comes, it’s going to be the right time.” “That kind of stuff doesn’t happen overnight,” Sanchez said. “Pretty soon we’ll be on the same page.” Coach Rex Ryan offers up an excuse for Burress. “There’s a lot of times when he’s getting doubled,” Ryan said. But if he was getting doubled so much, there would be no excuse for the Ground & Pound not to reappear. Is Burress being doubled the way he was against the Jaguars, when he was shutout? “Not as much,” Burress said. “Those are some of the things we gotta take advantage of. I gotta get to the place to where I need to be to get open to make those plays so we can start getting that coverage rolled or whatever and get our running game going. “It all starts with me. I’ve always been that kind o guy. And I’m going to work tirelessly to get back to how I know I can play this game.” His first priority: Catch the damn ball. “Sometimes you’re so confident doing what you do, you get a little lazy as far as looking the ball in and then focusing on it all the way to your hands and tucking it,” Burress said. “I kind of see myself just seeing the ball and just ... ready to go. Ready to go and make a play. I got to get back to the foundation of just really watching the ball hit my hands and then running. Maybe I got to slow it down a little bit. It’s not moving as fast as I think it is. ... It’s just wanting to catch the ball and go and do something exciting and get back to that feel and having fun.” There’s a catch to not playing football in nearly three years, to spending 20 months behind bars. “When the season first started during the games, I was coming out of the huddle, going the wrong way,” Burress said with a smile. Ryan is happy to have him as a $3 Million Man, nevertheless. “You know in this town one week you’re a hero and the next week you’re a goat so,” Burress said with a chuckle. “This offense is just going to go through the roof, and it’s only a matter of time,” Burress said. Time for some bang for the bucks. steve.serby@nypost.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Jets' Cromartie charged up to face former team By FRED KERBER Last Updated: 9:12 AM, October 20, 2011 Posted: 3:33 AM, October 20, 2011 The last time the Chargers and Jets met, Antonio Cromartie walked off the field a playoff loser, wearing San Diego’s colors. He was traded to the Jets two months later, in March 2010. “It’s over with. That’s two years ago. I’m just ready to go play football,” Cromartie said yesterday about his trade from San Diego, where he played for four years. “I already said what I had to say. ... There’s no hard feelings now. They gave me an opportunity to play in the NFL. I just take it I’m here and I’m a Jet and hopefully I’m a Jet till my career is ended.” When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way and all that. Cromartie, like LaDainian Tomlinson, will make his first appearance against his former team Sunday in a 1 p.m. start at MetLife Stadium. “Both of us, you just treat it as a game,” said Cromartie, who missed practice yesterday with a groin injury that forced him out of Monday’s 24-6 mugging of the hapless Dolphins, but he is expected to play Sunday. “It’s something I’m definitely looking forward to,” said the cornerback, who signed a 4-year, $32 million free-agent deal in the summer. “It’s against a former team and a team that gave me the opportunity to play in the NFL, so I’m definitely looking forward to this.” Given the up-down nature of Cromartie’s season, this could be an up week. Some capsule moments of his season: awful against the Cowboys, AFC Defensive Player of the Week against Jacksonville; a penalty-filled gagfest against Oakland; burned for a big gain and suffering that groin injury against Miami. Yeah, he’s ready for something positive. Apparently, he didn’t incinerate any bridges exiting San Diego. He remains friends with selected Chargers, and he still is very familiar with the personnel and the system, something he’s been passing along to the guys in green and white. “I’ve been gone for two years, but I still know the offense,” Cromartie said. “We just need to play the way we need to play. Playing aggressive, making the plays, playing our game.” Cromartie offered high praise of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who has thrown one interception in his last two games after six in his first three. “He’s a competitor, very accurate,” Cromartie said. “He can make every single throw. He’s been good since he started. It’s something you look forward to, facing a quarterback like him. Like you look forward to facing Peyton Manning.” Especially when he’s on the team that traded you. “We have a decent running back who might be jacked up to play too,” coach Rex Ryan said, referring to Tomlinson. “[You’re jacked up] anytime you play against your former team.” fred.kerber@nypost.com Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/team_diego_castoffs_are_charged_FjSWEOg95kfVCVqNtr1JAN#ixzz1bKaTwsMR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Jets' Cromartie charged up to face former team By FRED KERBER Last Updated: 9:12 AM, October 20, 2011 Posted: 3:33 AM, October 20, 2011 The last time the Chargers and Jets met, Antonio Cromartie walked off the field a playoff loser, wearing San Diego’s colors. He was traded to the Jets two months later, in March 2010. “It’s over with. That’s two years ago. I’m just ready to go play football,” Cromartie said yesterday about his trade from San Diego, where he played for four years. “I already said what I had to say. ... There’s no hard feelings now. They gave me an opportunity to play in the NFL. I just take it I’m here and I’m a Jet and hopefully I’m a Jet till my career is ended.” When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way and all that. Cromartie, like LaDainian Tomlinson, will make his first appearance against his former team Sunday in a 1 p.m. start at MetLife Stadium. “Both of us, you just treat it as a game,” said Cromartie, who missed practice yesterday with a groin injury that forced him out of Monday’s 24-6 mugging of the hapless Dolphins, but he is expected to play Sunday. “It’s something I’m definitely looking forward to,” said the cornerback, who signed a 4-year, $32 million free-agent deal in the summer. “It’s against a former team and a team that gave me the opportunity to play in the NFL, so I’m definitely looking forward to this.” Given the up-down nature of Cromartie’s season, this could be an up week. Some capsule moments of his season: awful against the Cowboys, AFC Defensive Player of the Week against Jacksonville; a penalty-filled gagfest against Oakland; burned for a big gain and suffering that groin injury against Miami. Yeah, he’s ready for something positive. Apparently, he didn’t incinerate any bridges exiting San Diego. He remains friends with selected Chargers, and he still is very familiar with the personnel and the system, something he’s been passing along to the guys in green and white. “I’ve been gone for two years, but I still know the offense,” Cromartie said. “We just need to play the way we need to play. Playing aggressive, making the plays, playing our game.” Cromartie offered high praise of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who has thrown one interception in his last two games after six in his first three. “He’s a competitor, very accurate,” Cromartie said. “He can make every single throw. He’s been good since he started. It’s something you look forward to, facing a quarterback like him. Like you look forward to facing Peyton Manning.” Especially when he’s on the team that traded you. “We have a decent running back who might be jacked up to play too,” coach Rex Ryan said, referring to Tomlinson. “[You’re jacked up] anytime you play against your former team.” fred.kerber@nypost.com Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/team_diego_castoffs_are_charged_FjSWEOg95kfVCVqNtr1JAN#ixzz1bKaTwsMR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Ryan defends Jets' run stoppers By BRIAN COSTELLO Last Updated: 8:58 AM, October 20, 2011 Posted: 2:36 AM, October 20, 2011 Jets coach Rex Ryan knows what the numbers say about his defense, but he says those numbers are deceiving. The unit ranks 28th in the NFL against the run this year. "It's like, 'Well, guys are running the ball down our throat.' Really? OK," Ryan said. "Well, look at your third-and-1s, look at those things where people have to have runs between the tackles. I think you'll see a different stat, where you'll see we're leading the league in defense." Ryan said the problem has been on the runs to the outside. "We have to be much better on the perimeter at stopping the run," Ryan said. The Raiders gave teams the blueprint to attack the Jets defense, running Darren McFadden around the end with great success. The Dolphins had early success last week with Reggie Bush breaking off long runs, including a 36-yarder. The Chargers have Ryan Mathews in the backfield, who can be an outside threat. "We've got to do a better job of keeping them inside and limiting those big runs," inside linebacker David Harris said. The Jets defense is 11th overall in the NFL, but it has not lived up to its billing as one of the best in the league. Nevertheless, the players say they don't feel those expectations are too high. "We expect [the other team] not to gain an inch," outside linebacker Jamaal Westerman said. "That's what we go out to perfect every day in practice. That's what we expect in games. That's what we're striving to be. We want to be one of those great defenses that takes it all the way where we want to go." * RB LaDainian Tomlinson did not practice yesterday, but it was not because of injury. Ryan said they were "backing him off a little bit." The Jets rested Tomlinson late in the season last year, but they are doing it earlier this season. * CB Darrelle Revis was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception performance Monday night against the Dolphins. It is the second time Revis has won the award in his career. * QB Mark Sanchez is a close friend of Carson Palmer, but said he had not spoken with his fellow USC quarterback since Palmer was traded to the Raiders. "That's great for him," Sanchez said. "That's really cool. I know he wanted to get out of that situation in Cincinnati. Things ended up working out, it looks like, for both teams." * CB Antonio Cromartie (groin) and C Nick Mangold (ankle) did not practice, but both are expected to play Sunday. DE Ropati Pitoitua (knee) and CB Isaiah Trufant (hamstring) also were held out. RB Joe McKnight (knee) was limited in practice. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/ryan_defends_jets_beleaguered_run_f4uWmSf1CwJmR8miz8XYiN#ixzz1bKbE5wD7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Jets vs. Chargers: Rex Ryan makes bold declaration, then backtracks Published: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 4:45 AM Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger Rex Ryan has routinely predicted championships with the Jets. Wednesday, he predicted some for the San Diego Chargers, retroactively, if he had been hired as their head coach when he interviewed in 2007. “Well, I think I would have had a couple of rings,” Ryan said with a laugh on a conference call with the San Diego media Wednesday. “I’m telling you, those teams were loaded. There’s no question about it. “But things happen for a reason. Obviously, Norv Turner has done a great job there, and A.J. (Smith, the Chargers’ general manager) and everybody. That’s a great franchise. He (Turner) was probably the best guy for the job at that time.” Ryan has been known to set a tone for big games in the past, making last year’s wild-card game against the Indianapolis Colts “personal” with Peyton Manning and the divisional round playoff game “personal” with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Except this week’s headline-maker as the Jets (3-3) prepare for Sunday’s game against San Diego (4-1) was inadvertent — so much so that Ryan called Turner right away, a team spokesman said, to make sure the San Diego coach didn’t interpret his comments negatively. Ryan, as he is known to do, was merely speaking confidently and meant to praise the Chargers’ ability to accrue talent, the spokesman said. Turner, San Diego’s pick to replace the fired Marty Schottenheimer in 2007, opted to keep the details of their phone conversation private. He said there has been “enough coaching drama in the league” this week, referring to the heated post-game exchange between Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz after the 49ers’ victory against the Lions. But the normally bland Turner then offered a jab back. “I hadn’t seen his quote and I was a little bit surprised by the call,” Turner said. “And then after I saw the quote, I didn’t have a chance to ask him this, but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the last couple of years.” Ryan, now in his third season with the Jets, has reached back-to-back AFC Championship games but has not yet won a Super Bowl as a head coach. The Chargers have won their division three times in Turner’s tenure, but never advanced further than the AFC Championship Game in 2007, when they lost to the Patriots. In 2009, Turner’s team lost to Ryan’s in the divisional playoff game at San Diego. Ryan’s comments could also be spun negatively toward his current team and the talent Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum has assembled, but it can be safely assumed that was not Ryan’s intention, either. Ryan also said “there is no question” he should have won some Super Bowls with the Jets. Ryan pointed to his interview for the San Diego job as perhaps his springboard to earning a head coaching job. He had a handful of interviews the year after, before being hired by the Jets in 2009.“Quite honestly, I wasn’t on anybody’s radar,” Ryan said. “We had set records in ’06 on defense and won a lot of games, but for some reason, there was like 10 openings and (Smith) is the only person that interviewed me. I thought that opened some doors for me. “The next year, I had three interviews. I never got any, so I must do a terrible job in the interview process. But I was always myself and if somebody was going to hire me, the only thing I wanted is that they would allow me to be myself. I’m real fortunate that I was given this opportunity here with the Jets.” Part of Ryan being himself, of course, is making bold and confident statements. This one, it happened, turned into an accidental shot. So much for a quiet week out at Jets headquarters. For more Jets coverage, follow Jenny Vrentas on Twitter at twitter.com/Jennyvrentas Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 NFL players say no to HGH testing; NY Jets' Mark Sanchez and Plaxico Burress searching for groove BY Stefan Bondy DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Thursday, October 20th 2011, 4:00 AM The NFL players union Wednesday rejected a league proposal to start testing for HGH on Monday, citing the methods as unproven and requiring further analysis before implementation. So even though the league notified the union that it will begin taking blood samples on Monday, the union has advised players not to comply. "The main thing with the HGH is we want more information," Jets players representative Jim Leonhard said. "They haven't been able to provide us with the information that we're looking for. Just because they use something in the Olympics we're not going to say, okay, that's fine. The biggest thing is that we know everything and how the testing is going to go down." The NFL and the players agreed to begin blood testing for HGH as part of their new collective bargaining agreement reached in late July - but only if the union agreed to the methods. The union has asked for more scientific data to prove the test is reliable. "We are disappointed in the union's response," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told The Associated Press. "It is contrary to the terms of the CBA." Leonhard reiterated the issue is not fair play, just fair testing. "We want the game to be clean. There's no question about that. We want it played the right way. We don't want anybody cheating the system," he said. "But at the same time you need to make sure that the testing is everything that they said it is." PACING OVER PLAX Mark Sanchez and Plaxico Burress remain out of sync, still searching for a comfort level that has been slow to evolve. As Sanchez recounted Wednesday, the pair made miscues Monday night on a deep ball, a slant route and, finally, a play-action route in the fourth that seemed forced by Rex Ryan to get Burress involved. The result: one reception for 16 yards and two dropped passes in the 24-6 win over the Dolphins, leaving Burress with just 14 receptions this season. "We talk plenty," Sanchez said. "He's had a really good attitude. I don't know what he was like before here because this is what I know....This kind of stuff doesn't happen overnight. You have to throw those routes hundreds and hundreds of times." "It's like a different car," Sanchez said of getting accustomed to a variety of receivers. "Plax is a big dude. He's a big, rangy guy. Is he as fast as (Santonio Holmes)? No. Holmes is the speedster. (Justin Keller) is the speedster. Those guys can really blow the top off the defense and take off. Whereas, Plax has a different game." Ryan said Burress, 34, is still capable of hauling in 10 passes per game, even though he seems slowed after his time off from football. Ryan underscored the conundrum: He wants to get Burress more involved, but doesn't want to force the issue. There are only so many snaps to go around. "There are ways of getting him the football. I believe we will get him the football more. But a lot of times the coverage dictates that," Ryan said, adding that defenses are still double-teaming Burress. Said Burress, "All I can do is really control the things I can control and that's catching the football....I can't control how many times the ball is going to come my way." Despite the crowded receiving corps and Burress' lack of production, Ryan wouldn't second-guess himself or GM Mike Tannenbaum for signing Burress to a one-year, $3.017 million deal. "It's easy to say, 'Would you do this? Would you do that? We're happy that Plax decided to come here, that he chose us," Ryan said. "There were a lot of opportunities for him and he chose to play for the Jets. And we couldn't have been more happy about that." CHARGED UP Nick Mangold (ankle) and Antonio Cromartie (groin) were limited in practice Wednesday, but Ryan said he expects both to play Sunday against the Chargers. DL Ropati Pitoitua (knee) and CB Donald Strickland (concussion) participated in position drills....LaDainian Tomlinson, 32, rested after rushing seven times and catching three passes against the Dolphins. ... The Jets signed WR Eron Riley off the Broncos' practice squad and to the 53-man roster. They also signed DT Martin Tevaseu to the practice squad, according to a source. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/20/2011-10-20_players_union_rejects_start_of_hgh_testing.html#ixzz1bKcqgmEh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Rex Ryan should focus on NY Jets' Super Bowl aspirations, not Norv Turner & the San Diego Chargers Gary Myers Thursday, October 20th 2011, 4:00 AM Do the Jets have what it takes to win a Super Bowl, or are they all talk? They can win it all. It was a rough three weeks, but they've righted the ship I'm not so sure. They've taken a big step back from last year It doesn't matter. Rex would be yapping even if they were winless Smith: Rex Ryan's call to go for it on 4th down pays off as New York Jets bury Chargers Lupica: Rex Ryan and New York Jets can't help feeling Super after win over San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers offense is no match for Rex Ryan, New York Jets' scheme Rex Ryan hasn't been so good predicting Super Bowls for the Jets, so now he's predicting he would have won a couple of Super Bowls in San Diego if the Chargers had hired him when he interviewed for their head coaching job in 2007. The turmoil in Ryan's locker room had subsided with the Jets' shaky victory over the winless Dolphins the other night, but he started a new firestorm Wednesday when he said on a conference call to San Diego media that if the Chargers had hired him - they went with Norv Turner to replace Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season in 2006 - then he "would've had a couple of rings. I'm telling you, those teams were loaded, there's no question about it." He was laughing when he said it. Is there any doubt he meant it? The Chargers have not gotten to the Super Bowl with Turner. Ryan predicted a Super Bowl win for the Jets on the eve of the '09 playoffs and then predicted a Super Bowl last year and guaranteed it this season. That's an awful lot of rings. If he was right all the time, he'd have just about run out of fingers by now. And just how many would he have won if he was coaching the Patriots? Ryan jumped right on the phone to clarify his comments to Turner - the Jets say he wasn't slighting Turner, but instead praising the Chargers' talent. That is spin control, same as the Jets contending that trading Derrick Mason had nothing to do with his big mouth and was all about his lack of production. Do Ryan's comments mean he liked the Chargers' talent more than what GM Mike Tannenbaum has constructed with the Jets? Maybe he also needs to clarify his remarks to Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson. It adds a little more intrigue to Sunday's Jets-Chargers game. By now, we know that Ryan just can't help himself. In this case with the Chargers, he might be right - Turner is one of the most criticized coaches in the league and his teams always underachieve - but since Ryan does not own a filter, he's always putting out brushfires that he starts himself. Two years ago, the Jets, as the No. 5 seed, beat the No. 2 Chargers, who came into the divisional round playoff in San Diego on an 11-game winning streak. One game: Ryan vs. Turner. You always take Ryan. Although Ryan may not have meant it as an insult to Turner, it did prompt a comeback from the Chargers coach. When Ryan called him, Turner was not aware of the key quote. Said Turner: "I did not have a chance to ask him this but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he's guaranteed the last couple of years." It will be worth watching the postgame handshake Sunday. Ryan would be a lot more productive if he could find a way to wake up his struggling team rather than making predictions about others. The Jets don't look at all like the team that beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on back-to-back playoff weekends last January and then woke up in the second half of the AFC Championship Game and nearly beat Ben Roethlisberger to make it to the Super Bowl. Something is wrong here. The Jets are 3-3 - they didn't lose their third game last year until December in game No. 12 against the Pats. They did it this year in Game 5. Maybe it gets fixed or maybe this is all the Jets have this season. They look out of sync. There is no sense of urgency. This is not the same team as last year's. They appeared to go into the season with a sense of entitlement: They made it to the last two AFC title games, so they were just fast-forwarding to their third with the expectation they would finish the job this time. One problem: It doesn't work that way. Teams don't pick up where they left off. "I think that's the danger of any team that's had success," safety Jim Leonhard said. "You realize you end the season in the AFC Championship Game, you're frustrated, you're a step away from the Super Bowl and you look at the number of guys you bring back." So, he said, the first thought is what do they have to do to win that game and get to the Super Bowl? "You got to get there first," he said. "This is a long season. The last two years we've had a lot of ups and downs in the regular season. You can't just automatically put us in the playoffs. We realize that and we've put ourselves behind the eight ball a little bit by losing early. There is a lot of season left. We can make it up." The Jets are No. 31 in rushing and No. 28 in rush defense. The numbers don't lie. But the biggest problem is with the passing game. Mark Sanchez has regressed and has not received much help from the offensive line. And so far, Plaxico Burress has been a bust. That was the risk in signing a 34-year-old receiver who had spent the last two seasons in jail. He looks slow, he never appears open and his hands are suddenly failing him. He had two drops two weeks ago in New England and one drop on Monday night against the Dolphins. He's so anxious to make a big play that he's not concentrating on catching the ball first. The feel around the Jets is just different this year. Ryan never got the chance to win rings in San Diego. The way things are going, it's not going to happen with the Jets this year, either. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/20/2011-10-20_rex_gets_taste_of_norvs_nerve.html#ixzz1bKe7VqmG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Rex Ryan has done enough talking, now it's time for NY Jets to show up against San Diego Chargers Mike Lupica Thursday, October 20th 2011, 4:00 AM Sunday is the chance for the Jets to actually make the kind of statement on the field they constantly seem to make off it. Coach Ryan's Jets play a real team this time, not a Dolphins team whose players should have been wearing clown suits on Monday night, the Dolphins finally quitting their game against the Jets the way they have already quit their season. Of course, the challenge for Rex Ryan's Jets never changes, week to week and sometimes news cycle to news cycle, and that means trying to look as good as their coach says they are. And Ryan continues to insist they aren't just good, even with their 3-3 record, but that they are the best team in football. Not only does our coach think he ought to have won a couple of Super Bowls already, he even thinks he could have been winning them in San Diego, too. Maybe Rex thinks he should get his own bus and start touring the country like President Obama. But for now the question isn't how he would have done in San Diego if the Chargers hired him, it's how he's doing with the 2011 Jets. And how good they really are. Over the first six games of the season, Ryan has no idea and neither does general manager Mike Tannenbaum. If you take Darrelle Revis out of the conversation, the Jets do nothing as well as they were expected to, other than talk. The only difference between this and previous years is that now they even talk about each other. For now, though, the team he's actually coaching doesn't rush the ball well enough, doesn't rush the passer, doesn't score big enough or defend well enough. Even Monday night against the pathetic Dolphins, the offense could produce only 17 points. Say it again: Coach Ryan wanted a win in the worst way and, man oh man, that's exactly what the big guy got. Wednesday Tannenbaum was asked the question, straight-up: How good is your team? Here is his answer: "We've played well for parts of the season and inconsistent for periods of time as well. However, we can still accomplish all of our goals if we play at a level that we know that we're capable of playing at." Prove it Sunday. Get the kind of home game off a good team that the Jets couldn't get on the road against the Raiders, the Ravens, the Patriots, the kind of game they needed Tony Romo to win for them against the Cowboys on opening night. It is about time for them to play to the level about which Tannenbaum spoke. There are still 10 games left for the Jets, who probably need to win seven of them to make the playoffs, might even need eight. You tell me how they get there off what you have seen from them so far. Shonn Greene does not look anything like an elite back. Ryan's defense hasn't been close to being an elite defense, for all the hand-wringing about the offense. And Mark Sanchez? Andy Dalton, a rookie for the Bengals, has comparable stats and a better won-loss record for a team that was supposed to be going nowhere this season. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/10/20/2011-10-20_jets_bark_needs_to_add_bite.html#ixzz1bKf18AqP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Inside the Jets' numbers October, 20, 2011 Oct 20 6:00 AM ET By Rich Cimini Let's take a look at some interesting trends developing on the Jets: SANCHEZ THRIVING IN SHOTGUN Before this season, QB Mark Sanchez wasn't a very good passer out of the shotgun -- four more interceptions than TD passes in his first two seasons. This year, Sanchez has flipped the script, according to ESPN Stats and Information Mark Sanchez by Pre-Snap Location (2011) Under center vs. Shotgun Category --- UC -- Shotgun Comp pct ... 49.5 ...... 61.7 Yds/att ..... 6.0 .......... 7.7 TD-Int ....... 3-3 ......... 6-2 Analysis: Shotgun gives quarterbacks a quicker and better view of the field. Evidently, that suits Sanchez. SANCHEZ: PASS ATTEMPTS 21+ YARDS 4-for-15 ... 26.7% ... 109 yards ... 1 TD ... 2 INTS ... 40.0 passer rating. Analysis: Some of the worst numbers in the league. Have to be able to attack downfield. YARDS-AFTER-CATCH LEADERS LaDainian Tomlinson ... 205 yards ... 12.1 avg. Dustin Keller ... 102 yards ... 4.9 avg. Santonio Holmes ... 86 yards ... 4.3 avg. Shonn Greene ... 76 yards ... 5.8 avg. Plaxico Burress ... 48 yards ... 3.4 avg. Analysis: Strange, but true: Greene's average is significantly higher than Burress' average. AIR YARDS O.C. Brian Schottenheimer gets a lot of criticism for calling a conservative offense, not stretching the field with long passes. Statistically, that's not true. Sanchez is 13th in the league, ahead of Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler, among others. Attempts ... 198 Air yards ... 1,680 Avg. .... 8.5 Analysis: Yes, the Jets are taking their shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 "It's like a different car," Sanchez said of getting accustomed to a variety of receivers. "Plax is a big dude. He's a big, rangy guy. Is he as fast as (Santonio Holmes)? No. Holmes is the speedster. (Justin Keller) is the speedster. Those guys can really blow the top off the defense and take off. Yeah, that Justin Keller sure is fast. Some of these writers are freakin' morons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Kris Jenkins: Jets have “catty” locker room Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on October 20, 2011, 8:33 AM EDT Former Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins thinks the team’s slow start has happened in part because the team lacks leaders. Jenkins mentioned himself, Damien Woody, and Shaun Ellis as three key leaders who are no longer with the team. “Now, they just erased that off their team. Now you have guys that, yeah, they’re good, they can play their positions, but they don’t have the experience to take on those responsibilities, so what happens? You get a catty locker room,” Jenkins said on ESPN Radio Wednesday. We’re guessing that Jenkins is referring to Santonio Holmes and Brandon Moore’s back and forth last week there. But Jenkins says he saw troubling signs when he was with the team. “They just want it on the outside and for everyone to see them for how special they are. The thing I had a personal issue with when I was there was guys trying to copyright things and be known for what they’re saying and this show and that show,” Jenkins said. Jenkins seems to be referring to Darrelle Revis here, who copyrighted “Revis Island.” We’re not sure if its leadership or just an inept offense that is slowing the Jets down, but we’ll find out a lot about the team the next three weeks against the Chargers, Bills, and Patriots. They need to win two of those three games or they’ll face a huge hole in the AFC playoff race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Plaxico Burress: Jets’ offense “is going to go through the roof” Posted by Michael David Smith on October 20, 2011, 6:17 AM EDT The Jets’ offense has struggled all season, but receiver Plaxico Burress promises that’s going to change. “The more we get comfortable, we start playing pitch and catch and I’m doing my thing out there, the offense is going to go through the roof,” Burress said. “It’s only a matter of time.” Players on the Jets’ offense have been talking the talk this week, with Mark Sanchez saying after Monday night’s win that they’re back on track. But most of the Jets’ offensive drives on Monday yielded five yards or fewer, so Sanchez may have been speaking prematurely. The Jets rank 29th in the league in total offense, and they’ve punted a league-high 39 times. So what’s it going to take for the Jets’ offense to go through the roof? “Me and my quarterback, we have some work to do,” Burress said. “And being a competitor, you have to love the opportunity to go out and work hard and get better. . . . We’re not where we want to be as far as passing the football. There’s so much room for improvement, this offense can be so much better.” The Jets’ offense will have to get a whole lot better before anyone would say they’ve gone through the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaJetsFan Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Umm, "F" Jenkins. What the hell did he ever do as a "leader" on the Jets???? Cheering the team on from the IR isn't a very sought after leadership position! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Antonio Cromartie on playing with the Chargers: 'I wasn't happy there.' BY Manish Mehta A year and half after Antonio Cromartie’s career with the Chargers came to an end, the Jets' cornerback is glad that he’s no longer in San Diego. “I wasn’t happy there,” Cromartie told me. “I didn’t want to play in San Diego anymore. That was it.” Cromartie admitted that he wasn’t thrilled with “how people handled stuff” in the organization like concealing his fractured hip in 2008 and the persistent trade rumors during his final two seasons. (He didn’t interact with general manager A.J. Smith. “I never really spoke to A.J.,” Cromartie said). Cromartie, who earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2007, grew disenchanted with the Chargers before he was traded to the Jets after the 2009 season. “We all know there were guys in the locker room who didn't like him,” cornerback Quentin Jammer, one of Cromartie’s closest friends on the team, told the San Diego Union-Tribune right after the trade. “He didn't like them.” Chargers’ safety Eric Weddle, who signed a lucrative long-term deal this offseason, was particularly critical of Cromartie and said the team was better off without him. “You don’t have the animosity between players, between player and coach,” Weddle told the San Diego Union-Tribune at the time. “We come out each day and we’re working hard, we’re competing and we all want to get better, and we’re all listening to our coach. "There is no second-guessing. Coach says something, it applies to everyone. We’re all at the same level. We’re all holding each other to the same level.... Me and Cro had conflicts. That’s just the way it is.” Cromartie’s response to Weddle now? “I guess that’s his opinion,” Cromartie said. “That’s their Golden Boy. So, I don’t really care.” Cromartie played the majority of the 2008 season with a two-millimeter crack in his hip suffered in the season opener even though Chargers’ team doctors didn’t initially reveal the injury to him. He said that he learned of the fracture only after getting a second opinion. “They were hiding my injury,” Cromartie said. “They just told me I had a strained hip flexor. I played the whole entire year with a fractured hip.” Cromartie, the Chargers' first-round pick in 2006, said that defensive changes to more zone-based coverages and the trade rumors after the 2008 season contributed to his frustration. “My hard feelings were the way we played on the defensive side and how things changed,” Cromartie said. “That’s what I hated the most.” http://twitter.com/TheJetsStream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Umm, "F" Jenkins. What the hell did he ever do as a "leader" on the Jets???? Cheering the team on from the IR isn't a very sought after leadership position! Chad Pennington would disagree. In all seriousness though, Jenkins is so full of crap, and he has absolutely no room to talk. He was a notorious big mouth and lockerroom pain in the a$$. In addition to him ballooing up to 400 lbs, that's the other reason the Panthers wanted to get rid of him in the first place. Not to mention, he had one full season with the team, so like you said, I have no idea what leading he was ever doing. He could very well be right about the current team, who the hell knows, but if he thinks his lack of presence has anything to do with that he's out of his mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Cromartie played the majority of the 2008 season with a two-millimeter crack in his hip suffered in the season opener even though Chargers’ team doctors didn’t initially reveal the injury to him. He said that he learned of the fracture only after getting a second opinion. “They were hiding my injury,” Cromartie said. “They just told me I had a strained hip flexor. I played the whole entire year with a fractured hip.” Holy crap... say what you want about Cromartie but that's seriously ****ed up what the Chargers did. If that was public knowledge at the time I don't know how the NFL or the PA didn't act on that, that's disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMC Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Thanks, flgreen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Holy crap... say what you want about Cromartie but that's seriously ****ed up what the Chargers did. If that was public knowledge at the time I don't know how the NFL or the PA didn't act on that, that's disgusting. WOW If that's true, and this is Cro we're talking about, that is insane. I kind of having a hard time believing it. That's something the NFL should be involved in. With the supposed big push for player safety, this would be the poster child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 The Fifth Down - The New York Times N.F.L. Blog October 20, 2011, 10:00 am Defending Mark Sanchez’s Performance By GEORGE BRETHERTON New York Jets 3,663 yards, 24 TDs, 13 INTs, 56.1 completion percentage (296 comp., 528 attempts) Is playing quarterback in the New York market the most difficult job in professional sports? Possibly. For starters, until a quarterback wins a championship, he is never good enough. Any quarterback who has ever played in New York already knows that. And if a quarterback has won? Criticism is still never more than one bad game away. Just ask Eli Manning, Phil Simms or Joe Namath. But let’s get back to Sanchez. If someone had told Jets fans at the beginning of this season that he would finish 2011 with the numbers listed above, would they have signed up for it? My guess is yes. Despite the fact that Sanchez absorbed a heavy beating during the first few games — his 14 sacks are tied for the 9th most in the N.F.L. — the mostly impressive numbers listed above represent the pace Sanchez is setting. Through the Jets’ first six games, Sanchez has already thrown for 1,372 yards, with 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. And don’t forget the 3-3 Jets have already played games at New England, where the Patriots have won 20 consecutive regular-season home games, and at Baltimore, which is 22-5 since John Harbaugh became coach in 2008. Let’s take a closer look. Want to talk about Sanchez’s 9 touchdown passes so far? If so, you should know that it ranks tied for eight in the N.F.L., with Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, Philadelphia’s Michael Vick and Tennessee’s Matt Hasselbeck. Eighth out of 32 teams? If you do the math, that ranks in the top quarter of the league. And want to talk of Sanchez’s 5 interceptions in 198 attempts? According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Sanchez’s interception percentage of 2.5 ranks 12th in the N.F.L. And of the 12 quarterbacks who have more pass attempts, only four — Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Chicago’s Jay Cutler and Cleveland’s Colt McCoy — have thrown fewer than Sanchez’s five interceptions. In another key statistic, Sanchez is tied for 11th (with Roethlisberger) with 20 completions of 20 or more yards. Sanchez’s biggest and most notable problems have come early in games. The Jets haven’t had a first down in the first quarter since their game at Oakland in Week 3, which was also when they scored their last first-quarter touchdown. That needs to change for the Jets to continue to win games. But Sanchez’s performance has been better than he is being given credit for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 WOW If that's true, and this is Cro we're talking about, that is insane. I kind of having a hard time believing it. That's something the NFL should be involved in. With the supposed big push for player safety, this would be the poster child. Yeah, agreed. The fact that nothing more was ever made out of this certainly has me a bit skeptical, but if there's even any degree of truth to this at all (and you have to imagine this came from somewhere), it's still pretty messed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 The Fifth Down - The New York Times N.F.L. Blog October 20, 2011, 10:00 am Defending Mark Sanchez’s Performance By GEORGE BRETHERTON New York Jets 3,663 yards, 24 TDs, 13 INTs, 56.1 completion percentage (296 comp., 528 attempts) Is playing quarterback in the New York market the most difficult job in professional sports? Possibly. For starters, until a quarterback wins a championship, he is never good enough. Any quarterback who has ever played in New York already knows that. And if a quarterback has won? Criticism is still never more than one bad game away. Just ask Eli Manning, Phil Simms or Joe Namath. But let’s get back to Sanchez. If someone had told Jets fans at the beginning of this season that he would finish 2011 with the numbers listed above, would they have signed up for it? My guess is yes. Despite the fact that Sanchez absorbed a heavy beating during the first few games — his 14 sacks are tied for the 9th most in the N.F.L. — the mostly impressive numbers listed above represent the pace Sanchez is setting. Through the Jets’ first six games, Sanchez has already thrown for 1,372 yards, with 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. And don’t forget the 3-3 Jets have already played games at New England, where the Patriots have won 20 consecutive regular-season home games, and at Baltimore, which is 22-5 since John Harbaugh became coach in 2008. Let’s take a closer look. Want to talk about Sanchez’s 9 touchdown passes so far? If so, you should know that it ranks tied for eight in the N.F.L., with Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, Philadelphia’s Michael Vick and Tennessee’s Matt Hasselbeck. Eighth out of 32 teams? If you do the math, that ranks in the top quarter of the league. And want to talk of Sanchez’s 5 interceptions in 198 attempts? According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Sanchez’s interception percentage of 2.5 ranks 12th in the N.F.L. And of the 12 quarterbacks who have more pass attempts, only four — Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Chicago’s Jay Cutler and Cleveland’s Colt McCoy — have thrown fewer than Sanchez’s five interceptions. In another key statistic, Sanchez is tied for 11th (with Roethlisberger) with 20 completions of 20 or more yards. Sanchez’s biggest and most notable problems have come early in games. The Jets haven’t had a first down in the first quarter since their game at Oakland in Week 3, which was also when they scored their last first-quarter touchdown. That needs to change for the Jets to continue to win games. But Sanchez’s performance has been better than he is being given credit for. Don't usually like the NY Times reporting on football, but I have to agree with this article, and I wasn't a Sanchez fan from the beginning. The kid has also shown a penchant for playing well in big games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Tevaseu Re-Signed to Practice Squad By Jets Media Relations Department Posted 1 hour ago The New York Jets have signed defensive tackle Martin Tevaseu to the practice squad. The announcement was made by general manager Mike Tannenbaum. Tevaseu (6'2", 325) was waived Tuesday after making his regular-season debut against Miami on Monday night. He spent the first five weeks of the season on the Jets practice squad. He initially entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns last season before joining the Jets as a free agent July 20, 2010, and appearing in all four preseason games. After he was waived by the Jets, he was signed to the practice squad on Sept. 6, 2010, where he spent all 16 regular-season and the first two postseason games before being signed to the active roster Jan. 22 and making his NFL debut at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Tevaseu Re-Signed to Practice Squad By Jets Media Relations Department Posted 1 hour ago The New York Jets have signed defensive tackle Martin Tevaseu to the practice squad. The announcement was made by general manager Mike Tannenbaum. Tevaseu (6'2", 325) was waived Tuesday after making his regular-season debut against Miami on Monday night. He spent the first five weeks of the season on the Jets practice squad. He initially entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns last season before joining the Jets as a free agent July 20, 2010, and appearing in all four preseason games. After he was waived by the Jets, he was signed to the practice squad on Sept. 6, 2010, where he spent all 16 regular-season and the first two postseason games before being signed to the active roster Jan. 22 and making his NFL debut at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game. Hope the Jets can avoid having MTV claimed. Think next year is his year. Pouha is a UFA. More then likely will be looking for his last big check. Ellis looks like he will be ready. MTV would be a solid back up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Hope the Jets can avoid having MTV claimed. Think next year is his year. Pouha is a UFA. More then likely will be looking for his last big check. Ellis looks like he will be ready. MTV would be a solid back up I honestly think MTV likely qualifies as one of those guys who they've flat out told his agent if somebody else tries to sign him to let them know first and they'll make room for him. Consider the fact that since they brought him into camp last year there hasn't been a single week where he wasn't on either the PS or active roster. Clearly they really like the guy, but this team just does not carry that many DL on the active roster since Rex has gotten here, so instead it is his spot on the PS that is pretty much committed to their insurance on the DL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Antonio Cromartie, Nick Mangold Sit For Jets, Expected To Play October 20, 2011 11:26 AMFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie and center Nick Mangold did not participate in practice, but coach Rex Ryan says they are expected to play against San Diego on Sunday. Cromartie pulled himself out of the Jets’ 24-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, but says it was not serious. Mangold played in his second game since missing two with a high right ankle sprain. Ryan says Wednesday that both players will probably be limited this week, especially since the team just played. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who faces his former team for the first time, got practice off — something the team did last year to try to keep him fresh. Defensive end Ropati Pitoitua (knee) and defensive back Isaiah Trufant (hamstring) also didn’t practice. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Antonio Cromartie, Nick Mangold Sit For Jets, Expected To Play October 20, 2011 11:26 AMFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie and center Nick Mangold did not participate in practice, but coach Rex Ryan says they are expected to play against San Diego on Sunday. Cromartie pulled himself out of the Jets’ 24-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, but says it was not serious. Mangold played in his second game since missing two with a high right ankle sprain. Ryan says Wednesday that both players will probably be limited this week, especially since the team just played. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who faces his former team for the first time, got practice off — something the team did last year to try to keep him fresh. Defensive end Ropati Pitoitua (knee) and defensive back Isaiah Trufant (hamstring) also didn’t practice. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. Getting a bit concerned about Pito's knee. He is one of the players that Bit was right about. Guys been a real solid DL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Transcript: Rex Ryan 10/19 by Bassett on October 20th, 2011 at 5:15 am Opening statement… Injuries, who is the first guy on the list? Somebody take a guess. Logan Payne. Wrist. Out. Guys who did not participate. (Antonio Cromartie) with a groin injury. Nick Mangold, ankle. Ropati (Pitoitua), knee. Isaiah Trufant, hamstring. LaDainian (Tomlinson), was not injury related, just kind of backing him off a little bit. Guys that were limited, Joe McKnight with a little bit of a knee. All these players were full. Marquice Cole, hamstring. Marcus Dixon, knee. Tanner Purdum, low back. Donald Strickland, concussion. And Muhammad Wilkerson, shoulder. I don’t know what to say, so go ahead and fire away. On if Nick Mangold or Antonio Cromartie faced setbacks in their injury recovery… No, I think (they will be) limited during the week. I think the fact that we just played Monday, we’ll see how it progresses. But I think they’ll probably be limited up until that point, the game. But I expect them both to play. On releasing Martin Tevaseu… He did play pretty well. But you’re always looking at your roster and looking at different things, but Martin did play well for us. On if they will re-sign Tevaseu… Sure, we like (Tevaseu). So that’s a possibility. He has to clear waivers, maybe practice squad and all that stuff as well. On if he is pleased with where Mark Sanchez is in his development… I think he is a young, developing quarterback. I don’t think we’ll say he’s completely developed until maybe six years. That’s generally the thing. Obviously there are guys that have done it before, there’s guys that have never done it, there are guys that take even more time. I don’t know how long Aaron Rodgers was on the bench, but our guy is playing and I think he’s getting better and better. We know, for whatever reason, we need to find a way to get rid of that first quarter and try to figure out how to tell him, ‘Hey, it’s the fourth quarter and we’re trailing.’ Whatever, because he always plays better that way it seems. I’m pleased with Mark obviously, and I think overall as a team, I say just get better each day, stack bricks through our preparation, our practice, and I think we’ll be fine. On if last week has made him question his open philosophy… We’ll never change that as long as I’m here. On how much the team will use the game plan against the Chargers from the 2010 playoffs… I think you always look (at it), especially when you’re playing against the same coach and same players. Obviously, there’s going to be changes there. But, in particular (with the) the same coaching staff, you always go back and look at those tapes. On how different the Chargers offense will be if they don’t have Antonio Gates… Well, Gates is certainly a huge target, especially in the red zone. He’s one of these rare guys. He has the skill set of a top notch receiver. He’s not a hired killer as a blocker, but he’s decent. Either way, he presents a lot of problems. We’ll look at it, they have some other good targets as well at tight end. On if this Chargers game is a whole different ball game from the Dolphins game… Every week is different. Every week is a different challenge. Their record is 4-1. They beat Miami. I think Miami has a chance, they have some good players but I think each week is definitely a different challenge to you. On the difference between the 2010 and 2011 Jets at this point… Well, we had more victories (in 2010). I think that’s the biggest thing. So, if you’re looking at what feels a little different, we’re 3-3 instead of whatever we were at this time last year. On if he has noticed any differences between this year’s team and last year’s… I don’t think we’ve stopped the perimeter runs like we normally would. I think inside runs, when you look at it statistically, it’s like ‘Well, guys are running the ball down our throat.’ Really? Ok. Well, look at your third and ones, look at those things where people have to have the runs in between the tackles. I think you’ll see a different stat, where you’ll see where we’re leading the league in defense. Our perimeter runs, we have to be much better on the perimeter at stopping the run. And then offensively, getting back to running the football more successfully. I think those are the biggest things, those two areas are probably the biggest of needing improvement. On if he notices a sense of urgency in the locker room… No doubt. There’s a huge sense of urgency here, maybe moreso when you’re down (and) you’ve lost three games on the road. That urgency is about as high as you can be. On how the perimeter running game has been impacted by the absence of Bryan Thomas… Bryan is an outstanding player. There’s no question. (He is) one of the most underrated guys in the league – smart, tough, physical. He’s good versus the run, pass, in coverage or rushing the quarterback – really, an underrated player. Whatever it is, we’re seeing some different types of formations and other things, but we have to do a better job of stopping the perimeter. I’m sure San Diego, when they look at us, they’re going to talk about attacking us on the perimeter. On if the Chargers run to the outside a lot… Yes, absolutely. They give you a bunch of different things. What we call “gap plays”, they can bring the ball inside or outside. Power running and also what we call “Boss”, where they try to get the ball on the outside as well. On the attitude coming off a victory against Miami and the effort they’ll give Sunday… We’re definitely going to give a great effort, there’s no question about it. It’s a home game in front of our fans. Effort, that’s expected. So we’re definitely going to give that. I don’t like the fact that (people) disrespect Miami like that’s just a throw-in. I think we beat Miami, score-wise, more than any other team beat them. Miami is not a bad football team. Their record is bad right now, but I don’t like to disrespect any opponent. On expecting Burress to catch 10 passes… I’m saying that he could catch 10. I think part of it is going to be how teams are playing us. When our running game improves, I can see us getting more of the eight-man spacing, if you will, single-high coverage-type things than we’re facing. It might not be this week. He might not catch 10 balls this week. They’re a big zone team. Almost 80 percent of the time they’re in zone defense. There are ways of getting him the football. I believe we will get Plaxico the football more. But, a lot of times your coverage dictates who gets the ball thrown to them. On if it is harder to integrate Burress into the offense because he’s more of an outside receiver… No, because Plaxico is a guy who can run a lot of in-breaking routes as well. He’s not just an outside-the-numbers receiver. A lot of his work is, he can catch the ball inside. We all want him to catch a bunch of passes and all that stuff, but (sometimes) the ball shouldn’t be thrown. If the coverage is a certain way, the ball should be thrown somewhere else. On if Burress is still getting double coverage… Absolutely. He absolutely is. And their safety is down to him a bunch. Even when they show two high safeties, sometimes it’s not that the safeties are going deep, sometimes the safeties are under-cutting, where they’re coming into a “3” look but they’re rolling a safety down to him. So there are a lot of times when he’s getting doubled, but it might not be that obvious. But, absolutely and sometimes it’s going to dictate where the ball gets thrown. On how he compares Burress to Braylon Edwards… Both of them are outstanding receivers. I think (what) immediately jumps out to you (is) they’re both big guys. You look at vertical threat-type guys, red zone-type threats. So they’re similar and the fact that both of them block really well, I think, is what makes it an easy comparison. On if Shonn Greene isn’t ready to be the bell-cow running back they thought… No, I disagree with that. I think Shonn is definitely ready. We have to give him more opportunities. I like the fact (that) he got 21 carries this past week. I think that’s kind of when he gets in his groove a little bit. On if he was actually irked about being underdogs at home against the Chargers… No, I just think that we’re a team that is going to be hard to beat at home. And if you look at the stats from last year, maybe that’s not the fact, but right now we’re undefeated at home, we feel good about that, so we’ll see. You know the way I am, I think we should be favored every time we play at home, and that’s just the way it is. On if the team would have re-signed Edwards, considering the price he signed for in San Francisco… You know what, it’s so easy to say, ‘Would you do this? Would you do that?’ We’re happy that Plaxico decided to come here (and) that he chose us. There were a lot of different opportunities for him, and he chose to play for the Jets, and we couldn’t have been more happy about that. On if Cromartie is going to be excited to play against his former team… And then we have a decent running back (Tomlinson) who might be jacked up to play, too. I’m not sure, but you’re right. You get that, there’s no question. Anytime you play against your former team, especially when you’ve had the success that (Cromartie) had, but look at the success that (Tomlinson) had. Here’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer that broke the touchdown record and did all these type of things. I’m sure it’s going to be so special for him. I think we’ll probably start the game with him on offense or defense (joking). So we’ll put him out there, because he’s going to be ready. On what the problem is on third downs and in the first quarter on offense… I wish I knew. We try everything. We really do, but it’s hard to put your finger on it. Is it the play at the quarterback spot? Is it this, is it that? I don’t know. I wish I did know, we’d all be able to say, ‘Okay, this is exactly what it is.’ But we’re still searching. There’s no question. We had him warm up a bunch, we had Mark not warm up, we’ve taken the ball, we haven’t taken the ball. We’re looking at different things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Rookies Stand Tall for Florham Park Kids By Andrew LeRay The Jets rookie class ventured out into the local community on Tuesday to lend a helping hand — and a supporting voice — to the youth of Florham Park. As part of the NFL’s 13th annual Hometown Huddle, 12 Jets rookies joined 40 children, the United Way of Northern New Jersey, and members of the National Guard to finish the installation of 10 exercise stations along a walking path at Emmett Park. “This generation, they’re the video game generation,” said DT Kenrick Ellis. “With us being here, showing them how to do certain exercises, that might be the spark they need.” Fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-graders from Florham Park, the home of the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, were divided into groups led by a Jets rookie and a member of the National Guard. Together, they helped spread mulch surrounding freshly installed exercise equipment. “Having 12 players show up on their day off is really about being a true role model,” said Theresa Lepore, senior vice president of resource development for the United Way of Northern New Jersey. “The Jets have shown up time and time again for us, and this year in particular, the economic conditions in Florham Park are such that this project wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the Jets.” Part of the afternoon included a $30,000 check presentation from the Jets to the borough to support the project. The exercise stations are available for public use and they encourage youth exercise in coordination with the NFL’s Play 60 curriculum. “This is another motivator for the kids,” said Florham Park Mayor Scott Eveland. “It’s another opportunity we’re trying to create for them to be physically fit and active. A strong body makes a strong mind. That’s part of the battle the Jets and the NFL are fighting, and we support it.” After spreading several towering mounds of mulch around each piece of equipment, the rookies demonstrated various exercises for the children, who then joined in. “It means a lot to give back,” said QB Greg McElroy. “We were all in these kids’ shoes at some point. I lived outside, organizing football games, baseball games, Wiffle ball, basketball, you name it. It’s nice to have an opportunity to help these kids understand how important it is to stay active and physically fit.” One Jets wideout in particular would have appreciated the opportunity to interact with NFL players when he was a youngster in Texas. “As a kid, this is something I wish I could have had,” said WR Jeremy Kerley. “I wish I could have had an NFL player come out and talk to me, telling me how special I was and what I could do to be great one day. I think that’s what we’re doing for these kids today.” Kerley has shown how special he has become already in his short amount of time as a pro. Ellis believes the efforts of the young Jets may in turn provide the right encouragement to help the children of Florham Park follow in their footsteps. “By me taking my day, you never know, I may be impacting the kids for the rest of their lives,” said Ellis. “Actually seeing a professional athlete out here helping them out, now they might want to be a professional athlete.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Mangold sits, Cromartie returns October, 20, 2011 Oct 20 12:47 PM ET By Rich Cimini C Nick Mangold (ankle) missed practice Thursday for the second straight day, although he's expected to play Sunday against the Chargers. As expected, CB Antonio Cromartie (groin) returned after sitting one day, although it's quite likely that he was limited in practice. We'll find out later when the injury report is released. Another former Charger, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, was back in practice after getting a day off Wednesday. In other injury news, CB Isaiah Trufant (hamstring) sat out again, with DT Ropati Pitoitua (knee) returning on a limited basis. With Mangold out, LG Matt Slauson is working at center. The Jets talked up rookie Colin Baxter during Mangold's two-week absence, but he has slipped down the depth chart. Interestingly, Baxter got reps Wednesday at left guard, but Vladimir Ducasse got those reps Thursday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 Jets coach Rex Ryan says he and Chargers coach Norv Turner are 'even' now Published: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 3:55 PM Updated: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 4:24 PM Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger A day after an attempted complement went horribly awry for Rex Ryan, the coach said his remarks were completely unintentional. Yesterday, when speaking to reporters in San Diego, Ryan said that he would have won "a couple of rings" had he been hired by the Chargers in 2007. Fearing that Chargers head coach Norv Turner would misinterpret his words, Ryan called the Turner immediately after. Turner responded in the San Diego media with this: “I hadn’t seen his quote and I was a little bit surprised by the call,” Turner said. “And then after I saw the quote, I didn’t have a chance to ask him this, but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the last couple of years.” Today, Ryan came out and apologized again. He reiterated that he called Turner right after speaking to the San Diego media and thinks their relationship will be just fine. "Here we go, it's all on me, I'm guilty absolutely," Ryan joked. "I did call Norv, I won't get into that conversation but it was unintentional. I think we're even because he did get me with a good comeback, there's no question. "So, I think we're even. I do think I'll be able to get my relationship with Norv, I think it'll be OK. The one I do worry about is (general manager Mike) Tannenbaum obviously, because he won't speak to me or anything else, now." Ryan was asked if he feared a Jim Harbaugh-Jim Schwartz situation in the post-game handshake. "I did ask Norv if I need to wear a helmet (to the post-game handshake) but he assured me I didn't," Ryan said. "Obviously I wish this one never happened. It really was unintentional. I was praising the heck out of them because I think they have a great organization and I talked about (general manager) A.J. Smith because he really did put me on the map...it led me to get three interviews the next year and it led me to get this job." There was no concern from Ryan that his current Jets team perceived Ryan's remarks as a shot toward them, either. "I wouldn't trade this team for anybody's," Ryan said. "I've said that forever." * * * C Nick Mangold (ankle) and DB Isaiah Trufant (hamstring) were out along with WR Logan Payne (wrist). DB Antonio Cromartie (groin), DT Mike DeVito (knee) and DL Ropati Pitoitua (knee) were limited. Ryan said he feels good about Cromartie, DeVito and Pitoitua playing on Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 LT Getting Charged Up for Sunday's Game By Andrew LeRay Posted 17 minutes ago When the San Diego Chargers roll into MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, it will mark the first time that RB LaDainian Tomlinson will face off against his former team. Before signing with the Jets as a free agent in March 2010, Tomlinson spent nine seasons with the 'Bolts. Over that period, he helped turn around a once-struggling franchise and built a Hall of Fame-worthy résumé in the process. “It was a great place to play,” said Tomlinson. “It’s a great place to be for a young adult. I think it gave me the opportunity to grow into the man I’ve become. I learned some valuable lessons being in San Diego.” Tomlinson has nothing but positive memories from his days with the Chargers, but stressed that he’ll have no difficulties organizing his priorities come Sunday. “This is a big game for us,” said Tomlinson. “It is my former team, but at the same time, my focus is here. We’re trying to get a win, and this is a pretty good team we’re playing.” CB Antonio Cromartie is in the same boat as Tomlinson, making his first appearance against his former employer. Cromartie was traded from the Chargers to the Jets in 2010 for what became a second-round pick in the 2011 draft. The two compiled All-Pro seasons with the Chargers, and head coach Rex Ryan expects some added juice from each come Sunday. “You kind of want to show off to your old team,” said Ryan. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Those guys had great, productive seasons in San Diego.” Tomlinson in particular compiled some astounding numbers during his tenure in Southern California. He rushed for 138 touchdowns, ranking him second all-time behind only Emmitt Smith. He also ran for 12,490 yards, which ranked him eighth in NFL history. Since joining the Jets, Tomlinson has only added to his legacy — he is now the league’s sixth-leading rusher and still needs 20 TDs to tie Smith’s scoring record. Yet what stands out to him from his days with the Chargers are not his personal statistics. “When I got there, they were coming off a 1-15 season,” said Tomlinson. “It was an organization in disarray. Bringing the organization back to a point where people recognize the success we had, that means the most to me.” The resurgence of the Chargers in the last 10 years is due in large part to Tomlinson’s contributions on the field but also to what he was able to bring to the locker room. Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been able to see the maturity of Tomlinson firsthand, since he held the same title for the Chargers from 2002-05. “Anytime you go against your former team, it’s special,” said Schottenheimer. “He’s truly our leader on offense. He’s the guy that has that passion and enthusiasm. He’ll be business as usual on Sunday, going out and making plays, but his heart will be racing a little bit.” In a classy touch by the Jets coaching staff, Rex Ryan announced today during his daily news conference that Tomlinson will start the game at tailback for the Jets. Although appreciative, LT knows the game is ultimately about earning the win, not celebrating his career. “I’m looking forward to that,” he said. “I’m not going to make it out to be bigger than what it is. If I start, that’s fine. If I don’t, that’s fine. I’m still going to have a contribution to this team and play as hard as I can.” That’s been Tomlinson’s M.O. throughout his career, and there’s no doubt it will continue on Sunday and beyond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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