Jets News 10-31

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NY Jets' Aaron Maybin turns to painting, poetry to deal with tragedies he's seen, including death of his son

End Zone

BY Manish Mehta

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, October 29 2011, 10:37 PM

Nick Laham/Getty Images

Aaron Maybin celebrates a sack with the Jets. Before this season, the former first-round pick hasn't had much to celebrate on the field... or off it.

Photo courtesy of Maybin familiy

Maybin's self portrait 'They Said' features the linebacker letting out a primal scream amid all of the criticisms he's heard.

Howard Simmons/News

The self-portrait hangs in a Baltimore condominium, a blend of sharp and faded colors that reveal the artist’s pain.

The man on the canvas is crying behind a smiling mask. His eyes are closed. Footprints of his dead son are in the upper right hand corner.

“There were a lot of things I was struggling with while I was painting that,” Aaron Maybin says in a quiet moment.

He titled the piece “David’s Tears” to pay tribute to the son he never knew, the baby who was stillborn two summers ago.

“I’m still not over it,” says Maybin. “When you lose a child, there’s not really anything that can explain how that feels.”

Long before Maybin started to piece together his derailed career as the Jets’ relentless outside linebacker, he turned to painting, drawing and writing poetry to push through the tragedies in his life.

When his mother, Connie, died due to complications giving birth to his sister, 6-year-old Aaron turned to the arts to escape.

Michael Maybin bought reams of paper in bulk from a local warehouse in Baltimore to help settle down his rambunctious son. The arts helped his little boy focus . When an idea exploded in his mind, he rushed for his crayons, pens, pastels or brushes. He bent pieces of aluminum foil into shapes of animals.

When Michael remarried, his wife Violette, an artist, sat down with her stepson and cut out pictures to create a collage of Aaron and Connie.

“Whenever he felt sad or down,” Violette says, “he could always look at those pictures and remember happy times.”

For as long as he can remember, Maybin wanted to play in the NFL, but the arts provided another outlet. He won a competition at age 11 that allowed him to paint a 40 x 50 mural on the side of a Habitat for Humanity building in downtown Baltimore. He found inspiration in his successes and struggles. He used oil paints, acrylics and pastels.

Art gave him direction when the football world labeled him a failure. Maybin, a first-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2009 draft (No. 11), spent his offseason nights in his Baltimore condo pouring his emotions onto a canvas or a notepad.

“He would sit in a room and draw and not say a word,” says Bills defensive lineman Kellen Heard, who lived with Maybin for a few months last year.

A paint brush and pen helped him cope with the conflicting emotions surrounding the birth of his daughter, Tacori, and the death of her twin brother, David, last year. He learned through art, his first love, to find his way as his parents, both pastors, prayed for him.

He placed his fate in his Christian faith.

“It was a test to see if I was going to give up or not,” Maybin, 23, says. “I’m still swinging. I’m still fighting. I’m still here.”

* * *

A slip of the tongue spawned a phenomenon in Happy Valley.

When Penn State coach Joe Paterno inadvertently called his defensive end “Mayhem” at practice, the legend was born. Students packed Beaver Stadium in State College with signs that read

“Maybin’s Mayhem.” There was a buzz up and down College Avenue on fall Saturday afternoons.

“

He had a chip on his shoulder, because he was undersized and came from a small school,” says Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson. “Here he was at a big program. People wondered,

‘Can he survive?’ He did more than survive.”

After redshirting as a freshman and playing sparingly as a sophomore, Maybin came alive as a 4-3 defensive end when one of Penn State’s starters was suspended in 2008.

It turned out to be an opportunity of a lifetime.

Maybin finished with 12 sacks and 20 tackles for losses in 10 starts en route to earning All-America honors.

Michael, who attended Penn State and bled blue and white, was beaming. His son, a double major in communications and integrative arts, had positioned himself for a future in the NFL and decided to enter the draft after his junior year.

“It was a special season,” Johnson says. “It really was magical.”

The Bills scouts seemingly brushed off Maybin’s 6-4, 230-pound frame - he bulked up to 250 pounds before the draft - and targeted him with the No. 11 pick. A few months after Buffalo drafted him, Maybin signed a five-year, $25 million contract with $14 million guaranteed. The Bills hoped

Maybin would breath life into an anemic pass rush.

At the press conference announcing his signing, Maybin unveiled a new haircut with two numbers carved into his right side: His No. 58, along with Bills legend Bruce Smith’s No. 78. On the left side was the team’s running buffalo logo.

Maybin’s Mayhem was about to take over Western New York.

Only something went terribly wrong.

* * *

“It’s quite possible that Maybin is the worst player in the NFL.” - Buffalo News, Oct. 28, 2010

Nothing made sense.

A year after Maybin was a college phenom, he became an NFL afterthought. The Bills’ defensive end didn’t record a sack in 16 games as a rookie, fueling mounting negativity from fans.

Although Maybin’s work ethic was never questioned, the prevailing thought in Buffalo was that he was simply too undersized to play his position. A front office and coaching change during his rookie season exacerbated the situation.

His professional struggles faded to the background when personal tragedy struck in July 2010. His girlfriend at the time delivered twins, but the boy, David, didn’t survive.

“There’s been so many experiences that we’ve had to go through,” Michael Maybin says. “I can’t tell you how we got up the next day and kept on living. I know that there was a lot of prayer.”

The baby daughter, Tacori, changed her father forever.

Violette saw a newfound maturity from her son that bubbled to the surface. Suddenly, the football player was worried about things like his daughter’s toothache. The baby girl resembled her father in every way. She helped prioritize his life. She grounded him and eased the pain of David’s death.

She helped turn Aaron Maybin into a different man.

“I went through some tough, tough, tough, tough, tough, tough times,” Maybin says. “But one of the things that I learned from that - especially when I lost my son - is that no matter what’s going on in life, no matter who wrote something bad about you, who’s not satisfied, none of that matters in the grand scheme of things. When I come home, my daughter doesn’t know any of that. She hasn’t read any of those articles. She hasn’t listened to anybody say anything negative. She hasn’t watched me play. All she cares about is that Daddy’s home. She’s got the most elated look on her face.

“She’s just the best thing in my life,” he adds softy. “The best thing I’ve done with my life is my daughter.”

Tacori’s arrival helped soften Maybin’s growing frustrations during his second season in Buffalo. He was marginalized by a new coaching staff that didn’t draft him and didn’t believe in him. The final indignity came during a five-week stretch when the Bills deactivated him.

“They didn’t even use him,” says former Pro Bowler and fellow Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington, who has been Maybin’s mentor through the years. “People got so much into his size and his weight. They forgot that this is the same guy that was running around those same bigger guys in college. Let the man get out there and find his way. If he gets his a$$ kicked and he can’t do it, then you throw him out.”

Maybin’s art helped him deal with his frustration. He sketched an image of himself letting out a primal scream entitled “They Said” decorated with all the words that trailed him in Buffalo:

SELF CENTERED.

CRAZY.

JUST GIVE UP.

WASTE.

JERK.

BUST.

LOOSE CANNON.

DUMB.

WEAK.

BUM.

WORST in NFL.

The avalanche of criticism fueled him. The doubters inspired him.

“It was a frustrating experience, because I had high expectations of myself,” Maybin says. “I wasn’t receiving return on all the work that was being put in. There was something that they weren’t seeing that they felt that they needed to see. That’s not something that I waste any time trying to figure out now. Whatever it was, I left that in Buffalo.”

Heard cried when the Bills released Maybin on Aug. 15. He finished his career in Buffalo with 24 tackles in 27 career games. Maybin never started or registered a sack.

It was time to go.

“It was a bittersweet moment,” his agent and close friend Chafie Fields says. “He was upset for about five minutes.”

The Bills never wavered from their belief that he was too small.

“Somebody said that he didn’t fit the scheme,” Bills general manager Buddy Nix said after cutting

Maybin. “But I don’t know what scheme he fits at that size.”

A man who had seen Maybin as a teenager in Baltimore years earlier disagreed.

The cell phone went unanswered for hours. On a late September morning, Fields was desperately trying to reach Maybin.

Two days after the Bills released Maybin, Rex Ryan scooped up the kid that starred at Mount Hebron High School, a stone’s throw away from the coach’s home in Ellicott City, Md. Ryan was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator then. Ryan’s oldest son, Payton, went to the same school. Maybin recorded 1½ sacks in two preseason games with the Jets, but he was waived on Sept. 4, one day after surviving final cuts.

Maybin worked out for the Tennessee Titans later in the month, but he was still unemployed.

Now, Fields couldn’t find him.

Where did Aaron go?

More than three weeks had passed since the Jets cut him. His career was in limbo.

As Maybin sat at the bedside of a dying woman, he didn’t care about any of that.

Dolores Maybin had fought off the cancer for as long as she could. In the final years of her life, Michael Maybin’s older sister had grown especially close to her nephew. She traveled in the family RV to watch Aaron play at Penn State. She was an exceptional cook that made chicken on game days. She brought sliced oranges, too.

When Maybin’s weight issues became the focal point in Buffalo, she made sure that he was well fed in the offseason, cooking meals for him at his condo in Baltimore. She kept his place immaculate.

When time was running out, when the leukemia had taken hold of his aunt’s 53-year-old body, Aaron Maybin prayed.

He pulled out his BlackBerry from time to time to look at the last text message his aunt ever sent him, telling him how proud she was that the Jets had signed him in August. She always believed in him.

He cried when she died that morning at 11:30 .

A few hours later, Fields finally reached him. Ryan wanted him back.

He was a Jet again.

* * *

Maybin has resembled a co-ed on a caffeine rush, zig-zagging all over the field in his second stint with the Jets. He’s wasted no time making a difference as a pass-rush specialist.

“Everything he does, he does a 100 miles per hour,” says Bills defensive lineman Spencer Johnson.

Maybin’s 228-pound frame hasn’t kept him from getting to the quarterback, either. He’s tied for the team lead with three sacks and has three forced fumbles in limited snaps in four games.

“He hit this place running,” linebackers coach Bob Sutton says. “There is no substitute for his speed. Speed opens up a lot of other doors. Speed creates problems.”

Maybin’s relentlessness has endeared him to his coaches and teammates. His desire to permanently shed all those labels that followed him from Buffalo has helped turn him into an asset in Gang Green’s outside linebacker rotation.

He’s logging more hours studying the playbook on his iPad.

“He’s really committed himself to learning it,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine says. “He has a chance to do some special things for us.”

Ryan and Pettine maintain that Maybin’s playing time will increase as he becomes more familiar with the defense. He’s already created mayhem despite averaging only about a dozen snaps per game.

Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas’ season-ending Achilles injury provided an opportunity that Maybin isn’t about to squander.

He’s always gravitated toward stories of struggle, recounting tales from his favorite book, “The Alchemist,” about a shepherd boy’s life-changing journey in search of treasure.

“In order for you to really do great things, your will and your desire have to be tested,” says Maybin, who will face his former team next Sunday when the Jets travel to Buffalo in their first game after the bye. “I don’t think you could go through the wilderness like I did for two years and not mature. I want to be the best.”

Ryan felt Maybin’s passion from his first practice and admitted that “sometimes, it just clicks” for a player with as much talent as Maybin has. He’s also put the third-year linebacker in positions to succeed.

“That is the beauty of Rex,” safety Jim Leonhard says. “If you do something well, he’s going to find ways to get you on the field. He doesn’t care who you are or where you came from. He’s big on second chances. If you play football the right way, you’re his type of guy. That’s what Aaron’s proving to be.”

The co-pastors at the Kingdom Seekers Family Work Center, a Pentecostal church in tiny Bluffton, S.C., say a prayer for the Jets every Sunday morning.

When Maybin signed his first NFL contract, his father, a member of the Baltimore fire department for 20 years, and mother were able to retire. Aaron bought them a house in South Carolina as they pursued their calling to the ministry.

“My son sounds so much happier,” Violette Maybin says. “And I’m happy for him.”

Maybin stayed balanced despite his professional and personal struggles. He opened the Project Mayhem foundation, a nonprofit in Baltimore to help underprivileged and at-risk children find their way. He started a youth football team — “Team Shutdown” — with former NFL player and Baltimore native Keion Carpenter, which will become a charter school in the next two years.

“To judge a man on if he can run fast and tackle, that’s all fine and good,” Arrington says. “But to judge a man based upon the content of his character is what matters. Aaron is just a phenomenal person.”

Maybin finds inspiration around him every day. Sometimes he doesn’t have to look very far.

In January, he started writing a children’s book entitled “Know That You Can” that will be published when he finishes the accompanying illustrations. It’s a story about a boy named Michael in the inner city who dreams of becoming a basketball player. He’s a rambunctious kid, a class clown. He has plenty of friends. Most of the time, he can’t sit still.

One day, his teacher asks him what he wants to do with his life. “I want to play in the NBA, the boy says without hesitation.

The boy realizes that college is the first step toward achieving his dream. He soon learns that maybe he can become President of the United States. Maybe there is life beyond the NBA. Maybe he can impact people through other channels.

Maybe something bigger awaits.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-jets-aaron-maybin-turns-painting-poetry-deal-tragedies-including-death-son-article-1.969039#ixzz1cMjNzNwN

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First-place Bills getting defensive

October, 30, 2011

Oct 30

10:48

PM ET

By James Walker

Luc Leclerc/US PresswireMarcell Dareus and the Bills' D knocked John Beck around -- sacking Washington's QB nine times.TORONTO -- We are entering the month of November and guess who's in first place in the AFC East?

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is the surprising Buffalo Bills (5-2).

Not only that, the offensive-minded Bills are starting to get improved play from their much-maligned defense near the midpoint of the season. That is a scary proposition.

What also is scary is the way the Bills played on Sunday. The Bills exploded out of their bye week, pummeling the Washington Redskins 23-0 in one of their most complete games of the season. Buffalo is back in first place via the head-to-head tiebreaker over the New England Patriots (5-2), who lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Bills went against every defensive trend it had this season against Washington (3-4).

Buffalo was the 31st-ranked defense entering Week 8, but held Washington to 178 total yards. The Bills allowed 24.5 points in the first six games, but pitched a shutout for the first time since Dec. 17, 2006. Buffalo was last in the NFL with four sacks but astoundingly had nine against Redskins quarterback John Beck. It was the second most sacks for Buffalo in franchise history.

It's safe to assume the offense will be there for the Bills. Buffalo has scored at least 20 points in every game this season. But how scary can the Bills be if their defense plays this well in the second half of the season?

"We can be unstoppable," Bills defensive lineman Spencer Johnson (one sack, one blocked field goal) said. "Everybody knows what our offense is capable of. We showed what we can do as a defense when we prepare and play together."

Bills first-round pick Marcell Dareus, who had his best game as a pro with four tackles and 2.5 sacks, also felt confident about the direction of the defense.

"I think the sky is the limit," Dareus said. "A lot of people questioned us stopping the run, playing flat and [not] playing a whole game. I think this is the first complete game our team has played. I think it’s only the beginning."

The overall feeling in Buffalo's locker room was that the defense knew it had this kind of performance in them. The Bills didn't feel they were nearly as bad as their defensive numbers suggested.

Buffalo's ability to disrupt Beck with ease led to a snowball effect for Washington.

The Redskins' banged-up offensive line was dominated at the line of scrimmage. Washington couldn't get the running game going (26 yards) and couldn't protect Beck long enough to make plays downfield. Beck was sacked nine times by eight Buffalo defenders.

Some weeks Buffalo had been close to getting sacks but couldn't finish. This week the Bills made the most of their opportunities.

"That would be the biggest understatement of the year -- that was amazing to go get nine sacks against that team," Bills coach Chan Gailey said. "They really worked hard at it during the bye week. ... I'll be honest with you, I didn't expect that."

Now, we have an interesting three-team race in the AFC East. The Bills (5-2), Patriots (5-2) and New York Jets (4-3) are all one game apart in the division. The AFC East is wide open and only two of these division teams most likely will make the playoffs.

Each team has its flaws. The Jets' weak link has been their inconsistency on offense, while New England and Buffalo have been up-and-down on defense.

That's why it was huge for Buffalo to put forth this defensive performance. The Bills at least put on film what they potentially can be on defense. It also provides much-needed momentum going forward.

"As a group it feels like we are finally getting to the point where we’re together," Dareus said. "We've been trying to find that mold, that right fit at safety, corner, D-linemen up front. It's that good combination where we can really go out there and stop the run and get after the quarterback."

Beating a struggling Washington team was key for Buffalo. The Bills did themselves a great service by padding their record before a tough upcoming stretch.

The Bills will play three road games in November. But next week's home game against the Jets might be the biggest to date.

New York, which has won two in a row, also is playing great football. The Jets had two weeks to prepare. Therefore, expect coach Rex Ryan and Co. to throw everything they have at the Bills.

The first-place Bills put themselves in position to control their own destiny. Playing the Jets twice in November could turn out to be elimination games for one of them.

"New week is huge," Bills safety George Wilson said. "We're going back into the division, what we call 'two-fors.' By beating our division opponent, you essentially go up on them two games. So we have to continue to challenge, to be able to win our division so we're not having to depend on anybody."

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NY Jets expected to sign former Buffalo Bills tight end Shawn Nelson

Gang Green expected to add former Bills player, who was suspened in 2010

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Originally Published: Monday, October 31 2011, 1:36 AM

Updated: Monday, October 31 2011, 1:36 AM

Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesShawn Nelson #89 of the Buffalo Bills catches a pass against the New England Patriots during a December 20, 2009 game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Daily News has learned that the Jets are expected to sign former Bills tight end Shawn Nelson to the 53-man roster on Monday.

The 6-5, 273-pound Nelson worked out for Gang Green last Tuesday. The Bills fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft had 20 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown in 17 games with Buffalo.

Nelson was suspended for the first four games of 2010 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The Jets will face the Bills next week in their first game after their bye.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-jets-expected-sign-buffalo-bills-tight-shawn-nelson-article-1.969749#ixzz1cMmcvHJH

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Jets return to work after bye

October, 31, 2011

Oct 31

6:00

AM ET

By Rich Cimini

After an extended bye week -- six days with no practice -- the Jets are back to work Monday morning in Florham Park, N.J. Six things to know as they begin preparation for a critical road game against the Bills (5-2):

1. On Monday, the Jets will have a chip-off-the-rust practice, followed by their usual Tuesday off and normal game prep starting Wednesday.

2. LB David Harris and rookie NT Kenrick Ellis both sprained ankles in last week's win over the Chargers, but neither injury is believed to be serious. The injured player to watch is DT Mike DeVito (sprained knee), who missed the last game. A week ago, Rex Ryan said he was optimistic that DeVito would be back for the Bills.

3. After cutting backup C Colin Baxter last week, the Jets have an opening on their 53-man roster. They could fill it with former Bills TE Shawn Nelson, who worked out last week and tweeted about signing with the Jets.

4. On Sunday, there was a reversal in the post-bye trend. Before Week 8, teams coming off their bye were 3-9, but the script was flipped. Teams were 4-1 before Sunday night's Eagles-Cowboys game.

5. Sunday's Jets-Bills game is a rarity in this rivalry -- in other words, a meaningful game for both teams. This will mark only the third time since 2000 that both teams will face each other with a winning record. It happened in 2008 (both teams were 4-3, the Jets won) and in 2000 (both teams were 2-0, the Jets won). The last time the Bills had the better record? You have to go back to 2005, but that was hardly a must-see showdown. The Bills were 5-10, the Jets 3-12 in Herm Edwards' final game as coach.

6. The AFC East got tighter Sunday as the Jets sat back and watched. The first-place Patriots (5-2) fell to the Steelers, meaning the Jets are only one game behind the co-leaders. If the Jets beat the Bills, and the Giants do them a favor by winning in New England, there will be a three-way tie.

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Patriots' loss is Jets' gain

By BART HUBBUCH

Last Updated: 8:44 AM, October 31, 2011

Posted: 12:00 AM, October 31, 2011

PITTSBURGH -- Tom Brady's dizzying numbers have covered up a multitude of Patriots sins and shortcomings this season.

But No. 12 couldn't work his magic yesterday, leaving the Patriots' sorry defense with nowhere to hide in a 25-17 loss to the Steelers that gave the Jets' hopes of an AFC East title a fuel injection despite an early three-game losing streak.

Even with consecutive opening-round home playoff exits, the Patriots still loomed as the conference's emperor with a 19-3 record going into yesterday in the past two regular seasons.

And though not totally without clothes, that emperor is at least down to his skivvies after Bill Belichick's team let Ben Roethlisberger pick it apart on defense and allowed the Steelers to draw up a blueprint for slowing down Brady.

As a result, the 5-2 Patriots now look a lot less imposing to both the Giants and the Jets -- the next two teams on their schedule -- and perhaps the rest of the NFL.

"We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at," a disgusted Brady said after throwing for a season-low 198 yards against the Steelers' heavy blitz and press coverage.

Although Brady and the Patriots offense struggled mightily, they aren't close to the overriding concern for Belichick. No, that would be his disaster of a defense.

With almost zero pass rush and a secondary depleted by injury and odd personnel decisions (Friday's abrupt release of veteran cornerback Leigh Bodden just the latest), the Patriots let Roethlisberger and the Steelers bleed them to death to the tune of a 39:22-20:28 advantage in time of possession.

Belichick had so little confidence in his defense that he decided to attempt an onside kick with 2:35 left and the Patriots down just 23-17 despite having the chance to stop the clock four times through three timeouts and the two-minute warning.

And if that defense -- ranked last in the NFL in total yards all season -- doesn't inspire Belichick, it certainly doesn't intimidate their opponents.

"It just wasn't a good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area," Belichick said.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/belichick_bad_loss_is_jets_gain_jr5xd7ws2YSlCTnV7OZJbN#ixzz1cMnsAQeZ

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Dyer: It’s Really ‘Go Time’ For The Jets

October 31, 2011 7:52 AM

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By Kristian Dyer

As they return to work today after their bye week, the Jets now face the challenge of putting together a strong stretch run to what has been a rocky start to the season. From preseason prediction and talk, much of it coming from the Jets and their head coach Rex Ryan, all indicators pointed toward a dream trip to Indianapolis, IN for the Super Bowl.

This was, after all, a veteran team put together to build on consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances.

But a 4-3 start? That was in no one’s crystal ball.

It is easy for Jets fans to fall into a malaise right about now, a despondency that seems to come naturally for fans of this team who seem to enjoy wallowing in their losses and in fact feel a slight guilt at enjoying winning. The three game losing streak which encompassed Week 3 through Week 5 was a black eye to this team’s bold talk and so-called swagger, but it could well be just a speed bump towards their ultimate ambitions. The second half of the season is there for the Jets taking and could well be the catalyst for another postseason push.

To their credit, this team has rebounded, overcoming that three-game losing streak to now win back-to-back games heading into their bye week. They won handily over Miami and then showed backbone and character in a comeback victory against San Diego. Now, this Jets team must build on their last two games and turn their lackluster start into the stuff of postseason glory.

The schedule is there to make this happen. It isn’t an easy task set before them, but there isn’t a game that the Jets can cross off the list automatically and chalk up as a loss. Five of their nine remaining games are against team currently at .500 or below. Two games, against the 5-2 Bills, come with the memory of the Jets easily sweeping last year’s meetings with their divisional opponent. And even New England in Week 10 is a team that the Jets have beaten at home the past two years.

“Go Time” is “Now Time” for Ryan’s bunch.

They likely won’t run the table, but the Jets must start consistently beating some of these teams that are jockeying for position with them for a playoff spot. Their 4-3 record this year consists of just one win against a team currently with a winning record. To their credit, all their losses have been on the road, against teams all of which are above the .500 mark – there was no ugly loss to hang their heads over. But to be taken seriously, the Jets must now start chipping away at the other teams around them eyeballing the playoffs.

Perhaps more of a long shot, but the Jets really should be sizing up the division and home field advantage through at least the wild card round. If the Jets beat the hapless Dolphins and take care of business against the surprising Bills and their nemesis the Patriots, they would be 7-1 in the AFC East and would win their division for the first time since 2002.

Considering their 4-0 start at home this year, it is a scenario that isn’t far fetched and would be advantageous for the Jets to play at least one game in the friendly confines of MetLife Stadium. In their two previous playoff runs under Ryan, the Jets have never had a home postseason game despite posting a 4-2 record during that stretch.

It would be easy to write off the Jets, although 4-3 is far from the fast start many envisioned from this veteran team. Baltimore proved on Monday night in their embarrassing loss at Jacksonville that there are chinks in their armor and there isn’t quite that same fear about Patriots Way as their once was surrounding that dynasty. The Jets can chalk up their three game losing streak to the parity in the NFL and they should be able to make a little run right about now.

A season that two weeks ago was on the ledge is suddenly there for the taking, the promise of fulfilling Ryan’s guarantees perhaps in the offing this time. The sense of panic has settled and the talk of “Occupy Florham Park,” a tip of the hat to the location of the Jets practice facility, has rightly abated. Something special could be brewing this season for a team that showed as much grit as any in the second half of their dramatic win against the Chargers.

But the Jets need that winning spirit from last week to go start being found in all four quarters of their upcoming games, and not just furiously played second halves. If the Jets can find that formula that made them winners in Week 7, it could be a special season. Not even the most despondent of Jets fans would deny that.

Kristian R. Dyer covers the Jets and can be followed at twitter.com/KristianRDyer

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October 31, 2011, 9:00 am

Should the N.F.L. ‘Flex’ the Jets Out of a Sunday Night Game?

By GEORGE BRETHERTON

The Jets’ next two games –– at Buffalo (5-2) next Sunday and at home against the Patriots (5-2) on Nov. 13 — figure to be pivotal in the race for the A.F.C. East title. At 4-3, the Jets are a game behind, and if they can win both, they will be in no worse than a tie for first place in the division. The Jets would have the tiebreaker advantage over both teams.

But an interesting schedule issue looms with the New England game and immediately after it. The Jets will be right back at it four days later for a Thursday night game at Denver. Under most circumstances, a short week wouldn’t be a significant problem as long as both teams deal with the same schedule.

But that’s not the case with the Jets. The N.F.L.’s schedule for Week 10 on Nov. 13 has Denver playing at Kansas City as one of 11 1 p.m. Eastern games.

The Jets’ disadvantage comes not only from playing a night game on that day (which could end early Monday morning), but also from the travel to Denver for the Thursday night game. Adjusting to the altitude in Denver is no picnic for some players, too.

If the league were to move the Jets out of the Sunday night slot, it would have to do so before Tuesday. Here is a snippet of the N.F.L.’s policy on flexible scheduling.

In Weeks 10-15, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights.

A flexible scheduling move would be announced at least 12 days before the game.

If the N.F.L. makes the switch, some appealing alternatives meet those guidelines. The Week 10 schedule has Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Detroit at Chicago, Buffalo at Dallas and New Orleans at Atlanta, all Sunday 1 p.m. games. The Pittsburgh-Cincinnati and New Orleans-Atlanta games could be for first place in their divisions.

Extra Point From a fairness standpoint, should the N.F.L. move the Jets game to a 1 p.m. slot — never mind the ratings?

[JiFtheOracle]

NY Jets' Aaron Maybin turns to painting, poetry to deal with tragedies he's seen, including death of his son

Wow. That was an incredible read. After reading that, I'm a HUGE Maybin fan. I hope the best for this kid.

flgreen, this might be its own thread worthy. I dont know if everyone realizes the struggles this guys been through personally since entering the league. What a heart.

Here's to Maybin dominating his former team!

[flgreen]

Wow. That was an incredible read. After reading that, I'm a HUGE Maybin fan. I hope the best for this kid.

flgreen, this might be its own thread worthy. I dont know if everyone realizes the struggles this guys been through personally since entering the league. What a heart.

Here's to Maybin dominating his former team!

I agree JIF

Kids just become one of my favorite Jets.

[Bleedin Green]

Wow. That was an incredible read. After reading that, I'm a HUGE Maybin fan. I hope the best for this kid.

flgreen, this might be its own thread worthy. I dont know if everyone realizes the struggles this guys been through personally since entering the league. What a heart.

Here's to Maybin dominating his former team!

Yeah, I thought exactly the same. You have to appreciate when someone actually takes the time to write-up something like this, instead of more of the same garbage. Great story and definitely makes you feel for the guy with what he's had to go through, and root for him that much harder.

[flgreen]

NY Jets expected to sign former Buffalo Bills tight end Shawn Nelson

Gang Green expected to add former Bills player, who was suspened in 2010

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Originally Published: Monday, October 31 2011, 1:36 AM

Updated: Monday, October 31 2011, 1:36 AM

Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesShawn Nelson #89 of the Buffalo Bills catches a pass against the New England Patriots during a December 20, 2009 game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Daily News has learned that the Jets are expected to sign former Bills tight end Shawn Nelson to the 53-man roster on Monday.

The 6-5, 273-pound Nelson worked out for Gang Green last Tuesday. The Bills fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft had 20 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown in 17 games with Buffalo.

Nelson was suspended for the first four games of 2010 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The Jets will face the Bills next week in their first game after their bye.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-jets-expected-sign-buffalo-bills-tight-shawn-nelson-article-1.969749#ixzz1cN9rNl1V

[flgreen]

Bodden Bowl ends at 4:00 p.m. ET Monday

Posted by Mike Florio on October 31, 2011, 10:20 AM EDT

Getty Images

As Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Football Night in America points out in his indispensable Monday Morning Quarterback column, Chargers-Chiefs won’t be the only game played on Monday. Between now and 4:00 p.m. ET, teams have the ability to put in waiver claims for former Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden.

Abruptly cut on Friday, any team can make a waivers claim for his contract. (After the trading deadline, every player who is released must pass through waivers — even players like Bodden with four or more years of NFL service.) King says that the 49ers, Bengals, Bucs, Chiefs, Bills, and Jets could make a claim.

The team with the highest waiver priority (i.e., the one with the worst record that makes a claim) will win his contract.

And it could be more than a one-year move. With a contract that pays Bodden $2.064 million for the rest of 2011 and base salaries of $3.9 million in each of the next two seasons, that’s a bargain for a veteran cover corner.

So why did the Pats dump him? (I mean, it’s not like he was photographed during the bye week with an adult film star, or something.) King hears that Bodden was going through the motions, unhappy that he wasn’t one of the top three guys on the depth chart.

I’ve got a hunch there may be something more that forced the Patriots to simply cut the cord. They could have used Bodden on Sunday against the Steelers, especially with Ras-I Dowling now in Injured Reserve.

[flgreen]

Jets sign ex-Bills TE Shawn Nelson

Published: Monday, October 31, 2011, 10:15 AM Updated: Monday, October 31, 2011, 10:24 AM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

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Ed Mulholland/US PresswireFormer Bills TE Shawn Nelson joins the Jets roster today.

The Jets have signed former Bills TE Shawn Nelson to their 53-man roster, the team announced today.

Nelson was among a handful of players the Jets worked out last week during their bye. The Jets play at Buffalo this Sunday.

A fourth-round pick by the Bills in 2009, Nelson was released by the Bills after training camp this year. He was suspended by the Bills for the first four games last season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

The Jets also added four players to their practice squad today: G Matt Kroul, T Dennis Landolt, LB Ricky Sapp and TE Jamarko Simmons. Sapp, a 2010 fifth-round pick by the Eagles, and Simmons, who most recently played for Marty Schottenheimer's UFL team, were also among the players the team worked out last week.

[Integrity28]

Wow. That was an incredible read. After reading that, I'm a HUGE Maybin fan. I hope the best for this kid.

flgreen, this might be its own thread worthy. I dont know if everyone realizes the struggles this guys been through personally since entering the league. What a heart.

Here's to Maybin dominating his former team!

100% agree.

[bitonti]

Maybin’s art helped him deal with his frustration. He sketched an image of himself letting out a primal scream entitled “They Said” decorated with all the words that trailed him in Buffalo:

SELF CENTERED.

painting a self portrait to deal with accusations of being self centered. meta.

[JetsFanInDenver]

October 31, 2011, 9:00 am

Should the N.F.L. ‘Flex’ the Jets Out of a Sunday Night Game?

By GEORGE BRETHERTON

The Jets’ next two games –– at Buffalo (5-2) next Sunday and at home against the Patriots (5-2) on Nov. 13 — figure to be pivotal in the race for the A.F.C. East title. At 4-3, the Jets are a game behind, and if they can win both, they will be in no worse than a tie for first place in the division. The Jets would have the tiebreaker advantage over both teams.

But an interesting schedule issue looms with the New England game and immediately after it. The Jets will be right back at it four days later for a Thursday night game at Denver. Under most circumstances, a short week wouldn’t be a significant problem as long as both teams deal with the same schedule.

But that’s not the case with the Jets. The N.F.L.’s schedule for Week 10 on Nov. 13 has Denver playing at Kansas City as one of 11 1 p.m. Eastern games.

The Jets’ disadvantage comes not only from playing a night game on that day (which could end early Monday morning), but also from the travel to Denver for the Thursday night game. Adjusting to the altitude in Denver is no picnic for some players, too.

If the league were to move the Jets out of the Sunday night slot, it would have to do so before Tuesday. Here is a snippet of the N.F.L.’s policy on flexible scheduling.

In Weeks 10-15, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights.

A flexible scheduling move would be announced at least 12 days before the game.

If the N.F.L. makes the switch, some appealing alternatives meet those guidelines. The Week 10 schedule has Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Detroit at Chicago, Buffalo at Dallas and New Orleans at Atlanta, all Sunday 1 p.m. games. The Pittsburgh-Cincinnati and New Orleans-Atlanta games could be for first place in their divisions.

Extra Point From a fairness standpoint, should the N.F.L. move the Jets game to a 1 p.m. slot — never mind the ratings?

It really would be a big favor to the Broncos for not getting embarrassed on national TV

[flgreen]

Mike DeVito, Kenrick Ellis not ready to return to practice

Published: Monday, October 31, 2011, 1:11 PM Updated: Monday, October 31, 2011, 1:20 PM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

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William Perlman/The Star-LedgerMike DeVito injured his knee in practice before the San Diego game.

The Jets returned to the practice field after their bye week today, but a pair of injured defensive linemen was not yet ready to work with the team.

DL Mike DeVito (knee), who sat out last week's win against San Diego with an MCL sprain, and NT Kenrick Ellis (ankle), who left the game in the first quarter, worked off to the side with the strength and conditioning staff as their teammates ran drills in the portion of practice open to the media.

CB Isaiah Trufant also does not appear ready to return from his hamstring injury, as he worked off to the side as well.

LB David Harris (ankle) and C Nick Mangold (ankle) were participating in drills while the media was at practice.

[flgreen]

Seven-step drop: Pay Fred Jackson

October, 31, 2011

Oct 31

12:15

PM ET

By James Walker<p>Here are several notes and observations from Week 8 in the AFC East:

[+] Enlarge

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty ImagesRunning back Fred Jackson has become a favorite of Buffalo Bills fans.

• Now that the Buffalo Bills gave quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick $59 million, it's time to pay tailback Fred Jackson. He's done everything right in Buffalo and is popular with the fans. Yet, Jackson has never been treated very well by the Bills' organization. There's always a player put in front of Jackson (Marshawn Lynch) in Buffalo or nipping at his heels (C.J. Spiller). Still, Jackson continues to produce and is on pace for more than 1,600 yards rushing this season. He is my pick for Buffalo's Most Valuable Player thus far. Buffalo has Jackson under contract through next season at a bargain rate. Jackson's age (30) probably is the biggest deterrent.
  
• 
  
• Bills first-round pick Marcell Dareus looked phenomenal making his first start at nose tackle. With Kyle Williams (foot) injured and the defense struggling, Buffalo's coaching staff experimented with Dareus during the bye week and changed his position. The result was his best performance of the season. Dareus fought off various double teams to record four tackles and 2.5 sacks. Williams will be out for an extended period and possibly the season. Therefore, Dareus should get comfortable in his new role.
  
• 
  
• The New York Jets traditionally struggle after bye weeks under head coach Rex Ryan. New York is winless (0-2) under Ryan after byes since 2009, and the offense has been the biggest issue. Ryan's Jets have come out rusty after two weeks off and average just 11 points per game. New York was shutout last season by the Green Bay Packers, 9-0, in one of the Jets' ugliest games of 2010. The Jets have to come out much sharper Sunday against Buffalo.
  
• 
  
• The blueprint on beating the New England Patriots is clear. It involves pummeling the defense and trying to keep Patriots quarterback Tom Brady from having a monster game. In New England's two losses, Fitzpatrick of Buffalo and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 734 combined yards. Brady was turnover-prone against Buffalo and didn't get many big plays against Pittsburgh -- leaving New England defenseless. Not every team can follow this blueprint. But any team with a quality quarterback and a defense that plays well enough now has a shot against the Patriots.
  
• 
  
• Expect the focus now to shift to Belichick's personnel decisions. ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss put it best: Belichick might have lost his fastball defensively. New England's drafts have not been consistent. Belichick also has made some curious roster decisions recently, including the release of cornerback Leigh Bodden and putting fellow corner Ras-I Dowling on injured reserve this early. There is no doubt Bodden could've helped the Patriots against Pittsburgh. Also, Dowling cannot help New England, even if he's healthy later in the season. Belichick knew his secondary was struggling and intentionally killed the depth of one of his weakest units. Bbelichick has no one to blame but himself.
  
• 
  
• I saw some good and bad this week with Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano. Starting with the bad, I've seen too many games, like Sunday’s loss against the New York Giants, where Sparano coaches not to lose. Miami had control of the game for three quarters but took its foot off the pedal in the fourth in an effort to not make the big mistake. Instead, Eli Manning and the Giants gradually climbed back into the game with 10 straight points after Miami's offense shut it down and the Dolphins' defense played so far off receivers it was easy to make completions. Sparano's in-game decisions are not the best and a big reason why he's lost 10 in a row.
  
• 
  
• Now for the good: Even in defeat, Sparano is making a case to continue coaching out the season. The Dolphins played their best games the past two weeks. Miami isn't winning, but the team certainly hasn't quit. That is a tribute to Sparano, who isn't letting his shaky job status impact the team. He is not Miami's long-term solution at head coach. That much is clear. But he is a likable coach and his players continue to fight for him.
  

[flgreen]

Jets G Matt Slauson said line considers Wayne Hunter an 'upgrade' at right tackle

Published: Monday, October 31, 2011, 3:06 PM Updated: Monday, October 31, 2011, 3:22 PM

By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

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William Perlman/The Star-LedgerMatt

Slauson said he respects Damien Woody but thinks Wayne Hunter is an upgrade at the position.

Matt Slauson said he expects the offensive line to "pop" soon, and disagrees with the notion that this year's front five is worse than last years.

He went as far as saying Wayne Hunter, the only different piece from the 2010-11 season, is an "upgrade." The spot was previously held by Damien Woody, who now works for ESPN as an analyst.

"I watch a lot of things on NFL Network and ESPN and stuff, and they're all saying the Jets can't run the ball because they're not the same team, 'they don't have those guys that can grind on you play after play,'" Slauson said. "But that just isn't true. We have the guys, our offensive guys are the same except we have Wayne (Hunter), and in our opinion, that's an upgrade.

"We have to be able to run it. Our tight ends are the same exact guys so there's no excuse not to run, and we're really close. We're improving every week and one of these games we're just going to pop."

Slauson said that he likes Woody, but is impressed with Hunter's athleticism and how he's been progressing of late.

"I like Damien, he's a really good player, he's had a hell of a career but Wayne is an incredible athlete so I think as long as we continue to work and learn and execute, our line is going to be better in the coming games and the coming years."

* * *

Rookie Kenrick Ellis said his low ankle sprain has been getting better every day, and that he expects to get more participation in practice as the week wears on. Today he was not in uniform, off to the side with Mike DeVito.

[JetsFanInDenver]

FL green you are dialing this thread up with pics of the authors et al.

BTW....Jenny Vrentas looks like the gal in acounting dept that has after action in the mail room!

[flgreen]

FL green you are dialing this thread up with pics of the authors et al.

BTW....Jenny Vrentas looks like the gal in acounting dept that has after action in the mail room!

Actually I think we had some site improvements over the week end that allows us to copy and paste pics. Plus I don't have to space every paragraph now.

Max is my hero

[JetsFanInDenver]

Actually I think we had some site improvements over the week end that allows us to copy and paste pics. Plus I don't have to space every paragraph now.

Max is my hero

I thought Max was a fictional charatcer.

[flgreen]

Jets Put Bye Behind, Prep for Bills Ahead

By Randy Lange

Posted 18 minutes ago

• 
  
• 
  

Forewarned is forearmed. So the Jets returned to work and practice at the Atlantic Health Training Center today aware of the post-bye-week trends in the NFL and under head coach Rex Ryan as well as the trending upward that the Buffalo Bills have been doing in 2011.

The Jets say they're ready for the hurdle ahead.

"It's a historical reference, but it doesn't have to be repeated," NT Sione Pouha said about the Jets' 0-2 record after bye weeks under Ryan. "This is a new team, a new year. If anything, that's more of a motivational factor to break that tendency."

"We just have to make sure that we come back and focus in and get back into a rhythm as quick as we can," said guard Matt Slauson. "I think that’s kind of where we were lacking over the last two years. Everybody gets away and kind of rests a little bit and you fall out of that rhythm. And as far as today went, we were right in it, right in a groove, everything was going great. I’m really pleased."

Fullback John Conner said he's recharged his batteries along with his teammates.

"It was really good to get to go home, visit the family, go to Homecoming," Conner said. "My legs felt really good. I think everybody was moving around really good."

Ryan's message to the team last week set the stage for his message to the team today upon their return and their practice on the outdoor turf field (with all their grass fields under up to a foot of snow that fell Saturday in North Jersey).

"Oh yeah, guys were flying around," Ryan said. "You feel that energy."

The energy is needed not just because of the Jets' losses to Jacksonville in '09 and Green Bay last year. This year, it may be because of the residual effects of the lockout and the odd offseason, or it may be a statistical anomaly. But heading into tonight's San Diego-Kansas City game to wind up Week 8, teams in their first games back after their bye are 8-10. That's a .444 percentage, which isn't winning football on its face but also isn't winning football compared to those 18 teams' combined record in all other non-bye games, 52-54 or a .491 percentage.

Then consider that teams playing their first games after their bye weeks on the road have underperformed even those numbers: 3-7 (.300) compared to 25-33 (.431) in all other games.

So that trend doesn't bode well for the Jets as they make their annual venture to Ralph Wilson Stadium. But at least they're aware of the numbers. Forewarned, you know the rest.

The Jets also have to be alert for the new, improved Bills. One year after beating them by a combined 76-21, they are preparing to take on a Buffalo side that is 5-2 for the first time since 2008, is outscoring its opponents by nine points a game, is tied for the most takeaways in the NFL at 18 and has a plus-9 turnover margin. Defense looking vulnerable? Well, it was until shutting out the Redskins, holding them to 178 yards and sacking John Beck nine times.

"We know what this game represents," Ryan said. "We've got Buffalo coming up, one of the hottest teams in league, tied for first in our division. We've got to play at their place so we've got to be excited about playing the No. 1-rated team in our division, them and New England."

And of course the Patriots come to MetLife Stadium the week after the Jets go to Buffalo.

Ryan was asked if he changed anything up for his team this week after the bye.

"We're ahead of the game right now as far as the preparation goes for Buffalo," he said. "We were running Buffalo plays today [for the first teams]. We have a head start that way. Our coaches are obviously way ahead of the game."

But are the Jets ready to buck the bye tendencies, continue their Bills trends and come out of this game no worse than a second-place tie, a game off the Patriots' lead. (Or perhaps a three-way tie for first if the Pats falter against the Jets' MetLife partners, the Giants.)

"We know we put our backs against the wall," Leonard said of the Jets' season of streaks — two wins, three losses, two wins. "We have to come out swinging. We can’t come out flat. We have to play well for the next couple games and see what happens after that."

What happens is either the Jets will be back in the thick of things in the AFC East, or two to three games off the pace. It's a most important week to return to work in the NFL.