Jets News 11-15

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Source: LaDainian Tomlinson suffers MCL injury against Patriots, status for Thursday night in doubt

BY Manish Mehta

The Daily News first reported on Monday afternoon that LaDainian Tomlinson didn't suffer any serious structural damage on his left knee on Sunday night. The veteran running back stretched his ligaments and suffered a MCL sprain on a 6-yard run with under two minutes remaining in the Jets' 37-16 loss to the Patriots on Sunday night, according to a source.

The team will monitor his progress during the week. With such a quick turnaround for Thursday's game in Denver, the cautious approach would be to sit Tomlinson out against the Broncos.

Tomlinson suffered a similiar MCL injury to the same knee during the 2007 playoffs (Jan. 2008).

A source told the News that Tomlinson's knee doesn't feel as bad as it did when he suffered the injury in Jan. 2008. The future Hall of Famer is experiencing stiffness and isn't likely to practice on Tuesday.

If Tomlinson can't play, the Jets will likely activate rookie Bilal Powell for the first time this season.

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

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Injured Pats enter soft part of schedule

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) It was a surprisingly dominating win over a major rival that had won three straight games. Now the New England Patriots enter the soft part of their schedule.

Only one of their remaining seven opponents has a winning record. And on Monday night the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to start a quarterback against them who has thrown just 13 NFL passes.

But just as the Patriots 37-16 beating of the New York Jets on Sunday night was unexpectedly one-sided, so might a big underdog stun the Patriots, especially if they dwell on their latest success.

"No matter what happened last week, whether we won, lost, at home or on the road or in London, it doesn't matter. Once that game is over we have to put it behind us," New England coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "Now it's about preparing for Kansas City, what they do, what their schemes are, what their players are, what their tendencies are in certain coaching decision situations that we'll have to make."

The Chiefs are 4-5 and lost quarterback Matt Cassel to an injury to his throwing hand that coach Todd Haley said could end his season. It occurred late in Kansas City's 17-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Tyler Palko played the last offensive series and was informed by quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn on Monday he'll likely get his first NFL start against the Patriots.

That would scrap a meeting between Tom Brady and Cassel, his former backup who played unexpectedly well in 2008 after Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener.

Seems like an easy win for the Patriots, right?

Brady doesn't think so, despite his team's 6-3 record that puts it in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. The Patriots started Sunday tied with the Jets and Buffalo Bills, who both lost.

"There's still a lot of football left to be played. Every team is still going to make improvements," Brady said Monday on his contractually obligated appearance on WEEI radio. "And some teams are just going to continue to ride out the season and they can start thinking about next year.

"We want to be one of those teams that really starts building and getting better every week. I thought last night was a good step in the second half of the year. But obviously, the week starts again today. We've got to move on to the next game and start getting prepared for a team that we haven't played in a few years."

Going into Sunday's games, the Patriots had the NFL's lowest-ranked defense, a spot they've held most of the year. And they were without two key injured players, safety Patrick Chung and linebacker Brandon Spikes.

So safety Sterling Moore and linebacker Jeff Tarpinian got their first pro starts. Both were undrafted rookie free agents this year and Belichick had some concerns how they would perform in key roles.

"What happens when the lights go on, you never really know for sure," he said. "You have to wait and see that. Jeff has been playing all year in the kicking game, so we've seen that. Sterling really hasn't really had a lot of opportunity to play."

Both did well, although cornerback Devin McCourty suffered a right shoulder injury when hit by Moore in the first half as both tried to tackle wide receiver Plaxico Burress. McCourty didn't return and Belichick said Monday he had no update on his condition.

Losing McCourty for any games would be a blow, especially if Chung remains sidelined with a foot injury. They're the Patriots' two best defensive backs. Three others are in their first season with the team.

Still, the makeshift secondary played well enough and was helped by pressure put on quarterback Mark Sanchez. Defensive end Andre Carter had a team record 4 1-2 sacks.

"Andre has a good combination of speed and power and technique that he uses," Belichick said.

"He uses all those."

Linebacker Rob Ninkovich had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

"He was going to that area of the field and then read the play," Belichick said of the touchdown runback. "It's kind of where he was going, but he definitely did a nice job of reading Sanchez, seeing the throw."

The Patriots trailed 9-6 before Brady threw the first of two touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski with 9 seconds left in the first half. They led 13-9 at halftime and never trailed again.

They had plenty to celebrate after sweeping the season series against the Jets.

Now they play six straight games against teams with losing records: Kansas City, at Philadelphia (3-6), Indianapolis (0-10), at Washington (3-6), at Denver (4-5) and Miami (2-7). They finish at home against Buffalo (5-4).

"It happens every week in the NFL," Brady told WEEI. "You look up at the scoreboard during the game - or for us, because we played on Sunday night, we saw a lot of those games. And it's like:

`God, how did they lose?' Or, `Wow, they beat so-and-so.'

"One team one week looks great, and then they play another team. Other than the Packers this year and the 49ers, you really don't know what you're getting every week."

And, Belichick said, "I think every week is a test, absolutely. Last week was a test. This week is a test."

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/11/14/patriots.schedule.ap/index.html#ixzz1dmVcTHoT

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LaDainian Tomlinson’s knee sprain puts a strain on Gang Green’s running back corps

N.Y. Jets' LaDainian Tomlinson ailing with knee sprain

BY Manish Mehta

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, November 14 2011, 10:58 PM

Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News

New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson may miss Thursday's game vs. Denver.

The Jets’ backfield may be short-handed for Thursday night’s game against the Broncos. The Daily News first reported on Monday that LaDainian Tomlinson suffered a MCL sprain to his left knee during the 37-16 loss to the Patriots Sunday night. An MRI Monday revealed no serious structural damage.

The veteran running back was injured on a six-yard run with less than two minutes remaining. Tomlinson suffered a sprained MCL to the same knee during the 2007 playoffs. He had just two carries in the Chargers’ loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game that season.

A source told The News on Monday that Tomlinson’s knee felt better after the current injury than it did back in January 2008. With only a couple days to prepare, the cautious approach would be to rest him. Rex Ryan remained hopeful that he would be ready.

“I heard through our trainers that we think he’s going to be okay,” Ryan said.

HURRY-UP DEFENSE

Ryan said that the coaches will look into ways to communicate defensive calls quicker to players after the Patriots exploited them in no-huddle, hurry-up mode.

“There’s ways around it,” Ryan said. “There’s things we can do.”

MCKNIGHT MOVES

Ryan didn’t second-guess the decision to have RB Joe McKnight return a punt early in the third quarter, which resulted in a muff and turnover.

“One thing we all know about Joe is he’s a home run hitter,” Ryan said. “He’s an explosive guy. We were trying to find a way to put the ball in the end zone… At that time, we were looking for a big play.”

WAITING POOL

Safety Brodney Pool, who missed the Patriots with a sprained MCL, was unsure whether he’d practice Tuesday or be ready to play.

Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who sprained his knee Sunday, remained hopeful that he’d be ready. The rookie wideout, who was awaiting his MRI results, said he “probably won’t” practice on Tuesday.

Wide receiver Patrick Turner suffered a bruised kidney against the Patriots. Although he never felt pain, he approached team doctors at halftime when he saw blood in his urine. “I knew it wasn’t a good thing,” said Turner, who hopes to play in Denver.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ladainian-tomlinson-s-knee-sprain-puts-a-strain-gang-green-s-running-back-corps-article-1.977578#ixzz1dmWTAFlY

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NY Jets coach Rex Ryan sends wrong message by cursing at fan, giving up on AFC East race

Ryan should not have said division title is out of reach

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, November 14 2011, 11:06 PM

Ron Antonelli/New York Daily News

Rex Ryan is in a remorseful state the day after cursing at af an during loss to Patriots.

The Jets play follow the leader and Rex Ryan is their leader. That has been a good thing for most of the three seasons Ryan has been here as he has made the team relevant and given the organization personality.

But Ryan twice had meltdowns during the emotional loss to the Patriots - he even got caught on video cursing out a heckling fan on the way to the locker room at halftime of the 37-16 loss. This is not the tone he wants to set as the Jets fight for a playoff spot and have to play again Thursday night in Denver.

Ryan has conceded defeat to New England in the AFC East race. Even if he felt that way, why would he say that? What kind of message is he sending to his players that the wild card is the best they can do? The Jets are one game behind the Patriots and down in the tiebreaker with seven games remaining. Not promising, but hardly insurmountable.

When Ryan declared the Jets were out of the playoffs two years ago, that was a mathematical error. The Jets’ only regular-season goal this season is to win the AFC East. So, why is he giving up on his team and crowning a mediocre Patriots team with nearly half the season left?

“I look at it realistically,” Ryan said.

Ryan usually talks in superlatives about his team. All of a sudden he’s realistic?

Getting into a verbal altercation with the fan proved Ryan does not learn from his mistakes. Remember, the Jets fined him $50,000 for flipping the middle finger at a fan who was giving him a hard time at a mixed martial arts event in Miami nearly two years ago. The action was caught on a cell phone camera and quickly made the rounds.

Even though Ryan was provoked in Miami, here was the lesson he was supposed to learn: He’s a public figure and always has to assume somebody will be there to record any event that could be newsworthy. He hasn’t learned. If he doesn’t learn from his mistakes, how can he expect Mark Sanchez to stop making rookie mistakes in his third season?

As Ryan walked up the tunnel to the locker room at the half, he was in a foul mood. The Jets had just mangled a timeout, which allowed Tom Brady time to move the Patriots 80 yards and score a touchown with nine seconds left to take a 13-9 lead.

“Hey Rex, Belichick is better than you,” one fan shouted.

“Shut the f--- up,” Ryan shot back without breaking stride.

The fans in the area started to laugh. Ryan kept on going. The video went viral Monday and the NFL is looking into it. This one could force Ryan to donate some of his next check to one of the NFL’s favorite charities.

"I was emotional. It was an emotional time coming in,” Ryan said Monday. “I obviously made a mistake. I was full of emotion and just popped off. Obviously, I know I represent the NFL. I know I represent the Jets. And I know it was a mistake. I apologize. It’s just who I am. I’m about as big a competitor as there is. And at the time, I was in no mood to hear anything. But I also understand I have to handle that better. Sometimes my emotions get the best of me.”

It was the bizarre circumstances that led Sanchez to call the timeout that set off Ryan .

The Jets, down 6-2, had a third-and-goal at the Patriots 2. There was about 1:40 left in the half and the clock was running. Ryan went to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and told him to call a timeout as the play clock neared zero. According to Ryan, quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh came over and they told him what was going on. Schottenheimer’s microphone that communicates with Sanchez through the radio helmet was live. Sanchez heard them talking about the timeout and called it without being told to, according to Ryan, who still insisted he took full responsibility.

Sanchez called time at 1:24 with 17 seconds left on the 40-second play clock. When Ryan saw that, he went ballistic. Ryan yelled, “No!” and then he uttered an expletive and yanked off his headset.

The Jets scored on Sanchez’s QB draw on the next play. That left Brady 1:20 and two timeouts. Of course, he took the Patriots 80 yards in 1:11. If Sanchez had not called time, Brady would have gotten the ball with 1:03 left. New England might have scored anyway because Bill Belichick never used his last timeout.

The fiasco led Ryan to tell NBC at halftime that it was the “stupidest thing in football history.” You couldn’t blame Sanchez if he takes that personally even if Ryan later threw himself under the bus by saying he was referring to himself.

And he said he wasn’t dissing Sanchez when, talking about Brady after the game, he said, “You see the difference a great quarterback makes in this league.”

He said he considers Sanchez “an elite quarterback,” because he’s won four playoff games in the last two years.

And in responding to Belichick reportedly saying the Pats scored 37 points on the best defense in the league - sarcastically, for sure - Ryan said he said the same thing about the Patriots’ offense after the Jets beat New England in the playoffs last season.

“It’s something I’ll bring up to him after we beat them in the playoffs again this year,” Ryan said.

That sounds more like Ryan. But the way he envisions it, the Jets will be doing it as a wild card team.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/ny-jets-coach-rex-ryan-sends-wrong-message-cursing-fan-giving-afc-east-race-article-1.977584#ixzz1dmWvtvoM

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NFL investigating NY Jets coach Rex Ryan over cursing out fan

Ryan admits he made a mistake by cursing at fan

BY Manish Mehta

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, November 14 2011, 10:49 PM

Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News

Rex Ryan sees writing on the scoreboard in fourth as mistakes catch up to Jets.

Less than 24 hours after the Jets’ meltdown against the Patriots, Rex Ryan was at the center of another firestorm stemming from his inability to keep his emotions in check. A YouTube video that surfaced on Monday captured the brash Jets coach spewing a profanity at a fan at halftime of Gang Green’s 37-16 loss on Sunday night.

As Jets players and coaches walked off the field after the second quarter, a fan yelled, “Hey, Rex! Belichick is better than you!” Ryan, already angry after a botched timeout call late in the half help set the stage for a Patriots' touchdown drive, responded by shouting, “Shut the f---- up!” An NFL spokesman told the Daily News that the league was looking into the matter.

A day later, the coach was quite apologetic.

“It was an emotional time coming in,” Ryan said Monday. “I obviously made a mistake. I was full of emotion and just popped off. Obviously I know I represent the National Football League. I know I represent the Jets. And I know it was a mistake. I apologize for it. This is who I am. I made a mistake. I'm about as big a competitor as there is.”

It was Ryan's second run-in with a fan during his tenure with the Jets. During Super Bowl week in 2010, he made an obscene gesture to a fan who was heckling him during a mixed martial arts event in Miami. The Jets fined Ryan $50,000 for his actions. A team spokesman said that the league - not the Jets - will dole out any disciplinary measures (such as a fine) since the incident took place during a game.

General manager Mike Tannenbaum admonished Ryan for the 2010 incident, but he took a softer approach this time.

“Rex and I have talked about it,” Tannenbaum said in a statement. “Obviously, he let his emotions get the best of him. He knows his behavior was not acceptable.”

Ryan was already fuming after Mark Sanchez called a timeout with 17 seconds left on the play clock late in the first half. Although the Jets scored a touchdown on the first play after the timeout, they left more than enough time for Tom Brady, who orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive in 1 minute, 11 seconds to help the Patriots retake the lead and steal the momentum back heading into halftime.

“At that time, I was in no mood to hear anything,” Ryan said. “But I also understand I could handle that better. .... I make mistakes all the time. I'm not perfect by any stretch. I try to get better, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me.”

Ryan also backtracked from his halftime comments to a sideline reporter that the poorly executed timeout was the “stupidest thing in football history.” Ryan explained that Sanchez only heard part of his conversation with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh through his helmet headset. Ryan had told Schottenheimer to let the play clock wind down before calling a timeout. Cavanaugh later jumped into the conversation and asked whether the Jets were going to use a timeout. When Sanchez heard Ryan say that they would, the quarterback immediately called for a stoppage in play.

“He never heard the full conversation that I had with Brian,” Ryan said. “My communication wasn't clear enough to Mark. That's why it was my mistake.”

The error was one of several forgettable moments for the Jets (5-4), who have a quick turnaround with a road test against the Broncos on Thursday night. After last year's 45-3 loss to the Patriots, Ryan buried a ball at the team's practice field to help his team move on. He didn't try any symbolic gestures this time.

“We know we have to put it behind us,” he said. “We can't focus on what just happened. ... We have no choice. We have to get over it.”

Ryan's take on the Jets' prospects for winning the AFC East remained the same.

“I still think it's doubtful,” said Ryan, whose team was swept by the Patriots this season. “I look at it realistically.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/nfl-investigating-ny-jets-coach-rex-ryan-cursing-fan-article-1.977575#ixzz1dmXFqZPW

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Revis: Pats hangover 'could be a problem'

November, 14, 2011

Nov 14

11:37

PM ET

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By Ian Begley<p>Just call it the New England effect.

The last time the Jets lost a prime time game against the Patriots, it seemed to stay with them the following Sunday.

Six days after a 45-3 Monday Night loss in Foxboro last year, the Jets came out and laid an egg in a 10-6 loss to the Dolphins.

Darrelle Revis

#24 CB

New York Jets

2011 STATS

• Tot28
  
• Solo20
  
• Ast8
  
• FF0
  
• Sack0.0
  
• Int4
  

Will history repeat itself on Thursday in Denver?

"Yeah, I mean it could be a problem," Darrelle Revis said. "But we can control that by preparing the right way.... We just have to prepare as much as we can and be ready for Thursday night."

Rex Ryan buried the game ball after the New England massacre last season in a stunt to try and motivate the team. But it fell flat.

The Jets dropped two of three after the Pats loss. With outside help, they clinched a playoff spot, despite a Week 16 defeat at Chicago.

There were no game balls buried on Monday. And most Jets flat-out dismissed the idea of another Pats meltdown.

Revis, however, acknowledged the possibility.

"It happened in the past here," the corner said.

But like a college kid partying the night before an exam, Revis is hoping to avoid a hangover this time around.

"We have control over that. And we have to control it," he said. "We have to control it to make sure that doesn’t happen again because [over] these next ... seven games, we can decide what we want to do and where we want to go."

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Revis defends Sanchez

November, 14, 2011

Nov 14

10:32

PM ET

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By Ian Begley

Plenty of Jets fans are down on Mark Sanchez after his forgettable performance against the Pats Sunday night -- and deservedly so.

But Darrelle Revis is standing by his QB.

<p>

Darrelle Revis

#24 CB

New York Jets

2011 STATS

• Tot28
  
• Solo20
  
• Ast8
  
• FF0
  
• Sack0.0
  
• Int4
  

On Monday, a reporter asked Revis to asses Sanchez's season thus far.

"I don’t know, I got to check his stats," Revis said with a laugh.

Turning serious, Revis said Sanchez is "doing what he needs to do. I don’t really look in to the offense and what they’re trying to do. He’s won games for us and we lost games as a team. I don’t know if people are feeling jittery or anything outside of [the locker room]. Mark’s our quarterback and he’s going to be our quarterback. He’s won games and we have lost them as a team."

Revis was asked if anyone inside the Jets locker room is feeling "jittery" after Sanchez's two-interception, mistake-marred night on Sunday.

"No, I don’t think so," the corner said. "Not that I know of. Unless somebody comes out and speaks up and says something about it, then we’ll address it then."

RESPECT FOR TEBOW: There's plenty of debate over Tim Tebow's credentials as an NFL QB. But you couldn't find anyone questioning Tebow inside the Jets' locker room on Monday.

"He’s 3-1 right now as a starting quarterback, so people can say what they want but numbers don’t lie," Aaron Maybin said. "Anytime you’re 3-1, you’ve proven that you can win. You’ve proven that you have talent; that you definitelty have to be game-planned against and schemed just like any other team."

Tebow completed two of eight passes for 69 yards and a touchdown and ran for another in Denver's 17-10 win over Kansas City last Sunday.

Said Revis: "You’ve got to respect everybody. He’s a professional NFL player. He worked hard to get here. Don’t get me wrong. Watching film, he’s made some throws. He’s made some touchdown throws and he’s made some deep balls. He can definitely play this game, it’s just a matter of him just learning more and getting the offense down and him getting comfortable back there in the pocket."

MAYBIN'S WHIFF KEPT HIM UP SUNDAY NIGHT: Maybin had a clear path to Tom Brady on Sunday night, but he missed the sack when Brady slipped away. It was one of those plays that haunted him well after the final whistle.

"It kept me up last night," the defensive end said.

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Pool not sure about Thursday

November, 14, 2011

Nov 14

9:44

PM ET

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By Ian Begley<p>The Jets didn't practice on Monday. But if they did, Brodney Pool wouldn't have been out there. The safety is still feeling the effects of a sprained left knee that kept him out of Sunday night's loss to New England.

Pool is making improvement but is unsure about his availability for Thursday's game against Denver. He ran "a little bit" last week but has to check with team doctors before getting back on the practice field.

Brodney Pool

#22 S

New York Jets

2011 STATS

• Tot20
  
• Solo14
  
• Ast6
  
• FF0
  
• Sack0.5
  
• Int0
  

"It depends on how my leg feels tomorrow and what I do and what the trainers, how they feel about it," Pool said when asked about playing against Denver.

The Jets missed Pool's presence on Sunday night. The secondary was stretched thin with having to cover Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Deion Branch.

Reserve Donald Strickland was burned a few times by Gronkowski, who finished with two touchdowns. No one's saying Pool would have shut Gronkowski down, but he could have helped.

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Rex Ryan: Blame me for terrible timeout

November, 14, 2011

Nov 14

6:30

PM ET

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By Jane McManus

Rex Ryan said it was "the stupidest thing in football history," but Monday he didn’t want to place all the blame for the timeout called in the second quarter on his quarterback.

“I was basically saying [that] about myself,” Ryan said, “and when I talked about the emotion that I was feeling I was still feeling that obviously.”

Ryan took the fall, but Mark Sanchez was the one who called the timeout with 1:24 left in the first half and said it was a rookie mistake. Turned out the reason Sanchez made the call was a level of corporate communication worthy of Tony La Russa.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, Ryan and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh had a conversation via headsets about when to take a timeout, and concluded to do it after more time was gone. Sanchez is only connected to Schottenheimer via headset, but overheard the part of the conversation about taking a timeout.

“What my understanding is,” Ryan said. “I went over to Brian, because Brian was going to make the call and I said no it’s take the clock down, and use all the clock and then call a timeout. Matt Cavanaugh said, ‘What’s going on? Are we going to take a timeout?’ We said yes. I think that’s what happened there. You have to ask Mark but I think that’s what he heard is we are going to take a timeout.”

Sanchez does not make himself available on Monday however, so the question could not be posed. Ryan also made it clear that Schottenheimer wasn’t suggesting the Jets take an early timeout, but that the coaches were clarifying the plan.

The timeout meant that the Patriots got the ball with 1:20 left in the half, and they then marched the ball 80 yards in the hurry-up offense to score, giving them a 13-9 lead going into the half.

“He physically called the timeout but my communication wasn’t clear enough to Mark, which is why it was my mistake,” Ryan said.

Last season the Jets had headset trouble in the playoffs, when Sanchez’s headset stopped working in a loss to the Steelers.

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Rex Ryan sorry about loss, expletive

Monday, November 14, 2011

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

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FLORHAM PARK – Rex Ryan apologized to the Jets fans Sunday night for his team’s lousy performance. He apologized Monday afternoon for cursing a heckling fan before halftime of the Jets’ loss to New England.

Detect a trend here?

Ryan was caught on a homemade video that already has become a YouTube sensation, trying to quiet a fan telling him "Belichick’s better than you" while spicing his reply with an expletive. It’s possible that Ryan could face a fine from the NFL, because this is a game-related matter.

"It was an emotional time," Ryan said of the incident, which happened as he and his players and staff were filing into the tunnel at halftime. "I obviously made a mistake. I was just full of emotion and just popped off. And obviously, I know I represent the National Football League and I know I represent the Jets. And I know it was a mistake and I apologize for it."

Ryan already has been fined $50,000 by the Jets for an off-the-field incident in January 2010 when he made an obscene gesture to a Dolphins’ fan while attending an ultimate fighting event in south Florida.

When asked if that incident had taught him a lesson, Ryan said, "I make mistakes all the time and I’m not perfect by any stretch. I try to get better but sometimes my emotions get the best of me."

What Ryan and his players must do now is channel those emotions positively after their shattering loss to the Patriots in a showdown for first place in the AFC East. A downcast Ryan again said that winning the division now is "doubtful," considering the Patriots have a one-game lead over the Jets with seven games to play, plus they hold the tiebreaker by virtue of having swept the season series.

"We’re still very optimistic about our playoff chances," left guard Matt Slauson said, although he acknowledged the Jets now are thinking more in terms of the wildcard. "We’ve just got to move on. … The past is the past. We’ve already learned from it, and we’ve just got to move forward."

And do that quickly, given that their next game is Thursday at Denver. Not only will the Jets have a very quick turnaround, they also must prepare in a limited amount of time for Denver’s read-option offense, built around the running talents of inaccurate but effective quarterback Tim Tebow.

"It’s a very short week," cornerback Darrelle Revis said, before adding with a laugh, "it’s not even a week. It’s a couple of days."

"It’s a quick turnaround," center Nick Mangold said, "so it requires a lot of extra hours [of work] and a lot more focused studying. So it’s a tough challenge."

BRIEFS: Five players didn’t participate in the Jets’ walkthrough practice Monday, conducted without pads. They were RB LaDainian Tomlinson (knee), WR Jeremy Kerley (knee), S Brodney Pool (knee), WR Patrick Turner (kidney) and TE Shawn Nelson (ill). Pool missed the New England game, and his absence hurt the Jets in passing situations.

Ryan said he hopes Tomlinson will play Thursday. Pool and Kerley indicated uncertainty about playing against the Broncos. Turner was pulled from Sunday’s game at halftime, after he noticed there was blood in his urine. He said he doesn’t have any pain and hopes to play Thursday.

Ryan explained the Jets’ botched clock management near the end of the first half, when a timeout taken by QB Mark Sanchez with 17 seconds left on the play clock gave the Patriots extra time to complete their clock-beating touchdown drive, which ended with nine seconds to go in the half.

Ryan indicated he and his coaching staff were discussing they were about to take a timeout, and he believes Sanchez heard part of the conversation on his helmet headset and thought they wanted him to call time immediately. Sanchez took the blame after the game, calling it a "horrible mistake."

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

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Jets report card vs. Patriots

Monday, November 14, 2011

The Record

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Rushing offense: B-plus

Incomplete might be a more accurate grade, as the Jets ran effectively in the first half with 78 yards on 16 rushes but only sparingly (nine attempts for 32 yards) afterward. Mark Sanchez's 2-yard quarterback draw for a touchdown was made possible by RG Brandon Moore's block of NT Vince Wilfork.

Passing offense: D

Sanchez and his receivers were unable to adequately exploit a New England pass defense that entered the game ranked last in the NFL. Worse yet, the already injury-plagued secondary lost its best player, CB Devin McCourty, to a shoulder injury in the second quarter. He didn't return. Sanchez was sacked five times and threw two interceptions, including his second pick-six of the season. WR Santonio Holmes had six receptions for 93 yards, but his 27-yard catch on the first drive went for naught as he failed to keep in his feet with a chance to get to the end zone. The Jets didn't score on that drive.

Rushing defense: A

After rushing for a career-high 136 yards in the previous meeting, BenJarvus Green-Ellis was limited to 8 yards on eight carries. The Patriots finished with only 60 yards on the ground, but former Jet Danny Woodhead did have runs of 5, 6 and 7 yards to help jump-start New England's final touchdown drive. CB Darrelle Revis showed his versatility later in that drive by spilling Kevin Faulk for a 3-yard loss.

Passing defense: F

The Jets didn't sack Tom Brady once, nor could they cover TE Rob Gronkowski, who had eight receptions for 113 yards and two TDs. He would have had a third touchdown had he not stepped out of the back of the end zone before making a diving grab. WR Deion Branch outmaneuvered CB Kyle Wilson for an easy 8-yard score, and Wilson also dropped a potential momentum-changing interception in the first half. Even Chad Ochocinco came out of mothballs to catch two passes, including a wide-open 53-yarder in the first quarter.

Special teams: D

K Nick Folk missed a 24-yard chip-shot in the first quarter, silencing the home crowd and ruining the Jets' momentum. Joe McKnight nearly broke a 38-yard kickoff return, but later muffed a punt, setting up a Patriots' field goal. T.J. Conley averaged 41.2 yards net on five punts, and the Jets held the Patriots' return game in check for the most part.

Coaching: F

Coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine were unable to get the proper personnel on the field many times, and on several occasions Patriots WRs were uncovered at the line of scrimmage. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was unable to make the adjustments to slow down the Patriots' pass rush. As for special teams, using McKnight on a punt return instead of sure-handed Jim Leonhard wasn't smart. Clock management also was a major issue. Finally, Ryan's team simply wasn't mentally sharp in such a big game, and that falls on the head coach.

— J.P. Pelzman

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Stapleton: Jets need to move on from loss to Patriots

Tuesday November 15, 2011, 12:42 AM

By ART STAPLETON

COLUMNIST

Print | E-mail

FLORHAM PARK – This is not the time to take anything for granted.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Head coach Rex Ryan, right, needs to get the Jets past the tough loss to New England in time to face Denver on Thursday.

Yet that seems to be exactly what Rex Ryan is doing when asked to gauge the psyche of the Jets following their latest beat down by Belichick, Brady and the rest of the Patriots.

Ryan took to the meeting rooms and then to the microphones Monday, promising Gang Green would put the most emotionally draining regular-season defeat of his head-coaching tenure in the past because there is a game to play two days from now in Denver.

He told reporters he would not be digging into his overplayed bag of tricks for a bury-the-ball stunt similar to the one he pulled off last season following “45-3” in New England.

His reasoning was matter of fact: There’s no time to waste.

“We have no choice,” Ryan said. “We have to get over it.”

But the players to whom we talked to are not over it, judging by the look and sound of things in a relatively quiet and somber locker room the day after.

The Jets claimed they were putting everything they had into beating a supposedly vulnerable New England team in a prime-time showdown with the buildup of an AFC East title game, albeit several weeks premature. They had won three games in a row and the Patriots were in danger of losing their third straight, a feat that had not happened to them since 2002.

There was urgency and emotion, confidence and expectation for the Jets.

Then the game was played and with it came all that disappointment, nicely packaged in an everything-went-wrong, 37-16 loss to the team that found a way to do it to them again.

“Everybody is kinda still thinking about what happened last night,” Darrelle Revis said. “But it’s for us to try and turn it around as fast as we can. That’s what guys have been trying to do and now trying to focus on Denver.”

Revis insisted the Jets were “trying” to move on from New England, “trying to focus” on Denver, which has crept back into the AFC West race behind the most polarizing player in the league, Tim Tebow.

Ryan believes his team is ready to move forward because “we play in three days or whatever it is, so we can’t focus on what just happened. We know what happened.”

When taking the pulse of this team, however, Ryan can’t ill afford to take its emotional mind-set for granted. He has basically conceded the AFC East to the Patriots, which any reasonable person could understand, yet when has Ryan ever made predictions based solely on reason and statistics.

His Jets were the best defense in the league, even though the numbers said otherwise.

Derrick Mason was going to catch “80 or 90” balls this season, or so he projected.

This is a coach who promised the Jets would be Super Bowl champions before coaching a game for the franchise and virtually guaranteed a trip to meet President Obama at the White House.

So why, on the heels of such a disheartening loss, did Ryan reverse course now when his team could feed off his brashness and bravado to recover a whole lot quicker?

What the Jets respect most about Ryan is his competitive spirit and conviction in what he believes, even if what he declares is sometimes so outlandish no one believes it.

The only time we saw that from Ryan was when he says his emotions got the best of him walking through the MetLife Stadium tunnel for halftime, when a fan ripped him for basically not being Belichick – something Ryan jokes about all the time.

Ryan answered back, telling him to shut up with an expletive attached.

“I was just full of emotion and just popped off,” said Ryan, who apologized for his outburst. “I make mistakes all the time and I’m not perfect by any stretch. I try to get better, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me.”

The mistake Ryan might be making now is blindly trusting that his players are ready to compete for their playoff lives when they hit the field Thursday night.

“Obviously it’s not good, but there’s plenty of football left to play,” Nick Mangold said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to get out there Thursday night and right the wrongs.”

Near the end of what was an otherwise solemn news conference, Ryan joked about what Belichick reportedly said to his son as they walked off the field Sunday.

“Thirty-seven points on the best defense in the league, [expletive],” said Belichick, according to a report in the New York Post.

“I don’t take offense to it,” Ryan quipped. “Quite honestly, I said the exact same thing to my son when we were walking off the field after we beat them in the playoffs about their offense being the

No. 1 offense in the league. I got no problem with that.”

As it turns out, Ryan’s son wasn’t even at the game. He was joking.

The proclamation Ryan made soon after was lost in the laughter.

“That’s something I’ll bring up after we beat ’em in the playoffs again this year,” he said.

Apparently the Jets’ psyche is not the only thing Ryan is taking for granted, yet nobody in the room flinched.

There were no follow-ups, just one final question about Tebow.

Ryan has some convincing to do. He’d be smart to start with his own team.

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Analysis: In the NFL, running quarterbacks can run into trouble

Jeff Legwold

The Denver Post

Posted: 11/15/2011 01:00:00 AM MST

Editor's note: NFL reporter Jeff Legwold analyzes the Broncos' 17-10 victory at Kansas City on Sunday and looks ahead.

As much as everyone wants to hurry Tim Tebow's season along to make a decision about what the Broncos' future looks like behind center, the team, the quarterback and the season still are on the clock.

The Broncos are 3-1 this year in games Tebow has started, and they have essentially put Tebow in the role of No. 2 tailback, using his threat to run, his actual carries and some occasional passes to win some games.

With each of those victories the question about the Broncos playing this kind of offense long term sits squarely over the team, much like the question of playing Tebow in the first place.

NFL history says you could be good doing it, but not the best, and your chances of making the playoffs would be slightly less than 50-50.

Billy Kilmer's 509 yards in 1961 for the 49ers rank him 25th all time among the best rushing seasons by an NFL quarterback. Tebow, at 70.8 yards rushing per start, is on pace to top the 510-yard rushing mark Dec. 4 at Minnesota, passing Kilmer. Michael Vick ranks No. 1 in NFL history with 1,039 yards rushing in 2006 for the Falcons.

In those 25 seasons — by 14 quarterbacks — the team went to the playoffs 12 times (.480). Only three times did those quarterbacks advance past the divisional round of the playoffs and none of them played in the Super Bowl in a season when the quarterback topped 509 yards rushing.

The best season on the list may have been Hall of Famer Steve Young's 1992 campaign when former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was calling the plays for the 49ers as their offensive coordinator. Young rushed for 537 yards for the 14-2 49ers and also threw for 3,465 yards while completing 66.7 percent of his passes (25 touchdowns, seven interceptions) for one of the best offensive teams in league history.

Vick is on the list five times,

including last season, and went to the playoffs in three of those years, losing in the NFC championship game to close out the 2004 season. Randall Cunningham is on the list five times, with four playoff trips, but the Eagles never advanced past the divisional round.

The Broncos' offensive scheme has helped them win back-to-back games for the first time in almost two years. But how far it can take them down the road is the heart of the matter.

Key matchup

It would be unfair for the Broncos to ask Tebow to beat the Jets' unorthodox defense Thursday night in Denver the same way the Patriots' Tom Brady did Sunday night at the Meadowlands.

Brady is a three-time Super Bowl winner, one of the elite quarterbacks in league history. And he surgically dispatched the Jets, often moving quickly out of a no-huddle look, calling the offense at the line of scrimmage.

When the Jets went big on defense, Brady threw the ball. When they went small, he called running plays to pound away at smaller fronts.

No matter how the Broncos attack the Jets, it will be important for Tebow to make quality presnap reads to keep his offense out of harm's way, even as the Jets jump around in a multitude of fronts.

The Jets occasionally play with seven defensive backs — the first time Tebow will see that look in his NFL career. The Jets sometimes put only one lineman in a three-point stance. They crowd the line of scrimmage, they back away, they bring the house or they drop plenty of folks into coverage.

Little of it will look the same for the quarterback from play to play. How Tebow manages those seconds just before the snap will have a lot to say about how the Broncos move the ball.

Comparison shopping

After Tebow's 2-of-8 passing Sunday at Kansas City, the Broncos rank 31st in the 32-team league in completion percentage at 52.9 percent. Only Jacksonville is worse, at 48.5 percent.

Fifteen teams have completed at least 60 percent of their passes.

Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com

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Denver Broncos eyeing ... New York Jets

Jets at Broncos, 6:20 p.m. Thursday, Sports Authority Field at Mile High. TV: NFL Network, KWGN-2

Posted: 11/15/2011 01:00:00 AM MST

Jets QB Mark Sanchez (Getty Images file photo)

For the record: The Jets are 5-4 (tied for second place in the AFC East). The Broncos are 4-5 (tied for second place in the AFC West).

Who's hot: The Jets were burned by the Tom Brady- led Patriots on Sunday night, but defense still is the Jets' strength. The Jets are in the NFL's top 10 in total defense and pass defense. The Jets have 13 interceptions and six fumble recoveries.

Who's not: The Jets' running game. They're averaging only 98.1 yards rushing, ranking 24th in the 32-team league. Running backs Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson have combined for only three rushing touchdowns.

Key stat: The Broncos and Jets have allowed 23 sacks each this season. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was sacked five times Sunday by the Patriots. Denver's defense ranks eighth in the league with 24 sacks.

FYI: This is the third meeting between the Broncos and Jets in four seasons. The Broncos won 34-17 at the Meadowlands in 2008. The Jets won 24-20 in Denver last year. The Broncos are 16-15-1 in regular- season games against the Jets.

Coachspeak: "We were wanting this game in the worst way. But you're not going to beat New Eng- land, you're not going to beat many teams, when you make the mistakes that we made." — New York coach Rex Ryan, after the Jets committed three turnovers in their 37-16 loss to the Patriots

Lindsay H. Jones, The Denver Post

Read more: Denver Broncos eyeing ... New York Jets - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19336261?source=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dp-sports-broncos+%28Denver+Post%3A+Sports%3A+Broncos%29#ixzz1dmbSJdg3

Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

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Jets coach sorry for cursing at heckler

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:46 AM, November 15, 2011

Posted: 3:12 AM, November 15, 2011

Rex Ryan spent last week pushing the fans at MetLife Stadium to be vocal for Sunday night’s game with the Patriots.

But one fan was a little too vocal for the Jets head coach. A YouTube video captured Ryan shouting an obscenity at a fan as the team entered the tunnel at halftime of the Jets’ 37-16 loss. Ryan apologized for the outburst yesterday.

“I was emotional,” Ryan said. “It was an emotional time. I was coming in. You know, I obviously made a mistake. I was full of emotion and just popped off. Obviously, I know I represent the National Football League, I know I represent the Jets and I know it was a mistake. And I apologize for it. This is who I am. I made a mistake. I’m about as big a competitor as there is. At that time, I was in no mood to hear anything. But I also understand I have to handle that better.”

Charles Wenzelberg

LIKE-MINDED: Rex Ryan and Bill Belichick, both of whom made headlines for expletive-laced comments, meet after Sunday night’s Patriots victory.

The Jets had just allowed the Patriots to march 80 yards and score a touchdown in one minute, 11 seconds. Their drive was helped by Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez calling a timeout with time left on the play clock to give Tom Brady more time to operate.

As Ryan walked off the field, a fan shouted, “Hey Rex, Belichick is better than you.”

Ryan responded, “Shut the f--- up.”

The NFL is taking a look at Ryan’s actions, a league spokesman said. It is likely Ryan will face a stiff fine. Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for throwing up his middle finger repeatedly at the Bills sideline from his luxury suite in a game in 2009.

The fine will come from the league, not the Jets, because it is a game-related matter.

“Rex and I have talked about it,” Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement released by the team. “Obviously, he let his emotions get the best of him. He knows that his behavior was not acceptable.”

Ryan has been fined by the NFL for his own flipping of the bird. He was caught by a cell phone camera flipping his middle finger at fans who were taunting him at a mixed martial arts event in Miami in January 2010. The Jets fined Ryan $50,000.

This fine probably will be much larger because Ryan is a repeat offender and he did this inside an NFL stadium during a game. Ryan was asked yesterday if he thought he had learned his lesson about dealing with the public after the Miami incident.

“I make mistakes all the time,” Ryan said. “I’m not perfect by any stretch. I try to get better, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me.”

The end of the first half clearly irritated Ryan, who was seen on TV swearing at Sanchez after calling the timeout. He then, according to NBC sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya, called it the “stupidest thing in NFL history.” Ryan said he was still emotional when he spoke with Tafoya.

Ryan again took full responsibility for Sanchez calling the timeout. He said the quarterback in his helmet speaker heard Ryan, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenehimer and quarterbacks coach

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rex_goes_from_bad_to_curse_XFwi01XI6TINzR7MQ0s7lK#ixzz1dmbw6D33

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Vulgar Belichick rip OK with Ryan

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:22 AM, November 15, 2011

Posted: 2:51 AM, November 15, 2011

More Print

Jets coach Rex Ryan responded to a report in The Post yesterday that Patriots coach Bill Belichick had some choice words for the Jets defense as he walked off the field Sunday night.

Belichick said to his son, Stephen, “Thirty-seven points on the best defense in the league, s--- my ----,” after the Patriots beat the Jets 37-16.

“That tells you how big a game that was for both teams,” Ryan said. “I don’t take offense to it. Quite honestly, I said the exact same thing to my son when we were walking off the field after we beat them in the playoffs about their offense being the No. 1 offense in the league. I’ve got no problem with that.”

Ryan conceded he was joking about saying it to his son before adding: “It’s something I’ll bring up to him after we beat them in the playoffs again this year.”

In Foxborough, Mass., on Monday, Belichick did not want to discuss his comments.

“I don’t remember it that way,” Belichick said. “I don’t think we’re here to talk about that. If you want to talk about the game, great.”

Earlier Monday, on WFAN, Belichick said, "Any conversations I had privately I'll keep private."

brian.costello@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rex_ok_with_fellow_foul_mouthed_HtmPbfW2RfHxDdEtmXZzbL#ixzz1dmcaLfHl

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Jets coach is one who should shut up

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 8:08 AM, November 15, 2011

Posted: 3:06 AM, November 15, 2011

More Print

Steve Serby

Rex Ryan didn’t learn his lesson. He is still the Rex-Rated head coach who can’t keep himself from putting his middle finger in the air or his foot in his mouth.

Much to the chagrin of Roger Goodell and Woody Johnson and no doubt his wallet, Ryan was all over YouTube yesterday for his unprofessional, foul-mouthed response to a fan who heckled him with: “[bill] Belichick is better than you,” as he trudged through the tunnel on the way to the Jets locker room at halftime.

Rex-Rated looked up and snapped: “Shut the f--- up,” and kept walking.

“I was full of emotion and just popped off,” Ryan said. “Obviously, I know I represent the National Football League, I know I represent the Jets, and I know it was a mistake. And I apologize for it.”

He was full of emotion and he popped off because Tom Brady had just driven the Patriots down his defense’s throat for the go-ahead touchdown immediately after what he decided was “the stupidest play in NFL history,” Mark Sanchez hearing the word timeout from the sidelines in his helmet and calling it with 17 seconds left on the play clock, ultimately leaving Brady with too much time.

He had already used the expression “You know” nine times during his chastened mea culpa when he continued with more.

“You know,” Rex-Rated continued, “this is who I am. You know, I made a mistake. You know ... I’m about as big a competitor as there is, and at that time, I was in no mood to hear anything. But I also understand that, you know, I have to handle that, you know, better.”

Mike Tannenbaum knows.

“He knows his behavior was not acceptable,” Tannenbaum said in a statement issued by the team.

The fact of the matter is that Belichick and Tom Brady, by virtue of their prime-time smackdown, basically told Ryan and the Jets to “shut the f--- up,” because the Road to Super Bowl XLVI will most probably not be going through East Rutherford.

Maybe it was a line Rex-Rated had rehearsed for his role as a Patriots fan in the new Adam Sandler flick.

Ryan is a media star because his press conferences are must-watch, must-listen events, a refreshing departure from Coachspeak drivel.

But he embarrasses the NFL, the organization and himself when he acts like an out-of-control frat boy out in the public eye.

This isn’t Animal House.

This is Goodell’s House.

To err is human, and Rex-Rated is as human as it gets.

Most of the time, it is a blessing for us.

Twice now, it has been a curse for him.

Three strikes, and we’ll start to wonder whether he is a graduate of STFU.

Rex-Rated was fined $50,000 by the Jets three days after his boorish behavior at an MMA event in Sunset, Fla., eight days before Super Bowl XLIV. It eventually came out that a heckling fan had spat at him.

“[Ryan] looked at us and said, ‘Go f --- yourselves,’” the Dolphins fan said, “and then he gave us the finger.”

Tannenbaum said at the time: “Rex showed extremely poor judgment and his conduct was inappropriate.”

Even a contrite Ryan conceded then that it was “stupid and inappropriate.”

So Sunday night, the stupidest play in NFL history was followed almost immediately by the stupidest halftime outburst in NFL history.

Yesterday Rex-Rated said: “I make mistakes all the time, and I always, you know ... I’m not perfect by any stretch. I try to get better, but sometimes, you know, my emotions get the best of me.”

His emotions could cost him a pretty penny. Titans owner Bud Adams earned himself a $250,000 fine in 2009 for flipping off Bills fans, remember. The commissioner frowns upon repeat offenders, remember.

Jets-Patriots was hardly Ali-Frazier. It was Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas, and the Jets wound up groping for the mouthpiece as the referee counted them out.

Ryan’s 12th Man showed up Sunday night. But his 11 men on the field did not.

But the most important one is Sanchez, whose consistent inconsistency defined the gap between his Jets and Brady’s Patriots.

“I don’t think he’s regressed,” Ryan said. “I’m glad Mark’s our quarterback.”

He didn’t seem so thrilled Mark was his quarterback when he called that timeout.

“Brian was gonna make the call and I said, ‘Use all the clock and then call a timeout,’” Ryan said.

“And I think [quarterbacks coach] Matt Cavanaugh said, ‘What’s going on, are we gonna take a timeout?’ We said, ‘Yes.’ So Mark heard that, he never heard the full conversation that I had with Brian.”

Sounds like someone should have screamed, “Shut the f--- up.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/ryan_needs_to_just_shut_up_LHi1gcnF62tQJBhZLAIgkM#ixzz1dmcydoxg

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Jets expect to beat Patriots in playoffs

Jets Blog

By STEVE SERBY

Last Updated: 8:22 AM, November 15, 2011

Posted: 3:07 AM, November 15, 2011

It will take more than a sweep by Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots to convince Rex Ryan the Patriots are superior to his Jets.

The Post has learned Ryan, at yesterday’s team meeting, vowed the Jets will see the Patriots in the playoffs and beat them.

“He said, ‘Guys, we’re gonna have another shot at them in the playoffs, and it’ll be just like last year,’ ” Matt Slauson said.

Ryan implored the Jets to put the Patriots’ 37-16 win behind them immediately with the Broncos waiting Thursday night in Denver.

Still, it’s hard not to think about Jets-Patriots III?

“We would love it,” Slauson said. “We know that we squandered our opportunity, it shouldn’t have been like that. It’s just things compounded on top of each other to make them even worse. But they played well and we didn’t.

“We know if we play like us, they would have no shot.”

But they swept you this year.

“Yes they did,” Slauson said, “and they’ve proven me wrong both times. But, we’re gonna see ’em a third, I have a feeling.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/green_leader_latest_boast_we_ll_VOVAxaPGcLQ0leqI1SYwnN#ixzz1dmdl9lg1

[Integrity28]

NY Jets coach Rex Ryan sends wrong message by cursing at fan, giving up on AFC East race

Ryan should not have said division title is out of reach

Agree...

He shouldn't be cursing at fans.

He shouldn't be talking about division race being over.

He shouldn't be talking about beating the Pats in the playoffs.

He shouldn't be making excuses and backpedaling.

He shouldn't be kissing Bill's rings, but that's exactly what he did all week.

He shouldn't be talking. He's an idiot.

What he should be doing is making heads roll. Enough of this "everyone on this team is awesome, our coaches are awesome" bullsh*t.

One word: Accountability.

Nobody and I mean NOBODY on this team has any.

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Jets coach wrote book on stopping Tebow-style attack

Jets Blog

By BART HUBBUCH

Last Updated: 8:31 AM, November 15, 2011

Posted: 2:09 AM, November 15, 2011

More Print

Little did Rex Ryan know when he wrote a book about defense 12 years ago that the chapter on stopping an option offense would come in handy as an NFL coach.

Ryan’s 1999 book, “Coaching Football’s 46 Defense,” includes a 20-page section on defending the option, and the Jets coach no doubt will be thumbing through it with Tim Tebow’s Broncos next on the schedule — in a short week, no less.

Football’s most polarizing player attempted a mere eight passes and completed just two of them on Sunday, yet Tebow led the Broncos to a 17-10 road win over the Chiefs a week after doing the same against the rival Raiders.

Getty Images

COLLEGE TRY: Rex Ryan and the Jets have just a few days to prepare for the Broncos’ college-style option offense featuring unorthodox quarterback Tim Tebow, who has won his past two starts.

Throwing NFL convention to the wind, Broncos coach John Fox is letting Tebow run essentially the same read-option offense he used at Florida — and so far at least, it’s working.

“With Tim Tebow at quarterback, it’s almost a throwback to the college game,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said after Tebow didn’t complete his first pass against the Chiefs until late in the third quarter Sunday.

Aside from the Dolphins and other teams dabbling with the Wildcat offense, no club has used the option as its base offense since Marv Levy briefly made himself a laughingstock by dusting off the Wing-T with Kansas City in the late 1970s.

Mayock is right: Heavy on misdirection and forcing opposing defensive ends and linebackers to show extreme patience, the option is a staple of college and especially high school football.

Fast, hard-hitting defenders and the very high chance of quarterback injuries caused the scheme to fall out of favor in the NFL decades ago, but Tebow is putting on a one-man revival in Denver. He is 4-3 as a starter in the pros despite a 47-percent career completion rate.

Considering how teams in college often struggle against option-heavy attacks like Georgia Tech’s and the military academies’ because they rarely face that tricky offense, Ryan’s Jets will have to get familiar with it again in a hurry.

And talk about night and day: Gang Green will have to find a way to shut down the option just four days after struggling (and largely failing) to combat the Patriots’ hurry-up spread passing attack in a 37-16 loss at MetLife Stadium.

If Ryan were concerned about a whiplash effect from facing two polar-opposite offenses, he didn’t show it yesterday. The coach was too busy praising Tebow.

“Just a great competitor,” Ryan said of the former Heisman Trophy winner. “You can go back and look when people asked me about him [before the 2010 draft]. I thought he was a great competitor.

“I thought he was a winner. That’s what he is showing right now. Are there prettier passers than him? Yeah, absolutely. But, again, I’ll just try to find a way to beat him.”

Even though Ryan wrote part of his instructional book on stopping the option, the Broncos’ version has something no coach can prepare for — Tebow’s intangibles.

“You can’t measure Tim Tebow by statistics because he has that ‘it’ factor,” Deion Sanders told the NFL Network yesterday. “The only thing I know is that they’re starting to believe and winning games.”

bhubbuch@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/exploring_option_P7hWRlPQ8ZYTH4eFKWMR4M#ixzz1dmeFkG7Y

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Jets keeping playoff plans

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:22 AM, November 15, 2011

Posted: 1:36 AM, November 15, 2011

More Print

The Jets know they put themselves in a precarious position to win the AFC East with Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, but they still feel they will make the playoffs.

“We feel like we have to get things turned around and [going] in the right direction, then we’ll be fine,” left guard Matt Slauson said. “As far as winning the division, our destiny kind of lies in New England’s hands. We feel very confident about [the] wild card. We just have to take care of business.”

The AFC playoff picture remains crowded. The Jets are one of four AFC teams with four losses and would not be in the playoffs if the season ended today. There are five other teams with three losses.

Jets coach Rex Ryan reiterated his feelings about the likelihood of catching the Patriots again yesterday.

“I still think it’s doubtful,” Ryan said. “I look at New England as an excellent football team. They’re a game ahead of us. They might as well be two games ahead of us. I look at it realistically.”

Asked if he will now look at the wild-card picture he said, “We’re looking at Denver [where the Jets play the Broncos on Thursday]. That’s the only way we’re going to get in the playoffs.

* The Jets have some injury issues to deal with. The team did not have a full practice yesterday, but released an injury report as if they had. Five players would have been unable to practice: RB LaDainian Tomlinson (knee), WR Jeremy Kerley (knee), S Brodney Pool (knee), WR Patrick Turner (kidney) and TE Shawn Nelson (illness).

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/gang_green_keeping_playoff_plans_hgL4rFsGaJ9qvnjz2w0Z8H#ixzz1dmeuyBPT

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Good old time

Belichick and Patriots enjoyed team win vs. Jets

By Shalise Manza Young Globe Staff / November 15, 2011

FOXBOROUGH - Bill Belichick has been criticized in recent weeks like never before in his Patriots tenure, with even some of his most ardent fans questioning his decisions.

As Belichick wears several hats - or hoodies, if you will - most of the criticism was directed at Bill the General Manager, who released solid contributors (James Sanders, Leigh Bodden) and brought in unknown castoffs (Sterling Moore, Antwaun Molden).

Time will tell if the changes lead to greater success for the Patriots, the first step being a win in the postseason.

But for Sunday night at least, some of the old magic was back, and for that, Bill the Coach probably deserves much of the credit. The 37-16 victory over the Jets was the type of team win that used to be commonplace for the Patriots; all that was missing was Rodney Harrison claiming that no one believed in them.

As long as New England has Tom Brady at quarterback, the offense will be fine. Brady brought a bunch of third- and fourth-string receivers such as Jabar Gaffney, Reche Caldwell, and Doug Gabriel to within minutes of the Super Bowl in 2006, and since then he’s had far better talent to throw to, leading to some explosive offenses. He has had down moments, but by and large, Brady’s excellence is a constant.

But the Patriots defense has been a different story.

Belichick didn’t earn the title of defensive genius because he had a team of superstars; he did it by finding smart, hard-working players and tailoring the game plan to their strengths while also taking away the strengths of the opponent. He also had assistant coaches who had been in the game for years, who knew what adjustments to make.

Many smart, gritty players have moved on, and so have most of the coaches who were in the defensive meetings. Too often, plays haven’t been made when needed, on-the-fly changes weren’t made, and opponents have been able to march on the Patriots at will in crucial moments.

And then there’s the near-constant lack of pass rush, which would cause even a secondary of four All-Pros to look ordinary.

Against the Jets, however, the Patriots of old were back. Belichick’s fingerprints were all over the defensive game plan. The line went back to being more physical, putting quarterback Mark Sanchez, who even on his better days can be skittish, into full “Happy Feet’’ mode. Receivers were re-routed.

The whole defensive unit played sound against a New York offense that had awakened over the last month.

Andre Carter, who gambled on himself and asked the Redskins for his release on the eve of the lockout, sacked Sanchez 4 1/2 times and was credited with eight quarterback hits. Rob Ninkovich, who joined the Patriots in 2009 with a list of transactions and little else on his NFL file, had two interceptions, the second of which he ran back for the clinching touchdown. Special teams ace

Tracy White, normally a linebacker in name only, was credited with four tackles.

Niko Koutouvides, unemployed since New England cut him at the end of training camp and re-signed last week, made the special teams play of the night, recovering a muffed punt to set up a short scoring drive.

After the win at Metlife Stadium, player after player said there was a lot of football left, but Belichick knew that it was as must-win as a Week 10 game can be - the Patriots were facing their first three-game losing streak since 2002, the AFC East title was likely on the line, and when it comes to the Jets, there’s no love lost.

Deion Branch, who spent four-plus seasons in Seattle between his Patriot tenures, was asked about the notion that the game had passed Belichick by, and the receiver looked puzzled.

“I don’t know what that means,’’ Branch said. “He’s still the best coach in football. He’s a teacher.

He’s constantly teaching, each and every day.’’

Belichick and Brady set the NFL record for most victories by a coach-QB tandem, surpassing Don Shula and Dan Marino with their 117th win. Brady believes, as Branch does, that Belichick is still the game’s best.

“Believe me, I appreciate every day showing up to work and having him as our head coach,’’ said Brady during his weekly contractual appearance on WEEI. “There’s no [other] coach I’d ever want to play for. He gets us prepared every week. There’s so many things I’ve learned from him over the years about mental toughness, and his ability to stay really even-keeled through the wins and the losses.

“And the last two weeks [before the Jets game] have been rough, but you know what? He never lost faith in us or confidence in what we’re doing.’’

Public confidence in Belichick has wavered in recent weeks, but on Sunday night, Bill the Coach was back at the top of his game.

Shalise Manza Young can be reached at syoung@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter

@shalisemyoung.

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November 15, 2011, 6:00 am

Tebow’s Numbers, in a More Positive Light

By CHASE STUART

Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesTim Tebow has been impressive as a rusher and effective over all as a quarterback in the last two weeks. Can he keep it up?

Tim Tebow was 2 of 8 passing for 69 yards on Sunday. He has completed less than 50 percent of his passes in each of his games this year. He’s averaging just 131.5 passing yards per game in his four starts, not counting an average of 24 yards lost because of sacks in each game.

No one would argue that Tebow wasn’t horrific against the Lions and just as ugly for the first 55 minutes against the Dolphins. But he’s actually been a much more effective quarterback the past two weeks. What do I mean by effective?

Let’s put Tebow’s performance in a different light. We can’t ignore Tebow’s running success any more than we can ignore most quarterbacks’ passing prowess. Every time Tebow runs, he is, in essence, completing a pass to himself. If we convert all of Tebow’s runs to completions, and tack on his rushing yards and touchdowns to his passing totals, how do things look?

Against Oakland, his numbers would translate to 23/34 for 242 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Against Kansas City, he would have been 11/17 for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns. No, he’s not Drew Brees. But over the last two games — 34 completions and rushes on 51 total attempts, for 343 net yards, 4 touchdowns and zero interceptions — he has been very effective. In those two games, using such conversions, he’d have a 66.7 percent completion rate, a 6.7 yards-per-attempt average, and a 7.9 ANY/A average. That’s effective quarterbacking, without even considering the positive effect Tebow’s presence has on non-Tebow running plays.

Of course, such analysis is only backwards looking. An offense with a one-dimensional quarterback is bound to be shut down in embarrassing fashion sooner or later. That he was effective in the last two weeks is in no way a prediction that he will be effective in the next two, and an angry Rex Ryan-led Jets team may accelerate the hands on the clock to twelve for Tebow. The Jets have only a few days to prepare for Denver, but that may be more than enough: Ryan devoted an entire chapter to defending the option in his treatise on how to coach defense.

Chase Stuart is a contributor to SmartFootball.com, Footballguys.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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Rex on Tebow: There are prettier passers, but he’s a competitor

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 15, 2011, 7:23 AM EST

Reuters

Jets coach Rex Ryan is preparing to face Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow on Thursday night, and Ryan says he’s admired Tebow since he was in college.

“I thought he was a great competitor and he is a winner, and that’s what he’s showing right now,” Ryan said, in comments distributed by the Jets’ PR staff. “Are there prettier passers than him?

Yeah, absolutely. But again, [we] just [have to] try to find a way to beat him.”

Yes, I think it’s safe to say there are prettier passers than Tebow, who has yet to complete even 50 percent of his passes in any game this year.

Asked how the Jets will transition from preparing for Tom Brady and the Patriots last week to Tebow and the Broncos this week, Ryan said it couldn’t be more different.

“It’s totally different,” Ryan said. “[The Broncos] ran 55 [times], they had 55 runs and eight passes.

But each week it’s different. Sometimes they spread you out and then they’ll run it, they’ll do a lot of creative things. So it’s definitely [a challenge], in this short a time, we’ve got our hands full.”

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Morning take: Patriots won't face Cassel

November, 15, 2011

Nov 15

8:00

AM ET

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By James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Tuesday morning in the AFC East:

• The New England Patriots won't face Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, who is out indefinitely with a hand injury.
  

Morning take: New England's easy schedule gets even easier with the struggling Chiefs missing their starting quarterback. Enter Tyler Palko at Gillette Stadium on "Monday Night Football." Oh boy.

• Karlos Dansby of the Miami Dolphins says he's the best linebacker in the NFL.
  

Morning take: Those are big words from Dansby. I disagree that he’s the NFL’s No. 1 linebacker but I think it’s good that he feels that way. More importantly, Dansby needs to continue to play that way and help Miami win games.

• Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood will be lost for the year with a torn ACL.
  

Morning take: This is a big blow to the Bills, who already have injuries on the offensive line. Wood was the quarterback in the trenches who worked well with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

• New York Jets safety Brodney Pool (knee) is not sure if he will be available to play on Thursday.
  

Morning take: Pool definitely could have helped New York’s pass defense last weekend against New England. He’s the team’s most athletic safety.

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After Stinging Loss, Jets Look To ‘Right The Wrongs’ Against Tebow’s Broncos

November 15, 2011 8:58 AM

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(credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) – Rex Ryan stepped to the podium and looked like a guy who hadn’t had much sleep.

It would be tough to blame the Jets coach, whose team had a chance to take control of the AFC East against its bitter rivals but instead came up with one big clunker.

“Today, I don’t even want to talk about the game,” said Ryan, his eyes appearing tired and his mood somber Monday.

There was still plenty to talk about, though, after the Jets were routed 37-16 by the New England Patriots on Sunday night. First place was there for the taking, and New York couldn’t take advantage. Now, the Jets (5-4) are a game behind the Patriots (6-3) in the division after being swept in the regular-season series.

“I still think it’s doubtful,” Ryan said of the possibility of winning the AFC East, reiterating his comments from Sunday night. “I look at New England as an excellent football team. They’re a game ahead of us, and they might as well be two games ahead of us.”

The Jets won’t have much time to dwell on their loss to the Patriots. They have a short turnaround with a game at Denver against the unpredictable Tim Tebow on Thursday night, and some players thought that might be exactly what they need.

“There’s plenty of football left to play,” center Nick Mangold said, putting a positive spin on things.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to get out there Thursday night and, you know, right the wrongs.”

But even the Jets admit Tebow is no pushover.

“He’s 3-1 right now as a starting quarterback, so people can say what they want but numbers don’t lie,” said Aaron Maybin. “Anytime you’re 3-1, you’ve proven that you can win. You’ve proven that you have talent.”

The Jets’ locker room was quiet, and the players who filtered in acknowledged that they blew a terrific opportunity.

“Our destiny now lies in New England’s hands,” guard Matt Slauson said. “But we feel very confident about the wild card, so we’ve just got to take care of business.”

There were plenty of wrongs Sunday night, a surprise considering how well the Jets had been playing leading up to the game. They had won three in a row, got their offense in gear and the defense was looking dominant again.

It took four quarters against the Patriots to change all that.

“We can’t focus on what just happened,” Ryan said. “We know what happened. We made enough mistakes that you play against a good team, they’ve got no chance to beat them if you make the mistakes that we made.”

There was a muffed punt, a missed field goal and a handful of silly penalties. New York also blew some assignments and had the wrong personnel on the field in certain situations.

There was also an ill-advised timeout by Mark Sanchez that had an infuriated Ryan telling NBC that it was “the stupidest thing in football history.” Ryan was still smarting from that call, which resulted in

Tom Brady marching the Patriots down the field before halftime to take the lead, and he yelled an obscenity to a fan who told him Bill Belichick was better than him.

“Sometimes,” Ryan said, “my emotions get the best of me.”

As they did on the sideline after Sanchez called the timeout, and Ryan ripped off his headset and was clearly animated as he spoke to his quarterback.

“I might have said a few things,” Ryan said, without going into specifics.

Still, Ryan took full responsibility for the timeout call, although the explanation for what happened was confusing.

“Yeah, OK, he physically called the timeout,” Ryan said, “but my communication wasn’t clear enough to Mark, so that’s why it was my mistake.”

Ryan said he was having a conversation about when to take a timeout with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh that Sanchez overheard in his helmet headset. Sanchez then called for a timeout, even though he had plenty of time to run a play.

“Brian was going to make the call,” Ryan said. “I said, `No, let’s take the clock down and use all the clock and then call a timeout.’ I think Matt Cavanaugh said, `What’s going on? Are we going to take a timeout?’ We said, `Yes.’ I think that’s what happened there. You’ll have to ask Mark, but I think that’s what he heard: `We are going to take a timeout.’”

Sanchez scored on a 2-yard run after the timeout, but Brady had 1:20 left on the clock to execute a scoring drive that shifted the momentum back in New England’s favor.

“I was basically saying that about myself,” Ryan said of his comments to NBC. “When I talked about the emotions that I was feeling (when he yelled at the fan), I was still feeling that, obviously. Because

I know how difficult it is. You’re facing a great team, they don’t need any help and we just gave them a huge help.”

Ryan and the players acknowledged that they could put all of that behind them quickly if they can go to Denver and win.

“We’re still a playoff team,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “We still have a chance at being in the playoffs. We have the guys and the coaching staff that can get us there. For us, we just have to go out every single week and just do what we’re supposed to do.”

Notes: Ryan had no update on the status of RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who left with a left knee injury in the fourth quarter. “I think he’s going to be OK,” Ryan said, “but I’m not real sure yet.”

Tomlinson was scheduled to have an MRI exam Monday. … WR Patrick Turner said he’s fine and never felt pain even though he was removed from the game with a kidney problem. He urinated blood at halftime, but passed all tests Monday and hopes to play. … WR Jeremy Kerley was still limping after suffering a left knee injury. He said he probably wouldn’t practice Tuesday, but wouldn’t rule himself out for the game.

Will the Jets score an easy ‘W’ over Denver? Sound off below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Palladino: Big Moments Not Jets’ Style

November 15, 2011 9:04 AM

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‘From the Pressbox’

By Ernie Palladino

Ernie is the author of “Lombardi and Landry.” He’ll be covering football throughout the season.

Life presents moments. It’s just that most of the time, you never know where or when they’re going to come. You’ve just got to be ready for them when they present themselves.

The Jets had their moment Sunday night. And it wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t unexpected. It had been on the schedule the whole time, right there in green and white. Nov. 13. 8:20 p.m. Patriots at MetLife.

This could have been one of life’s shining moments for them had they decided to play even a little bit of football. Instead, like we’ve seen over and over with these Jets, they let it — and the chase for the AFC East title — slip away.

Same old, same old.

This is their pattern. Has been for more than 40 years. They’ll take the little moments — playing spoiler to the Giants’ playoff hopes in the 1988 season finale, going down to Pittsburgh and beating the Steelers for their 10th win last year, and then going up to top-seeded New England to knock them out of the playoffs.

But when it comes to the really big ones, the ones where they get a chance to take control of their destiny, maybe advance to the Super Bowl, they fold it up.

Pittsburgh didn’t even have to score a second-half point in last year’s AFC Championship game to beat Rex Ryan. The year before the Colts beat them by holding the Jets scoreless in the second half.

Those were not little moments. They were signature moments. And the Jets — be they coached by Ryan, or Herm Edwards, or Bill Parcells, are not about signature moments. They do the small stuff okay. But put the real hot spotlight on them, and they’re done.

Just like this AFC East race is done. On paper, at least, the Pats can put it on cruise control. They have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jets with a season sweep. And they have one of the easiest schedules in the league ahead of them. Bill Belichick will take his rag-tag defense, which apparently had enough moxy to turn Mark Sanchez into a JV quarterback, against a combined record of 20-43. Only season-ending Buffalo has a winning record right now.

Meanwhile, the Jets will once again have to scramble for a wild card bid with Buffalo. Making the road even harder is Thursday’s game in Denver. Short week. Broncos winners of three of the last four. As it is, the Jets have to win two more games than New England down the stretch — not very likely unless the Pats head into a huge slide. And how likely is that? Lose to running Tim Tebow, and fans can start talking about a lost season.

The biggest bit of fight they showed Sunday night was Ryan throwing an invective at a fan who opined that Belichick was better than he was.

“I apologize for it,” Ryan said Monday. “I made a mistake. I was in no mood to hear anything. I have to handle that better.”

The Jets have to handle a lot of things better. Like when life’s moments present themselves.

The bottom line is this. The Jets are minor signatories; good enough to involve themselves in important events but absent the character to propel themselves front and center.

They leave the big script, the John Hancocks, to teams like the Patriots.

[Bleedin Green]

The Jets scored on Sanchez’s QB draw on the next play. That left Brady 1:20 and two timeouts. Of course, he took the Patriots 80 yards in 1:11. If Sanchez had not called time, Brady would have gotten the ball with 1:03 left. New England might have scored anyway because Bill Belichick never used his last timeout.

Thank God, finally a reporter with half an f'n brain. I know we love to make up every reason possible to crap on this team, but how big of a dipsh*t do you have to be to not realize that the early timeout kept 16 seconds on the clock and yet the Patriots scored with 9 seconds on the clock AND an unused timeout? The defense playing pathetically awful was the reason the Patriots scored a TD, not Sanchez's stupid TO call.

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Humbled Jets must bounce back in a hurry

Originally published: November 14, 2011 10:09 PM

Updated: November 14, 2011 10:25 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

Photo credit: Getty Images | Mark Sanchez points during their game against the New England Patriots. (Nov. 13, 2011)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- They're trying to scrape themselves off the canvas, searching for a quick way to re-energize their deflated egos.

The Jets' psyche is a bit fragile after that 37-16 pummeling by the Patriots Sunday night. Their AFC East title hopes probably were wiped away, because they're a game behind New England with seven left. Beating the Jets (5-4) twice gives the Patriots (6-3) the tiebreaker, and New England faces only one more team that currently has a winning record, the Bills.

So there was a noticeable hangover with the Jets Monday, and they know they'll have to snap out of it quickly with a date with the Broncos in Denver only two days away.

"Everybody is kind of still thinking about what happened last night," Darrelle Revis said with a sigh.

"But as far as trying to turn it around as fast as we can, that's what guys have been trying to do and trying to focus on Denver."

Still, a disappointing vibe was discernible.

"It's not good," center Nick Mangold said. "But there's still plenty of football left to play. We're excited about the opportunity to get out there Thursday night and right the wrongs."

There are an awful lot of wrongs to right, though.

It started with Nick Folk's hooked 24-yard field-goal try on the Jets' opening drive. The Jets gave up five sacks -- Andre Carter had 41/2 of them -- and even dynamic returner Joe McKnight muffed a punt.

Don't forget about that timeout Mark Sanchez burned with 1:24 left in the first half and about 18 seconds left on the play clock, a move Rex Ryan at the time called the "stupidest thing in football history." Ryan took the blame Monday, blaming the mistake on miscommunication.

Sanchez also threw a pick-six, one of three turnovers the Patriots cashed into 17 points in the second half.

"It wasn't that we were pressing," Ryan said. "I know we were excited about this opportunity. It's hard to describe. I don't know why we made those mistakes. We had the wrong personnel grouping . . . and we're trying to cover three guys in a cover zero with two guys. That doesn't work well. We made too many mistakes."

Ryan isn't optimistic about the Jets' division title hopes. "I still think it's doubtful," he said. "I look at New England as an excellent team. They're a game ahead of us. They might as well be two games ahead of us. I look at it realistically."

So the Jets probably will start turning their attention to the wild-card chase, and Antonio Cromartie remains confident.

"Yeah, we are still a playoff team," the cornerback said. "We still have a chance to be in the playoffs. We've just got to go out every single week and do what we are supposed to do."

But what they really were supposed to do was knock off the Patriots and have a legitimate chance to win their first division crown since 2002.

"We have seven more games left," Revis said. "If we would have won this game, would it put us where we needed to be? Yeah. But we've got to focus on these next seven games and finishing the season out strong."

Moreno out for season. The Broncos lost RB Knowshon Moreno to a season-ending ACL injury. Willis McGahee (hamstring) is expected to play.

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Ryan unsure of Tomlinson's status

Originally published: November 14, 2011 8:01 PM

Updated: November 14, 2011 9:18 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

Photo credit: Getty Images | LaDainian Tomlinson carries the ball. (Nov. 6, 2011)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan didn't sound overly confident that he'll have LaDainian Tomlinson available for Thursday night's game against the Broncos in Denver.

The future Hall of Fame running back suffered a knee injury in Sunday night's loss to the Patriots and wouldn't have been able to practice Monday if the Jets had held one. Instead, Tomlinson was an observer during the Jets' light walk-through, simply watching as his teammates ran a few plays in preparation for Thursday.

"Not real sure yet," Ryan said of Tomlinson's status. "I think he's going to be OK, but I have not heard for sure yet."

Asked if Tomlinson has a knee sprain, Ryan said: "Again, I have no idea what the extent [is]. I heard through our trainers that we think he's going to be OK."

Kerley has MRIRookie wide receiver Jeremy Kerley had an MRI on his left knee to evaluate an injury he suffered in the second quarter Sunday. Kerley, who returned to the game, hadn't yet received the results, so he wasn't sure if he will be able to play Thursday.

He doesn't think he'll be able to practice Tuesday because of the injury, which occurred when a defender was blocked into him on a punt return.

"I caught it and tried to make a move real quick," Kerley said, "and then he hit my knee and I just kind of got twisted up."

Training roomS Brodney Pool said he'll have a better gauge if he will play Thursday after seeing how his left knee reacts when he runs Tuesday. Pool, who missed Sunday's game, has been receiving extensive treatment, spending extra time with trainer John Melody. "He's like my second father right now," Pool joked . . . WR Patrick Turner (bruised kidney), who saw blood in his urine at halftime Sunday, said he had a CT scan and feels fine.

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Rex apologizes for cursing out fan

Originally published: November 14, 2011 6:57 PM

Updated: November 14, 2011 10:39 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

Photo credit: Getty Images | Rex Ryan of the New York Jets looks on during their game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. (Nov. 13, 2011)

Galleries

Rex Ryan apologized Monday for his foul-mouthed remarks to a fan Sunday, and the NFL plans to take a look at the incident, which was captured on video.

As Ryan walked into the MetLife Stadium tunnel at halftime, with the Jets having just yielded an 80-yard touchdown drive, a fan yelled out that Patriots coach Bill Belichick is "better than" him.

That's when Ryan offered up the choice words, a move he regrets.

"It was right after halftime, obviously [had] made the mistake with a timeout, gave up the touchdown," Ryan said. "It was an emotional time. I'm coming in and I obviously made a mistake. I was just full of emotion and just popped off and obviously I know I represent the National Football League and I know I represent the Jets and I know it was a mistake and I apologize for it.

"This is who I am. I made a mistake and I'm about as big a competitor as there is and I was in no mood to hear anything. But I also understand I have to handle that better."

Ryan could face a fine from the NFL, which is checking into the incident, league spokesman Greg Aiello said. A Jets spokesman said it's a game-related matter and that any discipline will come from the league, not the team.

"Rex and I have talked about it," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement.

"Obviously, he let his emotions get the best of him. He knows his behavior was not acceptable."

This isn't the first time Ryan has had to apologize for his actions. After his first season with the Jets, Ryan made an obscene gesture at a fan during a mixed martial arts event in Sunrise, Fla., the day before the Pro Bowl, and the team fined him $50,000.

"I obviously make mistakes all the time and I'm not perfect by any stretch," Ryan said. "I try to get better, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me."

Belichick's emotions might have gotten the best of him, too. He reportedly made an obscene remark on the field after New England's victory over the Jets, cracking to his son Stephen how the Patriots put up 37 points "on the best defense in the league . . . "

Asked about it Monday, Belichick told reporters in New England: "Yeah, that's not the way I remember it, so . . . "

Still, don't think Ryan will forget it.

Said Ryan: "It's something I'll bring up to him after we beat them in the playoffs again this year."

WARNING: This video contains graphic language. Click here to see the video

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Scouting the Broncos

November, 15, 2011

Nov 15

10:17

AM ET

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By Rich Cimini

A not-so-early look at the Broncos, whom the Jets face Thursday night in Denver:

1. The Broncos are 4-5, including 3-1 since Tim Tebow replaced Kyle Orton at quarterback. In the underwhelming AFC West, they're only one game behind the Raiders.

2. If the Jets are Ground & Pound, the Broncos are Ground & Pound & Pound & Pound. They ran it 55 times in last week's 17-10 win over the Chiefs. In fact, they opened with 14 straight runs.

3. Tebow, the QB that can't shoot straight, completed only two of eight for 69 yards and a TD in the game. He ran nine times for 43 yards and a TD. He became the first QB with more rushes than passes in a game in which he threw every pass for his team since 1974, according to Elias. That's when the Bills' Joe Ferguson had 10 rushes and two passes on a windy day aganst the Jets.

4. The Broncos became the third team in the last 25 years to win with two or fewer completions, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

5. They've done a nice job of tailoring their offense around Tebow's skill set -- a kind way of saying they're not a passing team. They put him in shotgun a lot, employing the read-option system you see in college. Against the Chiefs, they used the triple option: Tebow fakes to a back, breaks outside and pitches to a wide receiver. They also like to use bunch formations, which caused problems for the Jets against the Patriots.

6. Denver's running game took a big hit, though, because RB Knowshon Moreno suffered a season-ending knee injury. Willis McGahee tweaked a hamstring, but it appears that he'll be ready to play. If not, they have a capable inside runner in Lance Ball.

7. John Fox runs an aggressive, pass-rushing defense. The Broncos are rushing five or more players at the third-highest rate in the league, according to ESPN Stats. The leader is rookie sensation Von Miller, an edge rushing outside linebacker with eight sacks. He's a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

[Integrity28]

Morning take: Patriots won't face Cassel

November, 15, 2011

Nov 15

8:00

AM ET

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By James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Tuesday morning in the AFC East:

• The New England Patriots won't face Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, who is out indefinitely with a hand injury.
  

Morning take: New England's easy schedule gets even easier with the struggling Chiefs missing their starting quarterback. Enter Tyler Palko at Gillette Stadium on "Monday Night Football." Oh boy.

• Karlos Dansby of the Miami Dolphins says he's the best linebacker in the NFL.
  

Morning take: Those are big words from Dansby. I disagree that he’s the NFL’s No. 1 linebacker but I think it’s good that he feels that way. More importantly, Dansby needs to continue to play that way and help Miami win games.

• Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood will be lost for the year with a torn ACL.
  

Morning take: This is a big blow to the Bills, who already have injuries on the offensive line. Wood was the quarterback in the trenches who worked well with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

• New York Jets safety Brodney Pool (knee) is not sure if he will be available to play on Thursday.
  

Morning take: Pool definitely could have helped New York’s pass defense last weekend against New England. He’s the team’s most athletic safety.

The Universe loves the Patriots.

KC without Charles and without Cassel. Might as well give them the Lombardi... oh wait... they'll have to play teams like the Steelers, Texans, Ravens and Chargers in the playoffs? I take that back...

Packers are winning it all anyway. Nobody is stopping Rodgers anytime soon.

[Integrity28]

You know what pisses me off, it was probably a Jets fan that took the video of Rex cursing and posted it and essentially cost him all this distraction in a short week. Good for nothing fans.

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Tomlinson sits out open practice session

November, 15, 2011

Nov 15

1:27

PM ET

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By Mike Mazzeo

New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson did not participate in practice during the 30-minute portion of Tuesday’s session open to the media.

Tomlinson, who a source confirmed sprained his MCL on his final carry on Sunday night against the New England Patriots, underwent an MRI on Monday, but the results were not immediately available.

The running back suffered an MCL injury to his left knee in 2008, and was limited to just two plays in the 2008 AFC Championship game as a result of the ailment.

Wide receivers Jeremy Kerley (knee) and Patrick Turner (kidney) and safety Brodney Pool (knee) also were not practicing. Kerley, the Jets’ slot wideout, appeared to be hampered by his injury as he tried to do some movement exercises and stretching on the side.

Pool, who missed the New England game due to injury, said Monday he was making improvements, but was unsure about his availability for Thursday night’s game in Denver against the Broncos. He ran “a little bit” last week, but said he had to check with team doctors before getting back on the practice field.

“It depends on how my leg feels [Tuesday] and what I do and what the trainers, how they feel about it,” Pool said when asked about playing against Denver.

The Jets may have a Wednesday walk-through, but Tuesday will be their only full day of practice prior to Thursday night’s contest.

“I think he's going to be OK, but I have not heard for sure, yet,” coach Rex Ryan said of Tomlinson on Monday. “... I've heard from our trainers that he's going to be OK, so I'm certainly hopeful.”

Said Tomlinson after Sunday night’s 37-16 loss: “I’ll be all right. ... My leg got hit low, and I grabbed my leg.”

Tomlinson suffered the injury after being hit by New England wide receiver Julian Edelman, who was forced to play nickel back because the Patriots were depleted in the secondary.

After the game, Tomlinson left the locker room under his own power, but he was walking with a noticeable limp. Due to the Jets' quick turnaround, it will be tough for Tomlinson to be ready to take the field against the Broncos.

If Tomlinson, who has 489 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns for the Jets this season in a reserve role, is unable to play, the Jets would likely increase Joe McKnight’s workload and potentially could active rookie Bilal Powell, who hasn’t dressed for a game yet this season.