Jets News 12-6

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Ryan downplays Mulligan snit

December, 5, 2011

Dec 5

7:17

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By Rich Cimini

Rex Ryan said Monday he wasn't aware of Matt Mulligan's sideline outburst, which appeared to be directed an RBs coach Anthony Lynn. And if Mulligan did yell at Lynn, hey, stuff happens, according to Ryan.

"A lot of things happen in between the white lines on game day," Ryan said. "It’s never a personal thing, even if things do happen. It’s not like getting punched in the face or something."

That, of course, was a reference to the infamous sideline confrontation between Ryan's father, Buddy, and fellow Oilers assistant coach Kevin Gilbride. During a Jets-Oilers game in 1993, Ryan took a swing at Gilbride.

On Sunday, Mulligan was removed after a false-start penalty at the start of the third quarter and was caught on TV jawing at someone on the Jets' sideline. Fellow TE Dustin Keller stepped in front of Mulligan, seemingly to restrain him. Mulligan appeared to be upset with Lynn, who was standing nearby, but that couldn't be confirmed.

"Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s forgotten by now," Ryan said. "Even if there was (words exchanged), I don’t really know what went on, but I can tell you this, that this football team, we’re focused and we’ll be ready to play this week."

Mulligan has been a penalty machine; just call him The Amusement Park -- Six Flags. He's had four false starts and two holding penalties.

"Everybody has to be accountable," Ryan said. "We’ve got to ask why it’s happening and we’ve got to get it corrected. There’s no question about that."

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Maybin: Bills blew it

December, 5, 2011

Dec 5

6:15

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By Jane McManus

Aaron Maybin, who leads the Jets with six sacks and four forced fumbles, reiterated his gratitude the day after the 34-19 win over Washington. In fact, he said as much to Jets coach Rex Ryan Monday.

"As much as I've struggled and as hard as things have been for however long things have been bad for, I'm as happy now as I've been since I started playing this game. And that's a tribute to the coaching staff and the guys in the locker room. It does feel like I'm finally in a situation where I'm able to play football the way I know how to play it and that's refreshing."

Hear that, Buffalo?

"When they made the decision to go the way they did, they did so with the knowledge of what I could do," said Maybin, who was released in the preseason. "I had been on the team (for two years) and they had a perfect opportunity to see what it was they were letting go."

Maybin said that he is constantly talking to defensive coordinator Mike Pettine about the week's gameplan and what the team expects from him.

"I'm probably the most annoying guy on the team to them because I'm in their office as much as I can be, it's an every day thing."

And it has paid off as the high profile draft bust for the Bills, their Vernon Gholston, finally has converted some of that that potential into production.

"I knew that given the opportunity that I could produce and for Rex and them to give me the opportunity meant a lot to me," Maybin said.

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Kerley fumble costs return job

December, 5, 2011

Dec 5

5:38

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By Jane McManus

Jeremy Kerley fumbled a punt in the second quarter of a win over Washington, and coach Rex Ryan made a point of saying Kerley was out practicing punt returns at the facility on Monday.

But he had already lost the starting job.

Kerley, a rookie wide receiver, was replaced by Jim Leonhard on special teams at FedEx Field, and he will be replaced by the Jets safety going forward.

"I’ll be honest with you, I feel really comfortable having Jim Leonhard back there," Ryan said on a conference call. "This is the same guy that has averaged close to 10 yards a punt return his entire career. As I mentioned before, he can catch it in a hurricane. This time of year, the weather has a tendency to pick up, the wind and all those types of things. I just, right now, would feel more comfortable having Jim Leonhard back there. I know (special teams coach Mike Westhoff) and I feel the same way. I think that’s how we’re going to go."

Special teams is normally a strength of the Jets, but the team has botched six returns this season, losing possession just after they get it. Antonio Cromartie and Joe McKnight are two other culprits. Kerley had missed two games with a knee injury before the Washington game.

Ryan went out of his way to praise Kerley despite the demotion, saying he works hard after practice and catches 200 balls from the Jugs machine per day.

"The great thing about Jeremy is that he is focused on what he can improve on, and that’s the physical part," Ryan said.

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Injury updates: McKnight won't practice

December, 5, 2011

Dec 5

5:17

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By Jane McManus

Rex Ryan said he did not have the MRI results for running back and kick returner Joe McKnight yet, but said he probably won't practice on Wednesday with a hyperextended elbow, which he sustained when someone fell on him.

"Sounded like a hyperextended elbow, we'll see how it is," Ryan said. "Obviously if you're a running back you have to be able to grip the football and protect it, so thats something. Jason Taylor played with a hyperextended elbow last year but that's a little easier for an outside linebacker to play with than a running back. So we'll see how it is, probably don't expect him practicing on Wednesday."

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who hurt his injured knee when he twisted his leg on the carpet just off the field, was feeling better, according to Ryan, who was impressed Tomlinson wanted to come back in the game.

"In typical LT fashion he's like, 'I can block, I'll be fine,'" Ryan said. "Here's one of the greatest running backs in the history of the game and he's like, 'I'll go int here and block.' That was kind of neat to see."

DT Mike DeVito, who missed the Washington game with a knee injury, was jogging at the facility Monday, and Jeremy Kerley, who has been out with a knee injury but played on Sunday, was also catching balls and punts.

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ets Are Letting Games Go to the Last Minutes

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Santonio Holmes had a fourth-quarter touchdown catch against the Redskins.

By BEN SHPIGEL

Published: December 5, 2011

On Sunday, the Jets beat Washington. Or was it Buffalo? Or San Diego? Or did they lose to Denver? Their games are blending together, one barely distinguishable from the next, with every week showcasing their split personality.<p>

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The Jets have indeed looked like the Super Bowl contenders they say they are. They have also looked like Poinsettia Bowl runners-up, with all due respect to this year’s participants, Texas Christian and Louisiana Tech. What changes from game to game — aside from the final score — is for how long they resemble which team.

In a Nov. 17 loss at Denver, the Jets’ defense overwhelmed the Broncos for 55 minutes before it allowed Tim Tebow to lead a 95-yard touchdown drive. In each of their last two games — victories against the Bills and the Redskins — the Jets sleepwalked for 55 minutes before mounting game-winning drives.

“We don’t play the game to just try to win in the fourth quarter,” Santonio Holmes, who capped the past two comebacks with touchdown catches, said in a conference call Monday. “We play the game to win throughout the game.”

However true that may be, it is as if the Jets are immune from starting fast, from scoring early, from preserving leads, from dominating for 60 minutes. In an effort to find a solution, Coach Rex Ryan has solicited opinions from his coaching staff. He has held meetings. He has thought about the matter himself — and thought and thought. The problem within the problem is that the Jets rarely play well in all facets at the same time.

Only twice in 12 games have the Jets led after every quarter — Sept. 18 against Jacksonville and Oct. 17 against Miami. By contrast, they have trailed in the fourth quarter nine times, winning four, including the game at Washington on Sunday, when they capitalized on several Redskins mistakes to score 21 points in the final 4 minutes 49 seconds. It is a risky strategy, and an unintended one, obviously.

The final five minutes feels no different from the first 55. Even after their loss to Denver, when guard Matt Slauson said it seemed “like the panic button had been pressed a little bit,” the Jets continued to believe that they could beat every team in the league. “We’ve just got to put it together,” Ryan said.

And if they do not, the Jets are comfortable leaning on Mark Sanchez, who can sometimes overcome three and a half quarters of mediocrity with a late burst of brilliance, as he has supplied in 10 fourth-quarter comebacks or overtime victories over his 49-game career (counting the playoffs).

His 30-yard spiral to Holmes on Sunday was nothing short of beautiful.

But there is a danger in relying on volatility, on expecting Sanchez to will the Jets to victory, as has become the perceived formula of success with Tebow. That Sanchez can summon his best in the fourth quarter — often, with his team’s season depending on it — is a special trait. But too often, his inconsistency puts pressure on the defense, as referred to Sunday by Darrelle Revis. Given little to no margin for error, the Jets were sunk late in Denver — and were almost humbled the next week against Buffalo, their discombobulated secondary coming within a Stevie Johnson drop of spoiling a dramatic win.

From an offensive standpoint, Slauson said the rushing attack plays a pivotal role in the Jets’ rhythm and flow. If they can withstand an opponent keyed on stopping the run, the Jets gain confidence that Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson will find room late. Against Washington, the Jets ran for 101 yards on 30 carries, hardly an efficient showing, but 50 yards came in the fourth quarter.

“It takes a little bit of time before those holes get bigger and the defense starts to wear down a little bit,” Slauson said.

The Redskins did seem to wear down, and after the first quarter, their own embattled quarterback, Rex Grossman, seemed to play worse every time he touched the ball. It all added up to another escape, the Jets snatching victory from the jaws of defeat — or at least 55 minutes of sloppy football.

“It’s not the preferred way,” defensive tackle Sione Pouha said.

But this season, as it has been in years past, it is the Jets’ way.

EXTRA POINTS

Jim Leonhard will return punts for the rest of the season, a decision the Jets reached after Jeremy Kerley on Sunday committed the fourth fumble in four games by their special-teams unit. “He can catch it in a hurricane,” Rex Ryan said of Leonhard. Ryan may also need a new kickoff returner against Kansas City if Joe McKnight (hyperextended elbow) cannot play.

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NY Jets say devastating loss to Tim Tebow and Broncos was turning point of season

Slauson: 'Panic button had been pressed'

BY Manish Mehta

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, December 5 2011, 11:14 PM

Andrew, Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Rex Ryan and Jets keep focus on making the playoffs with two straight victories after suffering what could have been a season-wrecking loss to Tim Tebow (below) and the Broncos.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

One day after the Jets remained in the playoff race thanks to a fourth-quarter surge against the Redskins, left guard Matt Slauson admitted that Tebowmania nearly derailed their season. The Broncos’ stunning comeback win over Gang Green on Nov. 17 left Rex Ryan’s team searching for answers.

“I think there was a point after the Denver game where it did seem the panic button had been pressed a little bit,” said Slauson, who also mentioned the Jets’ three-game losing streak early in the season. “Things weren’t going the way that we expected them to go. So I think we were all kind of caught a little off guard at both of those points. So it was kind of difficult to deal with.”

The Jets have responded with a pair of victories after Tebow’s miracle 95-yard game-winning touchdown drive, leaving Slauson believing “we can still do this” and make the playoffs for the third time under Ryan.

For all the focus on Gang Green’s three-game road losing streak that prompted Ryan to return to the team’s ground-and-pound roots, Slauson maintained that the loss in Denver stung more.

“Obviously our three-game losing stretch at the beginning was tough,” Slauson said Monday. “But the feeling after the Denver game was even a lot more intense than that. Because we knew that we shouldn’t have lost to Denver. It was just poor team execution. We felt that that loss in particular was kind of on us as players. We just didn’t really show up.

“The reaction around the team was really down,” Slauson added. “It was really difficult to put that behind us.”

But they did.

The Jets are in a five-team logjam for the final AFC wild-card spot with four games remaining. For now, the Jets would lose tiebreakers to the Broncos, Raiders, Bengals and Titans. However, plenty can change in the final weeks.

“Our goal’s intact,” Ryan said. “It looked really bad a few weeks ago. . . . It was a devastating loss that we had to Denver. We’ve got to focus on improvement and finding ways to win games. We don’t have any wiggle room. We’ve got to get it done.”

Ryan’s messages after the early-season three-game swoon and then the Broncos defeat were relatively straightforward. He told his players that even though they were better than they had shown, they needed to put in the work to improve. In the first case, the Jets responded with three consecutive wins. They have bounced back from the Denver debacle with two wins and counting.

“I would describe it (as) more of an urgency to get things done,” nose tackle Sione Pouha said.

“The more important part is how you react to pressing the (panic) button. Are you going to fold under pressure or be able to get yourself ready to perform? After that (Denver) game, we’ve been able to not only respond with urgency, but we’ve also (shown) that we’re not a team that’s going to fold.”

Ryan cited recent history (two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances) as reason to think the Jets “can do some damage” again if they make the playoffs. The loss to Tebow was merely a body blow. Gang Green’s confidence remains as strong as ever, Ryan said.

“This team has plenty of confidence,” Ryan said. “We don’t lack for confidence one bit. We think we can beat any team in this league. Obviously we lost five games this year so that’s not always a fact, but we believe going into every single game that we’re going to win.”

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Sullivan: Mimicking mantras for Giants, Jets; Postseason rhetoric all too familiar

Monday, December 5, 2011 Last updated: Tuesday December 6, 2011, 6:39 AM

By TARA SULLIVAN

RECORD COLUMNIST

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There’s a football echo in New Jersey, reverberating from East Rutherford to Florham Park, bouncing back and forth like a verbal ping-pong ball. The final quarter of the NFL season is here, and for the Giants and Jets, the mission is startlingly similar: Win out and make the playoffs.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

The stakes will be much higher on Dec. 24 when Eli Manning, left, and Mark Sanchez meet in a game that ultimately could decide their playoff fates.

“We know what’s ahead of us,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said Monday, repeating the same mantra that carried him out of the disappointment of Sunday’s last-second loss to the Packers. “We know what we have to do right now.”

“My message is pretty clear to our players,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said the day after his team won its second straight on the road in Washington. “We know that it’s in front of us.”

Sound familiar?

The four games in front of each team will determine whether both go to the postseason, neither goes to the postseason, or one goes to the playoffs and one stays home. Those potential scenarios are about to underline the final stanza of the season with plenty of drama. Will Tom Coughlin’s Giants escape the second-half spiral that has sabotaged their last three seasons? Will Ryan’s Jets fulfill his repeated Super Bowl guarantees?

So much is riding on these last four

games, and none looms larger, or more intriguing, than the Dec. 24 meeting between the two MetLife Stadium partners. Imagine both teams needing that victory to remain alive in a playoff race?

The new building might finally shake the way it used to across the parking lot.

Yet plenty has to happen to make that morsel of scheduling deliciousness matter, beginning with wins on Sunday – the Giants in Dallas and the Jets at home against Kansas City.

“I think our goals are still in hand,” Coughlin said Monday at the Timex Performance Center.

“Everything that we wanted to achieve at the very beginning of the season, having played 12 weeks, they’re still there. This is obviously a big game in the division, in Dallas, for first place.”

On a conference call with reporters, Ryan provided the echo.

“Our goal is intact, even though it looked really bad a few weeks ago,” Ryan said. “It was a devastating loss that we had to Denver [Nov. 17], but again, we can’t focus on that. We have to focus on improvement and finding ways to win games. We don’t have any wiggle room. We have to get it done and we understand that. We also have a great deal of confidence in ourselves and we’re not worried. We’re not focused on other teams in this league. We’re just focused on getting better and finding ways to win.”

Your serve, Coach Coughlin. Did the Giants reach a new level of confidence after playing unbeaten Green Bay to the final seconds?

“I think it brings you a little bit closer together when you set your eye on something that nobody believes that you can do and you believe it and you play that way,” Coughlin said. “And although it’s very, very difficult, and I mentioned last night, there’s no solace to playing well and losing, I’m not talking about that at all. I’m just saying they have to gain something from knowing that together they were able to accomplish it.”

There’s little doubt the Giants have the tougher schedule from here on out, with three division games remaining, including two against the first-place Cowboys. But the byproduct of three division games is that the NFC East title and its sure path to the playoffs is still in reach.

The Giants head off to Texas knowing they are in control of their own playoff fate.

“I feel like we are in a situation where we hold our own destiny and control our own destiny,” receiver Hakeem Nicks said. “We know where we want to be and we know what we want to do. We just have to get the job done.”

The Jets, already down a season sweep to the rival Patriots, are instead on the wild-card road, one that can be won through teams such as the Chiefs, Philadelphia and Miami. And, of course, the Giants.

And after two consecutive years of following that wild-card path all the way to the AFC title game, the Jets feel comfortable they can find their way again.

“We’re a team that just wants to win and get in the playoffs and see what happens. That’s what we try to do,” Ryan said. “This team has plenty of confidence. We don’t lack for confidence one bit. We think we can beat any team in this league. Obviously we lost five games this year so that’s not always a fact, but we believe going into every single game that we’re going to win. ... We’ve had a recent history of being able to do that. So that builds into that confidence.”

For now, the Giants and Jets remain divided by a few North Jersey highways, yet united in a shared mission. Everything they want is in front of them – four games that will determine the fate of two teams.

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NY Jets tailback Joe McKnight has MRI, shows no tears in elbow

Running back suffers only hyperextension to elbow

BY Kevin Armstrong & Manish Mehta

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tuesday, December 6 2011, 12:39 AM

Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman

Jets Joe McKnight will sit out practices this week, but could be back to face Chiefs on Sunday

Jets tailback Joe McKnight suffered a hyperextension of his right elbow in the victory over the Redskins, but an MRI on Monday did not reveal any tears, as first reported by the Daily News. McKnight maintained that he was not able to reenter the game because of considerable swelling that prevented him from cradling the ball correctly. He could not flex his right arm, and Rex Ryan said he does not anticipate McKnight practicing Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. He will receive treatment in the meantime.

KERLEY SHUFFLED OUT

Rookie return man Jeremy Kerley reported to the team’s training facility per usual Monday, to take extra punts, but the remedial work will not save him his role after he muffed a punt against the Redskins, according to Ryan.

Ryan maintained that he was “more comfortable” with sure-handed safety Jim Leonhard returning punts. “Sometimes that mental part, you have to overcome that as well,” Ryan said of Kerley. “The great thing about Jeremy is that he’s focused on what he can improve on.”

ADRENALINE RUSH

Aaron Maybin, the team’s leader in sacks (six) and forced fumbles (four), expressed satisfaction

over his emergence as a force with the Jets over the last nine games. On Monday, he told Ryan as much in the coach’s office.

“As much as Ive struggled and as hard as things have been however long things have been bad, I’m as happy now as I have been since I started playing this game,” Maybin said. The coaches recognized that teams began playing the outside linebacker a certain way of late and altered his attack points.

“It was a plan that we used this week, we went in and I attacked from several different positions,” Maybin said. “It did confuse them from a blocker’s perspective.”

FORWARD PROGRESS

RB LaDainian Tomlinson aggravated his MCL injury Sunday, but returned to the field to block on pass plays and ran the ball one more time. Ryan said he will likely play on Sunday.

“Here’s one of the greatest running backs in the history of the game and he’s like ‘I’ll go in there to block.’ That was kind of neat to see,” Ryan said.

UP AND RUNNING

DL Mike Devito (knee) jogged on Monday. His playing status for Sunday remains uncertain. . . . The Jets were among four teams that put in a waiver claim for former Patriots wide receiver Taylor Price, according to a source. Price was awarded to Jacksonville.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mri-shows-tears-elbow-jets-tailback-joe-mcknight-article-1.987378#ixzz1flatr4Ko

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Jets return to Leonhard for punts

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 8:33 AM, December 6, 2011

Posted: 1:46 AM, December 6, 2011

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JETS NOTES

Punt returns have turned into adventures for the Jets over the past month, and coach Rex Ryan wants to put an end to that.

After Jeremy Kerley became the third returner to muff a punt in the past four games Sunday, Ryan said yesterday sure-handed Jim Leonhard will be the team’s primary punt returner.

“I would just right now feel more comfortable having Jim Leonhard back there,” Ryan said in a conference call. “I know [special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff] and I both feel the same way and

I think that’s how we’re going to go.”

Leonhard was the Jets’ return man last season until he broke his leg in December. The Jets drafted Kerley in the fifth round with the idea of making him their returner. Kerley muffed a punt in the second quarter Sunday, a turnover that led to a Redskins field goal.

Ryan began the season saying he did not want Leonhard returning punts because he was still recovering from his leg injury. But Leonhard, who has a career average of 10.1 per return, has shown no lingering effects from his injury and the Jets need to stabilize the position after Kerley, Joe McKnight and Antonio Cromartie all have mishandled punts recently.

“As I’ve mentioned before, he can catch it in a hurricane,” Ryan said. “This time of year the weather has a tendency to pick up — the wind and all those types of things.”

* Ryan said McKnight has a hyperextended right elbow and does not think he will be able to practice tomorrow.

“We’ll see how he is,” Ryan said. “As far as his status for the game, I’m not real sure.”

* Ryan said he expects LaDainian Tomlinson to be fine after twisting his left knee Sunday, his first game back from a sprained MCL. Tomlinson was able to return to the game. Ryan said Tomlinson hurt himself getting up on the sideline when he slipped on the covering they put over the grass.

* Defensive lineman Mike DeVito (knee) was jogging at the Jets training center yesterday, but Ryan said his status for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs is uncertain. DeVito missed the Redskins game.

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Comeback Jets remain confident

Jets Blog

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 5:56 AM, December 6, 2011

Posted: 1:50 AM, December 6, 2011

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Two and a half weeks ago, the Jets season’ appeared ready to spiral out of control.

The Jets had just been “Tebowed” by the Broncos, losing their second straight game and dropping to 5-5 with their playoff hopes slipping away. Adversity was nothing new to this group, who endured a three-game losing streak and sniping in the locker room earlier this year, but a feeling of desperation pervaded practices and meeting rooms.

“I think there was a point after the Denver game where it did seem like the panic button had been pressed a little bit,” guard Matt Slauson said in a conference call yesterday. “There were a couple of days there, and also our three-game losing stretch in the beginning of the season, where things didn’t go the way we expected them to go. So, I think we were all kind of caught off-guard at both of those points.”

The Jets have silenced the panic by winning two straight games with fourth-quarter comebacks, showing just how resilient this team can be. They now sit at 7-5 with the playoffs still not a certainty, but a very real possibility.

After their dramatic wins over the Bills and Redskins, the Jets hope Tim Tebow’s 95-yard march on Nov. 17 was not only the low point of their season, but also the turning point.

“The fact is you’ve lost two games in a row and you just got beat by a team that you really were playing well against the whole game,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a conference call. “And the way we got beat, obviously, [it was] like, ‘Oh, great.’ But, again, this team has plenty of confidence. We don’t lack for confidence. Not one bit. We think we can beat any team in this league. Obviously, we’ve lost five games this year, so that’s not always a fact, but we believe, going into every single game, that we’re going to win.”

The loss to the Broncos was the second time this season the Jets appeared ready to crumble.

When they lost three straight in late September and early October it led to players — most notably Santonio Holmes and Brandon Moore — pointing fingers at each other. Suddenly, a preseason Super Bowl contender looked like it might be finished before Halloween.

Ryan told the team to knock it off and to have each other’s backs. They went out and beat the Dolphins on the following Monday to begin a three-game winning streak. There have been no signs of division amongst the players since.

“I think that’s the thing — stay positive,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said after Sunday’s win. “Let’s not get into the negativity of calling guys out or pointing people out I think we’re past that and moving forward.”

The next crisis arrived in November after back-to-back losses to the Patriots and Broncos. Ryan has never looked more emotional than after the loss in Denver, when the Jets defense controlled the game for 55 minutes but could not finish.

“The feeling after the Denver game was even a lot more intense than [the three-game losing skid] because we knew that we shouldn’t have lost to Denver,” Slauson said. “We definitely have the ability and the game plan to do it but it was just poor team execution. We felt like that loss in particular was kind of on us as players. We just didn’t really show up. It also put us in a position where it made it a lot more difficult for the postseason. Kind of the reaction around the team was really down and it was really difficult to put that behind us. Since then, we’ve been doing OK and bouncing back.”

Those crises are now memories. The Jets hope that in a few weeks they can look back at them when they’re recounting their road to the playoffs.

“We’re a team that just wants to win and get in the playoffs and see what happens,” Ryan said.

“That’s what we try to do. Our goal’s intact even thought it looked really bad a few weeks. ... It was a devastating loss we had to Denver but again, we can’t focus on that. We’ve got to focus on improvement and finding ways to win games. We don’t have any wiggle room. We’ve got to get it done and we understand that.”

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Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/flying_high_AdvQOLWfGBTiPwqq4DcL3K#ixzz1flcnuEyj

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Behind bluster, Ryan’s one hell of a coach

Jets Blog

Last Updated: 2:20 AM, December 6, 2011

Posted: 1:53 AM, December 6, 2011

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Mike Vaccaro

There are some who can’t get beyond the bluster, or the swagger, or the confidence that usually borders on arrogance and sometimes spills across state lines. That is the thing about Rex Ryan: He can come across as a cartoon, a caricature, and that tends to obscure something:

He really is a hell of a coach.

“Even if we wanted to let ourselves get down,” linebacker David Harris was saying Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field, after the Jets had finished off the Redskins 34-16, “that man over there” — he pointed at Ryan, making his way through the narrow visitor’s locker room — “wouldn’t let us. He finds a way to get his message across.”

Jeff Zelevansky

LISTEN TO ME: Jets players Plaxico Burress (17) and Jeremy Kerley listen to coach Rex Ryan on the sidelines during Sunday’s victory at Washington.

I’m going to give you a statistic now, and you can dismiss it, or you can qualify it, or you can ascribe what ever value — or lack thereof — you’d like. But after that victory in Landover, Md., two days ago, Ryan’s record with the Jets sits at 27-17. That’s a .617 winning percentage.

It also nudged him into first place on the Jets’ all-time list of winning percentage for coaches. Until Sunday at around 4:20 p.m, that distinction belonged to Bill Parcells, who was 29-19 from 1997-1999, a .604 mark.

OK: as Parcells himself would say about Ryan, we’re not going to hold off ordering an extra supply of clay to sculpt Rex’s bust for Canton just yet. And yes, being the Jets’ winningest coach is a bit akin to being the world’s tallest midget, since the only man other than Parcells and Ryan to have a career record with the Jets of better than .500 is Al Groh, who weighs in at a robust 9-7.

But whether you label the Jets a disappointment this year or not — and at 7-5, with lots of work left to secure a wildcard in a year when everyone in the organizations coveted a division title, it’s a fair label — there is little denying the Jets feel, and look, like a completely different franchise than they’ve looked at almost any other time in their history dating back to 1960.

The only other exception: The Parcells years, when it felt as if everything about the Jets had been transformed into the Giants, simply trading the blue in for green. As a result, as great as that era was, it felt transient even as it was happening, as if the Jets were merely borrowing something, like a library book.

This is something else. It would be a mistake to say that something else is something “permanent,” not after only two years, not with the looming task of sustaining what he’s built lying ahead of Ryan, a challenge that’s always lot harder than taking the first few steps out of the morass.

“We take our cue from him,” quarterback Mark Sanchez said not long ago. “He believes in us, and so we believe in us.”

It was interesting Sunday, too: On the other sideline, coaching the Redskins, was Mike Shanahan, owner of two Super Bowl rings, dubbed “Mastermind” during his glorious run in Denver.

Three years ago, Shanahan was fired by the Broncos exactly one day after Eric Mangini was let go by the Jets. Shanahan was one of three coaches rich with experience and success — Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer were the other two — that a lot of Jets fans and media clamored for as a replacement.

The prevailing thought, then as now, is that certain coaches bring cachet and victory along with their names — the way Parcells did when he joined the Jets. It’s why you won’t stop hearing Cowher’s name attached to the Giants’ future until Tom Coughlin either gets a contract extension or is fired and replaced by someone else.

Now, there is risk attached to entrusting a rookie head coach. Mangini was. Herman Edwards was. Groh was. None of them worked out spectacularly for the Jets. But watching Shanahan squint and suffer through another rough Sunday in Washington — where his record is now 10-18 — it’s also obvious you might not always want to hire a coach for who he has been.

Sometimes, you hire him for what he might be. And sometimes, it even works out.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/in_rex_they_trust_uEbkp2o9V8T3CBsHQcj89N#ixzz1fldSfycQ

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Jets report card vs. Redskins

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Record

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Rushing offense: B

Shonn Greene rushed for 88 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on 22 carries. The Wildcat reappeared for its most extensive use of the season, and although the Jets netted only 26 yards on seven plays, one was a 9-yard score by Greene. Seventy of the Jets' 101 rushing yards came after halftime.

Passing offense: B-minus

Three major positives from an otherwise lackluster day were that Mark Sanchez didn't commit a turnover for the first time since the Oct. 17 win over Miami, he wasn't sacked and he connected with Santonio Holmes on a beautifully executed fourth-quarter scoring pass that put the Jets ahead to stay. Holmes made a terrific double move to shake CB Josh Wilson.

Rushing defense: B-plus

A 12-yard run by Washington rookie Roy Helu in garbage time enabled him to finish with exactly 100 yards, but the Jets limited him to 25 second-half yards before that play.

Passing defense: B-plus

OLB Aaron Maybin had his sixth sack of the season when he separated Rex Grossman from the ball and Calvin Pace recovered at the Redskins' 9, setting up a Jets touchdown. Jamaal Westerman also had a sack. The Jets did an excellent job covering Washington's receivers, other than TE Fred Davis, who had six receptions for 99 yards.

Special teams: B-minus

Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt in the second quarter and Washington's recovery set up a field goal. It marked the fourth consecutive game in which the Jets' return units have turned over the ball. Nick Folk was wide right on a 40-yard potential go-ahead field goal in the third quarter, but connected on two others, including a 51-yarder. Reserve TE Josh Baker set up the go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter with a 49-yard kickoff return.

Coaching: B

Coach Rex Ryan got more involved with the offense for a change, and his suggestion of more Wildcat plays helped keep the Redskins' hard-charging pass rush off-balance. Give credit to defensive coordinator Mike Pettine for shuffling the personnel after Washington's opening drive, giving more snaps in defensive-line rotation to Marcus Dixon and Ropati Pitoitua. The Redskins didn't score another touchdown after that.

—J.P. Pelzman

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Jets not folding under pressure

Monday, December 5, 2011

BY J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Record

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The Jets’ locker room wasn’t very loud after the team’s victory Sunday at Washington. That’s probably because there isn’t a reason to celebrate yet, considering the Jets still have plenty of work to do to reach their goal of a playoff berth.

Then again, it wasn’t as quiet as it was after their previous road game, a blown lead and devastating defeat against Denver on Nov. 17.

"There was a point after the Denver game there where it seemed like the panic button had been pressed a little bit," left guard Matt Slauson said Monday on a conference call. (Coach Rex Ryan gave his players the day off.)

Slauson said that game was even more dispiriting than the three-game losing streak, all on the road, earlier in the season.

"The feeling after the Denver game was even a lot more intense than that," he recalled, "because we knew we shouldn’t have lost to Denver. We definitely have the ability and the game plan to do it, but it was just poor team execution. ... We felt like that loss in particular was kind of on us as players. We just didn’t really show up. It also put us in a position where it made things a lot more difficult [to make] the postseason."

But after that, Slauson said, players resolved to be more "accountable."

When asked about Slauson’s comments about the panic button being pushed, nose tackle Sione Pouha said, "I would describe it [as] more of an urgency to get things done. … Slaw talked about pressing the panic button. I think the more important part is how you react to pushing that button.

Are you going to fold under pressure or get yourselves ready to perform?

"We’re not a team that’s going to fold under pressure."

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the Jets (7-5) demonstrated that resiliency against skidding Buffalo and woeful Washington in their last two games, taking comeback victories against both teams. And they have another favorable matchup Sunday when they host punchless Kansas City (5-7), which is without starting quarterback Matt Cassel for the rest of the season because of a hand injury. The Chiefs have scored only one touchdown in three games since Cassel was injured.

Still, these Jets believe it’s more about what they do than about what their opponents may or may not be capable of accomplishing.

"We know we’re a better team than how we played in some of these games earlier this year," Ryan said on a conference call, recalling a message he gave to his players a while ago. "But we also know what we have to do to get better and we have to work at it. You can’t just assume it’s going to happen. You have to hit the practice field with a purpose every day and [do] the same thing in meetings, or the same thing [a loss] will happen to you."

BRIEFS: RB-KR Joe McKnight suffered a hyperextended elbow against the Redskins and Ryan indicated he may not play Sunday. The problem is that the injury may prevent McKnight from gripping and hanging on to the football. … Although Ryan praised rookie WR-PR Jeremy Kerley’s talent and work ethic, he clearly was unhappy about Kerley’s muffed punt Sunday, which resulted in a turnover. He indicated the Jets likely will use sure-handed S Jim Leonhard as their primary punt returner down the stretch. "I feel really comfortable having Jim Leonhard back there," Ryan said. "I know Westy [special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff] and I both feel the same way, and I think that’s how we’re going to go." Leonhard had a 14-yard punt return Sunday to help set up a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk.

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Jets back in playoff hunt three weeks after Denver Broncos debacle

Published: Tuesday, December 06, 2011, 4:00 AM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

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Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerJets wide receiver Santonio Holmes gets hi-fives from fans as he leaves the field after beating the Washington Redskins on Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Each of the Jets’ past two wins have come via fourth-quarter comebacks, and perhaps that is fitting. If this 7-5 team makes the playoffs, it will be through resilience, the art of bouncing back from a tough spot.

The toughest spot so far this season may have been in the wake of a frustrating loss in Denver on Nov. 17. a game that left coach Rex Ryan’s eyes red, a proud defense humbled and a team stunned. That was when the Jets, left guard Matt Slauson said, even felt some panic.

“There was a point after the Denver game there where it did seem like the panic button had been pressed a little bit,” Slauson said on a conference call yesterday. “There were a couple days there, and also the three-game losing stretch at the beginning, things weren’t going the way we all expected them to go. I think we were all kind of caught a little off guard at both of those points, so it was kind of difficult to deal with.”

The Jets responded with critical wins against the Buffalo Bills and at the Washington Redskins on Sunday, but they must keep winning in the fourth quarter of the season. Four teams are essentially tied for the AFC’s second wild-card spot, and it was last month in the thin air of the Mile High City where the Jets’ breathing room was all used up.

Their three-game losing streak early in the season was trying, especially when internal fractures in the locker room showed publicly. But Slauson felt the nadir of this season has been the Broncos loss, when the Jets allowed Tim Tebow to march his team 95 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 58 seconds left.

“Our three-game losing stretch at the beginning was tough, but the feeling after the Denver game was even a lot more intense than that, because we knew that we shouldn’t have lost to Denver,” Slauson said. “We definitely had the ability and the game plan to do it, but it was just poor team execution. We felt like that loss in particular was kind of on us as players, we just didn’t really show up, and it also put us in a position where it made things a lot more difficult for the postseason. So the reaction around the team was really down, and it was really difficult to put that behind us.”

So how did they? There wasn’t a dramatic turning point like a fiery plea from Ryan or a players-only meeting, players said. But they changed their focus, to getting back to the basics and worrying about their individual jobs. Slauson said many players had been caught up trying to do more than their assignments, or worrying about how other units are playing.

Nose tackle Sione Pouha, a captain, saw a difference in the accountability players showed, to themselves and the team. Ryan’s message when the team reconvened after the Denver game was that this is a great team — it just needs to play like one, in all three phases, for 60 minutes. And it needs to work harder to do so.

“The more important thing is how you react to pressing the (panic) button,” Pouha said.

“Are you going to fold under pressure or be able to get yourselves ready to perform? I think after that game we have been able to not only respond with urgency, but we’ve also responded to the fact that we’re not a team that’s going to fold under pressure or a team that’s just going to press the panic button and just let fate take itself, but take fate in our hands.”

The Jets’ two wins since Denver may not have come in the easiest or prettiest fashion. The Buffalo game came down to the final seconds. The Redskins win was earned in the final five minutes, not the first 55.

“Our goal is intact, even though it looked really bad a few weeks ago,” Ryan said. “Our first year here, we really struggled to make the playoffs, but we always believed that if we could get in there, we could do some damage. That’s what we plan on doing this year.”

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

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Morning take: 2010 Bills or 2011 Bills?

December, 6, 2011

Dec 6

8:30

AM ET

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By James Walker

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

• Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey says his 2011 team is better than last year's team.
  

Morning take: I agree with this statement. Buffalo was just 4-12 last season and already surpassed that win total. But Bills fans would feel better if they finished strong.

• Two teams reportedly have expressed interest in former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
  

Morning take: Could the Miami Dolphins be one of those teams? Miami owner Stephen Ross isn't tipping his hand. Ross will wait until after the season to make his decision.

• New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wasn't happy with the way they finished against the winless Indianapolis Colts.
  

Morning take: It is Brady's responsibility as a leader not to be happy. New England clearly let up. The Patriots allowed 21 fourth-quarter points to an inferior team. But I think they learned their lesson.

• New York Jets safety Jim Leonhard is taking over punt return duties.
  

Morning take: With big games and bad weather, this is the time of year when ball security is essential. The Jets have been fumbling around a little too much on special teams, and Leonhard is their most sure-handed returner.

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Palladino: Sideline Emotions Show Jets’ Fight

December 6, 2011 10:11 AM

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Matt Mulligan (credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images), Anthony Lynn (credit:NFL via Getty Images)

‘From the Pressbox’

By Ernie Palladino

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

Rex Ryan knows from intra-squad sideline altercations.

His old man, Buddy, once tried to deck current Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride when both were Houston Oiler assistants.

What allegedly happened Sunday between tight end Matt Mulligan and Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn didn’t rise to that kind of violence, according to Ryan. Though it’s still murky as to what triggered Mulligan’s show of emotion after he was flagged for a false start in Sunday’s 34-19 victory over the Redskins, we do know one thing.

It was a sign of competitiveness. And if it continues to spread throughout the team, the Jets may yet resurrect themselves into a playoff team.

They’re not there yet. With Oakland and Denver battling it out in the West at 7-5, both teams hold tiebreakers over the Jets. And either AFC North leader Baltimore or second-place Pittsburgh, both two games ahead of the Jets at 9-3, would appear to have the first wild card locked unless they completely fold in the final month.

Whatever the case, the Jets remain on the outside looking in at present. But if the fire that ignited Mulligan’s sideline rant continues, the Jets might just be able to jump right back into the thick of the postseason picture.

“I know how competitive everybody is and a lot of things happen in between the white lines on game day,” Ryan said Monday. “It‘s never a personal thing, even if things do happen. It’s not like getting punched in the face or something.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s forgotten by now, even if there was. I don’t really know what went on, but I can tell you this: this football team, we’re focused, and we’ll be ready to play next week.”

The mini-fracas, broken up by tight end Dustin Keller and offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse, probably wasn’t a bad thing at all. The Jets were down 13-10 at the time — not a big margin, certainly, but enough to cause typical worry of a big green collapse.

But then the Jets found a way to get it done. Down 16-13 in the fourth, the Jets ripped off two touchdowns in a minute and seven seconds, starting with Santonio Holmes’ 30-yard touchdown catch and following with Shonn Greene’s 9-yard Wildcat run that followed Aaron Maybin’s strip-sack and Calvin Pace’s recovery at the Washington 9.

Mark Sanchez was energized. The defense was energized.

Even the special teams, which recorded its fourth fumbled kick in four games, was energized as Antonio Cromartie returned the Redskins’ onside kick for 17 yards to set up Greene’s final 25-yard touchdown run.

Who knows whether Mulligan’s sideline rant had anything to do with the second-half fire the Jets showed. After all, Mark Sanchez has a habit of bringing his team back late, as he showed against Buffalo last week.

But to quote Thomas Jefferson as he opined about a farmer’s uprising in Massachusetts, “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”

It could be a good thing for the Jets, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. It’s hard to believe Ryan will allow it to.

Better that it creates a seething competitiveness throughout the ranks, coaches and players alike, as they head into a four-game season where every game becomes a must-win, starting with Kansas City on Sunday.

After all, it’s not like Mulligan tried to punch somebody in the nose.

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Ask and You Shall Receive: Mayhem Jerseys Selling on JetsShop.com for $65.50

Posted by Erik Manassy on Dec 6, 2011 in Main, Official Jets Web Site, Player Tweets, Quick Tweets | 1 Comment and 2 Reactions

AaronMaybin51 I LOVE MY #JetsNation …u asked 4 it, rex said get to it: http://t.co/TpX2stgm 12/5/11 4:02 PM

With the great play of Aaron Maybin this season, it’s no surprise that the player is causing such a buzz that a large amount of fans have been asking on twitter where they can get the #51 Maybin Jersey. I have been saying weeks ago that Aaron was quickly becoming one of my favorite Jets of 2011.

After Aaron recorded his 6th sack this past Sunday, I was thinking, man I have to get this guy’s jersey. I was putting out tweets if I should get his jersey and I was getting flooded with people asking me where they can buy it as well. I reached out to Matt Higgins, the EVP of the Jets on Twitter:

e_man Hey @mhiggins, #JetsNation want their @AaronMaybin51 Jerseys!! Best place to get them? When are u guys going to start producing them?” 12/4/11 8:37 PM

Then in his press conference, Rex said that the Jets will have to get some jerseys on their site with a MAYHEM on the back, Aaron’s nickname.

mhiggins Rex: “I think we’re going to have to get some jerseys out there w/ MAYHEM on the back.” Here you go -http://bit.ly/vCR90Q #Jets 12/5/11 4:01 PM

Well, when there is demand, there is supply and the Jets announced yesterday that the official Mayhem and Maybin 51 Jerseys are in the shop, OH and use the 30% discount code Jerseyweb30 and put JETSTWIT in the notes section when you log out.

Use Code jerseyweb30 to get 30% Off to get it at $65.50

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Rex Ryan asks for more Wildcat after Jets press “panic button”

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 6, 2011, 10:16 AM EST

Getty Images

The regular Jets offense isn’t too dynamic, so Rex Ryan made a request of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer last week.

More Wildcat!

The team practiced it all week and used it quite a bit against Washington with average results. The Jets ran seven times out of the formation for 26 yards, including a touchdown by Shonn Greene.

“I think it’s tough to defend if you’re not really focused on it,” Ryan said on Monday, admitting that it was his idea to make it a big part of their attack.

Ryan also decided that only Jim Leonhard willnow return punts from now after a streak of fumbles.

“He can catch it in a hurricane,” Ryan said of Leonhard.

Things have calmed down some in New York after two straight wins. Guard Matt Slauson admits that the team had to make adjustments after the loss to the Broncos.

“There was a point after the Denver game where it did seem like the panic button had been pressed a little bit,” Slauson said Monday via the New York Daily News.

The best thing thing the Jets have going for them, other than their pass defense, is a very advantageous schedule. They don’t play another team with a winning record the rest of the season.

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Jets' confidence back after comeback wins

Originally published: December 5, 2011 8:02 PM

Updated: December 5, 2011 9:09 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

Photo credit: AP | New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes runs off the field after the Jets defeated the Redskins 34-19. (Dec. 4, 2011)

Matt Slauson recalled the Jets' tense mood after their last-minute loss at Denver nearly three weeks ago, a sullen vibe that had them searching deeply for answers.

"There was a point there after the Denver game where it seemed like the panic button had been pressed a little bit," the guard said Monday. "Our three-game losing streak [Weeks 3-5] was tough, but the feeling after the Denver game was even a lot more intense than that because we knew we shouldn't have lost to Denver.

"It was just poor team execution. We felt like that loss in particular was kind of on us as players. We just really didn't show up, and it put us in a position where it made things a lot more difficult for the postseason . . . It was really difficult to put that behind us. But since then, we've been doing OK and bounced back."

The Jets (7-5) have won two straight after getting Tim Tebowed in Week 11, staying in the mix for an AFC wild card with Sunday's 34-19 win over the Redskins. With four games left, the Jets are in a virtual tie with the Bengals, Titans and Raiders or Broncos for the last spot.

So Rex Ryan isn't yet uttering those two words he loves to use -- Super Bowl -- but his strong conviction in his team has returned.

"This team has plenty of confidence," Ryan said. "We don't lack for confidence one bit. We think we can beat any team in this league."

Still, if you ask Slauson, there wasn't that sense among the players after the loss to the Broncos.

"I think the more important part is how you react to pushing the button," defensive captain Sione Pouha said. "Are you going to fold under pressure or be able to get yourselves ready to perform? After that game, we've been able to not only respond with urgency, but we've also [learned] we are not a team that is going to fold under pressure or going to press the panic button.

"Let's take fate in our hands."

They've been doing it in excruciating fashion, though. A week after their fourth-quarter heart-stopper with the Bills, the Jets needed another late comeback to beat the Redskins. Down 16-13 with 7:52 left, they scored three touchdowns in the final 4:49 to pull away.

"We don't play the game to just try to win in the fourth quarter," wideout Santonio Holmes said. "We play to win throughout the whole game, and when it comes down to the fourth quarter, we want to be the team that prevails. We want to be able to put everything on the table in the fourth quarter and say, 'This is what we've practiced for. Let's give it a shot.' "

If they make the postseason, Ryan feels good about their chances.

"We're a team that just wants to win and get in the playoffs and see what happens," Ryan said. "Our goal is intact, even though it looked really bad a few weeks ago. It was a devastating loss that we had to Denver. But again, we can't focus on that. We have to focus on improvement and finding ways to win games. We don't have any wiggle room. We have to get it done and we understand that.

"Our first year here, we really struggled to make the playoffs, but we always believed that if we can get in there, we can do some damage. And that's what we plan on doing this year."

Notes & quotes: Ryan said he isn't sure if RB-KR Joe McKnight (hyperextended right elbow) will play Sunday against the Chiefs. It's unclear if he will practice Wednesday . . . Ryan said he wants Jim Leonhard to be the punt returner for the rest of the season. The Jets' special teams have committed a league-high six turnovers, including one in each of the last four games.

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Sanchez-Fitz-Moore Watch

December, 6, 2011

Dec 6

11:00

AM ET

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By James Walker

Without further delay, we conclude the third quarter of the "Sanchez-Fitz-Moore Watch" to determine who is the second-best quarterback in the AFC East.

Here is how we grade this weekend's performances:

SanchezMark Sanchez, New York Jets

Result: W, 34-19 against Washington

Stats: 19-32, 165 yards, one touchdown

QBR: 36.2

Analysis: It wasn't Sanchez's best performance. But once again he came through in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Sanchez made his best throws late, which included a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Santonio Holmes for the go-ahead score. Other than that, Sanchez was pedestrian. He missed some throws earlier the game and only had 165 yards. He also didn’t challenge Washington down the field enough. The Jets are winning. But Sanchez needs to work on consistency in the first three quarters.

Walker’s grade: C+

FitzpatrickRyan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Result: L, 24-17 against Tennessee

Stats: 29-46, 288 yards, one touchdown

QBR: 46.6

Analysis: Fitzpatrick threw for a lot of yards but it didn’t lead to a lot of points. Fitzpatrick’s only touchdown pass came with 2:58 remaining in the game when he tried to lead the Bills to a furious rally. He also lost a fumble for one of Buffalo’s two turnovers. I thought the Bills went away from the running game too quickly in this game after falling behind. Fitzpatrick played solid. He wasn't the reason Buffalo lost this game.

Walker’s grade: B

lastNameMatt Moore, Miami Dolphins

Result: W, 34-14 against Oakland

Stats: 13-25, 162 yards two TDs (one passing, one rushing)

QBR: 67.4

Analysis: Moore’s numbers don’t stand out. But watching the game in person Sunday, I noticed he's very much in control of the offense and is pretty good at moving his team down the field. It’s hard to argue with the results. Miami pounded the Oakland Raiders, 34-14. The thing that stood out most is Moore is moving the chains. The Dolphins had 23 first downs and were 8 of 14 on third-down conversions. I don’t think Moore will ever big on numbers but he is effective this season.

Walker’s grade: B

This week’s winner: Moore and Fitzpatrick (three points)

Third place: Sanchez (one point)

Overall standings (final for third quarter)

Third-quarter winner: Matt Moore (12 points)

Second place: (tie) Fitzpatrick and Sanchez (eight points)

Wow! Each starting quarterback has won a quarter. Fitzpatrick took the first quarter, Sanchez won the second and Moore is the third-quarter champion.

The No. 2 quarterback in the AFC East will be decided in the final four games, as each team tries to finish strong.

So, who do you think will win the “Sanchez-Fitz-Moore Watch” for 2011?

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Will McKnight’s Hyper Extended Elbow Cause Him to Miss Chiefs Game?

by Bassett on December 6th, 2011 at 11:00 am

While the Jets came out of the Redskins game with a win, they did have some injuries to report as well. LaDainian Tomlinson was on the bench a lot of the game, and then in the second half, Joe McKnight was injured and did not return. McKnight told the press that he hyper extended his right elbow at on a two-yard pass play at the end of the the third quarter.

This brings a few things to mind. McKnight was scheduled for an MRI yesterday, so we might not hear an update on his status until tomorrow. According to reporters, McKnight couldn’t bent his elbow after the game due to the pain and swelling. That to me sounds like McKnight won’t be up for the game Sunday. He’s a running back after all, he’s got to carry the ball, and take into account some issues of holding onto the football he’s had already — as most young backs tend to have. His other major role as a kick returner is pretty reliant on his arms … so … the Jets might not risk it.

This of course means that they will have to sort out who to take over on kick returns. As Lisa suggested yesterday, look for Cromartie to be the guy … which is a thrilling and frightening thought all at the same time.

If any news leaks today about free agent running backs coming for visits or getting signed to the active roster … we might have our answer. Look to see how this week goes, but I’m not expecting McKnight to play this weekend against the Chiefs.

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Ryan downplays Mulligan snit

December, 5, 2011

Dec 5

7:17

PM ET

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By Rich Cimini

Rex Ryan said Monday he wasn't aware of Matt Mulligan's sideline outburst, which appeared to be directed an RBs coach Anthony Lynn. And if Mulligan did yell at Lynn, hey, stuff happens, according to Ryan.

"A lot of things happen in between the white lines on game day," Ryan said. "It’s never a personal thing, even if things do happen. It’s not like getting punched in the face or something."

That, of course, was a reference to the infamous sideline confrontation between Ryan's father, Buddy, and fellow Oilers assistant coach Kevin Gilbride. During a Jets-Oilers game in 1993, Ryan took a swing at Gilbride.

On Sunday, Mulligan was removed after a false-start penalty at the start of the third quarter and was caught on TV jawing at someone on the Jets' sideline. Fellow TE Dustin Keller stepped in front of Mulligan, seemingly to restrain him. Mulligan appeared to be upset with Lynn, who was standing nearby, but that couldn't be confirmed.

"Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s forgotten by now," Ryan said. "Even if there was (words exchanged), I don’t really know what went on, but I can tell you this, that this football team, we’re focused and we’ll be ready to play this week."

Mulligan has been a penalty machine; just call him The Amusement Park -- Six Flags. He's had four false starts and two holding penalties.

"Everybody has to be accountable," Ryan said. "We’ve got to ask why it’s happening and we’ve got to get it corrected. There’s no question about that."

What Rex says above (I underlined and bolded the text) is most telling. Mulligan is a kid, obviously someone on the coaching staff has got to "teach" him, otherwise who is to blame?