Jets News 12-12

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerJets QB Mark Sanchez ran in a touchdown and threw for two more in a 37-10 win over the Chiefs.

Jets coach Rex Ryan didn’t wait until the kickoff against Kansas City to make a couple of adjustments to jump start his offense and, more specifically, his quarterback.

The Jets alternate introducing offensive and defensive players one by one for their home games, and this week it was the defense’s turn to be introduced during the pregame.

Ryan, however, instead had his offensive starters introduced, two weeks after the MetLife Stadium crowd showered quarterback Mark Sanchez with boos before the Jets’ last home game against Buffalo.

Then, in another break from his norm, Ryan elected to receive after the Jets won the coin toss.

Both paid off as Sanchez, the last player introduced, received a loud ovation before he led the Jets to a touchdown in the opening drive for a lead they would never relinquish on the way to a dominating 37-10 win .

“Normally I like to defer, but all week long I felt great about it,” Ryan said.

“We wanted to get up on this team. This team was 13-2 when leading at halftime, so you look at those stats and we wanted to jump out early on.”

Once on the field, however, it didn’t look as if Ryan’s decision was the right one, as Sanchez had to call a timeout before the game’s first snap, six seconds into the game.

It was far from ideal, but it was forgotten as soon as running back Shonn Greene took a handoff on the ensuing play for 31 yards.

The drive culminated 10 plays later with a 1-yard touchdown run by Sanchez on a naked bootleg, the first of his four touchdowns — two rushing and two passing — on the day. He became the first quarterback in franchise history to score two touchdowns on the ground and through the air in the same game.

“That’s kind of the way the game went and that was good for us, and I’m glad we capitalized on it,” said Sanchez, who ran for two touchdowns for the first time in his career.

Sanchez and the Jets capitalized the entire game on a Chiefs team that has been devastated by injuries and averaged seven points in its previous five games.

Aided by a strong rushing attack — Greene ran for 129 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries — Sanchez was able to keep the Chiefs’ aggressive defense off balance with an array of screens in the short passing game.

In all, he completed 13 of 21 passes for 181 yards in three and half quarters before he was pulled in favor of backup Mark Brunell with the Jets up 35-10.

Ryan’s decision to take Sanchez out almost proved to be too late: On what turned out to be his final play of the game, former Teaneck High standout Tamba Hali strip-sacked Sanchez on fourth-and-5 from the Kansas City 32-yard line with 11:35 remaining in the blowout.

“That was my call,” Ryan admitted. “I thought if we could get the first down, we could basically run the clock out and get the game over.

“Obviously, you go back on it and wish you would have just punted it or tried a long field goal.”

It may have been the coach’s only mistake in handling his young quarterback Sunday.

Jorge Castillo: jcastillo@starledger.com

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jim Leonhard injuries knee in Jets victory but team fears safety may be lost for season

Published: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 10:19 PM Updated: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 10:28 PM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerThe Jets fear that they may lose Jim Leonhard for the season after he suffered a knee injury in the win over the Chiefs.

For the second straight year, the Jets may have to navigate the stretch run of their season without veteran safety Jim Leonhard.

Leonhard will have an MRI on his right knee Monday , a person with knowledge of his injury status confirmed, after being carted to the locker room in the second quarter of today’s 37-10 victory against Kansas City . The team is awaiting test results to make an official determination on Leonhard’s status, but the team expects he may be lost for the season.

“We did hear on the sideline that he may be out for the season,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “Just from hearing that information, it’s very tough because it’s almost like last year repeating itself again. And we have to move forward with the loss of Jim Leonhard.”

Leonhard’s leg appeared to get caught up in the grasp of Chiefs receiver Steve Breaston, who tackled Leonhard after he intercepted Tyler Palko. Leonhard was helped to the sideline by the medical staff, unable to put weight on his right leg. Shortly after, he was carted to the locker room, hitting the cart with his fist and immediately beginning to unwrap his tape.

The team quickly announced Leonhard would not return to the game.

“I’m hopeful it’s not that bad, but it’s never good when you need help coming off,” coach Rex Ryan said.

Leonhard, who is considered the quarterback of the secondary and makes many of the unit’s calls, missed the final five games as well as the playoffs last season after fracturing his right tibia in a freak collision during practice.

Safety Brodney Pool replaced Leonhard yesterday. Rookie Jeremy Kerley, demoted to punt returner in favor of the sure-handed Leonhard, was back returning punts after Leonhard went down.

Revis said the defense would change some packages and make a few other adjustments to move forward without Leonhard. For instance, safety Eric Smith sometimes comes down as a linebacker in packages with Pool and Leonhard, but he would likely stay at safety with Leonhard out.

“We thought our season was over last year without Jim, but we found ways to win,” Revis said. “Guys stepped up in the secondary and improved, and that’s all you can do is improve and move forward.”

The 45-3 loss to the Patriots last season was the Jets’ first game without Leonhard, but Pool and Smith played very well down the season stretch to help the team advance to the AFC Championship Game.

“We just need to regroup like we did last year,” Pool said. “It’s a group effort. All the guys back there, from the linebackers and the safeties and the corners, we just communicate. It’s not one individual back there making the calls, it’s a group effort.”

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

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets pound Chiefs on the ground with rushing attack in win

Published: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 10:08 PM Updated: Monday, December 12, 2011, 8:56 AM

By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerJets running back Shonne Green had 129 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Chiefs.

Rex Ryan doesn’t divulge what his choice will be if the Jets win the opening coin toss until moments before it happens. It’s a gut feeling, and after watching the offensive game plan develop all week — centered heavily around his two running backs — the Jets coach knew Sunday it was time to buck tradition and take the ball.

More screen passes were in the fold to dull a dangerous Kansas City pass rush. More direct-snap runs were planned to keep their defensive line from adjusting to the blocking patterns.

And on the game’s first play, after using a timeout to get their personnel set, Shonn Greene followed a pulling left guard Matt Slauson to the right, cut off his inside hip and broke loose for 31 yards — his longest run of the season.

“We were just clicking, you know, and when this team has a rhythm we can be unstoppable,” Greene said.

Ryan’s decision proved to be justified in a 37-10 romp over the Chiefs in which Greene racked up a season-high 129 yards and a touchdown — his most since January of last year. LaDainian

Tomlinson scored his first home touchdown as a Jet, and his first points in more than a month.

Together, they paired for 108 receiving yards and were the top two pass catchers in the box score. They accounted for roughly 80 percent of the team’s total offense.

Greene amassed his highest single-season rushing total and is less than 200 yards from his first 1,000-yard season.

“I think we’ve got two great backs,” Ryan said. “We want to get them both involved. That’s just the way it worked out.”

Before the game, Tomlinson pulled Greene aside and they talked about the damage they could do by taking over, staying on the path forged over their previous two wins in which the run became increasingly integral to the game plan.

“Let’s be the guys that put this game on our backs and make some plays for this team,” Tomlinson said of his talk with Greene. “And we both did that, so it feels good to have that kind of game.”

Tomlinson praised Greene as a “beast” and said, “That’s the way a Pro Bowl running back runs.”

The Jets leaned on both backs throughout a dominant second quarter that put the game out of reach. On a 36-yard slip screen pass to set up their second touchdown, Greene rumbled behind center Nick Mangold to the 2-yard line, setting up a Santonio Holmes’ TD reception. Seven minutes later on the next Jets drive, Greene flattened a member of the Chiefs secondary on a 7-yard TD run. To set up that touchdown, Tomlinson hauled in a 31-yard pass.

That made it 21-3. Greene and Tomlinson were already holding down a majority of the box score. It was no coincidence that it was the first time they could breathe easy at halftime in a long while.

“We try to make that a point every week,” Greene said. “Game in and game out, we want to try and put the game on our shoulders and help our team win.”

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets' defense applies pressure in win over Chiefs with season-high 5 sacks

Published: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 9:54 PM Updated: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 10:02 PM

By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerThe Jets' pass rush, including Sione Pouha (91) and Marcus Dixon (94), had a banner day in the win over the Chiefs.

Jets pass-rushing specialist Aaron Maybin addressed reporters after the 37-10 win over the Chiefs wearing a message on his sweatshirt from a bygone era.

In bold white letters, it read “The New York Sack Exchange,” a reference to the days of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.

So it goes on a day where they tipped the season high in quarterback takedowns.

“We were firing on all cylinders, that’s really what we expect from ourselves,” Maybin said. “When we’re able to dial in and shut down the run and force teams to pass, that’s what you are going to see out there.”

Bart Scott, Sione Pouha, Calvin Pace, David Harris, Marcus Dixon and Eric Smith combined for five sacks — the most for a Jets defense since their playoff win over the Patriots in January.

“Just watching them play the last couple games, I think (the Chiefs’) whole mindset was just kind of grinding it out, and trying to win at the end,” Pace said. “As good as the offense came out today (getting down quickly) forced their hand, I think they had to pass the ball a little bit more than they wanted to, so, it was easy for us.”

• Coach Rex Ryan said the timeout the team called on the game’s opening play was something that wasn’t “going on my coaching résumé.” He blamed it on a miscommunication that resulted in only 10 players on the field until the play clock was too low to get a snap off.

• RG Brandon Moore made his 118th consecutive start despite missing practice all week with soreness in his surgically repaired hips. He said he felt fine afterward and that he may take more practices off this week.

• RB/KR Joe McKnight did not play with a hyper-extended right elbow and DB Antonio Cromartie returned kicks in his place.

McKnight said that he just received a custom brace for his elbow on Saturday and that yesterday’s pregame warm-up was his first opportunity to use it. He was not yet comfortable enough with it to play.

“I didn’t want to come in fresh out with a new brace, mess up and fumble, hurt the team,” McKnight said.

Along with McKnight, QB Kevin O’Connell, WR Eron Riley, CB Ellis Lankster, T Austin Howard, DT Mike DeVito and DT Kenrick Ellis were also inactive.

• Ellis, who was the replacement for DeVito last week, was a healthy scratch for yesterday’s game. He was not listed on the injury report, though Ryan said that his performance against Washington “wasn’t great.” Marcus Dixon started in DeVito’s place, instead.

• DB Marquice Cole went down after covering a punt in the second quarter and was tended to by the training staff. He made a return to the game shortly after.

• OL Vlad Ducasse got his first technical career start yesterday after coming out with the offense in a formation that utilized a sixth offensive lineman. Ducasse was a fixture in that formation regularly throughout yesterday’s game.

Conor Orr: corr@starledger.com

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Pace: It's All Kind of Falling into Place

By Andrew LeRay

Posted 2 hours ago

The Jets, hoping to inch closer to the playoffs with a Sunday victory, instead took a giant leap toward the postseason with a loud 37-10 win over Kansas City. It may have been the most complete 60 minutes of football the Jets have played all season, and the timing was perfect.

“We’re making our move at the right time,” said OLB Calvin Pace. “This is when the teams that aren’t 12-0 like Green Bay, this is when we make our move. I’m proud of everybody. It was a really good team win.”

The slow start that has become a frustrating staple of games earlier this season was a non-factor in the blowout victory. Defensively, the Jets applied pressure from the first snap and didn’t relent for the remainder of the game. The result was an impressive, dominating performance.

“It was just a better game,” said Pace. “It’s what we’ve been talking about for the last 12 or 13 weeks and it all came to form today, which is what we needed.”

Pace finished the day with four tackles, a half sack, two tackles for loss and a pass deflection. As a team, the Jets finished with a season-high five sacks. The pressure was too much for first-year QB Tyler Palko.

“Up front, we took it upon ourselves this week to go out there, get penetration and see what happens,” said DT Marcus Dixon. “That’s what we focused on.”

The dizzying defensive start suffocated the Chiefs, who limped into the locker room at halftime with a grand total of 4 offensive yards and a 28-3 deficit. Kansas City’s day ended before it even got started, and while the visitors moved the ball better in the second half, the effort wasn’t nearly enough.

“Watching their last couple of games, I think their whole mindset was just grinding it out and try to win at the end,” said Pace. “As good as our offense came out today, it kind of forced their hand and they had to pass the ball a little more than they wanted to. It was easy for us.”

While Pace and his defensive teammates enjoyed a relatively stress-free day at work, the Chiefs did all they could to help the Jets. They were penalized 11 times for 128 yards, the third-highest penalty yardage total in the NFL this season and the most against a Jets opponent since the Dolphins were flagged 10 times for 132 yards in the Jets' win at Miami in 1988.

Led by Pace’s banner day, the Jets defensive front frustrated Palko and the Chiefs. Dixon enjoyed his best game of the season, tallying four tackles and splitting that sack with Pace. With veteran DT Mike DeVito sidelined for the second consecutive week with a knee injury, Dixon has seen increased playing time and is taking advantage of his opportunity.

“He might not be playing, but he’s still in the game with us,” said Dixon. “But we know how our group is. If one man goes down, we have to step up and not be the weakest link. That’s what we do up front, and we can’t wait until he gets back because we’ll be even better.”

In addition to Dixon, rookie DL Muhammad Wilkerson put up a season high with five tackles. The youthful line was anchored by veteran DT Sione Pouha, who is quietly putting together a Pro Bowl-caliber season. Pouha added to his résumé Sunday by recording his first sack of 2011.

“If he’s not a Pro Bowler this year, I promise you I’m going to snap on somebody,” joked Dixon. “He deserves to be there. That guy is a beast. He takes care of everything. I don’t know what else you could ask from the guy.”

Now at 8-5, the Jets are moving in the right direction at the right time. With only three games remaining on the schedule, the Green & White will continue to take their one-game-at-a-time approach. It has worked thus far, and as the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”

“It’s kind of falling into place,” said Pace. “At this time of year, you never know what’s going to happen. Everyone is fighting for their playoff livelihood. We can’t really worry about anyone else. If we win, we’re in. That’s all we need to worry about.”

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Moore the merrier for Jets’ offense

brian.costello@nypost.com

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 9:34 AM, December 12, 2011

Posted: 3:10 AM, December 12, 2011

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but since “mega-consultant” Tom Moore joined the Jets two weeks ago, they’ve started putting up points.

The Jets scored 37 points yesterday, a season-high, after scoring 34 last week, which was their season-high. The Jets offense played its best game of the season against the Chiefs.

The subject of Moore is a sensitive one around the Jets because praising him is seen as criticizing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. But the offense had a different look yesterday.

“Maybe,” guard Matt Slauson said of Moore having a direct effect on the Jets piling up points. “We don’t care how it gets done. If we keep on playing like this, everything is going to be great.”

The Jets have scored 30 points or more for consecutive weeks for the first time since the end of last season when they scored 34 against the Bears and 38 against the Bills in the regular-season finale. Yesterday, the Jets used the screen game more than they have, got the ball to Shonn Greene in creative ways and started fast again.

The 73-year-old Moore has consulted for the Jets all season, but usually from his South Carolina home. He arrived in New Jersey to work with the team on a daily basis before the game with the Redskins and will stay for the rest of the season.

* Running back Joe McKnight could not play because of a hyperextended right elbow. McKnight said the elbow was still sore and is not sure if he’ll be back next week. Antonio Cromartie returned kickoffs with McKnight out.

* Guard B randon Moore started his 118 th consecutive regular season game despite not practicing all week resting his surgically repaired hips. It was his 125th game, tying Guy Bingham for seventh on the all-time Jets list for games played by an offensive lineman.

“I felt good warming up,” Moore said. “It’s probably the best I’ve felt with all we’ve done, the rest and everything else.”

Moore said he is unsure what his practice plan will be moving forward.

* The Jets are 6-1 at home this season with one game left. ... The Jets allowed three sacks after not allowing any in the last two games. .. .Vlad D ucasse made his first career start as an extra offensive lineman. The Jets opened the game in their nickel package, giving M arcus Dixon, Kyle Wilson and Brodney Pool rare starts. . . . Greene has 868 yards rushing this season, establishing a new career high. . . . The Chiefs had six penalties in one drive in the third quarter.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/moore_the_merrier_for_jets_offense_tWbz5PO0EuV2TzKo2JfIaM#ixzz1gKg9MMok

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets blitz

By MARK HALE

Last Updated: 9:02 AM, December 12, 2011

Posted: 3:21 AM, December 12, 2011

HERO

Shonn Greene delivered a monster performance, racking up a season high in rushing yards (129) and receiving yards (58), while adding a touchdown. The third-year back has now posted three straight strong games, giving him a chance at his first 1,000-yard rushing season. He has 868 on the year (already a career-best) with three games to play.

ZERO

The Jets got to Rex Grossman last week, and they got to Tyler Palko yesterday. The Chiefs’ quarterback suffered through a miserable first half, completing just 3-of-8 passes for 11 yards and an interception. At that point, the Chiefs were down 28-3.

UNSUNG HERO

Mark Sanchez only threw for 181 yards, and even that was aided by a lot of catch-and-run yardage. Still, Sanchez threw for two touchdowns (one to Santonio Holmes, one to LaDainian Tomlinson) and ran for two as well.

KEY MOMENT

Well, the Jets won the game 37-10, so there wasn’t really a key play. It might be on Nov. 13 when Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending hand injury. That made Palko the starting quarterback.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_blitz_TvA4hgHq1qox8AzBDcUiWI#ixzz1gKhU5bZs

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets report card

By BRIAN COSTELLO

Last Updated: 9:02 AM, December 12, 2011

Posted: 3:24 AM, December 12, 2011

Offense

Rex Ryan handed his offense the ball to start the game and it responded with an 11-play scoring drive. It kept piling on the points in the first half to take a 28-3 lead before halftime. Mark Sanchez (13-of-21, 181 yards, two passing TDs, two rushing TDs) did a good job protecting the football and did not make any major mistakes. The offensive line thrived in the screen game with Nick Mangold running people over. Shonn Greene (24 carries, 129 yards, one TD) played his best game of the season. A

Defense

The Chiefs had minus-15 yards passing at halftime and 4 total yards. The Jets defense dominated Tyler Palko (16-of-32, 195 yards, one TD, one INT) for most of the game. It had five sacks and completely stopped everything the Chiefs tried to do while the game was still up for grabs. The defensive line got major penetration and blew up the Chiefs’ rushing game (65 yards). A

Special teams

No fumbles this week. That is progress. Each unit had a good day except the kickoff team, which allowed two long returns. Jim Leonhard started the game as the punt returner, but left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury. Jeremy Kerley took over and redeemed himself for last week’s fumble with a 26-yard return. B

Coaching

Ryan had his team ready to play. It would have been easy for the Jets to be overconfident against the Chiefs or looking ahead to the next three weeks, but they started strong and never let Kansas City have a chance. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called a nice game, using screens to counter the aggressive Chiefs’ defense. A

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_report_card_ZQJTmRNJx5agPOlISKYRfL#ixzz1gKlRsfaW

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Tomlinson scores first MetLife TD

By MARK HALE

Last Updated: 9:28 AM, December 12, 2011

Posted: 2:25 AM, December 12, 2011

The scent of a MetLife Stadium touchdown was in the air for LaDainian Tomlinson.

With the Jets on the Kansas City 19-yard line with 1:23 to play in yesterday’s first half, Tomlinson caught a screen pass from Mark Sanchez. He had never scored a touchdown in MetLife Stadium before.

“As I got closer to the end zone, I could kind of smell it,” Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson said he was simply wishing he didn’t get tackled by anybody, but he didn’t have to worry. He made cornerback Travis Daniels miss, then scampered into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown en route to the Jets’ 37-10 rout of the Chiefs. In his 13th career game at the Jets’ new home, Tomlinson finally scored his first touchdown.

“It was a good feeling,” he said while laughing.

Tomlinson, third all-time in touchdowns with 162, has now played in 36 different NFL stadiums and reached the end zone in 30 of them. The six exceptions are Seattle’s CenturyLink Field, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (where he will play this Sunday against the Eagles), Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium and two defunct stadiums, Texas Stadium (the Cowboys’ old one) and Veterans Stadium (the Eagles’ old one).

Tomlinson had scored in Giants Stadium — he had a four-touchdown performance as a Charger against the Jets on Nov. 6, 2005, which was his last score in East Rutherford until yesterday.

In addition to his milestone, Tomlinson looked impressive, appearing to run swiftly and effectively. He finished with just 14 yards rushing on nine carries but caught two passes for 50 yards. Besides his 19-yard touchdown reception, he had a 31-yard pass play.

Tomlinson saw steady action early before the game got totally out of hand, getting seven carries in the first half (Shonn Greene had 12). Greene finished with 24 carries to Tomlinson’s nine, with coach Rex Ryan saying: “If you have two really good backs, you’re going to use them both.”

After missing two games with an MCL injury, Tomlinson returned last week against the Redskins but only had limited action since he got hurt again.

“I haven’t had a heavy workload,” the 32-year-old Hall-of-Famer-to-be said. “So obviously that’s going to keep me fresh.”

mark.hale@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/about_time_3HhxEHT5X2nIE0aNqKrrTK#ixzz1gKoR92vt

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets backs catch Chiefs off guard

By BRIAN LEWIS

Last Updated: 8:48 AM, December 12, 2011

Posted: 2:22 AM, December 12, 2011

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_backs_catch_chiefs_off_guard_bZ5TtC4HoT6urrJowr5BKO#ixzz1gKqFpFrx

A week after holding Chicago to a field goal, Kansas City’s aggressive defense came to MetLife Stadium feeling pretty good about itself. The Chiefs left on the wrong end of a 37-10 dissection, after watching the Jets’ running backs carve them up with screens, flares, circle routes and just about everything they wanted.

LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene caught a combined five passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half. By comparison, the Chiefs had a total of four yards at halftime, and trailed 28-3 after the Jets’ screen-pass clinic.

“I thought we did a tremendous job in the screen game,

Nick Mangold in particular,’’ coach

Rex Ryan said. “I told Nick the bad thing is now we know how fast you are, so we expect you to start leading those sprints. He blocked a guy all the way to the end zone, which was impressive.

“Offensive coordinator Brian Scottenheimer] kept them off-balance. I like some of the things we did — some of the direct-snap runs, some of the screen calls were great. It slowed the pass-rush down a bit.’’

Of all the things that went wrong for the Chiefs — and there were plenty — coach Todd Haley admits it was Gang Green’s screen game that hurt them the worst.

“In the first half we just couldn’t cover their backs,’’ Haley said. “They made a couple other plays, but to me the backs just killed us in the first half, whether it was screens or we were in man-to-man, their backs did a better job than we did of covering them. That’s what I felt more than anything defensively.’’

With the Jets leading just 7-3 in the second quarter, an interception gave them the ball on the Chiefs’ 38, and Greene took a short pass in the left flat 36 yards down to the 2. That set up Mark Sanchez’s TD pass two plays later for a 14-3 lead.

On the Jets’ next drive, Greene spun off three tacklers on a 14-yard catch over the middle, and Tomlinson took a circle route for 31 yards on a drive that ended with a Greene TD run and a 21-3 lead. Tomlinson took a screen pass 19-yards for a score that made it 28-3 with 1:15 left in the half and essentially ended the game.

“Some of the screens were out of different sets and personnel, but they’re a fast-flow defense. They rush the passer very well, and some of that misdirection stuff can get those guys if you have the right timing: And we did,’’ Sanchez said. “The offensive linemen got out in the screen game, and you just have to get the ball to them. They’re like long handoffs.’’

brian.lewis@nypost.com

flgreen · December 12, 2011

December 12, 2011, 7:00 am

Jets Control Their Playoff Chances. Now What?

By GEORGE BRETHERTON

For the Jets, there is an obvious benefit to emerging from the logjam of 7-5 teams in the A.F.C. wild-card hunt to go to 8-5: They now know that if they win their final three games, they will be in the playoffs.

But the Jets also have some tough sledding ahead, with games at Philadelphia, against the Giants on Christmas Eve and at Miami on New Year’s Day.

Do the Jets have any wiggle room? Let’s take a closer look. A near certainty — no matter what occurs in the next two weeks — is that the results from the final week of the season figure to be decisive. More on that later. First, let’s run down the outlook on some key matchups next Sunday:

NEXT WEEK’S GAMES AMONG THE TOP 4 WILD-CARD CONTENDERS

Jets (8-5) at Philadelphia (5-8)

The Jets can maintain their hold on a playoff position by defeating the Eagles. Does Philadelphia have anything to play for? The answer, surprisingly, is yes. The Giants’ victory over Dallas pulled the Eagles back into at least a sliver of relevance in the N.F.C. East. Had the Cowboys beaten the Giants and then Tampa Bay next Saturday, the Eagles would have been eliminated from N.F.C. East contention by game time next Sunday. Now the Eagles actually have a path to the division title, narrow as it is, because at 8-8 because they would win any tiebreaker with the Giants (7-6) or Dallas (7-6).

Tennessee (7-6) at Indianapolis (0-13)

The Titans should prevail against the Colts and move to 8-6, barring a return by Peyton Manning (Not going to happen). The Titans would also have a 6-4 conference record, which would compare favorably with the Jets’ 6-5 mark in the key tiebreaker.

Cincinnati (7-6) at St. Louis (2-10)

The Bengals also figure to be favored to move to 8-6 against the Rams.

Oakland (7-6) vs. Detroit (8-5)

The Raiders, 46-16 losers to Green Bay on Sunday, have a another tough matchup against a team scuffling to maintain its grip on a playoff spot.

Note: San Diego (6-7) is still alive, but it needs to get past Baltimore (10-3) next Sunday to have any hope.

CONFERENCE RECORDS OF THE TOP 4 WILD-CARD CONTENDERS With remaining conference games.

Jets (6-5) Jan. 1 at Dolphins (4-9)

Tennessee (5-4) Sunday at Colts (0-13), Dec. 24 vs. Jaguars (4-8), Jan. 1 at Texans (10-3)

Cincinnati (6-5) Jan. 1 vs. Ravens (10-3)

Oakland (5-5) Dec. 24 at Chiefs (5-8), Jan. 1 vs. Chargers (6-7)

My Review The Jets have a strong hand by being one game up with three to play. The three 7-6 teams each need to win out and hope for at least one Jets loss. Tennessee appears to be the Jets’ greatest concern because of their potential superior conference record. But the Titans finish the season at Houston. The Texans have clinched the A.F.C. South, but they will most likely be playing for a first-round bye. The top three teams in the A.F.C. – Houston, New England and Baltimore – are tied at 10-3 and each has a relatively soft remaining schedule.

Extra Point Even from this far away, it’s possible to see the Jets’ game against the Dolphins as being a play-in game for the playoffs. And for the Dolphins it would be equivalent to their playoffs, the game of their season. Who wins that game?

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Schwartz: Jets’ Destiny In Hand

December 12, 2011 9:28 AM

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ladainian-tomlinson1.jpg?w=300

(credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Sometimes in life, things come in threes.

Three weeks ago, the Jets were reeling after Tim Tebow’s last minute heroics in Denver. Gang Green was 5-5 and their playoff lives were on life support.

Three weeks later — make that three wins later — the Jets are 8-5 after a 37-10 thumping of the Chiefs. Thanks to losses by the Titans, Bengals and Raiders, the Jets find themselves in sole possession of the second AFC wild card spot.

Destiny is in the hands of the Jets.

“It feels good,” said left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. “But we know what we have to keep on winning. We have three good opponents coming up and our focus is 100 percent on Philly.”

With wins in their final three games over the Eagles, Giants and Dolphins, the Jets will be in the playoffs for a third straight season.

The Jets took care of their own business with a dominant performance against a team that didn’t belong on the same field. Gang Green made a statement with their solid effort. If they find their way into the tournament, they can make some noise like they’ve done in each of the last two seasons.

Over the last three seasons, the Jets have developed a knack for winning games at the most important time of the season.

“I think we understand the importance of these games late in the season,” said Mark Sanchez, who had two touchdown passes and two touchdown runs, a feat that had never been done by a quarterback in Jets history.

“We understand the kind of wild card race we’re in, so I think we just find a way to click and that’s important late in the season.”

The Jets running game continues to get better. Shonn Greene rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown including a 31-yard dash on the Jets first play from scrimmage.

“I think we did a good job of executing all of the plays,” said Greene. “The offensive line did a great job. The wide receivers blocked downfield on the perimeter so it was a great game.”

There was an unfortunate development in the game as safety Jim Leonhard suffered a right knee injury in the second quarter and did not return.

“Hopefully, it’s not that bad,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “It’s never good when you need help coming off. We’ll see what it is.”

According to the Daily News, Leonhard is out for the season. If that’s true, it would be Leonhard’s second straight season-ending injury. It’s a huge blow of the Jets if they lose Leonhard, not only because of what he means to the secondary, but he also had assumed the punt return duties.

Those now belong, once again, to rookie Jeremy Kerley.

The Jets have cornered the market in overcoming adversity. They find a way to rise to the occasion when things look most bleak.

Just like they did in 2009, the Jets have found a way to stay alive in the playoff race. Gang Green has never been to the playoffs three years in a row. They are now on a mission to reaffirm that this is a new era in Jets football.

They are the “Same Old Jets.” These Jets have a habit of finding their way into the postseason.

THE PLAYOFF PICTURE

With three weeks to go, nothing has been clinched, but the Jets have put themselves in a position that seemed unlikely a few weeks ago. They have playoff destiny in their hands thanks to losses by the Titans, Bengals and Raiders.

AFC Wild Card Standings

1. Steelers 10-3

2. Jets 8-5

Bengals, Raiders and Titans are 7-6

JET LINERS

The Jets had an interesting start to the game. They won the toss and took the ball, but they had to call a timeout before they ran a play. The Jets didn’t have the right personnel in the game, so with the play clock running down, Sanchez had to call timeout six seconds into the contest.

Things did get better on their first offensive play as Greene exploded for 31 yards.

The 28 points scored by the Jets in the first half were the most since they totaled 35 points vs. Arizona in 2008. With 34 points in a win last week against the Redskins and 37 points against the Chiefs, the Jets have scored 30 or more points in consecutive weeks for the first time since the final two games of the 2010 season when they registered 34 in a loss at Chicago and 38 points in a win against the Bills.

Jets inactives included Joe McKnight (elbow) and Mike DeVito (knee). Ropati Pitoitua started in place of DeVito at DT. Jamaal Westerman started in place of Garrett McIntyre at OLB.

Rookie DT Kenrick Ellis was a healthy scratch. Ryan has said during the week that Ellis didn’t play well last week against the Redskins. With Ellis out, Martin (MTV) Tevaseu saw some playing time.

The Jets captains were DT Marcus Dixon, LB Josh Mauga, DL Martin Tevaseu, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, S Kyle Wilson

OL Vladimir Ducasse made his first career NFL start as he was in an offensive set on the first drive that included an extra lineman.

The Jets are now 6-1 this season at MetLife Stadium.

The victory was the Jets third straight, the second time this season the team has won at least three consecutive games. In each of coach Ryan’s first three seasons as head coach, the Jets have registered at least two streaks of three consecutive wins.

2009: Weeks 1-3 (3 games) and Weeks 12-14 (3 games)

2010: Weeks 2-6 (5 games), Weeks 9-12 (4 games)

2011: Weeks 6-9 (3 games), Weeks 12-14 (3 games)

Despite missing the entire week of practice to rest his hip, Jets right guard Brandon Moore made his 118th consecutive start. Moore also played in his 125th career game tying him with Guy Bingham for 7th place on the Jets all time list for games played by an offensive lineman.

Late in the third quarter, with T.J. Conley getting set to punt for the Jets, the press box announcer made a Giant mistake. He said “Weatherford in punt formation for the Jets.”

OOPS!

THE WEEK AHEAD

After reviewing film of the win over the Chiefs, the Jets will take Tuesday off. They return to the practice field on Wednesday to begin preparations for Sunday’s game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles are coming off a 26-10 win over the Dolphins. The Jets are 0-8 all-time against the Eagles.

That’s all for now! Check back on Friday for a Jets/Eagles preview!

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Chiefs' dud puts damper on Jones' return

December, 11, 2011

Dec 11

5:58

PM ET

By Mike Mazzeo

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Four first-half yards. Ten second-half penalties for 126 yards.

In a game the Chiefs had to win, they did everything possible to lose -- and the statistics prove it. The final score -- Jets 37, Chiefs 10 -- was indicative of just how abysmal of a performance it was.

"We just didn't execute," ex-Jet Thomas Jones said. "We made a lot of mistakes."

Talk about an understatement. The Chiefs were outclassed in every facet of Sunday’s game.

"We probably had our worst half of football, coach Todd Haley said, referring to a first half in which his team trailed 28-3 after being out-gained 253-4, going 0-for-6 on third downs and netting negative-15 yards through the air.

The dud certainly put a damper on Jones’ return to New York. The 33-year-old proved to be a workhorse out of the backfield, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in all three of his seasons with Gang Green, along with 28 touchdowns.

"It was weird having to play against your old teammates," Jones said. "I had mixed emotions. Jets fans showed me a lot of love, which was appreciated."

What wasn't appreciated by the Chiefs -- based on how animated they were -- was all the penalties they were called for. During the Jets' second drive of the third quarter, they were called for 74 yards worth of penalties.

"It was crazy," Jones said. "I don't think I've ever been around anything like that, but that's the way the game goes."

Haley was even flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct on the ensuing Kansas City drive.

"I'm not getting into the penalties," Haley said. "Like I said, the officials have a very difficult job. The one thing we can't do is lose our composure over a call. That's on me, 100 percent."

Jones wasn't any more upset over losing to his former team.

"A game is still a game at the end of the day," he said. "A loss is still a loss."

Jones became miffed when asked about the team's anemic offensive attack, which gained just 221 yards of total offense -- 217 of which in the second half.

"I don't know know how many yards we had," he snapped. "I'd have to watch the film and see."

It's going to be ugly, that's for sure.

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Time to give Rex credit he deserves

Updated: Dec 11, 2011 09:29 PM

By NEIL BEST

Multiple Page View

Pretend for a moment that Rex Ryan is not the Rex Ryan we have come to know but a conventional, conservative, clich-ridden coach.

In other words, one who wouldn't make Super Bowl promises on a whim, curse out a fan in his own stadium or wear a wig to a news conference.

One who would kiss Bill Belichick 's rings.

One who would follow a basic lesson of Public Relations 101 and try to lower expectations rather than raise them.

Then consider the record, and only the record: After a day on which they demolished the Chiefs, 37-10, and most everything went right in the standings, Rex's Jets improbably are in control of an AFC wild-card berth.

If they secure it, they will give the franchise its first-ever three-year streak of playoff invitations. And even if they don't, Ryan and Mark Sanchez are a victory from becoming their first coach/quarterback pair since Weeb Ewbank and Joe Namath with three straight winning seasons.

One more thing: Ryan has the highest regular-season winning percentage in Jets history at .622 (28-17), even better than Bill Parcells ' .604 (29-19). He also has four times as many playoff wins in green as Parcells did.

In other words, the biggest obstacle to us fully appreciating what Ryan has done is the big man himself.

It was inevitable during the ups and downs of this season, particularly after the dismal loss to the Broncos, that some in the media and fan base would turn on Ryan. Fair enough. Fact is, he brought it on himself.

Even now, at 8-5, the best Ryan can do is travel another against-the-odds path to the Super Bowl via three road games. That was not the plan for Year 3, and it will be fair game to point that out if the season dies another pre-Super Bowl death on some cold day in Pittsburgh or Baltimore or Foxboro.

But at the same time, let's take a step back and recall the cloud that hung over the team for most of its first half-century. These are the good old days, Jets fans.

The art of Ryan is that he recognized that the reclamation project required more than just winning. He knew there was more to altering the Jets' image and he has done that, too, turning the poor relations of New York-area football into an impossible-to-ignore show.

It would not have been a surprise at halftime Sunday -- at which point the Jets had outgained Kansas City 253 yards to 4 -- if he had stripped off his sweater vest and yelled to the fans, "Are you not entertained?''

On Thursday, linebacker Aaron Maybin tried to explain the pull Ryan has on his players and how they felt they had let him down after the Denver loss. "We believe we are that team he believes we are,'' he said. "We put him in a difficult position.''

Ryan tested Sanchez by taking away some of his practice snaps after that loss. The Jets responded with three straight wins.

"Pressure either brings out the best or worst in players,'' Sanchez said. "I think that's a tribute to our front office, our general manager and Rex drafting guys and acquiring guys that know how to finish.''

The Jets tried to be respectful toward the woeful Chiefs, but in the waning minutes, the public-address system blared the clean version of the Cee Lo Green song "Forget You'' to bid the visitors adieu. Nice.

Someone asked Ryan if the rout might make his team overconfident. "We're always confident, period,'' he said. "Overconfident? I don't think so.''

That was similar to but less telling than his line when asked a week earlier about the Jets' growing confidence. "More confident than 100 percent?'' he said. "I don't know about that.''

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets Q&A: What's with the quick timeout?

Originally published: December 11, 2011 7:25 PM

Updated: December 11, 2011 8:13 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

Photo credit: Jim McIsaac | Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets looks on late in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium. (Dec. 11, 2011)

Why did the Jets call a timeout before the game's very first play from scrimmage?

For some strange reason, the Jets were confused with their personnel, and fullback John Conner didn't run onto the field until about six seconds remained on the 35-second play clock. Not wanting to get hit with a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty, the Jets burned a timeout only six seconds into the game.

"That wasn't great," Rex Ryan said. "That's not going to go on my coaching resume. It was just a miscommunication on personnel. Somebody heard one thing, somebody heard something else. We only had 10 out there. By the time we got the guy in there, we didn't have any time."

What did Mark Sanchez think about calling a timeout so soon?

"That's something we've got to get cleaned up," the quarterback said. "If we don't get the right guys in the huddle and we're not getting the play until late, then we're fighting the clock . . . That's one of the things that needs to be cleaned up. That's very important."

Was Shonn Greene, who had a season-high 129 rushing yards, confident that the ruling that he had fumbled near the end zone would be overturned?

"I wasn't quite sure," he said. "I thought my butt hit, but any way it goes, you can't let go in that situation."

Given that he ran so hard on the ensuing play for a 7-yard touchdown, did that near-fumble tick Greene off?

"I was kind of angry," he said, "so I wanted to get into the end zone."

What did the offense think about Ryan deciding not to defer to the second half for only the fourth time in three seasons after winning the coin toss?

"We want the ball," LaDainian Tomlinson said. "We want to score first. With our defense, that will be tough on people. That shows us Rex does have confidence that we can go down and score. I was one of the captains. Westhoff told me, 'We're taking the ball if we win the toss.' My thought was, 'OK. All right, Rex.' That's a good feeling. When the guys hear that, they say, 'All right. We're taking the ball. Let's go score.' "

Did Ryan explain why Sanchez dropped back to pass on fourth-and-4 from the KC 32 with the Jets ahead 35-10 and 11:35 left?

"That was my call," Ryan said of a play in which Sanchez was sacked for a 9-yard loss and lost a fumble. "I thought if we could get the first down, we could basically run out the clock and get the game over. I thought we had a chance to convert on it. Obviously, you go back on it and wish you would have just punted it or tried a long field goal . . . Their kid [Tamba Hali] made a nice play, stripped the ball."

Any thoughts from Sanchez on getting cheered during pregame introductions after being booed when he was introduced two weeks ago?

"We're just trying to win a game," he said, "trying to play hard, play for these guys, the coaches. And this was another great game plan. Like I said before, that's the last thing on my mind."

Did Thomas Jones say what it was like to square off against his buddies?

"It was weird having to play against old teammates," said Jones, who gained only 12 yards on five carries for the Chiefs. "I had mixed emotions, obviously. Jets fans showed me a lot of love, of which I appreciated. We didn't win the game and that's what we came up here for. That's the tough part. Regardless of whether it's the Jets or any other team, a loss is a loss.''

Why was Chiefs coach Todd Haley penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in the third quarter?

"I'm not getting into the penalties," Haley said. "Like I've said, the officials have a very difficult job. The one thing we can't do is lose our composure over a call. That's on me, 100 percent."

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Sanchez leads rout of Chiefs

Originally published: December 11, 2011 4:21 PM

Updated: December 11, 2011 9:30 PM

By RODERICK BOONE roderick.boone@newsday.com

Photo credit: Getty Images | Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets celebrates a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium. (Dec. 11, 2011)

Rex Ryan was getting a little tired of the Jets' cardiac finishes, weary of the way they kept waiting until the closing minutes to awaken from their game-long slumber.

So when Ryan met with the team Saturday night, he issued a directive: Enough with the slow, sloppy starts.

"Rex challenged us," guard Brandon Moore said, "saying it doesn't have to be so hard, you don't have to wait until the fourth quarter to put teams to bed. I think guys took to that challenge and understood that we need to start coming out fast.

"We are trying to make a playoff push here and are trying to win these last few games. We need to come out better than we do in the first half of games."

The Jets sure stepped on the Chiefs' necks from the get-go Sunday, scoring a touchdown on their opening 11-play, 77-yard drive. They found the end zone on three straight second-quarter possessions and rattled off 28 straight points, easily blowing past the Chiefs, 37-10, at MetLife Stadium. The game's only negative was a possible season-ending right knee injury to safety Jim Leonhard.

"It felt really good to sit back and just laugh," wideout Santonio Holmes said, "and watch the young guys play a little. I'll take it, I'll take it."

With their third straight victory -- along with losses by the Bengals, Raiders and Titans -- the Jets (8-5) vaulted into the AFC's second wild-card spot. With three games left, they now control their own playoff fate, which seemed unlikely a month ago when they were 5-5 after back-to-back losses.

"We've never worried about what other teams are doing because for us, we have to win," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "If we lose, it doesn't even matter what other teams are doing.''

Mark Sanchez threw two touchdown passes, a 19-yarder to Tomlinson and a 4-yard dart to Holmes. Sanchez also ran for two short TDs, becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to run and throw for multiple scores in a game. Sanchez completed 13 of 21 attempts for 181 yards, posting a 121.3 passer rating.

Shonn Greene churned out a season-high 129 yards on 24 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown. He had a career-high 187 total yards, adding three receptions for 58.

The Jets were 5-for-5 in the red zone, and their 28 first-half points were their most since they collected 35 against the Cardinals in 2008. Their 253 yards in the first half was the most since they amassed 278 against Buffalo in 2008.

"I think things were clicking, the running game was phenomenal," Sanchez said. "It set up a lot. In our passing game, we were pretty efficient, and I still left some completions out there that could have helped us late in the game. But we got off to a fast start, and that's important. Rex likes to see that from the offense and it definitely does give the team a boost, so that's good."

Said Greene, "We were just clicking. We just had a rhythm, and when this team has a rhythm, we can be unstoppable."

The Jets also suffocated the Chiefs' anemic offense, yielding only a 53-yard field goal by Ryan Succop before Tyler Palko's meaningless 24-yard touchdown pass to Jerheme Urban with 12:58 left. In the first half, they held Kansas City (5-8) to 4 net yards, picked off Palko once, didn't allow a third-down conversion, surrendered one measly first down and forced four punts.

So the Jets had it going in virtually every aspect, never once looking as if they were going to stumble, and improved to 6-1 at home.

"We didn't have stupid penalties, the turnovers, the defense started faster, and the offense went down and scored," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "It's what we've been talking about for the last 12, 13 weeks, and it all came to form today, which is what we needed. We kind of hold our own destiny in our own hands, and it was about getting a good win, which was important.

"Some teams lost that we wanted to lose, which is good. So we've just got to win the rest of our games. Is it going to be easy? No. We've got some good teams coming up. But I think if we just stay the course and keep building from these last three, everything will fall into place for us."

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Chiefs fire coach Todd Haley

Story Highlights

Todd Haley's Chiefs won the division last year, but are just 5-8 this year

Many key players (Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry) are out for the year

Haley had a 19-27 career record in three seasons coaching the Chiefs

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Despite leading the Chiefs to the AFC West title last year, Todd Haley couldn't survive a 5-8 start to 2011.

Joe Rogate/Icon SMI

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley on Monday, less than a year after he led the team to the AFC West title.

The injury-ravaged Chiefs dropped to 5-8 after Sunday's 37-10 loss the New York Jets in which they committed 11 penalties for 128 yards, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"This was a difficult decision but one that we feel is best for the future of the Chiefs," Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "Although there have been bright spots at different points this season, we have not made meaningful progress and we felt that it was necessary to make a change. We appreciate Todd's contributions during his time with the club, and we wish him well in the future."

Kansas City lost three starters to torn knee ligaments - safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki - in three straight September games, including Moeaki in the preseason. Quarterback Matt Cassel was lost on Nov. 13 with a broken right hand.

Haley leaves with a 19-27 record in nearly three years at his first NFL head coaching job. The Chiefs won the AFC West last season with a 10-6 record.

Previously, he was the offensive coordinator for Arizona when the Cardinals won the NFC title in 2008. He also was an assistant coach with Dallas, Chicago and the New York Jets.

Haley is the second coach fired this season; Jack Del Rio was dismissed by Jacksonville late last month.

The Chiefs are planning a news conference later Monday.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/12/12/todd.haley.fired.ap/index.html#ixzz1gLQh0LFY

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Todd Haley fired as Chiefs coach after loss to Jets

Published: Monday, December 12, 2011, 12:52 PM Updated: Monday, December 12, 2011, 12:52 PM

By The Associated Press

Jeff Zelevansky/GettyTodd Haley was fired today by the Chiefs, a day after a loss to the Jets dropped Kansas City to 5-8.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley today, less than a year after he led the team to the AFC West title, and appointed Romeo Crennel the interim coach.

The injury-ravaged Chiefs dropped to 5-8 after Sunday's 37-10 loss the Jets in which they committed 11 penalties for 128 yards, including a 15-yarder on Haley for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"This was a difficult decision but one that we feel is best for the future of the Chiefs," Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "Although there have been bright spots at different points this season, we have not made meaningful progress."

Crennel, the former Cleveland Browns coach, served as Haley's defensive coordinator. The Chiefs have called an afternoon news conference in which he's expected to be available.

"We felt that it was necessary to make a change," Hunt said. "We appreciate Todd's contributions during his time with the club, and we wish him well in the future."

There have been rumblings about Haley's job status ever since training camp, when the NFL lockout caused him to take an unorthodox approach. Rather than going full speed throughout camp, Haley opted instead to spend the majority of the time on conditioning and strength training.

He hoped that would cut down on the risk of injuries given an abbreviated offseason.

Instead, the Chiefs lost starting linebacker Brandon Siler to a torn Achilles in camp, and tight end Tony Moeaki went down with a torn knee ligament in their preseason finale. Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry sustained the same injury in Week 1 against Buffalo, and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles tore a ligament in his knee the following week at Detroit.

After three lopsided losses to start the season, Kansas City managed to rattle off four straight wins and pull into a tie atop the division. Haley was being applauded for keeping the team together despite such adversity, and there was a happy-go-lucky attitude at the practice facility.

That all changed when the Chiefs lost to previously winless Miami at home, the start of a dismal stretch in which they dropped four straight and five of their last six. Along the way, quarterback Matt Cassel broke his right hand and landed on injured reserve, and the lack of depth behind him forced

Haley to start journeyman Tyler Palko the past four games.

Kansas City has managed only two touchdowns with Palko under center.

Besides the dismal performance on the field, it was not a secret within the walls of the team's practice facility that there was friction between Haley and Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli.

Pioli said several weeks ago that he values consistency within an organization, and the former Patriots executive has used the Pittsburgh Steelers as the blueprint for rebuilding the Chiefs. But the decision to part with Haley is just the second in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history -- Paul Wiggins was fired after seven games during the 1977 season.

"We believe change is important at this time," Pioli said in a statement.

Haley leaves with a 19-27 record in nearly three years at his first NFL head coaching job. The Chiefs won the AFC West last season with a 10-6 record.

Previously, he was the offensive coordinator for Arizona when the Cardinals won the NFC title in 2008. He also was an assistant coach with Dallas, Chicago and the Jets.

Haley is the second coach fired this season; Jack Del Rio was dismissed by the Jacksonville Jaguars late last month.

"Todd helped this team in many valuable ways over the past three seasons, and I am thankful for his contributions," Pioli said. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to establish the kind of consistency we need to continue building a strong foundation for the future."

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Poll: AFC East Player of the Week

December, 12, 2011

Dec 12

2:00

PM ET

By James Walker

The AFC East went 2-2 in Week 13. The New England Patriots (10-3) and New York Jets (8-5) prevailed, while the Buffalo Bills (5-8) and Miami Dolphins (4-9) were defeated.

Who is the AFC East Player of the Week?

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski (six recep., 160 yds, 2 TDs)
Jets RB Shonn Greene (129 yds, one TD)
Dolphins RB Reggie Bush (103 yds)
Bills WR Steve Johnson (four recep., 116 yds)

But who had the best performance in the division?

Tight end Rob Gronkowski was terrific once again for the Patriots. He had six receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Gronkowski set an NFL record for touchdown receptions in a single season (15) for tight ends.

Jets tailback Shonn Greene is playing his best football of the season. He rushed for a season-high 129 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. Green has four touchdowns in the past two weeks.

Dolphins tailback Reggie Bush (103 rushing yards) and Buffalo receiver Steve Johnson (four catches, 116 yards) both had good games in losing efforts. Should either be player of the week?

Using our SportsNation poll, vote on the AFC East Player of the Week. You can also share your thoughts in the comments section below.

flgreen · December 12, 2011

Jets safety Jim Leonhard lost for season with torn patellar tendon

Published: Monday, December 12, 2011, 2:20 PM Updated: Monday, December 12, 2011, 2:35 PM

By Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger