Wednesday's Articles

[SoFlaJets]

Jets looking ahead

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Jets (2-3) vs.

Dolphins (1-4)

Giants Stadium

Sunday, 4 p.m.

Early line

Jets by 2

[SoFlaJets]

Coles' motives are unclear

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

After the Jacksonville game, Laveranues Coles beat around the bush, yet made some things perfectly clear. Asked how he felt after the Jets' 41-0 pasting, he said:

"You never want to give vent to your feelings, especially at this point in time. ... I've been watching TV where guys have been saying things, then they have to come back and say they're sorry. ... I don't ever want to end up on that side of the situation."

Coles, who also said he was "just a pawn in a chess game," sure seemed to want to make a point about his playing time. L.C. fans see his three catches for 19 yards, hear of him getting only 35 offensive plays, and say, "Hey, Eric Mangini and Brian Schottenheimer, what's up with that?"

But for Coles or his supporters to complain about him being phased out or forgotten or disrespected is preposterous.

On a bad day for Chad Pennington and his offense, Coles was in for 35 of the first 38 plays. He departed for one three-play series when the score was 21-0 and Schottenheimer inserted wideouts Justin McCareins and rookie Brad Smith for him and Jerricho Cotchery. He left for good late in the third quarter with the score 38-0.

Even with his depressed stat line, Coles is second in the NFL in receptions (33) and yards (431).

And no Jets' receiver has had more passes thrown to him than Coles on Sunday (six) or this season (49). In fact, he's never been underused by the Jets or the Redskins -- according to Stats Inc., he's been the intended receiver of 643 passes since 2002, fourth-most in the league behind Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison and Chad Johnson.

It's possible Coles is concerned about playing time. In the contract he signed to return to the Jets last year, an NFL source said there is an unspecified $500,000 de-escalator clause for this season. Some such clauses deal with achieving a percentage, say 80 percent, of a team's plays.

Post-Jags, his play rate unofficially is down to 82.5 percent (255 of 309 plays).

But that is speculation. So is this: What Coles may be seeking is a new address.

He has offered weekly hints about not being happy about Mangini's training camp and team rules. He even mused this summer about how those on the Jets he came back to rejoin -- coach Herm Edwards, general manager Terry Bradway and fast friend Wayne Chrebet -- have moved on.

It almost sounds as if Coles wants to be traded. Would the Jets accommodate him by Tuesday's trading deadline?

Unlikely. They paid him a $3 million roster bonus in March and teams tend to not want to eat that kind of money. Plus, Coles truly is Pennington's and the offense's go-to guy. After the season, a trade might be another story. The cap hit would be large, but not onerous.

For now, Mangini is smiling and playing it smart. He declines to get into a mini-Shockey standoff with one of his best players.

"I think that Laveranues is passionate, I think he's competitive, I think he's tough," Mangini said. "I feel very strongly about him in a very positive way."

That doesn't sound as if the Jets want to say "sorry" or "see ya" to Coles.

STRAIT GONE AGAIN: Safety Derrick Strait was waived Tuesday. The 2004 third-round pick was traded to Cleveland in August, only to return when RB Lee Suggs failed his Jets physical. Strait then started Games 3 and 4 for FS Erik Coleman, but was little-used at Jacksonville.

E-mail: lange@northjersey.com

[SoFlaJets]

Smith tops in Jets' bag of tricks

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 11, 2006)

Five games into his NFL career, multi-dimensional Brad Smith is in danger of becoming a one-trick pony. Jets opponents are starting to notice that the presence of the converted college quarterback in the huddle signals a possible gadget play.

He lined up as the running back on the first play of Sunday's 41-0 loss at Jacksonville and went off right tackle for 5 yards. He was split wide on the second play, then went under center for the third play

[SoFlaJets]

Strait line outta town

Jets drop vet DB after Jax wipeout

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Derrick Strait's bizarre season took another unexpected turn yesterday.

Perhaps trying to send a message to his team in the aftermath of Sunday's 41-0 loss in Jacksonville, Jets coach Eric Mangini released the veteran defensive back, an NFL source told the Daily News.

Only 10 days ago, Strait made his second straight start at safety. Now he's on the unemployment line. It has been that kind of year for the former third-round draft pick.

In training camp, Strait was traded to the Browns for running back Lee Suggs, but Suggs failed the Jets' physical and the deal was aborted. Strait had made it all the way to Cleveland, and was about to step on the practice field when he was summoned back to New York.

Not only was he welcomed back, but Strait was elevated to the starting lineup in Week 3, replacing Erik Coleman. He also started the following week, but he apparently fell out of favor. Strait didn't play against the Jaguars.

"When you don't play, it's a pretty good sign that your days are numbered," said Strait's agent, Michael Lartigue, calling yesterday's move the capper on a "strange year."

To replace Strait, the Jets re-signed journeyman Hank Poteat, an NFL source said. Poteat, who played one game with them in the preseason, was released Monday by the Patriots. He should be available for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, setting up an interesting back-to-back scenario - he played in last Sunday's Dolphins-Patriots game.

CLASS ACT: Look, a bright spot from Sunday's game: Four players from the 2006 draft class started, the most since Blair Thomas, Tony Stargell, Dwayne White and Roger Duffy started as rookies in 1990. All told, the Jets used a season-high seven rookies against the Jaguars.

Aside from the usual starters, left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold, Mangini opened with Drew Coleman at cornerback and Brad Smith at running back, both first-time starters. Smith took only one snap at running back, but he played a lot at wide receiver.

Leon Washington also got into the game early, and he wound up rushing for a career-high 101 yards. The other rookies were safety Eric Smith and quarterback Kellen Clemens, who made his NFL debut in a mop-up role.

There were growing pains. When Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer was asked how they managed to shut down the Jets, he replied: "They've got a few young offensive linemen."

Actually, Spicer spoke highly of Ferguson's ability, saying, "That guy is going to be a hell of a player," but adding, "He has to gain a little weight."

Ferguson is listed at 312 pounds, but he's believed to be around 300. The average weight for the five left tackles named to last year's Pro Bowl is 323. In college, Ferguson struggled to maintain his weight, and it's something the Jets are sure to address.

"One could see the advantages of being a bigger guy," Ferguson said Monday. "Right now, it's all about growing physically and mentally, growing as an athlete. There are a lot of things I need to improve on. That might be one."

COLES MINE: A review of the game tape revealed that WR Laveranues Coles, upset with his playing time, played a season-low 35 of 58 snaps (60%). It was the most of any receiver, but a dropoff from his usual number (87%). Could his frustration be financially motivated? His contract includes a $500,000 de-escalator in 2007, which could drop his base salary to $3.5 million. That determination likely is based on reaching playing-time and/or performance standards this season.

[SoFlaJets]

TABLE IS SET FOR MANGINI'S CREW

EASY PREY?:Joey Harrington and the dreadful Dolphins are up next for Eric Mangini and the Jets Sunday.October 11, 2006 -- THIS is a week when Eric Mangini's Jets can show us exactly what they're made of.

This is a week when the Jets can show us they are not your father's Jets, the ones who crumble at the first sniff of adversity.

This is a week when Mangini can show what kind of control he has over his players, one during which he can show that the five-second rule he applies to football really does work.

Because 41-0 is a lot for one team to get over in a matter of days. A 41-0 loss to anyone in football is enough to jar players' confidence, make them second-guess the coaches' program, wonder what all of that grueling training camp was all about.

These are some areas where Mangini will be tested this week.

To date, there has been a very distinct in Mangini we trust mantra about this team and, save for perhaps the disgruntled Laveranues Coles, that doesn't appear to be wavering right now.

Teams are always told never to look ahead, but that's exactly what we're going to do for a moment, because the Jets are about to embark on the most important stretch of their season in the next three weeks.

The next game comes Sunday at Giants Stadium against 1-4 Miami, a team that has lost its last two and is in throes of a quarterback change/controversy/quandary.

The following week is a home game against the 0-5 Lions, who most recently leaked away a huge lead on Minnesota only to lose going away, 26-17, on Sunday.

And then comes a road game in Cleveland against the Browns, who are 1-4 and struggling.

Those three opponents have a combined 2-13 record entering this week's play, and, barring more slap-stick-humor play like the Jets displayed in Jacksonville Sunday, the Jets should be favored to win all three of those games.

A three-game winning streak from here entering the bye week would leave the Jets at a highly-respectable 5-3 entering their Nov. 5 bye week at the exact halfway point in the season.

And believe it, they could use those three wins, because the Jets come out of the bye week with a game against the Patriots, whom they never beat anymore, followed by a home game against the Bears, who might be the best team in football.

So, a three-game winning streak into the bye week would go a long way toward leaving 41-0 as a mere speck in the rearview mirror.

Asked what kind of challenge he faces getting his team to come back from 41-0, Mangini said, "How we respond to this is as important as how we responded to the adversity we've faced in the past few weeks. It's important you learn from it, you build on it and you move on. We're working on Miami now. That's where we are. We're getting ready for the Dolphins.

"We're trying to consistently improve and take away the things that we can take away from (41-0) and work that much harder and make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Jet running back Kevan Barlow, who's been a part of some pretty shoddy 49ers teams recently, said he has no doubt about the character of this Jets team he's a part of now.

"There are a lot of stand-up guys in this organization; I see a lot of character in here," Barlow said.

"We'll definitely bounce back. We have great leaders on this team, so we have no choice but to. Coach E is a young guy, so he can pretty much relate to the players. I mean, he's 35 years old and I think that's a good quality."

Mangini's true qualities as a head coach will have a chance to surface in these next three weeks, beginning with Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[SoFlaJets]

To Mangini, yellow hankies are red flags

October 11, 2006

When players made mistakes during training camp, they were required to run a lap around the field. It was a curious move by Eric Mangini, perhaps a bit closer to "Friday Night Lights" than the NFL. But it humbled the players and emphasized the new coach's dedication to detail and his refusal to tolerate mistakes.

Five weeks into the regular season, the Jets not only have committed 31 penalties, but the timing of many also has been extremely costly. Of the 12 defensive flags, including two questionable calls Sunday, 10 gave opponents a first down, and six of those 10 came on third down or second-and-long (more than 10 yards). Eight of the 16 offensive penalties erased what would have been a Jets first down.

That doesn't include the illegal-block call on Cody Spencer against the Jaguars that led to a blocked punt when the Jets were forced to re-kick.

"They create problems whatever shape and form they come in," Mangini said. "It's something that we stress, it's something that we emphasize, and it's something that kills you. It kills you. It's like turnovers. They really dramatically affect the game."

Mangini said last week that the acceptable level of penalties is zero, and he has not been afraid to take playing time away from those who commit them. It was a trend that started with first-round pick D'Brickashaw Ferguson's false starts in preseason - he was taken out of the Giants game - and has carried on into the regular season.

Safety Erik Coleman was flagged for holding against the Patriots away from the action on a third-and-20 pass that fell incomplete. That gave the Patriots a first down, and Coleman lost his starting job the next week. Guard Norm Katnik was whistled for a false start on the first drive of the second half of that game, and he was yanked for Adrian Jones. Katnik is now on the practice squad.

The following week against the Bills, Victor Hobson drew a roughing-the-passer penalty and was benched for the rest of the half (though he came back to return a fumble for an important touchdown). Justin Miller was called for pass interference late in the Colts game on a second-and-20 that set up the go-ahead touchdown, then on Sunday he lost his starting job to rookie Drew Coleman.

Spencer's illegal block and subsequent missed block on the punt sequence against the Jaguars may have been his last plays as a Jet for a long time, and could even result in his being cut.

"When you look at a penalty, sometimes you try to coach off it and you try to make sure that it doesn't happen again," Mangini said of how he deals with flags during games, when running laps is not a proper punishment.

Barton, the victim of the questionable call Sunday, echoed Mangini's philosophy on flags.

"Penalties will kill a team," the linebacker said. "They will kill you, they will kill drives. They will give teams first downs, and that sucks the life out of you."

Sunday

Dolphins at Jets

4:15 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WEPN (1050), WABC (770); WRCN (103.9)

Statlines

Leon Washington ran for 101 yards Sunday, the first Jets rookie to reach the century mark since Blair Thomas in 1990. Despite not playing in the opener and taking only one handoff in the second game, Washington has clearly out-performed the rest of the "committee" trying to establish a Jets rushing attack.

Att. Yds. Avg. Long TD

Leon Washington 40 159 4.0 19 0

Kevan Barlow 54 142 2.6 11 4

Cedric Houston 14 59 4.2 13 1

Derrick Blaylock 25 44 1.8 6 0

Storylines

Preaching consistency

Although there was plenty to be concerned about in the 41-0 loss to the Jaguars, coach Eric Mangini said even at "the other place" there were some lopsided losses during the Super Bowl years. "You just come back the next weekend and play hard and try to improve," he said. "I don't like the idea of built-in mulligans. I think the important thing is consistency and execution. If you don't execute, you could have 16 clunkers."

Defense outnumbered

The Jets came out in a 4-3 defensive set to open the game against the Jaguars, a scheme they used sparingly a week earlier against the Colts. After spending the preseason and most of the early regular season establishing the 3-4, the Jets may be leaning in the opposite direction. Considering their rankings - 27th against the run, 26th against the pass, 28th in yards allowed - neither setup appears to be yielding results.

No revenge for Suggs

The Jets traded for running back Lee Suggs during preseason, then sent him back to Cleveland after he flunked his physical. Suggs wound up with the Dolphins after the Browns cut him and he would have had the opportunity to prove his health to the Jets this Sunday. But yesterday, Miami cut Suggs when backup running back Sammy Morris returned from a four-game suspension for violating the league's steroids policy. Suggs played in all five games for the Dolphins.

[SoFlaJets]

JETS CONFIDENTIAL

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

Martin expected to return to practice soon

Although some in the Jets organization fear his career is over, RB Curtis Martin is expected to attempt a return to practice as early as next week, when he's eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list, according to two people with knowledge of Martin's rehab.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement on Martin's future has been made.

Martin, who has a bone-on-bone condition in his right knee, was placed on the PUP list in August. He has been rehabbing and attending meetings all season. He's eligible to come off the PUP list on Monday. When he does come off the list, the Jets will then have 21 days in which to activate him.

If they don't activate him during that time, Martin will go on the injured reserve list and be out for the season.

"The Jets aren't sure if Curtis can do it but out of respect for him, they're going to give him every opportunity," one person said. "They feel they owe it to Curtis. They want him to retire as a Jet and go into the Hall of Fame as a Jet."

Upon his retirement, the Jets are expected to offer Martin a position within the organization or on the coaching staff.

Martin, 33, will likely practice at least two weeks, if not more, before being activated. During that time, he'll see how the knee responds and then make his final decision. He must pass a physical before he's activated.

The 12-year pro has made it clear he wants to play this season and may be able to help the Jets' struggling running game.

After playing at home against Miami, the Jets play host to Detroit and at Cleveland and then have their bye. That gives Martin an extra week.

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