Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://blogs.trb.com/sports/football/jets/blog/2006/10/laughing_it_up.html Laughing it Up By Tom Rock The latest news today was that Curtis Martin will not start practicing with the team until after the Cleveland game at the earliest. So said Eric Mangini. That gives him from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7 to suit up. The Jets are taking full advantage of their three-week window, and I wouldn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/SPORTS01/610170353/1108/SPORTS01 Jets making habit of allowing leads to dwindle By ANDREW GROSS THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original Publication: October 17, 2006) HEMPSTEAD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/SPORTS01/610170354/1108/SPORTS01 Barlow misses his mentor By ANDREW GROSS THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original Publication: October 17, 2006) HEMPSTEAD — Kevan Barlow grew up idolizing fellow running back and Pittsburgh native Curtis Martin. He places a call to get feedback from his sidelined teammate after each Jets game, and he's eagerly anticipating the opportunity to pick up some pointers firsthand. But Barlow will have to keep waiting for now. Coach Eric Mangini announced yesterday that the 33-year-old Martin will not participate in practice until after the Jets' game at Cleveland Oct. 29, at the earliest. Martin, the fourth-leading rusher in league history with 14,101 yards, injured his right knee in December and was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list the day before training camp opened. "I feel good about his progress and his approach throughout the whole thing,'' Mangini said. "I think each week that we go here, we'll evaluate it and see where we are. And I think having the two additional weeks to continue moving with the process and look at it is going to be an asset.'' Players on the PUP list are not eligible to practice with their teams until after the Week 6 games, so tomorrow would have been Martin's first opportunity to rejoin his teammates on the field. The Jets have a bye week after playing the Browns and Mangini said that factored into the decision. "I spoke to the doctors,'' Mangini said. "And (general manager) Mike (Tannenbaum), Curtis and I, and the doctors talked and said that would be the best time, at the earliest, to do that.'' The Jets have until Week 9 to decide whether to allow Martin to practice or to place him on injured reserve, officially ending his season, and, perhaps, his career. That makes the Jets' deadline to restore Martin to active status Nov. 8 at 4 p.m., though he still would be exempt at that point from the 53-man roster. Then the Jets have another three weeks to evaluate Martin before either activating him or placing him on the IR. Martin, who has not confirmed reports that he has a "bone-on-bone'' arthritic condition, is scheduled to be available to the media tomorrow for the first time since Aug. 9. "I know Curt. I know he has a lot of pride, and I know he really don't want to go out the way he did,'' Barlow said. "I know if it was up to him, he'd want to go out there and be out there and perform.'' Barlow said Martin is in the locker room for each home game, exiting with the players as they leave for the field. In a suit and tie, he still reaches up with his hand to tap the "Winner'' sign near the exit as he walks out. Martin does not watch the game from the sidelines, however. "Curt is the sneakiest guy I know,'' Barlow said. "Curtis is the smoothest, smoothest guy, just as elusive on the field as he is off the field. He's a quiet guy. You don't hear nothing out of Curt but two peeps, except when he's trying to help you out as far as football.'' The running game — now essentially split between Barlow and rookie Leon Washington, with former starter Derrick Blaylock relegated to special teams — certainly has struggled this season. The Jets average 97.8 rushing yards per game, and their 3.3 yards per carry matches Martin's average over 12 games in 2005, the first season he failed to reach 1,000 yards. "I want to see what he's got,'' Barlow said. "He's a Hall of Famer. I wouldn't mind watching him.'' Martin and Barlow forged a relationship well before the Jets acquired Barlow from the San Francisco 49ers Aug. 20. The 27-year-old Barlow grew up in the Garfield section of Pittsburgh, and Martin is from the rival neighborhood of Homewood. "I don't go to Homewood and he don't come to Garfield,'' Barlow said. But Barlow did attend Martin's football camp and recalled that Martin picked him out of a crowd and challenged him to a race. They got into their three-point stances, Martin said "Go," Barlow raced off and Martin quickly stopped, content with his practical joke. But when Barlow followed Martin to the University of Pittsburgh, Martin would sometimes take him home from workouts so they could chat football. "I try to absorb as much as I can from him because he's so quiet,'' Barlow said. "I try to ask as much as I can.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwMDYzOTAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Jets like ugly wins anytime Tuesday, October 17, 2006 By RANDY LANGE STAFF WRITER HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Who are these guys? The Jets are being outscored by five points a game, outgained by 77 yards. They're no higher than 21st in the NFL in any of their key yardage rankings. They can't score a first-quarter touchdown or ride a fourth-quarter lead into the sunset. Yet they're 3-3 after withstanding Miami's fourth-quarter comeback for the 20-17 victory Sunday, and they don't care what anybody thinks. "Some people said we were going to win four games this year," tight end Chris Baker said Monday. "So far, we're exceeding expectations." The Jets could easily have win No. 4 by the bye week, with Detroit (1-5) in next, followed by a trip to Cleveland (1-4). The victories haven't been resounding, but coach Eric Mangini isn't apologizing. "I told the players wins are like children. They're all special in their own way," Mangini said. "However you get the end result, the win is the important thing." Still, critics always are looking to award style points. For the Jets to turn a 20-3 laugher into a nail-biter against the desperate Dolphins bespeaks of one of those NFL Week 6 buzz phrases: "lack of killer instinct." Safety Kerry Rhodes said he just heard that complaint for the first time and could only chuckle. "We're fine, man," Rhodes said. "A win is a win, and we've got three of them so far." However, the critics include not just fans and media but opponents. Some Buffalo players said the Bills were the better team after losing to the Jets last month. Dolphins defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday offered a similar sentiment late Sunday. And Lions wide receiver Roy Williams was confidently chirping after his side outlasted the Bills by the same 20-17 score for their first win of the season. "We could string together 10 more wins and make the playoffs," Williams said. "We can only stop ourselves." If such disrespect hurts the Jets, they're not letting on. "It doesn't matter, man," Rhodes said. "The Dolphins can say what they want. [We've] got the win, so I guess we were better on that day." "If they feel that way," Baker said, "they've got another shot at us Christmas night." Yes, the Jets play at Miami on Dec. 25, a Monday, so far the only national TV game on their schedule. But this season's flexible scheduling could move another game into prime time, such as the game at New England on Nov. 12 or home against Chicago the following Sunday. Since one of the Jets' losses was by 41-0 at Jacksonville, the networks could be in danger of scheduling themselves into a similar Gang Green meltdown in which all their problems -- run defense, pass defense, run offense, red-zone defense, dumb special-teams mistakes -- come home to roost again. But the Jets are in danger of continuing their improvement and piling up some more network-attractive wins in the process. Including the Patriots and Bears, the winning percentage of the Jets' final 10 opponents is only .358. Who are these guys? "We're still trying to find out," Rhodes said. "What we do know is everybody in this locker room likes each other. We want to play together and we respect our coach. We're a team and we're all going to fight together." E-mail: lange@northjersey.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/462345p-388987c.html Need strong finish Eric Mangini provided an answer yesterday to those who believe the Jets lack killer instinct: Look at the Patriots, his former team. In the aftermath of the Jets' tenuous 20-17 win over the Dolphins, who nearly pulled off a miracle comeback, Mangini was peppered with questions about his team's penchant for blowing fourth-quarter leads. He reminded everyone of the Patriots' 24-17 victory over the Jets, who nearly rallied from a 24-0 deficit in Week 2. "Some would argue that New England is a veteran team with a lot of experience ... (and) you would think in that situation, being a little further along in the program, you could argue that should've been a knife-through-the-heart type of deal," said Mangini, making a point and tweaking his old team in the process. That said, the Jets still have some serious fourth-quarter issues. They've been outscored in the final quarter 60-38, having allowed 955 net yards - an average of 6.5 yards per play. They've allowed 10 scores in 18 possessions. Against the Dolphins, the Jets surrendered 14 points and 199 passing yards to journeyman Joey Harrington. Mangini defended his strategy, saying they weren't in a prevent mode. An unofficial review of the tape showed the Jets blitzed six times on the Dolphins' final 26 pass plays (roughly their usual ratio), but only once in the last eight plays. The Jets were undermined by three missed tackles in the fourth quarter. Andre Dyson, Victor Hobson and Justin Miller were guilty of misses, resulting in 45 extra yards for Miami. The Jets are ranked 30th in total defense. The Lions, whom they face Sunday, are 26th. TRADE TALK: The NFL's trading deadline is today. GM Mike Tannenbaum, very active at the end of the preseason, is exploring all options. The most likely player to be dealt is RB Derrick Blaylock, who hasn't carried the ball in four games. ... Miami alum Jonathan Vilma on his school's ugly brawl over the weekend: "No matter what happens, they're going to twist it to make Miami look bad, even though what they did was obviously bad." Rich Cimini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/462344p-388984c.html No rush for Curtis as comeback stalls BY RICH CIMINI DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Tuesday, October 17th, 2006 Taped to the inside of Curtis Martin's locker stall is a homemade greeting card, the handiwork a friend's child. Written in marker, on green construction paper, it reads: "Get Better Soon." "Soon" will have to wait at least another two weeks. The Jets' injured running back is eligible to begin practicing tomorrow, but he won't take that step in his comeback bid until Nov. 1 at the earliest, Eric Mangini announced yesterday. The decision to postpone the return date has to be viewed as a setback. Martin, 33, is 10 months removed from surgery on his right knee, leaving him with a bone-on-bone condition, and it's hard to imagine an extra two weeks of rehab will make that much of a difference. Mangini claimed the "additional weeks will be a positive," although he was vague when asked if he's optimistic about Martin's chances of playing this season. "We're going to just see how it goes," Mangini said. "I felt good about his progress and his approach throughout the whole thing. You can't ask for a better approach and a better person." Interestingly, Mangini used the past tense when referring to Martin's lengthy rehab. When Martin was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list (PUP) in July, it seemed likely he'd never play again, a notion reinforced when he accepted a significant pay cut before the season opener. But, in recent weeks, he has progressed to the point where his chances of returning improved to 50-50, according to people familiar with his rehab. Some thought he might be able to practice this week. For now, Martin is in limbo, a future Hall of Famer entangled in the league's complicated PUP rules. Starting this week, there's a 21-day window in which he must begin practicing. If not, he's ineligible for the remainder of the season. Once Martin starts to practice, the club has another 21-day window to make the decision on whether to activate him or place him on season-ending injured reserve. Conveniently, the Jets have their bye on Nov. 5, the week Martin could hit the practice field. That would be "the earliest" return, Mangini stressed, meaning it's distinctly possible they may wait a third week. Some in the organization are skeptical of Martin's chances of playing again, but out of respect for him, the Jets are willing to give him the chance to show what he can do on the field. If it takes the full three weeks to decide, another three weeks of practice, Martin wouldn't be able to play until the 12th game, Dec. 3 at Green Bay. By then, you'd have to ask, "What's the point?" "We're really basing it on the best thing for the Jets," Mangini said. "I'm sure there've been some other things that have been done where people may say, 'What's the point?' But every decision is made for the same reason - to help the team win." The Jets also have a crowded backfield, which could make it hard to find playing time for Martin. Nevertheless, he rehabs every day at the facility, attends meetings and shows up for home games. On game day, when the team exits the locker room, Martin joins the procession of players, giving a good-luck tap to the "Winner" sign above the door. When they head to the field, he goes his own way, presumably to watch from a luxury box. "I know he has a lot of pride," said running back Kevan Barlow, who befriended Martin when he was 14 at a youth football camp in Pittsburgh and has idolized the fellow Pitt alum. "I know he really doesn't want to go out the way he did. He wants to be out there performing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.nypost.com/seven/10172006/sports/jets/martin_aint_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm MARTIN AIN'T By MARK CANNIZZARO October 17, 2006 -- It'll be a little while longer before Curtis Martin has a chance to get back onto the field - if at all. In the wake of the Jets' key 20-17 bounce-back victory over the Dolphins Sunday, Eric Mangini yesterday announced that the earliest Martin will come off of the physically unable to perform list (PUP) will be after the Jets play in Cleveland on Oct. 29. Martin, on the shelf since his season-ending knee surgery last December with four games remaining in the 2005 season, was eligible to come off the PUP list and begin practicing with the team as early as this week. But Mangini has apparently opted to give it more time. The Jets, incidentally, have a bye week following the Cleveland game and won't play again until Nov. 12. Asked why Martin is being held out longer, Mangini said, "I spoke to the doctors, and (all involved, including Martin and the doctors) said that would be the best time, at the earliest, to do that." There are, however, no guarantees Martin will come off the PUP list at all. Mangini, asked if Martin will definitely start practicing with the team after the bye week, said, "We'll evaluate it after Cleveland. (But) yes, that would be the earliest that we'll talk about bringing him up to practicing, so he wouldn't have to be activated." Asked if Martin, who has been working behind the scenes to rehab and stay prepared, is on board with waiting a bit longer, Mangini said, "All the decisions that we make involve Curtis. We've talked to him, and Mike (Tannenbaum, the GM) and I have talked and got together, obviously with the feedback from the doctors. "I want to make sure that he's as ready to go - when we make that decision - as possible. It's an ongoing process, so we just evaluate as we go. We're going to see how it goes. I felt good about his progress and his approach throughout the whole thing. You can't ask for a better approach and a better person. He's been great and working really hard at it." The Jets, using a running back by committee system this year, are ranked 22nd in rushing offense, which has been improving the last two weeks with the emergence of rookie Leon Washington. Kevan Barlow, too, has contributed. The lost soul in this group has been Derrick Blaylock, who went from starter to the inactive list until Cedric Houston hurt his knee and bumped Blaylock back onto the active roster on Sundays. "Whenever they call my number I'll be ready, but I don't feel like I've been forgotten," Blaylock said yesterday. "I'm a part of this team and whatever I can do to help, I'm there." Barlow, for one, is anxious to see Martin, his idol from Pittsburgh, play again, even if it meant taking playing time away from him. "Yeah, I want to see what he's got," Barlow said yesterday. "He's a Hall of Famer. I want to see some things he's accomplished and see some of his skills he's got out there. I wouldn't mind watching him, man." As for the "odds" that Martin will play this season, Mangini was typically vague, saying, "Each week that we go here, we'll evaluate it and see where we are. Having the two additional weeks to continue moving with the process and look at it is going to be an asset. (We're) trying to make sure that the player is fully ready to participate when he participates. I think the additional weeks will be positive." * Mangini yesterday praised the team for its handling of adversity. "I told the players (Sunday), wins are like children. They're all special in their own way. The key thing is going through the game and handling adversity and finishing." mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.nypost.com/seven/10172006/sports/jets/passing_judgment_jets_mark_cannizzarro.htm By MARK CANNIZZARO October 17, 2006 -- JETS REPORT CARD QUARTERBACKS B Chad Pennington (17-29, 175 yards, 2 TDs, 99.1 rat ing) bounced back well after tough previous week against another tough defense. RUNNING BACKS C Rookie Leon Washington (11-58) led the way but Kevan Barlow (13-45) got more into the action this week WIDE RECEIVERS C+ Laveranues Coles (5-106, 2 TDs) turned the game around in the second half. Both of his TD catches were all effort from him. Tim Dwight had three catches. TIGHT ENDS B+ Chris Baker (4-39) had a terrific game both re ceiving and blocking. OFFENSIVE LINE C+ Much sounder game from the line, which blocked better in the run game and protected Pennington well, allowing two sacks for six yards in losses. DEFENSIVE LINE C+ Not enough pressure on Joey Harrington. DT De wayne Robertson had five tackles and a QB hurry. DE Shaun Ellis had three tackles. LINEBACKERS C+ Bryan Thomas, who also plays some DL, had a huge game with 11 tackles and a QB hurry. Eric Bar ton had eight tackles and Jonathan Vilma had six. SECONDARY C+ S Jerry Rhodes was all over the place with eight tackles. CB Andre Dyson had an INT but he also gave up a late TD to Chris Chambers. SPECIAL TEAMS B Brad Smith had three open-field tackles in kick and punt P Ben Graham averaged 43.6 yards gross on seven punts and 36.3 yards net. K Mike Nugent made both of his FG attempts - both 33-yarders. COACHING B Eric Mangini and his staff had the team ready to play. Credit offensive coordinator Brian Schotten heimer for listening to Coles about some more vertical route running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjnotes174936682oct17,0,2820486.story?coll=ny-jets-print Look past Lions? Eric won't allow it BY TOM ROCK Newsday Staff Writer October 17, 2006 What an odd world this NFL is. A week ago, the Jets were moribund, humiliated by a 41-0 loss to the Jaguars. Yesterday, still basking in the glow of a 20-17 win over the Dolphins, the Jets were a team that had to defend against overlooking the next opponent. They host the Lions on Sunday, and even though Detroit is 1-5 and has looked pathetic at times, Jets safety Kerry Rhodes laughed at the idea that the Jets already were chalking it up as a win. "They might overlook us," he said. Tight end Chris Baker said coach Eric Mangini will not allow the team to get too ****y. Mangini has preached consistency in the face of success and failure, which was one of the reasons the Jets were able to rebound from the Jacksonville debacle. Now the job of containing optimism might be just as difficult as ignoring deflation. "We played just well enough to win," guard Pete Kendall said after the Dolphins game. "It doesn't mean it has cured all evils." Blaylock barely in picture Six weeks into the season, Derrick Blaylock has gone from starting running back to the 45th man on the 45-man roster. He was unproductive the first two weeks, inactive the following two and spent the last two games playing only on special teams. His name has been involved in trade talks, with the deadline this afternoon and the Jets possibly having to clear room in the backfield for Curtis Martin in the coming weeks. "I don't feel like a forgotten man," Blaylock said. "I'm a part of this team. Whatever I can do to help, I'm there." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwMDYzMzAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Report card Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Running game: B-minus Rookie Leon Washington got his first pro start and was the Jets' leading rusher for the second straight game, with 58 yards on 11 carries. Kevan Barlow almost lost a fumble at the Jets' 12 and is averaging 2.8 yards per carry. Passing game: B Chad Pennington dinked and dunked before a typical stretch of 10-for-14 for 145 yards and both TDs to tough-as-nails Laveranues Coles. TE Chris Baker had four catches and did nice work chipping in on the decent protection -- Pennington was sacked only twice. Run defense: B-minus LB Bryan Thomas stood out with a game-high 11 tackles. Miami's Ronnie Brown got free on runs of 18, 26 and 10 yards and had 5.8 yards per carry. But the Jets did better short-yardage work than usual, and NT Rashad Moore's strip of Sammy Morris was the Jets' first forced fumble in three games. Pass defense: D-plus Despite no sacks, it wasn't bad for three quarters as Andre Dyson and Victor Hobson had interceptions. But in the fourth quarter, Harrington erupted: He hit four straight third-down passes, including the TD to Chris Chambers over Dyson, and completed 18-of-27 for 199 yards. Special teams: C-minus Brad Smith was dynamic in coverage as Wes Welker was held to a 13.8-yard average on five KO returns, 7.8 on four punt returns. Mike Nugent finally kicked some field goals again, making both attempts. Ben Graham lost another strong punt to a penalty, this time by rookie Drew Coleman. Coaching: B Eric Mangini and Brian Schottenheimer remained patient until the offense kicked in, and listened to Coles' input on the slant-and-go for the first TD. But those end-around swing passes to Tim Dwight and Brad Smith aren't working. Bob Sutton's "run-fit" coaching is getting through, but he's lost his magic touch, as there's been no sacks off of blitz calls in three games. -- Randy Lange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwMDYzMzcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Jets notebook Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Curtis gets closer The Jets and their fans will soon know more about what, if anything, to expect from Curtis Martin this season. Coach Eric Mangini indicated the future Hall of Fame running back will be placed on the Jets' active list and begin practicing "after the Cleveland game at the earliest." The Jets play the Browns on Oct. 29, then have their bye week. NFL rules state players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform must be added to their team's active list in the next three weeks. Martin could return to practice as late as Nov. 8. Then the Jets have three more weeks to determine whether he'll be activated to play this season. He could play as late as Game 12 at Green Bay. Some think there is little upside to Martin, 33, returning to practice and playing 11 months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but Mangini appears to be preparing for just that. "I'm sure there's been some other things that have been done where people may say, 'What's the point?' " he said. "But every decision is made for the same reason, to help the team win, help the team be successful." Honors and perks Mangini's player of the game awards went to TE Chris Baker, LB Bryan Thomas, special-teamer Brad Smith and WR Wallace Wright for his work on the scout teams during the week. The weekly awards aren't just ceremonial. The players get coveted parking spaces right next to the locker room door for the week. -- Randy Lange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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