JETS ARTICLES - MON 10/30

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Jets Reach Midway Point at 4-4

Published: 10-29-06

By Eric Allen

Eric Allen is the editor of newyorkjets.com.

Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/jets-reach-midway-point-at-4-4

The New York Jets nearly forced overtime Sunday in Cleveland but dropped to 4-4 on the season, falling 20-13 to the Browns. Reuben Droughns rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown and Cleveland forced three Jets

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20061029005&prov=ap

October 29, 2006

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Call it The Catch That Wasn't.

Chris Baker's amazing, one-handed grab in the end zone was ruled out of bounds and not reviewable and the Cleveland Browns escaped with their first win at home, 20-14 over the New York Jets on Sunday.

The incredible catch -- or was it one? -- by New York's tight end with 59 seconds remaining was followed by an incredulous ruling and an indecipherable explanation as the Browns (2-5) ended a turbulent week with a much-needed win.

"We finally got a break," linebacker Andra Davis said. "This is a blessing."

"It's a shame because we fought back," Baker said. "We made a big play and didn't get it. It's disappointing."

The Jets, trailing by seven after being down 20-3 in the third quarter, stopped the Browns on three straight running plays and got the ball back after a punt with 1:56 left. Chad Pennington, who had an otherwise atrocious day, then moved his club to the Browns 24 with 1:06 left before throwing an incompletion and having a pass tipped.

On fourth-and-4, Pennington dropped back and ducked underneath a blitz from safety Sean Jones before lofting a pass to the near right corner for Baker. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Baker leaped and hauled in Pennington's pass with one hand as he soared through the air.

But before he could come down with either foot in bounds, Baker was drilled from the side by defensive back Brodney Pool, who sent Baker sprawling. Baker held onto the ball and the officials did not immediately make a call.

They huddled for several seconds before referee Mike Carey said Baker could not have made the catch in bounds. Because it was a judgment call, the play is not reviewable under the NFL's instant replay system.

Afterward, Carey said field judge Buddy Horton determined that Carey caught the ball out of bounds.

"There was not a force out on the play," Carey said. "There was nothing to review. It's a judgment call."

Still, TV replays showed Baker making the catch and his body seemed to be in position to land in the end zone when he got rocked by Pool.

Jets coach Eric Mangini called a timeout hoping the replay official in the press box would examine the play.

"We took the timeout to provide a little more time for everyone to take a look at it," Mangini said. "The coaches upstairs were yelling, `It's a touchdown! It's a touchdown!"'

For several minutes, the Jets stormed around the sideline looking for an explanation as Cleveland fans hugged in relief after seeing the Browns finally come out on the winning side of a strange finish.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel had no problem with the official's decision.

"I saw it the same way the referee did," Crennel said, busting into a wide grin.

Cleveland's Reuben Droughns rushed for a season-high 125 yards, Charlie Frye threw a touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow and new coordinator Jeff Davidson got Cleveland's stagnant offense going long enough to give the Browns a much-needed win.

Against one of the NFL's most obliging defenses, the Browns built their largest lead of the season, then withstood a 99-yard kickoff return by New York's Justin Miller and held off the Jets.

On Tuesday, Maurice Carthon was relieved of his duties as Cleveland's offensive coordinator and replaced by Davidson, the club's offensive line/assistant head coach. Carthon's departure was applauded by many of the Browns, who found his play calls questionable and described confusion on the field and in the huddle.

"It's been an emotional week for everybody," said Frye, who finished 15-of-22 for 141 yards and threw one interception. "There were a lot of distractions. To go out there and get a win means a lot."

Pennington was just 11-of-28 for 108 yards for the Jets, who had only 193 yards of total offense, and was picked off twice by Jones.

"I just didn't get the ball to my playmakers," Pennington said. "I didn't throw well enough for us to win. We didn't make plays to keep drives going and to put points on the board."

Frye drilled a 30-yard scoring pass between two defenders to Winslow as the Browns opened a a 17-3 lead in the third quarter. Nose tackle Nick Eason then separated Leon Washington from the ball and Cleveland rookie Kamerion Wimbley recovered at the Browns 9.

A touchdown may have put it away, but Cleveland had to settle for Phil Dawson's 21-yard field goal. However, their biggest lead of 2006 lasted just 13 seconds.

Miller, who set a team record with a 103-yard kickoff return on Oct. 1 against Indianapolis, found a seam up the middle, stepped out of Mason Unck's arm tackle, sidestepped Dawson and stiff-armed rookie Justin Hamilton on his way to the end zone.

"I feel like every time I touch the ball, I can break one," Miller said.

Notes

Browns OG Joe Andruzzi injured a knee in the first half and didn't return. Crennel said he will not need surgery. LB Willie McGinest left in the fourth with an ankle injury. ... Miller has returned three kickoffs for TDs in his past nine games.

[Sperm Edwards]

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No second look denies Jets another life

Monday, October 30, 2006

By RANDY LANGE

STAFF WRITER

CLEVELAND -- The Jets were of two minds about what happened on their last pass of the game, the one that drove the final nail in the coffin of their uninspiring 20-13 loss to the Browns on Sunday.

One line of thought was that referee Mike Carey's crew blew the call when they ruled tight end Chris Baker came down with a potentially game-tying 24-yard touchdown pass out of bounds on fourth down with 59 seconds to play.

"The overwhelming consensus," guard Pete Kendall said in the Jets' muted locker room, "is that had Chris not been pushed out, he would've come down inbounds."

The consensus began at the top. When Jets owner Woody Johnson greeted his players, as he does after every game, in the Cleveland Browns Stadium tunnel, the officiating crew came off the field at the same time. Johnson, quietly but audibly, said "Bad call" in the direction of the officials. Then turning to his players, he said, "Terrible call."

Most upsetting to the Jets was that one official, believed to be side judge Tom Fincken, thought Baker was forced out by safety Brodney Pool's crushing hit, while field judge Buddy Horton was adamant that he would not have landed inbounds. The crew huddled for a few minutes before Carey announced the incompletion call would stand.

"The referee to the side who had a better view was telling the other referee, 'He's coming down in-bounds,' " Baker said. "Then they went back and forth and they ended up saying no. It doesn't get more disappointing than that."

Coach Eric Mangini, who couldn't make a replay challenge because the call came in the game's final two minutes, asked whether the play was reviewable, and was told it wasn't. Once Carey announced his decision, it was deemed a judgment call, similar to pass interference, which is why replay official Tommy Moore never signaled Carey from the booth.

"There was nothing to review," Carey told a pool reporter.

So the Jets left Cleveland not with a miracle 17-point comeback victory in overtime and a 5-3 record heading into their bye week but with a seven-point loss and a 4-4 mark -- and with the knowledge that they made that last play necessary by the lackluster way they played in the first 59 minutes.

"We have no one to blame but ourselves," Kendall said, "for letting it get to that point."

Chad Pennington, who threw that last prayer of a pass, took much of the blame on his shoulders after one of the worst games of his career.

"I didn't make enough plays as the quarterback," he said. "I just didn't get the ball to my playmakers [sunday]. I didn't throw the ball very well."

Some numbers bear that out. His 21.1 passer rating was the second-worst of his career, behind only the 18.6 of last season's Jacksonville game, when he suffered his second rotator-cuff tear. And his 39.3 percent accuracy, on 11-for-28 passing, was the worst in his 45 career starts.

But Pennington had help. The run defense allowed Reuben Droughns to resemble the 1,200-yard back he was last year more than the 3.2-yards-per-carry back he had been this year. He scored the game's first touchdown en route to a 125-yard outing, the fourth 100-yard runner the Jets have yielded in the last six games.

In the third quarter, the previously beleaguered Charlie Frye flung a 30-yard scoring strike to tight end Kellen Winslow and Phil Dawson kicked a field goal after rookie Leon Washington coughed up his first pro fumble at the Jets' 9, making it 20-3.

Justin Miller shifted the momentum with his second kickoff-return TD of the season, a 99-yarder. "That's my job," Miller said. "We're shooting for more than two."

But while the defense awoke in the game's final 18 minutes, the offense never got closer to a TD than its opening 8½-minute drive to a Mike Nugent field goal.

And it left Mangini as close to publicly scratching his head as he'll ever do.

"I thought we had a good week of preparation, and to go out and not execute the way we prepared is disappointing, disappointing," he said.

The Jets will try to heal up and fix their problems this bye week, knowing that 4-4 isn't bad, but 5-3 was within their grasp.

E-mail: lange@northjersey.com

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=316412

Jets hand Browns win

By STEVE DOERSCHUK

CLEVELAND - After “The Drive,” “The Fumble,” “The Move” and the Where’s Waldo expansion era, the Browns don’t give a mule’s hangnail if Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Jets was “The Gift.”

A last-second, fourth-down pass to tight end Chris Baker looked like it may have been a tying touchdown.

Instead, a judgment call went to the Browns. How often has that happened in this miserable plow through the desert?

Dessert! The fellows did enjoy.

“Maybe the last couple of games, that would have gone against us,” Coach Romeo Crennel said. “Today, it went in our favor. You might say that was a break.”

A head coach who lost an elite center on the first day of camp and his No. 1 cornerback to two torn patellar tendons is accepting any and all breaks.

After Baker was ruled out-of-bounds on a 24-yard catch on the right wing of the end zone, the Browns took over with a minute left and ran out the clock.

‘FRESH START’

The Browns are 2-5 overall and 1-0 in “The New Era” — Jeff Davidson’s run as offensive coordinator. He replaced Mo Carthon a week ago today.

“It was a different vibe this week,” said tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who caught seven passes for 76 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown. “It was awesome out there.”

Running back Reuben Droughns, largely invisible through six games, hammered the Jets for 125 yards on 33 carries. It was his second-biggest game as a Brown, topped only by a 166-yard game against Miami on Nov. 20.

“We felt it was gonna be a day for the run,” said Droughns, who had shaved his beard to symbolize a fresh start. “I was excited about getting the ball so many times.

“In the past, you went into the game kind of confused, not knowing what was gonna happen.”

Added Winslow, “We were gonna run it right at them, make a statement. We turned our season around. We had fun out there. We looked totally different.

“Nothing against Coach Carthon, but guys were excited out there today. It was a different feeling this whole week. And ... we just needed that. Guys were excited all week to go out and make plays and ... J.D.’s an awesome coach.”

SOLID FRYE

Charlie Frye was efficient, going 15-of-22 for 141 yards, using his feet to buy time, at one point racing 17 yards on a scramble.

“Charlie can get out of stuff,” Winslow said. “He’s like a magician out there. He makes stuff happen. I’m just watching him like ... what the hell are you doing?”

With that, Winslow let out a very weird sound in the context of 2006. Laughter.

Frye’s demeanor never changes much. The losses have bummed him out in an understated way. The win made him upbeat but not delirious.

“It was a smooth operation out there today,” Frye said. “We knew we were gonna be able to run the ball against these guys. A lot of teams have had success running the ball against the Jets.”

Davidson did get booed twice late in the game when the Browns went conservative to sit on the lead.

The Browns were on the verge of a 24-3 advantage when they momentarily turned into the Oakland Raiders. They turned a fumble recovery deep in Jets territory into just a field goal, then gave up 10 quick points.

The performance must be seen in light of the flawed victim. The Jets got hammered at Jacksonville, 41-0, in their previous road game, and their 4-4 record is padded by wins over four suspects (Titans, Bills, Dolphins, Lions).

“We won the game,” wideout Braylon Edwards said. “That’s all we care about around here.”

DROUGHNS, JUREVICIUS TDS

The Jets drove 83 yards to a short Mike Nugent field goal on the game’s first series.

The Browns got only 30 yards out of their first post-Carthon series, but Phil Dawson saved it with a 47-yard field goal.

Davidson’s second series produced 69 yards, a touchdown and a 10-3 lead. The highlight might have been overcoming a same-old-Browns play on which a short Droughns touchdown was erased because Joe Jurevicius lined up offside.

The bad luck changed when the 6-foot-5 Jurevicius drew single coverage against undersized corner Justin Miller, who was nailed for pass interference. Droughns blasted 2 yards for the TD on the next play.

The mood fouled when Dawson pulled a 26-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half.

“Just a bad kick,” Dawson said.

Joshua Cribbs revived the audience by returning the second half kick to near midfield. Droughns’ running set up a first-down 30-yard touchdown pass to Winslow.

“Charlie and I worked on that in the offseason,” Winslow said. “They were in Cover 2. I break it inside.

“Charlie lasered it in there. It was a nice throw.”

Frye froze the rush by faking a handoff to Droughns, then had plenty of time to find Winslow beating Miller down the right sideline.

HANG ON

The Browns led 17-3 — then blew a chance for the kill. Jets rookie Leon Washington coughed up the ball to Browns rookie Kamerion Wimbley inside the Jets’ 10-yard line, but the Browns got only a field goal.

Miller, the twice-burned defensive back, struck back with a 99-yard kick return up the gut. That pulled the Jets to within 20-10 as the third quarter ran out.

Frye, who had been protected well all day, suddenly took two sacks. It seemed strange during a break to hear fans chant “O-H-I-O” during “Hang on Sloopy,” shortly before former Ohio State kicker Mike Nugent pulled New York to within 20-13 on a 47-yard field goal with 12:54 left.

The downward spiral continued with a 15-yard personal foul call on center Hank Fraley, souring field position immediately before a punt.

Then the Browns had to survive the Jets’ drive to that controversial fourth-down throw.

“We won,” veteran linebacker Willie McGinest said. “We’re happy. It’s just one win. Keep it in perspective.”

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/SPORTS01/610300354/1108

Jets defense lacked aggression early on

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original Publication: October 30, 2006)

CLEVELAND — The defensive formula against the Browns seemed so simple. Because when the Jets did blitz and put pressure on quarterback Charlie Frye and his makeshift offensive line, Cleveland could produce just one field goal.

Unfortunately for the Jets, who lost 20-13 yesterday, they didn't make that adjustment until the Browns had taken a two-touchdown lead on their first drive of the second half.

Where was that aggressive defense the first 34 minutes?

"I really can't tell you that,'' said defensive end Shaun Ellis, who had six tackles in his 100th NFL game. "We made adjustments and found things that worked.''

Browns right tackle Ryan Tucker missed the game because of an undisclosed illness and was replaced by Lions castoff Kelly Butler. Veteran left guard Joe Andruzzi was hurt in the second quarter and replaced by Lennie Friedman. Butler, Freidman and starting center Hank Fraley all joined the Browns late in the preseason.

"It was some things that they did,'' Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said. "But that was to be expected because they had the new guy.''

Cleveland offensive-line coach Jeff Davidson — who received the game ball — was calling the plays for the first time since former offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon resigned last Monday.

"We are excited about the win,'' said Cleveland's Reuben Droughns, who became the fourth opposing running back to gain 100 yards against the Jets this season with 125 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries. "For me, it wasn't a complete game because I gave up some sacks.''

All three of the Jets' sacks — one each by linebacker Eric Barton, linebacker Bryan Thomas and rookie cornerback Drew Coleman — came in the second half. The Jets also registered six quarterback hits, including two by Barton, who also led the team with 10 tackles.

But the Jets didn't start blitzing until Frye completed a seven-play, 57-yard drive to open the second half with a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Winslow, giving the Browns a 17-3 lead with 11:16 to go in the third quarter.

"They came out and they ran the ball,'' Ellis said. "We adjusted well in the second half, and we controlled the run a lot in the second half. We became more aggressive, but their offensive coordinator did a good job. He came up with a good offensive scheme, and we adjusted to it just a little bit too late.''

Strangely, the Jets shifted their defensive personnel often early in the game. Barton was on the sidelines for long stretches as Brad Kassell was inserted. Matt Chatham was used in many instances rather than Thomas.

Barton and Thomas both saw the bulk of the snaps when the defense finally started clicking.

"This is a game we should have won regardless of how they started,'' Ellis said. "I thought we played well enough in the second half to at least go to overtime.''

Extra points

Predictable substitution: Rookie Brad Smith lined up as the quarterback in shotgun formation twice yesterday. The first came on third-and-three from the Browns 7-yard line on the Jets' first drive, and Smith was stopped for a 1-yard loss as he tried to run up the middle. The Jets settled for a field goal after a 16-play drive. Smith also handed off to rookie Leon Washington for no gain on third-and-three at the Browns 34, and Mike Nugent missed a 52-yard field goal with 3:24 left in the first half. "It might throw up a red flag,'' Smith said. But Jets coach Eric Mangini said he liked the threat of an option play with Smith under center.

Doing his job: Justin Miller became just the third player in the Jets' 47 seasons to have two kickoff returns for touchdowns in one season. He returned the ball 99 yards to bring the Jets within 20-10 with 3:35 left in the third quarter and set a team record with his 103-yard return in a 31-28 loss to the Colts in Week 4. "That's my job,'' Miller said. "As long as there's blocking, I'm going to hold up my end of the bargain. I feel like every time I touch the ball, I'm going to break it.'' Chad Morton had two touchdown returns in 2002, both in one game, and Leon Burton had two for the Titans in 1960.

Michaels honored: Ex-Jets coach Walt Michaels was one of four people inducted as Cleveland Browns legends in a pregame ceremony. Michaels was a Browns linebacker from 1952-61. "The biggest thing was playing for (coach and team founder) Paul Brown,'' said Michaels, who went 39-47-1 as the Jets' coach from 1977-82. "As far as I'm concerned, he's the greatest. The way he selected players, his scouting system, his year-round, full-time coaching.'' Michaels was an assistant coach when the Jets won Super Bowl III, and he still wears his championship ring. And he's still upset about his last game as Jets coach, a 14-0 loss at Miami in the AFC championship game. Michaels accused Dolphins coach Don Shula of deliberately leaving the field uncovered in a bad storm to slow the Jets down. "If I got upset in Miami, so what?'' said Michaels, who was fired as a result of his postgame behavior. "That's my nature; that's the way I played.'' And though he could not pronounce the current Jets coach's last name ("Mancini? "Man-eenie?''), he's been impressed so far. "He's had four wins and the only thing you say is: Who were the four wins against?'' Michaels said. "That's the only minus, but a win is a win.''

Injury report: Jets — CB Andre Dyson left early in the second quarter for an undisclosed reason and did not return.

Browns — DE Orpheus Roye injured his hamstring on the Jets' first drive and did not return. LG Joe Andruzzi injured his right knee with 11:40 to go in the first half and did not return. LB Willie McGinest hurt his right ankle with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter and did not return.

[Sperm Edwards]

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Baker accepts ruling, but believes he made catch

Monday, October 30, 2006

Dennis Manoloff

Plain Dealer Reporter

Jets tight end Chris Baker is convinced he would have gotten both feet inbounds.

Baker also realizes his opinion ultimately does not count for much.

"The only thing that really matters is what the officials say," he said.

Enough officials Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium did not think Baker could have gotten both feet inbounds on a fourth-down pass play in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, so the record reflects he did not.

The record shows Baker's Jets, their last gasp having gone for naught, lost to the Browns, 20-13.

On a fourth-and-4 from the Browns 24 with 1:06 left, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington eluded the rush and threw a pass intended for Baker, who was crossing the goal line along the right sideline. Baker extended to make a one-handed reception but was knocked hard out of bounds by Browns defensive back Brodney Pool before returning either foot to the turf.

Somehow, Baker held on. No matter. Field judge Buddy Horton was adamant Baker would not have gotten both feet in if Pool had not pushed him. Horton therefore ruled no forceout had occurred.

Such a ruling is not reviewable, meaning the Jets turned the ball over on downs. The Browns killed the remaining time for the victory.

"Where I jumped from, I made an effort to stay away from the sideline," Baker said. "I wasn't jumping toward the sideline, I was jumping straight up. I knew I was going to get hit, but I felt I was going to come down inbounds."

Baker and his teammates said one of the officials signaled forceout, only to be overruled.

"One official said, yes,' the other, no,' " Baker said. "The problem for us was the official in our favor did not seem as sure as the other guy. The officials got together, commented back and forth and said it was not a force-out."

Receiver Jerricho Cotchery said: "The official by me had the same view as I did. We saw him bring it in with one hand and watched the other guy [Pool] come in and push him out."

Asked if there had been disagreement in the ranks, referee Mike Carey said: "Any time you have a play of that significance and people can see elements, they'll come in and we'll talk it over."

Jets coach Eric Mangini called timeout after the field ruling, hoping against hope.

"We took the timeout to provide a little more time for everyone to take a look at it," Mangini said.

Nothing changed.

To their credit, the Jets (4-4) refused to bellyache about the call. They never claimed it factored heavily in their downfall. Even if they had gotten the touchdown and kicked the extra point, it only would have tied the score.

"The Browns beat us," Baker said. "They made the plays they needed to make. We never should have let it come down to something like that."

The Jets trailed, 20-3, late in the third quarter.

"When you're on the road, you can't let the referees decide the game," Pennington said. "We left a lot of plays on the field that we didn't execute."

Mangini said: "We could have done things considerably better in all three areas."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/466573p-392624c.html

Miller time again

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, October 30th, 2006

CLEVELAND - Justin Miller was the Jets' bright spot in yesterday's 20-13 loss to the Browns, scoring on a 99-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. He became only the third player in team history to record two kickoff-return touchdowns in one season.

"We're shooting for more than two," said Miller, who had a franchise-record, 103-yard return four weeks ago against the Colts. "There are more to come."

Leon Burton returned two for scores in 1960, when the Jets were known as the Titans. In 2002, Chad Morton also had two, both on opening day.

CURTIS SAGA: The Jets could make an announcement today on the future of Curtis Martin, who has been targeting this week as his return to practice.

The clock is ticking for Martin, who is on the physically-unable-to-perform list because of a surgically repaired right knee. He was eligible to start practicing two weeks ago, but the date was pushed back because Martin said he wanted to make a "wiser decision."

If he doesn't begin practicing by Nov. 7, Martin is ineligible for the remainder of the season.

RUSH JOB: The run defense was shredded again, as Rueben Droughns gained 125 yards. The Browns entered the game averaging only 68.5 yards per game. The defense tightened late in the game, when the Jets started blitzing inexperienced QB Charlie Frye.

"We were blitzing, moving around, and that messed up their runs," DE Shaun Ellis. "We caused some confusion for their offensive line."

What took so long?

The Browns lost LG Joe Andruzzi (knee) in the second quarter, and played the rest of the game with three starters who weren't on the team at the start of training camp.

SLASH AND BURN: It might be time to adjust the Brad Smith package. The rookie was inserted at quarterback for two key third-down plays, neither of which fooled the Browns. Eric Mangini defended the way the Jets used Smith.

"We've been very effective with the plays Brad has been involved in," Mangini said.

DYSON HURT: CB Andre Dyson missed most of the second half with an ankle injury. ... Rookie S Eric Smith recorded his first interception. ... Eric Barton, Bryan Thomas and Drew Coleman had sacks. ... CB Erik Coleman dropped a would-be interception. ... Ben Graham had a 69-yard punt. ... CB David Barrett, who missed the last two games with a hip injury, played in the nickel. ... LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson lined up at right tackle on one play. ... RB Derrick Blaylock, RB Cedric Houston, FB James Hodgins and DE Dave Ball were among the Jets' inactives.

WALT HONORED: Former Jets coach Walt Michaels was inducted into the "Cleveland Browns Legends." Michaels, 77, was a star linebacker for the Browns from 1952 to 1961.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/466575p-392627c.html

Chad watches call complete bad day

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, October 30th, 2006

CLEVELAND - For the second time in four games, Chad Pennington played one of the worst games of his career. In yesterday's 20-13 loss to the Browns, the Jets' quarterback threw passes the way the Detroit Tigers' pitchers handled grounders and bunts - he was wild, all over the place.

Afterward, Pennington's mood reflected his performance. He was uncharacteristically downcast.

"I didn't make enough plays as a quarterback to put us in a position to win," he said. "I just didn't get the ball to my playmakers today. I didn't throw the ball well. I didn't throw it well enough to help us win."

In fact, it was an all-time clunker for Pennington (11-for-28, 108 yards), who compiled the lowest passer rating of his career - 21.1. Four weeks ago, in the 41-0 loss to the Jaguars, his rating was 28.9.

In his last six games, Pennington has seven interceptions, only five touchdown passes and no 200-yard performances.

Did someone say slump?

Pennington got off to a good start against an underrated Cleveland defense, completing four of six passes for 51 yards. But the Browns started blitzing, and Pennington lost his touch, misfiring on 15 of his last 22 pass attempts.

To think, Pennington entered the game as the second-most accurate passer in NFL history (minimum of 1,000) attempts, only a tenth of a percentage point behind Kurt Warner (65.5%).

"I felt really good about our preparation this week," Pennington said. "It just boils down to not executing in the passing game."

Pennington was intercepted twice by Sean Jones. The first came on a cornerback blitz in which Leigh Bodden got in Pennington's face and tipped his pass into the air. The second interception, which came with the Jets trailing by seven points in the fourth quarter, was simply a duck.

Justin McCareins got open down the right sideline, but Pennington uncorked a quacker. It looked like it might have been deflected, but it wasn't.

"It just came out funny," he said.

Pennington's best play might have been the controversial incompletion to tight end Chris Baker. On a fourth down from the Browns' 24, he ducked under the blitzing Justin Hamilton and feathered a nice touch pass over linebacker Leon Williams in the end zone. Baker made a one-handed grab, but he was ruled out of bounds.

"It looked like a force-out from my view," said Pennington, who had raised his arms to signal "touchdown" when he saw Baker make the catch.

It was that kind of day for the Jets. For the second time in four games, the offense failed to get into the end zone.

"We couldn't sustain a rhythm," said coach Eric Mangini, refusing to single out Pennington for his poor performance. "There were opportunities across the board and we didn't convert."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/466574p-392625c.html

Judgment out of bounds

By TIM SMITH

Monday, October 30th, 2006

CLEVELAND - Jets tight end Chris Baker saw the pass floating his way as he neared the end zone. He angled his body in just the right position to make a one-handed grab and still get two feet inbounds for the score.

A touchdown and extra point would have given the Jets a 20-20 tie with under a minute to play yesterday. They could have even played for the win if they had enough guts to go for two on the conversion.

But just as Baker snagged the ball with his right hand, Cleveland safety Brodney Pool slammed into his side and knocked him out of bounds. There was no immediate ruling on the play as three officials huddled on the sideline near the Browns' 10-yard line.

With the outcome of the game hanging in the balance and a thinned-out crowd at Cleveland Browns Stadium dangling in suspension, the three officials chatted and chatted some more.

The NFL and its officiating crew was getting ready to stick it to the Jets, as if the Jets hadn't already done much of that to themselves over the course of the game.

When referee Mike Carey separated from the pack, the news was not good for the Jets. The field judge, Buddy Horton, had ruled that Baker had caught the ball out of bounds and that he was not forced out by Pool. It turned out, though, that another official had disagreed with Horton and had thought Baker likely would have come down inbounds for a touchdown but instead had been forced out. He was overruled.

Carey announced the decision and the Jets walked away 20-13 losers to the Browns.

If any play begged for instant replay it was this one. Eric Mangini's hands were tied and he could not throw his little red bean bag because when there are under two minutes left in the game, only the replay official can call for a replay. But Carey said it was not a reviewable play because the ruling on the field that Baker had caught the ball out of bounds was a judgment call by the official.

"The force-out part of that is not reviewable," Carey said. "Whether he caught the ball inbounds or out is. But there was clearly no body part that landed inbounds. There was nothing to review."

If that play isn't reviewable, then what is? Let's face it, everything that is reviewed is a judgment call.

This play altered the outcome of the game. And when it was shown again on replays, it certainly looked like Baker would have come down inbounds and would have scored a TD if Pool had not knocked him out of bounds. It was TV replays that forced the NFL's hand on instant replay to begin with.

It is time for the league to revisit the issue. The NFL's replay rules need to be tweaked, adjusted, amended so that this type of play does not leave fans scratching their heads at the end of games. The officials blew the call yesterday and replay would have helped them get it right. Isn't that what instant replay is supposed to be about?

I know the NFL's position is that every play can't be reviewed. But there needs to be some discretion among the replay officials as to what can be reviewed, especially on a late call that affects the outcome of the game.

The confusion among the three officials carried over to the Jets sideline. The coaches and players weren't exactly sure why it wasn't reviewable. And they had to stand mute on the matter or risk getting slapped with a huge fine. You could practically see the blood running from the corners of some of the Jets players' mouths as they bit their tongues to keep from screaming, "We got robbed!"

"They decided I would not have been in," Baker said. "I heard one referee saying it was a force-out and the other referee, coming from the side, saying it was not a force-out. They commented back and forth and said that it was not (a touchdown). That's part of the game."

Mangini said his perspective wasn't very good on the play and that the word from the Jets' booth upstairs was that it was a TD.

"Anytime you get a chance to get a touchdown usually the guys in the booth are yelling, 'It's a touchdown. It's a touchdown,'" Mangini said.

This time they were right. But without the power of replay, they could have saved their breath.

The reality is the Jets had an opportunity to get to 5-3, give the Patriots a little something to think about in the division, and use the bye week to fine-tune for a second-half run.

Getting jobbed by the officials only compounded the Jets' woes. For all the good it does, the Jets can stuff that in their bag of regrets - along with a ton of missed opportunities, a terrible passing day for quarterback Chad Pennington and a defense that awakened too late - and put it all in the "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" file.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=teamreportsaroundtheafc&prov=tsn&type=lgns

Team Reports: Around the AFC

By SN correspondents - SportingNews

New York Jets

The defense must be more aggressive, especially late in games. Coordinator Bob Sutton prefers to prevent big plays. The approach has merit, but he must blitz more for his scheme to be effective. But the coaches aren't confident in the team's ability to blitz and tackle on underneath passes.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-nflrdp&prov=ap&type=lgns

Browns 20, Jets 13

At Cleveland, a potential one-handed tying touchdown grab by Jets tight end Chris Baker in the final minute was called out of bounds.

On fourth-and-4, Chad Pennington dropped back and ducked underneath a blitz from safety Sean Jones before lofting a pass to the near right corner for Baker. The tight end leaped and hauled in Pennington's pass with one hand as he soared through the air.

But before he could get either of his feet down, Baker was drilled from the side by defensive back Brodney Pool, who sent Baker sprawling out of bounds. The officials huddled for several seconds before referee Mike Carey said Baker could not have made the catch in bounds.

Because it was a judgment call, the play is not reviewable under the NFL's instant replay system.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1162191160129490.xml&coll=1

JETS MORNING AFTER

Monday, October 30, 2006

BY BRENDAN PRUNTY

Star-Ledger Staff

OVERVIEW

This was supposed to be a nice, easy weekend trip to Cleveland. Get a win against the lowly Browns and get back to New York at 5-3. Well, yesterday the Jets dropped a winnable game and now stand at 4-4 and face the toughest part of their schedule.

Yesterday nearly turned into a blowout for the Browns, who were one dropped catch away from a 24-3 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Jets were sparked once again by a Justin Miller return for a touchdown, but did little else on offense. Cleveland safety Sean Jones had Chad Pennington's number all day, picking him off twice and tipping one of the quarterback's passes on the final drive.

Now the Jets will spend the bye week mulling over this sour loss and then get to go to Foxboro to face the arch-enemy New England Patriots and Bill Belichick again.

Q&A

How bad is this loss for the Jets?

This is a very bad loss for Eric Mangini's team. The Jets came into this game riding high after moving to 4-3 and had to feel the 1-5 Browns were very beatable. Going into a bye week 5-3 would have been an amazing feat for this team. Woops. Now they'll have a week off to stew about losing to the Browns (not good) and then have to travel to New England to play the Patriots (really not good). Oh, then the following week they play the Bears (really, really not good).

Wait -- didn't the Browns accept the resignation of their offensive coordinator, Maurice Carthon, last week?

Yes, and Jeff Davidson was just supposed to be the interim guy. Well, he might have won the job with his outstanding play-calling yesterday. Davidson, the Browns' offensive line coach, took full advantage of the Jets' main weakness -- they can't stop the run. Davidson put RB Reuben Droughns behind his line and pushed the Jets around all day. Droughns finished with 125 yards and a score on 33 carries.

Why didn't the Jets put more pressure on QB Charlie Frye?

That's the puzzling question. For the first three quarters, the Jets basically sat back and let Frye do what he wanted. With a young QB like that, you have to make him beat you through the air. It wasn't until the beginning of the fourth quarter when Mangini and defensive coordinator Bob Sutton started to go after Frye -- and it worked. The Jets' coaches have to be kicking themselves for not going after Frye earlier in the game.

What are we to make of Brad Smith?

Smith is still an enigma to the Jets and their fans. When he's in, he adds a certain sense of excitement to a pretty bland offense. But he really doesn't have a role yet and Mangini seems determined to force him into games, even when the situation doesn't call for his services. Smith was used twice in the game before he was brought in for a gadget play, which the Browns snuffed out instantly. He can be a dangerous weapon for this team, the coaching staff just needs to use him correctly.

DID YOU NOTICE?

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel completely put the playbook in his back pocket during the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. True, you don't want to have your young QB give away a game, but the Jets were reeling and by going ultra-conservative the Browns nearly blew it. The fans voiced their displeasure at the play-calling, as well. ... Cleveland didn't punt until 5:30 left in the fourth quarter. ... Justin Miller's 99-yard kick return for a touchdown in the third quarter was the second longest of his career and second this season. ... Yesterday's game was the 19th meeting between the two teams. The loss dropped the Jets to 11-7 in the regular season. The teams met once, in the 1986 divisional playoffs, and the Browns won, 23-20.

NEXT WEEK

Bye.

WHY THIS IS GOOD FOR THE JETS: It's the bye week. That means the three R's: rest, relaxation and recovery. How is that not good?

WHY THIS IS BAD FOR THE JETS: They got exposed as an overachieving team by a lowly Browns team. Now everyone knows what the Jets are really about.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1162191120129490.xml&coll=1

What is reviewable?

Monday, October 30, 2006

NFL rules say that replay can be used only on things that are clearly visible on television such as both feet in, crossing the plane, fumbling before your knee hits the ground, 12 men on the field, etc. Judgment calls -- pass interference, holding or, in this case, forceouts -- are not reviewable by replay officials. In other words, you can see on replay that a player's foot is or isn't inbounds; you can't tell for sure whether a player would have landed inbounds.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1162191169129490.xml&coll=1

Jets Notebook: Pennington has a shaky day

Monday, October 30, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

CLEVELAND -- It looked like the ball was tipped. It had to be. What other reason would there be for Jets quarterback Chad Pennington to underthrow a wide-open Justin McCareins by nearly 15 yards?

On a third-and-seven from the Jets' 44-yard line midway through the fourth quarter and the Jets trailing by seven yesterday, McCareins got behind the Browns' defense by 10 yards and had a sure touchdown. But Pennington unleashed a dying quail that appeared to be tipped at the line of scrimmage.

"No, it wasn't tipped," Pennington said after the Jets' 20-13 loss to the Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. "They were bringing pressure and they let Justin loose. I tried to get it up before the pressure got there and it (the ball) came out funny."

It was that kind of day for Pennington, who hit just 11 of 28 passes for 108 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in his worst performance of the season. His passer rating of 21.1 was the second-lowest in his career behind an 18.6 mark against Jacksonville last season.

Pennington, who had been superb all season except for his play in a 41-0 loss to Jacksonville in Week 5, overthrew and underthrew receivers all game. His first interception in the first quarter led to the Browns' first touchdown. The ball was tipped at the line and intercepted by safety Sean Jones at the Cleveland 28-yard line. The Jets had been driving.

Pennington never got into a rhythm despite fairly good protection. He was sacked only once. Late in the game, the Browns began to blitz more but the Jets picked it up for the most part.

WR Jerricho Cotchery finished with five catches for 43 yards and wideout Laveranues Coles had only four receptions for 40 yards. The Jets were only 5-of-13 on third-down conversions and finished with just 193 yard total offense.

"I just didn't get the ball to my playmakers today," Pennington said. "I didn't throw the ball well enough to help us win. I felt really good about our preparation this week. It just boils down to not executing in the passing game."

Justin Millerreturned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to close the Jets to within 20-10 late in the third quarter after the Browns had threatened to turn the game into a rout.

It was Miller's second kickoff return for a touchdown this season. He returned one 103 yards against the Colts in Week 4. He becomes the third player in club history to have two returns for a touchdown in one season. Chad Morton (2002) and Leon Burton (1960) are the others.

On the return, Miller bolted up the middle, broke a tackle by kicker Phil Dawson and stiff-armed defensive back Justin Hamilton near midfield and sailed into the end zone.

"It (the stiff-arm) was just a natural reaction," said Miller, a second-year pro who has three career kickoff returns for touchdowns. "Once you start running, your reactions take over. I was left in the position where it was me and the kicker. It's my job to beat the kicker. I just thank my return team. I give them all the credit."

RB Leon Washington,who was coming off a career-high 129-yard, two-touchdown performance last week against the Lions, was held to 51 yards on 15 carries. Veteran Kevin Barlow (five carries, 16 yards) also struggled. Interestingly, Browns massive NT Ted Washington, who weighs close to 400 pounds, played sparingly, mainly on first downs.

Rookie safetyEric Smith, a third-round pick out of Michigan State, had his first career interception in the second quarter. During the draft, many experts said the Jets "reached" for Smith and could've selected him later but Smith has been a solid backup this season.

DE Bryan Thomas,CB Drew Coleman and LB Eric Barton each had a sack. ... WR/QB/RB Brad Smith downed a Ben Graham punt at the 2-yard line in the second quarter. ... CB Andre Dyson injured his right ankle/foot in the second quarter and didn't return. ... Browns G Joe Andruzzi injured his right knee in the first half and didn't return.

Former Jets coachWalt Michaels was inducted into Cleveland Browns Legends, a group of former players who have made a major impact on the organization. Michaels played linebacker with the Browns from 1952-1961.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1162191289129490.xml&coll=1

Jets: There's a catch to this loss

With a chance to tie, refs deny great grab

Monday, October 30, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

CLEVELAND -- Jets tight end Chris Baker knew exactly where he was in the corner of the end zone. As he jumped, he twisted his body to try to keep from floating out of bounds. Television replays showed he was successful.

The field judge disagreed, saying Baker wasn't forced out by Browns safety Brodney Pool. He said Baker would've landed out of bounds on his own had Pool not hit him.

Another official, believed to be the side judge stationed in front of the play near the sideline, ruled it was a forceout. He said Baker should be awarded the touchdown.

The group of officials then huddled.

After the brief conference, a sensational one-handed catch by Baker with 1:06 left to play that would've brought the Jets to within an extra point of tying the score was nullified and the Jets were left to swallow a bitter 20-13 loss to the struggling Cleveland Browns yesterday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

"One referee said it was a forceout and the other said it wasn't," Baker said. "They went back and forth. The referee who was coming in from the side and had a better view said I would have come down in bounds.

"I turned and jumped in a way so I wouldn't continue to drift out of bounds. I felt I was definitely going to come down in bounds. I knew I was going to get hit. I jumped anticipating getting hit and trying to stay in bounds."

Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery had a bird's-eye view of the play from the sideline inside the 10-yard line. He said the official in the end zone ruled the play wasn't a forceout but the official near him by the sideline said it was a forceout and should be ruled a touchdown.

"The official who was by me, we both had the same view, he was saying it was a forceout," Cotchery said.

Under league rules, Jets coach Eric Mangini couldn't challenge the play because it was in the final two minutes. And none of the officials in the booth upstairs could buzz down to the field and ask for a review because the play wasn't reviewable. It was a judgment call.

"The ruling was that the ball was caught out of bounds," referee Mike Carey told a pool reporter. "The forceout part of that is not reviewable. Whether he caught the ball in bounds or out is. But there was clearly no body part that landed in bounds. There was nothing to review."

Mangini said the coaches in the booth told him it was a forceout but there was nothing he could do. He said he called a timeout to give the officials more time to discuss the play but it was to no avail.

"There wasn't much we could do but call a timeout," Mangini said.

Quarterback Chad Pennington felt Baker was forced out and he heard the officials disagreeing, but he said it shouldn't have come to that.

"My take on it, especially on the road, you can't leave it up to the referee to decide the game," Pennington said.

The game came down to that because Pennington (11-of-28 for 108 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 21.1 passer rating, second-lowest of his career) played perhaps his worst game of the season. The Jets, who had three turnovers which led to 10 points, finished with just 193 yards total offense (88 yards rushing) against an ordinary Browns defense.

Cleveland (2-5) finally showed some life under new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson, who replaced Maurice Carthon, who resigned under pressure last Monday. It didn't help that the Jets defense once again played lousy.

Browns running back Reuben Droughns finished with a season-high 125 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries, and Cleveland compiled 147 yards rushing. Quarterback Charlie Frye (15-of-22 for 141 yards, one TD, one INT) managed the game well.

The Jets now enter their bye week at 4-4, when a 5-3 mark was there for the taking. They play New England and Chicago coming out of the bye and it won't be easy.

"We went to Jacksonville and got blown out (41-0)," linebacker Matt Chatham said. "Those games don't hurt nearly as much as these do. ... The reality is you have 14 days to think about it instead of seven."

"There's nothing we can do about it now," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "They (the Browns) got one. Hats off to Cleveland with all the adversity they've gone through. We fell behind early and they got going."

After a first-quarter Jets field goal culminated an 8-minute, 30-second opening drive, the Browns built a 17-3 lead when they scored on their first possession of the third quarter on a 30-yard catch by tight end Kellen Winslow (seven receptions, 76 yards, one TD).

A 21-yard field goal by Phil Dawson increased the lead to 20-3 with 3:38 left in the third and it appeared the rout was on.

But Justin Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown (the third player in club history to return two kickoffs for TDs in the same season) to climb within 20-10 and the Jets defense finally stiffened, blitzing Frye and causing confusion.

"We made adjustments," Ellis said. "We were trying things that might work. I wish we would've done it (blitzing) earlier."

Jets kicker Mike Nugent booted a 47-yard field goal to close the gap to 20-13 early in the fourth quarter but the Jets failed to score in their final three possessions.

"Obviously, it was a disappointing loss," Mangini said. "I thought we had a good week of preparation and not executing the way we prepared is disappointing."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://jets.blogs.nj.com/default.asp?item=257896

Pathetic Pennington, Dreadful Defense Cost Jets

Posted by Bob Bullock

I know the Jets got screwed on the fourth down pass to Chris Baker. It should have been a catch and the game should have gone to overtime. Because it was a judgment call, the play is not reviewable under the NFL's instant replay system. It was ruled an incomplete pass ending the Jets' chances for a comeback. The team fell 20-13 to the lowly Browns and fell to 4-4 on the season heading into the bye week.

The game should have never came down to that play to begin with, however. Chad Pennington had an absolutely horrible game, going 11 for 28 and passing for a lousy 108 yards with 2 interceptions. This was against a Browns' defense that is one of the worst in the league and had injuries throughout the secondary. There is just no excuse for Chad to come out and put forth a disgraceful performance like this one. The team had a chance to go into the bye week feeling great with 5 wins and 3 losses. Now, they have to taste this bitter pill for the next two weeks knowing they are no better than a .500 football team. Also knowing they will play New England and Chicago next on the schedule.

The defense also proved once again that they have no clue how to stop the run. Reuben Droughns ran for 125 yards and a touchdown. The Browns ran the ball at will for most of the game, until the Jets finally decided to be aggressive and blitz. That actually seemed to work, as they stopped the run and put some pressure on Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye. Where the heck was the blitzing for the first three quarters? The Jets need to be extra aggressive on defense to stop teams from running the ball down their throats. If the coaches didn't see that from this game alone, the Jets are in big trouble for the rest of the season.

This is a game Gang Green should have and needed to win, but the team failed to get the job done. It was a very disappointing performance for a team that had shown so much promise through the first half of the season. These next two weeks have to be used to find out how to attack the opponents offense more, as in MORE BLITZING. Also how to avoid coming up empty from the quarterback position in the future. If Chad is going to lead this team to the playoffs, he can't have any more games like the one he had today in Cleveland.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10302006/sports/jets/chad_so_bad_in_loss_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

CHAD SO BAD IN LOSS

By MARK CANNIZZARO

October 30, 2006 -- CLEVELAND - Chad Pennington picked a bad game to deliver one of the worst performances of his career.

With the Jets primed to get to the halfway point at 5-3, Pennington and the Jets flopped in a 20-13 loss to the Browns yesterday.

Pennington completed only 11-of-28 passes for 108 yards and two INTs and had a career-worst 21.1 QB rating.

After the game, he was particularly down.

"I didn't make enough plays as a quarterback to put us in a good position to win," Pennington said. "I just didn't get the ball to my playmakers today. I didn't throw the ball very well, didn't throw it well enough to help us win."

*

When Justin Miller ignited a dead Jet sideline with a 99-yard KO return for a TD yesterday to cut into a 20-3 Cleveland lead, he became only the third player in Jets' history to return two KOs for TDs in one season.

The last was Chad Morton in 2002, doing it twice in one game, and the other was Leon Burton in 1960 for the Titans.

Miller was forced into duty as a starting CB when Andre Dyson was knocked out of the game with a right foot or ankle injury late in the second half.

*

This is a pivotal week for Curtis Martin. With the bye now upon the Jets, they're expected to evaluate whether Martin can begin practicing now that he's off the PUP list. Whatever decision is made will certainly shape whether Martin's NFL career continues.

*

Before the game, the Browns inducted four men integral to their history into their Cleveland Browns Legends. One of them was former Jet head coach Walt Michaels, who was a Browns' linebacker from 1952 to 1961.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10302006/sports/jets/theres_no_defense_for_this_loss_jets_george_willis.htm

THERE'S NO DEFENSE FOR THIS LOSS

By GEORGE WILLIS

October 30, 2006 -- CLEVELAND - No doubt there will be plenty of yelling and screaming today about how the officials robbed the Jets yesterday at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Talk shows will be flooded with callers, screaming: "We wuz robbed." And with for good reason.

Chris Baker's marvelous leaping catch on the Jets' final offensive play should have been ruled a game-tying touchdown. Just about everyone in the building could see Baker would have landed in the end zone if not for the jarring hit by safety Brodney Poole. But field judge Buddy Horton ruled him out of bounds and the rest of the officials backed his call, causing a smokescreen that will cloud the real reason the Jets went home a 20-13 loser to the Browns.

Scream all you want about how Horton cost the Jets. Truth is, the responsibility for this ugly defeat rests squarely on a defense that spent the first three quarters allowing a hapless Browns offense to roam all over the field building a lead that proved insurmountable. That's why the Jets lost yesterday, and why they head into their bye week 4-4 instead of a more impressive 5-3.

Linebacker Victor Hobson wasn't looking for alibis. "We got started too late and you see the consequences," he said. "We're walking out with a loss."

Yes, curious playing calling by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and untimely interceptions thrown by Chad Pennington hurt. So did a third-quarter fumble by Leon Washington at the Jets 9. And if the Jets get the call on Baker's catch maybe they win in overtime. But they blew this game by allowing the Browns to take a 20-3 lead that a brilliant fourth-quarter rally couldn't overcome.

Consider the Browns came into the game with the league's worst offense, averaging 245.2 yards. Their rushing game had averaged just 68.2 yards. Those numbers led to the resignation of offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon last week. He was replaced by offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, and for much of the game, the Jets made Davidson look like a genius.

The Browns ran through the Jets for 93 yards in the first half alone and finished with 147 on the ground for the game. Running back Reuben Droughns had gained 100 yards by the third quarter and finished with 125. A 10-3 Browns lead at halftime would have been 13-3 if kicker Phil Dawson had not shanked a 26-yard field goal attempt with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. And the game looked over when the Browns took the second-half kickoff and rammed it down the Jets' throats. A seven-play 57-yard drive ended with tight end Kellen Winslow catching a 30-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a 17-3 lead. A 21-yard field goal by Dawson after Washington's fumble made it 20-3.

"They were pretty much pounding us," DE Sean Ellis said. "They were taking it to us and we weren't responding back."

Truth is, the Browns only did what most of the Jets' opponents have done all season. Eric Mangini's defense had allowed 372.5 yards per game, the third most in the NFL. If there's a priority during the bye week, it should be fixing the defense.

It took a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Justin Miller to inspire the Jets. Suddenly, they were aggressive, they swarmed, and they played with a sense of desperation. Going to the blitz, they collected three sacks and stopped an ultra-conservative Browns offense on four consecutive drives to give Chad Pennington a chance. If the Jets played liked this at the start of the game, a blown call by a clueless ref would never have been a factor.

So don't blame Horton for the Jets losing yesterday. Blame the real culprits. Blame the defense.

george.willis@nypost.com

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10302006/sports/jets/officials_say_baker_doesnt_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

OFFICIALS SAY BAKER DOESN'T

By MARK CANNIZZARO

October 30, 2006 -- CLEVELAND - A league-surprising 5-3 record at the midway point of the season and a bye week to bask in it hung precariously in the cool Lake Erie air last night at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

A fourth-down pass by Chad Pennington floated toward tight end Chris Baker in the end zone with about a minute left as the Jets trailed the Browns by a touchdown.

Baker leaped into the air and cherry-picked the ball out of the sky with his right hand and hauled it in.

Overtime appeared immi nent.

But for what seemed like an eternity to the Jets' sideline, suspended in hope and sus pense, there was no call from the officiating crew. There were no raised arms to signal a touchdown and no indication that Baker was out of bounds after being blasted out of the end zone by Browns' safety Brodney Pool.

Finally, after that always-un settling officials' huddle, it was ruled that Baker - who appeared on replay to be well within the boundary when he made the remarkable catch - would not have come down in bounds, so the pass was incomplete, thus ending a frustrating day for the Jets.

And so in the end, the score remained Browns 20, Jets 13, leaving the Jets at 4-4 and with a foul taste in their mouths as they embark on their bye week.

"[bleeping] infuriating," Jets linebacker Matt Chatham said, spitting out the words like darts over and over as he stood in front of his locker afterward. "[baker] was inbounds when he was hit and that's a call for being forced out of bounds. We thought that was pretty standard stuff."

Chad Pennington said, "It looked like a force-out from my vantage point. It looked like he was in bounds and got forced out by the safety."

Referee Mike Carey said the play was not reviewable by replay because it was a judgment call.

"It [the call] was made by the field judge [Mark Perlman] and the ruling was that the ball was caught out of bounds," Carey said. "There was not a force-out on the play."

Remarkably, the replay pretty clearly showed Baker well within bounds when he made the catch and it was Pool's hit that forced him out.

"The force-out part is not reviewable," Carey said. "Whether he caught the ball in bounds or out is, but there was clearly no body part that landed in bounds."

That, of course, is because Pool drove Baker out of bounds before he landed. Very curious.

"Maybe the league needs to look at how they evaluate those plays," Chatham said. "You can't allow the game to come down to something the league won't let you look at."

Said Baker: "A play like that at the end of a game I would hope is something that would be something that's reviewable, but . . . "

Incredibly, Baker said the official closest to the play, believed to be side judge Tom Fincken, initially ruled Baker was forced out and that it should have been a TD.

"The referee coming from the side who had a better view was telling the other referee, 'He was coming down in bounds,' " Baker said. "Then they went back and forth and they ended up saying 'no.' It doesn't get much more disappointing than that."

In the end, though, a good look in the mirror will tell the Jets they did too many things before that play to cost themselves the victory.

Pennington, by his own admission, was off, completing 11 of 28 passes for a paltry 108 yards and two INTs for a career-low QB rating of 21.1.

The Jets couldn't run the ball either (88 yards and a 3.3-yard average) on a Cleveland defense that entered the game allowing opposing backs to average 4.6 yards.

Their defense was plenty guilty, too, allowing a Browns' offense that entered the game dead last in the NFL and had scored a total of 88 points in six games, to rack up 147 rushing yards on it and score its second-highest point total of the season.

"There were so many little things that made that [baker] play bigger than it needed to be," Chatham said. "This was a game that was within our grasp that we could have and should have won. These are the ones that really hurt. Now, the reality is we've got 14 days to think about it."

Browns 20 Jets 13

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.msgnetwork.com/content_news.jsp?articleID=v0000msgn20061030T024049904&newsgroup=ap.sportsml.columnist.article&sports=american-football&team=Jets&league=nfl

Game came down to a judgment call

Oct 29, 2006

Bob Wischusen brings his enthusiasm and football knowledge to the radio booth for the fifth season as the Jets play-by-play announcer. Wischusen is also a staple on MSG and answers five questions each week after every Jets game:

Week 8: Browns 20, Jets 13

How come the Jets could not review Chris Baker's potential game winning touchdown?

The play was non-reviewable because it was a judgment call and all judgment calls are non-reviewable. The judgment on the part of the official was that Chris Baker was not going to come down inbounds if he had not been knocked out. The textbook definition of a force out is, if an airborne receiver in the opinion of the official, would land inbounds with both feet in and the hit forces him out of bounds, it is a force out and the play should be ruled a catch. So because it s an opinion based play and not a fact based play it could not be reviewed. When you look at the replay it seems to show the officials opinion was wrong because it sure looked like he was going to come down inbounds if he was not hit.

Why were the Jets special teams able to play such a big role in the game?

Special teams made some huge plays, Ben Graham had a couple of enormous field position changing punts especially the one with 4:18 to go in the fourth quarter to pin Cleveland inside the 20. Justin Miller's kick return got them back in the game, it only pulled them within 10 but after Leon Washington's fumble with 5:26 left in the third quarter you would not have expected the Jets to be right back in the game two minutes later.

Special teams almost won them the game and it was impressive because the Browns had very good special teams entering the contest. They were number two in starting field position and number one in opponents starting field position. Dennis Northcutt was hurt, but he is number one in punt return yardage and Joshua Cribbs is number one in kickoff return yardage. Phil Dawson was seven for eight on field goal attempts this year and he missed from 27 yards out, so the Jets had a very good afternoon against a good Browns special teams unit.

Why did the Jets offense struggle so much?

It was an off day for Chad Pennington, sometimes a pitcher comes out in a baseball game and does not have his best stuff, today Chad was a pitcher without his best stuff. The Jets running game did produce when they were in the game they were able to run the ball pretty effectively considering how Chad was not throwing the ball well. Leon Washington had another fine effort and is proving that he is deserving of more touches and will probably getting the most snaps among the Jet running backs for the rest of the season.

Is this a bad loss for the Jets against a team who owned a 1-5 record entering the game?

I thought it was a dangerous game all week. The Jets were actually an underdog and it is rare to see a 4-3 team as an underdog to a 1-5 team. Cleveland has played good teams very close. They have a dangerous defense that keeps them in games and a big bruising running back in Reuben Droughts who can wear down a defense. They lost to four teams, New Orleans, Baltimore, Carolina, and Denver, by ten points or less. So they have played some very good teams well into the 4th quarter where they were in a position to win but came up short.

Heading into the bye week at 4-4 what is the feeling around the team?

On paper it looks like they have two games they will not win after the by at New England and Chicago at home. This game was very important to the Jets playoff chances, and on paper they should have won today, so they need to win one of these next two games that no one expects them to win to give themselves a chance to make a run at the end of the season. Each year almost every team loses a game that they can't believe they lost and wins a game they are shocked to win. Hopefully if the Jets are a ten win team, the law of averages needs to balance out. Right now the team has a lot of faith in the coaching staff and how things are being run and believe they are on the right track.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/30/sports/football/30jets.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fNews%2fSports%2fPro%20Football%2fNational%20Football%20League%2fNew%20York%20Jets&oref=slogin

Browns 20, Jets 13

Last-Chance Pass Is Ruled Out, and Jets Fall Short in Cleveland

By KAREN CROUSE

CLEVELAND, Oct. 29

[Sperm Edwards]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2644039

Monday, October 30, 2006

Jets delay final decision on whether Martin will return

Associated Press

The New York Jets will wait until next week to make a decision on activating running back Curtis Martin for practice or ending his season.

Coach Eric Mangini said he spoke with Martin, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and the Jets' medical staff last week and they chose to hold off on making a decision this week. The NFL's No. 4 career rusher, sidelined with a right knee injury since the end of last season, was eligible to come off the physically-unable-to-perform list Oct. 16, but the team announced he'd remain on it until after the Jets' game at Cleveland on Sunday.

"We're going to go through Monday of next week at least," Mangini said Monday. "In light of the bye week and talking to Mike and Curtis and the medical staff, that'll give us the maximum amount of time in the 21-day window and the maximum amount of practice time should he return to practice."

According to NFL rules, a player on the PUP list can't be cleared to practice until after Week 6. Then, a team has three weeks to decide whether to allow that player to start practicing. The deadline for the Jets is next Tuesday.

Martin, who has rushed for 14,101 yards, was injured last season in Week 2, but played in 12 games before ending his year. He underwent surgery in December, but was slow to recover. He was placed on the PUP list before training camp so he could continue to rehabilitate the knee, which reportedly has a bone-on-bone condition.