Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 Hobson: We have a lot of confidence Published: 11-06-06 By Jets PR Department Regular Contributor Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/hobson-we-have-a-lot-of-confidence Following their bye weekend, the New York Jets returned to the practice field Monday afternoon. Laveranues Coles, who leads the Jets in both receptions (46) and receiving yards (606), spent his free time with family down in Jacksonville. "I saw some highlights last night, but I didn’t get a chance to watch any football this weekend," Coles said. "Sometimes you just need to get away, clear your head, relax, get some peace of mind and spend some time with your family. You never know how grateful and appreciative you are to have those people until you go home and see your family. I know I’m away from my family quite a bit being up here, but to go home and spend some time with them is good." Read below for complete players' transcripts New York Jets’ LB Victor Hobson, 11.6 On concentrating on where to improve… That’s our job too. That’s something we focus on. We always want to know where you’re making mistakes and where you can improve as an athlete and competitor. In the bye week, we have a chance to get away from football, but also have a chance to focus on the things that we can improve on. On being annoyed that teams continue to run on the Jets… It’s definitely not a good feeling. No defense wants a team to come out and think they can run the ball on it. That’s something we have to address and improve on. On the challenge of the Patriots… They’re a great, well-coached team. They have a solid offensive line and tight end that creates a whole bunch of challenges. Just with Tom Brady back there, that’s a challenge in itself, so we’re going to have to be ready, we’re going to have to execute the game plan and be focused. On how to stop Laurence Maroney… He is definitely an explosive runner. He presents a lot of challenges, he’s a guy with a lot of speed and power. He has a very distinct style of running. He is a guy we will have to contain, or try to contain as best we can to stop the run. On how he would assess the Jets’ defense so far… We’ve heard so many things and something we tried not to pay any attention to was what everybody else was saying about what we would or would not be able to accomplish. As a defense and as a team in general, we have a lot of confidence. We know what we’re capable of and we’re capable of doing better than we have been. That’s something we’re going to keep striving to do. On Tom Brady being intercepted four times… It actually scares you a little bit. With a guy like Tom, if he turns the ball over like that in one game, you know in the next game, you’re going to get his best. We expect to get his best and nothing less. New York Jets’ LB Jonathan Vilma, 11.6 On what they learned in the second half against the Patriots last time… I don’t think there was anything we learned while on the field. We just had to get out there and play ball. We had to stop them and we had to put points on the board. After the game, we learned, as coach Mangini said, we can’t dig ourselves a ditch and we have to go out there start fast and start early. On seeing improvements with the Patriots… That was to be expected. Brady is a great quarterback, we knew he would get the ball to his receivers and his playmakers. They’ve always had the running game and are always going to have the running game, they have two big backs. For us, it’s a challenge defensively to stop the running game. On preparing differently for the Patriots… It’s the same. We prepare the same way we prepare for any other team. On what the defense needs to improve upon this week… Obviously, the run game is a glaring thing for us, but aside from that, there are a few things here and there. As long as we show improvement week-in and week-out, we can take the positives. On what they’ll have to focus on to stop Laurence Maroney… I don’t think he was surprise, especially not to us, we knew he was a good back. For us, we know what to expect from him with his style, he runs hard, he’s quick and he’s explosive. We know what to expect out of him. New York Jets’ WR Laveranues Coles, 11.6 On if he watched any football over the weekend… I didn’t get a chance to. I saw some highlights last night, but I didn’t get a chance to watch any football this weekend. Sometimes you just need to get away, clear your head, relax, get some peace of mind and spend some time with your family. You never know how grateful and appreciative you are to have those people until you go home and see your family. I know I’m away from my family quite a bit being up here, but to go home and spend some time with them is good. On how many days it took to get off the Cleveland loss… With the competitive side of me, I’m never over a loss. I still go back and run all our losses through my head, because that’s just the way I am. But then again, I look forward to being able to compete the following week and having the chance to do it all over again and improve on the things I didn’t do well last time. On learning anything particular from Cleveland that will help in New England… No, I don’t think there is any particular loss that you look at. We went over all our losses, even the wins. We go over areas that we need to improve upon and evaluate ourselves to see what each player can do to help this team get better and also better yourself. As an offensive unit, we try to look at the areas we need to improve upon, and from there, just move forward. On what specific areas need to be improved upon… Every time you lose a ball game, it’s every area. One thing we emphasize today is going to be our “Red-Zone” work; once we get into the “Red-Zone”, we need to be more productive and try to have more positive plays on first and second down. Then for us, the wide receivers, when we’re running the ball, we need to improve on our parameter blocking. Then from there, whenever we put the ball in the air, just try to make more plays. On what he’s been working on with Chad Pennington… I don’t think you try to work on too much. Again, I can get to a point where you try to really focus on things, emphasize things and start pushing, and then you’re just adding room to make mistakes. We didn’t have to force anything in the beginning to make things work, and that’s the most important thing, getting back to the basics. Then the speed of the game, when you watch us on film the first couple of games, our speed was great. I don’t know what that attributes to, but we have to get our speed back at wide receiver and hopefully. On looking at New England as more of a challenge since they lost last week… Who they played the week before or what the outcome was has nothing to do with me. We just study the film, get our game plan and try to go out and execute what we’re supposed to do. On his overall opinion of the New England Patriots… You generally are what your track record says. Three Super Bowls, they’re basically considered one of the dynasties. You look at them and the way they’ve been winning this year, they have a winning record, they have a winning team and they have a great attitude. We have to go into their home and try to beat them, we know we have a great challenge ahead of us On the offense getting too complicated for Chad Pennington… Anything we do always gives us the best chance to win. Our coaches never try to complicate things too much for us. It is what it is. If it works well, then it’s good, but it doesn’t work out, then we’ve complicated things too much. We just need to play our game. Every guy needs to focus individually on facing the person in front of him and competing and winning and understanding the game plan the coaches give us. If we take that out on the field and execute it, we’ll be fine. New York Jets’ Erik Coleman, 11.6 On the Jets’ defense so far… I think we’ve done fairly well. We have a lot to improve on and that’s what we’re going to try and do, get better every week. Me personally, I’m going to try to get better at some things and hopefully, we’ll make things easier on ourselves. On how to stop Laurence Maroney… You just have to rally to the ball. They have two very good running backs, Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, and the offensive line is blocking well. We just have to rally to the ball, wrap up and do the best we can. On Tom Brady being intercepted… It might give us a little bit of confidence, but we know that he’s going to be on point. He’s going to be sharp against us, he always is. He’s a great player, he’s a competitor and I’m sure he’s going to bounce back. On the first loss against New England… We took a lot out of it, there were a lot of mistakes that we made. We hurt ourselves a lot in the beginning, but the Patriots are a good team and we’re going to have to come and play to try and get something done. New York Jets’ LB Matt Chatham, 11.6 On facing New England after they’ve lost… They’re always scary after a loss; they don’t loss two in a row. It was kind of hard watching the game last night, knowing I needed them to loss to have a loss in the division, but also knowing we had to play them a week after the loss. You don’t want them to get another game up on us in the division, but they’re dangerous in this situation. On being proud that the team rebounded when he was a Patriot… Their whole organization is predicated on correcting mistakes, their big thing is being consistent, learning from what you’ve done and moving on. Anytime they make mistakes, they’re the quickest in the league and turn around to make those adjustments and move ahead. On the bye week giving the team more time to prepare for the Patriots… I don’t think so; the bye week is as much about preparing for them as it is about correcting all your other mistakes. We’ve been looking at the Patriots a bit, but you have a lot to correct from all the other games. I don’t think the NFL holds up statistically as far as teams winning off byes. Plus, we know each other so well from being in the division. On playing in New England… There is just an aura, you’re going to go up there and there are going to be those three big banners hanging up in the end zone. There’s just that elevated expectation for them to win and usually they do, so it’s a difficult place to play. On there not being a focus on the Mangini/Belichick match-up this time around… We always like it when it’s more about what happens in between the lines. I know up there that Bill is telling them to completely put that aside, if you ask that question, they’re not going to answer. It will probably be the same approach down here. We want to make it about the football, because that’s inevitably what it is going to be about. On expecting the Patriots to be better then the team they faced in Week Two… I don’t know about a better team, offensively, you expect them to be a little bit more in sync and have more of an identity. Early on in the year, I don’t think they knew what they were yet. Now, they have some guy he (Tom Brady) knows he can go to. It’s a similar situation, there is no Randy Moss, but there are five or six guys that are going to get some balls thrown to them. That makes it a lot more difficult because you really don’t know where to put your focus. On Laurence Maroney… He’s dangerous, as much as a kick returner and a back. It’s not so much a change of pace, he has just a little bit different style, he runs hard, Corey (Dillon) runs hard, they’re both very physical runners. On Coach Mangini get booed on his return… I would have said no, but now I see (Adam) Vinatieri getting booed, so everyone is game, I think we’ll all get booed and booed pretty roundly. (It’s) expected. On digging too much of hole last time against New England… You just learn from your mistakes. We’ve really made a lot of mental errors as much as physical errors. We’ve grown a bit as a unit, so I think we’ll be okay. On what improved in the second half against New England… A lot of times the NFL is a matter of correcting mistakes. We figured out what they were trying to do to us and we got in that mental place where we could move ahead and are a little bit more aggressive. New York Jets’ TE Chris Baker, 11.6 On Chad Pennington saying he wants to reward hard-working players like him… We talk; we’ve been together for five years now. We have a thing now where he’ll come over to me in the game and say, 'I missed you on that,' and I’ll say, 'we can go back to this, this is going to be open.' On having to master the blocking before he can become more involved in the passing game… No, coming in I wasn’t thinking along those lines. That’s just part of being the best player that I can be and helping the team as much as I can. It wasn’t my thought that I needed to go through this to get to this. I was like, whatever you need me to do, I’ll do. On showing his athleticism… Maybe, everybody has perceptions. Around the league somebody will look at it from the outside in and say this can do this, he can do this, but he can’t do that. Especially with a new coaching staff and everything, you have to prove what you’re able to do and they’ll give you opportunities to do it. It was more of that. On his approach in the off-season… Coming in, he (Coach Mangini) has a perception. He doesn’t know me from anybody else except having played against me in New England. I did go on a diet, coming off the injury, I got my weight down so that I can be little bit quicker. Aside from that I just tried to work hard and do what they asked me to do. On what lead him to re-sign with the Jets… Part of it was, I’m from here, and I like being here. Just talking with the coaches, especially Richie Anderson, he was real instrumental in me coming back. I have a working relationship with him. He was kind of like, when he was here before, a coaching figure to me, even though he was still playing. That was a big part of it. He helped me evaluate my game and things like that. I really didn’t want to leave, I felt like I had things that I wanted to accomplish here. This is one of my favorite teams growing up; I didn’t want to leave not having accomplished what I thought I should. On wanting to become more involved in the passing game… What I tried to was go out and practice and show some of those things. When there is a perception, like, this is what he does, you kind of get locked into that, even with previous coaches, they just had a perception, well this is what he can do and it’s hard to shake that. I started to do it a little bit last year, when we had a new coordinator, but then I got hurt. On what the perception of him was… (The perception was) can’t catch that well, can’t run that fast, can’t get open, things like that. Basically, more of a blocker is what it came down to. On wanting to line up all over field like Dallas Clark in Indianapolis… I don’t care where I line up. On getting more opportunities in the passing game as the offensive line improves… They’ve really picked it up lately and they’ve been doing really well. I’m kind of like the utility guy; I can help out with that (blocking). It all ties in together, whatever is the best option for us to be successful on offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 Bye Week & Midseason Report Published: 11-04-06 By Real Football Real Football Services provides expert analysis on NFL football. Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/bye-week-midseason-report It sure would have been nice to have that win in Cleveland, wouldn’t it? The dramatic ending sent the team into the bye week with a loss, but most Jets fans have to admit that 4-4 at the break was more than anyone expected from this team back in August. And the reality is that the Jets are in second place in the AFC East and one of five teams in a legitimate battle for one of two AFC Wild Card spots. How have they done it? It’s been a team effort. Chad Pennington carried the offense on his surgically repaired shoulder early on as he and Laveranues Coles became one of the hot stories of the 2006 season. Slowly, the team has addressed its issues in the running game and the Jets are now attacking teams with more balance. On defense, the switch to a 34 front had mixed results initially, but now that the Green & White are playing more 40 fronts to help them stop the run, the unit’s ability to switch between the two, with predominantly the same group of players, has made them more versatile and better able to use multiple schemes, alignments, and coverages to matchup against opponents. While the road gets tough immediately after the break with games at New England and against Chicago, the following three weeks also present winnable games against Houston, Green Bay, and Buffalo, leaving the Jets possibly hovering right around the .500 mark or better with three games to play, and very much in the hunt for the postseason. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights. The Offense Pennington has been his normal surgeon-like self, using his accuracy and field vision to deliver on 62% of his pass attempts and has completed passes to 12 different receivers in the first eight games. However, despite concerns about his arm strength, he actually seems to be making longer throws with more zip and accuracy since his surgery. His improved 7.1 yards per attempt could be due in part to his 39 completions of 20 yards or more. He’s completed 58% of those longer throws and actually ranks 12th in the league in passing yards. His top target is Laveranues Coles, who ranks third in the NFL in receptions (46) and 5th in receiving yards (606), and also has three touchdowns on the season. Twenty-seven of those receptions went for first downs, 13 of them coming on 3rd down, helping New York to a 42.6 3rd down percentage, good for 6th in the league. But the real surprise has been Jerricho Cotchery. The third year pro has 35 catches for 461 yards (13.2 average) and 3 TD, ranking him in the top 25 in the NFL in receptions and receiving yards. The combination of the two receivers has given Pennington a full arsenal. Coles is very good off the LOS and has good deep speed in addition ot his strong route running skills, while Cotchery is able to use his size to create space on shorter routes, but also has the speed to make plays with the ball in his hands, and uses quickness, vision, and toughness to gain yards after the catch. Coach Mangini has also brought the tight end into the passing game, ala the New England Patriots, which has meant more work for Chris Baker. After a career-high 18 catches in 2005, Baker already has 15 receptions through eight games for 132 yards and two touchdowns. His ability to run the seam puts pressure on opposing safeties and at times has forced deep help off the perimeter receivers, opening up more big plays downfield. And Baker’s size and strong hands in the red zone gives Pennington another viable option near the goal line. The load has come off Pennington and the passing game a bit in recent weeks as the tandem of Leon Washington and Kevan Barlow has started to find their way. The Jets are 7th in the AFC and 14th in the NFL with 112 rushing yards per game, but that has come on the strength of a 135-yard per game average over the last five games when Washington turned in two 100-yard efforts, and Barlow established himself as a goal line presence with five touchdowns, three in the last five games. The road has been paved by a talented group of linemen who are still gelling. The veterans, guard Pete Kendall and tackle Anthony Clement are complimented by young up and coming guard Brandon Moore and rookie first round draft picks Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson at center and tackle, respectively. The rookies have made more of an initial impact than anyone might have expected. Mangold has excellent strength and toughness, and his ability to single block even bigger nose tackles in opposing 3-4 defenses has given the Jets more options in their blocking schemes. Ferguson is a finesse blocker who is very good in pass protection, and has great physical tools that help him hold off speed rushers and bull rushers alike, keeping Pennington’s blindside protected. The Defense The experience of players like Shaun Ellis and Kimo von Oelhoffen, who have both played in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes has helped the Jets make adjustments to a defense that has taken time to come together. But the unit’s ability to move in and out of multiple alignments and coverages has helped New York put players in position to make plays, particularly athletic LB’s like Jonathan Vilma, Eric Barton, and Bryan Thomas, who is among the team’s leading tacklers for the first time in his career, and playmaking safety Kerry Rhodes. The Jets defense doesn’t generate much of a pass rush without blitzing, so they have played with a lot of players dropped in coverage, showing multiple looks to confuse opposing QB’s, and the playmaking abilities of safeties Kerry Rhodes and Erik Coleman gives defensive coordinator Bob Sutton some flexibility in his Cover Two schemes in the secondary. But the key has been the switch to the use of some 40 fronts which seem to fit the talents of this group a little better. Jonathan Vilma is at his best when he can run to the ball without getting caught up in the wash. The Jets lacked a big-bodied two-gapper to occupy blockers in the 3-4, which left Vilma trying to shed bigger blockers at the second level and making it hard for him to get to the ball. With von Oelhoffen, who is used to playing the inside gaps against the guards as an end in the 3-4, and Dewayne Robertson, who has the size and quickness of a 4-3 DT, playing on the interior, they can shoot the gaps, occupying linemen and allowing Vilma to run free to the ball. The defense is still a work in progress. But if the Jets offense can continue to score early and often (they are averaging 20 points per game), they can do enough to keep their team in games, and help Coach Mangini bring this team to levels most people didn’t think possible this early in his tenure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 NFL Auctions - Get A Piece of the Jets vs. Browns Game Published: 11-06-06 By Jets Staff Author Contributing Writer Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/nfl-auctions-get-a-piece-of-the-jets-vs-browns-game Want to own a piece of Jets history? Share a piece of memorabilia with your children and grandchildren? Here’s your chance. Now you can own gameworn gloves from the top performers against the Cleveland Browns! Bid now for gloves worn by: Drew Coleman during his first career sack. Bryan Thomas during his 6 tackle, 1 sack performance. Justin Miller during his 99 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. This was Justin’s 3rd career kickoff return for a touchdown. Eric Barton wore during his 10 tackle, 1 sack performance. Bidding for these exclusive Jets items closes on November 11th at 10am, so start your bidding now. Net proceeds from the auction will benefit the extensive work of the New York Jets Foundation. Every year, programs supported by the New York Jets Foundation touch the lives of countless young men and women in the New York tri-state area through programs that promote youth health, fitness, and education, particularly in disadvantaged communities. We strive to create new opportunities - whether by launching the first football team in an urban high school, providing additional after school instruction in an underperforming school district, or encouraging students to take advantage of a free and healthy school meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 Mangini: We're Excited to Get Back to Work Published: 11-06-06 By Jets PR Department Regular Contributor Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/mangini-we-re-excited-to-get-back-to-work The New York Jets announced two moves Monday. The club signed rookie offensive lineman Na’Shan Goddard and waived tight end Zachary Hilton. Goddard, 6'5, 315 pounds, was an undrafted free agent who played under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. He suited up for the Giants in the preseason and lined up against the Jets in August. "We liked Na’Shan when we saw him in the preseason. He played against us, we liked him, and we saw the opportunity to pick him up," said New York head coach Eric Mangini. "We thought it was a good opportunity and it wasn't in relationship to the rest of the offensive line." Read below for Coach Mangini's complete press conference transcript New York Jets’ Head Coach Eric Mangini, 11.6 Opening statement… We waived Zach Hilton and signed Na’Shan Goddard. He's an offensive lineman-guard, tackle. What we did last week is we spent two days working on different areas; first and second down and then we tried to do third down and blitz. Today will be like a regular Wednesday for us and we'll work on the red area, goal line, revisit some of the things that we did last week, so this is the third part of the progression of the bye week. Post‑practice, we'll transition even more into New England. Players will get a real good jump on their preparation for the Patriots and we'll be on a standard week following this afternoon. On if Mangini watched the Indianapolis versus New England game… I happened to catch it. On the difficulty of playing NE coming off a loss… I think that win or lose, it's always challenging to, one, play on the road, and two, play in the division; and three, play a team that has been as successful as the Patriots have been in the division. Win or lose, they would be a good challenge for us especially at that place. On if returning to Foxborough will be strange for Mangini… I remember when I initially left the Jets and went to New England and came back to New York to play, there are always positive feelings about the place that you were at, and I'd have those feelings when I was at New England and came back to The Meadowlands for the first time. What's exciting is just to be able to go play a good division opponent, coming off the bye week, so we're excited to get back to work and excited to have this opportunity here this week. On if the signing of Goddard affects the other offensive linemen… We liked Na’Shan when we saw him in the preseason, he played against us and we liked him and we saw the opportunity to pick him up and thought it was a good opportunity and wasn't in relationship to the rest of the offensive line. It was more of a player that we liked and that we wanted to come in, and get to know him and spend some time with him and get him into the system. On what he was pleased with from the defense against Cleveland… There were a lot of things I liked defensively throughout the game. I liked the way those guys kept responding, kept giving the offense a chance and giving us a chance to tie the game there, and the three‑and‑outs. I thought those were very important. They responded well to it. I was pleased with that. On if he thought the third and fourth quarters of the CLV game were the best the defense has played all year… There were spurts here and there, and you can't really compare one segment. I liked the way the guys responded. Each game is going to be different. Sometimes you may be playing really well offensively and not as well defensively. You've got to compensate or make big plays on special teams and that really helps out. So it all complements each other and we always talk about the fact that it's not always going to be perfect in every area. Sometimes if it's a little stronger in one area, then they may have to carry the day for a little while. On what Mangini learned after playing NE earlier in the year… I think that they played good, solid football throughout the game, and what I was pleased with was the way that we dug a hole at the beginning, which obviously I was not pleased about, but the way we came back and fought to get in a position to tie the game and the blocked field goal at the end, all three phases responding. It's going to take a complete game to beat a team like New England, and really to beat any team. We need to be able to play well and execute well throughout the whole course of the game.That's what we're always striving to do. On if the Patriots are different from earlier in the year… I talked about this before the first game. I think that Brian Daboll does a great job with the receivers. It's been a new group and a group that has been transitioning and you can see the progress week‑in and week‑out as they get more familiar with the system, more familiar with Tom (Brady). There has been progress from that group. On the pressure Mangini feels to change things up this weekend… We work to change each week and base it on that opponent, and that game plan is very opponent‑specific. But the same can be said for New England. Their game plan is very opponent‑specific, and what you see against the Colts or Minnesota is not necessarily what you're going to see against you. They are going to put themselves in the best position to win that game, and it doesn't necessarily have to follow one specific formula. It's a formula that they have for you. On if the team is ready to play a complete game… It's an ongoing process, and that's part of what we do each week, is learning from the things we did poorly the week before. It gets back to the whole controversy on the last play, where that is not the lesson to take from the Cleveland game. The lesson is the 130 plays prior to that play. That's the real lesson, and that's what we focused on is getting those plays better to not be in a position where a judgment call can affect the outcome. Each week, we learn something, and each week we try to build on the positives and correct the things that we haven't done as well as we would like to. This past week was really good for us to focus in on area and for the coaches to spend time and the players be able to see the adjustments, watch the adjustments on tape, practice the adjustments, and then review the questions after practice. This is another extension of that here today. On getting Chris Baker more involved in the passing game… He's been one of the guys that I recognize as in the off‑season taking a different approach, and it started with his body. He had a different approach in the off‑season and then his commitment to the OTAs, his commitment in training camp, the way that he blocks in the running game, the way that he's improved his pass protection. He's a selfless guy, not a lot of tight ends that consistently do the things that he does, and does it without ever mentioning the fact that he would like more balls, and everybody would like more balls. We’re trying to make sure that everybody is involved offensively. On Baker’s role this week … It will again be based on the game plan, and that changes dramatically based on what kind of shell they are playing. Chris has definitely proven that he deserves the opportunity to be more involved and it’s something that we would like to do but we are always going to do first and foremost what's based on progression. On Baker’s athleticism… He has made some pretty athletic plays throughout the season, and some of those athletic plays are not catching the ball. Some of them are the way that he may help with an edge rusher, or some of it may be as a down field blocker when he's out in space and has to block someone on the perimeter. You kind of lose track of those plays because he's not the primary guy there. But you see the athleticism. On what Mangini expects from Pennington this week… Chad has done a lot of good things throughout the year, and it's never about 300 yards or about that many touchdowns. It's about making good decisions throughout the course of the game, and he's made a bunch of good decisions. There are some plays that he would like to have back, but he has a very good thought process. He does a really good job not just understanding what we're trying to do, but understanding what the defense is trying to do to us and work to take advantage of that. This has been a good week for him as well as the whole team and working through some of the things that may have caused some problems and improving on those. On if Pennington has been rushing plays in the past few games… Some of it is just a case of, you make some throws that you really would like to have back and there are a few of those. They just happened to be grouped together. But I think overall, he's done an outstanding job. On if D’Brickashaw Ferguson’s improvement affects Baker’s role in the receiving game… It will vary because sometimes the edge rusher may just not be the defensive end. It could be the safety coming on some kind of secondary blitz. So each week it's a little different based on how they are attacking us with their pressure game. Cleveland did it a little bit different than Detroit and New England will do it a little bit differently than Cleveland. One thing will lead to the other. On stopping the run defensively… You always want to stop the run defensively, and it goes to more than just one player, one play, the scheme. Some of it goes to fundamentals like tackling. So all of those things need to improve, and as we improve on each one and as each person improves overall, we'll have a better outcome. On using Ben Graham situationally in the offense… We've worked on some of that stuff, and he has done some things situationally. Punters are tough to get, and punters of his caliber are tougher to get. So there is always that risk/reward of getting too involved situationally and then losing them. On what Mangini saw in Graham when he scouted him… He kicked the ball over the Yarra River, and that was it for me. Now, it was their ball, but it was like this made‑for‑TV competition with all of the strongest legs in Australia. Someone showed me the videotape and usually you put it in the water and you close the edge, and then he kicked it over, and at that point, what he was doing with that ball, I was kind of curious to see what he could do for us. On the potential of Australian athletes for the NFL… There are a lot of strong legs there, there's a lot of really good athletes there. It's hard to see. I think there would be some good tight ends, maybe outside linebackers. It's very free‑flowing, more like a combination of football and soccer and they pass the ball with their legs. That doesn't totally translate. But yeah, we've talked about different positions. It also takes a work to transition to another game, so to get someone at the height of their career there who would probably have the best chance of making it here, and saying, ‘yeah, you've got a shot on the practice squad’; it’s a tough sell. On if Mangini is on the fore-front of Australian scouting… My brother lives there. So I guess he would be our Australian scout. You know, we've had some contact with the All Blacks, the New Zealand rugby team, different clubs over there. I think it's always interesting, not just in terms of player acquisition, but also management style, training techniques, evaluations. The Australian Institute of Sport is really outstanding, and I think that they have got some interesting ideas on measuring reactions of athletes and I think there are a lot of different areas that you can draw from to improve your own organization. I've always respected the Australian athletes and international athletes for that matter. On if he senses that Australian athletes want to play in America… I think there's an element of that, especially with Ben being here. Again, it's difficult because very rarely does an athlete at the top of his game want to transition to another sport. So usually you're dealing with guys who may be a little bit older. By the time they learn the system and grow and transition, you've got to do the cost/benefit analysis. On what his reception will be like returning to Foxborough… I'm sure it will be incredibly friendly. Maybe a parade. I guess if you can boo Adam (Vinatieri), I'm sure that there might be one or two for me. I hope he didn't use them all up. On if the booing is a sign of respect… There are plenty of people in New England you guys could ask about that. I'm not sure. It should be fun. On if it will bother Mangini to be booed… We pretty much get booed wherever we go. So maybe it will be a little bit louder. It's warm and welcoming, yes. 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Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 Jets Respect Pats Comeback Ability Published: 11-06-06 By John Beattie John Beattie is a reporter for the Jets and contributes to newyorkjets.com. Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/jets-respect-pats-comeback-ability During their only weekend off, an abundance of Jets players and personnel still managed to do some helpful homework. The majority of their Sunday nights were spent watching their next opponent, the Patriots, play in front of a national audience on Sunday night football and the outcome was essentially bitter-sweet. What the anticipant men of Green and White witnessed was a Patriots team that lacked their usual competence, as the AFC East leaders fell 27-20 to the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts. If Eric Mangini’s club can oust the Pats Sunday, it would mark the first time the Pats had lost in consecutive weeks in Foxboro, MA since 1993. “I think that win or lose, it's always challenging to: 1. play on the road; 2. play in the division; and 3. play a team that has been as successful as the Patriots have been in the division,” said Mangini about his upcoming return to Gillette Stadium. “Win or lose, they would be a good challenge for us especially at that place.” The last time the Patriots dropped consecutive games at home came more than 13 seasons ago. During the second and third weeks of 1993, the Pats fell to the Lions 19-16 on September 12 and then to Seattle a week later, by a score of 17-14. What may be even more impressive than New England’s uncanny ability to bounce back after losing a home game is its ability to bounce back after losing, period. The Patriots have not lost back-to-back games – whether regular season or post season, home or away – in 65 consecutive contests, dating back to 2002. One member of those New England teams who made substantial contributions to that remarkable streak is current Jets linebacker and special teams co-captain Matt Chatham. “They are always scary after a loss; they don’t lose two in a row,” Chatham said. “It was kind of hard watching the game last night, knowing I needed them to lose to have a loss in the division, but also knowing we had to play them a week after the loss. You don’t want them to get another game up on us in the division, but they’re dangerous in this situation.” The last team to hand the Pats a second loss in as many weeks was none other than the Jets. In December of 2002, a week after Tennessee pounded the Patriots 24-7 in Nashville, the Jets outlasted the Pats 30-17 behind a gutsy performance by Chad Pennington who threw three touchdowns in just his 11th career start. Since then, the Patriots have compiled a 52-13 record with two of those wins coming in the Super Bowl. After spending his first six seasons in New England, Chatham says the Pats ability to bounce back stems from their efficient and extensive work following a collapse. “There whole organization is predicated on correcting mistakes,” said the seventh-year veteran ‘backer. “Their big thing is being consistent, learning from what you have done and moving on. Anytime they make mistakes, they are the quickest in the league to turn around and make those adjustments and move ahead.” Chatham also credits the swaggering attitude and successful atmosphere as a huge advantage. “There is just an aura - you’re going to go up there and there are going to be those three big banners hanging up in the end zone,” he added. “There is just that elevated expectation for them to win and usually they do, so it’s a difficult place to play.” Even with history stacked against them heading into Gillette Stadium this weekend, Mangini - the youngest coach in the NFL - is excited to head north to take on the tough opposition. “What is exciting is just to be able to go play a good division opponent coming off the bye week,” Mangini said. “We are excited to get back to work and excited to have this opportunity.” Notebook Like most NFL coaches, Eric Mangini uses game tape and combine information to evaluate prospective players, but the rookie skipper certainly doesn’t stop there. For example, when Mangini was scouting Ben Graham to potentially make the transition from Aussie Football League centre half-forward to NFL punter, one intriguing piece of scouting material stood out above the rest. “He kicked the ball over the Yarra River, and that was it for me,” Mangini said Monday. “It was their ball, but it was this made‑for‑TV competition with all of the strongest legs in Australia. Someone showed me the videotape and usually you put it in the water but he kicked it over. At that point, what he was doing with that ball kind of made me curious to see what he could do for us.” Even though he has kept an eye on some Aussie talent, Mangini says his older brother Kyle keeps tabs for him Down Under. “My brother lives there,” Mangini said. “So I guess he would be our Australian scout. I've always respected the Australian athletes and international athletes for that matter.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=527544 Jets coach still wet behind the ears Posted: Nov. 6, 2006 Norman Chad In his first year with the New York Jets, Eric Mangini - at 35 - is the youngest head coach in the National Football League. Statistically speaking, before the age of 35 you are more likely to be hit by a tractor-trailer driven by a clinically depressed wild boar than you are of becoming an NFL coach. Mangini already has a reputation for pondering "outside the box." He chooses what music to play at practice depending on what mood he wants to set and he had digital clocks installed at team headquarters as a reminder of the precision he demands. In New York, he is sometimes referred to in newspaper headlines as "Eric Man-Genius." (That's what I love about those Big Apple big thinkers. Isaac Newton? Just another scientist. A first-year NFL coach who is 4-4? Genius!) But, alas, how can anyone take on all the responsibility of NFL head coach at 35? You don't have enough life experience yet; heck, at 35, I barely had one divorce under my belt. To lead men and coach well, you need to have smelled the roses from many gardens on many days.Advertisement As Truman Capote wrote in "In Cold Blood": "What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is as the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." And life is third and 12 with 2:06 left in the fourth quarter, trailing by six points, and Sage Rosenfels is your quarterback. You're telling me any 35-year-old Bill Walsh wannabe can handle that? (By the way, two of the youngest NFL coaches ever were father and son. Don Shula was 33 when the Baltimore Colts hired him in 1963; he was 73-26-4 in seven seasons there. A generation later, David Shula was 32 when the Cincinnati Bengals hired him in 1992; he was 19-52 in 4½ seasons. The Colts got Desi Arnaz, the Bengals got Desi Arnaz Jr.) As a rule, NFL head coaches are in their 40s or 50s. When you're under 40, you're too green. When you're over 60, you're too blue. (I love Bill Parcells, but he hasn't been in a good mood since the forward pass was invented. His is the face of a man perpetually awaiting a rectal exam. During games, I'm never sure if he's walking the sideline or walking the plank.) You must be at least 35 years old to become U.S. president. You should be at least 40 to become an NFL head coach. Frankly, it's a harder job than the White House: • Longer hours. • Bigger playbook. • Tougher news conferences. • Have to work Sundays. • No real off-season anymore. • Everybody watches you do your job. • Everybody thinks they can do your job. • "Approval ratings" can lie, but W-L records don't. • Presidents get four-year contracts and seldom are fired; coaches get four-year contracts and usually are fired. And what you do you think is tougher, winning in Denver and Chicago in December or carrying Colorado and Illinois in November? Please. In Week 4, Mangini's Jets were tied with the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 14-14, with 4:37 to go in the third quarter. Faced with fourth and goal from the 3, the coaching Wunderkind passed on a field-goal attempt and went for the touchdown. Chad Pennington was intercepted in the end zone; the Colts took over at the 20 and drove for the go-ahead touchdown en route to winning, 31-28. You can't get away with that kid stuff in the NFL. So if the first-year coach gets foolish once or twice Sunday when the Jets play his mentor Bill Belichick's Patriots in New England - now, Belichick, he's a genius, eh? - trust me, Eric Mangini soon enough will be a 36-year-old ex-NFL coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1162879549205640.xml&coll=1 With the wall in sight, Jets rookies keep going Tuesday, November 07, 2006 BY DAVE HUTCHINSON Star-Ledger Staff HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The midway point of the season has arrived and the infamous rookie wall is looming. It's a time of year when rookies have already played as many games as they would've during a full college season and still have half an NFL season -- plus the playoffs in some cases -- to go. Monitoring who hits the rookie wall and who runs through it is especially important to the Jets this season because they have so many rookies making significant contributions. The Jets selected 10 players in April's draft, six of whom are receiving major playing time. Two have started since the first day of training camp -- left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson (taken fourth overall) and center Nick Mangold (29th overall). Two have started at least two games (running back Leon Washington and cornerback Drew Coleman) and two more are key players (wide receiver Brad Smith and safety Eric Smith, no relation). Counting the preseason, the Jets (4-4), who travel to New England (6-2) on Sunday, have played 12 games, the equivalent of a college season. Players returned yesterday from their bye week and a four-day weekend. "I feel all right right now, but I know we still have another college season to go," Ferguson said yesterday as he put on his knee braces to prepare for practice. "My mind is still good. We just came off the bye week. I feel charged up. I feel okay. "The bye week was great. I had a chance to get away from the building and enjoy life. I went to Pennsylvania (to visit his parents) and I spent some time in New York with my girl." "I don't know how I should feel, but I feel all right," said Mangold, who returned home to Dayton, Ohio, during the break. "I'm not really trying to think about how I feel, I'm just working on getting better." The rookies said they've stayed energized by watching and listening to the veterans. "You get in the cold tub (full of ice), the hot tub, there's stretching. Weight training really helps," Brad Smith said. "I'm just learning from all the older guys, watching what they do." "Every once in a while I get a massage," Ferguson said. "I do the cold tubs and the hot tubs. Those things really help. Mentally, you sit in the hot tub and you just relax. It makes you feel good." Mangold said some veterans told him to make sure he gets plenty of rest. "That's the big thing for me," he said. "I'm a sleeper by nature. Also, the guys said to make sure you keep up on your rehab and all the little things. If something gets nicked up, go get it taken care of immediately." Whatever the rookies are doing, it's working so far. The Jets have been especially thrilled with the performances Ferguson, Mangold, Washington and Brad Smith. Ferguson and Mangold have filled major voids in the offensive line and the unit has been the surprise of the season to this point. Washington, a fourth-round pick from Florida State, has the only two 100-yard rushing games of the season. Smith, also a fourth-round pick and former record-setting quarterback at Missouri, has seven third-down conversions and has made opponents spend extra practice time to prepare for him as a multiple-positioned player. "It (the season) has been a blast so far," Mangold said. "It's a lot more difficult than college, but the guys here are great. They've helped me out a lot. It's been fun and a lot of work." The Patriots, who lost to the Colts, 27-20, on Sunday night, haven't lost back-to-back games since December 2002, a string of 57 straight games. "They're always scary after a loss," said Jets LB Matt Chatham, a former Patriot. "They'll definitely be ready. Their whole organization is predicated on correcting mistakes. They're going to come in very, very focused." Former Jets CB/S Derrick Strait has signed with the Bears, who play the Jets in two weeks. He'll play nickel back and safety in Chicago's cover-two defense. "Derrick is excited and is looking forward to playing against the Jets," said his agent, Michael Lartigue. Fifth-year TE Chris Baker, who is having a breakout season with 15 catches for 132 yards and two TDs, has helped his game by dropping roughly 15 pounds down to the 250- to 255-pound range. ... The Jets signed former Giants G/T Na'Shan Goddard and waived TE Zach Hilton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=1296mdu4t/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-jets-baker&prov=ap&type=lgns Jets looking to get TE Baker more involved in offense By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., AP Sports Writer November 7, 2006 HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Chris Baker knows the scouting report on him entering this season was far from glowing. "Can't catch that good, can't run that fast, can't get open and things like that," the New York Jets tight end said Monday. "That's obviously what it was, more of a blocker." With a few clutch catches -- and a big one that didn't count -- Baker is changing the way his coaches and opposing teams perceive his abilities. "That's all I can do right now, as far as when I get the opportunity and when it presents itself, I make the best of it," Baker said. "It's not for me to say, 'Hey!' and go crazy like you see some guys do. When I get the chance to make a play, that's what I try to do." Baker's numbers don't necessarily jump out with his 15 catches, three short of his career high, for 132 yards and two touchdowns. But he's turning into more than just an extra blocker who can occasionally catch a pass. "I've been able to get more involved in the routes and things like that," he said, "and being looked at as more of a potential playmaker than maybe earlier in the year." After all, he was Chad Pennington's go-to guy in the closing moments against Cleveland in the last game when the Jets were trying to tie the score. "Just in the fact that even at the end of the game last week, Chad had the confidence in me to throw that ball," he said. "It was fourth-and-4, so that's a big change. It wouldn't have even been an option before." He made an acrobatic one-handed leaping catch in the front of the end zone before he was blasted in his side by defensive back Brodney Pool. Baker held onto the ball as he soared out of bounds for the apparent tying touchdown, but failed to get both feet down. Officials ruled no catch, saying he couldn't have gotten both feet in bounds even if he wasn't forced out, despite replays that showed otherwise. The athleticism he displayed was a reminder of what kind of threat Baker could be in the Jets' offense. "We've always known about Chris' ability to catch the football," offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. "We realize what Chris can do, and the more we face teams that want to play us two-shell coverage, the more he'll get involved. Baker has done a good job, we can hit him with a ball and probably need to do so." Baker, who entered this year with 52 catches in four seasons, was known more for his blocking as a pro than for his receiving. And with two rookies in center Nick Mangold and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson adjusting to life in the NFL, Baker has often been used as extra help on the line. "He has made some pretty athletic plays throughout the season, and some of those athletic plays are not catching the ball," coach Eric Mangini said. "Some of them are the way that he may help with an edge rusher, or some of it may be as a downfield blocker when he's out in space and has to block someone on the perimeter. You kind of lose track of those plays because he's not the primary guy there, but you see the athleticism." Baker was drafted in the third round out of Michigan State in 2002 after setting school records for tight ends with 133 catches for 1,705 yards and 13 touchdowns. He started 47 straight games and had a streak of 24 consecutive games with a reception. When he came to the Jets, he sat behind starter Anthony Becht for three seasons. After Becht went to Tampa Bay, the Jets traded last year's No. 26 overall draft pick to Oakland for Doug Jolley, and it appeared Baker would be stuck on the bench again. But Jolley quickly fell out of favor and was largely ineffective. Baker took advantage of the opportunity -- until he broke his left leg in Week 9. That further clouded his future with the Jets, because he was a free agent at the end of the season. Baker, who grew up in St. Albans, N.Y., about 8 miles from the Jets' practice facility, chose to re-sign with New York. "I really didn't want to leave," he said. "Not that I had something to prove, but there still are things I want to accomplish here. This was one of my favorite teams growing up. I just didn't want to leave out of here without accomplishing some of the things I thought I should." The injury also might have been a blessing in disguise. The 6-foot-3 Baker said he played at almost 268 pounds last season, but is now down to the low- to mid-250s after a tough offseason of rehabilitation. "I feel a lot better at that weight," he said. "The best part is my blocking hasn't suffered because of it, but I'm a lot quicker on my routes and things like that. It was a good game plan as far as getting me to the level they wanted me to play at." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/468880p-394591c.html Pats on Jets' backs BY SEAN BRENNAN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Tuesday, November 7th, 2006 Laveranues Coles used his four free days on the bye week to spend quality time with his family and to clear his head of all things football. Victor Hobson focused on improving in the season's second half. And special teams captain Matt Chatham took in a Lionel Richie concert, though we're not sure if he wanted anyone to know that. After four days off to heal the bumps and bruises - and with a trip to New England set to open the second half - vacation time is most definitely over for the Jets. "I think, win or lose, it's always challenging to one, play on the road, two, play in the division and three, play a team that's been as successful as the Patriots have been," said Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former Patriots assistant coach. "It'll be a challenge for us." The Jets remember all too well the enormous hole they dug for themselves the first time they played the Patriots this season, when they found themselves down, 24-0, before embarking on a ferocious comeback that fell a touchdown short. If they are to win in Foxboro Sunday, it's imperative to avoid another start like the last one. "The key is executing our game plan," Coles said. "We'll have a better chance if we just come out of the gates executing the game plan." Or as Jonathan Vilma put it: "We can't dig ourselves a ditch. We have to go out there, start fast and start early." To that end, it would behoove the Jets to tighten up their run defense, one that Cleveland ravaged for 147 yards and a touchdown two weeks ago. The Jets also surrendered 147 yards on the ground to the Patriots in their last meeting, with both Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney scoring TDs. "That's not a good feeling," Hobson said. "No defense wants to see a team come out and feel like they can run the ball on them. That's something we have to address and something we need to improve on." Despite his four-interception performance against the Colts Sunday night, Tom Brady still instills a healthy fear in the Jets defense. One bad outing isn't likely to tarnish his legend. "It actually scares you a little bit,' Hobson said. "Because a guy like Tom, if he turns the ball over like that one game, you know the next game he's coming out and you're going to get his best. And we expect to get his best and nothing less." Here's another little nugget for the Jets to chew on as they prepare for Sunday: The Patriots have not lost back-to-back games since December 2002, when they dropped consecutive decisions to the Titans and Jets. "You're generally what you're track record says," Coles said. "You look at the way they've been playing this year, plus the fact that we have to go up to their home to try and beat them. You know you have a great challenge ahead of you." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets074965089nov07,0,3254000.story?coll=ny-jets-print More receptive to throwing to Baker BY TOM ROCK Newsday Staff Writer November 7, 2006 One of Chris Baker's first battles this season was against perception. Like an actor on a popular sitcom, the Jets tight end had become typecast in his role and couldn't shake the image. The thinking on Baker: can't catch, can't run, can't get open. He was regarded as - and mostly used as - a sixth offensive lineman, someone to chip in on blocking assignments and occasionally catch a dump pass. "When there is a perception, like, this is what he does, you kind of get locked into that," Baker said. "Even with previous coaches, they just had a perception. Well, this is what he can do. And it's hard to shake that." That was starting to change about this time last year. He had a 47-yard catch against San Diego, the longest of his career, and he appeared to be opening eyes about his receiving ability. Then, later in the same game, he broke his left fibula and was finished for the season. He could have been finished as a Jet, too, heading into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. But the 2002 third-round pick ignored offers from Miami (where his former coach at Michigan State, Nick Saban, had set up shop) and Seattle and inked a four-year deal with the Jets. He's also dropped almost 15 pounds since last season, playing around 250 this year. The increased athleticism has led to some big-time changes in the way the Queens native is used by the Jets and viewed around the league. His remarkable one-handed catch that was ruled a no-catch against the Browns overshadowed an equally impressive reception earlier in the drive. On second-and-10, he picked up 17 yards on a scrambling, lofted pass by Chad Pennington that kept the potential tying drive alive. Baker's production this season - 15 receptions, 132 yards, two TDs - puts him on pace to establish career highs in all of those categories. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said last week that Baker could be playing a larger role as the season progresses. "When you look at what we're trying to do with the passing game, the ball is being thrown quickly," Schottenheimer said. "Obviously, [Laveranues] Coles is going to catch his fair share of balls. So is Jerricho Cotchery. We realize what Chris can do, and the more we face teams that want to play us two-shell coverage, the more he'll get involved." Baker's development into an offensive threat has also coincided with the development of D'Brickashaw Ferguson. As the rookie left tackle becomes more adept at handling pass-rushers on his own, it will free Baker, who has spent a lot of time reinforcing Ferguson's side. Baker said he would like to catch more passes but understands his role. "I'm kind of the utility guy," he said. As long as it isn't the same role he played the previous four seasons, he'll be happy. Said Baker, "It's not for me to say, 'Hey, give me the ball' and go crazy, like you see some guys do." Notes& quotes: TE Zach Hilton was released last week and replaced by rookie T Na'Shan Goddard, recently waived by the Giants ... Eric Mangini expects a less than warm welcome when he returns to Gillette Stadium for the first time since he left the Patriots after last season. "If they can boo Adam Vinatieri," he said, referring to the serenade the former Patriots kicker received Sunday night while playing for the Colts, "there might be one or two for me." ... The Bears-Jets game Nov. 19 has been locked into a 1 p.m. start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.nypost.com/seven/11072006/sports/jets/mangini_expects_to_hear_boos_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm MANGINI EXPECTS TO HEAR BOOS By MARK CANNIZZARO November 7, 2006 -- Eric Mangini yesterday joked about what kind of reception he expects to receive from the New England locals when he takes the Jets to play the Patriots Sunday in Foxborough, where he served as an assistant from 2000 to 2005. "I'm sure it will be incredibly friendly," he said. "Maybe a parade." Then, noting that the Patriots' faithful booed current Colts kicker and former Patriot Adam Vinatieri on Sunday, Mangini said, "I guess if you can boo Adam, I'm sure that there might be one or two for me. I hope he didn't use them all up. It should be fun." Asked if it will bother him to be booed, Mangini said, "We pretty much get booed wherever we go. So maybe it will be a little bit louder. It's warm and welcoming, yes." Asked if returning to Foxborough will be strange for him, Mangini said, "I remember when I initially left the Jets and went to New England and came back to New York to play, there are always positive feelings about the place that you were at." The Jets yesterday waived TE Zach Hilton and signed offensive tackle Na'Shan Goddard, who was released by the Giants last week. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Goddard was inactive for all seven games this season with the Giants. He made the Giants' roster as a rookie free agent from South Carolina. Mangini yesterday revealed that he's considered using P Ben Graham in certain situations on offense because of his size and athleticism. "We've worked on some of that stuff, and he has done some things situationally,'' he said. "Punters are tough to get, and punters of his caliber are tougher to get. So there is always that risk-reward of getting too involved situationally and then losing them.'' As the Jets embark on the second half of the season, perhaps the biggest emphasis is on improving their run defense, which is ranked 30th in the NFL. "It's definitely not a good feeling,'' Jets' LB Victor Hobson said yesterday. "No defense wants a team to come out and think they can run the ball on it. That's something we have to address and improve on.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.nypost.com/seven/11072006/sports/jets/overdue_bill_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm OVERDUE BILL By MARK CANNIZZARO November 7, 2006 -- Like Eric Mangini and a number of the Jets players, Matt Chatham sat back on Sunday night and watched the Patriots lose to the Colts in Foxborough in the most ballyhooed match-up of the week. Unlike his teammates, though, Chatham watched with a bit of a knot in his stomach. As a former Patriot, Chatham, though delighted to see the Jets' division rivals falter, knows better than most about what to expect now when the Jets go to Foxborough Sunday to play the Patriots. "It was kind of hard watching the game last night, knowing I needed them to lose to have a loss in the division, but also knowing we had to play them a week after the loss," the Jets linebacker said yesterday. "You don't want them to get another game up on us in the division, but they're dangerous in this situation." Dangerous might not even do justice to describe how tough the Patriots are to play after they've lost a game. Historic is more like it. Under Bill Belichick's watch dating back to 2002, the Patriots have gone 57 games without losing two games in a row. Since the NFL merger, that's the second-longest such streak in league history, three games shy of the 49ers' 60-game streak without a two-game losing streak from 1995-1999. During that span, the Patriots are 11-0 in games played after a loss. Since Belichick took over the reins in New England in 2000, the Patriots have been the model of bouncing back. In 2000, when New England finished 5-11 (its only losing season under Belichick), the Patriots endured two four-game losing streaks. Since then, though, they've lost consecutive games only three times. Oddly, two of those times included the Jets. In 2001, they lost their first two games of the season, the second of which came to the Jets in Foxborough. In 2002, they lost to the Titans on Dec. 16 and again at home against the Jets on Dec. 22. That, however, marked the last time Belichick's Patriots have lost consecutive games. "They're always scary after a loss; they don't lose two in a row," Chatham said. "Their whole organization is predicated on correcting mistakes. Their big thing is being consistent, learning from what you've done and moving on. Anytime they make mistakes, they're the quickest in the league and turn around to make those adjustments and move ahead." That said, Chatham described exactly what the Jets will face Sunday against the Patriots coming off their loss to the Colts: "You know you're just going to get that much more focused as a group. That's their strong point. They'll come in very, very focused and very educated about what caused them to lose last week." Mangini, who joked he "happened to catch'' the Patriots-Colts game, didn't really acknowledge the Patriots' remarkable propensity for bouncing back, though he was a part of that for several years as a Belichick assistant. "I think that win or lose, it's always challenging to play on the road, play in the division and play a team that has been as successful as the Patriots have been in the division,'' he said. "Win or lose, they would be a good challenge for us especially at that place.'' Jets WR Laveranues Coles said, "You generally are what your track record says. Three Super Bowls. They're basically considered one of the dynasties. You look at them and the way they've been winning this year . . . they have a winning team and they have a great attitude. We have to go into their home and try to beat them. We know we have a great challenge ahead of us.'' No one knows that challenge better than Chatham, who was a part of that winning tradition in New England before coming to the Jets this season. "There is just an aura there,'' Chatham said of Foxborough. "You're going to go up there and there are going to be those three big (Super Bowl championship) banners hanging up in the end zone. There's just that elevated expectation for them to win and usually they do, so it's a difficult place to play.'' Especially after a Patriots loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061107/SPORTS01/611070370/1108/SPORTS01 Jets' Baker is no troublemaker By Andrew Gross The Journal News (Original Publication: November 7, 2006) HEMPSTEAD - That Jets tight end Chris Baker craves more opportunities to catch the ball each week is no secret. But his desire comes with no Chad Johnson-like tantrums on the horizon, no Keyshawn Johnson-like demands being made. "I promise you won't see that,'' Baker said. "Showing up your quarterback, yelling at guys on the sidelines - that's only going to cause a distraction. Obviously, with your position coach, you can say, 'Hey, look at this.' Sometimes you can get into stuff like that.'' The fifth-year pro has 15 catches this season - three short of his career high - and a spectacular, one-handed effort that probably should have counted as the tying touchdown in the Jets' 20-13 loss at Cleveland prior to their bye week. The Jets (4-4) resumed practicing yesterday after a four-day respite, and making Baker a bigger part of the offense likely is in the plans for the second half of the season. Already, he's shed the good-block, no-catch perception that's clung to him through his first four seasons, and he's being used more in passing routes. "We've always known about Chris' ability to catch the football,'' offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. "The more we face teams that want to play us (with) two-shell coverage, the more he'll get involved. Baker has done a good job. We can hit him with a ball and probably need to do so.'' Last week, quarterback Chad Pennington acknowledged he wants to "reward" Baker with more passes. There have been four games this season in which Baker had just one reception, and he did not catch a pass in the 41-0 loss at Jacksonville. "He's a selfless guy,'' Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "Not a lot of tight ends can do the things he consistently does without ever mentioning the fact that he'd like more balls.'' The 6-foot-3 Queens native impressed the new coaching staff from the start with his work ethic after re-signing with the Jets March 24. Listed at 258 pounds, Baker played in the 260s last season, but through a new conditioning program and diet, is now closer to 250. He said he hasn't been timed in a 40-yard dash since the NFL scouting combine, but knows he's quicker without sacrificing his bread-and-butter blocking skills. Baker knows the perception of him around the league prior to this season was "can't catch that good, can't run that fast, can't get open - basically, more of a blocker.'' That's different now, as he showed with his athleticism on the non-touchdown catch. Along the right edge of the end zone, Baker leapt and hauled in Pennington's pass with his right arm, fully extended and with both feet off the ground. As Baker brought the ball into his body but before he could get his feet down, Browns safety Brodney Pool collided with him, causing Baker to land out of bounds. "People say, 'You look faster,' '' Baker said. "Even at the end of last game, Chad had the confidence in me to throw that ball even though it was fourth-and-four. That's a big change. I wouldn't have even been an option before. I'd have been picking up that blitz.'' Baker could have started anew this season after being an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. He drew interest from Miami, Seattle and Oakland and seriously considered the Dolphins and, to some extent, the Seahawks, acknowledging his return to the Jets was "50-50'' at one point. But Baker said he was intrigued by Mangini and Schottenheimer's plans for the offense and felt a loyalty to new assistant wide-receivers/tight-ends coach Richie Anderson, his former teammate. Plus, it would have been tough leaving the Jets since he grew up rooting for them. "(Anderson) promised me he'd help me at my game,'' Baker said. "I just didn't want to leave out of here not having accomplished some of the things I thought I should have.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061107/SPORTS01/611070375/1108/SPORTS01 Jets' Chatham says ex-mates are dangerous By Andrew Gross The Journal News (Original Publication: November 7, 2006) HEMPSTEAD - Matt Chatham had a tough time watching the Colts beat the Patriots 27-20 Sunday night. While the Jets' linebacker and special-teams player wanted New England to lose to make the AFC East race tighter, he also knew his ex-teammates rarely drop two straight. And the Jets (4-4) are at first-place New England (6-2) Sunday. "They're always scary after a loss,'' said Chatham, a Patriot from 2000-05. "We don't want to let them get up on us another game in the division - no way. But they're very dangerous in this position.'' The Patriots haven't lost two straight in the regular season since Dec. 16-22, 2002, though it was a loss to the Jets that extended that slide to two games. And Patriots quarterback Tom Brady never seems to have two bad games in a row. Brady completed 20 of 35 passes for 201 yards with four interceptions and no touchdowns against the Colts. His passer rating of 34.0 was the second-worst of his career. His worst was the 22.5 rating when he went 14 for 28 for 123 yards with four interceptions and no touchdowns in the 2003 season opener at Buffalo. The following week, he had a passer rating of 105.8 after completing 30 of 44 for 255 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions at Philadelphia. Brady has thrown four interceptions in a game five times. He has yet to be picked off in any of the games immediately following such an outing, and this marks the third straight time the Jets will be the opponents. Brady went 21 of 32 for 264 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-7 road win over the Jets on Dec. 26, 2004, and 27 of 37 for 271 yards in a 16-3 win last Dec. 4 over the visiting Jets. "Their whole organization is predicated on correcting mistakes,'' Chatham said. "They're very focused, very educated on what lost them the game the previous week.'' Roster move: The Jets have signed offensive lineman Na'Shan Goddard off waivers from the Giants and released tight end Zach Hilton. Goddard was one of two undrafted free agents to make the Giants, but the rookie out of South Carolina has yet to dress for a game. "We liked Na'Shan when we saw him in the preseason,'' Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "We saw the opportunity to pick him up, and it wasn't in relationship to the rest of the offensive line.'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwMTYwMTYmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Jets gear up for Patriots Tuesday, November 7, 2006 By RANDY LANGE STAFF WRITER HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The end to the Jets' bye week could have done a "Twilight Zone'' number inside Pete Kendall's head, if he let it. For most of the weekend, the Jets' veteran guard was back home in the Boston area, serving as "suburban hockey dad" to his daughter and two sons. "The reason I encouraged hockey is that I know nothing about it," Kendall said. "The minute my kids can stand on skates, they're better hockey players than I am." Sunday night, Kendall headed back to Long Island. During the drive, he listened on the radio to his "hometown" team, New England, playing Indianapolis. Then he got to his home away from home and watched the second half of the Patriots' 27-20 loss. Monday, Kendall returned to work as the Jets began preparations to start the second half of their season against ... the Patriots. "It was kind of funny," Kendall had to admit. Kendall wasn't alone in putting aside any NFL ironies and studying the Jets' upcoming foe as much as he could. "I tried to pick up schemes and personnel, that type of stuff," he said, "not that there's always a lot of carryover from one week to the next." And linebacker Matt Chatham, the former Patriot, said even though he watched the game as a fan, "I have a new DVR setup, so during the game I was jumping back and forth, rewinding the game and trying to pick up calls. ... It frustrated the heck out of my wife." Now the Jets will try to devise a game plan to frustrate the Patriots as much as the Colts did in sending them to their second loss and intercepting Tom Brady four times. No Jet was willing to suggest either the loss or the picks were the start of New England trends. "I think it's probably bad business," Kendall said, "to go into a game planning on Tom playing bad – he's an outstanding quarterback." And coach Eric Mangini, who called Foxboro, Mass., his home from 2000-05, saw no advantages to playing the Patriots at any time. "It's always challenging to, one, play on the road, two, play in the division, and three, play a team as successful as the Patriots have been in the division," Mangini said. "Win or lose, they would be a good challenge for us, especially at that place." "That place," Gillette Stadium, has given the Patriots smooth shaves for five seasons. Their only back-to-back home losses there were in the middle of the 2002 season, a span of 36 games. And the last time the Patriots lost home games on back-to-back weekends was in 1993, when they played at Foxboro Stadium, Bill Belichick was coaching the Cleveland Browns, and Mangini was in his second season leading the Kew Colts in Australia. On top of that, the Patriots don't lose to the Jets – at least not lately. They've won three in a row at Gillette and six straight overall since the Jets and Chad Pennington stunned them, 30-17, late in '02. Despite that, the Foxboro faithful are sure to greet Mangini, Kendall, Chatham and the rest of the Jets as rudely as they did "turncoat" kicker Adam Vinatieri, who returned with Indianapolis. "I guess if they can boo Adam, there might be one or two for me," Mangini said. "I hope he didn't use them all up." BRIEF: Justin Miller again is the NFL's No. 2 kickoff returner entering a matchup with the No. 1 man. At Cleveland, Miller won the battle vs. Josh Cribbs. As a result, his average is 29.69 yards per return, second to New England rookie Laurence Maroney's 29.74. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/sports/football/07jets.html?ref=football November 7, 2006 Offensive Lineman Goes From Blue Jersey to Green By KAREN CROUSE HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Nov. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/126213,CST-SPT-bearnt07.article The worst news in the secondary was confirmed Monday morning when the Bears learned safety Brandon McGowan is out for the season with a torn left Achilles tendon. So the Bears are expected to sign Derrick Strait today. He worked out for the Bears two weeks ago. Strait started two games at free safety earlier this season for the New York Jets, who drafted him out of Oklahoma in the third round in 2004. He's played in the Tampa Two scheme used by the Bears under Herm Edwards with the Jets, and knows defensive tackles Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek well. Strait, 5-11, 189 pounds, was drafted as a cornerback and could be versatile. He made 16 tackles on special teams for the Jets last season too, and that figures to be the first area he gets work here. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up Strait when he left the Jets, but kept him only a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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