JETS ARTICLES - SUN 11/12

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11122006/sports/jets/foes__yes__but_rivals__not_exactly_jets_mike_vaccaro.htm

FOES, YES, BUT RIVALS? NOT EXACTLY

By MIKE VACCARO

November 12, 2006 -- AT some point, there will have to come a time when the football squares with the fable, when the artificial hype surrounding these bi-annual Jets-Patriots games dissipates and some genuine theater takes its place.

At some point, geography isn't enough, and all the incestuous squabbling that has marked the past decade of New York-New England relations won't be enough. It's quite romantic to think of Jets-Patriots as some kind of autumnal extension of Yankees-Red Sox, of some kind of grand topographical link to those splendid old Celtics-Knicks and Bruins-Rangers skirmishes of yesterday.

The reality is something else. The reality is that from the moment Mo Lewis chased Drew Bledsoe to the old Foxboro Stadium sideline late in the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2001, from the instant when the impact resulted in a sheared blood vessel in the Patriots quarterback's chest and the inexorable altering of this rivalry's history, the Jets and the Patriots have played 11 games, and the Jets have won twice.

That very same afternoon Bledsoe suffered his grisly injury, the Jets held on for a blightful 10-3 victory in what history tells us was both the first victory of Herman Edwards' coaching career and the first defeat in Tom Brady's quarterbacking career. The other came in 2002, the Jets storming to a 30-17 victory in Foxboro that ultimately helped them win the only AFC East title that hasn't gone to the Pats in the past five years.

Other than that, the Patriots have won nine times. They have won those nine games by an average score of 24-12. They have done it while driving out to big leads and blowing the Jets out, by coming from behind, by holding off late rallies. But they have mostly done it without much sweating about doing it, the way they would against their genuine rivals in Indianapolis or Denver or Pittsburgh.

Because the Patriots, and all of New England, understand something about this "rivalry." Right now, it isn't a rivalry at all. Oh, it could be. And it should be. And it has been in the past. Lord knows there's all kinds of volatile history wrapped up in this relationship, from Bill Parcells to Bill Belichick to Scott Pioli to Eric Mangini. New Yorkers and New Englanders inherently despise each other. This could be one of those relationships that set entire regions on fire.

It just isn't, not now, and hasn't been in far too long, no matter how much the Jets obsess about the Pats, no matter how much Jet fans loathe them.

And won't be, until the Jets find a way to lift themselves up and answer the Patriots' dominance on the field. Yes, the Patriots have been the NFL's model franchise the past few years, they have those three Super Bowl titles, and the Jets aren't the only team to sport scars on their necks from the heels of New England's steel boots. The Pats have long had the better owner, the better coach, the better quarterback, and the better defense in this matchup of ancient AFL rivals. Nothing that has happened these past few years has been at all illogical.

It just flies in the face of the notion this is anything resembling a rivalry. It isn't. The Jets stole Parcells from the Patriots. The Patriots lured Belichick from the Jets. Pioli, Parcells' own son-in-law, chose New England over New York years back. Mangini, who we were told was as close to Belichick as a kid brother, chose New York over New England. Those are interesting stories. So far, they haven't yielded many interesting football games.

Maybe that changes today, in Foxboro. Or maybe the Jets remain what they presently are on the Patriots' broader agenda: barely a blip on the screen, an annoyance on their pathway to bigger things and better opponents. Such a pity.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11122006/sports/jets/it_can_be_done_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

IT CAN BE DONE

By MARK CANNIZZARO

KNOWS THE FEELING: Lavernues Coles (87)

is one of six current Jets who were on the

team in 2002, the last time they beat the Pats.

November 12, 2006 -- FOXBORO - The date was Dec. 22, 2002. The place was Foxboro, Mass. That's the last time the Jets beat the Patriots. That was seven losses ago to their AFC East rival.

Suffice it to say the Jets, particularly the five players who remain on the team from that game and have endured the seven consecutive losses - Chad Pennington, James Dearth, Chris Baker, Shaun Ellis and Bryan Thomas - are sick and tired of the same, old result. (A sixth, Laveranues Coles was a Jet for that win, but a Redskin for two seasons during the losing streak).

To a man, though, the Jets were insistent this week that those seven games don't mean a thing and have no relationship to what might happen today at Gillette Stadium between the 4-4 Jets and 6-2 Patriots.

"The past has no bearing on the future," Eric Mangini said. "The phrase they have there on every stock Web site reads, 'Past performance is no indication of future returns.' I think that's the same way with football. It really doesn't matter about last year or week or any of that stuff.

"What matters is the preparation this week and the performance on Sunday. Each game and moment is unique."

The Jets, fresh off their bye week, surely would like the end result today to be a unique moment compared to the last seven meetings.

"We can't worry about what happened in the past. We can only control what's going on now," Jets defensive lineman Bobby Hamilton, a former Patriot, said.

Linebacker Matt Chatham is another Jet who played with the Pats. He remembers the stronghold the Patriots had on the Jets, but insisted there was no ****iness to it on the part of New England.

"I think what's scary is when you've beaten a team quite a bit, they now have motivation to change it," Chatham said. "When we did win a lot of them, a lot of those games were close games, division games against a team we knew well. It was never a matter of, 'This is a team we've got.'

"It almost makes you prepare a little harder because you know they're highly motivated to beat you and they also know they're due."

Patriots' preparation isn't something the Jets need to concern themselves with, because rest assured, after a tough loss to the Colts last Sunday night, Bill Belichick is sure to have his players amped up for retribution today.

The Patriots, after all, have gone 57 games (dating back to that 2002 loss to the Jets) without losing consecutive games and are 11-0 in bounce-back games since then.

If those aren't daunting numbers, then remember that Tom Brady is 9-1 against the Jets in his career.

"I think at this point, it goes beyond the whole Boston-New York thing or the fact that they've beaten us so many times," Chatham said. "It's more just the fact that they're one of the premier teams in the league. They're the measuring stick.

"When you continue to lose to the measuring stick, it gets you a little downtrodden. But I don't think the record against them is the problem. We need to go out and beat them because they're the best."

A Jets victory today would be significant for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact they haven't defeated a team with a winning record this season. Their four wins have come against four losing teams with a combined record of 9-23.

"[A win] would be huge," Chatham said. "One of the bad marks against us up to this point is we just played the good teams close and haven't been able to finish them."

Jets guard Pete Kendall, a Massachusetts native, said he's made aware of the Patriots' grip on this series often, particularly during the offseason when he's home.

"I get reminded semi-frequently when I go back home, so no its no secret," Kendall said of the 0-for-7 streak. "I went through a similar situation in Seattle. I think in my five years in Seattle, we were 1-9 against Denver. You just try to win one game. You can't do anything about what's gone on in the past. All you can control is Sunday."

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

PREDICTION

The Jets, coming off the bye week, will keep this one close, but the Patriots are just better. They'll run the ball moderately well on the Jets and Tom Brady will rebound with a strong game. The Jets' best chance to win the game is by taking advantage of an injury-riddled New England secondary.

- Mark Cannizzaro

PATRIOTS 23

JETS 21

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/15995030.htm

Jets at Patriots

Time: Noon today

TV: KTVT/Ch. 11

Line: Patriots by 11

Records: Jets 4-4, Patriots 6-2

Why the Jets will win: New England is tied with Houston as the NFL's third-most penalized team with 59. The Jets are 4-1 all-time in games Chad Pennington passes for at least 285 yards. Leon Washington has 397 yards rushing, tied for third among rookies.

Why the Patriots will win: The Patriots, coming off a loss to the Colts, haven't lost back-to-back games since Dec. 16-22, 2002. The Jets' defense ranks 31st overall, and they allow opponents to convert 45.3 percent of third downs.

Fantasy watch: Washington has been a nice surprise for the Jets, but the Patriots have allowed leading rushers 163 yards in the past four games.

Injury report

Jets: Questionable: RB B.J. Askew (Foot); CB David Barrett (Hip); WR Laveranues Coles (Calf); WR Tim Dwight (Thigh); RB Cedric Houston (Knee); WR Justin McCareins (Foot). Probable: LB Matt Chatham (Foot); RB Kevan Barlow (Calf); CB Andre Dyson (Ankle); G Pete Kendall (Knee); QB Chad Pennington (Calf). Patriots: Out: S Rodney Harrison (Shoulder). Questionable: TE Daniel Graham (Ankle); CB Ellis Hobbs (Wrist); G Russ Hochstein (Knee); RB Laurence Maroney (Ankle); TE Garrett Mills (Thigh); G Steve Neal (Shoulder); DE Richard Seymour (Elbow); DE Ty Warren (Shoulder); S Eugene Wilson (Hamstring).

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061112/SPORTS01/611120368/1108/SPORTS01

Jets still trying to solve Patriots

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: November 12, 2006)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The Jets will eventually beat the Patriots again. It only seems like forever since that last happened.

In reality, the Patriots have a seven-game winning streak against their AFC East rivals and have beaten the Jets in eight of their last nine games, including a 24-17 victory at the Meadowlands in Week 2.

The Jets (4-4) will try again today at first-place New England (6-2). Their last victory over the Patriots was a 30-17 road win on Dec. 22, 2002.

"It bothers me because I'm 0-5 against them," Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "I don't see any frustration, per se. There's no doubt it's an important game, we obviously need to win the game if we want to compete for the playoffs. But it's not a make-or-break game. We can win this game and lose the rest and still not go to the playoffs."

Still, here's another bad omen for the Jets: the Patriots haven't lost back-to-back games since 2002 and are coming off a 27-20 loss to the Colts.

"If that was the case, why would we even go play?" Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "Just give them the win and try to pick a game on our schedule we think we could win. It doesn't work that way. We've got to play on Sunday."

To be fair, even Patriots quarterback Tom Brady believes his team's 57-game streak without consecutive losses has nothing to do with today's game.

"The consistency we've played with has been pretty good over the years," Brady said. "It doesn't have a whole lot of bearing on this week, unfortunately."

The Jets did have the ball with a chance to tie in their first meeting with the Patriots this season. But that masks the fact that they fell behind 24-0 early in the third quarter.

Following that game, the Jets took nearly a militant stance that there could be no moral victories. However, that second-half rally could provide some confidence leading into today's kickoff.

"You can say that," Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas said. "There's just a lot of stuff within the game we have to do better, execution-wise with assignments and technique. As long as we get those things corrected, we'll see how the games come out in the end."

The message Thomas and his teammates received this week from coach Eric Mangini was they should develop a case of selective amnesia.

Mangini's analogy?

"The phrase they have there on every stock Web site: 'Past performance is no indication of future returns,' " Mangini said. "It really doesn't matter about last year or week or any of that stuff."

True, this is a new Jets coaching staff, and 25 members of the 53-man roster were not with the team last season, including as many as eight potential starters.

But the Jets' repeated failures against the Patriots was a topic that was hard to avoid in the locker room this week.

"At this point, it goes beyond that Boston-New York thing, or the fact that they've beaten us so many times," said Jets linebacker Matt Chatham, a member of the Patriots from 2000-05. "It's more just the fact that they're one of the premier teams in the league. It's not necessarily a division rivalry or a city rivalry. It's a measuring stick. When you continuously lose to the measuring stick, I think that's what gets you a little downtrodden."

And it's not just the Patriots the Jets have had problems with this season. They simply have not measured up to their better opponents.

The Jets' four victories have come against teams with a combined 10-22 record, not a .500 team in the bunch. Their four defeats have come at the hands of teams with a combined 21-11 mark. The Browns are the only sub-.500 team in that group.

"There ain't no magic formula or potion," Coles said. "It is what it is. We've got to go up and basically come out on the better end of things, execute the game plan the coaches put in place. That's what it comes down to against anybody, anyway, whether it's New England or Hempstead High."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets124972595nov12,0,108264.story?coll=ny-jets-print

JETS GAMEDAY

Washington's prepared

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

November 12, 2006

When the Jets played the Patriots in Week 2, they did so without the aid of their best running back. That's because at that point in the season, the Jets didn't even know Leon Washington would become their best running back. He trotted onto the field for a few special-teams plays and took one third-quarter hand-off (a draw play for no gain). But for the most part, he simply watched the Jets lose, 24-17.

It was a familiar sight from an unconventional view. "I've been watching those guys for the last five years," Washington said of the Patriots' recent postseason appearances, which have become commonplace (along with their victories over the Jets, now seven in a row). "I had a chance on the sideline to actually go out there and look, which was good, to evaluate from the sideline. I learned a lot from that game."

He's likely to do more playing than learning when the two AFC East rivals meet today for the second time this season. The rookie from Florida State has emerged as the Jets' top runner with 397 yards, two touchdowns and an average of 4.6 yards per carry. With his development has come a new respectability for the Jets' running game, mired at the bottom of the league after the first two games but now ranked 13th at 112.0 yards per game.

Washington also is in a statistical dead heat with Patriots rookie running back Laurence Maroney, who is gaining more national exposure if not more yards per carry.

Their inability to run the ball was just one of the Jets' flaws in that Sept. 17 game against the Patriots, when they were held to 51 yards on 24 carries. At that point they still were searching for the right backfield personnel - Derrick Blaylock was taking hand-offs and Kevan Barlow was just beginning to digest the playbook. The Jets also played without starting guard Pete Kendall. Norm Katnik started that game at guard, a player so esteemed by the Jets that he later was demoted to the practice squad and this week was released from that unit.

The changes have been noted by Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

"The addition of Washington into the running and passing game has been pretty dynamic for them, and the offensive line has been intact now for three or four weeks," Belichick said.

All the comebacks and discoveries about the Jets' running game will not necessarily translate into success against the Patriots. New England allows an average of 75.1 rushing yards per game, third best in the NFL.

Though Washington does not have extensive experience against the Patriots' defense, he's been watching it long enough on TV - and that one time up close - to know what to expect.

"You have a veteran group of guys who have played together for a long time and know how to run [the system] really well," he said. "Their front seven basically doesn't make mistakes. Basically, what you want to do is go out there, execute and don't hurt yourself."

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WABC (770), WEPN (1050)

SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS

THE PLAYER

JUNIOR SEAU, LB

Maybe Junior Seau is just not the retiring type. Four days after hanging up his helmet in a lavish and emotional San Diego ceremony in August, he signed with the Patriots to play a 17th NFL season. Halfway through the season, the inside linebacker and 12-time Pro Bowler is leading New England with 52 tackles. The player he was brought in to replace - injured LB Tedy Bruschi - now is healthy and playing alongside Seau. And the player who wooed him out of retirement - safety Rodney Harrison, a former Chargers teammate - is out indefinitely with a broken shoulder. But at age 37, Seau is still leveling running backs and hoping to complete the quest that lured him away from his surfboard in August: a Super Bowl championship.

- TOM ROCK

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/470425p-395932c.html

Is this the end?

By RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Sunday, November 12th, 2006

Eric Mangini (left) will have second

shot at ending Jets' losing streak

against Bill Belichick and Patriots.

FOXBORO - A few days ago, Brandon Moore was approached at his locker by a reporter who began an interview with an odd question: What year did you come to the Jets?

Moore, sniffing out the end-around, knew exactly where it was leading.

"No," the Jets' right guard replied without hesitation, "I've never beaten the Patriots."

Moore arrived in 2003, and the Jets haven't won a game in The Border War since December, 2002. They're pretty good at taking the Patriots' coaches - see Eric Mangini - but they can't take them on the field.

The Jets have dropped seven straight to New England (four by a touchdown or less), and as Moore said, "It definitely bothers me. It bothers everybody." They will carry that animosity into today's game at Gillette Stadium, where they will play the first defining game of the Mangini era.

Their season has reached a crossroads. Are the Jets (4-4) going to stick around as second-half contenders or will they fade into the background as just another rebuilding team?

The answer should be known around 4 o'clock.

"There isn't any room for error," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "Every game from here on out is humongous for us. This win would set the stage for the rest of the season."

There's an enormous difference between 5-4 and 4-5, especially when your next opponent is 7-1 - the Bears. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Jets, refreshed and recharged after their bye week, to emerge from their middle-class rut. Nothing would be sweeter than to do it against their nemesis.

The Jets are 4-1 against teams with losing records, 0-3 against winning teams, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out where they stand in the NFL's class system: Good enough to dream, not good enough to live the dream.

Unless they upset the Patriots (6-2), who hold a two-game lead in the AFC East.

"This is the first game of a new opportunity," linebacker Matt Chatham said. "It's the first game for us to go out and prove we're a better team in the second half, and to show we're capable of being in this thing."

The Jets used the bye week to perform an intensive self-scouting exercise, focusing on two weaknesses - stopping the run and throwing the ball.

The once-potent passing attack has faltered since the first meeting against the Patriots (Week 2), when Cotchery (121 yards) and Laveranues Coles (100) became only the third receiving tandem to hit the 100-yard mark against a Belichick-coached defense. Since then, the explosiveness has slowly dissipated.

Coles, perhaps trying to shield Chad Pennington from criticism, theorized that the wideouts "ain't moving as fast" as they did early in the season. Mangini's response to that was, "It's noble to take the blame on the receiving crew, but it's everybody."

Defensively, the Jets analyzed every type of running play that caused problems in the first eight games, an exercise akin to deconstructing the Edsel.

The players are confident they made the proper corrections, hopeful that Mangini and coordinator Bob Sutton will become more aggressive in their play calling.

The Jets are going to get a heavy dose of Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, and they're going to get a highly motivated Tom Brady, who is coming off a four-interception clunker against the Colts.

"You hope for another hiccup," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said, "but I don't think that's going to happen."

Against the Jets, Brady and the Patriots rarely experience a hiccup. They play smart, if not dominating football, waiting for the Jets to make the killer mistake. The Patriots, as if teasing the Jets, haven't won by more than 16 points during the seven-game streak.

The one-sidedness of the rivalry is approaching historic proportions. The Jets' longest losing streak to a division opponent is 10, to the Bills from 1987 to 1992.

Different era, same story.

"They're the measuring stick," Chatham said of the Patriots, his former team, "... and when you continually lose to the measuring stick, that's what gets you a little downtrodden. I don't think the record against them is the problem. We need to beat them because they're the best. That's what motivates us."

By the way, the Patriots - the model of consistency - haven't lost two straight in four years. The last time it happened was Dec. 22, 2002, the Jets' last win over New England.

Poetic symmetry?

The Playbook

BY HANK GOLA

VITALS

THE LINE: Patriots by 10 1/2

TV: Ch. 2 (Dick Enberg, Randy Cross)

RADIO: WEPN 1050 AM, WABC 770 AM (Bob Wischusen, Marty Lyons)

FORECAST: Breezy and rainy, high of 55.

INJURY IMPACT

SS Rodney Harrison broke his shoulder against the Colts and FS Eugene Wilson, who missed Sunday night's game, is nursing a hamstring. Chad Scott, a natural CB, replaces Harrison. The Patriots could get back TE Daniel Graham, who has missed four games with an ankle injury and OG Stephen Neal, out two games with a sore shoulder. The Jets are healthy as they come off their bye.

FEATURE MATCHUPS

RBs Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney vs. LBs Jonathan Vilma and Victor Hobson: After abandoning the run against the Colts, Bill Belichick will go back to his 1-2 punch to try to stuff it down the throats of a Jet D that couldn't even slow down Rueben Droughns. The Patriots love to run behind double tight ends and will go at Hobson, who has been unable to hold the point of attack. Maroney's cutback ability could drive the Jets crazy, especially on a wet field.

WRs Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery vs. CBs Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs: Both Jet receivers had 100-yard games against the Pats in Week 2. The Patriots played a lot of soft coverages against the Colts, and with their safeties banged up, they will probably stay conservative with their corners. Giving Coles that kind of cushion would allow him to use his greatest asset, the ability to make yards after the catch.

SCOUT SAYS

"We know the Patriots will be able to run it. Will the Jets? They've improved now that Leon Washington has emerged and Chad Pennington will need him in order to get play action to work against the Patriot linebackers. (C Nick) Mangold is going to have to contend with Vince Wilfork, who is having an All-Pro season. Once they establish the run, the Patriots will take what the Jets give them in the passing game. Look for Tom Brady to bounce back. He'll be looking for (TE) Ben Watson, a tough matchup for the Jets underneath."

INTANGIBLES

Face it. This is the Jets' entire season. If they can somehow pull out a win, they'd be back in the AFC East race. If not, the Pats will cruise to the division while the Jets go home to face the Bears. Ugh. Unfortunately for the head coach that Belichick refuses to recognize, there couldn't be a worse week for Eric Mangini's return to Foxboro. The Patriots haven't lost two straight games since 2002, let alone at home. After their loss to Peyton Manning and the Colts last week, their focus will be high. How the Jets come out of the bye is anybody's guess. How they went in - losing to the Browns - didn't make for much momentum.

PREDICTION

PATRIOTS, 28-13. Jets can't stop the run, Brady atones for last week.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.courant.com/sports/football/hc-patriots1112.artnov12,0,3510528.story?coll=hc-headlines-football

A Cold Front

Belichick Still Refuses To Discuss Relationship With Mangini

By ALAN GREENBERG

Courant Staff Writer

November 12 2006

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- On film, at least, the Jets defense is no mystery to Tom Brady.

"It's the same defense that we play here," said Brady, whose Patriots host the Jets at 1 p.m. today at Gillette. "It's the same calls, the same techniques. A lot of that is great for our offense because we play against it all through training camp and we're very familiar with it and our coaches have coached in that system, so in a sense you know the vulnerabilities of it."

Of course, the reason the Jets play the same defense as the Patriots is because head coach Eric Mangini was the Patriots' defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach before the Jets hired him to replace Herm Edwards after last season. If an official hadn't made such a questionable judgment call on Jets tight end Chris Baker's seemingly legit end zone reception at Cleveland two weeks ago, the Jets might have beaten the Browns and could be trailing the Patriots by only one game in the AFC East.

"The lesson we took out of that game, and what I told the team, is that there are 130 plays prior to that play," Mangini said. "If we had done a better job [earlier], then it wouldn't have been in the hands of the officials at that point. That's your real lesson. Don't let it come down to a judgment call at the end of the game."

Although Mangini, at 35 the NFL's youngest head coach, has forced the Jets to learn an entirely different defensive scheme and been much more of a disciplinarian than Edwards, the players' judgments, after some early grumbling, have been mostly good. After a 4-12 season under Edwards, the Jets' resurgence is such that Mangini is being mentioned as a coach of the year candidate.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick? Not only isn't he mentioning Mangini, he isn't even recognizing Mangini's existence. When the two met at midfield after the Patriots beat the Jets 24-17 at the Meadowlands in Week 2, Mangini's first game against his mentor, it looked as if the Hartford native and former Bulkeley and Wesleyan star might have been looking to hug Belichick, who used to talk about Mangini like a favorite son.

Instead, Belichick barely brushed Mangini's palm and looked away in what might have been the worst excuse for a handshake in NFL history.

Belichick refuses to discuss his reasons for his fallout with Mangini with the media. One reason could be that Belichick doesn't think much of Jets owner Woody Johnson and strongly advised Mangini not to take the Jets job and wait for a better opportunity, only to have Mangini go against his advice.

Recall that Belichick was the Jets assistant head coach when Johnson bought the team from Leon Hess' estate. That's one reason why Belichick, then the Jets assistant head coach, refused to step into his expected role as Bill Parcells' successor, igniting a legal dispute that resulted in the Patriots giving up a No.1 pick to free Belichick.

Less than a week before the teams met in Week 2, the Patriots traded their holdout receiver, Deion Branch, to the Seahawks, then filed tampering charges against the Jets, who also had been angling for Branch.

In each week's pregame buildup, Belichick frequently invokes the name of the opposing coach, always in a complimentary way. He points out their common coaching roots, if any, and talks about what a great job so-and-so has done.

Not this week.

To listen to Belichick, you'd think the Jets started 22 Pro Bowl players and did not actually have a head coach. Or at least, not one that he could bring himself to mention without vomiting. From Belichick's perspective, love has turned to loathe. As Michael Corleone told his brother Fredo in Godfather II after Fredo betrayed him, "You're dead to me."

While admitting he and Belichick haven't talked since that first Jets-Patriots game, Mangini continues to take the high road, probably hoping Belichick will eventually get past his anger.

"My feelings on Bill haven't changed," Mangini said. "I talked quite a bit last time how important he was to my career, [and] how much I appreciate that. So nothing has changed for me in that sense."

In the first meeting, the Patriots had a 24-0 lead in the third quarter when the Jets scored on third-quarter pass plays of 71 (Chad Pennington to Jerricho Cotchery) and 46 yards (Pennington to Laveranues Coles), helped along by sloppy Patriots tackling.

And now, with Rodney Harrison sidelined after breaking a shoulder blade last Sunday night against the Colts, there will be an even bigger burden on a Patriots secondary that fell apart after Harrison's season-ending injury in Week 3 last season.

Since the first meeting, Leon Washington (86 carries, 397 yards, a 4.6 average) has established himself as the Jets' top running back in the unofficial beginning of the post-Curtis Martin era. But he might not be able to do much against a Patriots defense that ranks third in the league at stopping the run (75.1 yards allowed a game). If he is, the Patriots are in trouble.

What hasn't changed since Week 2 is the Jets' inability to stop the run. They are allowing an average of 143 rushing yards a game (4.4 an attempt), which ranks 30th in the league. The Patriots rushed for 147 yards against them in Week 2.

Of course, the Colts' run defense (which allows 5.3 yards an attempt) is the worst in the league, but the Patriots seemed to do the Colts a favor by almost ceasing to run the ball in the second half of Sunday's night's 27-20 loss. That was a lesson for the Patriots, one they are not likely to forget today.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/11/12/patriots_again_look_to_dress_up_their_streak?rss_id=Boston.com%20--%20New%20England%20Patriots%20news

Patriots again look to dress up their streak

By Mike Reiss, Globe Staff | November 12, 2006

FOXBOROUGH -- When quarterback Chad Pennington led the Jets to a 30-17 victory over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium Dec. 22, 2002, the result became a bookmark to an impressive NFL streak.

Pennington was masterful that night, completing 23 of 33 passes for 285 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. His performance sent the Patriots to their second straight loss.

Since that time, the Patriots haven't lost back-to-back games, stringing together a 57-game regular-season run that is the second-longest since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. With a victory today over Pennington and the Jets (Ch. 4, 1 p.m.), the Patriots can move one step closer to eclipsing the San Francisco 49ers' streak of 60 games without back-to-back losses from 1995-99.

The Patriots are coming off a 27-20 loss to the Colts last Sunday, but their approach hasn't wavered.

"Whether we win or lose, people around here don't dwell on the outcome one way or the other. In that way, you're able to move on," said tight end Benjamin Watson. "Maybe after the season you can look back and say, 'We should have done that,' but during the season you don't have time to do that. There is another opponent, another good football team coming in here. So you have to go on."

Over the course of their streak, the Patriots are 11-0 in games following a loss, although quarterback Tom Brady believes that means little today.

"The consistency we've played with has been pretty good over the years. It doesn't have a whole lot of bearing on this week, unfortunately," he said. "Part of the reason why I think we haven't lost two games in a row is you learn from it and you move on and you put it behind you. You make sure you come to work on Wednesday, that you're prepared for this week. You put a lot into it and you try to go out and play at a much more consistent level. Hopefully, we can do that this week."

Brady acknowledged that the loss to the Colts was particularly stinging because the team didn't play up to its high standards. The Patriots also lost safety Rodney Harrison (broken scapula) in that game, and likely will turn to Chad Scott and Artrell Hawkins at safety today, with Ellis Hobbs and Asante Samuel at cornerback.

"Guys have to step up. We always pride ourselves on when one guy goes down, someone else has to come in and do the job," said inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi. "Losing Rodney is a big loss for us; he's a guy who did a lot of things for us."

The Jets (4-4), who are coming off their bye, are hoping to stay within striking distance of the first-place Patriots (6-2) in the AFC East. If the Patriots win, they would improve to 5-0 in the East and take a three-game division lead with just seven to play.

When the teams met in Week 2, big scoring plays by receivers Laveranues Coles (46 yards) and Jerricho Cotchery (71 yards) helped the Jets slice into a 24-0 deficit in the Patriots' 24-17 victory. Among the most significant changes for Eric Mangini's Jets since that time is the emergence of rookie running back Leon Washington, a fourth-round pick out of Florida State who leads the team with 397 yards on 86 carries (4.6-yard average).

Also, kickoff returner Justin Miller has rocketed to the top of the NFL charts alongside Patriots rookie Laurence Maroney, as he's averaging 29.7 yards per runback and has scored two touchdowns.

Containing big plays has been a hot topic of discussion among the Patriots in the days leading up to the game, as New England puts its streak on the line.

Asked if he's proud of the team's run of 57 games without consecutive losses, coach Bill Belichick said now isn't the time to assess such feelings.

"When you're right in the middle of something, the situation we're in right now, we'll just take a look at what you can control and what's at hand and that's where my focus is -- not three weeks from now, not three weeks behind," he said.

"Certainly there are things that we've done this year that we need to do better and we can improve on, so I'm not saying there's no significance to them. But that's already been identified. That's already been looked at and that's already been addressed. What really needs to be addressed now is taking information and applying it to this particular game. That's what we try to do."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMjEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwMTg0ODgmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Making noise at the nose

Sunday, November 12, 2006

By RANDY LANGE

STAFF WRITER

FOXBORO, Mass. -- It was a positive observation about how he's made that much publicized transition to nose tackle.

Dewayne Robertson took it as a dare.

"I think everybody, like you are, the media, everybody tried to make it an issue, what position I was going to play," Robertson said. "I always feel pretty good, pretty sure of my ability. So I'm good."

That's just the point. Maybe it's his natural talent, maybe his dedication to technique, maybe the chip on his shoulder. But Robertson is playing, well, good these days.

Further, if the Jets show a sudden growth spurt in how they're defending the run out of the 3-4 in the second half of this season, D-Rob will be one of the players leading the improvement.

Today's game with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium will provide a timely test of that theory. The Jets come to Foxboro with the NFL's No. 30 run defense, and one reason for that low ranking is what the Patriots' Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney did to the Jets in their September home opener.

With center Dan Koppen and guard Stephen Neal leading the charge in walling off Robertson and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the Patriots ran for 147 yards, with 104 of that plus two touchdowns coming as they built their 24-0 third-quarter lead.

Robertson wasn't offering predictions for the rematch, but he's bullish on how he and his teammates have been playing.

"I'm pretty comfortable, pretty confident in what I'm doing and what they're asking me to do," he said. "The numbers aren't showing it, but we've been getting better in our run fits, doing the things we're supposed to do, playing blocks the way we're supposed to play them. Everybody's just getting better at being where they're supposed to be."

Some fans, in the absence of great plays and the stats to back them up, will remain skeptical that the 315-pound Robertson and the Jets are improving, and will insist he is more suited to the 3-technique tackle he used to play in the 4-3 than to 3-4 nose, usually manned by 350-pound wide bodies.

But comparing the first quarter of the season to the second quarter show Robertson's emergence. His first sack, his first forced fumble and his first three quarterback hits all came in Games 6-8, and the per-carry average through his gaps -- the "A" gap when he's head-up on the center -- unofficially has dropped a full yard, from 4.8 in the first four games to 3.8 in the last four.

Then there are the Robertson testimonials. Coordinator Bob Sutton said he's "really done an outstanding job adapting to playing a different position than he's played before." Coach Eric Mangini has called him "a powerful guy, a strong guy." One person on the team said, "He's been our best defensive player. He's kicking butt."

Guard Brandon Moore hasn't gone up against Robertson since training camp, but he sees enough from the day-after highlight videos Mangini shows the team and the occasional glance at the defense from the sideline.

"The nose tackle can get kind of lost in the middle of the 3-4," Moore said. "But Dewayne's a beast out there. It's not only tackles, it's blowing up gaps, disrupting. I think he's big enough. He's not 400 pounds like Ted Washington, but I don't think you need to be to play this defense."

Robertson is not one to put a target around the No. 63 on his back, but he's a player Jets fans will want to follow this second half, whether he's at nose, 3-4 end (as he was for 10 plays at Cleveland) or inside rusher in the nickel front. He holds a big key to the defense's performance in the last eight games of its first season under Mangini.

"I like Dewayne a lot," end Kimo von Oelhoffen told "Jets 24/7." "He's got a purpose, and he's playing good football right now. Very good football."

"I'm just looking forward to the second half of the season," Robertson said.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1163314175269830.xml&coll=1

Patriot Games

Sunday, November 12, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON AND ELI GELMAN

Star-Ledger Staff

It was a defining moment of Jets rookie head coach Eric Mangini's career.

On a fourth-and-goal play at the Colts' 2-yard line, Mangini said no to a chip-shot field goal that would've broken a 14-14 tie and went for the touchdown. Three points, he reasoned, wasn't much against Peyton Manning and the high-powered Colts.

The gamble didn't work. A pass from Chad Pennington to third-string tight end James Dearth was intercepted in the corner of the end zone. The Colts went on to win, 31-28, at Giants Stadium in Week 4.

But the move was definitely noticed around the league.

"I love that," said former Jets quarterback and CBS Sports analyst Boomer Esiason. "He went into that Indianapolis game with a plan. We're playing Peyton Manning here. He stuck with his plan and he said, 'if we get down there, we'll go for it.' This guy doesn't do anything without a plan. There's no indecision."

At 35, Mangini is the youngest head coach in the NFL. Midway through the season, his Jets have posted a 4-4 mark and been competitive in every game but one -- a 41-0 shellacking by the Jaguars.

Today, the Jets travel to Gillette Stadium for a rematch with the Patriots (6-2) and Mangini's mentor, Bill Belichick.

Though it's early in his career, Mangini is developing a reputation as another Belichick -- albeit with an occasional one-liner and a smile. He has impressed people with his work ethic, attention to detail, game preparation and his long-term plan for the future.

"What people are saying around the league is that the Jets have a blue print of the type of team they want to be and they're following it," said one NFL scout who requested anonymity because team policy prevents him from discussing other teams.

"This team doesn't quit," Patriots inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "Eric is doing a great job of preparing his team, of instilling an attitude that if you just keep playing good, sound, solid football, good things can happen."

Here's a look at how Mangini is faring halfway through his first season.

THE PLAN

Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum made it clear from day one what they wanted in a player: smarts, discipline, versatile and strong work ethic.

They followed that modus operandi in free agency (CB Andre Dyson, LB Matt Chatham, T Anthony Clement and DE Kimo von Oefhoffen) and the draft (LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson, C Nick Mangold, RB Leon Washington, WR/QB Brad Smith).

And, as with the Patriots, the Jets aren't interested in the star system.

"I think (Mangini) has been exactly what the Jets want in terms of a clone of Bill Belichick," Esiason said. "For the most part, they're really trying to carbon copy what the Patriots did under Bill."

GAME PREPARATION AND CLOCK MANAGEMENT

The general feeling is Mangini installs a solid game plan each week, tailoring it to the specific opponent rather than his team's strengths. Only once this season -- against Jacksonville -- have the Jets been outcoached and outclassed.

Even so, the Jets tendency to fall behind early is a concern.

As for Mangini's clock management, he has used his timeouts wisely and always seems to have some in reserve during the closing seconds of the first half and at the end of tight games.

OFFENSE

Mangini appears to have made a terrific hire in offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, the 32-year-old son of Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Under Schottenheimer, the Jets have been creative and explosive. Quarterback Chad Pennington is no longer a dink-and-dunk passer and has played well in all but two games (Jacksonville and Cleveland).

Schottenheimer has been imaginative in his use of all-purpose rookie Brad Smith, is getting wide receiver Laveranues Coles the ball (46 catches, 606 yards, three TDs) and working Washington (4.6-yard average) into the mix.

The Jets rank 20th in the NFL in scoring (20 ppg) and 22nd in the league in total offense, averaging 293.5 yards per game.

"My first inclination of their offense is it's clever," former Giants great and current CBS analyst Phil Simms said. "I've even had a few guys in the NFL, other coaches even say to me, that the Jets are clever. And they say it with a little admiration.

"What's missing? Okay, what scares you? That's their problem right now."

DEFENSE

Ironically, for all the good Mangini has done, his much-ballyhooed 3-4 defensive scheme has been a bust so far.

The problem is he doesn't have the correct personnel to play the scheme, as all but two of his starters played in the Jets' 4-3 alignment last season.

"When you migrate to the 3-4, you have to get the people that fit and right now the Jets don't have those people," the scout said. "It took us two full cycles, two full years, two draft classes and two free-agent classes to get the players to play that front seven. It takes time."

Simms agrees. But he also applauds the Jets for staying the course and not opting for a quick fix and simply playing a 4-3 to hopefully win a couple of more games.

"They're going to have to work hard to find 3-4 personnel," Esiason added. "People don't understand the little subtleties to finding the right personnel to run that defense.

"As a former quarterback I'm a big believer in the 3-4. When it's played right, it's tough. It leads to confusion. But it's tough when you don't have the right personnel."

[Sperm Edwards]

Jets vs. Patriots

Sunday, November 12, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

FOUR QUESTIONS

-- Can the Jets keep it close and make a game of it against an angry Patriots team?

The Pats, who lost to the Colts 27-20 last week, haven't lost back-to-back games since December 2002, a string of 57 consecutive regular-season games. Plus, New England coach Bill Belichick would like nothing more than to embarrass his former protégé, Jets coach Eric Mangini. Belichick feels Mangini betrayed him by taking the Jets job.

-- Was the bye week enough time for the Jets to shore up their run defense?

The Jets rank 30th in the NFL against the run (143.0 yards per game). New England is seventh in the NFL in rushing offense (127.8), behind rookie Laurence Maroney (107 carries, 458 yards, three TDs) and hard-charging veteran Corey Dillon (98-381-6). The Patriots rushed for 147 yards in the first meeting in Week 2.

-- Will Patriots QB Tom Brady or Jets QB Chad Pennington -- or both -- bounce back from bad games?

Brady, who is 9-1 in his career against the Jets, is coming off a four-interception debacle last week against the Colts. Meanwhile, Pennington completed just 11 of 28 passes for 108 yards, no TDs, two INTs and a 21.1 passer rating against the Browns two weeks ago.

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS

-- Bill Belichick's 74-25 record (.747) is the best in the NFL since 2001 and his 11-2 record in the postseason is second only to Vince Lombardi (9-1). His three Super Bowl titles trail only former Steelers coach Chuck Noll (four).

-- WR Troy Brown, in his 14th season with the Patriots, is the club's all-time leading receiver with 538 career receptions.

-- LB Tedy Bruschi, whom Jets LB Jonathan Vilma has studied to prepare for the 3-4 defense, has helped create seven defensive TDs since 2002. He has scored four TDs on interceptions. Also, he has forced two fumbles and tipped a pass, all returned for TDs.

HISTORY

The Jets lead the all-time series, 47-44-1. But New England has won seven straight and nine of the past 10.

INJURY REPORT

Jets: Questionable -- RB Cedric Houston (knee).

Patriots: Out -- S Rodney Harrison (shoulder).

BY THE NUMBERS

32-8

The Patriots' all-time record at Gillette Stadium, including the postseason. It's the best home record in the league since the stadium opened in 2002.

The ranking of the New England run defense in the NFL this season. The unit is allowing just 75.1 yards per game with their 3-4 scheme.

21st

The overall pick in the first round of Pats RB Laurence Maroney.

14.3

Points allowed per game by the Patriots defense, which is tied with Jacksonville for the fourth-fewest in the NFL this season.

PREDICTION

Patriots 30, Jets 17

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/sports/football/12jets.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fNews%2fSports%2fPro%20Football%2fNational%20Football%20League%2fNew%20York%20Jets&oref=slogin

Jets quarterback Chad Pennington has a record of 6-2 in games after outings in which his passer rating was less than 75.0.

Pennington