JETS ARTICLES & GAME PICS - MON 11/13

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http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061113/SPORTS01/611130350/1108/SPORTS01

Jets' win is special for Mangini

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: November 13, 2006)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Pick a reason, any reason. There were plenty why the Jets wanted to beat the Patriots yesterday.

It marked first-year coach Eric Mangini's return to New England and a chance to show up former boss Bill Belichick, who had spent the week, in the estimation of Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles, belittling his former assistant. Plus, Belichick's Patriots owned a seven-game winning streak over the Jets.

And an eighth straight win would have all but locked up a fourth straight AFC East division title for New England.

So when Shaun Ellis sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the game's final play to finally clinch a 17-14 win at Gillette Stadium, it gave the Jets their most satisfying win of the season.

"I'll just say, 'Whoo,' " said Jets linebacker Matt Chatham, a member of the Patriots from 2000-05. "It's unbelievable. You don't want to overstate the 'whoo' or overemphasize the 'whoo,' because we've got a lot of season left. But it's a pretty emphatic 'whoo.' I'm pretty excited."

That's because the Jets, coupling a newly aggressive, blitzing defense with Kevan Barlow's season-high 75 rushing yards, played their most complete game of the season.

"Eric has his reasons, I have my reasons, and we have ours as a team," said quarterback Chad Pennington, who completed 22 of 33 for 168 yards, including an interception and a 22-yard touchdown to Jerricho Cotchery that gave the Jets a 17-6 lead with 4:45 left in the game.

"The bottom line is you have to eventually stand up and say, 'Look, we have to win one of these games.' Hats off to our coaching staff for setting the mind-set and the tone."

The Jets (5-4) beat the Patriots (6-3) for the first time since Dec. 22, 2002 - which was also the last time New England had lost back-to-back games. Following last week's 27-20 loss to the Colts, it snapped a 57-game streak in which the Patriots had not suffered consecutive defeats, three games shy of the league record.

"We are 6-3 and, I mean, it's not a terrible record," said Brady, who completed 25 of 37 passes for 255 yards. "It's not where we would like to be, but we are still ahead in the division."

Still, yesterday's loss marked the first time the Patriots have dropped two straight home games since 1993.

"It leaves a bitter taste in everybody's mouth," said Belichick, whose team played without injured safeties Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson and defensive end Ty Warren, who missed the first game of his four-year career.

Belichick barely acknowledged Mangini during the postgame handshake, and spun away as Mangini tried to say something.

"He wouldn't want me saying this but, yeah, you kind of want it a little bit extra for Coach," said Coles, who caught five passes for 29 yards while Cotchery had six receptions for 70 yards. "I think the guys are saying that Belichick referred to him as 'the other guy.' Any time you come out and disrespect our coach, of course guys are going to step up and try to play a little harder for him. Me, personally, I wanted this win for him."

"I have a lot of great memories of being here, and I'd like to add this memory to it," Mangini said.

What should be committed to all of the Jets' memory banks is the way they played defense. Just like in the last quarter and a half of the 20-13 loss at Cleveland prior to last week's bye, the Jets used multiple blitz packages.

They left Brady sacked four times, hit six other times and, until the final minutes, disrupted his normally flawless rhythm.

"It's either going to go real good for you or real bad," Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "We felt we were going to be out there executing well, and if we were executing well, we'd at least keep the game close."

The Jets appeared to have the game clinched after Cotchery's touchdown, but Brady led the Patriots on a lightning four-play drive, starting with a 33-yard pass to Jabar Gaffney to the Jets 28-yard line as the son of former Jets receiver Derrick Gaffney beat rookie cornerback Drew Coleman down the sideline. Just 31 seconds after Cotchery had scored, Brady, who was intercepted once, threw a 15-yard touchdown to Reche Caldwell on a pass tipped by safety Kerry Rhodes.

Then after a 2-point conversion, Brady, taking possession on the New England 11 with 1:08 to play, got the ball to the Jets 46 with a 19-yard pass to Caldwell, who caught a game-high nine for 90 yards to lead nine Patriots receivers.

But Ellis got through to Brady on the final play, and the Jets finally celebrated.

"I was very, very sick, very sick (of losing)," said Ellis, who along with Pennington, linebacker Bryan Thomas and tight ends Chris Baker and James Dearth are the only Jets to be with the team through the entire seven-game losing streak. "It just feels good to finally beat them."

No further reason needed.

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http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061113/SPORTS01/611130354/1108

Barlow puts mud in Patriots' eyes

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: November 13, 2006)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - As the other Jets worked in groups with their position coaches during Thursday's practice, Kevan Barlow worked one-on-one with running-backs coach Jimmy Raye. The pair reviewed handoffs, blocking techniques, swing passes - essentially everything necessary in a single-back set.

Barlow, the former 49er, has spent many such sessions with Raye, be it on the field or in a classroom at 6:45 a.m.

Finally, yesterday, at soggy Gillette Stadium, Barlow saw some rewards for his hard work, rushing for a season-high 75 yards and a touchdown on a season-high 17 carries to provide the Jets with the ball-control attack necessary in the 17-14 win over the Patriots.

"Me and J-Raye, we always work like that," said Barlow, who has 101 carries for 327 yards and six touchdowns this season. "I think it took awhile for me to get accustomed to the team and the offense, and coach Jimmy Raye and me have been putting in the extra time before practice and after practice. He's helping me get myself together, and it paid off a little bit today."

The Jets opened the game passing on eight of their first 10 plays. But after Chad Pennington was intercepted by safety Artrell Hawkins and the Jets promptly regained possession when rookie cornerback Drew Coleman forced a fumble from wide receiver Doug Gabriel that safety Kerry Rhodes recovered at the Jets 19-yard line, they went to the run.

On the ensuing 16-play drive that took 9:12 off the clock, Barlow ran nine times for 42 yards, including the 2-yard touchdown run that made it 7-3 with 4:43 to go in the second quarter.

"Our plan wasn't really complicated," Jets left guard Pete Kendall said. "The fact that the track was a mudder's dream ... the elements sort of lent themselves to a north-south, bigger type of back."

Prior to yesterday, rookie Leon Washington had established himself as the Jets' primary single-back runner, while Barlow was being used inside the tackles as a bruising back for the tough, short-yardage situations. His previous season high was 49 yards in a 31-24 win over the Lions Oct. 22, and he hadn't carried the ball more than 14 times.

Though very careful to say he was not complaining, Barlow has insisted he does not want to be typecast in that role.

"I've always got my vision. I don't think it's something you get one week and lose another week," Barlow said. "I can take some of the credit, but those guys were getting me open and it made my job that much easier."

Actually, Barlow said the team's best preparation for the game came Wednesday, when coach Eric Mangini had the team practice outdoors in a driving, windy rain.

It was actually nastier that day than it was yesterday, when it rained hard just before the game and continued raining early in the game, though without much wind.

"We played this game on Wednesday in practice," Barlow said. "I think we had a slight advantage. I don't know if it rained up here on Wednesday."

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http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/134173,CST-SPT-next13.article

Up next: Mangini has team on rise

November 13, 2006

The Bears will return to Giants Stadium on Sunday, this time to face the other tenant. The New York Jets are coming off the biggest win in the short tenure of wunderkind coach Eric Mangini. The Jets (5-4) beat New England 17-14 in Foxborough, Mass., on Sunday, the team's first win this season over an opponent with a winning record. The Jets were coming off a bye week and had an inspired game plan against Mangini's old mentor, Bill Belichick, who remains cold toward his former defensive coordinator.

On a muddy field, the Jets used short gains to compile long drives, build a lead and hold off the Patriots.

''We knew we had to have precise execution and, in the meantime, play a great defense,'' Jets quarterback Chad Pennington said.

The big story for the Jets has been the return of Pennington from a pair of shoulder surgeries that threatened his career. Pennington is an accurate passer without great arm strength. He has an active group of receivers and is backed by a running game that has improved after losing Curtis Martin and features rookie Leon Washington and former 49er Kevan Barlow. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, the son of San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, isn't nearly as conservative as his father and runs an innovative scheme that Pennington seems to have mastered.

Defensively, the Jets have struggled to stop the run. They came into the week ranked 30th in the NFL in run defense and allowed the Patriots 143 rushing yards, much of it on a 50-yard run by Corey Dillon.

Mike Mulligan

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http://www.masslive.com/patriots/republican/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1163409833302580.xml&coll=1

EXTRA POINTS: Brady was saved an interception when linebacker Victor Hobson was called for roughing the passer. The penalty also saved the drive, which resulted in a field goal just before the half that cut the lead to 7-6. Referee Pete Morelli said Hobson used the force of his helmet and drove Brady into the ground. He also said it is Hobson's responsibility to know the ball has been released. ... "It was the kind of day when you had to go more north-south," Jets offensive linemen Pete Kendall said when asked why Kevan Barlow played more than the slippery Leon Washington at running back. ... Corey Dillon had 11 carries on 98 yards with the help of a 50-yard run. It was his longest run as a Patriot and his longest since a 67-yarder in 2002. It was also the longest run by a Patriot since a 71-yarder by Sedrick Shaw in 1998. ... The Patriots had 100 yards rushing in the opening quarter, which is 100 more than they had in the second. They finished with 143. ... The Patriots had not lost consecutive games since falling to the Titans and Jets in December of 2002. ... This marked the sixth loss in the 14 home games, including playoffs, since the start of the 2005 season.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/470840p-396295c.html

Barlow made for mud

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Kevan Barlow breaks tackles on

way to season-high 75 yards and

a touchdown.

FOXBORO - Kevan Barlow is one tough mudder.

Overshadowed by rookie Leon Washington in the first half of the season, Barlow delivered his best performance as a Jet in yesterday's 17-14 win over the Patriots, rushing for a season-high 75 yards and a touchdown.

On the soggy, torn-up field at Gillette Stadium, Barlow was the focal point of the Jets' offense, running 17 times as they played ball control against the Patriots. The sloppy conditions suited Barlow's north-south running style.

"In a sloppy-weather game, it's going to be very physical and you have to have some downhill runs, runs that get you more yards after initial contact," QB Chad Pennington said. "He did a great job of that. You never really saw Kevan get tackled by one defender."

Barlow hadn't been thrilled with his role, but he never complained. Eric Mangini said Barlow, acquired in a preseason trade with the 49ers, made "real improvement" during the bye week.

Said Barlow: "I'm still the same player. I'm still KB."

ROUGH PENATLY: The Jets were victimized by another controversial roughing-the-passer penalty. This time, it happened to LB Victor Hobson - a penalty that nullified an interception by Tom Brady. It was a huge flag because the Patriots went on to score a field goal.

Replays showed that Hobson hit Brady as he was releasing the ball. So why the flag?

"He picked (Brady) up and drove him into the ground, and used the force of his helmet and basically stuffed him into the ground," referee Pete Morelli said. Clearly, Hobson disagreed with the call, but he refused to comment. "I don't want to get into trouble," he said.

LINE WOES: Rookie C Nick Mangold, poked in the eye, left for two plays. Wade Smith came in, but hurt his snapping hand. Unable to grip the ball, he switched positions with LG Pete Kendall, who frantically ripped off his glove as the play clock wound down.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH: The Jets made a concerted effort to spread the ball around on offense. Pennington hit eight different receivers, including six completions to his backs and tight ends. In the previous game, he had been one-dimensional, throwing almost exclusively to the wideouts.

Pennington's most unusual play was a pooch punt out of the shotgun, a 29-yarder that was downed at the Pats' 4. It was the first punt of his career. "Well, we work on that, believe it or not," Pennington said.

NEW ADDITIONS: Several backups saw increased roles on defense, namely NT Rashad Moore, LB Matt Chatham, S Eric Smith and S Rashad Washington, who made his defensive debut. ... DE Kimo von Oelhoffen recorded his first sack as a Jet. ... In the battle of the rookie kickoff returners, Justin Miller (34.3 average) edged Laurence Maroney (29.7). They began the day as the league's co-leaders.

SMITH DISAPPEARS: Brad Smith was conspicuously absent from the Jets' offense. He started at running back (one play) and disappeared, playing exclusively on special teams. ... The Jets dressed only three running backs - Barlow, Washington and B.J. Askew. Cedric Houston (knee), Derrick Blaylock and James Hodgins were inactive. CB David Barrett hurt his ankle in the second half and didn't return.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/470841p-396301c.html

Jets blitz way to win

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

FOXBORO - Bob Sutton, the Jets' mild-mannered defensive coordinator, morphed into a modern-day Buddy Ryan yesterday against the Patriots. Sutton turned into the mad blitzer, unleashing an attack-style defense that battered and confused Tom Brady.

With an extra week to prepare, the Jets turned up the heat, employing a variety of pressure schemes in their 17-14 win at Gillette Stadium. They recorded a season-high four sacks and pressured Brady into a fourth-quarter interception by safety Erik Coleman.

Afterward, the Jets applauded Sutton's new approach and took great delight in knowing they had rattled Brady, who began the day with a 9-1 career mark against them.

"His timing was off," said Kerry Rhodes, who had a fumble recovery. "I don't think they expected us to do as much as we did. A couple of times, he was confused, trying to figure out what we were doing."

Said linebacker Jonathan Vilma, "For us to do that and rattle him a little bit, that's pretty good."

Privately, some players had been longing for a more aggressive approach by Sutton, who had employed a bend-but-don't-break philosophy. Eric Mangini said they decided to alter the game plan after encouraging results in practice.

So, instead of sitting back, the Jets used myriad of blitzes. The sent safeties, corners and linebackers. They disguised coverages. They moved players before the snap. In short, they resembled the Patriots, creating chaos.

The Patriots were so concerned with the blitzers that it freed up the linemen. All three starting linemen - Shaun Ellis, Kimo von Oelhoffen and Dewayne Robertson - recorded a sack. Before yesterday, they had only five sacks combined. All told, the Jets hit Brady six times, including two hits by linebacker Bryan Thomas, who also had a sack. On Brady's interception, he was pressured by linebacker Victor Hobson. Brady appeared to be picked off in the second quarter but the play was nullified when Hobson was called for roughing the quarterback.

Brady insisted he wasn't surprised by the blitzing.

"We were expecting pressure all week, and that's what we got," Brady said. "They were bringing it. They weren't afraid to bring it this week. When you make plays against the pressure, it tends to ease off a little bit. But we just didn't make enough plays against it."

The Jets allowed 377 total yards, but 50 came on a first-quarter run by Corey Dillon - the Patriots' longest rush since 1998. Aside from that one breakdown, the Jets' run defense played reasonably well, holding New England to 93 yards on its other 24 carries.

Now the question is, will the Jets continue the attacking style? The players hope - no, expect - to do it a lot more in the future.

"Now that we've proven we can do it," linebacker Matt Chatham said, "expect more of it."

Originally published on November 13, 2006

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/470890p-396331c.html

On misty afternoon, Gang sees fog and hex lift

By Lisa Olson

Dewayne Robertson (l.)

shows love for Eric Mangini

that Bill Belichick avoids.

FOXBORO - Shaun Ellis doesn't recall much about sneaking through the line. There was the feel of a New England lineman pawing at his jersey, and the sound of a soggy crowd rising in anticipation, but mostly everything seemed to be rolling in slow motion.

And then, quicker than a Bill Belichick sneer, the fog cleared, for Ellis and the Jets. Who saw this coming? Not Tom Brady, the quarterback known for squeezing pearls out of a game's final moments. Not Belichick, the genius who moonlights as a coach. Not the Patriots, winners of seven straight against the Jets until yesterday, until Ellis stalked, then sacked Brady, on the final play of the afternoon.

"We finally beat the bullies," said Ellis, after the Jets had pinned a 17-14 loss on New England. "They can't take our lunch money no more."

Forgive Ellis for sounding unlike a 6-5, 285-pound defensive end who chews nails for fun. He's allowed to veer into hyperbole after a day like this, a day the Jets hadn't experienced since 2002, the last time they had smacked their most stubborn rival. The Jets are now 5-4, the Patriots 6-3, and the AFC East race remains a delicious tossup.

The midseason landscape has shifted severely, now that the Patriots have topped a killer loss to Indianapolis with an unanticipated stinker. Brady always has been his most dangerous in the waning moments, orchestrating winning fourth-quarter drives an astounding 21 times. So when the Patriots took over the ball with 1:08 left, it was difficult to resist the urge to mutter "same ol' Jets" through gritted teeth.

"He's Tom Brady and I've seen him march down the field a lot of times. He's one of the great ones," said Jets coach Eric Mangini, who probably knows more about Brady than he does his own mother-in-law.

Except now Brady was forced to stomp from the shotgun, because Belichick had burned three timeouts in the space of 20 seconds during the Jets' previous drive. The Jets didn't score then but Ben Graham's punt, like most everything the visitors spun through the thick mist, was superbly efficiently, forcing the Patriots to whip-crack their last chance from their own 11-yard line.

"That's a lot of time for Tom Brady," linebacker Victor Hobson remembers thinking. "We're going to have to be perfect."

Tucked between an incompletion and a spiked ball, Brady completed three quick passes for 43 yards. But then, with nine seconds on the clock, with a historic upset brewing, Ellis bullied his way around the edge. Down went Brady, out popped the ball and all that remained was Belichick's ritualistic snub of Mangini.

The Jets' rookie coach, still merely a mini-genius, had jokingly predicted there would be balloons, maybe even a parade to celebrate his New England homecoming. He was an assistant under Belichick through the Patriots' glory years, through three Super Bowls and an organizational turnaround, but Derek Jeter gets more love here than Mangini. His return was "magical" nonetheless, despite Belichick's wordless, faux handshake at game's end.

Mangini did hear someone yell at him, "Hey, mix in a salad," but who cares about a slight gut when there are so many sweet things to savor? The Jets' offense sustained long drives through Kevan Barlow's power trips, Jerricho Cotchery's well-timed leaps and Chad Pennington's mostly mistake-free stewardship. It was Cotchery who acted as a decoy while Pennington searched for Laveranues Coles in the end zone, at the tail end of a fourth-quarter march. Cornerback Ellis Hobbs stuck with Cotchery step by step, move by move, before turning away just as the ball floated into Cotchery's hands, a 22-yard rainbow out of the clouds that made it 17-6, Jets.

"The whole situation when the ball is up there in the air is who wants it the most," Cotchery said.

The Jets' defense, tuned and energized from the bye week, forced Brady to overthrow his receivers and kept Corey Dillon from repeating his 50-yard, first-quarter romp. Brady all but sniffed when someone asked him if Mangini's fronts and schemes had looked familiar.

"Yeah, it's the same defense we run. It's the same calls. It's all that same stuff," said Brady, who completed 25 of 37 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown but was still smarting over being sacked four times and intercepted once. "We were expecting pressure all week and that is what we got. Like I said, they were bringing it."

So fine, let the Patriots insist they saw this coming, that it felt like they had been kicked by their doppelgangers. Let Belichick pretend he didn't hear whatever Mangini mumbled during that brief postgame bump. Let the Jets savor being the bullies for a few seconds, until the thick briefings on the Bears arrive today. They weren't perfect, but they sure weren't the same ol' Jets, either.

"A lot of us who have been here a long time have never felt this before," said Hobson, as he took his sweet time making his way out of Gillette Stadium. "I gotta tell you, it feels pretty good."

Originally published on November 13, 2006

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/470842p-396312c.html

Cold shoulder heats up Jets

'Other guy' discovers Pat answer

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY SPORTS SPORTS WRITER

Bill Belichick, who gave former pupil

Eric Mangini cold shoulder when teams

met in September, has little to say

this time after Mangini

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjqa134974654nov13,0,1232691.story?coll=ny-jets-print

JETS Q & A

Snap decisions at center

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Correspondent

November 13, 2006

The Jets used three different centers on three consecutive snaps. Why?

First, Nick Mangold took a finger to the right eye late in the third quarter and was taken to the sideline. Wade Smith came in for Mangold at center, but on the first play, he dislocated a finger on his right hand. He and guard Pete Kendall swapped places for the next snap (on which the Jets were offside, so it didn't count). Even Chad Pennington said he was surprised when Kendall and Smith flip-flopped, and they nearly had to call a timeout as Kendall removed a glove from his snapping hand. Mangold missed two snaps - and one official play - and was back on the field the rest of the game.

Why was Victor Hobson called for roughing the passer?

Hobson seemed to get a clean hit on Tom Brady on a first-and-20 pass that was intercepted by cornerback Drew Coleman late in the second quarter. But referee Pete Morelli flagged Hobson for the penalty, extending a drive that ended with a Patriots field goal that cut the Jets' lead to 7-6. "He picked [brady] up and drove him into the ground and used the force of his helmet and basically stuffed him into the ground," Morelli said. "It's his responsibility as the defender to know when the ball is gone and to let up and to back off." Replays showed Brady still had the. ball when contact was made, but had released it when he and Hobson hit the ground.

What was Hobson's take on that play?

"I felt like he had the ball and I wouldn't have driven him into the ground," Hobson said. "And I didn't feel like I hit him with my helmet."

Is Pennington the new Jets punter?

Not as long as Ben Graham keeps booming kicks and pinning opponents inside the 20, which he did twice yesterday and nearly a third time when Brad Smith and Drew Coleman miscommunicated a chance to down a kick inside the 5. But Pennington did make his first career punt, and it was a beauty, pinning the Patriots at the 4 on a pooch kick.

Did the weather affect the Jets?

It was a sloppy, muddy, foggy day in Foxborough, but compared with Wednesday, when the Jets practiced outside in a downpour, it was quite pleasant. Several players credited that midweek experience for acclimating them to poor conditions. Kendall joked that now coach Eric Mangini will be encouraged to stay out of the bubble, the enclosed facility the Jets have used very sparingly this season. "Maybe we can rent it out for functions," Kendall joked.

Could this win have been any bigger?

Hate to say it, but if Chris Baker's catch against the Browns two weeks ago is ruled a tying touchdown and the Jets win that game, they would be sitting 6-3 and in a tie for first place in the division. Still, 5-4 and a game behind the suddenly slipping Patriots isn't the worst place to be.

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http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1163401503316310.xml&coll=1

Daylight allows Barlow to shine

Monday, November 13, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Kevan Barlow told everyone who'd listen that he's the type of running back who needs roughly 20 to 25 carries a game to get going. And after carrying the ball just five times against the Browns two weeks ago, he vowed his day would come.

That day came yesterday in the Jets' 17-14 upset of the Patriots at muddy Gillette Stadium, where Barlow rushed for 75 tough yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. It was his best performance as a Jet.

Barlow, who was acquired from the 49ers for a fourth-round pick in August, ran for 42 yards and a touchdown on nine carries during the Jets' 16-play, 81-yard second- quarter march that ate up nine minutes, 12 seconds. It was the Jets' longest scoring drive of the season and gave them a 10-3 lead with 4:43 left before halftime.

After getting little running room much of the season, Barlow got some daylight and displayed moves that made him a 1,000-yard rusher in 2003. He carried the load while again splitting time with rookie Leon Washington (nine carries, 35 yards).

"The guys did a great job block ing," said Barlow, who has six TDs this season. "My opportunity to go out there was a little more because it ended up being the type of game where we needed to run the ball (inside)."

Mangini said Barlow made great strides grasping the offense during the bye week and that he looks for more of the same from him. He likes Barlow's physical style. WR Jerricho Cotchery, who made a spectacular 71-yard touchdown catch against the Patriots in Week 2, made a leaping, 22-yard grab yesterday. He literally jumped and snatched the ball away from cornerback Ellis Hobbs, who was in position for the interception.

"He (Hobbs) kind of fell asleep a little bit," said Cotchery, who finished with six catches for 70 yards and a TD. "When I looked back, I saw the ball was in the air and it was just up to me to go up and get it. I guess he thought because I didn't come off the ball as fast that it was just coming right down to him."

Cotchery took up the slack for fel low WR Laveranues Coles (five catches, 29 yards). CB Hank Poteat, a former Patriot, didn't fall for the "fake spike play" late in the second quarter when Pats QB Tom Brady tried to hit WR Jabbar Gaffney in the end zone from the 11-yard line. Poteat defended on the play and the Pats had to settle for a field goal, to close to 7-6.

The play was reminiscent of the "Fake Spike Game" in which Dol phins QB Dan Marino hit WR Mark Ingram for a touchdown over Aaron Glenn. Both Poteat and Glenn wear No. 31.

"Coach (Bill) Belichick is a situational coach and they always do that play in practice," Poteat said. "I knew not to let up. I figured they would try to catch me sleeping be cause I had just come into the game." Coach Eric Mangini said he enjoyed returning to New England and had to smile at some of the heckling. His favorite line was when one fan yelled, "Mix in a salad," referring to Mangini's weight. DEs Shaun Ellis, Bryan Thomas and DL Kimo von Oelhoffen and NT Dewayne Robertson each had a sack. Von Oelhoffen's sack was his first of the season. ... S Erik Coleman had his first interception of the season. Pennington had a 29-yard pooch punt that pinned the Pats on their 4-yard line. It was his first career punt. "We work on that, believe it or not," he said with a smile. ... KR Jus tin Miller had a 62-yard kickoff return. Rookie C Nick Mangold left the game for two plays in the third quarter after getting poked in the eye. Wade Smith snapped on one play. He somehow hurt his hand and G Pete Kendall snapped on the next before Mangold returned. Rookie CB Drew Coleman made his fourth career start in place of Justin Miller and had a rough day while playing most of the game. He was beaten several times, including a on two-point conversion pass. ... LB Victor Hobson was whistled for a questionable roughing the passer play. He said there was no way he could've stopped on the play. Patriots WR Jabbar Gaffney (three catches for 65 yards) is the son of former Jets WR Derrick Gaffney. ... RB Corey Dillon's 50-yard run was the longest by a Patriot since 1998 (Sedrick Shaw had a 71-yarder vs. the Jets in 1998) and his longest since 2002. The Pats were without their starting safeties, Rodney Harrison (shoulder) and Eugene Wilson (hamstring).

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1163401628316310.xml&coll=1

Jets hand it to Patriots for Mangini

Monday, November 13, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Perhaps this is why Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn't want Eric Mangini to leave.

Perhaps this is why Belichick holds a grudge and once again gave Mangini a drive-by postgame handshake, turning away so fast when Mangini attempted to speak to him that he almost got whiplash.

Perhaps this is why Belichick can barely bring himself to say 'Eric' when referring to the Jets coach.

It's believed that Belichick's contempt was conceived when Mangini decided to take the Jets job after initially saying he would not. Also, Mangini tried to take a few Patriots assistants with him.

The Jets, who are aware of Belichick's contempt for their coach, decided to 'win one for the penguin' -- the nickname they've pinned on Mangini. And they came through with a shocking 17-14 win yesterday at muddy and fog-covered Gillette Stadium that snapped a seven-game losing streak to New England.

It's the biggest win of the Mangini era and made for a joyous homecoming. Mangini spent six seasons with the Patriots.

"He (Mangini) wouldn't want me saying this but yeah, (we) wanted it a little bit extra for Coach," wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "You know how much hard work he puts into it. Guys were saying Belichick refers to (Mangini) as 'the other guy.'

"Anytime you come out and you disrespect our coach, of course guys want to come out and play harder for him. ... Coach Mangini is probably one of the smartest coaches I've ever been around."

"I'm not going to sit here and lie, (Mangini) was up here. It's not that we don't play hard (all the time), but you wanted to go out there and play a little extra hard for him and get him that victory," running back Kevan Barlow said.

Barlow added that Wednesday's practice outside in the rain and high winds at Hofstra helped prepare them for the game. It's another example of the subtle brilliance of Mangini, who eschewed practicing in the bubble that day.

The Patriots (6-3, 4-1 in the AFC East) have lost back-to-back games for the first time since December 2002, a string of 57 games. Coincidentally, it was the Jets who handed New England its second straight loss then.

The Jets (5-4, 3-1), coming off a bye week, notched their first victory over a winning team. They stunned the Patriots with an aggressive, blitz-happy, multifront defense (the same revved-up unit that ended the Cleveland game two weeks ago) that sacked Tom Brady four times and intercepted him once. Brady (25 of 37, 255 yards, one TD, one INT) was unable to get in a rhythm and the Patriots running game was held in check (25 carries for 143 yards) with the exception of a 50-yard run by Corey Dillon.

Offensively, the Jets kept the Patriots off balance, spreading the field with three-wide receiver sets and pounding them with Barlow (17 carries, 75 yards, one TD). Quarterback Chad Pennington (22 of 33 for 168 yards, one TD, one INT) managed the game brilliantly.

"The bottom line is you have to eventually stand up and say, 'Look, we have to win one of these games,'" Pennington said. "They had beaten us seven in a row."

"We finally beat the bully," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "They can't take our lunch money anymore."

With two weeks to prepare for an opponent, good coaches usually conjure up a special game plan and Mangini did just that. He tweaked his 3-4 defense, tried to correct some of the problems in the run defense and gave defensive coordinator Bob Sutton the green light.

The Jets, who entered the game ranked 31st in total defense in the NFL, blitzed their linebackers and safeties throughout the game and brought the safeties up to the line of scrimmage for run support. Dillon (11 carries, 98 yards) and rookie Laurence Maroney (12-37) were ineffective for the most part.

"A lot of the elements you saw here today were elements we had in place during the whole course of the season," Mangini said. "We're getting better at executing them. It was a point of emphasis over the bye week.

"As we get more and more successful at doing those things, then we can add some more things to the equation. The defense did a nice job disguising fronts, moving around and disguising coverages."

Late in the second quarter, the Jets forced Brady to call a timeout after he had just huddled with Belichick during the two-minute warning.

"We took that second half of the Cleveland game and put it in our game plan," Ellis said. "We just wanted to get some momentum, play a little base and blitz a little bit."

The Jets went ahead 17-6 with 4:45 left to play when Pennington hit wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery on a 22-yard touchdown on a fade pattern in the corner of the end zone. On the play, Cotchery (six catches, 70 yards) leaped and took the ball from Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs, who was in position to intercept the ball.

The Patriots, however, came roaring back. They marched 61 yards in 31 seconds, scoring on a 15-yard pass from Brady to wide-out Reche Caldwell (nine catches, 90 yards). Brady then hit Caldwell for a two-point conversion to cut the Patriots' deficit to 17-14 with 4:14 left.

The Jets were forced to punt on their ensuing possession, and the Patriots took over at their 11 with 1:08 remaining and no time-outs. They reached the Jets' 46-yard line but Brady was sacked by Ellis on a second-and-10 play as time expired.

"Oh boy, we were holding our breath," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said of the Patriots' last drive. "You know with Tom Brady anything is possible. But we knew they didn't have any timeouts and it would work in our favor."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/sportsflash/jets/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/116338770031330.xml&storylist=jets

Jets hang on to shock Patriots 17-14

By HOWARD ULMAN

The Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill Belichick exchanged another cold handshake with Eric Mangini in the middle of the muddy field. The Patriots coach certainly had no reason to embrace the protege who angered him by leaving for the New York Jets. After all, the Jets had just won 17-14 on a rainy Sunday, tightening the AFC East race that once loomed as a runaway for New England.

"I have a lot of great memories from here," Mangini said. "I'd like to add this to it."

Belichick has refused to refer to the Jets coach by name since Mangini left after serving five years as his defensive backs coach and last season as defensive coordinator, helping the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles. Their first midfield meeting after the Patriots won in New York this season wasn't a study in warmth either.

Then again, why should any of the Patriots be happy after their 57-game streak without consecutive losses ended? The record of 60 games was set by San Francisco from 1995-99.

Jets quarterback Chad Pennington also had a hand in the previous losing streak when he led New York to a 30-17 win in December 2002 — one week after the Patriots lost to Tennessee.

"Two in a row. I can't remember the last time we did it," Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "We've got to get back on the winning road if we want to be AFC champions."

Preseason favorites to win their fourth straight division title, the Patriots (6-3) lead the Jets (5-4) by just one game.

"To lose today, you don't forget about the playoffs, but as far as the division race, it's would have been basically over," said Jets linebacker Matt Chatham, who spent the last six seasons with the Patriots. "We know that we've at least kept ourselves alive."

Relying on short gains and long drives, the Jets built enough of a lead to repel a late comeback and end a seven-game losing streak to the Patriots.

"We knew we had to have precise execution and, in the meantime, play a great defense," because of the muddy field and slippery ball, Pennington said.

Mangini clearly learned something from Belichick that his players picked up, from the pressure the Jets put on Tom Brady to their two takeaways.

"When you make plays against the pressure, it tends to ease it off a little bit," Brady said, "but we just didn't make enough plays."

Pennington did, despite the rain and mist that dictated that both teams rely on runs and short passes.

"The field was a mess," said Kevan Barlow, who scored on a 2-yard run for the Jets. "One play, I almost took it to the house, but the mud got me."

Pennington led two long scoring drives, one covering 16 plays that led to Barlow's touchdown and a 7-3 lead. The other was 15-play drive that was capped by Mike Nugent's 34-yard field goal and gave the Jets a 10-6 lead with 1:46 left in the third quarter.

The Jets made it 17-6 on Pennington's 22-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery with 4:45 left after an interception by Erik Coleman.

The Patriots then drove 69 yards in 31 seconds to draw within 17-14 on Brady's 15-yard scoring pass to Reche Caldwell on a pass that was tipped by New York's Kerry Rhodes. Brady and Caldwell then combined on a two-point conversion.

After a punt, the Patriots took over at their 11 with 1:08 and no timeouts left. New England reached the Jets 45 before Brady spiked the ball with 9 seconds left. But he was sacked by Shaun Ellis on the final play. Brady completed 25 of 37 passes for 255 yards.

"We just couldn't stop them on defense," Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown said. "And when we did stop them, we had to use all our timeouts."

Pennington was 22-for-33 for 168, an average of 7.6 yards per completion. Barlow gained 75 yards on 17 carries. The Jets already have surpassed last season's victory total of four.

Following a 27-20 loss to Indianapolis last Sunday night in which Brady threw four interceptions, the Patriots fell to 2-3 at home and 4-1 in the division.

They led 3-0 on Stephen Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal 4 seconds into the second quarter before Barlow put the Jets in front on an 81-yard drive lasting 9:12. Gostkowski kicked a 21-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 7-6 with 4 seconds left in the half.

The Patriots played without both starting safeties — Rodney Harrison with a broken shoulder blade and Eugene Wilson with a hamstring injury — who were major contributors to the defense Mangini coached last season.

Now, though, he often refers to New England as "the other place," and Belichick has continually avoided giving his former assistant any praise.

"We all have our own reasons for why we wanted to beat New England," Pennington said. "Eric has his reasons, I have my reasons and we have ours as a team."

Notes:@ Corey Dillon's 50-yard run was his longest in three years with the Patriots. ... Brady is 9-2 as a starter against the Jets. ... The Jets won despite being outgained 377-278 in total yards.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/njo/view_gallery.ata?g_id=7742

Jets-Pats photos

Laveranues Coles caught five balls, but gained just 29 yards.

Bill Belichick airs out a ref during the game Sunday.

Chad Pennington was feeling it after Kevan Barlow's 2nd quarter TD.

The Jets' pressure got to Tom Brady. Here, Victor Hobson nails the Pats' QB as he delivers a pass.

Kevan Barlow stepped up bigtime, carrying for 75 yards and a TD Sunday.

Jerricho Cotchery goes up and gets Chad's 22-yard TD pass in the 4th quarter to give the Jets a 17-7 lead.

The sloppy field as perfect for Kevan Barlow, who cqarried the ball 17 times and picked up some clutch first downs late in the game.

Shaun Ellis slams Tom Brady on the last play of the game.

Brady was stuck in the mud as the Jets celebrated sack No. 4 and an upset win in Foxboro.

A great sight for Jets fans: Tom Brady leaving the field with his head down.

[Sperm Edwards]

Stupid Maxman limits me to 10 images per post.

Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini share a quick shake after the game.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMDYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwMTg4NzAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

Jets give Mangini memorable win

Monday, November 13, 2006

STAFF WRITER

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Not much could ruin Eric Mangini's New England homecoming.

Not Patriots' fans welcoming him back to Gillette Stadium, his home for the previous six seasons, including the dietitian who advised the chunky Mangini: "Hey, mix in a salad."

Not the rainy, foggy "mudders' weather."

And not the latest handshake snub by his former boss, Bill Belichick, at game's end.

"It was nice to be back. I have a lot of great memories of being here," Mangini said with a cat-ate-the-canary smile. "And I'd like to add this memory to it."

Not a problem – not after the Jets' stunningly memorable 17-14 upset of the Patriots.

The triumph is one of the shockers of this NFL season, not just because we've become accustomed to seeing Tom Brady and the Patriots looking Super rather than normal but also because the Jets were the team that made them look that way.

"We all had our own little reasons why we wanted to beat New England," quarterback Chad Pennington said. "Eric's got his reasons, I have mine, we have ours as a team. But the bottom line is you've got to stand up and say, 'Look, we've got to win one of these games.' ''

In winning, the Jets accomplished many things.

They undid much of the damage of their Cleveland loss and reinserted themselves in the playoff argument in the first game after their bye week. They improved their record to 5-4 – already more wins in nine games than they had all last season – and closed to within one game of the Pats atop the AFC East.

They also ended their seven-game losing streak against their division rivals, during which they never held a second-half lead, and Pennington snapped his personal four-game skid.

Simultaneously, New England lost consecutive games for the first time since Pennington gave them their last two-game skid with that equally magical 30-17 victory in 2002.

"Since I've been here, we haven't beaten them at all," said linebacker Eric Barton, who fired his helmet in joy down the stadium tunnel as he came off the field.

Linebacker Matt Chatham was asked if Mangini would get a game ball. "Maybe we should give him a gray hoody,'' Chatham said, referring to Belichick's game attire.

The Jets' much-dissected defense did much to forge this victory. Last or almost last in many categories, they hardly shut down New England – the Patriots had 377 yards and 22 first downs, and Corey Dillon had the first 50-yard run by a Patriot since 1998.

But defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has said, "I've got to be more aggressive with my play-calling," and he was just that, calling more blitzes than in any other game this season and having his players doing presnap shifts and lining up in different positions.

"We went out there and did a plethora of things," said linebacker Bryan Thomas, who had one of the four sacks of Brady early in the final period.

Before that, Gang Green's offense performed efficiently. Pennington (22-for-33, 168 yards) actually out-Brady-ed Brady with a drive that lasted 16 plays and 9:12 and ended with their first touchdown on Kevan Barlow's run behind center Nick Mangold and guard Pete Kendall. Barlow had his best game as a Jet with 17 muddy carries for 75 yards.

Then the units collaborated for the momentum-shifting fourth-quarter exchange. Erik Coleman intercepted Brady, who threw behind Laurence Maroney under blitz pressure, and returned it to the Patriots' 35.

Four plays later, Pennington put up a fade pass that appeared ticketed for an Ellis Hobbs end-zone interception -- until Jerricho Cotchery made another one of his patented Patriot-killer plays, outleaping Hobbs for the 22-yard TD to make it 17-6 with 4:45 to play.

"I think [Hobbs] fell asleep a little bit," Cotchery said. "Chad's been dialing my number and he's leaving it up to me to make plays."

But the Jets' plays weren't done. They knew the Pats, even missing some key performers, would mount a comeback bid, and they did. Reche Caldwell caught a touchdown pass and a two-point pass, then the Pats got the ball back at their 11 with 1:08 to play and no timeouts.

Brady got them as close as the Jets' 46 with nine seconds left before Shaun Ellis, out of a three-man rush, sacked Brady on the game's final play.

The Jets won't dwell on what lies ahead beyond Chicago back home in a week, but Barton hinted at the possibilities.

"If you can stop Brady in that position," he said, "you can stop pretty much anybody."

E-mail: lange@northjersey.com

* * *

All good things ...

The losses that started and ended the Patriots' 57-game streak of not losing two consecutive games (home team in CAPS):

Dec. 16, 2002

TENNESSEE 24, New England 7

Dec. 22, 2002

Jets 30, NEW ENGLAND 17

Nov. 5, 2006

Indianapolis 27, NEW ENGLAND 20

Nov. 12, 2006

Jets 17, NEW ENGLAND 14

* * *

Eating up the clock

Jets' longest touchdown drives by time since 1995 (*playoff game):

Drive time Final score

2001 vs. San Francisco

9:22 49ers, 19-17

2003 vs. New England

9:20 Patriots, 21-16

2006 at New England

9:12 Jets, 17-14

2002 vs. Indianapolis*

9:17 Jets, 41-0

1995 vs. Indianapolis

9:08 Colts, 27-24 (OT)

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11132006/sports/jets/barlow_breaks_through_jets_mark_____cannizzaro.htm

BARLOW BREAKS THROUGH

By MARK CANNIZZARO

November 13, 2006 -- FOXBOROUGH - When we last left Kevan Barlow, he hadn't touched the football once in the second half of the Jets' loss in Cleveland.

Rookie RB Leon Washington had become the darling of the offense, seemingly poised to take over as the Jets' feature back after two 100-yard rushing performances. Yet there was Barlow at the most crucial moments of the Jets' 17-14 win, grinding out big yards in the muddy conditions and giving the Jets a 7-3 lead with his sixth rushing TD of the season. He finished with 75 yards on 17 carries, all highs as a Jet. "The guys did a great job of blocking," Barlow said. "That offensive line and my fullback B.J. Askew went out there and got me to the second level (through the New England front seven)."

*

The Jets, still stung from the terrible call on Chris Baker's catch in Cleveland, were the victims of another horrible officiating call yesterday. LB Victor Hobson was called for roughing the passer when, at full speed, he tackled Tom Brady just as Brady released the ball, which was picked off by rookie CB Drew Coleman.

"He picked (Brady) up and drove him into the ground and used the force of his helmet and basically stuffed him into the ground," referee Pete Morelli said. He also said that Hobson has to know then the QB has let the pass go.

Replays showed that Morelli's claim to be nonsense. There's no way for Hobson to have known whether Brady released the ball and he didn't drive him to the ground with intent to injure.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11132006/sports/jets/penn_mighty_jets_jay_greenberg.htm

PENN MIGHTY

By JAY GREENBERG

TOP GUN: Chad Pennington didn't need the

stats of Tom Brady to be the best QB in

yesterday's 17-14 Jets victory.

November 13, 2006 -- FOXBOROUGH - The Jets couldn't quite kill the clock, which, against the Patriots, normally means you can't quite kill Tom Brady, either. With 1:08 to go, the Patriots took over on their own 11 down only three, duck soup for the winningest quarterback of this generation even in yesterday's soup, even with no timeouts remaining.

"You can't count him out at any time," said Eric Mangini. "He's Tom Brady."At least he used to be Tom Brady. Or will be again, after he accustoms himself to life without Deion Branch and David Givens. Brady, who threw four interceptions last week against Indianapolis, is suddenly high and low while the Patriots look high and low for the quarterback they once knew.

Six plays after getting that last chance yesterday, Brady was face first on the field, Jets all around him celebrating Shaun Ellis's final-play sack and strip and their first win in eight games over New England, 17-14.

The stats, in which Brady completed 25-of-37 and threw for 57 yards more than Chad Pennington (22-for-33, 168), won't tell you who the better quarterback was yesterday. They also lie about the four-play, 61-yard Brady drive and two point conversion pass to Reche Caldwell that pulled the Patriots close. Brady looked like his old self only after the Jets decided to play ridiculously soft. And Caldwell's touchdown came from a blown tackle by dime back Eric Smith after Brady's pass was tipped.

Otherwise, Patriots receivers were pulling balls in with one hand, or trapping them against the ground or, in the case of a late second-quarter drive, vainly reaching behind them, like an open Jabar Gaffney did on 1st-and-10 at the 11 in the final seconds of the second quarter, forcing Brady to settle for a field goal.

The Patriots had the ball 11:27 of the first quarter and after that hardly at all. Meanwhile, Pennington was engineering drives of 81 yards in 12 plays to a Kevan Barlow 2-yard touchdown run and a 7-3 lead; 45 yards in 15 plays to a Mike Nugent field goal and a 10-6 lead. After Victor Hobson's pressure helped Brady throw way behind Laurence Maroney on a tipped fourth-quarter interception by Erik Coleman, a four-play, 35-yard drive ended in Jerricho Cotchery's terrific 22-yard touchdown leap and catch over Ellis Hobbs.

Even after Brady quickly answered, Pennington made New England use all three timeouts while moving the Jets to three first downs before their final punt. He was 6-for-13 on third downs while Brady went 3-for-12, the story of a game in which the Jets came at the quarterback quickly and smartly.

"When you make a play against pressure it tends to ease it off a little," Brady said, refusing to otherwise evaluate his own day. "We just didn't make enough plays against it."Pennington, helped immeasurably by Barlow's 75 splashy yards, and the best performance by the Jets offensive line this season, did, on a day fit for a duck, only beautifying the quarterback's usual wounded ducks. He badly overthrew Laveranues Coles on a second-quarter interception, but otherwise picked the ever-smart Patriot defense apart.

"A game in weather like this is all about field position," he said. "It's demoralizing to an opponent to be able to keep the ball."It's important to realize the play will come to you. When it does, you have to take advantage by making the simple throws. You won't get that second opportunity."Six to eight hours a day, five or six days a week, he approached his rehab from a second shoulder surgery similarly.

"I had to use every minute to full advantage, not let these things slip by," Pennington said.

Yesterday the Jets defense used the opportunity of bad weather to make things miserable for Brady. Still, as the enormity of a win over New England loomed, they couldn't have sealed the deal without a quarterback who calmly refused to get ahead of himself.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11132006/sports/jets/bill_ieve_it__mentor_all_shook_up_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

BILL-IEVE IT: MENTOR ALL SHOOK UP

By MARK CANNIZZARO

AWKWARD MOMENT: Pats coach Bill Belichick

(left) looks as if he'd rather be anywhere but

congratulating Eric Mangini after the Jets'

17-14 triumph yesterday in Foxborough.

November 13, 2006 -- FOXBOROUGH - This is pre cisely why Bill Belichick didn't want Eric Mangini to take the Jets' job.

This is why Belichick, in advising his defensive coordinator last January, tried to dupe Mangini into thinking the Jets' job was not a good one, that the owner was loopy and that he should wait for the next - better - opportunity.

This is why Belichick is now so cold regarding his feelings about Mangini - as evidenced by his low-road refusal to even acknowledge Mangini by name to the media.

Because the apprentice didn't take the mentor's advice and now, two games into their personal intra-division rivalry, the apprentice has already out-coached the mentor and beaten him, Belichick has seemingly disowned him as a friend and colleague.

Jets 17, Patriots 14 yesterday at Gillette Stadium is exactly why Belichick wanted no part of Mangini in the AFC East.

And, though he'd never let on publicly, it was positively delicious for Mangini.

You could tell from the moment he walked into the interview room after the game, unable to contain his beaming smile as he asked reporters, "How are you guys doing today?"

When the game was over and it was time for the traditional head coaches' handshake, Mangini appeared to lean in to say something to his mentor and Belichick jerked his head away so violently at the thought of a personal conversation with Mangini, you shouldn't be surprised to see the Patriots head coach smelling of Ben Gay and wearing a neck brace when he emerges for his daily press conference today.

This had to be as tough a loss as any for Belichick to stomach, because he was flat out-coached by Mangini.

One of his best players even said so. "We were outplayed," Patriots DE Richard Seymour said after the game, "and out-coached." Ouch.

Mangini let his defense loose on more blitzes than the Jets have shown all year, pressured Tom Brady into several key mistakes and stuffed the run on some big plays with some run blitzes.

Mangini also had his offense come out throwing against the Patriots' defense, softening it up, and then he pounded it with Kevan Barlow in the running game.

"Great coaching from Mangini on down," Jets DE Kimo von Oelhoffen said, oozing with admiration.

To a man, the Jets were delighted to win this one for Mangini.

"Hell, yeah, we wanted to win this for Eric," von Oelhoffen said. "He busts his [butt] more than anyone else in the NFL."

Laveranues Coles said he felt Belichick's public ignoring of Mangini was an effort to "belittle" his former assistant.

"Eric is probably the smartest coach I've ever been around," Coles said. "He wouldn't want me saying this, but yeah, you wanted it a little bit extra for Coach [Mangini]. You know how much hard work and time he put into it. Guys were saying that Belichick refers to him as 'the other guy.' Any time you come out and you disrespect our coach, of course guys want to step up and play a little harder for him."

Linebacker Matt Chatham, who played under Mangini in New England and now with the Jets, Said: "Eric has all the respect in the world for [the Patriots'] organization and has a lot of respect for the players on that team, so it's hard when you feel like all those people have turned their backs on you - at least that's the perception. So for him to kind of justify what he's doing down in New York was great for him."

And, of course, bad for Belichick.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11132006/sports/jets/jets_show_em_whos_the_boss_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

JETS SHOW 'EM WHO'S THE BOSS

By MARK CANNIZZARO

November 13, 2006 -- FOXBOROUGH - Suddenly, it's game on in the AFC East.

Suddenly, the Patriots' Good Ship Dominance in the division appears to have a rather large crack in the hull.

Not only did the Jets saunter into the Patriots' house, Gillette Stadium - nicknamed "The Razor" - and punch the three-time Super Bowl champs and perennial division winners in the chin early, they finished the job in style, winning 17-14.

Suddenly, a mere game separates Eric Mangini's neophyte Jets (5-4) from Bill Belichick's proven champions (6-3).

And the protégé has drawn that much closer to the mentor. Don't believe it? Just ask Patriots DE Richard Seymour.

"We were out played," Seymour said. "And out- coached."

It was Beli chick, of course, who has refused to call Mangini - his former as sistant - by name whenever the subject has come up this season.

The Jets' task was a significant one yesterday in that they were facing a New England team that simply doesn't lose back-to-back games. The Patriots entered yester day having gone 57 straight games without having lost consecutive contests, and were 11-0 in games following a loss during that span.

The Patriots lost last week to the Colts, so it was assumed in these parts they would employ their usual bounce-back powers and dispatch the pesky Jets, whom they'd beaten in the pervious seven meetings.

Something funny happened along the way, though.

The Jets took control of the game early on with their breakout defensive performance of the year under Mangini and harassed Tom Brady (25-37, 255 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, four sacks, 84.9 rating) into some uncharacteristic mistakes with some big-time disruptive blitzing.

"This was a potentially huge step for us, because we finally beat our nemesis," said Shaun Ellis, who sacked Brady on the final play of the game. "We were very, very sick of losing to these guys. It feels good to finally beat them."

The Jets did it with a surprising power rushing attack that featured Kevan Barlow, who ran for 75 yards on 17 carries and scored on a 2-yard run with 4:43 remaining the first half to give the Jets a 7-3 lead.

They appeared to have put the game out of reach when Chad Pennington (22-33, 168 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 76.3 rating) connected with WR Jerricho Cotchery on a 22-yard fade pass on which Cotchery outjumped New England CB Ellis Hobbs for the ball with 4:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.

"I think he (Hobbs) fell asleep a little bit," Cotchery said of the TD that gave the Jets a 17-6 lead.

The TD was set up by an Erik Coleman interception, caused when LB Victor Hobson made a run at Brady on a blitz.

The Patriots raised the Jets' collective blood pressure when they answered the Cotchery TD by speeding down the field 61 yards on four plays in 31 seconds and cut the lead to 17-14 on a 15-yard Brady scoring pass to Reche Caldwell and a two-point conversion with 4:14 remaining.

New England got the ball back at its own 11, after a stalled Jets' drive, with 1:08 remaining and no timeouts.

"That's a lot of time for Tom Brady," Hobson said.

Brady got the Patriots as close as the Jets' 45-yard line before he was sacked by Ellis on the game's final play, securing the Jets' biggest win in the Mangini era and the Jets' first win of the season over an opponent with a winning record.

"This was important for the organization. It was special for the team. It was a win in the division and going in the right direction," Laveranues Coles said.

"You hate to talk about turning points because we still have seven more games to play," Matt Chatham said. "But this was a huge emotional win for us. It's probably the first time where we did most of the things we needed to do, with not one lapsed area. It was the most complete game we've played."

Jets 17 Patriots 14