Friday's Papers - TODAY'S JETS NEWS ARTICLES

[SoFlaJets]

Jets' Vilma getting used to leadership role

By ANDREW GROSS

(Original publication: December 1, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - Instinct still tells Jets inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma to head toward the football. He's getting used to ignoring that little voice.

"It starts with the first step. If you make a wrong step on the initial reaction, you messed up the rest of the play,'' Vilma said yesterday. "Naturally, you want to do things you can't do now, and that's a little tough.''

Jets coach Eric Mangini offered some unsolicited praise, comparing the way Vilma calls the defensive signals to the way Chad Pennington runs the offense.

"Whereas he gets more and more familiar with the system, you see a lot of his style of play incorporated into the system,'' Mangini said.

Making the switch to a 3-4 defense has denied Vilma the freedom to make plays as he did last season, when he earned his first Pro Bowl selection and led the NFL with 187 tackles. He also had 2 1/2 sacks, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

He has 91 tackles - 52 solo -with one interception and one fumble recovery this season.

But his play-calling responsibilities now also include positioning the secondary, and under his leadership, linebackers Bryan Thomas (58 tackles, five sacks, one fumble recovery) and Victor Hobson (61 tackles, two sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery) are having their best seasons.

"As a competitor, of course you obviously want to make the plays. That's human nature,'' Vilma said. "For me, it's about everybody making plays and everybody doing what they're supposed to do.''

Mangini compared Vilma to Patriots Pro Bowler Tedy Bruschi, whose tackle total dropped from 138 to 105 in 2000 when Bill Belichick installed the 3-4.

Cornered: Rookie cornerback Drew Coleman has not started since playing soft coverage in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 17-14 win at New England Nov. 12. The following week, Bears receiver Mark Bradley beat him near the line for a 57-yard touchdown with the Jets in an all-out blitz in a 10-0 loss.

"There's a lot of stuff I've been messing up,'' Coleman said. "(Mangini) just told me to get back working on my technique, working on my tackling, the fundamental things that I've been slipping on as far as throughout the season. I would say it was getting relaxed, fatigue was coming at me. It might be a rookie wall, I'm not sure.''

Injury report: The Jets made no changes to their injury list, though Thomas (shoulder) seemed shocked to find out he was listed as questionable when several media members asked him how he was. Expect him to be able to play Sunday at Green Bay.

"I'm not allowed to talk about it,'' Thomas said. "You prepare the same way, study the game plan, the opponent. It's a routine.''

For the Packers, linebacker Ben Taylor (hamstring) remains doubtful but was able to practice yesterday. Tackle Chad Clifton (hamstring), running back Ahman Green (knee) and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins (illness) also returned to practice and are probable.

[SoFlaJets]

Jets keeping low profile as Giants roast in media spotlight

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: December 1, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - While that other New York football team has stolen all the headlines lately with its off-field bickering, the Jets have stayed the course in their preferred vanilla ways.

Team controversy is limited to whether veteran Kevan Barlow will remain part of the Jets' running back-by-committee approach.

Not even a player being arrested, as backup offensive lineman Adrian Jones was early Saturday for driving while intoxicated, causes much of a stir. Coach Eric Mangini sternly said such behavior was not acceptable, and a contrite Jones apologized to the team, his family and the community.

"Why something happens somewhere else, I'm not really sure,'' Mangini said yesterday. "But there are things that are very important to us, and we're going to keep stressing them and keep trying to learn from different experiences around the league. It's an ongoing point of emphasis.''

Mangini has the same reputation as a disciplinarian that Giants coach Tom Coughlin once brought to New York. Yet while both teams are 6-5, the Jets are considered one of the NFL's surprises as they remain in contention for an AFC wild-card berth.

The locker room might not be Camp Happy, but it's certainly not Camp Discontent. The first-year coach has neatly arranged his players on the same page through various methods, including financial intimidation.

"Maybe it's just as black and white as it reads because he doesn't shift gears at all,'' Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "He likes to keep everybody on an even keel. Don't get excited talking about something we haven't achieved yet.''

As fiery a competitor as the coach, Coles was then asked whether he liked that method.

"I guess,'' Coles said. "I don't have a choice. It's just like going to jail around here. You go to prison, you might not like it, but you're going to make the best of it. It is what it is.''

To an extent, that sums up how Barlow is handling his situation. The sixth-year pro came to the Jets after being the 49ers' featured back.

But he's shared carries with rookie Leon Washington and Cedric Houston, and now it appears Barlow may be the odd man out of the rotation.

He ran some early practice drills yesterday with veteran running back Derrick Blaylock, who has been inactive the last five games and seven of the last nine, and was also asked to practice on punts even though he's never played on special teams.

But Barlow, who rushed for a season-high 75 yards in a 17-14 win at New England on Nov. 12, insists he has not been told his status for Sunday. Whatever Mangini decides is OK with him.

"Being a competitor, hopefully I'm not the guy (out), but I'm fine with coach's decision because, obviously, it'll put us in position to win games,'' said Barlow, who clashed in San Francisco with coach Mike Nolan. "As long as we're winning games and as long as he's putting us in position to win games, that's all that matters to me.''

Barlow has a combined 7 yards on 12 carries in the two weeks since the Patriots game, and the Jets were held to 27 yards on 26 carries in this past Sunday's 26-11 win over the Texans.

"Last week wasn't too successful running the ball,'' Barlow said.

"But other than last week, we've been successful with the three rotation guys. When you're not successful, it causes controversy.''

Or what passes for it.

[SoFlaJets]

Kevan squeezed out

The Jets' unconventional three-man rotation in the backfield is going to be a two-man rotation for Sunday's game in Green Bay, and the odd man out is Kevan Barlow - only three weeks removed from his best game.

Neither Barlow nor Eric Mangini divulged the plan, but Cedric Houston and rookie Leon Washington received most of the work yesterday in practice. A person close to the situation also confirmed that Barlow is out of the mix. Because Barlow doesn't play special teams, it wouldn't be a surprise if he is deactivated for the game.

Barlow took the high road, refusing to question his role.

"Coming off the New England game, I felt like I was getting into my rhythm and in a groove....But I'm fine," said Barlow, who rushed for a season-high 75 yards against the Patriots. "As long as we're winning games, that's all that matters."

Since New England, Barlow has rushed only 12 times for a scant seven yards. He admitted the three-man rotation, used the last two weeks, is "hard to adjust to as far as getting into a rhythm, but I'm fine with it."

LAG TIME: Houston (knee), LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder), FB B.J. Askew (foot) and DT Rashad Moore (hand) were limited in practice. All three are expected to play.

QUIET TIME: Asked about the relative tranquility of the Jets, as compared to the bickering Giants, Mangini didn't even give an answer. All he did was knock on wood.

Rich Cimini

[SoFlaJets]

Kerry Jets' new video star

Film sessions with Vilma paying off

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

By the time Kerry Rhodes and Jonathan Vilma get to Lambeau Field on Sunday to face the Packers, they will have seen more video of Brett Favre than most of the Cheeseheads in Green Bay.

They're the Ebert and Roeper of the Jets' defense, a couple of film geeks who spend three nights a week together in front of a screen, remote control in hand, breaking down their upcoming opponent. Sorry, no popcorn allowed.

Vilma has been a film-watching junkie since his college days at Miami - actually, they use DVDs now - but this is a new world for Rhodes. He started watching film last season with Vilma, but he lost interest as the Jets faded into oblivion.

In the offseason, Rhodes, looking for an edge in his second season, rededicated himself and went to Vilma with a request: Teach me.

"He said he wanted to watch film with me, and that he wanted to be the best safety in the league," Vilma said yesterday. "I said, 'Okay, but if you start, you can't stop.' He said he wouldn't stop, and I said all right.

"It's been paying off. He's been phenomenal."

Rhodes, one of the keys to the Jets' resurgence on defense, is putting up Pro Bowl numbers - four sacks, three forced fumbles, three interceptions and a team-leading 55 solo tackles.

"I believe in it. I think everybody should do it," said Rhodes, referring to the extra hours he spends in front of the screen.

Ironically, Vilma, admittedly still not comfortable in the new 3-4 defense, isn't making as many impact plays as those around him. Not to worry, said Eric Mangini, who lauded Vilma's cerebral contributions. He called him the Chad Pennington of the defense.

Like Pennington, Vilma does an inordinate amount of after-hours prep work each week. "Gotta do it, gotta love it," he said. He watches alone on Monday night; he's joined by Rhodes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for film-watching sessions that last about 90 minutes apiece, alternating houses each week.

A typical week:

Monday - Vilma watches the last four games of the Jets' upcoming opponent. This takes about two hours.

Tuesday - They study cut-ups of the opponents' first- and second-down plays in various personnel groups (i.e. two wide receivers, two tight ends, one back).

Wednesday - Rhodes and Vilma break down the third-down plays.

Thursday - They analyze the goal-line and red-zone plays.

Friday - At the Jets' facility, they watch the first half of the opponents' most recent game, making the checks and alerts as if they were actually playing the game. They also quiz each other, naming two of the opponents' tendencies in each formation.

"When we watch film," Rhodes said, "there's no B.S. We're really trying to find tendencies. We're serious."

For Rhodes, the extra work paid off in Sunday's win over the Texans. On one particular play-action pass, Rhodes knew exactly where David Carr was going with the ball. After showing blitz, he dropped 15 yards to Carr's left and - sure enough - he was in the right spot when Carr tried to hit Andre Johnson on a comeback route.

Interception.

"It's great when you can translate what you've seen on film to the game," Vilma said. "That one step faster, that's the difference in the game."

Knowing the opponent is one thing; understanding your own defense is another. Vilma admitted he's still getting his bearings in the new system, which has limited his big-play opportunities. That, he said, was "tough to swallow" at first, especially after a Pro Bowl season.

"Once I get comfortable in the defense and really understand it," he said, "I'll be able to play a little faster and make more plays."

In the meantime, the film festival will continue.

[SoFlaJets]

Chad, Favre

show tough streak

When Chad Pennington is excited, when something piques his passion, his eyes glow and his words rush together in an eloquent stream. It's easy to imagine him in the huddle or on the sidelines, all lathered up over a moment or a play.

Pennington was like that this week when someone asked him about Brett Favre, fellow card-carrying member of the quarterback club. Favre has started 252 straight games (including playoffs), a streak that would still be remarkable if he were, say, the backup punter. But Favre has finished many of those games after putting his body through the equivalent of a meat grinder, in conditions best simulated in an igloo, so forgive Pennington if he all but genuflects. Pennington's own streak rests at 11 straight games, just five short of his modest preseason goal of hitting January with all his limbs and tendons intact.

"It's unbelievable to me, because you know, with his streak, he's played through injuries that probably none of us could play through." Pennington said. "There's a difference between just making a start and then playing four quarters, and doing it week in and week out. To me, it's the greatest streak, because of the physical nature of our game and the physical abuse that our players go through.

"I'm trying to make it through my first full season, and this is my seventh year in the league. It's just unfathomable to me; it just doesn't make any sense."

Favre, the Green Bay quarterback, never played with a twice-repaired torn rotator cuff, so Pennington does have an edge there. It would generate bigger headlines if Pennington made light of Favre's little interception problem, or if the Jets could manufacture some internal strife to grab some of the attention away from the Giants, but no, the best Pennington could do was declare Favre the "Last of the Mohicans," a nod toward football's reigning graybeard.

Favre is ostensibly in the twilight of his career, though nobody would be shocked if he were still tucking a bit of chaw into his cheek and firing that spiral fastball well into his 40s. Pennington, meanwhile, was hit so hard on Sunday in the Jets' game against Houston, he joked later that he felt as if he were flat-lining. But after he recovered, after his teammates exhaled in collective glee as Pennington exhorted the crowd with wild fist pumps, the Jets nudged closer to the place of which they dare not speak.

The playoffs are a legitimate fantasy, even if coach Eric Mangini has banned his players from talking about what they might be doing come January. It makes sense, because even though the Jets are a surprising 6-5 going into Sunday's game at Lambeau Field, it would take just one snap of Pennington's wing for those dreams to go poof.

As creative forces, Pennington and Favre are no more alike than ink and finger paint. Pennington's brain might be his strongest asset: he's a thinking man's quarterback who, as Mangini said, gets "us in and out of checks ... and out of good and bad plays." Favre's work begins with his dancing feet, and often ends with a pass that zooms through the tightest of spaces, through the eye of a needle, the funnel of a tornado.

"He plays the game like every play is his last play, and he plays at full speed ahead," Pennington said. "He doesn't blink, he doesn't play with hesitancy. I think there's a lot to be said for those characteristics and how that's made him successful."

If they have one thing in common, it might be the thickness of their hide. Not every football player would chose to gnaw on a leather strip rather than get a shot of Novocain during a root canal. Pennington and Favre push aside the glamour and pick the leather.

"There are a lot of talented guys, but that doesn't make them tough," said receiver Laveranues Coles. "Some guys get the same injury and some guys can play with it and some guys can't. If I had the key or the answer, or I knew where it came from, I would probably try and manufacture it and make money off of it. It's just something guys are born with, either you have it or you don't."

Pennington knowingly and willingly played with a torn rotator cuff last season, putting his career on the line. John Abraham, Jets fans might remember, didn't want to suit up while his knee was injured, which was certainly his prerogative. All Pennington's teammates know is they are blessed with a quarterback who won't shudder in the face of Green Bay's pass rush, who is surviving and thriving despite two shoulder surgeries.

"What Chad is doing is unprecedented," said lineman Pete Kendall. "He's way up there on the toughness level. To be a quarterback in this market, with the ups and downs that come along with playing quarterback and to go through what he has gone through, then come back and still play well, you have to be a tough guy to do that."

In Favre's 253rd consecutive start on Sunday, and Pennington's 12th, toughness will be a draw.

[SoFlaJets]

Barlow might be out of loop

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 1, 2006

The Jets might be close to whittling down their running back committee.

For the last two weeks the team has used three running backs - Cedric Houston, Leon Washington and Kevan Barlow - but yesterday coach Eric Mangini said the Jets have other configurations they are considering. If they go with two tailbacks, there's a good chance Kevan Barlow could become the odd man out.

Not only has Barlow had just 12 rushing attempts since his 75-yard performance in the mud against the Patriots two games ago, he is also the only running back who does not have a place on special teams. Mangini said a lot of the decisions regarding the 47-man active roster for each game "come down to talking with Mike [Westhoff, special teams coach] and how many reps are we going to get on offense, how many reps are we going to get on special teams, and at the end of the day, what's their contribution going to be to the game."

With receiver Brad Smith able to play tailback, fullback B.J. Askew available to carry the ball as he did in college, and tight end Sean Ryan filling in at fullback from time to time, the Jets have the versatility and flexibility Mangini craves. That might be a bad thing for Barlow, though.

The Jets traded a fourth-round pick for Barlow in training camp, but Washington and Houston have developed into the team's leading rushers in yards per game, though Barlow leads the team with six touchdowns.

"They never said, 'You're going to be Curtis Martin and carry the ball 50 times in one game,'" Barlow said. "But they did say, 'Kevan, come here, help us win and help us teach the younger guys,' and that was basically it. Anything I can do, I will."

Jets streams

With LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder) listed as questionable on the injury report, Mangini said there are other options if Thomas is unavailable to play on Sunday, including Matt Chatham, Ryan Riddle or Brad Kassell . . . When asked about how he has kept the Jets out of turmoil similar to what the Giants are experiencing the last few weeks, Mangini smiled and knocked his knuckles on the wooden lectern.

[SoFlaJets]

Vilma calls shots

His own stats suffer, but the 'D' is better off while he directs traffic

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 1, 2006

Don't tell Jonathan Vilma he's not making an impact.

No, the Jets middle linebacker isn't creating turmoil on the field the way he did his first two years in the league, when he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and invited to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii last February. He's not intercepting passes, sacking quarterbacks, or chasing down running backs with his sideline-to-sideline speed.

Instead he's become a traffic cop, directing his teammates into the proper position and avoiding the gridlock that strangled the unit through the first half of the season.

Other Jets linebackers are now flourishing in the 3-4 system and are having career years. The defensive linemen are getting the hang of their new roles and beginning to branch out and make plays. Safety Kerry Rhodes has taken over Vilma's job of turning game-changing plays and is now the most feared player on the Jets defense. Many of those developments are due in part to Vilma's studious approach to game preparation and his ability to disguise various rushes from opposing offenses, according to Jets coach Eric Mangini.

It's been up to Vilma to create a sort of defensive feng shui that has decreased his own numbers but quietly upped his value to the team.

"This defense requires different things of me," Vilma said yesterday. "I'm essentially Chad out there. I'm a quarterback and I have to get everyone lined up, make the checks, make the calls."

Which doesn't leave much time to make the tackles. He has 91 of them this season, but only 52 solos (he had 124 last year). He has one interception, which came on a tipped pass against the Lions, and no sacks. Vilma said he doesn't feel his choreographing interferes with his production, but it certainly leaves him less time to worry about his own business.

"That's what the job calls for, that's what I have to do," Vilma said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mangini, if not the architect of the defense then at least the superintendent of this variation, said Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi went through a similar transition when the 3-4 defense was introduced in New England in 2000.

"I don't think that you would have said, 'Wow, what an impact year he had,' but yet he impacted the defense substantially during that period," said Mangini, who coached the secondary under Bill Belichick during that time. "It's one of those things where as you understand it and you get the reps and you start to see the plays develop, then you start to put your style within the system, and that's where you'll start continuing to see the development and the progress."

Bruschi had 107 tackles and one sack in 2000. Over the following four seasons he averaged roughly the same number of tackles (98.5) but also totaled 11 sacks, 10 interceptions and four touchdowns (not to mention three Super Bowls).

Vilma may be getting close to that point. He said he still has to fight his own urge to make plays and concentrates on his first step within the system, a step that is very often at odds with his aggressive nature. "I've wanted to do things that I can't do now," he said. "It was a little tough and I had to get used to it." But as his teammates need less shepherding and he becomes more comfortable calling the signals and the shifts, he expects his impact to once again go beyond the subtle.

"I know there are certain plays where I'm not going to make the play," Vilma said. "If the ball runs a certain way in one defense I would make the play, and now that's not my play to make. But I have to make sure that the guys over there are lined up so they can make the play.

"Would that have been my play a year ago? Yeah, it probably would have. But that's not the defense now."

Sunday

Jets at Green Bay

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WABC (770), WEPN (1050), WRCN (103.9)

[SoFlaJets]

MANGINI: VILMA IS ADAPTING TO SYSTEM

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 1, 2006 -- Eric Mangini entered yesterday's daily press conference with a clear agenda: Praise the work of linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

Vilma, who has seen his impact diminish in the Jets' 3-4 system, still has been playing well and operating as the quarterback of the defense, Mangini said. Vilma leads the Jets with 91 total tackles, but is third on the team in solos (52) and has no sacks, no forced fumbles and one INT. Mangini said those things will come as Vilma gets more comfortable.

"Tedy [bruschi], when he made the transition initially back in 2000, I don't think that you would have said, 'Wow, what an impact year he had.' But yet he impacted the defense substantially during that period," Mangini said of the Patriots linebacker. "As the quarterback of the defense, Jonathan Vilma is very similar to Chad [Pennington] in that way where as he gets more and more familiar with the system, you see a lot of his style of play incorporated into the system. Jon is one of the better communicators I've been around in terms of getting the whole defense lined up."

RB Kevan Barlow, whose carries have diminished the last two weeks with Cedric Houston returning from his knee injury, said yesterday he's fine with whatever decision Mangini makes.

"I came here to contribute and try to win games," Barlow said. "They never said, 'You're going to be Curtis Martin and carry the ball 50 times in one game.' But they did say, 'Kevan, come here, help us win and help us teach the younger guys,' and that was basically it. Anything I can do, I will. As long as we're winning, everything is fine."

The Sunday forecast in Green Bay calls for a high of 29 and a low of 17 with a 30-percent chance of snow showers, so this will be the coldest weather the Jets have seen this season.

Mangini said LB Bryan Thomas, who leads the team with five sacks, should be OK to play Sunday despite a shoulder injury he sustained against the Texans last Sunday . . . For the Packers, LB Ben Taylor (hamstring) returned to practice yesterday though he's still listed as doubtful. Three players listed as probable practiced - OT Chad Clifton (hamstring), RB Ahman Green (knee) and DT Cullen Jenkins (illness).

[SoFlaJets]

SILENT PARTNERS

JETS' WR TANDEM FLYING UNDER RADAR

By MARK CANNIZZARO

TWO FOR THE SHOW: Jets WRs Jerricho Cotchery (left) and Laveranues Coles celebrate a Coles touchdown during a Nov. 12 win in New England.December 1, 2006 -- When most football fans peruse NFL rosters in search of elite receiving tandems in the league, the names Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery rarely cross their lips.

That's a mistake.

As the 6-5 Jets, in the thick of the AFC playoff race as the calendar turns to December today, prepare for their Sunday game against the Packers at Lambeau Field, their receiving tandem of Coles and Cotchery has produced a combined 119 catches. Only the Texans' tandem of Andre Johnson (84 catches) and Eric Moulds (49), with a combined 133 receptions, and the Colts' Marvin Harrison (61) and Reggie Wayne (59), with a combined 120 receptions, have produced more than the Jets' dynamic duo.

Coles, who has 68 catches, and Cotchery, who has 51, are as good as any tandem in the league. They virtually never drop passes, they're as tough after the catch as anyone, and they're strong blockers in the running game. Coles is on pace to catch 99 passes this season and Cotchery 74. Those numbers would be career highs for both players.

Not bad for a team who had little idea who its starting quarterback would be until late in training camp. Not bad, too, for a team whose starting quarterback, Chad Pennington, entered the season coming off two major shoulder surgeries and who supposedly had a wet rag for a right arm.

"The best thing about both of those receivers, Jerricho and Laveranues, is they just constantly work," Pennington said. "They don't talk a lot, they just keep going. They're just blue-collar guys that they are fun to play with."

They're blue-collar guys putting up blue-ribbon numbers yet they remain very much under the radar in terms of recognition, even though the two are coming off a game against the Texans last Sunday during which each produced more than 100 receiving yards (Coles 111, Cotchery 110).

"They may be under the radar as far as hype and public attention," Pennington said, "but I don't think they are under the radar as far as players in this league and when teams play us. I think teams are well aware of the talents that they have and the abilities and the problems that they can cause."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who this week praised Coles, conceded he didn't know much about Cotchery, in his third season, until recently.

"I've always liked Coles, particularly a couple of seasons ago when he had the break-out season," McCarthy said of Coles' career-high 90-catch season with the Redskins in 2004. "Cotchery is a guy I didn't know a whole lot about until this week. He seems to have playmaker ability."

Just ask Pennington and Coles.

"I think people fail to realize that Jerricho broke a lot of Tory Holt's records at N.C. State," Pennington said, referring to the Rams' prolific receiver.

"I can't wait until Jerricho's time comes to get his shine on and people recognize him as one of the best receivers in the league," Coles said.

"Coming into training camp, I just wanted to do whatever I could to get a role in the offense," said Cotchery, who won the starting job this season. "Once I got that role, I wanted to keep expanding it."

Eric Mangini recalled when the Jets reacquired Coles in 2005 after he'd been with the Redskins in 2003-04.

"I remember when they made the trade, I wasn't too excited from my perspective," Mangini, who was coaching in New England at the time, said. "You think, 'We have this guy out of the division, and now the headache comes back.'

"You have to deal with him. He forces teams to deal with him."

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[SoFlaJets]

Vilma

[SoFlaJets]

Right calls by Vilma a big hit

Friday, December 01, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Jonathan Vilma has had a lot of tackles in the Jets' new 3-4 scheme -- 91 to be exact. But the inside linebacker has had few impact plays.

And it's Vilma's lack of highlight-reel material that has been a source of concern among many observers.

Vilma, a Pro Bowl alternate last season, has no sacks, no forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery. It's hardly the stuff of legends and could make you wonder if he's ill-suited for the 3-4 alignment.

Don't worry, says coach Eric Mangini, Vilma has been a major impact player this season, you just haven't noticed.

As the Jets' defensive signal- caller, Vilma is much like quarterback Chad Pennington when Pennington is orchestrating the no- huddle offense. Vilma makes the calls and pre-snap adjustments, sometimes literally pointing players to the right spot.

And, oh yeah, Vilma also has to play his position.

"Over the last three weeks, we've been pretty successful in terms of points allowed (35), and a lot of that goes into things that Jonathan does," Mangini said yesterday. "Week in and week out, Jon is like the quarterback of the defense where he has to talk to the front (seven), he has to talk to the secondary and the sub-defense.

"There's a lot of moving parts, and you need that guy, that player to direct traffic. And not just direct traffic, but someone who has to have the final say. Jon usually has the final say, and he's usually right."

As a traffic cop in shoulder pads, Vilma has had to sacrifice for the good of the team. His sideline- to-sideline forays, the sacks, the forced fumbles and fumble recoveries and the interceptions have all been put on hold while he gets everyone else lined up.

"I wouldn't say me making calls has come at a price of me making plays," Vilma said. "I'm just getting used to this defense now, and once I get comfortable and really understand the defense, I'll be able to play a little faster and make more plays."

[SoFlaJets]

Barlow may be inactive

Friday, December 01, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Kevan Barlow, the odd-man out after the Jets went from a three-man to a two-man rotation at running back this week, may be deactivated since he doesn't play special teams.

"I haven't heard anything," Barlow said. "Hopefully, I'm not that guy, but I'm fine with the coaches decisions. ... I talked to coach (Eric Mangini). I'm fine with his answers. But he didn't eliminate anyone. It's who goes out there and has the best practice. We'll see what happens."

RB Cedric Houston worked with the first team and rookie Leon Washington ran with the second team yesterday in practice.

The 6-1, 234 pound Barlow could be used in goal-line situations, where he has scored a team-high six touchdowns this season.

The Jets rushed for a season-low 27 yards on 26 carries in last week's 26-11 victory over the Texans. Mangini is scrapping his three-back rotation after only two games.

Barlow, who rushed for 75 yards and a TD on 17 carries against the Patriots three games ago, has rushed for just 7 yards on 12 carries in the past two games. He has said he's a back who needs 15 to 20 carries a game to get going.

"Coming off the New England game, I felt like I was getting into my rhythm after coming off off-season (knee) surgery but I'm fine. As long as we're winning games that's all that matters to me."

Barlow, a starter the past two seasons, said that the three-back rotation was a tough adjustment for him, but he's trying to do what the coaches want.

One of the Jets' two cornerback slots has been in a state of flux all season. Andre Dyson (team-high tying three INTs) has started at one spot but opposite him, Justin Miller, Drew Coleman, David Barrett and Hank Poteat have each had a crack at starting.

"Each week we evaluate as we go," Mangini said. "The guys that have the best weeks get the opportunity to play."

Don't be surprised if the Jets draft a cornerback high in next year's draft. Help along the front seven (DL or LB) and running back are also top priorities.

C Nick Mangold and K Mike Nugent for the Jets and Packers LB A.J. Hawk all grew up in Centerville, Ohio, within five miles of each other and knew one another. All three attended Ohio State, where Mangold and Hawk were roommates before embarking on their NFL careers. They'll reunited on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

FB B.J. Askew, deactivated the past two games with a nagging foot injury, worked with the first team yesterday. ... Packers MLB Nick Barnett is practicing with a padded club on his broken right hand and is listed as questionable. S Nick Collins (hamstring) and RT Mark Tauscher (groin) aren't expected to play.