JETS ARTICLES - SAT 12/9

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nj.com/jets/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1165643211192180.xml&coll=1

Jets: Baker on the rise in passing game

Saturday, December 09, 2006

BY DAVID GURNEY

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Chris Baker's play doesn't jump out at you.

The Jets tight end is far from flashy and isn't the most outspoken of individuals. And with a receiving corps of Pro Bowler Laveranues Coles, the up-and-coming Jerricho Cotchery and steady veteran Justin McCareins, he's far from the No. 1 option on offense.

But Baker, a fifth-year player out of Michigan State, doesn't mind taking a back seat to those guys.

Baker would rather do his job quietly and in workmanlike fashion, as he did last Sunday when he had four receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown in the Jets' 38-10 victory over the Packers.

But according to Cotchery, maybe the offense needs a little more selfishness from Baker.

"He's very unselfish and he's as good as it gets when it comes to blocking as a tight end, but a lot of people don't know how good he is as a receiver," Cotchery said. "The more we can get him involved, the better off we are as an offense."

Baker crept back onto the scene last Sunday with his four receptions, but that only scrapes the surface of what he has accomplished this season.

He has eclipsed his career high for receptions in a season with 22, is one touchdown shy of tying his season-high mark of four and with 220 receiving yards is 50 away from reaching a season high.

All this with four games to play.

"They got me a little more involved in the passing game," Baker said. "(Wide receivers) coach Richie Anderson has helped me a lot in the passing game, he really worked with me in the off-season, and I've tried to take his coaching points and make the best of it. It's paying off for me right now."

Coming out of college, Baker was considered a receiving tight end but soon changed his style to fit a Jets offense reliant on a blocking tight end. With former first-rounder Anthony Becht starting, Baker was relegated to blocking and protection roles, resulting in only 16 receptions his first two seasons.

"Obviously, when I came in, I was under a different coordinator and different system, where blocking was more emphasized in the game plan for tight ends," Baker said. "I just tried to improve on that, because when I came out of the draft, they said that was my weak point: I couldn't block."

But Baker has evolved. He's still blocking well but has become more of a threat in the passing game -- as he was billed coming out of the 2002 draft. He also has been greatly aided by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's offensive system.

With the Jets getting ready to play host to the Buffalo Bills tomorrow, Baker's solid play, especially recently, has been apparent to coach Eric Mangini.

"He's really improved his route-running," Mangini said. "He's always been a good blocker, and has improved there as well, but his route-running has gotten better. Sometimes you're trying to get him the ball and the read just doesn't take you there, but this past game the read did take (QB) Chad (Pennington) to Chris and he did a great job capitalizing on those chances."

Taking advantage of man-to-man coverage and the extra attention paid to Coles and Cotchery, Baker was able to run crisp routes through the center of the field last Sunday. For Baker, the Packers game just underlines the importance of being advantageous on offense.

"They played a lot of man coverage and double-teamed Jerricho and Laveranues and tried to take them out of their game, so I knew I had a lot of opportunities against linebackers," Baker said. "It was more of a conscious effort to get me involved in the passing game. Hopefully (my play) takes a little bit of pressure off them."

Notes: Rookie QB Kellen Clemens was taught a valuable lesson by Mangini and the coaching staff this week. During a team meeting, Mangini asked Clemens if he knew the records of the teams competing with the Jets for the AFC wild-card spots.

Clemens began rattling off those team's records -- making the mistake of actually answering the question.

"Kellen started to answer and really the right answer was 'It doesn't matter,'" Mangini said. "Because it doesn't really matter. What matters is what we do, how we approach it."

It was tough lesson learned.

"I didn't really catch the trickiness to the question, so I just answered," Clemens said. "I didn't know what Kansas City's record was, but I knew what Denver and Jacksonville's records were because I had seen it on ESPN."

He later added, "I gave the correct answer, I didn't give the right answer."...

Bills rookie safety Donte Whitner, battling a hamstring injury, didn't practice yesterday and has been downgraded to questionable. Meanwhile, running back Willis McGahee (ankle) and cornerback Terrance McGee (ankle), listed as questionable, practiced for the first time this week and are expected to play tomorrow....

The Jets will have their annual Toys for Tots gift drive at the game this weekend. Fans can bring unwrapped, unopened toys to the gates of Giants Stadium, where they'll be collected before the game.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12092006/sports/jets/dealing_with_los_jets_dan_martin.htm

DEALING WITH LOS

By DAN MARTIN

December 9, 2006 -- J.P. Losman passed for 328 yards on Sept. 24, when the Jets beat the Bills, 28-20, in Orchard Park.

Though the Jets were happy to get the win, they weren't pleased about giving up 150 yards on the ground to Willis McGahee. Still, they had been torched by the running back before.

What they didn't expect was to surrender 328 yards to the quarterback, Losman.

"Of course we were concerned," Jets safety Erik Coleman said. "Of course we took the victory, but you never want to get burned like that."

Since then, Losman has developed from a player on the verge of being a bust to one who has become a dangerous weapon.

Fortunately for the Jets, who play host to the Bills tomorrow at the Meadowlands, so has their secondary.

"We've seen what he can do," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "He's got a strong arm, he can move around, and he's shown he can win games. He's definitely a different player than he used to be. But we think we're different, too."

That difference was on display a week ago in the Jets' demolition of Green Bay and its once-great quarterback, Brett Favre. The improved secondary may have been overshadowed by an offense that played to perfection for the game's first 30 minutes, but the Packers also were unable to generate anything themselves before halftime.

Only in the second half, with the Jets already up 31-0, did Favre and his teammates finally break through.

"That gives you confidence," Coleman said. "And it wasn't just us. When you see the line and the linebackers playing the way they did, it gives us a lot of freedom just to do what we do."

That paid off; Rhodes and cornerback Andre Dyson each intercepted Favre. But this week brings much different challenges. First, Losman appears to be a quarterback who is coming into his own, and he has targets including Lee Evans to throw to.

"He's a great receiver," Coleman said of Evans, who had one of the most prolific games for a receiver in NFL history against Houston three weeks ago. Evans finished with 265 yards and a pair of 83-yard TD receptions.

But the real difference is Losman, who is still trying to become a consistent threat. He has engineered two game-winning drives recently, once helping set up a game-winning field goal against Jacksonville then hitting Peerless Price for a 15-yard TD pass to beat Houston.

"His decision-making [has improved]," Eric Mangini said. "He's always had a strong arm. And to win those two games like he did late in the game, that shows definite poise."

Which is something Coleman said his secondary has established this season, as well.

"I think we've matured," Coleman said. "It takes time to come together as a group, no matter how talented you are."

Since that first game against Buffalo, one quarterback has passed for more than 300 yards against the Jets: David Carr of the Texans, in a 26-11 Jets' win. Carr threw the ball 59 times.

"I don't think we changed our style, we just got better," Dyson said. "But we never worried about stuff like that because a lot of those yards came when we were ahead."

Rhodes, however, admits to having been bothered by it.

"It was frustrating, no doubt," Rhodes said. "We'd feel like we'd play tough for three quarters and then something would happen or we would let down. It feels like we're a lot more consistent now and I think that's because everyone knows what everyone else is doing."

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12092006/sports/jets/the_p_word_gets_rookie_in_hot_water_jets_dan_martin.htm

THE 'P' WORD GETS ROOKIE IN HOT WATER

By DAN MARTIN

December 9, 2006 -- Eric Mangini already has forbidden his Jets players from talking about the playoffs.

Apparently, "the 'P' word" isn't the only thing the head coach has made off-limits to his team. He wants his players so focused on what they have to do they aren't even allowed to look at the standings.

Rookie quarterback Kellen Clemens found that out during a meeting Thursday, when Mangini called on him and asked the records of several teams.

Not coincidentally, the teams Mangini mentioned, Kansas City, Jacksonville and Denver, are all tied with the Jets at 7-5.

But when Clemens started to answer, Mangini cut him off.

"Really, the right answer is, 'It doesn't matter,' because it doesn't matter," Mangini said. "What matters is what we do, how we approach it."

It's all part of the single-minded approach Mangini has tried to instill during his first year in charge.

So, what was Clemens' reaction?

"He made his point and it wasn't too subtle," Clemens said. "I was incorrect. It was just to show us again that we should only be thinking about ourselves."

As for whether everyone else knew the right answer: "Kellen is the only one that got called on," Mangini said.

Erik Coleman, however, said he wouldn't have fallen for the trick question.

"As soon as he started to answer, I put my head down," Coleman said. "I knew what was coming. Rookie mistake, I guess."

*

The Jets will hold their Toys for Tots drive tomorrow. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game. ... TE Chris Baker had four catches last week against the Packers after making one reception each week since hauling in four against the Dolphins six weeks prior. He said he hopes the production continues. "I'm more focused on my blocking, since that's what everyone says my weakness has been," Baker said. "But when I catch passes, I know it takes pressure off of Laveranues [Coles] and [Jericho] Cotchery." ... The Jets may as well tear down the bubble that's typically used for practice during rough weather. The team practiced outside again yesterday, despite the frigid temperatures. ... LB Matt Chatham (questionable with a foot injury) saw limited action in practice again yesterday.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/ny-spjets095009105dec09,0,7462051.story?coll=ny-jets-print

Kicking into high gear

After early struggles, Nugent's confidence up with seven straight FGs

BY BOB HERZOG

Newsday Staff Writer

December 9, 2006

A short memory can take you a long way in pro sports.

Ask Mike Nugent if he agrees with the notion that field-goal kickers and late-inning relievers have a lot in common when it comes to putting failure behind them and he answers: "Oh, absolutely. If you think about things too much, dwell on things too much, that's when you get in trouble."

Just as Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner have to forget about blown saves, so did Nugent have to forget about missing two short field goals and an extra point in the Jets' season opener, a 23-16 victory at Tennessee. It wasn't easy, and if the Jets hadn't won despite Nugent's errant kicks, the Ohio State product might have really struggled.

"I think I did dwell on what happened against Tennessee. It was a tough game, but I was excited that we still won," said Nugent, who has turned around his season and been successful on seven consecutive field-goal attempts entering Sunday's game against the Bills.

"Then I started working on one kick at a time. I had a really good week of practice, then I kicked a 42-yarder against New England [in Week 2] that I really hit well."

After that, the Jets went three games without attempting a field goal and coach Eric Mangini might have had some reservation about his second-year kicker.

Things have changed. Nugent is 12-for-13 since opening day and his current hot streak includes a 54-yarder against the Texans on Nov. 26.

"There was not a lack of confidence in Mike at any point," Mangini insisted Friday. "Kickers go through different phases. There's going to be some games where you don't hit them quite the way you want to. He's gotten some opportunities. He had that one long one that he hit. All that stuff is positive. Even when he struggled early in the season, his approach has been the same. He's a pro and he works at his craft."

Nugent also works at maintaining equilibrium. "The confidence has always been there. Learn from your mistakes and remember what you did right in the past so you can bring something positive to the table next time," he said.

He put his own theory into practice against the Browns on Oct. 29. "When I missed a 52-yarder , I didn't think about what went wrong. Then I went out and hit a 47-yarder going the same way," Nugent said. "I keep a level head and try not to get caught up in the excitement of the game, or when a big situation is coming up for me."

When his next miss does occur, Nugent knows what to do: Forget about it.

Notes & quotes: Buffalo RB and noted Jets-killer Willis McGahee (ankle) practiced for the first time this week but remains questionable ... FB B.J. Askew (foot), CB David Barrett (hip), LB Matt Chatham (foot) and LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder) missed practice for a third straight day and remain questionable.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/478553p-402646c.html

Baker no butcher for Jets

BY OHM YOUNGMISUK

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

When Chris Baker was drafted out of Michigan State in 2002, the tight end heard how he couldn't block.

So he worked on his blocking to the point where he became known as a blocking tight end.

But between the end of last season and the start of this one, Baker spent nearly all of his time working on his receiving skills. He ran countless routes under the watchful eye of wide receivers/tight ends coach Richie Anderson and studied film of his route-running.

Baker says he can be as good as the best receiving tight ends in the league. He feels he just needs to be given the opportunities.

In the Jets' 38-10 romp in Green Bay last Sunday, Baker had his best game of the season with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. He gave Chad Pennington another weapon to go with wide receivers Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery.

"I see myself being able to do a lot of the things that they do," Baker said of the NFL's elite tight ends. "It just depends on opportunities and what we are looking to get done that particular week. A lot of those (tight ends) have comparable speed and I know I can catch the ball. I have never had any problems catching the ball. Just depends on opportunities."

Baker, 27, showed how clutch he can be by making a brilliant one-handed, 24-yard catch in the end zone while being drilled by Cleveland safety Brodney Pool in the final minute of the Jets' 20-13 loss at Cleveland on Oct. 29. While replays showed Baker was forced out by Pool and should've been awarded a touchdown, a field judge ruled he would have landed out of bounds anyhow, allowing Cleveland to escape with the victory.

Still, Baker showed that he can make a spectacular catch despite not being used much in the passing attack.

Baker showed his potential in last year's season opener when he had seven receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown in a loss at Kansas City. However, he finished with just 11 more catches in 2005 after breaking his left leg in Week 9.

Now totally healthy, the 6-3 Baker would love to be more of a factor in the passing game.

"It's important when you can get him involved," Jets coach Eric Mangini said of Baker, who has 22 catches for 220yards and three touchdowns this season. "Anytime you can threaten the inside part of the defense, whether it be with the running backs, the fullbacks, the tight end, it takes some of the pressure off the outside part of the offense."

BILLS OF HEALTH: Bills RB Willis McGahee (ribs, ankle) and CB Terrence McGee (ankle) are listed as questionable but both practiced yesterday and likely will be game-time decisions. ... Bills rookie safety Donte Whitner is likely out for tomorrow's game with a hamstring injury. ... The Jets are holding their "Toys for Tots" drive at tomorrow's game.

Originally published on December 9, 2006

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061209/SPORTS01/612090370/1108

Jets' Coleman making most of second chance

By Brian Heyman

The Journal News

(Original Publication: December 9, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - Erik Coleman and Eric Mangini were going one-on-one in a private meeting. The Jets' season was just two games old when Coleman suddenly lost his starting free-safety job. So he paid a visit to the head coach's office, not breathing fire but with one burning question on his mind.

"What am I doing wrong?'' Coleman said.

The answer was, he was basically trying to do too much.

"All of the things that we talked about he worked on,'' Mangini said.

And it's all worked out just fine. After three weeks of subbing in, Mangini gave him his first-team ticket back. Coleman has responded by doing an "outstanding job'' in Mangini's view over the last month, especially with that late one-handed interception he made against Tom Brady in the 17-14 win at New England in Game 9 and his coverage and eight tackles in Sunday's 38-10 win at Green Bay.

The third-year pro has been symbolic of the improvement in the Jets' defense. It has been a large reason why the team has taken three of four since the bye week and is a surprising 7-5 and in the playoff chase heading into tomorrow's game with the 5-7 Bills at the Meadowlands.

"When you get a little adversity, you can either put your cards down or you can start working harder,'' Coleman said before practice out in the biting cold yesterday at Hofstra. "I chose to work harder to try to help the team out and help myself out, and it's starting to pay off.''

By the time the first Bills game rolled around back in September, the 2004 fifth-rounder out of Washington State had started all 36 games as a pro, including two playoff games. But the since-waived Derrick Strait opened that Week 3 game at Buffalo in his place. Friends started phoning Coleman, wanting to know what was going on. Mangini gave him the clues.

"I was probably pressing too hard, trying to make too many plays, and I was getting out of position,'' Coleman said. "He just told me to go back to the fundamentals of the defense, play out the defense, and things would work themselves out.

"I got some calls from a couple of people, but it's part of the game. There are going to be ups and downs. It just depends on how you fight.''

Mangini appreciates his overall attitude, but it was also part of the problem.

"Erik has a high level of professionalism,'' he said. "Erik cares. He's very detail oriented. He wants to do it right. Sometimes, he wants to do not just his job correctly but also make sure everybody else is correct. ... But the key thing is to do your job first, and then once that's taken care of, you can help everybody else out.''

Since that turning-point meeting and the work that followed, Mangini says Coleman has done a good job with communication, run support and disguising looks.

"Collectively,'' Mangini said, "he's helped improve the secondary as well as personally improving his performance. ... He's a very good team player, which I really respect and like.''

In Coleman's defense, an appendectomy really set him back heading into the season.

"I missed a lot of reps in practice in the preseason, and it did take its toll a little bit,'' Coleman said.

"It took me awhile to get my strength back and to get back into form.

"I was maybe trying to overcompensate for lost time, but coach got me back on track."

Now he has to worry about Buffalo's improving quarterback, JP Losman, and his fast-moving, long-ball threat, Lee Evans. But cornerback Andre Dyson has no worries about Coleman.

"He's really a smart player,'' Dyson said. "He understands the game and he plays fast and plays with a lot of emotion. That's what you want out of a safety, and he does a really good job.''

Notes: Mangini called on Kellen Clemens in a meeting on Thursday. "Kellen, what are the records of Jacksonville, Kansas City and Denver?'' Mangini said. The rookie quarterback said they were all 7-5. Right but wrong. It was a trick question. "The right answer was, it doesn't matter,'' Mangini said. "What matters is what we do, how we approach it, whether we win our games and whether we control the things that we can control.'' Clemens said: "He wanted to send a message to me and everybody.'' ... Willis McGahee (ankle) returned to practice, but the Buffalo running back is still down as questionable. ... The team will hold a Toys for Tots drive at the gates and is asking for new, unwrapped toys.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/articles/show_permalink/jets-vs-bills-the-key-match-ups

Jets vs. Bills: The Key Match-ups

Published: 12-09-06

By Real Football

Real Football Services provides expert analysis on NFL football.

The Jets climbed to the top of the wild card race by racking up 31 first-half points last week, cruising to a 38-10 domination of the Packers at Lambeau Field. Buffalo, who had consecutive late-game victories against Houston and Jacksonville, could not make it three in a row after falling behind early against the Chargers.

In the Week Three matchup between these teams, it was Buffalo that went 69 yards in two plays to take the early lead, but the Jets methodically battled back for the victory. With its newfound running game and Buffalo’s inability to stop the run on a consistent basis, New York should be able to present a more balanced attack this week. But both quarterbacks also have a solid corps of receivers that could turn this game into an aerial war.

Download the Match-up table (PDF)

Match up 1

DE Aaron Schobel (6’4”, 262 lbs) vs. LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (6’6”, 313 lbs).

Ferguson was able to hold Schobel without a sack in their Week Three matchup, but the Bills pass rusher has had 4.5 sacks in his last five games and appears to be in peak form. Ferguson can use his athleticism and long arms to win on outside moves but gets pulled off balance when defenders redirect their charge across his face. Look for Schobel to use his inside spin move to collapse the pocket, putting quick pressure on QB Chad Pennington and forcing him into rushed throws.

Match up 2

RT Terrance Pennington (6’7”, 319 lbs) vs. DE Shaun Ellis (6’5”, 285 lbs).

A rookie who became a starter with the midseason shakeup of the offensive line, Pennington has the size and long arms to neutralize a defender but tends to gather himself after the initial contact, which allows the defensive lineman to recover. Ellis has improved against the run, especially in pursuit when the ball goes away from him. But while Ellis has the quickness and experience to win this matchup, he will not be able to break free if Pennington locks up with him. So he will have to make good use of his hands to keep Pennington off his body.

Match up 3

SS Donte Whitner (5’11”, 205 lbs) vs. TE Chris Baker (6’3”, 258 lbs).

Whitner is instrumental in stopping the run but is also responsible for the tight end as the linebackers are bunched inside the tackles. Whitner will be giving up a notable height advantage but delivers a hit after the catch that can separate the receiver from the ball. If the play action fakes freezes the linebackers, Baker should be able to square-out or get behind Whitner in coverage.

Things to Look For:

Teams: The Bills hold a 49-42 advantage in the series overall, but the Jets have won the last two meetings and three of the last five…The Jets have also won the last four at home in the series and scored 30 or more points in three of those games…One more win this season will double the Jets 2005 win total…Eight of the Bills last 12 games have been decided by a touchdown or less…

Chad Pennington: Became the 5th Jets QB to surpass 11,000 career passing yards with his performance in Green Bay last week…The Jets are 3-0 against Buffalo when Pennington records a passer rating of at least 90 and 0-2 when he doesn’t…He is 6-2 for his career as a starter in December.

Leon Washington: Washington is 4th among NFL rookies with 511 rushing yards.

Laveranues Coles: Coles is 3rd in the NFL with 71 receptions…He also leads the AFC in 3rd down receptions.

Jerricho Cotchery: Cotchery has 60 receptions this season, making the Jets one of only three teams in the league to have two WR with at least 60 catches.

Chris Baker: Baker has a TD catch in two of his last four games against the Bills.

Ben Graham: The former Aussie star is 3rd in the AFC with a 44.8-yard punting average.

J.P. Losman: Buffalo has won three of the last four when Losman has completed at least 65% of his passes…

Willis McGahee: McGahee has rushed for at least 110 yards in each of his last four games against the Jets, averaging over 134 yards per game in that span…He has carried the ball 20+ times in six straight divisional road games…He needs 14 yards to move into 6th place on the Bills career rushing list.

Lee Evans: Evans recorded eight catches for 107 yards in the last meeting between these teams in Week 3…He needs 71 yards to produce the Bills 1st 1,000-yard receiving season since 2004.

Chris Kelsay: Kelsay has recorded a sack in three of his last five games against the Jets.

Aaron Schobel: Has 4 ½ sacks in his last five games.

Roscoe Parrish: Parrish is 2nd in the NFL with 13.5 yard punt return average…He has at least one return of 15 yards or more in six of his last eight games, and has turned in a 20-yard return in three of his last six games.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/sports/football/09jets.html?ref=football

Jets’ Backups Tackle Role as Character Actors

By DAVID PICKER

Kellen Clemens, center, and Patrick Ramsey, left, have spent this week impersonating Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Dec. 8 — Kellen Clemens, a backup quarterback for the Jets, does not appear in commercials for credit cards or satellite dishes. He is certainly not expected to guide his team to a Super Bowl each season. But Clemens knows what it is like to be Peyton Manning.

In late September, Clemens helped the Jets’ defense prepare for the Indianapolis Colts by acting as Manning during practice. He gestured so frequently at the line of scrimmage that he looked as if he should have been conducting at Carnegie Hall.

“I’d give him a 9 out of 10,” Patrick Ramsey, the Jets’ other backup quarterback, said this week. “I think he did a good Manning.”

Ramsey played the role of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre during practice last week, earning even better reviews.

“I’ll give his Brett Favre a 10,” Clemens said, laughing. “He did the throw with the head down and bail out, all the little things that Brett does.”

Each week, Clemens and Ramsey share the task of impersonating the other team’s starting quarterback. They sometimes spend time, as little as 30 minutes, studying film of the quarterback’s tendencies. But mostly, they focus on more integral aspects of the game, like running the Jets’ offense and analyzing the opposing defense.

Their acting abilities, however, provide the Jets’ defense with necessary insight.

“Without a good look, it’s like you’re going into the game blind,” linebacker Bryan Thomas said.

Clemens and Ramsey have spent this week impersonating Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman, who has thrown for 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. His 2,191 passing yards rank 19th in the league.

In terms of style, Losman is as plain as a vanilla milkshake. To varying degrees, so are the other opposing quarterbacks remaining on the Jets’ schedule: Brad Johnson of the Minnesota Vikings, Joey Harrington of the Miami Dolphins and Aaron Brooks of the Oakland Raiders. Those quarterbacks lack the panache of, say, Manning, Favre or Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, so it would seem that they would be harder to imitate during practice.

“It’s actually easier because there’s not as much stuff,” Clemens said. “With Peyton, the big thing was all the stuff he does before the snap, how he works the play clock and things like that.

“The thing with Losman is just his ability to move around and make plays with either his feet running around and scrambling or getting out of the pocket and making throws on the run. So that’s what I do.”

Asked to describe Johnson’s tendencies, Ramsey could not name any because the Jets had not yet dissected the Vikings. They have already faced the Bills, in a 28-20 victory Sept. 24. Losman had one of his best games of the season, passing for 328 yards and a touchdown.

When Clemens and Ramsey led the practice squad against the first-team defense this week, the Jets’ defensive coaches reminded them of how to impersonate Losman.

The coaches do not look for Oscar-worthy performances. No one expected Clemens to call plays using Manning’s southern accent. But it is often difficult to duplicate even the most basics tendencies.

Ramsey, for example, can imitate Favre’s throwing motion to perfection. But his accuracy plummets when doing so.

So during practice last week, Ramsey threw the way he normally throws, then focused on other parts of Favre’s game, like which routes he prefers.

Duplicating speed is also tricky. If the Jets were playing the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Clemens and Ramsey would have had to imitate Michael Vick. That is a feat akin to a tortoise impersonating a hare.

“You can never quite get it exactly like it is,” Coach Eric Mangini said. “But you try.”

And the quarterbacks have fun trying. Clemens said he loved imitating Manning because of his quirky tendencies. Ramsey seemed to enjoy the challenges of impersonating Favre’s playmaking.

But the final weeks of the regular season will probably not be as much fun for the Jets’ backup quarterbacks. Losman, Harrington, Johnson and Brooks are just not that exciting.

“Not much thought goes into these weeks,” Clemens said with a shrug.

[SoFlaJets]

wrong place oops

[Sperm Edwards]

Kellen Clemens, center, and Patrick Ramsey, left, have spent this week impersonating Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman.

All I've got to say about this picture is that Clemens is a midget. Ramsey (far left) is listed at only 6'2 and Clemens looks a full 4" shorter.

[BP]

Great job Sperm!!

Thanks!

[KSJets]

Kellen Clemens, center, and Patrick Ramsey, left, have spent this week impersonating Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman.

All I've got to say about this picture is that Clemens is a midget. Ramsey (far left) is listed at only 6'2 and Clemens looks a full 4" shorter.

But wait, they're both listed at 6'2". That would mean the roster isn't accurate. That could never happen

Seriously now, I remember back earlier in the season when I made a comment that Clemens himself had said he was 6' 5/8" and was blasted and told I was wrong since I couldn't find the link and that the team and everywhere else had him listed at 6'2". It's nice to get some redemption from that pic

[Sperm Edwards]

But wait, they're both listed at 6'2". That would mean the roster isn't accurate. That could never happen

Seriously now, I remember back earlier in the season when I made a comment that Clemens himself had said he was 6' 5/8" and was blasted and told I was wrong since I couldn't find the link and that the team and everywhere else had him listed at 6'2". It's nice to get some redemption from that pic

Does teams ever lie and list a player - particularly a QB - as SHORTER than he really is? If Ramsey's 6'2 it would appear that Clemens is 6' 5/8" only in cleats that also have heels. We'll see what he turns into. Maybe nothing (which is even more depressing than a mere bust since the next pick was Marcus McNeill). Supposed to have a big arm & smarts. We'll see. Not being able to unseat Ramsey as the #2 guy isn't encouraging, but he's still very young. Brees (similar size) mostly looked like absolute garbage until his 4th season himself.