JETS ARTICLES - TUE 12/12: Clemens promoted, Jets grades, etc.

[Sperm Edwards]

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Jets: Clemens passes Ramsey into No. 2 QB spot

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y -- Rookie Kellen Clemens is one step closer to being the Jets' starting quarterback.

Clemens, a second-round pick out of Oregon (49th overall) drafted as the heir apparent to Chad Pennington, was the No. 2 quarterback in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Giants Stadium, surpassing veteran Patrick Ramsey.

It was the first time this season Clemens was the backup. He had been the No. 3 quarterback for the first 12 games.

"He's had some really good weeks (in practice)," Jets coach Eric Mangini said yesterday. "Like any other position, it's open. That's something I stress across the board. It's like any other position.

"I thought Kellen had really strung together some good weeks. I thought he had earned being bumped up to No. 2."

Clemens, the fourth quarterback selected in last April's draft, was impressive during training camp and played well in the preseason. But the Jets didn't feel he was ready for the backup job.

Although Ramsey, a fifth-year pro, was underwhelming in training camp, he has 24 NFL starts on his r

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Rookie QB is on rise

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Unbeknownst to outsiders, the Jets staged a quarterback competition last week - Patrick Ramsey versus Kellen Clemens for the No. 2 job.

Clemens won after a strong week of practice and, although Eric Mangini cautioned yesterday that the job "will be open again this week," it appears the highly regarded rookie has begun his ascent on the depth chart.

That Mangini entrusted the No. 2 spot to a rookie in such a big game speaks volumes about his confidence in Clemens, who took four snaps in mop-up duty at the end of the Jets' 31-13 loss to the Bills. Ramsey was the No. 3 quarterback (inactive) for the first time. "It was just that time, where he had earned it," Mangini said of Clemens, a second-round pick.

Clemens said he "had a hunch things were changing" because he had been receiving more practice reps in recent weeks. Last Wednesday, he and Ramsey received word that it was an open competition. "I'm definitely excited to apparently be making progress in the coach's eyes," Clemens said.

Ramsey shrugged off the change, but he can't be happy. He's due a $1.4 million roster bonus next March, and there's little doubt he won't be back with the Jets. "It is (a demotion) in a way," he said. "But it's the same role for me in terms of observing and trying to help - unless Chad (Pennington) goes down."

KNEEDS HELP: RB Kevan Barlow, inactive for the second straight game, insisted he's not upset because - and this is a new spin - the inactivity is helping his knee heal from surgery.

Surgery? Barlow had arthroscopic surgery last May while with the 49ers. This was the first time he had used his knee as a reason for his struggles.

"I think I'm playing on one leg, personally," Barlow said, a comment that probably won't sit well with Mangini.

Barlow, due to make $3.25 million next season, probably won't be back, either.

"I'm know I'm a great ... uh, really good running back," he said. "You haven't heard the last of me. I'm definitely going to be playing, whether it's this year or next year."

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Rookie QB feels grateful for promotion

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 12, 2006

Kellen Clemens said the biggest change was the proximity of his equipment.

"I had my helmet a little bit closer," the rookie quarterback said yesterday, "but other than that, I was still charting plays and trying to be involved."

Clemens, a second-round draft pick by the Jets, was promoted to second-string quarterback for Sunday's game against Buffalo. After spending the first 12 games as the emergency third quarterback, Clemens made his first significant move up the depth chart. The Jets' quarterback of the future is one step closer to becoming the quarterback of the present, though coach Eric Mangini was sure to point out that Chad Pennington's starting job is still safe. Patrick Ramsey was demoted to third string.

"Obviously, I'm one snap closer to needing to be ready to play," Clemens said. "It's a great opportunity for me to be able to get some extra reps with running our offense as opposed to the team we're facing that week, and I'm thankful for the opportunity."

Clemens said offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer announced Wednesday that the No. 2 quarterback position would be open for a three-day competition between Clemens and Ramsey. On Saturday night, the players were told of their pecking order.

"I thought Kellen had really strung together some good weeks," Mangini said. "I thought he had earned being bumped up to two."

Though largely a paper promotion, Clemens did play Sunday after the Bills sealed their win over the Jets. It was his second time seeing game action. He also played late in the Jacksonville loss.

Ramsey, who had been a starter for the Redskins, came to the Jets this offseason in a trade for a sixth-round pick. With Pennington's health a concern after a second shoulder surgery, he was brought in to compete with Pennington and act as an insurance policy.

Ramsey, 27, is earning $1.688 million this season, $250,000 of which was converted to a roster bonus in a contract extension signed before training camp started this past summer. He is due a $1.4-million roster bonus if he remains a Jet this coming spring. With Clemens jumping him in the hierarchy and Pennington playing healthy and due a $2-million roster bonus, it's unlikely Ramsey will be with the Jets beyond this season. Ramsey has taken one snap this season.

As for his new role, Clemens said he had a hunch things were about to change as he started spending time with the Jets' offense in practice during recent weeks.

"I'm definitely excited to apparently be making some progress in the coaches' eyes," he said. "I'm excited about moving in the right direction."

[Sperm Edwards]

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Clemens' role uncertain for the Jets

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: December 12, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - All rookie Kellen Clemens knows is he was the backup quarterback in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Bills.

He's not sure if that will be the case for this week's game at Minnesota.

"It really hasn't changed my mind-set,'' said Clemens, the second-round pick out of Oregon who came on for the final series against Buffalo and was sacked twice in four snaps.

"Obviously, I'm one step closer to being ready to play. But it's just a great opportunity for me just to get some extra reps running our offense.''

Clemens said offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer announced last Wednesday that the backup's job, held by veteran Patrick Ramsey for the first 12 games, was open.

The decision to switch to Clemens was announced to the team Saturday night after three days of practice.

Coach Eric Mangini said yesterday that Chad Pennington's job is not in jeopardy.

Ramsey, too, said he wasn't sure whether his demotion was a permanent one.

"I'm not sure whether it is or not,'' said Ramsey, who has thrown just one pass this season - an incompletion - and almost certainly will be cut after just one season with the Jets. "I think (Clemens) is getting accustomed to the speed of the game.''

Barlow wants to stay: Kevan Barlow, inactive the last two games, said he still envisions himself as a featured back. But he believes the Jets, under Mangini, will always use a running back-by-committee approach.

However, the 27-year-old Barlow also said he wants to remain with the Jets next season.

"As long as I'm able to be productive and help this team win games, especially coming from the situation where we weren't winning too many games at all,'' said Barlow, who was acquired from the 49ers in the preseason.

"There's some sense of stability here that I'm comfortable with and happy.''

However, there's a good chance the Jets will want to shed Barlow's reported $3.25 million salary for next season.

Barlow underwent arthroscopic surgery in the offseason and had a Baker's cyst removed from his left knee. Barlow said he spoke to former Steeler Jerome Bettis Sunday night, and Bettis, who had the same surgery, told him it takes at least a year to recover.

"That's why I ain't K.B., but I'll be back,'' said Barlow, who has 334 yards on 113 carries this season. "I think I'm playing on one leg, personally.''

Forced indoors: Mangini is a huge proponent of practicing outdoors, no matter what the elements. So he sounded utterly disappointed when asked whether he would practice in the "bubble,'' the Jets' indoor facility, at least once this week to prepare for playing the Vikings in the Metrodome.

"Yeah,'' Mangini said. "I am more of an outdoor guy.''

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Jets notebook

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Change behind Chad

Kellen Clemens said other than having his helmet a little closer to him Sunday, not much changed for his first game as the Jets' No. 2 quarterback. But he's fired up about the prospect of holding onto the job.

"I'm really excited," the second-round rookie said Monday. "Apparently I'm making some progress in the coaches' eyes. I came here to hopefully compete and help the team out any way I can. Being No. 2 and moving up the chart a little bit, I'm excited about moving in the right direction."

Patrick Ramsey took news of his demotion with equanimity.

"What I'm going to do is come out here, work on the game plan and be ready whenever the time comes and do whatever I can to help the team," he said. "Obviously I want the opportunity to play again."

Eric Mangini said Clemens became Chad Pennington's immediate backup based on stringing together several good weeks of practice.

"It was just that time where he had earned it," the coach said, adding that the job becomes open again this week "and whoever plays better will be the two."

Barlow still healing

RB Kevan Barlow was deactivated by coach's decision for the second straight game, but for the first time he said Monday it's good to rest his left knee, which still bothers him after off-season arthroscopic surgery.

"Due to injuries, I haven't been able to go out and perform the way I'm able," Barlow said. "Right now I'm taking advantage of [being deactivated] by healing myself."

Asked if he's close to 100 percent, he replied: "No, I wouldn't say so. I'm playing on one leg, personally. I'm getting it together."

-- Randy Lange

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Jets report card

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Running game: C-plus

Had some good moments, but bogged down in the second quarter with three Cedric Houston runs for minus yards. Leon Washington started, had a team-high 55 yards on seven carries and his 18-yard end-around was their sole rush over 10 yards. The only third-down conversions came on two gutsy Chad Pennington scrambles.

Passing game: C-minus

The Bills' simple, disciplined approach kept the Jets off rhythm. Laveranues Coles' TD catch was his first in two years out of the slot. Nate Clements' interception-return TD was only the second Pennington's thrown in his career. D'Brickashaw Ferguson had no good answer for DE Aaron Schobel's high-speed motor.

Run defense: D-minus

There were several sins on Willis McGahee's 57-yard TD run, chief among them LB Brad Kassell failing to fill the "B" gap on the run blitz. Until their final 10 rushes, Buffalo averaged 6.5 yards per carry. Jonathan Vilma again was too quiet. Kudos to Justin Miller and Rashad Washington for forcing the Jets' first run fumble in six games.

Pass defense: B

Actually very good on limited pass opportunities -- except for the 77-yard hookup between J.P. Losman and Lee Evans, a mighty big "but." No passes defended, but two Victor Hobson sacks and one by Bryan Thomas came due to coverage, and Bills' WRs had only five catches. Set aside the Evans bomb and the Jets allowed a very respectable 3.9 yards per dropback.

Special teams: B-plus

Miller freaked out the Bills so much on his first two kickoff returns that they short-kicked their first two of the second half. Mike Nugent put his first two KOs into the end zone and extended some career-long FG streaks. Brian Moorman (three inside-20 punts) outdid Ben Graham (one I-20, bad touchback in the third quarter).

Coaching: C-minus

Eric Mangini again explained his call to punt instead of going for it on fourth-and-1 at the Bills 38 to start the third -- is this the same coach who went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Jets' 39 vs. Houston? Jets still may be too new in the program to sustain their recent high level for long, but this was a huge game in which to come up so short.

-- Randy Lange

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Jets concerned with filling holes

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

By RANDY LANGE

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The good news is that the day after the big loss, the Jets are OK.

The bad news is their playoff prognosis is not good.

"We've got a lot of pride. We're not going in the tank at all," safety Kerry Rhodes said Monday of the Jets' 31-13 home loss to Buffalo that dropped them to 7-6 and out of the AFC's top-six standings for playoff berths.

"We kind of hit a speed bump," linebacker Eric Barton said. "We've got to respond to it. It's adversity. I think we have the character on this team to step back up and play the way we're supposed to play."

Assuming they can do that and come away with season-ending wins at Minnesota, at Miami on Christmas night and home against Oakland, their 10-6 record still wouldn't be good enough to automatically draw a wild card.

There are too many moving parts in the crowded conference picture, but even if Jacksonville and Cincinnati, both 8-5, lose one game each, the Jets still would be bumped in a three-way tie. The Bengals would have the better conference record and the 41-0 loss to the Jaguars would come back up on the Jets like a bad burrito.

The same tiebreakers would hold in a Jets-Jaguars-Broncos tie. However, Jets-Jaguars-Chiefs would get the Jets in -- at the expense of Herm Edwards, their coach of the previous five years -- because Kansas City would have the worst conference record.

And if the Jets were to lose at Minnesota on Sunday and the Bengals and Jaguars to win, well, the Gang Green obituary couldn't be printed, but it could be prepared.

Even though coach Eric Mangini has admitted to his players that the games get bigger from here on out, that doesn't mean he will ever talk to the team about winning them three at a time.

"The key isn't one speech, necessarily," Mangini said. "The key is the 'concept of one,' everybody focusing on one thing at a time. Those [speeches] are nice -- motivational tools are important. But the games are won with the work ethic, with the studying, with the preparation, with the execution. That's what we need to focus on."

If John McKay were coaching the Jets today and were asked what he thought of their execution Sunday, the former Buc coach would have been in favor of it. But there are different ways to lose games, and the Jets insisted they were the victims of several large self-inflicted wounds, not a thousand paper cuts.

"You know what's good about it? There's nothing good about it, but we can say, 'Take these five plays. They're correctable,' " Barton said. "It's not like a whole bunch of different things: 'Oh, God.' We've got to focus on it in practice, correct it and we'll be all right."

There is some truth to that analysis.

On Willis McGahee's 57-yard touchdown run, the "B" gap door opened wide because on the run blitz, linebacker Brad Kassell didn't shift to the correct lane. On Lee Evans' 77-yard TD catch, cornerback David Barrett didn't stay on top of Evans, so when Rhodes also bit on Evans' in-cut, the speedy receiver was running free.

You can't take those plays out of the game, but if you set them aside, the Bills' 3.7 yards per play would have been good enough for a Jets' victory on most days.

They'll get to work on fixing the errors of their ways Wednesday with their first practices this season (save for a Saturday walkthrough) inside their indoor practice facility to simulate some of the coziness of the Humphrey Metrodome. Mangini seemed glum at the prospect.

"Yeah, we'll probably be in the bubble," he said. "I kind of like being outside."

"It'll probably be 80 degrees outside," Barton said, remembering when it was 30, windy and raining in previous weeks and the Jets worked outdoors.

Whatever the weather this week on Long Island or Sunday in Minneapolis, the Jets have turned up the heat on themselves and now they have three games to start cooking again.

[Sperm Edwards]

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Jets taking it one day at a time

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: December 12, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - This Jets story is brought to you by the number one.

"There's about 12 work days left in the season," Jets coach Eric Mangini said yesterday. "But outside of that number 12, it's really just the number one. Really, what I told them is, 'Think in terms of one, fellas. One meeting, one practice, one period, one rep, one game.' That's the goal.''

That does not represent any philosophical change. But because of one loss - the Bills' 31-13 big-play fest Sunday - the Jets (7-6) must focus harder on the little things.

The big picture, at least in terms of reaching the postseason, is just too daunting. But each of the remaining three games, starting Sunday at Minnesota, is a must-win.

"Our No. 1 deal is basically taking it one game at a time and not looking to the future,'' rookie running back Leon Washington said.

The Bengals and Jaguars, both at 8-5, are leading the AFC wild-card chase. The Jets, along with the Chiefs and Broncos, are one game behind.

But that's no solace for the Jets, who missed an opportunity to move within one game of first-place New England in the AFC East and instead fell into a tie for seventh in the conference.

Too bad only the top six reach the postseason.

"If you get caught up in the past or the future, any of those things that are on the periphery, then you lose sight of what's important," Mangini said. "Really, it's just the one thing that you're doing at that one moment and that's going to give you the best chance for success.''

After the Vikings, the Jets play at Miami Christmas night and host the Raiders Dec. 31. Herm Edwards' Chiefs play at San Diego, at Oakland and against the Jaguars. The Broncos are at Arizona, then host the Bengals and 49ers.

The Bengals are at Indianapolis, at Denver and then host the resurgent Steelers. Jacksonville is at surging Tennessee, hosts the Patriots and finishes at Kansas City.

The Jets' 5-5 conference mark won't win them any tiebreakers with Cincinnati (6-3 in the AFC), and Jacksonville (5-4) already owns a tiebreaker over the Jets thanks to its 41-0 win Oct. 8. The Chiefs are 3-6 in the conference, but the Broncos are 7-4.

"All you can do is control what's going on this week. … You can't do nothing about yesterday,'' defensive lineman Bobby Hamilton said.

"We had a down side to us. It's a loss, but we've got to move on. All we've got to do is continue working hard, get the bitter taste out of our mouth, and focus and watch film. See our mistakes and focus on Minnesota.''

There were plenty of mistakes to correct.

But to pick out one thing, the run defense needs to be much stouter.

The Bills, with Willis McGahee gaining 125 yards for his fifth straight 100-yard performance against the Jets, ran for 174 Sunday. The Jets are allowing opponents to rush for 139.2 yards per game, 26th in the league prior to last night's Bears-Rams game.

The Vikings (6-7), who defeated the Lions 30-20, are rushing for 123.0 yards per game, 11th in the league, and Chester Taylor, who has 1,098 yards this season, said he expects to return Sunday after missing the Detroit game with a rib injury.

"We've got to stop the run against Minnesota,'' Hamilton said. "If we don't, it'll be another game like Buffalo.''

And that's one thing the Jets can't afford.

[Sperm Edwards]

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Athletic justice: Players police themselves through kangaroo court

By Andrew Gross

The Journal News

(Original Publication: December 12, 2006)

Whenever the Jets' running backs congregate to watch practice film during their position meetings, they keep tabs on whether one of them obliterated a teammate on a blocking assignment.

It's not a cheap debate. The teammate who gets laid out has to pay up.

"B.J. Askew, he's always saying he got a pancake block," running back Kevan Barlow said of the fullback. "I'm like, 'B.J. that ain't no pancake, bro', you just fell over the top of the pile.' He's like, 'Oh, no, man, that's $500.' "

Kangaroo court is in session for the Jets, as it is for nearly all teams in all sports in some shape or form. But because what goes on in the locker room is supposed to stay in the locker room, players quoted in this story may be subject to a fine.

"I can't talk about it," Giants left guard David Diehl said. "Let's just say there is one. If I talk about it, I'll have to kill you."

By strict definition, a kangaroo court is a "mock court," one characterized by "dishonesty or incompetence." The term dates to the early 19th century, when nomadic judges on the U.S. frontier would jump from outpost to outpost meting out so-called justice, though, in reality, their salaries often depended on how many convictions they handed down.

Judgments can be just as skewed for sports teams. Players police themselves against a multitude of infractions both serious - such as in-game errors - and silly - locker-room flatulence is a big no-no. The accumulated fines usually pay for a nice postseason party.

When Roger Clemens struck out 20 Mariners in 1986, kangaroo court maven Don Baylor still fined his Red Sox teammate $10 for giving up a single to Spike Owen on an 0-2 hanging curveball.

"I think that's always good when the first layer of rules comes from the players themselves," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "It means that they have high expectations and that they expect everybody in the group to meet those expectations, and they expect everybody in the group to work together so that it doesn't ever have to get to the next level of discipline or disruption."

Veterans serve as judges, sometimes one per team, or, as in the Jets' case, there are separate courts for each position. Younger players tend to be fined more frequently, though veterans typically receive heftier fines.

"You have to divvy it around to the young guys, just so they get their exposure to it," said Giants left tackle Bob Whitfield, who wields his team's gavel alone. "But you don't leave out the people that got it. It's like the high tax bracket in America. You get your 40 percent from those that got it."

In the end, it's mostly about team building, partly about hazing.

The Rangers are one of the few teams not to have an established kangaroo court, but goalie Kevin Weekes learned the rules as a Florida Panthers rookie.

"There's so many codes, and unless you played in the league for X amount of years, you wouldn't know them, unless you had an older brother who told you," Weekes said. "In Florida, for instance, a first-year player would never get up and eat either on the plane or at the hotel before a Scott Mellanby or a John Vanbiesbrouck. You'd just sit in your seat and wait."

Jets left guard Pete Kendall said it's what happens after the initial fine that provides much of the entertainment.

"You'd be amazed. It's the little nickel-and-dime stuff that really gets under somebody's skin," Kendall said. "All you need to show is a little bit of weakness in a group like that and then the needles start coming out."

There is an appeals process, but nobody wants to hear it. Jets tight end Chris Baker said a better solution is to remember who levied the fine, then bring that player up on charges.

"When people start appealing the fines, that's a sure way to make sure you get more fines," Kendall said. "The key to the kangaroo court is you have to make it so prohibitively expensive to appeal your fine that nobody ever does."

Often, it's not even the fine that stings the most.

"When something happens in practice, they'll throw that up on the big screen in that room," Jets tight end Sean Ryan said. "You'll get killed for a couple minutes straight. That's worse than having to pay money."

For obvious reasons, college teams do not collect monetary fines. But they also have their versions of the kangaroo court.

Jets rookie wide receiver Brad Smith said he was on a leadership council of seniors at Missouri, and breaking the rules meant running. If a player committed one infraction, he ran by himself. Two infractions and his whole unit had to run. Three infractions and the whole team had to run - at 6 a.m.

Rangers defenseman Aaron Ward said that when he was at Michigan, players would have closed-door meetings with the accused sitting in the middle of the room answering charges.

"Then you had one guy defending him and everyone else lobbing questions in," Ward said. "Honestly, it's the stupidest thing ever. It was really comical to see. There wasn't any verdict. It was just to reprimand him."

You're guilty if ...

The fines vary from team to team, many in the $20 range, some as much as $500. But here's a small sampling of what players can be fined for:

- Late to meetings, bus or plane

- Rookie eating before a veteran

- Taking all the remaining food

- Losing the puck, fumbling the football, etc.

- Inappropriate on-field celebration

- Grievous mental errors (not advancing the runner, not knowing how much time is remaining in the game, jumping offside, etc.)

- General awkwardness (tripping on a play, etc.)

- Absence from a team function

- Sloppy lockers

- Foul body odors

- Inappropriate application of beauty products (using deodorant as a hair spray, etc.)

- Asking for a second taxi receipt when somebody else has paid the fare

- Lending equipment to an opponent

[Sperm Edwards]

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JETS

One defeat and picture changes

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 12, 2006

Eric Mangini was asked if he felt like the Toast of the Town.

It was the opening question to last Monday's news conference, when the Jets were still thawing out from a lopsided win in Green Bay and in solid position as one of five teams tied for the two AFC wild cards.

Things have changed dramatically in the week since. The Jets lost a sloppy game, 31-13, to the Bills Sunday and have fallen outside the playoff six-pack that now includes Cincinnati and Jacksonville as the wild cards. With three games left, the Jets are a game back from a January berth without a tie-breaker edge against the two teams ahead of them. Even if the Jets win their remaining games - they have not won three in a row since 2004 - they'd still need help to get in.

Toast of the Town? The only toast being talked about yesterday was the Jets' defense that reverted to its October form, giving up a 57-yard touchdown run and a 77-yard touchdown pass in the first half Sunday.

But although the Jets' play on Sunday was dreadfully scattered, their approach yesterday was aimed at consistency.

"If we had won [sunday], I'm really not supposed to feel any different," said linebacker Matt Chatham, a seven-year veteran. "That's the kind of mentality you have to train yourself to have. All those crappy feelings had to be out of my system when I woke up this morning. It's tough to do and it does take several seasons and several times through this course to get it in yourself, but hopefully we have enough guys that are there, and we're trying to impress that upon the younger guys."

Mangini has preached consistency all season, but this will likely be the toughest test of the philosophy. The deflating nature of the Bills loss - the performance combined with the circumstances - could cripple some teams.

"You're always fighting human nature," Mangini said. "You come off a big win, you fight the human nature of everything's OK, things are good. If you come off a big loss, you fight the human nature of the sky is falling, things are so bad. It's never the case in either of those scenarios."

While the rookies looked to the veterans for examples of how to react to such a loss as Sunday's - "You just kind of go with the flow," receiver Brad Smith said yesterday - some of the experienced players admitted they had not fully exorcised their disappointment when they showed up to work yesterday.

"We had a down side to us. It was a loss. Who's not going to be sad?" defensive lineman Bobby Hamilton said, adding that he is looking forward to taking the field tomorrow in preparation for the Vikings game. "We have to move on. We have to continue to work hard and get that bitter taste out of our mouth."

Having the Jaguars and Bengals ahead of them is the worst scenario for the Jets, as Jacksonville holds a head-to-head tie-breaker over them and Cincinnati has the best conference record among the contenders. The Broncos and Chiefs are tied with the Jets and would be also-rans if the season ended today.

Noting that a win over the Bills would have been helpful to the cause, if not a determinant in his mood, Chatham insisted that the end of the Jets is not near. He even said the Jets have observed the full circle of analysis that has accompanied this season, from doomsday preseason predictions to playoff bandwagons and, now, back again.

"We get a little bit of humor ourselves out of watching the ebb and flow of the opinion of us," Chatham said, chuckling. "We have to be as consistent as we can be and not get caught up in that."

So having read the clippings and surveyed the postseason landscape, is it time to give up yet?

"I think I'll go ahead and play again this week," Chatham said.

[Sperm Edwards]

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NUMBERS STILL ADD UP

By JAY GREENBERG

December 12, 2006 -- WIN, lose or in danger of drawing their last breath Sunday, the Jets remain the same Sphinx.

Kimo von Oehlhoffen, who has inspirational tales to tell of how his 2005 Steelers won the last four to squeeze into the playoffs then never lost again, only smiled and said: "That's in the past."

Eric Mangini, evading the question of whether the time has come to fire up the boys with that old-standby "everybody's writing you off!" said: "This game's important, the next game's important and the game after that is important."

Actually, that sums it up. And even if they run the table, the Jets, who have to finish ahead of the Jaguars because of the head-to-head loss; who currently have the edge in the second applicable tie-breaker (conference record) over only Kansas City, need a lot of help. That means two teams out of the following three - Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Denver - have to lose two out of three.

But somehow this still doesn't sound impossible to us, seeing how the Bengals have to go to Indianapolis and Denver, plus have a home game with Pittsburgh; seeing as Jacksonville still has to go to Tennessee and Kansas City, plus has a home game with New England.

Likewise, the Jets winning all three (against teams with a combined record of 14-25) seems more like something they can do than something they haven't done all year.

The Jets opened themselves wider than that hole Willis McGahee ran through Sunday to allegations of playoff-contending fraud. But the only thing we think was exposed was, again, the nature of the NFL. You give up big plays, which the Jets had kept to about one per game since the bye, and turn the ball over, which recently had killed them only against Chicago's dynamic defense, you will lose, possibly big as you won the week before.

The Jets didn't have terminal weaknesses exposed by the Bills. They just had some good players, including their quarterback, play bad, some for a good portion of the day.

The coach didn't coach to his usual standards either, not only punting on fourth-and-one at the Bills' 38, but kicking it straight away to a touchback instead of pooching it for the corner.

But stuff happens. And none of that stuff suggests that they can't win in Minnesota against a 6-7 team with, statistically, the 27th-most passing yardage allowed in the league.

Winning at the Metrodome won't give the Jets any better chance the following week. It will only keep them alive going to Miami, where a stunning shutout of the Patriots on Sunday still doesn't proclaim the 6-7 Dolphins as the reincarnation of the 1985 Bears.

Because of the turnover factor, week-to-week is overrated in the NFL. But because of Mangini's approach, the Jets, who bounced back from the Jacksonville debacle to win the next two, week-to-week-to-week remains possible.

"Haven't we answered the (character) question before?" asked Pete Kendall. "The Chicago game was a disappointment and we reeled off a couple after that.

"What do they say in the financial world? Past performance is no guarantee of future results. We may not win the game Sunday, but I certainly don't worry about our mindset."

Mindset might just be the Jets' best weapon, for lack of others downfield.

But Pennington, who was practically lights-out for two weeks following his clunker against the Bears, will bounce back from a poor Buffalo game to riddle the Vikings. And if the Jets keep the mistakes in Miami to a minimum, they'll go into the fourth quarter with the same chance that they had at New England.

Get through those two, they can't possibly turn the ball over enough to lose to 2-11 Oakland.

And if three wins to close a 10-6 season is still not enough make the playoffs, the Jets never said the goal was getting in, just getting better. At that point, who would argue that they didn't?

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12122006/sports/jets/just_failin_it_in_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

JUST FAILIN' IT IN

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 12, 2006 --

QUARTERBACKS D Chad Pennington (22-35, 182 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 61.8 rating) wasn't nearly as sharp as he was a week ago, sailing one INT right over Jerricho Cotchery's head. [sE NOTE: Tell me how 2 int's and 2 fumbles and making line calls for dumpoff passes on 3rd & long isn't an F]

RUNNING BACKS C- Cedric Houston (18-50 yards) didn't have the touch he had a week ago, either. Leon Washington (7-55 rushing, 7-28 receiving) ran well, but the running game never really became the weapon it needed to be. [sE NOTE: overall the RB's were better than a C-. Over 4ypc, over 100 yds, and that was skewed by a stupid pitch-back to Houston that was sniffed out. Given how much room they had to run, these two did better than a C- job.]

WIDE RECEIVERS D+ Jerricho Cotchery (5-37) and Laveranues Coles (4-67, 1 TD) were held in check by the Buffalo defense. Justin McCareins and Brad Smith had one catch each. [sE NOTE: Chad not throwing the ball to them doesn't mean they played a D+ game]

TIGHT ENDS D+ Chris Baker (2-17) wasn't the factor he was a week ago. Sean Ryan had a catch for 8 yards. Run blocking wasn't great. Baker had a false start.

OFFENSIVE LINE D LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson and the rest of the line were eaten up by Bills DE Aaron Schobel (three sacks and a forced fumble). Run blocking was spotty and Pennington was pressured pretty heavily.

DEFENSIVE LINE D DT C.J. Mosley led the way with five tack les. DE Shaun Ellis had three tackles as did NT Dewayne Robertson. Overall, not a very productive day, particularly with Willis McGahee again shredding the Jets' defense. [sE NOTE: How does a DL that gets pushed around & gives up 10 ypc receive less than an F grade?]

LINEBACKERS D Victor Hobson had two sacks and six tackles. Eric Barton had six tackles. Bryan Thomas had a sack and four tackles. Brad Kassell and Matt Chatham each had three tackles. [sE NOTE: not a great day for the LB's, but no way they deserve the same grade as the DL or Chad, or even Mangini.]

SECONDARY C CB Justin Miller had the play of the game for the Jets on defense, tackling Bills RB Anthony Thomas, forcing a fumble and re covering it. S Kerry Rhodes had seven tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS C+ Rashad Washington had two tackles in kick coverage. Miller averaged 29 yards on three KO returns. Coverage teams con tained Bills PR Roscoe Parrish (5.7-yard average on three returns). P Ben Graham and long snapper James Dearth each had tackles in coverage. [if the ST did the exact same job but we'd won the game he'd give them a B+ for no reason.]

KICKING GAME B Mike Nugent had FGs of 30 and 38 yards and Graham averaged 42.2 yards gross and 34.8 yards net. But Graham's most important punt was a damaging touchback.

COACHING D Eric Mangini seemed more disappointed in his team than at any time this season. In hindsight, he probably should have gone for that fourth-and-1. He, too, should have opened the game by pounding the run a little bit more considering the Bills' No. 29 ranking in run defense. [They did try to pound the run you jackass; 25 rushing attempts in a loss by <2 scores is a LOT of carries. Once Buffalo realized, with half the game leftor more, that Chad wasn't going to attempt a pass over 5 yards, they stacked the run & Houston went nowhere after running strong early on. You can only run so much when you're down by 2 scores in the 2nd half anyway.]

Does this fool even watch the games?

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12122006/sports/jets/dream_fadin_away_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm

DREAM FADIN' AWAY

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 12, 2006 -- Eric Mangini has his minions in such a state of tunnel vision that, following their dismal loss to the Bills Sunday at Giants Stadium, they probably don't even know there are three games remaining on the regular season schedule.

Because we're not under contract with the Jets and thus are free to use the "P" word without worry of penalty by firing squad conducted by team director of security Steve Yarnell, we can tell you and the Jets this with conviction: The Jets need to win their three remaining games to even have a sniff at a playoff berth.

Even a run of the table in the final three games - at Minnesota Sunday, at Miami Dec. 25 and at home against Oakland on Dec. 31 - doesn't guarantee the Jets a postseason spot.

That's how damaging Sunday's loss was to the Jets, who had a coveted opportunity to make a major move toward a playoff berth with a win. After all, the Patriots lost to Miami, the Chiefs lost to Baltimore and the Broncos lost to San Diego.

The problem is, the Bengals and Jaguars both won to move to 8-5 and both teams have a tiebreaker edge over the 7-6 Jets if it comes to that to get into the playoffs.

Essentially, of the five teams that are competing for two wildcard spots, the Jets are fourth. If there is a tie between three or more teams and they have not all played each other, the first tiebreaker is conference record. The Bengals and Jaguars each have better AFC records at 6-3 and 5-4, respectively, than the Jets (5-5). So, too, do the 7-6 Broncos (7-4). Only the 7-6 Chiefs (3-6) have a worst conference record than the Jets.

The Jets essentially have to win all three games and hope for meltdowns by the Jaguars (who play at 6-7 Tennessee, 9-4 New England and at Kansas City) and the Bengals (who play at 10-3 Indianapolis, at 7-6 Denver and 6-7 Pittsburgh).

The Jets, it should be noted, have not yet won three games in a row under Eric Mangini. They've had two two-game winning streaks this season. They, of course, were going for their third consecutive win on Sunday - a win that would have had them in fantastic shape to make the playoffs.

LB Eric Barton yesterday described the loss to the Bills as a "speed bump we hit," adding, "We've got to respond to the adversity. We have the character on this team to step up and play the way this team is supposed to play."

The Jets, based on their record, were supposed to beat the Bills, who entered the day two games behind them. That's what makes Sunday's loss so debilitating. The Jets, though, are pretending Sunday never happened.

"We're a resilient team," S Kerry Rhodes said. "We're not rattled. The players here have thick skin. We're going to bounce back. We've got a lot of winners on this team. We're not going to go in the tank at all. We've still got some things we can do this year and we're going to take it from there."

DE Bobby Hamilton said, "We're moving on. We've got Minnesota. We can't worry about what happened (Sunday); we can only control what we have in front of us this week. That's what we're focused on."

*

Mangini said yesterday that the reason Kellen Clemens was elevated to No. 2 QB for the Bills game was his improved performance in recent practices. Clemens yesterday said Jets' offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told he and previous No. 2 Patrick Ramsey last Wednesday that the backup job was an open competition for three days.

"Being No. 2 and moving up the ladder, I'm excited about moving in the right direction," Clemens said.

Mangini, who likes to practice his team outdoors in the elements, said grudgingly yesterday that he plans to work some this week in the team's indoor practice bubble to simulate the Metrodome in Minneapolis. The Jets have not yet used the bubble this season.

[Sperm Edwards]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/story/479343p-403220c.html

Low-flying Jets won't sound playoff alarm

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

The relative calm of a typical Monday in the Jets' locker room was pierced yesterday with the screeching sound of a fire alarm. The symbolism was as subtle as a back-page headline.

The Jets imperiled their playoff chances with a disappointing loss to the Bills, meaning they almost certainly have to win their final three games (and get lots of help) to claim a wild-card berth.

That should've created a state of emergency at Weeb Ewbank Hall. But there wasn't any panic.

The Jets are approaching their suddenly dire situation the way they reacted to the unexpected siren (a false alarm): The players barely blinked and continued their conversations with reporters.

Outwardly, the team hasn't lost confidence. No matter what the standings say, the players still believe.

"We've got a lot of winners on this team, we've got a lot of pride and we're not going to go in the tank at all," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "We've still got things we can do this year and we're going to take it from there."

Said wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery: "We've worked so hard to put ourselves in position to have a good year, and we still have a chance to have a really good year. We haven't lost sight of that."

Maybe not, but the Jets (7-6) made it a lot tougher for themselves by losing to the Bills. They fell one game behind the Bengals and Jaguars in the race for the final two wild-card spots, a deficit that actually is greater than it appears.

The Jets are looking up at the two teams that hold tiebreaker advantages over them. The Bengals have the best conference record (6-3) among the five leading contenders, and the Jaguars have the head-to-head edge over the Jets (5-5 in conference) by virtue of their 41-0 rout in October.

Basically, the Jets - tied with the fading Chiefs and Broncos - need a 3-0 finish and a semi-collapse by the Bengals or Jaguars.

Things change quickly. In a span of one game, the Jets jeopardized their status as a feel-good story. Linebacker Matt Chatham couldn't help but laugh at the fickle nature of the business.

"You have to be slightly entertained by it," he said. "You have to remove yourself from the process. At the end of the day, we're the peons and the worker bees. We have to do our job, regardless of what people think about us."

Suddenly, the Jets' soft schedule doesn't look so soft. It starts with back-to-back road games against the Vikings (6-7) and Dolphins (6-7), the fourth- and third-ranked teams in total defense, respectively. Both teams remain on the periphery of playoff contention.

The Jets close the season at home against the Raiders (2-11), who could pose a problem because of their eighth-ranked defense - if they haven't mailed it in by then.

Under first-year coach Eric Mangini, the Jets have established themselves as a resilient team. They've suffered only one two-game losing streak and they rebounded from their two worst performances (losses to the Jaguars and Browns) with emotional wins over the Dolphins and Patriots, respectively.

"You're always fighting human nature," Mangini said. "You come off a big win, you fight human nature that everything's okay, things are good. If you come off a big loss, you fight the human nature that the sky is falling, things are so bad. It's never the case in either of those scenarios."

After a sloppy game against the Bills, the sky seems to be falling and the alarm is sounding in their own locker room. But there were no signs of panic.

"There's plenty of time," Chatham said. "We're not on the mat or anything silly like that."

[Sperm Edwards]

The One Way

Published: 12-12-06

By Eric Allen

Article Permalink: http://www.newyorkjets.com/articles/the-one-way

A day after their thirteenth game of the season, the New York Jets began their work week with film review and then moved onto the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Eric Mangini knows there aren’t many workdays before the end of the regular season, so each hour is of utmost importance.

“It has been the same thing we have been talking about since the bye week. There are not that many workdays here left; there are about 12 workdays left in the season between the three days of practice that are harder and the game,” Mangini said. “Compared to the amount of work we’ve put in up to this point, it is a pretty small number and it’s important that each day is taken advantage of fully.”

When he addressed his team Monday, Mangini talked about now. There are the 12 workdays left but Mangini stressed the importance of another number.

“Outside of that number twelve, it is really just the number one. What I told them is, ‘Just think in term of one fellas. Think in terms of one meeting, one practice, one period, one rep, one game,’” Mangini said Monday. “And that is the goal – not just now but that has been the goal throughout the whole season - is complete focus on the task that you have. If you do that, then everything else takes care of itself. If you get caught up in the past or the future or any of those things that are on the periphery, then you lose sight of what’s most important.”

The 7-6 Jets are still in the AFC picture with two road games on the immediate horizon. This week, the Green & White will finally get acclimated to their practice bubble because the Vikings play their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Even after a disappointing home loss against the Bills, the Jets maintain a levelheaded approach.

“You are always fighting human nature. You come off a big win and you fight the human nature of everything is okay and things are good,” Mangini said. “If you come off a big loss, you fight the human nature of the sky is falling and things are so bad. It is never the case in either of those scenarios. What the case is we have another game this week and to win that game – just like to win any game – it’s going to take consistent focus, consistent effort, and the same approach.”

Mangini has always viewed the season as a long run. The Jets may have stumbled against the Bills, but there are a couple of miles to finish before a finish line is in sight. Now it’s time for the Jets to pick up a little steam on this final turn which consists of road games with the Vikes and the Dolphins before a home date on New Year’s Eve against the Raiders.

“It’s a marathon and not a sprint. With any marathon, you need to have the same exact approach and the plan, and that’s what we are always trying to do,” Mangini said. “That is the goal for both coaches and players, and that’s what we are constantly working for.”

The Day After

When linebacker Matt Chatham woke up Monday, the nauseating hangover of Sunday’s outcome loomed deep within him.

“It was hard to get that feeling out of my system when I woke up this morning,” he said. “It’s tough to do, and it does take several seasons and several times through this course to get it in yourself.”

Even though it’s his first season with the Green and White, Chatham is confident and primed to finish out this season with a group of determined teammates.

“Like a lot of guys, I’m eager to get out Wednesday and try to fix those problems and make sure that they don’t resurface,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence in a lot of the individuals collectively, and I’m confident that we will pull it together.”

Notebook

For the first time this season, Kellen Clemens supplanted Patrick Ramsey as Chad Pennington’s backup on Sunday. “I thought Kellen had really strung together some really good weeks and I thought that he earned being bumped up to two,” Mangini said of Clemens. Sunday’s designation does not mean Clemens will necessarily be the backup in Minnesota. “It will be open again this week and whoever plays better will be the two,” said the first-year head coach… On Saturday evening, the Jets watched Julio Cesar Chavez’s dramatic 12th round stoppage of Meldrick Taylor some 16 years ago. Taylor entered the final round ahead on two of the three score cards, but Referee Richard Steele stopped the fight just two seconds prior to the final bell. Chavez dished out so much punishment that he did not respond to Steele when asked if he was okay.