Wednesday's Jets News

[SoFlaJets]

Jet win raises the bar

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

By RANDY LANGE

STAFF WRITER

New habits die hard, too. So never mind that one more win and the Jets are in. They still willingly won't utter the "P-word."

"Our approach will be consistent, just like it was with Miami," coach Eric "Buzzkill" Mangini said Tuesday back at the Jets' training complex following their 13-10 Christmas night success over the Dolphins. "We need to take care of what's in front of us, and what's in front of us is the Oakland Raiders and that's all our focus has to be on."

But even Mangini had to admit that there's excitement in the air, and so did his players after their hard-fought win put them one win over those sad-sack Raiders on Sunday from a wild-card berth.

"It can't get any better than this," defensive end Bobby Hamilton, said after the game, obviously putting all games from this date forward on an equal footing. "But by the time we get back in New York at 5 o'clock in the morning, it'll be on to Oakland."

As good as it was for the Jets, it has made the fan base naturally giddy. Forget Oakland -- sports talk radio was filled with speculation on a Jets-Colts matchup at Indianapolis in the first round.

Never mind that the Jets could be the fifth seed or the sixth, and that New England could be the three, and that the Jets and Patriots, Mangini and Bill Belichick, could get it on one more time at Gillette Stadium.

Never mind that it would help if the Jets beat the Raiders.

Of course, the Jets should beat Oakland, mired in an eight-game losing streak, 2-13 season and saddled with one of the worst offenses of the NFL's new millennium. The 12

[SoFlaJets]

Jets keeping focus for Raiders

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

Wilfredo Lee/The Associated Press

(Original publication: December 27, 2006)

HEMPSTEAD - There's one game left in the regular season, and either a victory or a tie will secure an AFC wild-card spot for the Jets.

But coach Eric Mangini will leave pondering the possibilities to those outside the locker room.

"This is definitely an exciting time of year for us, but our approach will be consistent, just like it was with Miami,'' Mangini said yesterday. "We need to take care of what's in front of us. Anything else after that point we'll address when and if it happens.''

The Jets (9-6) beat the Dolphins 13-10 Monday night on Mike Nugent's 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to keep control of their playoff destiny. The Jets host the Raiders (2-13) Sunday at the Meadowlands.

"It's not over, and we know how crazy this league is,'' Jets quarterback Chad Pennington said. "If any team has learned you can't just chalk wins up, it's our team.''

The Broncos (9-6) can secure the fifth seed by beating the 49ers or if the Chiefs lose to the Jaguars. That would leave the Jets as the sixth seed if they win, facing a game at the AFC's third seed either the following Saturday or Sunday.

That would be either the Ravens or the Colts, with Baltimore controlling its own destiny as far as clinching the second seed and a first-round bye.

The Jets can also make the playoffs with a loss if: the Bengals lose or tie their season finale against the Steelers and the Jaguars lose or tie; the Bengals lose or tie and the Titans beat the Patriots; or the Broncos and the Jaguars both lose.

Backing in to the playoffs is obviously not the preferred option.

"Finishing is a core Jets value,'' Mangini said. "This is part of finishing the regular season, and that's going to be a big focus of ours this week.''

But finishing strongly and carrying that success into the playoffs is somewhat connected to how Pennington performs. It was perhaps a good sign that the Jets overcame one of his weaker performances Monday night.

Pennington completed 14 of 29 passes for 237 yards and a 32-yard touchdown to Jerricho Cotchery. But he had 41 passing yards at halftime in a driving rain, and a good portion of his yardage came on a 64-yard screen to Leon Washington and a 28-yard shovel pass to the rookie running back.

"He's been in a lot of situations like this. It helps to have your leader, your quarterback, to be through this before,'' Cotchery said. "He made us more relaxed; we knew he'd be able to pull it out in the end. He's just calmly talking, 'Y'all relax, I got this. You just make some plays for me, and we'll be OK.' ''

Notes: Mangini provided no update on wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who might have suffered a head injury against the Dolphins, or cornerback Andre Dyson, who left the game late in the third quarter after apparently injuring his right leg. The injury report is due today, and both are likely to be questionable. ... Washington, who made four catches for 108 yards, was the team's offensive player of the week. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who tied for a team-high nine tackles, was the defensive player of the week, and Nugent was the special teams player of the week. Defensive tackle Matt McChesney was the practice player of the week. ... Mangini is a candidate for the Motorola coach of the week award for the second straight week, and Washington is a candidate for the Diet Pepsi rookie of the week award. Fans can vote at NFL.com. ... Despite stating last week he had no interest in the Alabama job, Dolphins coach Nick Saban rekindled the rumors by telling ESPN he missed college coaching and refused to say he would not listen to any offers Alabama might make.

Reach Andrew Gross at agross@lohud.com and read his Jets blog at www.lohud.com/blogs

[SoFlaJets]

Strong praise

for Chad

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Eric Mangini came to the defense yesterday of Chad Pennington, whose arm strength was mocked by ESPN's Tony Kornheiser during the Monday night telecast.

"He's made a lot of big plays with his arm this year," the Jets' coach said.

Mangini mentioned Pennington's 42-yard completion to Justin McCareins at the start of the third quarter in Monday night's win over the Dolphins. Mangini also noted the 58-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles in the first Miami game and the 44-yard scoring strike to McCareins in the Detroit game.

"That's the tape I've been watching, and I can only evaluate the tape that I've been watching and the plays that I've been seeing," Mangini said. "Chad has made a lot of vertical throws that have been very important to us being successful."

Pennington is averaging 7.02 yards per attempt, eighth in the AFC. Of course, he gets the statistical credit for the 64-yard pass play to Leon Washington, who took a screen behind the line of scrimmage and motored another 70 yards with the ball.

Reminded that his stats got padded with that play, Pennington smiled and said, "How sweet it is."

CORNER CONCERN: Mangini acknowledged that CB Andre Dyson "got a little banged up" in the game, which could be cause for concern. Dyson hurt his right knee in the second half and didn't return. Mangini, refusing to give details, said they're monitoring the injury.

If Dyson can't play Sunday against the Raiders, the left-cornerback job probably would be shared by David Barrett and Justin Miller. Dyson shadowed Dolphins WR Chris Chambers much of the game, holding him to one catch.

CUT LOOSE: Washington's dazzling 64-yard reception came as no surprise to his teammates. During a half-speed, punt-return drill in the pregame warmups, he made some "tacklers" look silly with a couple of sharp cuts on the wet turf at Dolphin Stadium.

"Leon catches the ball, makes two ridiculous cuts and our legs buckle," said Matt Chatham, a member of the punt-coverage team. "That wasn't a real confidence booster. I don't like going into the locker room, thinking, 'Damn, I don't think I could've tackled that guy.' It shows how talented that kid is."

TURN FOR BETTER: If the Jets beat the Raiders to finish 10-6, they will tie the 1981 team for the second-biggest turnaround in team history - an improvement of six victories from the previous season.

The biggest turnaround? In 1997, one year after the 1-15 debacle, the Jets went 9-7 in Bill Parcells' first season - but missed the playoffs by losing the final game. ... With Monday night's win, Pennington improved to 30-22 as a starter, giving him the highest winning percentage (.577) in Jets history. (Based on a minimum of 20 starts.) He passed Vinny Testaverde, who went 35-26 (.574).

Originally published on December 27, 2006

[SoFlaJets]

Mangini cancels talk show

Don't look now, but the Jets are about to make the playoffs. It will happen on Sunday with a victory over the sad-sack Oakland Raiders, in an East Rutherford stadium named after another team. But again, please don't look. Focus your negative New York gaze and headlines on some other team. Gawk at the Giants, and their flamboyant mess of a locker room. Sneer at the Knicks, or pity the Nets.

Ignore the Jets, leave them alone, because that has been their secret formula for success this season. The less the fanfare, the greater the short-yardage completions. The more doubts from outsiders, the fewer the penalties and turnovers. The duller the quotes, the more dramatic the finishes.

"I think the atmosphere at the stadium is always great," Eric Mangini said, looking ahead to the weekend with customary restraint. "I appreciate that excitement. I enjoy hearing the cheers when they get that going. Our guys feed off that. Our job is to give 'em something to cheer loudly about."

Mangini said this yesterday in his usual decibel-challenged voice, at the Jets' training site at Hofstra. The Jets practice on Long Island, far from the noise and most sports columnists. When they move headquarters to Jersey in a couple of years, they will not recognize all the new, snarky faces behind the digital recorders.

By then, too, there may be greater expectations to meet and maybe even a few more household names on the roster. But for now, the Jets are 9-6 and everybody keeps searching in vain for the smoke and mirrors behind the sideline benches.

On Monday night, the Jets somehow beat Miami, 13-10, while they were being insulted on a regular basis by ESPN's Tony Kornheiser. Kornheiser said that nobody outside New York knows these guys - he might have added the five boroughs - and that the commentator's dog could throw the ball with greater force than Chad Pennington.

And then all Pennington did again was engineer the winning, fourth-quarter drive on soggy footing for a field goal. He appeared more effective than Kornheiser's dog, who has yet to throw a single screen into Dolphin pressure.

"The tapes I watched, Chad threw the ball well," Mangini said. "It was pretty deep. That's the tape I've been watching. A lot of vertical throws."

He may not be watching the same tapes as the rest of us, but then nobody is going to question the way Mangini has low-keyed this team all the way into contention. The coach is a strange guy - more cerebral than he is either macho or conversational. He likes to show boxing films to his players, reliving the days when Mangini watched these bouts with his father. For the moment, the team seems amused by his odd habits, even inspired.

Who knows how long this lasts? The AFC brackets are filled with killer opponents. Then the schedule gets tougher next year.

For now, though, the Jets are the perfect counter to the knucklehead Giants. And the Jets probably owe some of their success to the distractions created this season by Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress and Tom Coughlin.

While the back pages were busy picking apart the Giants, the Jets got a free pass. They beat some bad teams, gathered momentum, and now here they are. They are in control of their own playoff destiny - in large part because Nick Saban suffered a crisis of faith late in the game and ordered a field goal instead of going on fourth and short.

Saban gave up control of the game, and now the Jets have control of the wild-card standings.

Mangini refused to take the bait yesterday. He wouldn't talk about the team's position in the race. Instead, he said he was proud of his players for showing a consistency of effort. That was one of the three core Jet values, Mangini said:

Communication, for one.

"It's better for us to be all wrong together than to be half wrong or half right," he said, and of course it was hard not to think about the Giants and their petulant, finger-pointing ways.

Focus, for two.

Finally, the third core value: finishing.

"Finish - whether it's finish the play, finish the drive, finish the season," Mangini said.

The Jets will finish that regular season on Sunday, when the headlines will be all about the Giants again and their final fling Saturday in Washington.

The Jets will be circling under the radar again. Perfect. Keep looking at the other guys.

Originally published on December 27, 2006

[SoFlaJets]

Ready to ring in Jet arrival

Can't drop ball on New Year

[SoFlaJets]

JETS NOTEBOOK

No loss of focus after punt glitch

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 27, 2006

Perhaps an overlooked aspect of the Jets' 13-10 win Monday night was the defensive stand after an unfortunate bounce on a Miami punt gave the Dolphins the ball back at the Jets' 42. It was not overlooked by coach Eric Mangini, from whom details escape like light from a black hole.

"Believe it or not, we practice those situations," defensive end Shaun Ellis said, marveling at the preparation that came in handy and held the Dolphins to a tying field goal with 2:09 left. "We did all that," Ellis said, chuckling. "That's the Genie Man!"

After the Dolphins recovered the punt that caught the left elbow of Brad Kassell, they were poised for a go-ahead touchdown. Instead, the defense bore down. Kerry Rhodes made a strong tackle on a screen pass, Bryan Thomas sacked Cleo Lemon and Ellis made what turned out to be a game-saving tackle when he dragged down Sammy Morris after a 12-yard gain on third-and-13. On fourth-and-1 at the 7, the Dolphins kicked a 25-yard field goal to tie the score at 10.

"When a play like that happens, you have to fight and keep your composure," Rhodes said. "Don't get rattled in that situation, knowing that they are automatically in scoring position. Just come out and try to hold them to three. If they score a touchdown there, maybe it's a different story."

Paint by numbers

Jerricho Cotchery said he knew he scored a touchdown even though he was initially ruled down at the 1 on his reception in the fourth quarter. And he didn't have to look up at the two-story hi-def video screen to figure it out.

"I looked down at my knee and it had nothing but blue paint on it, so obviously I had to be somewhere in the end zone when I came down," Cotchery said.

Looking for something more conclusive, Mangini said he waited to hear from the staff upstairs before throwing the challenge flag.

Chad Vick?

Chad Pennington threw for 237 yards against Miami and has 3,195 for the season, surpassing his previous best of 3,120 in 2002. But he was also one of the Jets' top rushers, turning in a 15-yard scramble in the third quarter for his longest dash of the year. His 26 yards on four carries set a career high.

[SoFlaJets]

Kickoff stays at 1

BY NEIL BEST

Newsday Staff Writer

December 27, 2006

Tens of thousands of Jets ticket holders avoided New Year's Eve complications when the NFL left the team's game against the Raiders at 1 p.m. Sunday, opting to move Packers at Bears to prime time under the flexible scheduling system.

Why, though?

If the Giants win Saturday night, the Packers game almost surely would be meaningless by kickoff. The Jets-Raiders game would have been guaranteed to be meaningful even if kickoff were at night, not to mention the fact that several other AFC teams would have stayed in contention earlier in the day.

Turns out the reason is CBS chose to protect the Jets game, according to two league and network officials familiar with the decision, making it ineligible for prime-time consideration. (Fox protected the Falcons-Eagles game.)

The Raiders have been a ratings disaster area this season, but the Jets' win-and-they're-in end of the story proved compelling enough to merit protection by CBS.

[SoFlaJets]

Still laying off 'P' word

Even on the verge of a postseason-clinching win, Mangini sticks to his season-long silence

BY ERIK BOLAND

Newsday Staff Writer

December 27, 2006

Eric Mangini would not bite.

Not at the midway point of the season, when the Jets first found themselves being discussed as a postseason contender. Not with four games left, when playoff scenarios began to take shape.

And not even yesterday, with the win-and-you're-in situation facing the Jets in Sunday's New Year's Eve day game against the Raiders at the Meadowlands, would the league's youngest coach utter the two-syllable word: playoffs.

"This is definitely an exciting time of year for us, but our approach is going to be consistent, just like it was prior to Miami," Mangini said the day after the 13-10 victory over the Dolphins. "We need to take care of what's in front of us and what's in front of us is the Oakland Raiders, and that's all our focus has to be on. Anything else after that point, we'll address when and if it happens."

Mangini was not being coy or running some kind of verbal misdirection play. It is the Mangini mantra: Never take two steps when there's one that has yet to be taken.

Considering the season the Jets were predicted to have and the opportunity that presents itself Sunday, if it ain't broke ...

"The key thing for us is to take the same consistent approach that we had in Week 6, Week 1, Week 12, and it carries over," Mangini said, perhaps coincidentally, but probably not, mentioning weeks that resulted in wins. "That's how we've been able to make progress. That's how we've been able to be successful and that's not going to change."

Though it appears Terrell Owens will win some kind of Teammate of the Year award before Mangini says "playoffs," his players were not as restrained after Monday's game.

"We definitely have the character of a playoff team," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "We didn't waver; we kept fighting. We have a strong-minded team. I told the team earlier, I love this team. This team fights and we stick together as a team. If one unit is not doing so well, another is going to pick up the slack."

"All you ask for is a chance, an opportunity," quarterback Chad Pennington said. "And it's not over."

It appeared as if it might be over several times Monday night, particularly in the fourth quarter as the momentum went from sideline to sideline. There was Miami taking a 7-3 lead with 13:26 left but the Jets responded with Pennington's perfectly placed 32-yard touchdown pass down the middle to Jerricho Cotchery with 8:04 left for a 10-7 lead.

The Jets (9-6) forced a three-and-out on the next Miami possession but the Dolphins received a break when Donnie Jones' short punt backed up and brushed the Jets' Brad Kassell from behind. Miami recovered, leading to Olindo Mare's tying field goal from 25 yards with 2:09 left.

No matter.

Leon Washington's 64-yard gain on a screen pass led to Mike Nugent's 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to win it.

The Jets shook off a subpar first half by Pennington as the defense took a shutout into the fourth quarter, then saw their quarterback hit receivers when he had to in the final period.

"What I was most happy with was, as the game swung back and forth, which we knew it would, that the team collectively responded," Mangini said. "And there were things in all three phases that we had to respond to and were able to move on to the next play, deal with adversity and finish the game."

And finish a season that, with a win, won't be quite finished yet.

Sunday

Raiders at Jets

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

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

[SoFlaJets]

Grading the Jets

BY TOM ROCK

Newsday Staff Writer

December 27, 2006

Newsday's Tom Rock rates the Jets' performance in Monday night's win over Miami.

OFFENSE: C+

The Jets' first nine possessions garnered a measly 120 yards, including six three-and-outs and a pair of drives that lost yardage. Chad Pennington completed only 5 of 14 passes in the first half. But the final three drives bailed out the Jets as they accumulated 204 yards and, more importantly, 13 points. Pennington had 237 yards and no interceptions and Leon Washington did not take a handoff in the second half but had the key play on the 64-yard screen pass. Washington had 161 all-purpose yards, including 108 receiving. The Jets converted 3 of 4 third downs in the fourth quarter, 4 of 14 the rest of the game.

DEFENSE: A

Their NFL rankings may have differed by 25 spots heading into the game, but the Jets went punt for forced punt with the Dolphins, making Miami kick on nine of its first 10 possessions. The only drive that didn't end with a punt was stopped by halftime. The 78-yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown was disconcerting. For the second straight week, the Jets had to adapt to a backup quarterback with more mobility, and though Cleo Lemon was 11-for-16 for 104 yards and a TD, the Jets were able to keep him out of the end zone on the final drive, which only tied the score despite a muffed punt.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

It's hard to quibble with the unit when the game is decided on Mike Nugent's field goal with 10 seconds left. But there were some flaws, not even considering Brad Kassell's left elbow on a fourth-quarter punt that gave the ball back to the Dolphins. Ben Graham has struggled to hold a field goal each of the last two weeks, which could become a concern as meaningful games mount. Washington is more explosive than his predecessor, Tim Dwight, on punt returns, but he still looks unsure of his decisions and nearly muffed one, recovering his own fumble.

COACHING: A

The Jets' preparedness continues to pull them through, even in games where they struggle. The only thing worse than not scoring when the Jets received the ball with 2:09 left would have been scoring too quickly. Eric Mangini's clock management set up the winning field goal with 10 seconds left even though they ate up 64 yards on the first bite. Mangini took his time before challenging the Jerricho Cotchery touchdown, making sure his eyes upstairs were certain they would get the overturn. The Jets maintained their game plan on offense and defense despite some unpleasant weather and, in the case of the offense, unpleasant statistics. They survived both.

[SoFlaJets]

WITH HOLIDAY SPIRIT

JETS REPORT CARD

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 27, 2006 -- QUARTERBACKS

( Chad Pennington (14-29, 237 yards, 1 TD, 87.9 rating) didn't look good at times throwing the ball in the wet and windy condition, but he managed the game very well and made the key plays when he had to, such as the TD throw to WR Jerricho Cotchery.

RUNNING BACKS

( Tough sledding against the Dolphins' de fense. Kevan Barlow grinded out 36 yards on 18 carries. Leon Washington was the star of this show, catching four passes for 108 yards and rushing for 26 yards on six carries.

WIDE RECEIVERS

( Cotchery led the way with four catches for 50 yards and the TD. Laveranues Coles took a couple of bruising hits and had only two catches for nine yards, but simply staying in the game after the blow by LB Zach Thomas was a tribute to his toughness.

TIGHT ENDS

© Chris Baker (1-11) and Sean Ryan did a decent job blocking.

OFFENSIVE LINE

( LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson had some troubles with Miami DE Jason Taylor, but overall handled him well. The line pro tected Pennington well, allowing only one sack.

DEFENSIVE LINE

( DE Shaun Ellis had five tackles, NT Dewayne Robertson had two tackles and a QB pressure. Pretty good work against the run and some pressure on Miami QBs.

LINEBACKERS

( Jonathan Vilma had nine tackles. Bryan Thomas had four tackles and a sack. Victor Hobson had three tackles and a sack.

SECONDARY

( S Erik Coleman led the team with nine tackles. S Kerry Rhodes missed a tackle on the one Miami TD, letting TE Randy McMichael slip through his grasp.

SPECIAL TEAMS

( Great teamwork by Brad Smith, Brad Kassell and Wallace Wright to down a Ben Graham punt at the Miami one-yard line. Kick coverage was solid, allowing Wes Welker an average of only 20.8-yards on four KO returns.

KICKING GAME

(B+) K Mike Nugent had two FGs, including the game-winner from 30 yards with 10 seconds remaining. Graham averaged 41.5 yards gross and 37.6 yards net on eight punts, but mishandled yet another snap for a FG try.

COACHING

(A) Eric Mangini was again prophetic in his pre-game message to the players show ing them Ali-Frazier I and having Frazier de liver a special message to the players about sticking to the game plan.

[SoFlaJets]

MIAMI WAR A PERFECT PLAYOFF PREP

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 27, 2006 -- Several Jets players said after Monday night's game that its intensity and grit was perfect preparation for - dare we say? - the playoffs, should the Jets get in with a win over Oakland Sunday.

"This was a playoff game," left guard Pete Kendall said, referring to the Jets' 13-10 win over Miami. "In my limited experience (with postseason games), this is what I remember about playoff games."

Linebacker Matt Chatham, who had the fortune of joining the Patriots in 2000 when Bill Belichick and staff took over, is very used to playoff football. He has three Super Bowl rings to prove it.

"These are the kinds of games that you've got to get under your belt - very, very competitive, playoff-type games where everything was on the line," Chatham said. "You need a game like this, because if we get into the playoffs this is very similar to that situation. Maybe we had to be tested this way. This was the kind of game we needed to win."

*

The win gave the Jets a 6-2 record on the road, second only to their 7-1 mark in 2001 under Herman Edwards. They went 0-8 on the road last season.

Chad Pennington called it "quite an accomplishment," saying it reminds him of 2001.

Pennington, too, revealed this: "I learned a lot from Vinny (Testaverde) that year, watching him play on the road and how he stayed on an even keel. He never went too high or too low and the team was able to respond to that."

*

Pennington was distraught for a moment when his wide receiver and close friend Laveranues Coles lay on the ground after being crushed by a high Zach Thomas hit.

"My No. 1 goal is to not put my receivers in harm's way," Pennington said. "I hated to see that happen. Zach Thomas flies around the football. He's like a missile.

"My heart really dropped to see that. (Coles) is a great competitor. Coming back in there what he did was he gave us stability with our personnel groups. Having him in the game we were able to stay normal. Even through he wasn't making big plays, things were OK and there's a lot to be said about that."

Coles, indeed, returned to the game after that hit and finished with two catches for nine yards.

CB Andre Dyson, who limped off the field late in the third quarter favoring his right leg, appears not to be hampered with a serious injury.

*

Eric Mangini yesterday named the Players of the Week, citing RB Leon Washington on offense, LB Jonathan Vilma on defense and K Mike Nugent on special teams. Matt McChesney was the "practice player of the week" for the looks he gave on the Dolphins' line blocks.

[SoFlaJets]

IT'S TIME TO GET IT DONE

December 27, 2006 -- JOE Namath wouldn't be one of our forever heroes if he didn't finish the job. Mike Eruzione and the American hockey team in 1980 wouldn't be etched in our national consciousness if they didn't finish the job and win the gold medal against Finland after the miracle against the Russians.

Finish the job, Eric Mangini.

Finish the season, New York Jets, and usher in the new year with a playoff berth at a place that will feel like Times Square Stadium if you do.

This is not the time to revel in the warm New York embrace at the end of a fairy-tale season that has come out of nowhere.

This is the time to turn into natural born killers Sunday at 1 p.m. against an Oakland Raiders outfit that has embarrassed all the great old Silver & Black messengers of Pride and Poise.

This is the time for Mangini to show his Jets a clip of Roberto Duran's merciless hands of stone when he smelled the blood of Ken Buchanan or Pipino Cuevas. Or film of young Mike Tyson when he turned Trevor Berbick into a stumbling Bowery Street bum. Or Jordan, or Messier, with the game on the line.

Jets fans who wish they didn't hear Same Old Jets in their sleep think this team is different, know this team is different, understandably need final proof that it is.

Finish the job.

Finish the season.

Kick these Raiders when they're down ... just like Ben Davidson and those boys did to Broadway Joe.

Mangini started talking about core Jets values the minute he showed up in the summer, and if nobody was listening to him then, we sure are listening to him now.

"Communication," Mangini said yesterday, "is the first one ... it's better for us to all be wrong together than to be half-wrong and half-right. The ability to be able to focus on an individual play, or an individual meeting or an individual practice, that's another one that we talk about all the time. Finish ... whether it's finish the play, finish the drive, finish the game, finish the season ... those are three of our things that we constantly are preaching about."

He coaches the anti-Giants, who have given us rotten to the core values: dissension, selfishness, anarchy, stupidity, finger-pointing. Mangini somehow transformed the Jets into a team of Chrebets: defiant, blue-collar gym rats who are 60 minutes from the playoffs because of their unity, perseverance, preparation, pride, heart, will, moxie, resilience, resourcefulness, selflessness, mental toughness and, last but not least, fight.

They go about their work industriously, with little fanfare, like an army of green and white ants. The Giants are marquee, the Jets are low-key. Except for Laveranues Coles, or Justin Miller returning kicks, or Kerry Rhodes off the corner, or maybe now Leon Washington on screens, the Jets do not scare the other team. But when they show up for the game, everyone collectively scares the other team.

The blueprint for the modern-day Mangini-Mike Tannenbaum Jet player: smart, tough, competitive, hard-working - and football is important to him. One penalty against the Dolphins Monday night - one.

"If you do get a penalty in the game, or a turnover, you run the following week," Mangini said.

No one expected the Jets to be on the brink of January, even in this league, largely because no one knew what kind of head coach and what kind of quarterback they were going to get. The Patriots have won three Super Bowls largely because Bill Belichick is a great coach and Tom Brady is a great quarterback. Sometimes you can get to a Super Bowl with either a great coach or a great quarterback; the young Joe Gibbs won three with three different quarterbacks, for example.

Mangini is not yet a great coach, more like a great rookie coach for now, who is not afraid to play to win, and Chad Pennington is not a great quarterback, more like a great inspiration with great leadership skills and great smarts, but this much we know: Giants fans sure wish they had Mangini and Pennington leading their team.

It is a crime the Giants still can make the playoffs. The Jets - the NFL's "Little Engine That Could" - deserve to be there. They play the right way. They play for 60 minutes. They don't talk the talk, they walk the walk.

Finish the job.

Finish the season.

steve.serby@nypost.com

[SoFlaJets]

CAN'T DROP BALL NEW YEAR'S EVE

PLAYOFF-HUNGRY JETS FOCUSED ON RAIDERS

By MARK CANNIZZARO

December 27, 2006 -- The Jets' rain-soaked uniforms weren't even in the locker-room laundry bins after the Monday night win in Miami when the players' attention already turned to this Sunday.

Often after a big victory, players and coaches understandably want the luxury of enjoying the win before thinking about the next task at hand.

Not these Jets. From the sound of their voices and the enthusiastic, hungry look in their eyes, you can tell their focus already was on the next task.

Their focus already was on New Year's Eve at Giants Stadium against the lowly Raiders with a playoff berth on the line.

A win over the Raiders and, without any help from anyone, the Jets are in the playoffs a year removed from a 4-12 season.

That thought had a lot of the players looking forward to Sunday's regular-season finale.

"I hope it's electric," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "I'm sure it will be. The fans are going to be rowdy. It's New Year's Eve. They've got nothing else to do that day anyway. If everything goes right, it will be a big night."

Quarterback Chad Pennington remembers what Giants Stadium was like in 2002 for the regular-season finale against the Packers. Everything fell right for the Jets that day in other NFL cities and the Jets ended up pounding the Packers 42-17 to win the AFC East. The Jets went on to hammer the Colts 41-0 in the following week at home in an AFC playoff game.

Those two weeks were as good as it's ever been for the Jets at Giants Stadium.

"I hope it's like Green Bay in 2002," Pennington said. "That's what I'm really hoping for. The electricity in that stadium that year with the Jets fans was unbelievable.

"I know that our fans will be excited; they'll be unbelievable for us. What we need to do is answer their emotions and respond to their excitement and put together a good football game."

Pennington and some other veterans, including LG Pete Kendall, DE Shaun Ellis, LB Matt Chatham and DE Bobby Hamilton, were quick to caution the uninitiated that the Jets (9-6), while a marvelous story, have not sewn up a playoff berth yet.

Those veterans were quick to warn of the wounded-animal Raiders (2-13), who have to have some anger in them after enduring such a miserable season.

"All we accomplished (Monday night, a 13-10 victory) was getting one step closer. We've really sealed nothing," Chatham said.

Pennington said, "We're not done; we're not finished. We have to really bear down this week have some good practices and put those things together on a short week and come out and perform on Sunday."

Kendall said, "Oakland's defense is playing really well. Every time I look up and look at the statistics, Oakland is right there defensively. That is a good group. It's not over for us yet."

Eric Mangini yesterday called this "definitely an exciting time of year for us," but was quick to reiterate his consistent single-task-at-hand approach.

"We need to take care of what's in front of us, and what's in front of us is the Oakland Raiders, and that's all our focus has to be on," the coach said. "Anything else after that point we'll address when and if it happens. But the key thing for us is to take the same consistent approach that we had in Week 6, Week 1, Week 12.

"That's how we've been able to make progress. That's how we've been able to be successful, and that's not going to change."

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[SoFlaJets]

Pennington wants to relive past

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- On more than one occasion, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington has said his fondest memory in Giants Stadium came in the 2002 season finale against the Packers when the Jets needed a victory to earn a playoff berth.

Pennington said the place was rocking like never before -- or since -- as the Jets rolled to a 42-17 victory.

On Sunday, Pennington will be looking go back to the future when the Jets (9-6) can clinch a wild-card playoff berth with a win over the 2-13 Raiders.

"I'm hoping for 2002 against Green Bay. That's what I'm really hoping for," Pennington said after the Jets defeated the Dolphins, 13-10, on Christmas night in Miami to set up a win-and-in scenario. "The electricity in that stadium that year was unbelievable.

"And I hope that, I know that, our fans will be excited. It'll be unbelievable for us and what we need to do is answer their emotion and respond to their excitement and put together a good football game."

K Mike Nugent, who hit a game-winning 30-yarder with 10 seconds to play versus the Dolphins, said he got his most satisfying feeling after the game. It was his 15th consecutive FG this season.

"I was excited to see my teammates, see that look on everyone's face coming into the locker room," Nugent said after the game.

Nugent, a second-year pro, has hit 20 of 21 FG attempts since missing an extra point and two FGs (30 and 34 yards) in the opener versus the Titans. It was the first game-winning FG of his career.

The Raiders will be without former Jets RB LaMont Jordan (knee) and WR Randy Moss (ankle). Oakland ranks last in the NFL in total offense (248.7 yards per game) and points (165).

Jordan suffered ligament damage in his left knee Week 11 against the Chiefs and is out for the season. He rushed for just 434 yards and two TDs on 114 carries (3.8-yard average) this season.

Moss, who is miserable in Oakland, has missed the past two games and is listed as doubtful. He has 42 catches for 553 yards and three TDs. ... Aaron Brooks (neck) will start at QB if he's healthy, coach Art Shell said yesterday.

The Raiders defense ranks fourth in the NFL (286.1 yards per game -- 27th versus the run, first versus the pass). CB Nnamdi Asomugha has eight INTs, DE Derrick Burgess has 11 sacks and DT Warren Sapp has nine.

RB Leon Washington (team-high 597 yards and three TDs rushing) gives the Jets the best of both worlds, running inside and outside and adding 23 receptions for 253 yards, including a 64-yard run and catch on a screen pass versus the Dolphins to set up the winning FG.

Once the Jets settle on a featured back, the 5-8, 202-pound Washington should be even more dynamic as a change-of-pace guy.

Look for RB Cedric Houston, who sat out with a calf injury against Miami, to get the nod versus the Raiders after a subpar performance by Kevan Barlow (18 carries, 36 yards) against the Dolphins.

CB Andre Dyson injured his knee when he faced the Dolphins and he could miss some time. ... WR Laveranues Coles (chin) is fine. ... LB Jonathan Vilma (defense), RB Washington (offense) and Nugent (special teams) were named the players of the game by coach Eric Mangini.

[SoFlaJets]

Jets were hurt by old saying

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- In professional sports, the adage is: You are what your record says you are.

The Jets finished last season 4-12 before coach Herman Edwards bolted to Kansas City. But deep down, the Jets' veteran players knew there were exceptions to the time-honored sports adage and they were determined to be one of those exceptions.

Fueled by the memory of last season's injury-induced wreckage, the Jets (9-6) find themselves on the doorstep of a playoff berth following their gritty 13-10 victory over the Dolphins on Christmas night at water-logged Dolphins Stadium.

The Jets can punch their postseason ticket with a win against the playing-out-the-string Raiders (2-13) on New Year's Eve at Giants Stadium.

"We've maintained since we got together in March (for the start of off-season workouts) that (our record) is not who we are," said veteran guard Pete Kendall after Monday night's game. "We steadfastly refused to admit that we were a 4-12 team in 2006.

"There were 1,000 different things that went on last year and none of it matters because at the end of the day, you are what your record says you are. We were 4-12 in 2005, so be it."

Defensive end Shaun Ellis echoed those sentiments.

"(Heck), we just came from the playoffs the year before that (going 10-6 in 2004)," he said. "Everybody knew (we weren't a 4-12 team). All the circumstances that happened, you can't control that. I believe that (the injuries) had a lot to do with it.

"We didn't have our weapons. ... This year everybody just bought into the system and everybody is playing team ball. That's what we're doing now. Forget about all the numbers. The only number that matters is the 'W.'"

Last season, however, the number of games missed by injured starters was staggering. Starters missed an unfathomable 71 games because of injuries compared with just two this season.

It all started with the 13 games missed by quarterback Chad Pennington, the undisputed leader and biggest impact player. Although rookie coach Eric Mangini has done a magnificent job, as Pennington goes, so goes the Jets.

Linebacker Eric Barton (12) and six-time Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae (10) followed Pennington in terms of the most games missed. Even ironman running back Curtis Martin (four) was thrown for a loss by the injury bug.

This year Kendall is the only starter to miss any starts with an injury, though cornerback Andre Dyson injured his knee against the Dolphins and his status is unknown. Running back Cedric Houston has missed six games, but with the Jets' running back-by-committee approach it's hard to deem him a full-time starter.

Besides a return to health of the veterans, the Jets have had just four new impact players: rookies Nick Mangold, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Leon Washington and Dyson. The rest are role players, such as rookie Brad Smith and veteran running back Kevan Barlow.

"I think the core guys who were here last year understand we faced a lot of adversity," Pennington said. "This year we've been one of those teams that's been able to stay relatively healthy.

"Anytime we've had a nick or a bruise, somebody has been able to step up and provide quality minutes for us. It has been a team effort throughout the whole year. It's really good to see that happen."

The Jets' health is even more surprising considering how hard they've worked. There was much more contact and hard work than many players wanted during the off-season program, and the toughness of training camp has been well-documented.

In fact, Mangini continues to push his players hard. They remain in pads and Mangini despises the thought of even thinking about practicing in the bubble during inclement weather.

By contrast, Edwards was a players' coach who wanted to save his players for Sunday afternoons. He fully utilized the bubble because he said he wanted players concentrating on practice, not trying to stay warm.

"It's a tribute to the players, the coaches, everybody," safety Erik Coleman said. "Everybody worked hard in the off-season. We said we're not going to have that kind of season again.

"We've been playing well, taking it one game at a time, and it has paid off for us."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@starledger.com

[ECURB]

With Monday night's win, Pennington improved to 30-22 as a starter, giving him the highest winning percentage (.577) in Jets history. (Based on a minimum of 20 starts.) He passed Vinny Testaverde, who went 35-26 (.574).

Chad is a winning QB, more so than Vinny T was for us.. pretty cool

Chad Vick?

Chad Pennington threw for 237 yards against Miami and has 3,195 for the season, surpassing his previous best of 3,120 in 2002. But he was also one of the Jets' top rushers, turning in a 15-yard scramble in the third quarter for his longest dash of the year. His 26 yards on four carries set a career high.

I noticed this during the game... CRAZY

So now Chad in this season has had his best Passing and Rushing performances of his career! WOW