Jets news for 8/18/07

[TaborJet]

CHAD TO WORSE

By MARK CANNIZZARO

August 18, 2007 -- Eric Mangini could not have slept well last night - if he slept at all.

Sure, the Jets' 37-20 loss to the Vikings last night before an apathetic, sparsely populated Giants Stadium crowd was merely a preseason game. Sure, two weeks still remain before their Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the Patriots.

Nevertheless, progression is expected at this time of year, and the Jets, who have prided themselves in the Mangini era as a well-prepared, well-focused team that doesn't beat itself, went backward with last night's putrid performance.

"It's obviously very disappointing," said an agitated Mangini, who hinted strongly that a grueling week of practice lies ahead. "If anyone has the impression that it's OK because this is preseason, they're wrong."

This was not a night the Jets got much out of in terms of evaluation.

"This humbles you as a team," Jets' WR Jerricho Cotchery said. "This was a wasted night, because we didn't get a lot of guys evaluated the way they were supposed to be evaluated."

Where do we start with this bumbling masterpiece?

Perhaps with the two interceptions thrown by Chad Pennington (7-of-10, 40 yards, 2 INTs) in the first quarter that were both returned for touchdowns.

Maybe with the high shotgun snap by Pete Kendall that sailed over the head of Kellen Clemens (6-of-9, 56 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and was recovered for a TD by Vikings' DE Brian Robison in the third quarter to give Minnesota a 31-13 lead.

Then there was the Clemens pass in the third quarter that was mishandled by rookie WR Chansi Stuckey and picked off by Vikings CB Dovonte Edwards. That fourth Jet turnover of the night led to a FG giving Minnesota 24 points off Jets' turnovers.

"You're glad it doesn't count and you're still 0-0 (in the regular season)," Pennington said.

"But you're disappointed in the way you played."

*

Kendall, embroiled in a contentious contract dispute with the team and wanting out, clearly was ticked off at having to play center, where he flubbed the two snaps.

When he was told that the cynic might think he tanked it on those snaps as protest to playing center, Kendall said, "I can't do anything about what other people think. I'll sleep knowing I did the best I could."

Kendall, a natural guard, said he "made mention" to the coaches last week that he "didn't feel entirely comfortable after two or three days of practices" at center.

*

WR Justin McCareins continued his excellent summer with a 35-yard TD reception from Clemens which he froze three Vikings DBs en route to the end zone.

DE Shaun Ellis had two sacks. One the first, he forced a fumble by former Jets' QB Brooks Bollinger and recovered it.

*

CB Darrelle Revis, the Jets' No. 1 draft-pick who signed his contract Wednesday night, was in uniform but didn't play. . . . As expected, RB Thomas Jones (calf) didn't play. Nor did CB/PR Justin Miller (hamstring), FB Stacy Tutt (foot), S Eric Smith (leg) and CB Drew Coleman (knee).

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[TaborJet]

Pennington picked off twice for TDs, sinks Jets against Vikings

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, August 18th 2007, 4:00 AM

Chad Pennington was intercepted twice in the first quarter of the Jets' 37-20 loss to the Vikings. Both errant throws were returned for touchdowns, the first by Darren Sharper.

Eric Mangini was clearly unhappy on the sidelines last night when his team committed four turnovers.

Sean Ryan loses the ball out of bounds.

Chad Pennington should have stuck with last week's game plan: Just hand off and stay out of the way. It would have caused less damage that way.

After an oh-fer in the preseason opener last week - no pass attempts, that is - Pennington put the ball in the damp air last night at the Meadowlands and it wasn't pretty. Rusty and indecisive, the Jets' quarterback threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in a 37-20 loss to the Vikings.

It was a miserable night for the Jets, who likely will incur the wrath of Eric Mangini when training camp resumes tomorrow. They committed four turnovers, leading to 24 points for the Vikings. The final indignity was an errant shotgun snap by the disgruntled Pete Kendall, who hates playing center - a blunder that was recovered at the Jets' 3 and returned for a touchdown by defensive end Brian Robison. Later, Kendall uncorked another bad snap.

Oh, yes, the Jets were sloppy on defense, too, letting rookie Adrian Peterson run wild (eight carries for 70 yards), but Pennington's mistakes overshadowed the rest of the mess. He made two horrendous decisions, putting them in a 14-3 hole. If Kellen Clemens (6-for-9, 56 yards, one interception) hadn't been so mediocre, the talk shows would be buzzing today with a quarterback controversy.

"It's obviously disappointing," Mangini said. "I told them after the game that if anybody in here has the impression this is okay because it's the preseason, they're wrong."

On the first interception, Pennington tried to force the ball to Jerricho Cotchery on a slant route. Evidently, he didn't see safety Darren Sharper, who took it back 40 yards. One possession later, Pennington (7-for-10, 40 yards) did it again. This time, under pressure, he tried a dump-off to Leon Washington in the left flat, but linebacker Chad Greenway picked it off at full speed, going 16 yards for the touchdown. When he reached the sideline, Pennington received a lecture from Mangini.

"The only good thing about tonight is that it doesn't count," Pennington said.

The Pennington-led offense has yet to score a touchdown in six preseason possessions. It played without running back Thomas Jones (strained calf), who may miss the preseason. The lone offensive highlight was a 35-yard touchdown catch by Justin McCareins, who broke one tackle and faked two defenders after a short throw by Clemens.

The rest was pure slop, ending with Kendall's faux pas. Despite his two bad snaps, Kendall, much to his dismay, is expected to make the team. When a reporter asked Kendall if he did it on purpose, perhaps in an attempt to convince the coaches to cut him, he replied: "I'll sleep tonight knowing I did the best I could. I'll also sleep knowing I stunk."

He wasn't alone.

WEIGHT A MINUTE: Mangini was planning to hold a mandatory weightlifting session today, as he did the day after last week's game, but that would've been a violation of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. The rule states that players must have one day off per week during the preseason. It was brought to Mangini's attention, sources said, forcing him to change his plan. This marks the second time his methods have been questioned. In June, the players union investigated the Jets' off-season practices. No violations were announced. ... Rookie CB Darrelle Revis, who didn't sign until Wednesday, was in uniform but didn't play. ... DE Shaun Ellis recorded two sacks.

[TaborJet]

NFL questions Revis' contract with Jets

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 18, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Jets announced Wednesday night they had signed first-round pick Darrelle Revis. Yet by the next day, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and the rookie's representatives were meeting again as they scrambled to rewrite clauses in the contract to satisfy the NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association.

A final contract was finally reached Thursday - the document expanded from 47 pages to 51 - but not before a blossoming union-league dispute threatened to derail the deal.

At the center of the dispute are the clauses dubbed "not likely," incentives and other money Revis should be able to collect over the length of the deal. In other words, Revis is not likely to miss out on the money.

But in writing the deal, the Jets and Revis' agents came across Section 4 (Operations), paragraph "g" on page 32 of the collective bargaining agreement. The language in the paragraph was written deliberately open-ended, as the league and union could not agree on money paid to a player in a buyout under certain circumstances.

"The parties acknowledge that they disagree ... " reads one parenthetical sentence in the paragraph. "These issues are expressly left open," reads another sentence.

The union apparently wanted to use Revis' contract as a springboard to fighting the league on this matter, while Tannenbaum and Revis' agents, Suffern-based Neil Schwartz and his partner Jonathan Feinsod, argued the dispute should not block the way of a completed contract.

The contract ultimately was finalized. But the dispute lingers between the NFL and NFLPA and could affect future negotiations between clubs and players.

All dressed up: Revis jogged onto the field for last night's preseason game against the Vikings in his green No. 24 jersey. However, the cornerback/punt returner did not play after going through only Thursday's walkthrough.

He should play next Saturday against the Giants.

"It was a little weird to be in uniform and not in there," the 14th overall pick this April said.

Change of schedule: The Jets, who have had team activities every day since training camp opened July 27, even if they weren't on the field practicing, are scheduled to be off today after a mandatory lifting day was canceled. Union rules mandate a team receive at least four days off each month.

[TaborJet]

Pennington off mark in Jets' loss

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 18, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Maybe he should have stuck to handing off.

OK, perhaps that's a harsh assessment of Chad Pennington's evening in the Jets' 37-20 preseason loss to the Vikings last night at the Meadowlands. But two of the quarterback's 10 attempts in the first quarter were intercepted and returned for touchdowns.

"You're glad it doesn't count and you're still 0-0 as far as the NFL record book is concerned," said Pennington, who was 7 for 10 for 40 yards in four series after not attempting a pass in two series during last week's 31-16 win over the Falcons. "I take great pride in not giving the football away, and I didn't do that today."

It was indicative of an overall sloppy performance, as coach Eric Mangini watched his team throw three interceptions and lose one of its four fumbles.

Vikings safety Darren Sharper returned Pennington's first interception 40 yards for a touchdown, as tackle Kevin Williams flattened Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson along the sideline. Linebacker Chad Greenway returned the second pick 16 yards for a score.

"I told them after the game, if anybody has the impression that this is OK because it's the preseason, they're wrong," Mangini said. "We're going to work extremely hard to get those corrected."

The first-team defense was as bad as its offensive counterparts, and the Jets trailed 24-13 at halftime.

Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson started a seven-play, 77-yard drive at the start of the second quarter with a 43-yard run. He gained 57 of his 70 yards on the drive, including a 3-yard touchdown run that made it 21-6 with 10:30 to go in the second quarter.

Remember, this is a Jets defense hoping to improve on last season, when it finished 20th in the league and 24th against the run.

"You really can't take anything away from this game," said defensive end Shaun Ellis, who sacked former Jets quarterback Brooks Bollinger twice, forcing a fumble that he recovered the first time. "I think Minnesota just did a great job attacking us. We've just got to be more aware of what teams are doing to us. We just have to tackle better."

The Jets' second team wasn't much better.

Disgruntled offensive lineman Pete Kendall, who alternated first-half drives at left guard with his expected replacement Adrien Clarke, was used at center for the first time since his rocky 10-game emergency tenure in 2005. His play that season led the Jets to cut his salary, which has led to his demand this year to either be traded or released if the organization is unwilling to restore his money.

And while Kendall did well to recover second-string quarterback Kellen Clemens' fumble on defensive end Brian Robison's third-quarter sack, Kendall's snap on the next play went over the quarterback's head as Clemens lined up in the shotgun.

"I had made mention, I feel entirely uncomfortable after two or three days of practice," Kendall said. "I don't control where I play. I don't control when I play. I don't control who I play for. I did the best I could. The shotgun snaps were awful."

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.com and read his Jets' blog at www.jets.lohudblogs.com.

[TaborJet]

from Andrew Gross' blog

Final: Vikings 37, Jets 20

Two ways of looking at this one.

1. Boy, does this team need a lot of work.

2. Oh, well, it

[TaborJet]

Jets' air game is deflated as Vikings score on two Pennington INTs

Saturday, August 18, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

After playing two series and not throwing a pass in the preseason opener last week, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington threw the ball last night against the Minnesota Vikings.

Threw it 10 times. And two of those passes went for touchdowns.

Problem was, those two touchdowns went to the Vikings.

If the Jets are going to have any duds this season, the preseason is the time to do it, and that was certainly the case last night. Pennington wasn't alone in having an off night as the Jets fell, 37-20, to the Vikings before a small gathering at Giants Stadium.

The Jets looked like a team in need of a lot of work on both sides of the ball and they'll likely get it this week in training camp. Losing is one thing for coach Eric Mangini, but playing poorly is unacceptable.

"I told the team that if anybody has the impression this is okay because it's the preseason, they're wrong," Mangini said. "We're going to work extremely hard in practice next week to get this corrected."

Pennington, who played four series, completed 7 of 10 passes for 40 yards and the two interceptions. Vikings safety Darren Sharper returned one for 40 yards and linebacker Chad Greenway took back another for 16 yards. Pennington led the Jets on two field-goal drives, but he looked rusty and out of sync, and his interceptions came on bad decisions and bad throws. Mangini gave him a stern talking to on the sideline after his first interception.

There's no quarterback controversy yet between Pennington and Kellen Clemens, but Clemens turned in the Jets' biggest offensive play of the night when he threw a 35-yard touchdown to wide receiver Justin McCareins, who juked three defenders on the play. Clemens led the Jets on five scoring drives last week against the Falcons.

"About the only good thing that came out of tonight is it didn't count," said Pennington, adding he didn't see Sharper on the first interception and he should've thrown the ball away on the second when he was under pressure. "As a player, you're always disappointed. ... It starts with me. I think I take pride in taking care of the football."

Pennington threw a career-high 16 interceptions last season.

"My mistakes are flexible. I can fix them quick, in a heartbeat," Pennington said.

Meanwhile, the Pete Kendall at center experiment blew up in the Jets' face. In the third quarter, the veteran snapped the ball over the head of Clemens out of the shotgun formation and it was recovered in the end zone for a Vikings touchdown. He later had another bad snap in the shotgun. Third-year guard Adrien Clarke, who is starting in front of Kendall at left guard, also had a bad night that included a holding call.

The Jets have an interesting call there because the disgruntled Kendall is clearly the better player. The team intends to keep Kendall, a person who speaks regularly with members of the Jets' front office said this week, but they might have to pony up the $1 million he wants to keep him happy. The person requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak for the Jets or Kendall, who has asked that the team trade him or release him.

Kendall, a natural guard, said he told the coaches during the week that he didn't feel comfortable at center.

"I'm disappointed in those two snaps," Kendall said. "I can't blame anyone but myself. I let my teammates down. It's back to the drawing board, I guess."

Cynics may suggest Kendall tanked the snaps.

"I'll sleep tonight knowing that I did the best I could but I'll also sleep tonight knowing that I stunk," Kendall said.

There was little to be happy about with the Jets' first-team defense, either. The unit hasn't shown much improvement in their second season in the 3-4 scheme, allowing a seven-play, 77-yard drive (69 yards coming on the ground) that was triggered by a 43-yard run by rookie running back Adrian Peterson. Minnesota finished with 167 yards rushing.

Plugging holes in their leaky run defense was a priority this off-season but the Jets still have major issues. Last season, the Jets ranked 24th in the NFL in run defense, yielding 130 yards per game. Mangini was so displeased that most of the first unit played into the third quarter. The only bright spot was two sacks by defensive end Shaun Ellis, including a strip/sack and fumble recovery.

Pennington's rough night got off to a decent start when he completed his first two passes, then broke off a nifty 16-yard scramble for a first down. It was in stark contrast to last week when he handed the ball off on all nine snaps he took over two series. The good times didn't last, however.

On a second-and-7 from the Jets' 36, Pennington badly underthrew wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery on a deep sideline route -- not a good route for the average-armed Pennington -- and the ball landed right in the waiting arms of Vikings veteran Sharper, who raced down the right sidelines untouched. He was aided by a crushing blind-side block by defensive tackle Kevin Williams on Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Pennington regrouped to lead the Jets on an 11-play, 62-yard drive that was capped by a 19-yard field goal by Mike Nugent. But with a second-and-goal from the 1, the Jets threw two incompletions instead of running the ball. Perhaps they missed injured running back Thomas Jones (strained calf) -- or were working on their passing game. Last week, the Jets' first-team offense worked on the running game, remember?

Disaster struck again for Pennington on the next possession. On a second-and-16 from the Jets' 20, Pennington, under pressure and falling down, threw a pass intended for running back Leon Washington in the right flat. Linebacker Chad Greenway stepped in front and waltzed 16 yards for the score. Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards was snapping at Pennington's knee, having beaten Ferguson. It was the Vikings' fifth interception of the preseason.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

[TaborJet]

August 18, 2007

Vikings 37, Jets 20

The Jets

[TaborJet]

Three Vikings touchdowns, on two interception returns and a fumble return, trampled the Jets.

By Judd Zulgad, Star Tribune

Last update: August 18, 2007

[TaborJet]

The Jets' morning after

Saturday, August 18, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

THREE VETERANS

DE SHAUN ELLIS was one of the few defensive players to shine. He had two first-half sacks, including a strip/sack on quarterback Brooks Bollinger on which he recovered the fumble. The sixth-year pro has had a good training camp.

K MIKE NUGENT boomed his first kickoff four yards deep in the end zone and opened the second half with a kickoff that sailed two yards deep. He also kicked field goals of 19 and 34 yards in the first half. The third-year pro has bulked up and it's paying dividends.

Third-year G ADRIEN CLARKE, who is ahead of veteran PETE KENDALL on the depth charts, had a holding call and later missed a block on Kevin Williams that led to RB Leon Washington being tackled for a loss.

THREE YOUNG GUYS

Rookie free-agent S RAYMOND VENTRONE had two big tackles on special teams. That's how long-shots make NFL rosters in the preseason.

Rookie first-round pick, CB DARRELLE REVIS, suited up and looked very good in his No. 24 jersey. The Jets could've used him last night, but there's next week and a full season after he ended his 20-day hold out on Wednesday.

Rookie inside LB DAVID HARRIS continues to be impressive. A big-hitter who is also fluid enough to get back in coverage, he'll help the defense this season and for seasons to come.

QUICK HITS

The Jets had four fumbles, losing one. ... Rutgers CB Manny Collins was flagged for a late hit. ... Second-year TE Jason Pociask made a nice grab on a 23-yard TD pass from QB Marques Tuiasosopo. ... LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson was fine following the game after a wicked blind-side block by Vikings DT Kevin Williams on a Pennington INT. ... RB Danny Ware had 45 yards on 11 carries. ... Brad Smith averaged 27.5 yards on two kickoff returns.

[TaborJet]

Defense runs into trouble again

Saturday, August 18, 2007

BY JENNY VRENTAS

Star-Ledger Staff

It wasn't immediately clear last night just how far the Minnesota Vikings' running game could go against the Jets.

The Jets had possession of the ball for all but 58 seconds in the first quarter, allowing their second preseason opponent only one quick offensive drive.

But when the Vikings got the ball back early in the second quarter, they turned rookie running back Adrian Peterson loose. On a seven-play, 77-yard drive, Peterson handled the ball five times, including a 3-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota its first offensive touchdown in a 37-20 win.

Before the end of the half, the Vikings scored again -- on a 54-yard field goal -- and the Jets' first-team defense, in the game until halftime, showed it still had a lot of work to do in its quest to defend the run better. The culprit, the team said after the game, was poor tackling.

"That's a really good example of the effect of missed tackles," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "You've got to be able to make those tackles. I don't think it was a scheme issue as much as an execution issue."

In the 2006 season, the Jets ranked 24th in the NFL in run defense, allowing 130 yards per game. This year, the team's second using the 3-4 defense, Mangini has targeted that statistic. But last night, the Jets' defense gave up 105 yards on the ground in the first half alone.

Peterson opened up the run game on Minnesota's first play from scrimmage in the second quarter. On a first-and-10 from the 23, he broke away on what inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma said was a stretch play to the right. Peterson then spun off cornerback Andre Dyson and ran down the sideline for 43 yards before being pushed out of bounds by David Barrett. Peterson then helped sustain the drive, requiring the Vikings to pass just once in seven plays.

"We thought we would have a better performance," Vilma said. "We just got to look at the tape and see where the major errors are. You just want to go out there and improve."

On the Vikings' final possession in the second quarter, their drive appeared to stall at a few crucial moments. But three times on third down, Minnesota converted.

First, there was Minnesota's third-and-5 from its own 30. An offensive pass interference call set up third-and-15, but the Vikings still escaped with a Brooks Bollinger pass to running back Chester Taylor. After catching the short toss, Taylor barreled forward for a gain of 18 yards.

Then, on third-and-2 from the Minnesota 46-yard line, Bollinger converted with an 11-yard scramble. Another Bollinger scramble on a subsequent third-and-10, seven yards to the Jets' 36, put the Vikings close enough for a long field goal, which barely teetered over the goalpost.

Though the defense was disappointed with its performance, left end Shaun Ellis had an impressive game, as he made two sacks of Bollinger. On the first, a third-and-8 in the second quarter, Ellis forced and recovered a fumble. The Jets then took over on Minnesota's 35-yard-line, setting up their first touchdown.

But Ellis was still noticeably discouraged after the game, sitting in a chair facing his locker with his eyes searching the ground.

"We really can't take anything out of this game other than go to practice next week and correct our mistakes that we did in the game and hope next week that we come out with a better effort," Ellis said. "Minnesota just did a great job of attacking us. We gotta be more aware of what teams are trying to do to us. And just tackle better."

Jenny Vrentas may be reached at

jvrentas@starledger.com

[TaborJet]

McCareins catching back on with Jets

Saturday, August 18, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

Few players were happier to report to training camp this summer than Justin McCareins. Two-a-day practices never felt so good, so therapeutic. It gave the veteran wide receiver the chance to put the worst season of his football career, including Pee Wee league, in his rear view mirror.

At the start of training camp last year, McCareins, who keeps himself in impeccable shape, somehow failed a routine conditioning run. He says he had brain lock and tried too hard. Eric Mangini, in his first season as coach, wasn't buying it.

Perhaps making an example out of McCareins, Mangini immediately put the player on the physically unable to perform list, which is usually reserved for seriously injured players. Mangini then made McCareins spend the first two days of training camp running punishment laps around the field while his teammates practiced. McCareins was humiliated.

Finally, when McCareins returned to practice, he had lost his starting job to Jerricho Cotchery. McCareins spent nearly the entire season in a fog, finishing with just 23 catches, his lowest total since his second season. He even volunteered to play on special teams because he wanted to contribute.

On Baggy Day following the season, McCareins all but said he wanted out. He said he wanted to go someplace where he was appreciated, and with a $2.9 million base salary in 2007, it appeared he would get his wish.

But the seventh-year pro is still a Jet and has had an eye-catching training camp. His ability to bounce back from adversity has impressed his teammates.

"That's the best I've seen anybody take everything that was dished at him and continue to keep working and not have any moans or gripes," wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "He won me over just by the way he handled everything, by the way he dealt with not starting, being on PUP the first couple days, and he never let it get him down. He harnessed (the negative) and just played with it. I don't know how he does it.

"If there's anybody on this team I respect most it's Justin McCareins. If there's one word you can say about Justin McCareins it's that he's a true pro."

McCareins, in his fourth season with the Jets, says he simply went back to the basics.

"Things are just better," McCareins said the other day. "I made more of an effort to make sure I started off camp in a positive way and cover all the bases, made sure I knew my assignments, made sure I'm healthy, made sure I passed the run test. I wasn't going to have anything go wrong.

"I'm just taking one day at a time. Life isn't always going to go the way you want it. You have to control what's put in front of you. What am I going to do, cry about things that don't happen? You have to make the most of what you've got, control the things you can control. That's how I try to approach my life."

McCareins is the Jets' third wide receiver behind Coles and Cotchery, fighting off a challenge from second-year pro Brad Smith, a do-it-all performer who is quickly emerging as a favorite of Mangini. Rookie Chansi Stuckey, a steal of a seventh-round pick who has had a sensational camp, is also in the plans.

"I have a better gasp of the offense and what's expected of me," McCareins said. "I'm just trying to do the little things that make players improve. I'm more experienced, older and, I think, a better player."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@starledger.com

[SoFlaJets]

The whole thread was kinda like eating a big breakfast and it really fills you up only to find a few minutes later you got food poisoning and throw the whole thing up

[awats]

Pennington off mark in Jets' loss

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 18, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Maybe he should have stuck to handing off.

OK, perhaps that's a harsh assessment of Chad Pennington's evening in the Jets' 37-20 preseason loss to the Vikings last night at the Meadowlands. But two of the quarterback's 10 attempts in the first quarter were intercepted and returned for touchdowns.

"You're glad it doesn't count and you're still 0-0 as far as the NFL record book is concerned," said Pennington, who was 7 for 10 for 40 yards in four series after not attempting a pass in two series during last week's 31-16 win over the Falcons. "I take great pride in not giving the football away, and I didn't do that today."

It was indicative of an overall sloppy performance, as coach Eric Mangini watched his team throw three interceptions and lose one of its four fumbles.

Vikings safety Darren Sharper returned Pennington's first interception 40 yards for a touchdown, as tackle Kevin Williams flattened Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson along the sideline. Linebacker Chad Greenway returned the second pick 16 yards for a score.

"I told them after the game, if anybody has the impression that this is OK because it's the preseason, they're wrong," Mangini said. "We're going to work extremely hard to get those corrected."

The first-team defense was as bad as its offensive counterparts, and the Jets trailed 24-13 at halftime.

Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson started a seven-play, 77-yard drive at the start of the second quarter with a 43-yard run. He gained 57 of his 70 yards on the drive, including a 3-yard touchdown run that made it 21-6 with 10:30 to go in the second quarter.

Remember, this is a Jets defense hoping to improve on last season, when it finished 20th in the league and 24th against the run.

"You really can't take anything away from this game," said defensive end Shaun Ellis, who sacked former Jets quarterback Brooks Bollinger twice, forcing a fumble that he recovered the first time. "I think Minnesota just did a great job attacking us. We've just got to be more aware of what teams are doing to us. We just have to tackle better."

The Jets' second team wasn't much better.

Disgruntled offensive lineman Pete Kendall, who alternated first-half drives at left guard with his expected replacement Adrien Clarke, was used at center for the first time since his rocky 10-game emergency tenure in 2005. His play that season led the Jets to cut his salary, which has led to his demand this year to either be traded or released if the organization is unwilling to restore his money.

And while Kendall did well to recover second-string quarterback Kellen Clemens' fumble on defensive end Brian Robison's third-quarter sack, Kendall's snap on the next play went over the quarterback's head as Clemens lined up in the shotgun.

"I had made mention, I feel entirely uncomfortable after two or three days of practice," Kendall said. "I don't control where I play. I don't control when I play. I don't control who I play for. I did the best I could. The shotgun snaps were awful."

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.com and read his Jets' blog at www.jets.lohudblogs.com.

Maybe Pennington just couldn't get used to the fact that he is not injured. Was he calling his own plays? Mangini said that was a possibility when the opportunity arose. Last year the Offensive line was a solid B+. This year of course, remains to be seen. Next weeks game will be much more telling. Kendall should stop sharing his unhappiness with the media. True, some other team will give him a job because good OG's are hard to come by. But what happens if he has a super year with the new team? Will he want to renegotiate again?