Jets news for 8/19/07

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

LEAKY PENN

By MARK CANNIZZARO

August 19, 2007 -- IT'S a good thing for Chad Pennington's psyche, confidence and job security the erratic performance he delivered in the Jets' 37-20 preseason loss to the Vikings Friday night at Giants Stadium didn't come a year ago.

Otherwise, the quarterback might never have emerged from that four-way competition for the starting job he still holds today.

For those who are hovering over the quarterback controversy panic button with a quivering hand poised to make the call for backup Kellen Clemens, chill out - at least for the moment.

Despite two ghastly interceptions returned for touchdowns - the second of which was inexcusable - that put the Jets in a first-quarter 14-3 hole, Pennington is the Jets' starter. This is his team. He is the leader in the locker room.

Do not, however, underestimate Eric Mangini's intolerance for senseless turnovers. And do not underestimate Mangini's boldness when it comes to making significant personnel changes when he deems it necessary.

This is not to say Pennington is hanging onto his job by a frayed rotator cuff after one poor preseason performance, but it would behoove him to have at least a decent performance in the Jets' preseason game Saturday night against the Giants.

Because the final preseason game is usually reserved for backups, with the starters sitting to avoid injury, Saturday night against the Giants is the last chance Pennington and the starters have to hone their game for the regular season, which begins Sept. 9 against the Patriots.

Another poor performance of Friday night's proportions could lead to a shakeup.

What raises a red flag somewhat is the fact Pennington is coming off his worst season in terms of throwing interceptions. He had 16 last season, after having previously protected the ball with extreme efficiency.

"I don't think it's concern," Pennington said of Friday's performance. "It's [a] disappointment and a desire to get it fixed. That's where I stand right now. It starts with me. I take great pride in taking care of the ball and not giving the ball away and I didn't do that [Friday]. For the most part in training camp I've done a real good job of taking care of the football and [Friday] night it all came tumbling down."

Pennington said during the offseason he watched film of all 16 interceptions he threw last season to see "which ones I could control and which ones I couldn't control."

Both interceptions Friday he could have avoided. They were plays, as Mangini said, "I'm sure he would like to have back (and) I know I'd like him to have back."

On the first one, Pennington said he didn't see Vikings safety Darren Sharper, who said he read Pennington's eyes, slid to the inside and stepped in front of a pass intended for Jerricho Cotchery.

"It was one of those things where you'd like to have a string in the football so you could pull that one back," Pennington said.

The second one came while Pennington was being tackled around the ankles and tried to dump the ball off to Leon Washington, instead throwing a weak pass into the arms of Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, who trotted 16 yards into the end zone untouched.

"I did try to complete it and didn't see how close [Greenway] was," Pennington said. "I should have just thrown it into the ground at Leon's feet and lived to see another play."

Pennington will live to see more plays against the Giants on Saturday night and he'll live to make some plays against the Patriots in the season opener . . . as long as he stops making the kinds of plays he made Friday night.

If those unsightly gaffes continue, then you might have to press that quarterback controversy panic button.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

MANGINI: UGLY LOSS NOT OK

By MARK CANNIZZARO

August 19, 2007 -- The Jets' ugly 37-20 preseason loss to the Vikings was only minutes old and Eric Mangini stood at the podium for his postgame press conference trying his best to be mellow and in control of his emotions.

Yet it was clear he was seething inside.

Four turnovers, leading to 24 Minnesota points, and general shoddy play in some areas on defense, including missed tackles, will lead to repercussions from a coach as detail- and discipline-oriented as Mangini. So the players are bracing for a tough week of practice, beginning today.

"I told them after the game that if anyone has the impression that this is OK because it's preseason, they're wrong," Mangini said. "Next week, we're going to work . . . extremely hard to get these corrected. I think they understand."

They certainly do.

"We always expect the worst," Chad Pennington said. "We know what a stickler [Mangini] is for details, so we understand what we're up against next week, and we'll be fine.

Whatever [Mangini] has in store for us we'll be ready. We know that he's probably got a few tricks up his sleeve to motivate us and get us going and we'll motivate ourselves."

*

OL Pete Kendall's summer of discontent keeps getting more intriguing. Kendall said he told the coaches he wasn't comfortable playing center in a game after only a few days of practice, yet the coaches put him in at center in the second half Friday night.

The result was two bad snaps in the shotgun formation, one of which was recovered by the Vikings and led to a Minnesota field goal.

Kendall is the best left guard on the Jets, better than Adrien Clarke, who has been getting half of the snaps with the starters.

Don't be stunned if, after all of this contentiousness, the Jets keep Kendall and give him the $1 million he's seeking to add to his $1.7 million salary. Either that or Mangini is so ticked off at him he wants Kendall gone at any cost.

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

Kendall, a natural guard, said he wants to remain a guard.

*

Today marks the first full week of training camp for CB Darrelle Revis, the Jets' top draft pick, who signed last week. Revis, who was in uniform Friday but didn't play, surely will play against the Giants on Saturday.

"It was a little weird being in uniform not playing, but I'm looking forward to practice (today) and getting into the mix and getting back into the playbook,'' Revis said. "There are things I have to catch up on and I have to work hard."

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Chad vows quick fix after pair of picks

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Sunday, August 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

As far as preseason weeks go, this is a big one for Chad Pennington, who needs a rebound performance to calm sudden chirping about a potential quarterback controversy.

Pennington, who threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in Friday night's 37-20 loss to the Vikings, vowed to get back on his game. All eyes will be on him Saturday night in the annual game against the Giants, the last real test of the preseason.

"My mistakes are fixable, things I can fix really quickly, in a heartbeat," Pennington said after the game.

Despite the buzz generated by Kellen Clemens, who has four TD passes and one interception in two games, Pennington remains entrenched as the starter - for now.

DEAL WITH IT: RG Brandon Moore, unhappy with his contract, is trying to get his deal renegotiated. His agent, Hadley Engelhard, has submitted a proposal to the Jets, according to sources. It's unclear whether the club has made a counter-proposal. This situation bears watching because of the Pete Kendall soap opera.

Kendall is looking for a $1 million raise, but he has been told by management that it won't rework a contract that has three years remaining. Thing is, Moore has four years left on his deal, which pays him a below-market rate of about $1 million per year. If the Jets renegotiate for Moore, and not for Kendall, they will come across as double-talkers.

Moore skipped a practice early in training camp because of his contract situation, sources said.

As for the disgruntled Kendall, who had a disastrous night at center Friday with two errant shotgun snaps, don't be surprised if he's the opening week left guard. Adrien Clarke, who started and alternated with Kendall, struggled against the Vikings. At one point, Clarke seemed to be involved in a sideline argument with line coach Mike Devlin.

SECRET AGENTS: Eric Mangini, perhaps the most secretive coach in the NFL when it comes to injuries, was said to be livid last week when Thomas Jones' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, announced that the running back had a strained calf and would be back by the opener. In reponse, Mangini threatened the team, declaring that players would be fined if their agents release information on injuries and internal matters, sources said.

RUNAWAY WORRIES: The run defense wasn't as bad it appeared. Aside from Adrian Peterson's 43-yard jaunt, the starters allowed only 42 yards on 11 carries, not counting quarterback scrambles. On the Peterson play, OLB Bryan Thomas missed a tackle in the backfield and DE Shaun Ellis couldn't get off his block, although it appears he may have been held.

READY FOR REVIS: Rookie CB Darrelle Revis, who didn't play, will make his practice debut today at 2 p.m. ... RB Leon Washington, avenging Kevin Williams' blindside block on LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson during an interception return, leveled the Vikings' defensive tackle with a downfield block on Justin McCareins' 35-yard TD catch. ... Rookie RB Danny Ware (45 yards on 11 carries) helped his chances of making the team.

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Quick hits from around camp

TOM ROCK

August 19, 2007

Tuiasosopo running out of roster slots

Quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo, given mop-up duties for the second straight week, had the best statistics of any Jets passer in Friday night's loss. The former Raider was 5 of 10 passing for 64 yards, including a 23-yard TD pass to TE James Pociask. He had no interceptions and a passer rating of 103.8. Still, it looks likely that the Jets will carry two full-time quarterbacks and hybrid Brad Smith on their final roster. That would leave Tuiasosopo on the outside looking in.

The bottom line

The Jets are scheduled to break camp later this week, But based on Friday's performance, Mangini could keep going until Sept. 8.

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TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Final cuts getting special attention

BY TOM ROCK

tom.rock@newsday.com

August 19, 2007

When the Jets coaches perform their autopsy on the video from Friday's 37-20 preseason loss to the Vikings, they'll be distressed by many of the same things even the most casual fans of the team were. The turnovers. The missed tackles. The sloppy penalties.

But they'll also be paying attention to an area of the game from which some huge decisions will need to come. By now the Jets must be almost certain of about 90 percent of their roster. The remaining 10 percent, like almost every year, will come down to special teams performances.

"If it's the fourth or fifth running back, they're competing with the fifth or sixth safety, the sixth or seventh receiver," Mangini said, stressing that the breakdown of his roster may have more to do with punt coverages than positions. "All those guys are trying to establish roles on special teams. Whoever is the best, you may keep a higher number at receiver than at running back because of their value on teams."

If there is one team in the NFL where a start on special teams can be the first rung on a ladder rather than hand-wringing isolation, it's the Mangini meritocracy of the Jets. And if there is one position on the Jets that best illustrates that path, it is wide receiver.

Look at the top three for the Jets, Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery and Justin McCareins. None of them was selected in the first two rounds of their drafts. None of them landed in the league as a starter. All of them started their careers on special teams. For McCareins, he may have even resurrected his there. His decision to volunteer for the units late last season is considered to be the gesture that brought him back to Mangini's good graces after several murky months of minimal contribution.

"I knew what my role was going to be and I knew I was going to have to work my way up to get a role on the offense," Cotchery said of his first few years as a Jet. "I think a lot of our guys realize that, but more and more [around the league] the younger guys have to realize you have to work your way up and it all starts on special teams."

So who stood out on special teams Friday? Roster bubble-dwellers Wallace Wright and Raymond Ventrone, who each had two tackles. Wright also returned a kickoff 38 yards, the longest of the night. Both of them could find their names among the final 53 when the rosters are sculpted later this month.

"I'm not a starter, and if you don't start you have to play specials teams," Wright said last week. "That's always been my ticket anyway. I have fun doing it. I like hitting people, so that's what I do."

Wright was a walk-on at North Carolina and eventually became a scholarship player through his special teams contributions. He was called up from the Jets practice squad late last year when Tim Dwight was placed on IR. As a wide receiver, he has some clear role models for the special teamer-to-star path taken by his position comrades.

"Nothing was handed to them when they came in, no first-round draft pick where they just came in as a starter," Wright said. "I feel like, in everything, if you want it bad enough you should work for it. They used to be just like me."

Could Wright use tackles on kickoff coverages to springboard to a larger role in the offense? Hard to tell right now. It's not a guarantee.

"Sometimes it's a natural progression," said Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff, who will have more to say about the bottom of the Jets roster than almost anyone else. "I like to see that. I'm happy to see that happen. I don't always want to lose them, but when I lose them to something like that, I'm their biggest fan."

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Jets' Kendall struggles at new position

BY TOM ROCK

tom.rock@newsday.com

August 19, 2007

He told 'em so.

Pete Kendall, who hoisted a pair of shotgun snaps over the heads of Jets quarterbacks including one recovered in the end zone by the Vikings in Friday's loss, said he "made mention" to Jets coaches that he felt uncomfortable playing center after practicing the position only a few days this week.

"I don't control where I play, I don't control when I play, I don't control who I play for," said Kendall, a veteran guard who has voiced his desire to be traded or released from the Jets numerous times during the preseason. "They tell me to go out there and do it. I did the best I could. The shotgun snaps were awful."

Kendall said he hopes to be evaluated as a guard - perhaps hinting at a resignation in his mind that he will be a Jet this season since he seemed unhappy to be evaluated as anything earlier this summer. But resignation does not mean happiness. "If its tackle next week, or punter, I'll do the best I can," he said.

Kendall started taking snaps at center with the second unit this week. Mangini said it was to foster flexibility on the line, but it likely had more to do with Wade Smith's poor performances at the position. Kendall did play his familiar left guard with the first unit through the first half, alternating series with Adrien Clarke. In the second half, Kendall was at center, Clarke was at right guard, Smith was at right tackle, and Jacob Bender played left guard.

Kendall dismissed the notion that he might have purposely tanked the snaps as a form of protest over his new position, which he played with little success for the Jets in 2005. While it's unlikely that Kendall would put teammates at risk of injury, he did not seem particularly heartbroken by the performance.

"I can't blame anybody but myself, I'm the one who pulled the ball," he said. "It was obviously awful. Back to the drawing board I suppose."

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Jets' Mangini plays along with 'Mozart Effect'

BY JOHN JEANSONNE

john.jeansonne@newsday.com

August 19, 2007

Are you ready for some Mozart? As the Jets tune up for their season, their coach figures it's worth a try.

Inspired by the so-called "Mozart Effect," which suggests that listening to the 18th-Century master's work makes a person smarter, Eric Mangini has been piping the most sophisticated of classical music into the heads of his grunt-and-grit football behemoths during study portions of training-camp sessions.

Of course, practice fields and locker rooms long have been alive with the sounds of music - although, overwhelmingly, play lists are dominated by modern rap and rock, nothing even resembling Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto or his instantly recognizable "Eine kleine nachtmusik." ("A little night music.")

But Mangini, like Mozart, not only is a fellow who found unusual success at an early age in his field of endeavor, but also has been labeled a "genius" by many critics for a willingness to break the molds of his profession.

And maybe this is how concepts like the West Coast Offense took root. Wise-cracking columnist Jim Murray once wrote of cerebral 49ers coach Bill Walsh, standing hand-on-chin in deep thought on the sidelines, "You half expect his headset is playing Mozart."

It was a 1993 Nature magazine piece on "Music and Spatial Task Performance" that first proposed this theory of Mozart-as-subliminal-tutor, followed by a 1997 book by Don Campbell: "The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit."

Alas, more recent studies have discredited the Mozart Effect as educational snake-oil, even as it became more popular and resulted in "Mozart Makes You Smarter" merchandise and a line of "Baby Mozart" products.

Stanford University behavioral professor Chip Heath two years ago dismissed the early experiment that claimed a Mozart sonata temporarily increased IQ in college students and cited the lack of follow-up science. (At least he wasn't as harsh as the University of Washington pediatrics professor who said this month that toddlers could learn more from watching "American Idol" than hot-item "Baby Einstein" videos.)

Louis Langr

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Kendall saga takes another interesting twist

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 19, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Pete Kendall could control his emotions. He just couldn't hide his sarcasm.

"I would hope to be evaluated as a guard and I believe the determination had been made I was a guard,'' the 12-year veteran said after being used at both left guard and center in Friday night's 37-20 loss to the Vikings. "That's how I view myself. Then again, I don't control where I play. If it's tackle next week or punter, I'll do the best I can.''

Kendall has requested, and thus far not received, either his release or a trade away from Gang Green. He claims the Jets have reneged on an offseason verbal agreement to restore $1 million in salary that he had cut from his previous deal.

The second preseason game added a new twist to Kendall's less than excellent training-camp adventure. After the Jets surprised him by starting to use him as a second-team center in practice last Sunday, Kendall was used in that position in the third and fourth quarters against the Vikings.

Two of his shotgun snaps went awry, including one that went over quarterback Kellen Clemens' head and was recovered by the Vikings for a touchdown.

"I can't blame anybody but myself - I'm the one who pulled the ball, obviously it was awful,'' said Kendall, adding he approached the coaching staff to express his discomfort at being used as a center. "I don't control where I play. I don't control when I play. I don't control who I play for. So I'm going to go out there and do it. I did the best I could. The shotgun snaps were awful. It cost the team a touchdown.''

Kendall also played center with unsuccessful results for 10 games in 2005 after injuries felled Kevin Mawae and Jonathan Goodwin. Kendall said the Jets cut his salary based on those games.

But while Kendall seeks his exit from the Jets, the team is under no obligation to oblige him. In fact, the longer he stays and studies the team's offensive installation, the bigger a liability he becomes to the Jets if he does leave. Particularly if he lands with AFC East rival Miami, his likely destination.

Kendall has tried to force an exit by frankly discussing his unhappiness. At the same time, he must be somewhat careful of what he says lest he be fined or disciplined for detrimental conduct.

So it didn't surprise Kendall when it was asked whether he might have tanked those shotgun snaps.

Kendall quickly squashed that avenue of thought.

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

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

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Sunday, August 19, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

FIVE QUESTIONS

WHO WILL STEP UP WITH THOMAS JONES INJURED?

RB Leon Washington looked sensational (11 carries, 52 yards). He always seems to be one missed tackle away from taking it to the house. Rookie free agent Danny Ware (11 carries for 45 yards) remains the front-runner to be the third running back.

WILL QB CHAD PENNINGTON THROW A PASS?

Unfortunately, he did. He threw 10 and two were intercepted and returned for TDs. No one seems alarmed at the moment, and Pennington will be the starter on Sept. 9 against New England. Backup Kellen Clemens is coming on, however.

CAN CB MANNY COLLINS SEIZE THE MOMENT?

Perhaps trying to do just that, Collins was flagged for a late hit deep out of bounds. He did, however, have two special teams tackles and left the field engaged in a deep conversation with special teams coach Mike Westhoff, which is a good sign.

WILL WE SEE DARRELLE REVIS?

The rookie cornerback dressed but didn't play. He certainly looked the part in his No. 24 jersey. He'll start practicing today.

WILL ANYONE STEP UP ON DEFENSE?

DE Shaun Ellis had two sacks, including a strip/sack and fumble recovery on a hit on former Jets QB Brooks Bollinger. Otherwise, the first-team defense was once again very ordinary. LB Victor Hobson did make a couple of plays.

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Jets can expect to sweat it out

Sunday, August 19, 2007 BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

Just when the Jets thought training camp couldn't get any more demanding -- practices average nearly 2 1/2 hours -- coach Eric Mangini is about to turn up the heat after his team suffered a 37-20 thumping by the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night at Giants Stadium.

Following the game, Mangini couldn't get to the podium fast enough to declare there was going to be a price to pay this week in practice. The Jets had four turnovers that led to 24 points. Defensively, they allowed 167 yards rushing.

"Next week we're going to work very hard to get these (mistakes) corrected ... extremely hard to get these corrected," Mangini said. "I think they understand."

Players, who had yesterday off, seemed resigned to their fate. They have one practice today at 2 p.m.

"We know he probably has a few tricks up his sleeve," said quarterback Chad Pennington, who had two interceptions returned for touchdowns. "We'll handle whatever comes our way."

Privately, players are griping about their training camp workload, and Mangini could lose his team mentally if he pushes too hard. In fact, a slow start to the season could accelerate discontent. Driving players to the brink is fine when you win, but if you lose, things can go bad in a hurry.

"We've been working hard," said wide receiver Laveranues Coles. "You can't ever say that's something guys aren't doing. We put a lot of time and effort into what we've been doing."

Perhaps no one will work harder than Pennington. His job is safe, but second-year pro Kellen Clemens is closing the gap and gaining Mangini's confidence.

"My mistakes are fixable ... things I can fix quickly, in a heartbeat," said Pennington, who threw a career-high 16 interceptions last season.

The Jets have opened preliminary discussions with RG Brandon Moore on a new contract, according to two people who speak with team officials on a regular basis. They spoke anonymously because they're not authorized to discuss the talks publicly.

Moore, a three-year starter, is in the fourth year of a six-year, $8 million deal and is underpaid by NFL standards. He's scheduled to earn $800,000 this season. Moore staged a one-practice walkout early in camp in protest of his contract. The remaining three years on Moore's contract is the same length as disgruntled G Pete Kendall. GM Mike Tannenbaum has told Kendall he won't rework his deal because it has three years remaining.

Starting LG Adrien Clarke struggled against the Vikings, and there's a chance Kendall will start at guard on opening day.

Kendall, who played some at center Friday night, had two bad snaps out of the shotgun formation, one of which was recovered for a Vikings TD. Kendall said after the game that he told the coaches during the week that he didn't feel comfortable at center.

"I don't control where I play. I don't control when I play. I don't control who I play for," he said.

Kendall, 34, has taken several injections for pain over his three seasons with the Jets in order to play (he has missed just three games as a Jet), and if the club doesn't give him the $1 million increase he seeks, he may not be inclined to take a needle again and go the extra mile this season.

LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson said he was okay following the game after taking a vicious blind-side block from Vikings DT Kevin Williams as safety Darren Sharper returned a Pennington interception 40 yards for a TD.

"Those kinds of plays you don't see it coming so it's typically not as bad as it looks," Ferguson said. "It's kind of like a car accident. It happens." Ferguson said he and Williams joked about the play after the game.

The Jets, who treat injuries like national security secrets, are furious that Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for RB Thomas Jones, leaked to the media that Jones had a strained right calf muscle. As a result, the club is putting in place a new policy in which a player could be fined if information about his injury reaches the media.

TE Jason Pociask, who missed last season with a shoulder injury, made a great catch on a 23-yard TD pass from QB Marques Tuiasosopo. "The more chances I get, the more comfortable I'll get," said Pociask, a fifth-round pick in 2006 out of Wisconsin who is viewed primarily a blocker.

LB Jonathan Vilma insists the defense is fine and it was missed tackles, not blown assignments, that was problem Friday night. In fact, on RB Adrian Peterson's 43-yard run, both DE/LB Bryan Thomas and CB Andre Dyson missed tackles.

TaborJet · August 19, 2007

Shaun vs. Brooks: This Time It Was For Real

By Jeff Weinstein

Reporter

Published: 08-19-07

Shaun Ellis had done it before against the same quarterback, flying around the right tackle, building up his momentum for a sack. But Ellis would stop just short, since on those occasions quarterback Brooks Bollinger was wearing the red practice jersey and he his green practice jersey, and hitting the QB was forbidden.

That was as recently as last summer.

On Friday night, during the Jets

TaborJet · August 19, 2007