Jets News articles, Wed., 9/19

[Kentucky Jet]

MILLER PUT ON IR- NY Post

By MARK CANNIZZARO

September 19, 2007 -- The Jets have lost their only 2006 Pro Bowl player for the season.

Cornerback Justin Miller, who averaged 28.3 yards per kickoff return last season and brought two back for touchdowns, was placed on injured reserve yesterday with a right knee injury.

It's been a tumultuous few months for Miller, who in May was arrested outside a Manhattan night club for allegedly striking a woman during an argument. He, however, had been praised by Eric Mangini for having a strong offseason of work.

Miller suffered a thigh injury in training camp and never really got back into a rhythm. In the season opener against the Patriots, he was burned badly on a big reception by Randy Moss and was pulled from the game immediately afterward.

He played in the dime package during the Jets' loss to the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday and, on his only kickoff return of the game, a 22-yarder, he went down with the knee injury and never returned.

The Jets have used running back Leon Washington in place of Miller on kickoff returns, and Brad Smith was used there during preseason. As for replacing Miller at defensive back, it's possible the Jets could sign former Patriots safety Artrell Hawkins, who recently visited.

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS KEEP AIR OF CONFIDENCE September 19, 2007 -- DURING the sullen moments inside the Jets' locker room immediately following their 20-13 loss to the Ravens on Sunday, Eric Mangini delivered an unexpected message to his players.

"I was proud of the way they fought," Mangini said. "It's a good team that works hard."

Make no mistake, Mangini wasn't happy with his team's inconsistency (a poor second half against New England and a poor first half against Baltimore sabotaged those games), but his postgame spin was positive, not the negative many in the room were expecting.

So today we deliver a message to Jets fans, who undoubtedly are feeling uncomfortable, frustrated, worried, and even a bit angry at their team's 0-2 start.

Our message: The green-and-white sky is not falling; the bottom has not fallen out of the season. There is hope.

The Jets will right themselves, and they'll do it Sunday against the Dolphins, whom they play at home, because the Jets are a better team than the Dolphins, they're desperately hungry for their first win, and because they know if they lose, 0-3 would be cause for panic.

Here are some reasons not to panic about the Jets' 0-2 start:

* They've played two of the better teams in the AFC, with the Patriots being the best team in the NFL, period.

* They've played perhaps the two best defenses in the AFC, with the Ravens probably owning the best defense in the entire league, as they did last year.

* They nearly pulled out the game in Baltimore with a backup quarterback making his first NFL start against the vaunted Ravens' defense.

Now here are some reasons to be cheerful with a look at what's ahead:

* Their next four games are against the Dolphins, Bills, Giants and Eagles, all also 0-2.

* The Jets are going to get Chad Pennington back behind center Sunday, which will make them better.

* And their defense, despite having pass-rush issues, showed signs in the second half in Baltimore of becoming more of a force.

Whether it's because they were bolstered by the positive-reinforcement vibe delivered by Mangini after the game Sunday or because they've truly not stopped believing, the Jets are in a good state of mind despite being 0-2.

There was a surprising positive feeling coming out of their locker room Sunday and it was felt even more Monday.

"We're fine," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "We laid it on the line (in Baltimore). Everyone feels confident we can work through this. Yeah, we're 0-2, but we played two great teams. We made some huge strides. Looking at the film, we did some great things. We just need to be more consistent with our execution throughout the game.

"I told a lot of the guys I feel like the talent is here. We've just got to continue to work hard and continue to make strides."

Cotchery, speaking of the Jets' second-half performance against the Ravens, coming within three dropped TD passes of erasing a 20-3 fourth-quarter deficit, said, "If we're going to begin to win ballgames, that's the type of effort we need."

Wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who as a co-captain has become more of a leader this year, stood in the middle of the locker room Monday and did what he could to calm the masses.

"There's no need to panic," Coles said. "We've played two of the better teams in the NFL the first two weeks of the season. Yes, we're 0-2, but we've got a lot of football left. I ain't never seen a season decided by playing just two games.

"We'll get things going the way I feel we can. We'll be fine. Look at who we played: two playoff teams from last year that went deep into the playoffs, two very stout ball clubs, two excellent teams, especially defensively.

"We're not there . . . but we're trying."

The resilience the Jets displayed in Baltimore in the face of a miserable afternoon has to bode well.

"The morale of this team is great," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "We know that one got away (Sunday), but we're going to be fine. We've got Miami (this Sunday) and we'll be ready to play."

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[Kentucky Jet]

SPORTS

Jets not listed on sack exchange

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The ultimate goal of every NFL defense is to pitch a shutout.

Just not the way the Jets have done it through the first two games.

The Jets are the only NFL team not to have recorded a sack or a forced turnover through two games. That includes the Jets' 20-13 loss to Baltimore on Sunday in which they failed to get to Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller, despite the fact that Baltimore was without standout left tackle Jonathan Ogden because of a toe injury.

But relief might be on the way for the Jets. Miami, their next opponent, had five turnovers in its loss to Dallas on Sunday.

"It is frustrating," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said of the lack of turnovers or sacks, "because we work on it a lot and we practice it. Those are things that you have to keep harping on and keep working on and they will come. We have to keep working at it in the games and get the opportunity to make them."

Of course, sacks and pressure on the quarterback often lead to turnovers, either fumbles or interceptions. So once the Jets can get their pass rush in gear, they should start getting turnovers.

But how do they do that?

The Jets should use outside linebacker David Bowens more often in passing situations. Bowens, an unrestricted free agent who was a pass-rushing specialist as a Miami defensive end the past three seasons, had 18 sacks over that span. Bowens had experience in the 3-4 playing with the Dolphins, but hasn't gotten many snaps on defense in the first two games.

Another option: Jets' opponents adjusted during the 2006 season to account for the blitzes of strong safety Kerry Rhodes, but maybe it's time to turn him loose again. Especially considering the fact that rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis already is showing signs of being exactly the lockdown corner the Jets expected him to be.

With Pro Bowl kickoff returner Justin Miller now sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury (Miller was placed on injured reserve Tuesday), the Jets might not be able to get as many momentum-changing plays on special teams. So their defense has to start coming up with them.

Now.

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

[Kentucky Jet]

Brian Billick's gripe could be retaliatory

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, September 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Jets' Playbook

Hot Seat

RB Thomas Jones. The marquee off-season addition has rushed for only 109 yards.

Whispers

If the Jets don't sound concerned by their 0-2 start, it's probably because they know the schedule. Their next four opponents are 0-2: the Dolphins, Bills, Giants and Eagles.

First it was SpyGate. Now there's CryGate, and the one doing the crying is Ravens coach Brian Billick, who complained about the Jets "illegally simulating" his team's snap count in Sunday's game. The result: Three false-start penalties for the Ravens and the perception that Billick was accusing Eric Mangini of cheating.

It also fueled speculation that Billick, acting on behalf of the coaching fraternity, was calling out Mangini for blowing the whistle on former mentor Bill Belichick, supposedly a violation of some unwritten coaches' code. Not true at all, according to Billick, who told the Daily News last night that he was more upset with the officials than the Jets' alleged tactics.

Billick and Mangini spoke yesterday - Mangini placed the first call - and Billick made it sound like the conversation ended on good terms. He insisted he wasn't thinking about the Jets-Patriots video scandal when he made his comments on Monday, which sparked a firestorm. "This isn't New England, Part II," he said from the Ravens' offices.

Evidently, Billick's original remarks struck a nerve with Mangini, who is being painted as the bad guy for reporting Belichick's blatant disregard for league rules. Mangini phoned Billick to let him know the Jets "weren't trying to pull anything illegal or duplicitous," Billick said.

"He called to make sure I knew it was nothing by design," Billick said. "Halfheartedly, I said, 'You're better than me.' I coach it. Frankly, we don't get away with it that often. That's gamesmanship."

Mangini's reputation is taking an unfair hit, with this wild notion out there that he's an ungrateful snitch. Was anybody calling Belichick a rat for filing tampering charges against Mangini last year in the Deion Branch case? Here's one way to look at Mangini's role in Spy-Gate: What if a former Pepsi executive went to work for Coke and suspected his old company of trying to steal its secret recipe? Should he look the other way or try to stop it?

Nevertheless, Billick's original comments created a buzz in the coaching community.

"I'm sure he's sending a message to Mangini: 'Everybody knows you were part of that (in New England), and it's not right that you ratted out the team that gave you a chance to get a head job,'" said one NFC assistant coach, who has long suspected the Patriots of chicanery.

Teams try to simulate snap counts all the time, according to coaches and players. It's supposed to be an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on the defense, but the Jets didn't get busted once last Sunday. In theory, it should be difficult for a road team to get away with it, considering it's usually quiet in the stadium when the home team has the ball.

Are the Jets chronic simulators? Not according to former left guard Pete Kendall, the last person you'd expect to defend the Jets. His daily rants over his contract situation led to a bitter divorce last month, but when reached yesterday by the Daily News, Kendall said he never heard of any Jets defensive players deliberately calling out a cadence to make the offense jump offsides.

"I don't believe that was taught," Kendall said. "Did it happen a time or two in training camp? Sure. Every once in awhile, a wise-guy defensive lineman would look to have some fun, but I don't think it was institutional. Could it have happened in the defensive meeting room? Of course, but in three years there, with the relationships I had with guys on the other side of the ball, at some point I would've heard somebody laughing or joking about how they got an offensive lineman to jump off side in a game by simulating a snap count - and that didn't happen."

Kendall sticking up for the Jets. Can this story get any stranger?

With Gary Myers

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' fan: Dolphins spy on Gang Green practices

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, September 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

Is there a spy story involving Sunday's Jets-Dolphins game? Possibly.

A longtime Jets fan, who regularly attends training-camp practices, is absolutely convinced the Dolphins have been sending a scout/spy to Jets practices for years. That, of course, is against league rules. It's the same guy every year, according to the fan. The suspected spy dresses in a Jets golf shirt and Jets cap, blending into the crowd at the open practice. He sits atop the bleachers with a legal pad, taking detailed notes.

One day, our fan friend sat near the spy and noticed he was wearing a Dolphins watch. Hmm. Afterward, the fan followed him out to the parking lot. What he saw next stunned him: When the spy got to his car, he pulled off his Jets shirt and threw it in a trash can, along with the cap.

True story.

PATRIOT GAME: The Jets are looking at two former Patriots (who else?) as a possible replacement for CB/KR Justin Miller (torn knee ligaments) who was placed on injured reserve yesterday, ending his season. S Artrell Hawkins and CB Tory James visited the Jets yesterday. Miller's close friend and former college roommate, rookie WR Chansi Stuckey (foot), also is on IR. Tough year for the Clemson alums. The Jets haven't replaced Miller on the roster....If the Jets thought about trading CB Andre Dyson, who has been replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Darrelle Revis, they can't now, not with Miller out.

TWO-MINUTE SPILL: Aside from no sacks and no takeaways, there's another alarming trend on defense: In six straight games, including four in the preseason, the Jets have allowed a score in the final two minutes of the first half. Those late scores can be momentum-swinging plays. ... WR Justin McCareins has as many drops (two) as receptions, but the Jets won't cut him. As a vested veteran, his $2.4 million base salary is guaranteed.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' defense upbeat despite no takeaways or sacks

TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

September 19, 2007

The Jets have zero sacks, zero interceptions and zero forced fumbles. Is it any surprise that they have zero wins?

"We're definitely aware of it, and we understand that we need to put more pressure on the quarterback if we want to be successful," linebacker Victor Hobson said of the Jets, the only team in the NFL without a tally in those three game-changing stat columns. It's the first time in franchise history that the team is without a takeaway through the first two games, and the first time since 1976 that the Jets have gone without a sack two games in.

"It's frustrating because we work on it a lot and we practice it," defensive captain Jonathan Vilma said. "They're things you just have to keep harping on and keep working on. It's going to come."

And maybe, just maybe, sooner rather than later. In the second half Sunday against the Ravens, there was a spark. Not an explosion, but a defensive flicker. The Jets allowed only three points in the second half. They gave up 98 yards, 37 on one pass, and only three first downs. They put pressure on Kyle Boller, failing to sack him but forcing him to throw off balance. And they stopped the Ravens' running attack to the point where Brian Billick chose to throw late in the game when he should have been running time off the clock.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Vilma said of Sunday's transformation. "We didn't make too many adjustments. We just went out and played. We wanted to win, we wanted to play well. Halftime wasn't anything special. There was no rah-rah speech to get us going. We just came out and played."

When the Jets looked back on 2006, they saw a turning point in their defense in the second half against Cleveland. From then on, the Jets allowed an average of 12.75 points in the final eight regular-season games and only once allowed more than two touchdowns.

Is it possible that this year the Jets could have found a fulcrum in another 20-13 road loss to an AFC North team in which they had a chance to tie it up in the final minute?

That the Jets didn't force a turnover against the Ravens, who had six in a Week 1 loss, enough to still lead the league in the category, is discouraging. But they did come close to some game-changing defensive plays. Safety Kerry Rhodes said he slipped when covering Demetrius Williams on a deep pass, instead sliding underneath the coverage of David Barrett. Darrelle Revis stepped in front of a pass to Derrick Mason and would have had about 80 yards of clear sailing to the end zone, but had to settle for a knockdown instead. And in the fourth quarter, safety Eric Smith had his hands on a pass over the middle.

"It's really just, when you get the chance, when you get the opportunity," Vilma said, "you have to take it."

Sunday

Dolphins at Jets

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WEPN (1050)

STORYLINES

A quick look at the top stories of the week

Here's to old friends

Jets LB David Bowens spent the last six seasons with the Dolphins, and he is looking forward to Sunday's game. "It'll be fun for me because I know a lot of those guys," he said. Bowens could have re-signed with Miami as a free agent, but said that after meeting with the Jets and realizing that the Dolphins wanted to "go young" with a new coach and a new system, he decided a change of scenery would be best. "I'm on a new team now with new expectations and new goals and my loyalty is to this team," he said. "I've moved on."

Not all on the line

Only the Falcons have allowed more sacks than the nine given up by the Jets, but coaches and players are quick to point out that not all can be put on the O-line. On two sacks against Kellen Clemens on Sunday, it seemed there were chances to beat the blitzing Ravens. In the second quarter, when Corey Ivy came around the right edge and met Clemens face to face, the young quarterback could have thrown into the blitz and hit TE Chris Baker, who'd released just inside Ivy. On the fourth sack, RB Thomas Jones tried to help T D'Brickashaw Ferguson handle Ray Lewis, allowing a lane for Gerome Sapp in a six-man rush.

A kick in the head

The Jets have problems on kickoff coverage, allowing a league-high 49 yards a return, bloated by a record 108-yarder. But with the loss of Pro Bowler Justin Miller to a right knee injury - he was placed on IR last night - they also will struggle to return kickoffs. Miller, who missed most of preseason with a hamstring, returned only two kickoffs this season, with Leon Washington handling most of those responsibilities. Washington averages 22.8 yards with a long of 32. Brad Smith, Wallace Wright and Darrelle Revis also could find themselves on the goal line. But none will be going to Hawaii the way Miller did last season.

[Kentucky Jet]

Justin Miller can't outrun this injury

By Tom Rock

So this is what the bogs have come to: Me daring Glauber to write about naked people. The 21st Century is truly a great time. Too bad I wasn't with Neil Best at the time. He'd have found a much more appropriate (or inappropriate?) picture.

As expected, the Jets put Justin Miller on IR after he suffered a season-ending right knee injury on Sunday. The NFL

[Kentucky Jet]

North Rockland alum Smith wishes he could play against Jets

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: September 19, 2007)

Dolphins rookie linebacker Kelvin Smith would love to be at the Meadowlands Sunday with his team. But the North Rockland High product knows the closest he's likely to get to feeling like he's at home this week is playing one of the Jets' linebackers on Miami's scout team.

The seventh-round pick out of Syracuse was signed to the Dolphins' practice squad Sept. 11. The team had cut him from its 53-man roster the day before to sign defensive end Rob Ninkovich off waivers from the Saints.

"I'm taking it very good. It happens to a lot of guys," Smith said yesterday. "The way they presented it to me was they want me there; it's a matter of moving around the roster for the way they need things now. They reassured me I'm one of their draft picks and they want me there. It's part of the business."

Both the Jets and Dolphins enter the game, which kicks off at 1 p.m., having dropped their first two.

Smith was not on the active, 45-man roster for the Dolphins' Week 1 loss to the Redskins before being waived and re-signed.

The last time the 23-year-old, who was born in Spring Valley, was inactive on game days was when he was redshirted at Syracuse.

"The first game I was able to go to, and I was just as excited as if I was going to play the game," Smith said. "It's a lot of fun, but I wish I could be out there on the field. I feel bad, sometimes, missing out on playing. You go 110 miles an hour during practice, and that's my game."

Smith will find out today which Jet - most likely one of the inside linebackers, Jonathan Vilma or Eric Barton - he'll get to simulate on the scout team for Miami's offense. Last week, he played the part of Cowboys middle linebacker Bradie James.

"I take it personal to see how the offense is going to do based on the look I gave them," the 6-foot-2, 233-pound Smith said. "I'll ask the guys on offense, 'Are you good? Do you want me to go faster here, or slower there?' I'll ask some of the linemen or I'll ask Trent (Green, the Dolphins' starting quarterback)."

Smith understands that making it back to the 53-man roster depends, to a certain degree, on how he practices and performs on the scout team.

"You've got to be able to perform on the practice squad," Smith said. "On top of that, you've got to know what's going on going into the game. I know the defense. I get the detail of what we're supposed to do. I prepare myself like I'm going to play the game. When your number is called, you've just got to be ready."

One thing Smith won't deny is that it's not the easiest thing to practice all week but not dress on Sunday.

Especially when Sunday's game is within a short drive from where he was raised.

"The NFL is great so far," Smith said. "But I want to play. I want to be out there. Sundays, you want to make plays. Sitting on the sidelines, you just want to play."

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

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' Pro Bowl kickoff returner Miller out for season

(Original publication: September 19, 2007)

In his first two seasons, Justin Miller set the Jets' franchise record for kickoffs returned for touchdowns and rose to third on the team's all-time return-yardage list.

But the 23-year-old Miller must wait until next season to add to those totals. The Jets yesterday placed their lone representative in the Pro Bowl last season on season-ending injured reserve after he hurt his right knee in Sunday's loss at Baltimore.

The Jets' policy is not to discuss injuries. But it's believed Miller, who started 12 games at cornerback his first two seasons, injured his ACL when he was tackled by the Ravens' Gary Stills on a 22-yard kickoff return with 9:32 left in the second quarter.

Miller, a second-round pick out of Clemson in 2005, also missed the final three preseason games with a hamstring injury, which he apparently aggravated in the Week 1 loss to the Patriots.

Miller returned two kicks for touchdowns last season - a 103-yarder against the Colts and one for 99 yards at Cleveland - giving him three for his career. He has returned 108 kickoffs in 34 regular-season games for 2,929 yards, leaving him 46 yards short of passing Bobby Humphrey (1984-89) for second place on the Jets' all-time list.

Bruce Harper returned 243 kickoffs for 5,407 yards from 1977-84.

Also yesterday, the Jets released offensive lineman Jason Capizzi from their practice squad, leaving general manager Mike Tannenbaum two roster spots to fill.

Andrew Gross

[Kentucky Jet]

http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/articles/show/1607-chrebet-blessed-to-have-a-day-in-his-honor

[Kentucky Jet]

http://www.nysun.com/article/62987

Loss of Miller Leaves Jets With Gaps All Over Field

Football

By MICHAEL DAVID SMITH

September 19, 2007

Justin Miller, the cornerback and kickoff returner who was the Jets' only Pro Bowl player last season, is expected to miss the rest of the year after suffering a knee injury in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The loss of Miller, who was hurt on what looked like a fairly ordinary tackle on his only kickoff return against Baltimore, is a big one for the Jets, who may have to move other players around on offense, defense, and special teams to replace Miller adequately. Miller's skills as a return man gave the Jets' offense a major boost in field position last season that they'll miss this year, and his absence in the secondary will make it harder for the defense to match up when the opposing offense spreads the field.

The immediate question for the Jets is who will replace Miller as a kickoff returner. Last season, Miller led the league in kickoff returns with a 28.3-yard average, and although the Jets have several players who have experience returning kicks, none of them have Miller's pure speed, or his instincts for finding holes in the opposing team's kickoff coverage.

Kickoff return options include running back Leon Washington and wide receivers Brad Smith and Wallace Wright, all of whom returned kickoffs in the preseason while Miller nursed a hamstring injury. Rookie receiver Chansi Stuckey, the Jets' seventh-round draft pick, would have been an ideal choice to take over the job, but Stuckey is also out for the season, with a foot injury. Washington was the most impressive of the group in the preseason and is the most likely choice to replace Miller.

But giving the kickoff return job to Washington, who also returns punts, likely limits the Jets' ability to get production out of him on offense. Washington has the talent to spell starting running back Thomas Jones and contribute as both a runner and a receiver, and he has played well when given the opportunity on offense. But returning kicks is a demanding job, and few players who handle both punt and kickoff returns do much of anything else.

As great a kickoff returner as he is, the Jets chose Miller in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft to play cornerback, and he never developed into the kind of defensive player they hoped he would. In particular, Miller had a terrible game in this season's opener, when he tried — and failed badly — to cover Patriots' receiver Randy Moss.

But that doesn't mean losing Miller won't hurt the defense. One fewer defensive back on the 53-man roster means less flexibility in the Jets' nickel-and-dime packages, when they need another cornerback on the field in addition to starters Darrelle Revis and David Barrett. NFL offenses increasingly play three, four, or five wide receivers on the field at the same time, and that means the Jets need as many warm bodies as they can possibly have at cornerback. The Jets' roster currently has a decent group of backup cornerbacks in Hank Poteat, Andre Dyson, and Drew Coleman, but as the season wears on, more injuries are almost assured, and they'll miss the depth that Miller provided.

Losing Miller makes the Jets' decision to trade up in the first round of this year's draft to select Revis look even better than it already did. Revis has played very well in the first two weeks and, despite missing 22 training camp practices in a contract dispute, is already one of the team's best defensive players. Revis has, more or less, the same athletic skills as Miller, but Revis is a much more physical defensive player. The Jets could even decide to use Revis in Miller's place as a kickoff returner, but they would likely calculate that adding that to his other responsibilities would be too much to expect of a rookie.

Despite all the talent that Miller has, this injury raises the question of whether he'll ever be a productive NFL player again. Miller is just 23 years old and will have almost a full year to recover before he has to take the field again, but his greatest assets are his speed and his ability to change direction quickly. Serious knee injuries, even after they've been surgically repaired and thoroughly rehabilitated, sometimes rob players of those skills for the rest of their careers.

Miller was arrested for assault in May and already had an arrest record dating back to his college career at Clemson when the Jets drafted him. He'll have to stay out of trouble off the field while devoting all his energy to his rehab, or else it's fair to wonder whether the Pro Bowl he made at age 22 will be his last. And it's fair to wonder whether the Jets have enough players on the rest of the roster to fill all the holes Miller's absence creates.

Mr. Smith is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.

[Kentucky Jet]

Dave Hutchinson's Jets Insider

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

INSIDE THE PLAYBOOK

THE SITUATION

The Jets trailed 20-13 with 1:10 left to play at M&T Bank Stadium. Backup QB Kellen Clemens has engineered a stunning comeback and the Jets faced a second-and-goal from the Ravens' 7-yard line. WR Justin McCareins, who earlier dropped a sure touchdown pass, ran a crossing route. Clemens locked onto him. The Ravens shadowed McCareins and sent a heavy pass rush toward Clemens.

WHAT HAPPENED

Clemens fired a high, hard pass slightly behind McCareins, just over his left shoulder. It was the only place he could put the ball.

"It was a tight window," Clemens said. "I put just about everything I had onto it (the throw). Justin made a great effort to get to it. The ball was a little bit high."

McCareins, who has a 40-inch vertical jump, leaped over the defender. The ball hit his left hand and deflected into the air. Ravens LB Ray Lewis -- who else? -- made the interception with 1:03 left to play.

"Ray Lewis, like he was most of the game, was all over the field and made a great play," Clemens said. "A one-handed catch in the back of the end zone, it's tough to take."

WHY IT HAPPENED

Clemens stared down McCareins. WR Jerricho Cotchery may have been a better option in the corner of the end zone. It was McCareins' second shot at grabbing a TD in a six-play span, but coach Eric Mangini didn't single out the veteran.

"No game comes down to one catch," Mangini said.

QUICK HITS

As expected, the Jets put Pro Bowl KR Justin Miller (knee) on injured reserve, meaning he's out for the season. The club brought in ex-Patriots Artrell Hawkins for a workout but didn't sign him. Signing ex-Rutgers CB Manny Collins off the practice squad is a possibility. ... The Jets' offensive line has allowed nine sacks while the defense has no sacks and no forced turnovers in the first two games. ...

The NFL and the Jets had no comment on allegations by Ravens coach Brian Billick that the Jets illegally shouted out signals to intentionally throw off the Baltimore offense, resulting in three illegal procedure calls in Sunday's 20-13 loss. ... WR Laveranues Coles said the Jets aren't panicking after an 0-2 start because their first two losses were against "probably two of the better teams in the NFL" in the Patriots and Ravens.

NEXT OPPONENT

The Dolphins (0-2), under first-year coach Cam Cameron, are struggling. QB Trent Green (47 of 78 for 506 yards, three TDs, four INTs) has been erratic. First-round pick, WR Ted Ginn Jr., has no catches and has struggled in the return game. The O-line is suspect and RB Ronnie Brown (22 carries, 65 yards, no TDs) has gone nowhere.

Defensively, Miami has allowed 357 yards rushing in two games. Five starters in the front seven are at least 30 years old, including DE Jason Taylor and LB Zach Thomas, and there are whispers the unit is getting old. Prize free-agent catch LB Joey Porter, has only five tackles and no sacks in two games and comes out in nickel situations. The secondary is shaky.

KEY MATCHUP

DE Jason Taylor vs. LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson

Ferguson did a solid job on Taylor in two meetings last season, yielding two sacks, one in each game. Ferguson has allowed two sacks in the first two games, including one that injured QB Chad Pennington vs. the Patriots. Taylor has one sack this season.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Pennington, coming off an ankle injury, could be facing a quick hook following the fourth-quarter performance of Clemens last week. Pennington, however, has won his past five starts vs. the Dolphins, and Miami's secondary is in shambles.

[Kentucky Jet]

By KAREN CROUSE

Published: September 19, 2007

What Baltimore Coach Brian Billick accused the Jets of doing Sunday during their 20-13 loss to the Ravens is disconcerting. That is not an opinion. It is the term that appears on Page 87 of the National Football League rules book