NY Jets News Articles 10/ 22

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets Crumble Again

Posted by Bob Bullock October 21, 2007 8:54PM

Categories: Games

Another horrible second-half of football by the Jets, allowing 28 unanswered points to the Bengals. The 38-31 loss now drops the team to 1-6. This team is now officially a pathetic mess.

I can't really pin any blame on Chad Pennington this week, although he did throw yet another fourth quarter interception that ended in a touchdown. He made some plays in the game, just not enough to win. The blame for this loss though, goes to a defense that can't stop the run. This unit is allowing 138 yards per game rushing. Today, they made another average running back look like a hall-of-famer. This time it was Kenny Watson, who ran for 130 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Gang Green excuse for a defense. The Bengals stuffed the ball down their throat the entire game and this unit could do nothing to stop it.

Again the coaching staff has to be blamed for not making any second-half adjustments. This is the third straight game the team has failed to make the necessary adjustments after the intermission. The Jets are getting dominated in the locker room and the results are painfully obvious on the field.

It's been a long time since I felt this team had no hope. I'm starting to get that sick feeling once again. That is just one more reason that Kellen Clemens needs to start playing immediately. We need to see something that will give us hope for the future of this team. I no longer feel secure about the coaching staff that is currently in place. Especially when the team is constantly crumbling down the stretch of games. I need something to hang my hat on when I look to the future. We need to see Clemens play now!

Quite honestly there is nothing else that I need to see this year. It is a gigantic step backwards for this organization, the 2007 season, so getting Clemens the playing time will at least accomplish something.

A future that looked so bright after 2006 has suddenly turned black. Coach Mangini needs to use these last nine games to figure out what changes he has to make. It is obvious that either he is playing the wrong scheme or has the wrong players in place. If he refuses to adapt to the players he has, he had better make sure the right players get here by next season.

Year two of the Tangini regime has been nothing short of a disaster.

[Kentucky Jet]

Coles thinks Jets will stay together

(Original publication: October 22, 2007)

Couldn't imagine it: Jets receiver Laveranues Coles is reasonably shocked the Jets have started the season 1-6. But he doesn't believe the team will fracture. "You really learn a lot about the guys next to you when you're in a position like this," Coles said. "The locker room can explode or guys can come closer together. One good thing is the quality of guys that we have. Hopefully, we can come close together as a team."

Not happy: Jets second-year safety Abram Elam made his first career start. But he might not get another one after a bad penalty in the fourth quarter. Bengals running back Kenny Watson had been stopped for a 1-yard gain on a second-and-three from the Jets 28-yard line. But Elam was called for unnecessary roughness as he tried to rip the ball from Watson's hands at the bottom of the pile. Given a first down at the Jets 14, Watson scored on a 2-yard run four plays later to make it 31-23 with 6:09 left.

Big supporter: Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer petitioned the team's management to retain running back Kenny Watson in the offseason. He had gained 833 yards in his first six seasons, the last four with Cincinnati. "He's never really been given his opportunity," Palmer said. "He's had to fight for it and now he's finally getting it. I'm just so happy for him and so happy to see him do what he's doing."

This and that: The Jets' 1-6 start is their worst since 1999. However, Bill Parcells' last Jets team rebounded to finish 8-8. ... The Jets scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time this season. ... Jets cornerback Hank Poteat had his second interception in two games after he had none in his first 71 NFL games. ... The game's final play, a 2-point conversion pass from Chad Pennington to Leon Washington, marked the Jets' first successful 2-point try since Nov. 9, 2003 and their first attempt since 2005. ... The Bengals snapped a five-game losing streak to the Jets, dating to 1990.

Injury report: Jets - None reported.

Bengals - Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh missed one play after he was helped off the field following a hard hit by Jets cornerback David Barrett in the first quarter. Safety Dexter Jackson was attended to along the Bengals' sideline in the second quarter but missed just two plays.

Extra points

Andrew Gross

[Kentucky Jet]

Coles thinks Jets will stay together

(Original publication: October 22, 2007)

Couldn't imagine it: Jets receiver Laveranues Coles is reasonably shocked the Jets have started the season 1-6. But he doesn't believe the team will fracture. "You really learn a lot about the guys next to you when you're in a position like this," Coles said. "The locker room can explode or guys can come closer together. One good thing is the quality of guys that we have. Hopefully, we can come close together as a team."

Not happy: Jets second-year safety Abram Elam made his first career start. But he might not get another one after a bad penalty in the fourth quarter. Bengals running back Kenny Watson had been stopped for a 1-yard gain on a second-and-three from the Jets 28-yard line. But Elam was called for unnecessary roughness as he tried to rip the ball from Watson's hands at the bottom of the pile. Given a first down at the Jets 14, Watson scored on a 2-yard run four plays later to make it 31-23 with 6:09 left.

Big supporter: Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer petitioned the team's management to retain running back Kenny Watson in the offseason. He had gained 833 yards in his first six seasons, the last four with Cincinnati. "He's never really been given his opportunity," Palmer said. "He's had to fight for it and now he's finally getting it. I'm just so happy for him and so happy to see him do what he's doing."

This and that: The Jets' 1-6 start is their worst since 1999. However, Bill Parcells' last Jets team rebounded to finish 8-8. ... The Jets scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time this season. ... Jets cornerback Hank Poteat had his second interception in two games after he had none in his first 71 NFL games. ... The game's final play, a 2-point conversion pass from Chad Pennington to Leon Washington, marked the Jets' first successful 2-point try since Nov. 9, 2003 and their first attempt since 2005. ... The Bengals snapped a five-game losing streak to the Jets, dating to 1990.

Injury report: Jets - None reported.

Bengals - Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh missed one play after he was helped off the field following a hard hit by Jets cornerback David Barrett in the first quarter. Safety Dexter Jackson was attended to along the Bengals' sideline in the second quarter but missed just two plays.

Extra points

Andrew Gross

[Kentucky Jet]

Defense struggles for Jets again

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 22, 2007)

CINCINNATI - The defensive blueprint was simple: keep Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer from finding his favorite targets, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

But the Jets' defense, despite playing with a 13-point cushion, could not follow through, allowing 28 second-half points in a 38-31 loss yesterday.

So it was strange at first that media members found Jonathan Vilma humming at his locker. But it must be remembered that despite coach Eric Mangini finally showing emotion after the game, his players are not allowed much leeway.

So Vilma chose just to hum rather than squawk.

"I can't speak," the Jets' linebacker said. "I can't really say how I feel. I just have to answer the questions and I know it's your job to ask questions. I have to answer the questions honestly and truthfully, without any emotion to it. Because you guys would take it and run."

Sort of like Kenny Watson did against the Jets.

The Bengals' backup running back, playing with Rudi Johnson out because of a hamstring injury, gained a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Fifty-five of those yards came on the Bengals' 14-play, 76-yard drive that cut the Jets' lead to 23-17 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

The Jets' defense, ranked 28th coming into the game, allowed the Bengals to run for 177 yards and gain 395 total yards.

It's next to impossible to win without being able to stop the run.

"I don't think so," Vilma said. "I haven't seen too many teams do that. Definitely not championship teams."

And Chad Johnson still caught three passes for 102 yards, and Houshmandzadeh had four catches for 43 yards, including a 3-yard scoring pass to make it 23-17.

"I ain't got nothing to say, y'all know what happened out there, so y'all write a story," said Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis, who had three tackles. "The loss is solely on the defense. When you've got a lead, you've got to keep it. We ain't doing a good job and we haven't done a good job all year. Y'all see what's going on. Y'all don't need to ask."

Safety Abram Elam, making the first start of his two-year career ahead of four-year veteran Erik Coleman, led the team with eight tackles. Second-year-pro Drew Coleman was active in place of veteran Andre Dyson, who was inactive after missing crucial tackles the last two weeks, each of which led to a touchdown.

And in the second half, nose tackle Dewayne Robertson was moved to end with Sione Pouha and C.J. Mosley playing in the middle while Vilma was shuttled in and out of the game.

Still, the Jets just could not stop the Bengals' running game, which came into the game ranked 28th in the NFL averaging 82.2 yards per game.

"It's frustration because it's something where we know we're better than what we're playing right now," said Jets linebacker Victor Hobson, who was not credited with a tackle, or any other defensive statistic, for that matter. "All we can do is make sure we change it around. We have to do it for us. Nobody can do it for us."

[Kentucky Jet]

Defense struggles for Jets again

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 22, 2007)

CINCINNATI - The defensive blueprint was simple: keep Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer from finding his favorite targets, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

But the Jets' defense, despite playing with a 13-point cushion, could not follow through, allowing 28 second-half points in a 38-31 loss yesterday.

So it was strange at first that media members found Jonathan Vilma humming at his locker. But it must be remembered that despite coach Eric Mangini finally showing emotion after the game, his players are not allowed much leeway.

So Vilma chose just to hum rather than squawk.

"I can't speak," the Jets' linebacker said. "I can't really say how I feel. I just have to answer the questions and I know it's your job to ask questions. I have to answer the questions honestly and truthfully, without any emotion to it. Because you guys would take it and run."

Sort of like Kenny Watson did against the Jets.

The Bengals' backup running back, playing with Rudi Johnson out because of a hamstring injury, gained a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Fifty-five of those yards came on the Bengals' 14-play, 76-yard drive that cut the Jets' lead to 23-17 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

The Jets' defense, ranked 28th coming into the game, allowed the Bengals to run for 177 yards and gain 395 total yards.

It's next to impossible to win without being able to stop the run.

"I don't think so," Vilma said. "I haven't seen too many teams do that. Definitely not championship teams."

And Chad Johnson still caught three passes for 102 yards, and Houshmandzadeh had four catches for 43 yards, including a 3-yard scoring pass to make it 23-17.

"I ain't got nothing to say, y'all know what happened out there, so y'all write a story," said Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis, who had three tackles. "The loss is solely on the defense. When you've got a lead, you've got to keep it. We ain't doing a good job and we haven't done a good job all year. Y'all see what's going on. Y'all don't need to ask."

Safety Abram Elam, making the first start of his two-year career ahead of four-year veteran Erik Coleman, led the team with eight tackles. Second-year-pro Drew Coleman was active in place of veteran Andre Dyson, who was inactive after missing crucial tackles the last two weeks, each of which led to a touchdown.

And in the second half, nose tackle Dewayne Robertson was moved to end with Sione Pouha and C.J. Mosley playing in the middle while Vilma was shuttled in and out of the game.

Still, the Jets just could not stop the Bengals' running game, which came into the game ranked 28th in the NFL averaging 82.2 yards per game.

"It's frustration because it's something where we know we're better than what we're playing right now," said Jets linebacker Victor Hobson, who was not credited with a tackle, or any other defensive statistic, for that matter. "All we can do is make sure we change it around. We have to do it for us. Nobody can do it for us."

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' frustration reaches new level in loss to Bengals

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 22, 2007)

CINCINNATI - He never raised his voice in anger, but the tone of Eric Mangini's postgame comments displayed more emotion, more frustration, than the Jets' coach has ever shown publicly.

In the wake of a 38-31 loss to the Bengals (2-4) yesterday at Paul Brown Stadium, the fourth straight defeat for the Jets (1-6), Mangini put the whole team on notice, most notably - and for the first time - quarterback Chad Pennington.

"It's just not good enough, and I'm tired of giving the same speech and it should hurt, it should hurt deep," Mangini said after his team blew a 13-point lead in the third quarter, committing five penalties in the second half and losing a fumble on a bad snap from center Nick Mangold to Pennington. "We're going to find out about the character of every single one in that locker room."

Bengals running back Kenny Watson rushed for a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries as the Bengals turned a 23-10 deficit with 11:15 left in the third quarter into a 38-23 lead on cornerback Johnathan Joseph's 42-yard interception return with 37 seconds left in the game.

Asked specifically about Pennington, who completed 20 of 31 passes for 272 yards with three touchdowns and the one interception, his seventh in the four-game losing streak, Mangini said he would have to review the tape before making an assessment.

That's a vast difference from his usual weekly proclamations that "Chad is the quarterback."

"I'm going to take a look at the film, I'm going to look at film for the whole team and assess every situation," Mangini said. "That's coaching, planning, right on down the line. I'm saying, at this point, I'm going to look at the whole roster, top to bottom, and evaluate all those situations."

However, both Pennington and Mangini denied a pregame report by ESPN stating that the coach had told his quarterback he was on a short leash for yesterday's game. Mangini insisted all conversations between him and his players were internal, and Pennington flat out said it never happened.

"Nah, I was never told I was going to be on a short leash, ever," said Pennington, who took every snap. "That doesn't even sound like Coach Mangini."

But while Pennington said he's not worried about whether Mangini will insert second-year-pro Kellen Clemens for Sunday's home game against the Bills, he also defended his performance.

"I'm confident I can help us win," said Pennington, who completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles on the Jets' third play of the game, a ball that traveled 45 yards in the air. "I feel good about being the quarterback and playing the quarterback position. I feel like I bring a lot to the table."

Pennington started the first drive of each half with a 22-yard passes to tight end Sean Ryan, starting with Chris Baker left behind in New York due to a back injury. And he connected with Coles on a 36-yard touchdown to make it 20-10 with 49 seconds left in the first half, though Coles ran about 28 yards after the catch as he split cornerbacks Deltha O'Neal and Joseph.

The Jets scored on each of their first five possessions.

"It's the Jekyll-and-Hyde approach to football," Mangini said. "It's no penalties, then multiple penalties in the second half. No turnovers, then a turnover between two guys who have taken 1,000 snaps together, closer to 2,000 snaps together, and it's a miscommunication and the ball is on the ground. The punting is good, and then it's not very good."

Jets rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis committed two pass-interference penalties in the second half. The first came on a third-and-11 from the Jets 24 as Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer tried to find wide receiver Glenn Holt at the Jets 13. Four plays later, Palmer connected with T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a 3-yard score to cut the Jets' lead to 23-17 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

"I thought it was a great play that I made, I didn't touch the guy at all and I batted the ball down," Revis said. "The second one, it could have been played better. As soon as I came off to the sideline, Coach Mangini came up and told me what I should have done."

Revis was called for his second infraction after not properly turning his body to cover Holt as Palmer tried to connect with him off a third-and-eight at the Jets 42. The penalty put the ball at the Jets 19, and two plays later, Watson ran in from 1 yard to give the Bengals the lead for good at 24-23 with 13:31 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Bengals started that drive on their 43 after Jets punter Ben Graham shanked a 20-yard kick. And the Jets' ensuing drive after falling behind ended with Mangold snapping the ball while Pennington was looking the other way.

"(Mangini's) mood describes everybody's mood in here," said Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who caught a meaningless 32-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the game. "One-and-six and it's the same story each and every week. We're not putting together a full game and we're doing everything possible to hurt ourselves. The frustration is just reaching another level."

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' frustration reaches new level in loss to Bengals

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 22, 2007)

CINCINNATI - He never raised his voice in anger, but the tone of Eric Mangini's postgame comments displayed more emotion, more frustration, than the Jets' coach has ever shown publicly.

In the wake of a 38-31 loss to the Bengals (2-4) yesterday at Paul Brown Stadium, the fourth straight defeat for the Jets (1-6), Mangini put the whole team on notice, most notably - and for the first time - quarterback Chad Pennington.

"It's just not good enough, and I'm tired of giving the same speech and it should hurt, it should hurt deep," Mangini said after his team blew a 13-point lead in the third quarter, committing five penalties in the second half and losing a fumble on a bad snap from center Nick Mangold to Pennington. "We're going to find out about the character of every single one in that locker room."

Bengals running back Kenny Watson rushed for a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries as the Bengals turned a 23-10 deficit with 11:15 left in the third quarter into a 38-23 lead on cornerback Johnathan Joseph's 42-yard interception return with 37 seconds left in the game.

Asked specifically about Pennington, who completed 20 of 31 passes for 272 yards with three touchdowns and the one interception, his seventh in the four-game losing streak, Mangini said he would have to review the tape before making an assessment.

That's a vast difference from his usual weekly proclamations that "Chad is the quarterback."

"I'm going to take a look at the film, I'm going to look at film for the whole team and assess every situation," Mangini said. "That's coaching, planning, right on down the line. I'm saying, at this point, I'm going to look at the whole roster, top to bottom, and evaluate all those situations."

However, both Pennington and Mangini denied a pregame report by ESPN stating that the coach had told his quarterback he was on a short leash for yesterday's game. Mangini insisted all conversations between him and his players were internal, and Pennington flat out said it never happened.

"Nah, I was never told I was going to be on a short leash, ever," said Pennington, who took every snap. "That doesn't even sound like Coach Mangini."

But while Pennington said he's not worried about whether Mangini will insert second-year-pro Kellen Clemens for Sunday's home game against the Bills, he also defended his performance.

"I'm confident I can help us win," said Pennington, who completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles on the Jets' third play of the game, a ball that traveled 45 yards in the air. "I feel good about being the quarterback and playing the quarterback position. I feel like I bring a lot to the table."

Pennington started the first drive of each half with a 22-yard passes to tight end Sean Ryan, starting with Chris Baker left behind in New York due to a back injury. And he connected with Coles on a 36-yard touchdown to make it 20-10 with 49 seconds left in the first half, though Coles ran about 28 yards after the catch as he split cornerbacks Deltha O'Neal and Joseph.

The Jets scored on each of their first five possessions.

"It's the Jekyll-and-Hyde approach to football," Mangini said. "It's no penalties, then multiple penalties in the second half. No turnovers, then a turnover between two guys who have taken 1,000 snaps together, closer to 2,000 snaps together, and it's a miscommunication and the ball is on the ground. The punting is good, and then it's not very good."

Jets rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis committed two pass-interference penalties in the second half. The first came on a third-and-11 from the Jets 24 as Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer tried to find wide receiver Glenn Holt at the Jets 13. Four plays later, Palmer connected with T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a 3-yard score to cut the Jets' lead to 23-17 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

"I thought it was a great play that I made, I didn't touch the guy at all and I batted the ball down," Revis said. "The second one, it could have been played better. As soon as I came off to the sideline, Coach Mangini came up and told me what I should have done."

Revis was called for his second infraction after not properly turning his body to cover Holt as Palmer tried to connect with him off a third-and-eight at the Jets 42. The penalty put the ball at the Jets 19, and two plays later, Watson ran in from 1 yard to give the Bengals the lead for good at 24-23 with 13:31 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Bengals started that drive on their 43 after Jets punter Ben Graham shanked a 20-yard kick. And the Jets' ensuing drive after falling behind ended with Mangold snapping the ball while Pennington was looking the other way.

"(Mangini's) mood describes everybody's mood in here," said Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who caught a meaningless 32-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the game. "One-and-six and it's the same story each and every week. We're not putting together a full game and we're doing everything possible to hurt ourselves. The frustration is just reaching another level."

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.

[Kentucky Jet]

Pennington answers critics with deep throw

Monday, October 22, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

CINCINNATI -- Jets quarterback Chad Pennington didn't say "take that" when asked about the 57-yard strike he uncorked to wide receiver Laveranues Coles for a touchdown on the Jets' third offensive play of the game yesterday in a 38-31 loss to the Bengals, but he came close.

The ball traveled 55 yards in the air from where Pennington released it. It was by far his longest and best throw of the season.

"I truly believe I can make every throw that our coaches want me to make," said Pennington. "I just have a hard time believing if I couldn't make the throws that would help us win that coach (Eric) Mangini and coach (Brian) Schottenheimer would put me in the game. I would be a detriment to the team. It makes no sense.

"So it was fun. I did really enjoy it. It put a big smile on my face. But it was all for naught."

Pennington threw three TDs, two to Coles and one to WR Jerricho Cotchery (six catches, 60 yards) on the final play of the game. He had an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown by CB Johnathan Joseph on a sideline route that gave the Bengals a 38-23 lead with 37 seconds remaining. Pennington has thrown seven interceptions in the past four games, all losses.

CB Darrelle Revis had yet another tough day. He had two pass interference calls on third-down plays that kept alive drives and led to back-to-back Bengals touchdowns in the second half. The first call was very questionable on a sideline pattern on which he battled WR Glenn Holt for the ball.

On the second, Revis was called for face guarding on another pass to Holt. On the next play, Holt beat Revis on an 18-yarder that gave the Bengals a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. RB Kenny Watson scored to give the Bengals a 24-23 lead with 13:24 left to play.

"Hey Revis, we'll take (Leon) Hall any day," screamed a heckler at Revis as he left the field following the game. The Jets picked Revis 14th overall in the NFL Draft and the Bengals nabbed Hall at 18. Both were considered the top CBs in the draft. ... Revis did have an apparent interception ruled a completion to Holt when he and the Bengals WR had simultaneous possession on a play.

C Nick Mangold said it was a miscommunication that led to a bad snap out of the shotgun formation in the fourth quarter. Pennington was looking to his left when Mangold snapped the ball. Bengals DT Domata Peko recovered at the 50-yard line and the Bengals drove for a TD that put them ahead 31-23 with 6:09 left to play.

"It's something you never want to see happen," said Mangold. "It's a shame it had to happen when we were driving to score points."

LB Jonathan Vilma, who finished with just three tackles, seemed unconcerned about Mangini making any changes, although rookie David Harris (four tackles) is gaining on him and looks like a better fit in the 3-4 scheme.

"There can only be so many changes," he said. "The trade deadline has passed. What we have is what we have."

RB Thomas Jones was held to 67 yards on 19 carries. ... LB Victor Hobson was credited with no tackles. ...

Hard-hitting S Abram Elam (eight tackles), who was signed last month after being cut by the Cowboys, was a surprise starter over Erik Coleman. ... CB Hank Poteat, who had the first interception in his seven-year career last week, had his second career interception vs. the Bengals. ... TE Sean Ryan (three catches, 46 yards) started in place of Chris Baker (back). ...

Veteran Jets CB Andre Dyson, whose missed tackles on short routes to Giants WR Plaxico Burress and Eagles WR Kevin Curtis the past two weeks led to 53- and 75-yard touchdowns, respectively, was inactive yesterday despite being healthy. ... K Mike Nugent was 3-for-3 on FGs.

[Kentucky Jet]

Pennington answers critics with deep throw

Monday, October 22, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

CINCINNATI -- Jets quarterback Chad Pennington didn't say "take that" when asked about the 57-yard strike he uncorked to wide receiver Laveranues Coles for a touchdown on the Jets' third offensive play of the game yesterday in a 38-31 loss to the Bengals, but he came close.

The ball traveled 55 yards in the air from where Pennington released it. It was by far his longest and best throw of the season.

"I truly believe I can make every throw that our coaches want me to make," said Pennington. "I just have a hard time believing if I couldn't make the throws that would help us win that coach (Eric) Mangini and coach (Brian) Schottenheimer would put me in the game. I would be a detriment to the team. It makes no sense.

"So it was fun. I did really enjoy it. It put a big smile on my face. But it was all for naught."

Pennington threw three TDs, two to Coles and one to WR Jerricho Cotchery (six catches, 60 yards) on the final play of the game. He had an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown by CB Johnathan Joseph on a sideline route that gave the Bengals a 38-23 lead with 37 seconds remaining. Pennington has thrown seven interceptions in the past four games, all losses.

CB Darrelle Revis had yet another tough day. He had two pass interference calls on third-down plays that kept alive drives and led to back-to-back Bengals touchdowns in the second half. The first call was very questionable on a sideline pattern on which he battled WR Glenn Holt for the ball.

On the second, Revis was called for face guarding on another pass to Holt. On the next play, Holt beat Revis on an 18-yarder that gave the Bengals a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. RB Kenny Watson scored to give the Bengals a 24-23 lead with 13:24 left to play.

"Hey Revis, we'll take (Leon) Hall any day," screamed a heckler at Revis as he left the field following the game. The Jets picked Revis 14th overall in the NFL Draft and the Bengals nabbed Hall at 18. Both were considered the top CBs in the draft. ... Revis did have an apparent interception ruled a completion to Holt when he and the Bengals WR had simultaneous possession on a play.

C Nick Mangold said it was a miscommunication that led to a bad snap out of the shotgun formation in the fourth quarter. Pennington was looking to his left when Mangold snapped the ball. Bengals DT Domata Peko recovered at the 50-yard line and the Bengals drove for a TD that put them ahead 31-23 with 6:09 left to play.

"It's something you never want to see happen," said Mangold. "It's a shame it had to happen when we were driving to score points."

LB Jonathan Vilma, who finished with just three tackles, seemed unconcerned about Mangini making any changes, although rookie David Harris (four tackles) is gaining on him and looks like a better fit in the 3-4 scheme.

"There can only be so many changes," he said. "The trade deadline has passed. What we have is what we have."

RB Thomas Jones was held to 67 yards on 19 carries. ... LB Victor Hobson was credited with no tackles. ...

Hard-hitting S Abram Elam (eight tackles), who was signed last month after being cut by the Cowboys, was a surprise starter over Erik Coleman. ... CB Hank Poteat, who had the first interception in his seven-year career last week, had his second career interception vs. the Bengals. ... TE Sean Ryan (three catches, 46 yards) started in place of Chris Baker (back). ...

Veteran Jets CB Andre Dyson, whose missed tackles on short routes to Giants WR Plaxico Burress and Eagles WR Kevin Curtis the past two weeks led to 53- and 75-yard touchdowns, respectively, was inactive yesterday despite being healthy. ... K Mike Nugent was 3-for-3 on FGs.

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS SNATCH DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY

Don't blame Chad Pennington solely for this one. He had a lot of help.

Kenny Watson ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the best performance of his career, and the Cincinnati Bengals turned the New York Jets' second-half meltdown into a 38-31 victory Sunday.

Hardly a drive went by without a major gaffe by two of the NFL's most disappointing teams.

The Bengals (2-4) snapped a four-game losing streak that was their longest during coach Marvin Lewis' five seasons. Watson led the way, playing like a star instead of Rudi Johnson's fill-in.

The seventh-year runner with a half-dozen career starts scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards in the second half, finishing off a Jets team that couldn't hold a 13-point lead or get out of its own way.

New York (1-6) has already matched its loss total from last season, when coach Eric Mangini was dubbed the "Mangenius" for taking a previously 4-12 team to the playoffs.

There's been nothing brilliant about their play this year.

In some ways, this one was the worst yet.

Pennington, the main target of fans' wrath, put the Jets ahead with touchdown passes of 57 and 36 yards to Laveranues Coles, showing he can still make a big play. He couldn't make any meaningful ones in a horrid second half by the Jets: two costly pass interference penalties, a shanked punt, a personal foul for punching a downed runner, a botched snap and Johnathan Joseph's 42-yard interception return for a touchdown that made it 38-23 with 37 seconds left.

Pennington threw his third touchdown pass on the final play of the game, little consolation to a team off to its worst start in eight years. The Jets also opened 1-6 under Bill Parcells in 1999.

Pennington has been under fire in New York for his dink-and-dunk passing and six interceptions in the previous three games. Fans were clamoring for stong-armed Kellen Clemens to give it a try, a move that Mangini has so far resisted.

As he watched the second half unfold, Mangini saw a lot more problems than just the quarterback.

First-round draft pick Darrelle Revis drew a pair of pass interference penalties that extended Bengals touchdown drives during their comeback from a 13-point deficit. Carson Palmer finished one of them with a 3-yard pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Watson completed the other with a 1-yard run.

Ben Graham's shanked, 20-yard punt set up the second drive, which put Cincinnati up 24-23 early in the fourth quarter.

The mistakes kept coming.

Pennington was calling a play in the shotgun formation when the ball was snapped, a fumble that gave Cincinnati possession at the 50. The Bengals then drove for Watson's 2-yard touchdown with the help of a personal foul on safety Abram Elam, who threw a left-handed punch at Watson on the ground at the end of a run.

Not that the Bengals were on top of their game, either. They were flagged for having 12 men in the defensive huddle in the first half, and had to use a timeout because they had too many defensive players on the field in the second half.

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS SNATCH DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY

Don't blame Chad Pennington solely for this one. He had a lot of help.

Kenny Watson ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the best performance of his career, and the Cincinnati Bengals turned the New York Jets' second-half meltdown into a 38-31 victory Sunday.

Hardly a drive went by without a major gaffe by two of the NFL's most disappointing teams.

The Bengals (2-4) snapped a four-game losing streak that was their longest during coach Marvin Lewis' five seasons. Watson led the way, playing like a star instead of Rudi Johnson's fill-in.

The seventh-year runner with a half-dozen career starts scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards in the second half, finishing off a Jets team that couldn't hold a 13-point lead or get out of its own way.

New York (1-6) has already matched its loss total from last season, when coach Eric Mangini was dubbed the "Mangenius" for taking a previously 4-12 team to the playoffs.

There's been nothing brilliant about their play this year.

In some ways, this one was the worst yet.

Pennington, the main target of fans' wrath, put the Jets ahead with touchdown passes of 57 and 36 yards to Laveranues Coles, showing he can still make a big play. He couldn't make any meaningful ones in a horrid second half by the Jets: two costly pass interference penalties, a shanked punt, a personal foul for punching a downed runner, a botched snap and Johnathan Joseph's 42-yard interception return for a touchdown that made it 38-23 with 37 seconds left.

Pennington threw his third touchdown pass on the final play of the game, little consolation to a team off to its worst start in eight years. The Jets also opened 1-6 under Bill Parcells in 1999.

Pennington has been under fire in New York for his dink-and-dunk passing and six interceptions in the previous three games. Fans were clamoring for stong-armed Kellen Clemens to give it a try, a move that Mangini has so far resisted.

As he watched the second half unfold, Mangini saw a lot more problems than just the quarterback.

First-round draft pick Darrelle Revis drew a pair of pass interference penalties that extended Bengals touchdown drives during their comeback from a 13-point deficit. Carson Palmer finished one of them with a 3-yard pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Watson completed the other with a 1-yard run.

Ben Graham's shanked, 20-yard punt set up the second drive, which put Cincinnati up 24-23 early in the fourth quarter.

The mistakes kept coming.

Pennington was calling a play in the shotgun formation when the ball was snapped, a fumble that gave Cincinnati possession at the 50. The Bengals then drove for Watson's 2-yard touchdown with the help of a personal foul on safety Abram Elam, who threw a left-handed punch at Watson on the ground at the end of a run.

Not that the Bengals were on top of their game, either. They were flagged for having 12 men in the defensive huddle in the first half, and had to use a timeout because they had too many defensive players on the field in the second half.

[Kentucky Jet]

CINCINNATI, Oct. 21

[Kentucky Jet]

CINCINNATI, Oct. 21

[Kentucky Jet]

Revis Misses a Milestone and Is Hit With Penalties

By GREG BISHOP

Published: October 22, 2007

CINCINNATI, Oct. 21 — The potential first interception of Darrelle Revis’s short N.F.L. career seemed to hang in the air forever. Revis jumped at precisely the right time, stretched his hands until they wrapped snugly around the football and even managed to hold on as he fell.

Only one problem remained. Bengals receiver Glenn Holt caught the football, too.

Before the fourth quarter Sunday, Revis had never so much as heard of something called a simultaneous catch. Under N.F.L. rules, this means Holt receives credit for the reception, even if, technically, each of them caught the football.

“I had the ball in my hands,” Revis said. “The ball was in my hands.”

The Bengals maintained possession, and later in the drive Kenny Watson had a 2-yard touchdown run to give Cincinnati a 31-23 lead with 6 minutes 9 seconds left in the game.

It was a day in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons for Revis, a rookie cornerback from Pitt whom the Jets traded up to draft 14th in the first round. He started at cornerback, made six tackles and broke up a pass. But he also committed two pass-interference penalties in the second half that contributed to Bengals touchdown drives. The first penalty came on third down late in the third quarter, when officials whistled Revis for interfering with Holt. The penalty led to a first down, and the Bengals scored four plays later to cut the Jets’ lead to 23-17.

“I don’t think it was a flag,” Revis said. “It was a great play. I didn’t touch the dude at all.”

The second penalty came on Cincinnati’s next possession early in the fourth quarter. Revis was whistled again on third down, and two plays later the Bengals scored to take a 24-23 lead.

Jets Coach Eric Mangini pulled Revis aside immediately after Holt’s 7-yard catch on the Bengals’ next drive, upset with how he turned his body away from the ball on the play. .

“It could have been played a lot better,” Mangini said. “The ball was underthrown. You need to turn back into the ball and play the ball.”

[Kentucky Jet]

Revis Misses a Milestone and Is Hit With Penalties

By GREG BISHOP

Published: October 22, 2007

CINCINNATI, Oct. 21 — The potential first interception of Darrelle Revis’s short N.F.L. career seemed to hang in the air forever. Revis jumped at precisely the right time, stretched his hands until they wrapped snugly around the football and even managed to hold on as he fell.

Only one problem remained. Bengals receiver Glenn Holt caught the football, too.

Before the fourth quarter Sunday, Revis had never so much as heard of something called a simultaneous catch. Under N.F.L. rules, this means Holt receives credit for the reception, even if, technically, each of them caught the football.

“I had the ball in my hands,” Revis said. “The ball was in my hands.”

The Bengals maintained possession, and later in the drive Kenny Watson had a 2-yard touchdown run to give Cincinnati a 31-23 lead with 6 minutes 9 seconds left in the game.

It was a day in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons for Revis, a rookie cornerback from Pitt whom the Jets traded up to draft 14th in the first round. He started at cornerback, made six tackles and broke up a pass. But he also committed two pass-interference penalties in the second half that contributed to Bengals touchdown drives. The first penalty came on third down late in the third quarter, when officials whistled Revis for interfering with Holt. The penalty led to a first down, and the Bengals scored four plays later to cut the Jets’ lead to 23-17.

“I don’t think it was a flag,” Revis said. “It was a great play. I didn’t touch the dude at all.”

The second penalty came on Cincinnati’s next possession early in the fourth quarter. Revis was whistled again on third down, and two plays later the Bengals scored to take a 24-23 lead.

Jets Coach Eric Mangini pulled Revis aside immediately after Holt’s 7-yard catch on the Bengals’ next drive, upset with how he turned his body away from the ball on the play. .

“It could have been played a lot better,” Mangini said. “The ball was underthrown. You need to turn back into the ball and play the ball.”