NY Jets News- 10/26 NY Post

[Kentucky Jet]

By MARK CANNIZZARO

October 26, 2007 -- Fans probably haven't heard of Abram Elam, but soon they might become very familiar with him.

As of last Sunday, Elam is the Jets' starting safety alongside Kerry Rhodes. Elam came to the Jets as a free agent after Bill Parcells - who coached him in Dallas last season - recommended the young player.

Eric Mangini shook up the secondary by giving Elam his first NFL start in last week's loss to the Bengals, and Elam responded by throwing his body around and hitting people, collecting seven tackles.

Unfortunately for Elam, it was his one missed tackle - a whiff on Bengals running back Kenny Watson on a third-and-2 play while blitzing - that sticks with him most.

"I just wish I had come under control," Elam said of the play. "It was me and him in the hole and all I had to do was get him down and (the Bengals) were punting. I came in trying to deliver a big hit when all I needed to do was just get him to the ground."

Despite that play and a personal foul penalty for trying to strip the ball from a Bengals player who was on the ground, Elam has been practicing with the first team this week and is expected to start again Sunday against the Bills at Giants Stadium.

One thing is certain, if Elam is in the game he'll be hitting someone.

"He's a guy that likes to fly around and mix it up," Rhodes said. "If he's in there he's going to hit something. He's not going to stand around and let a pile go uncleaned. He's going to go clean the pile and knock people around. He's a physical guy."

That's a big reason he was moved into his starting role.

"That's what I really like that about him. He's a physical player and he's physical on special teams," Mangini said. "That translates into when he plays defense. He is a very high-energy guy, a high-motor guy."

Mangini, who pulled Elam from the game after his penalty, said he changed his mind on the severity of it after watching the film.

Mangini said he has "no tolerance" for unsportsmanlike penalties that are emotionally based, but that Elam's penalty was simply a bad decision.

*

Mangini hasn't announced it yet, but expect LB Matt Chatham to be activated to the 53-man roster by the end of the week. Chatham, who has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since training camp began, is ready to play. . . . The Jets released Chris Davis from the practice squad and re-signed WR David Clowney.

*

The Jets' injury report included TE Chris Baker (back), WR Laveranues Coles (calf), QB Chad Pennington (ankle) and NT Dewayne Robertson (knee), all of whom were limited in practice.

For the Bills, two players were added to the injury report on the "did not participate" list: CB Ashton Youboty (ankle) and TE Ryan Neufeld (quad). DE Ryan Denny (foot), DE Chris Kelsay (ankle) and LB Josh Stamer (calf) also didn't practice. S Jim Leonhard (calf) was added to the list and was limited in practice.

[Kentucky Jet]

READY TO FILL VILMA'S SHOES

HARRIS SET FOR FIRST JETS START

By MARK CANNIZZARO

FILLING THE BILL: Jets linebacker David Harris (right)

[Kentucky Jet]

Run Defense Will Determine Winner of Jets Vs. Bills

Football

By SEAN LAHMAN

October 26, 2007

Just three points separated the Jets and Bills when they played a month ago, and there's every reason to believe their meeting Sunday will be another close one. The Bills have a resurgent defense and a young offense, and they seem like they can jump back into contention with a win on Sunday. The Jets, on the other hand, have lost four in a row, and are looking for answers to their struggles on both sides of the ball.

BILLS (2–4) at JETS (1–6)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m., CBS

WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL

Quarterback Chad Pennington threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Cincinnati last week. It marked the third time in six starts this season in which he had a passer rating over 110.0 for the game. The biggest change last week was that he was throwing the ball deep. Two of those passes were completed for touchdown passes, one from 57 yards and another from 36. Coles ended up with 133 yards, the first time he'd gone over 90 in a game this season.

When these two teams met in week four, Pennington threw 39 passes while Jets' running backs combined for just 16 rushing attempts. That lack of balance in the offense was one of the reasons why the Bills' beleaguered defense held the Jets to just 14 points. While they were able to move the ball, they weren't able to cap their drives with points.

Buffalo's defense lost some key players to injury early, but they've played much better over the last three games. They held the Jets and Ravens to just 14 points and forced six turnovers in the Dallas game. As younger players get more experience, they've improved. John DiGiorgio has made great strides at middle linebacker, and Jabari Greer has done so well filling in at cornerback that he has probably earned the starting job. The Bills have also been helped by the return of a couple of players. Weak side linebacker Keith Ellson is back after missing the first four games with an ankle injury. Defensive end Anthony Hargrove returned after serving a four game suspension. It would be a stretch to say that the Bills are suddenly one of the AFC's best defenses, but they're playing a whole lot better than their year-to-date numbers might suggest.

WHEN THE BILLS HAVE THE BALL

Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards makes his fourth straight start for the Bills. While his numbers have not been impressive, the team has gone 2–1 in his first three starts. The lone loss came in a stunning one-point defeat to Dallas, when the Buffalo defense gave up nine points in the final 20 seconds.

The Bills spent their off-season revamping their offensive line through free agency, and used their first-round pick on running back Marshawn Lynch. They'd like to use their running game to control the clock and set up the vertical passing game that offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild learned as an assistant under Mike Martz with the Rams. Lynch has the kind of elusiveness to be effective in that role, and he's a good receiver out of the backside.

The change at quarterback has slowed the development of Buffalo's ground game. Opposing defenses have focused on stopping Lynch, and they've been more effective at doing that with Edwards in the lineup. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry in Losman's starts, but just 3.3 with Edwards at the helm.

The Jets' run defense has gone from bad to worse. They've surrendered at least 150 rushing yards in three straight games, and last week let unheralded Bengals' backup Kenny Watson roll over them for 130 yards and three touchdowns.

Jets' head coach Eric Mangini revealed on Wednesday that linebacker Jonathan Vilma had suffered a knee injury in the loss to Cincinnati last week, and word leaked out yesterday afternoon that he may require season-ending surgery. Rookie David Harris, a second-round pick from Michigan, will take his place. Harris doesn't have the same kind of speed that Vilma had. But frankly, he's a better fit for the Jets' 3–4 system, and will probably be more effective against the run.

Gang Green has also struggled to generate a pass rush, managing just seven sacks in seven games. That lack of pressure has allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for an average of 246 yards per game, with an 11/5 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

KEY TO THE GAME

This game will come down to the running game, and which team is better at defending it. To win, the Jets have to contain Lynch and get Thomas Jones going.

Lahman's Pick: Jets 17–14

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets prep for life without Jonathan Vilma

BY OHM YOUNGMISUK

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, October 26th 2007, 4:00 AM

While the circumstances surrounding Jonathan Vilma's knee injury remain a mystery, this much is certain: The Jets are preparing to move on without their defensive quarterback.

One day after the Daily News reported that Vilma had suffered a serious knee injury and likely would face season-ending surgery, the Jets still would not confirm the extent of Vilma's injury yesterday. In fact, Eric Mangini wouldn't even reveal which knee the linebacker had injured or how and when the injury had occurred.

However, the Jets are expected to place Vilma on season-ending injured reserved in the coming days.

Vilma, a fourth-year linebacker out of Miami, was not in the locker room during yesterday's media session, and it appeared he had not even been to his locker - his stool hung upside down inside his stall.

Teammates talked as if they were bracing for life without Vilma the rest of this season.

"I don't know if he is gone or not yet," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "He is a pretty significant piece to our puzzle. It would be a big blow."

Rhodes and Vilma are not just close friends, they have formed a bond on the field that has kept the secondary and linebackers on the same page. Now, Rhodes likely will have to develop a chemistry with rookie David Harris, who will start in place of Vilma, who calls the plays in the defensive huddle.

"It will be like Ed Reed without Ray Lewis," Rhodes said of the Ravens' safety-linebacker tandem. "Not that type of players but just the type of rapport they have with each other. That is the same thing (we have)."

Vilma apparently suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Bengals, according to Mangini. The head coach made that revelation while explaining why Vilma, who usually plays the entire game, had missed eight of 34 plays in the second half of the defeat.

Vilma, however, finished the game. And then the linebacker added further mystery to the situation when, on his weekly radio spot on WFAN, he contradicted Mangini and insisted he was not hurt. Vilma said it had been the coach's decision to pull him.

"There are times in every single game where different guys are injured and you do have a protocol in place for those things," Mangini said of whether the Jets risked hurting Vilma more by allowing him to play. "You go through the protocol, you talk to the player. It's a comprehensive process. You try to make the best decision you can make at that time."

Mangini didn't dismiss the possibility of season-ending surgery for Vilma, who is second on the team with 43 tackles and has played in all 55 regular-season games since joining the Jets as the 12th pick of the 2004 draft.

Now the Jets will turn to Harris, a rookie from Michigan they traded up in the second round to grab. Harris, who has 25 tackles this season, has seen his role gradually increase after playing mostly in nickel packages.

"Now that Vilma is down, I have to pick up more responsibility," Harris said. "Vilma is a great player. Anytime that you lose a player like that it is very hard to fill his shoes. He is a great team leader. He has run the defense for four years now. It is a big task for me to fill in his shoes.

"That has been a dream of mine to start an NFL game. My opportunity has arisen and I have to step up to the plate."

[Kentucky Jet]

The Jets Stream

October 25, 2007

Mangini Vague on Vilma's Injury

Not surprisingly, Eric Mangini declined to confirm a report in today's Daily News that LB Jonathan Vilma has a "significant" knee injury and could miss the remainder of the season. But he didn't deny it, either.

Mangini was at his evasive best, spinning out of many would-be tackles. Here's a sampling of his Q&A with reporters:

Q: Is surgery a possibility?

Mangini: It's really just going to matter what the results are, and talk to the doctors and put together the best plan.

Q: Is there a fear that his season might be over?

M: It's really the same thing. I'm going to look at the information. We have to get more information. That's why we do all the tests and go through the process, the protocol, and see where it is.

Q: Do you know which play it happened?

M: No.

Q: Do you know which knee?

M: Yes.

Q: Are you going to tell us?

M: No.

Q: Right or left?

M: Tricky. It's one of those two.

Q: Are you going to start 11 players on defense this Sunday?

M: Can't say.

Actually, I made up the last one, but you get the idea. There are certain topics he simply won't discuss. I've narrowed the list to injuries, game strategy, deployment of personnel, conversations with players, SpyGate, potential roster moves, potential lineup changes, his relationship with Bill Belichick, questionable calls by the officials, team disciplinary matters … to name a few.

Otherwise, he's pretty cool about discussing almost anything.

Mangini did say that Vilma missed practice for the second straight day. It's quite likely that Vilma, who insisted on a Tuesday radio show that he wasn't injured in Sunday's loss, is seeking a second option. Bottom line: He's not going to be playing for a long time.

***

The players were in a good mood today in the locker room because, much to their surprise, practice was moved indoors. Usually, Mangini loves practicing outside in the elements -- it was cool and very damp today -- but, for some reason, he opted for the warm and dry confines of the practice bubble.

Is he going soft? Not likely, but the move scored points with the players.

***

Don't be surprised if TE Chris Baker misses another game. His back still isn't right … Had a long talk today with Laveranues Coles about video games. The man knows his stuff … WR David Clowney was re-signed to the practice squad.

Posted by Rich Cimini at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' defense won't be the same without Vilma

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

October 26, 2007

Kerry Rhodes said that playing without Jonathan Vilma would be like Ed Reed playing without Ray Lewis. He wasn't comparing the level of play - both of those Ravens have been Defensive Players of the Year - but he was making more of a suggestion about their rapport.

"I'm so used to him being out there," the Jets safety said. "It'll be different if he isn't."

Rhodes, who knows how to dance around the Jets' rules regarding talking about injuries, used the word "if" quite a bit when discussing Vilma yesterday. More and more, however, the idea that the team's captain and quarterback of the defense will not be able to play on Sunday is leaving the realm of hypothetical.

Vilma missed a second straight practice yesterday with a knee injury suffered in Sunday's loss to the Bengals, and the Jets will have rookie David Harris step into his place when they face the Bills this weekend.

"It's been a dream of mine to start an NFL game and that opportunity has [arrived]," Harris said. "It's time to step up to the plate."

The "ifs" are quickly giving way to "how longs" - as in, how long will the Jets be without Vilma? Tests reportedly showed a "significant" injury to his knee (Jets coach Eric Mangini refused to say which knee it is) and season-ending surgery could be in store for the player who did not miss a snap in 2006. According to a person familiar with the situation, Vilma is currently seeking a second medical opinion and an alternative to surgery.

Asked if Vilma could be facing surgery, Mangini said: "It's really just going to matter what the results [of the tests] are, and talk to the doctors and put together the best plan."

There is a chance that Vilma has played his final game as a Jet. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and going to the Pro Bowl his first two seasons, Vilma has been miscast in Mangini's 3-4 scheme since last season. Many believed that the Jets could be looking to deal their former first-round draft pick, and perhaps their most talented defensive player, if he did not find a home in the system this year.

If Harris can step in and play well, Vilma could be traded and would likely command the fetching price of high draft picks. He is due to become a free agent after the 2008 season.

Rhodes, who is close with Vilma, said the linebacker is "doing good with what he's dealing with right now," adding that "it's tough."

It'll be tough for a Jets defense to replace Vilma, no matter his performance or that of the team (the Jets are ranked 28th in defense allowing 377.7 yards per game). Vilma is the one who calls the plays, sets the defensive pieces, and makes the pre-snap adjustments. He's started 53 straight regular-season games, played every defensive snap of the 2006 season, and has missed only a handful of plays in his four years with the Jets.

"We're so used to him being out there and hearing his voice and knowing where he's going to be," Rhodes said. "It'll be strange, it'll be different, something new."

No "ifs" about that.

Notes & quotes: TE Chris Baker, who missed last week's game with a back injury, spent the early part of practice stretching with boxing trainer and Jets special assistant Teddy Atlas ... Mangini said the team is not looking into signing DL Grady Jackson, the almost-400-pounder released by the Falcons this week ... WR David Clowney, who was released from the Jets' 53-man roster earlier this week, was signed to the practice squad. To make room the Jets released WR Chris Davis ... The Jets practiced in the bubble, the team's indoor facility, for the first time this season. Mangini usually enjoys practicing in the elements.

Sunday

Bills at Jets

4:05 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

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

[Kentucky Jet]

Harris' preparation should prove most helpful

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

October 26, 2007

Growing up, David Harris' favorite player was Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas.

"I just liked the way he played," Harris said yesterday. "A great pass rusher off the edge and always in the face of the quarterback."

Harris is an inside linebacker for the Jets - likely a starter on Sunday against the Bills with Jonathan Vilma expected to be out - so he doesn't have much of an opportunity to use those sweeping speed moves that Thomas excelled at. But while the knock on him out of Michigan was a lack of speed and a weakness when playing in space, he's proven to be more athletic than anticipated.

"I do like the things he does in pass coverage for a bigger guy," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "Most of those bigger guys are usually a little slower, a little bit more like an aircraft carrier as opposed to a speed boat."

Whatever style of vessel, Harris has been able to stay afloat in his rookie year despite being battered by cresting waves of information. Veteran linebacker David Bowens said he's been impressed by Harris' preparation.

"He's not a dumb rookie," Bowens said. "He really knows his stuff. I don't think we will be missing anything with him being in there."

Harris has 24 total tackles this year, eight of them while spelling Vilma in last Sunday's loss to the Bengals.

The Jets traded up from the 63rd overall pick to the 47th to select Harris in the second round in April. They saw him as a prototypical 3-4 linebacker who would be able to play alongside Vilma. Now, it appears, he'll be playing in place of Vilma, who made most of the calls and pre-snap adjustments.

That role will now be shared by Harris, Eric Barton and perhaps even Brad Kassel. Safety Kerry Rhodes, who makes the secondary adjustments, said he spent the offseason learning the entire defense so if something like this were to happen, he would be ready.

Harris said he'll have no problem making the calls even though he's a rookie who has played mostly in nickel and other sub packages this season.

"Playing linebacker at Michigan for four or five years, I'm used to calling the defensive huddle," Harris said. "When I got here, Vilma and Barton were calling the huddle. Now that Vilma is down, I'll pick up more responsibility."

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' Harris has big shoes to fill

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 26, 2007)

HEMPSTEAD - Jim Herrmann, David Harris' position coach both at Michigan and now with the Jets, recently was discussing the rookie linebacker's transition to the NFL. He quickly mentioned Jonathan Vilma's role as a mentor.

Now, Harris must go from apprentice to starter when the Jets (1-6) host the Bills (2-4) Sunday after Vilma suffered a knee injury in Sunday's game at Cincinnati. That includes calling the defensive signals as an inside linebacker.

"When I got here, Vilma and (Eric) Barton were calling the huddle, but now that Vilma's down, I pick up more responsibility," Harris said. "I'm very comfortable. It's a big task for me to fill in his shoes. That's been a dream of mine to start an NFL game, and the opportunity has arised so I have to step up to the plate."

Jets coach Eric Mangini yesterday would not address a report that Vilma had suffered a significant injury which would likely require season-ending surgery, nor would he specify which knee had been injured.

Vilma missed practice for the second straight day and was again not made available to the media.

"I'm going to look at the information," Mangini said. "We have to get more information. And that's why we do all the tests and go through the process."

Vilma, the 12th overall pick in 2004 out of Miami, has started 53 straight games and not missed a game in his career.

"We are so used to him being out there, hearing his voice and knowing where he is going to be," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "It will be strange. It will be something different."

Vilma has led the Jets in tackles the past two seasons and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2005 when he led the NFL with 187 tackles, but his playmaking ability has seemingly been stifled in Mangini's 3-4 defense. He has 39 tackles - 26 solo - with two passes defended and one interception this season.

Still, the Jets traded up 16 spots to select Harris, who played in a 3-4 in college, with the 47th pick this April. He's made 24 tackles - 11 solo - with one pass defended while playing in all seven games, mostly in the nickel package, though he's occasionally spelled Vilma or Barton. If Harris excels in this extended audition - and given Vilma's obvious discomfort in the 3-4 - there's a possibility Vilma could have played his last game for the team.

"I think, like any young rookie, the transition from college to pro and now, this is your job, there's a learning curve there," Herrmann said. "What's really been helpful is there's a lot of guys in my room who have played a lot of football. Vilma, Barton, they embraced him and brought him in and taught him what it's like."

Another veteran in that room, ex-Dolphin David Bowens, said Harris' composure is noticeable.

"When being asked a question by a head coach in a team meeting, some guys clam up. He's just himself all the time, and that just shows a lot of composure," said Bowens, adding Harris is no longer considered a rookie by his teammates. "His four games are up. You give them a four-game grace period to get all the stupidness out. He hasn't had that problem. He really learns the game well."

While his play against the run is still developing, Harris shows remarkable agility in pass defense for a 6-foot-2, 243-pound linebacker.

"Most of those bigger guys are usually a little slower," Mangini said. "A little bit more like aircraft carriers as opposed to a speedboat."

But Mangini said he wouldn't necessarily compare Harris to a PT boat, then asked what was in between. Told a destroyer, Mangini quipped, "I don't want to give him that nickname."

Notes: Wide receiver David Clowney, cut from the 53-man roster Wednesday, was re-signed to the practice roster. Wide receiver Chris Davis was released to clear a spot for Clowney. ... Upon further review, safety Abram Elam might not be in Mangini's doghouse for his fourth-quarter unnecessary-roughness penalty for trying to rip the ball from Bengals running back Kenny Watson at the bottom of a pile. Mangini said at the time he thought it was an "emotionally based" penalty, for which he has "no tolerance." But watching the game tape made Mangini realize that was not the case. "It wasn't that he was angry and trying to do something negative, he just made a poor decision by trying to rip it out when it wouldn't have mattered anyway," said Mangini, who yanked Elam from the game and inserted Erik Coleman. "He was trying to make something positive happen. ... When you're looking at it from where the official was and where I was, it was much less clear as to what the intent was. It looked like he was punching the guy almost."

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

[Kentucky Jet]

http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/articles/show/1765-revis-expects-bills-to-come-after-him-again

[Kentucky Jet]

Vilma is out, future unclear

Friday, October 26, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Jonathan Vilma might have played his last game for the Jets -- at least this season.

Vilma, injured last week against the Bengals, underwent a battery of tests Wednesday on his injured knee and plans to get a second opinion in the next few days. If the recommendation is to shut down Vilma for the season, that's what he'll likely do, according to two people close to him who requested anonymity because they're not authorized to speak publicly.

"Jon doesn't know what he's going to do yet," one person said yesterday. "He's going to see another doctor."

It's unclear exactly which knee is injured, and exactly what is wrong. Coach Eric Mangini refused to answer those questions yesterday when asked repeatedly. It also was not known at what point during last Sunday's game in Cincinnati that Vilma hurt his knee, but he returned and played until the end. It's not believed that he injured the knee further by playing.

Mangini said a decision on whether to end Vilma's season -- he won't play this week against the Buffalo Bills, and rookie David Harris will replace him -- will be made after all the information is gathered and the team and Vilma can put together the best plan.

Vilma's agent, Tony Fleming, refused to comment, saying via an e-mail that "it's too early."

While the Jets and Vilma are still waiting to learn the extent of the injury, his long-term future with the team also could be in question. Vilma, whose contract runs through the 2008 season, has told those close to him he is unhappy in the Jets' 3-4 scheme and wants out.

If Vilma decides to play hurt this season for the 1-6 Jets, however, his trade value could diminish. He has yet to perform well in the 3-4 scheme, playing nothing like the player who was the 2004 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a 2005 Pro Bowler. The Jets were building their defense around him before Mangini arrived in 2006 and installed the 3-4.

Vilma, who is fifth on the team in tackles (39) and has one interception, didn't practice yesterday -- the second consecutive day he sat out.

Harris, whom the Jets traded up 16 slots to select in the second round, has been turning heads since training camp. Having been exposed to the 3-4 defense at Michigan, where he was a two-year starter, the 6-2, 242-pound Harris has been a quick study. As Vilma did, Harris will call most of the defensive signals.

This season, Harris has 24 tackles in limited action. He has picked the brain of veterans like Vilma, Eric Barton and David Bowens and will take the helm of the NFL's 28th-ranked defense (377.7 yards per game allowed).

"I'm very comfortable," Harris said. "It's been a dream of mine to start an NFL game, and my opportunity has arrived. I have to step up to the plate. Vilma is a great player. Anytime you have a player like that it's very hard to fill his shoes."

While at Michigan, Harris was coached by Jets linebackers coach Jim Herrmann, who was the Wolverines' defensive coordinator.

"(Harris) is making good progress," said Mangini, adding that Harris has "fluid movement" for a big guy. "There are things he hasn't experienced and he has to get used to experiencing those things."

Bowens doesn't think it'll take long for Harris to get acclimated.

"He's a very capable guy," Bowens said. "He approaches the game well. He's not a dumb rookie. He really knows his stuff. I don't think we're going to be missing anything with him being in there."

Notes: The Jets practiced in the bubble yesterday for the first time this season.... The Jets signed WR David Clowney to their practice squad and released WR Chris Davis. Clowney was released from the 53-man roster on Tuesday....

CB Hank Poteat, a career backup and seven-year veteran, had the first two interceptions of his career in the Jets past two games. "It was definitely exciting," he said. "It was great to help me team. Unfortunately, we didn't win."

Said Mangini: "Hank is the classic example of he knows what to do, he does exactly what he's being coached to do, and he's the same player every day."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

[Kentucky Jet]

The Jets are divorced from reality

By Martin DiCaro- Jets Confidential

Posted Oct 25, 2007

Following the Jets loss to the Bengals, we saw a different Eric Mangini, at least publicly. He fumed. He put his entire team on notice that the bench awaits underachievers.

We also witnessed something else new. The coach was repeatedly challenged by Jets beat reporters on several issues, most notably a report that Chad Pennington was told prior to the game he’d be on a “short leash.” More importantly, Jets Confidential’s Dan Leberfeld queried Mangini about the pathetic performance by the run defense. Mangini’s response was the last piece of evidence I needed to conclude the Jets’ management and, to a lesser extent, players entered this season divorced from reality.

The head coach’s explanation for the Bengals rushing dominance was astonishing: the Jets entered the game with the plan to stop the Bengals passing attack. That was the game plan (Carson Palmer threw for an efficient 226 yards). Huh?

This leaves three possible scenarios. 1) The Jets were hell-bent on stopping Chad Johnson (3 catches, 102 yards) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (4-43, 1TD), and thus made no changes to their defensive approach as the Bengals pounded them for 177 yards of 41 carries! 2) Mangini and Sutton did not recognize what the Bengals’ were doing. From my seat, it was clear Cincinnati decided it would run until the Jets could stop it. 3) The Jets did adjust but still couldn’t stop career back-up Kenny Watson from gashing them one hand off after another.

In any case, Mangini’s explanation isn’t good enough. If he still thinks the Jets run defense is a victim of poor technique, poorly executed schemes, or an ill-timed game plan, he is divorced from reality. The reason the Jets continue to be run all over is they don’t have the talent to play the 3-4 defense! It’s not working, Coach! Your team is 1-6!!

The Jets offense has also fallen into the divide between fantasy and reality. Picture this. It’s halfway through the 1st quarter and the Jets are in the shotgun for the 4th straight play. But that’s not Orlando Pace anchoring the left side of the offensive line as five receivers go into the pattern. And that’s not Marshall Faulk in the backfield. And those receivers can’t stretch the field like Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce once did, to say nothing of the other outside weapons the ’99 Rams used to terrorize defenses. And, yes, Chad Pennington can’t sling the ball around like Kurt Warner once did.

Yet, the 2007 Jets run so many plays out of the shotgun in three- or four-wide receiver sets you’d think they were the ’99 Rams. However, the Jets dink and dunk all game long behind inconsistent pass protection. They abandon the run in close games in favor of more short outs and fades. The reason is simple opposing cornerbacks are jumping the overused short routes. Defensive coordinators spend all week analyzing game film to pick up tendencies. Until the Jets offense attacks the deep middle of the field, there is no reason for opposing defenses to defend it.

Memo to the Jets: get back together with reality!

Onto Chad Pennington. It was wrong to keep him in the starting line-up if you believe at 1-6 the Jets season is over and management should get a nine-game look at Kellen Clemens.

It was the right thing to do if you believe promoting Clemens this early in the season could backfire. What if he flops for two or three weeks? Those last six games could be really ugly.

Moreover, starting Chad is the right thing to do if you believe it would be wrong to punish him when the entire team is struggling. Chad’s up-and-down play is not the biggest reason the Jets are losing, or the second biggest reason. Pennington’s problems are a product of the lack of support he’s getting from the running game and Brian Schottenheimer’s predictable game plans.

Pennington is underappreciated. His critics offer him no slack. There are a few starting QBs struggling in the NFL today, leading offenses which have scored even fewer points than the Jets, but those signal callers aren’t placed under the same pass-by-pass scrutiny which dogs Chad. He is the only Jets starting quarterback to lead the team to the playoffs in three seasons. He’s thrown more career TDs than INTs and has a career winning record. He’s not great, but you can do a lot worse.

The impact of Jonathan Vilma’s knee injury will reveal how he’s become a non-factor on defense. In 2004, when he was a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine in the 4-3, his absence would have caused fans to groan. Now, you may hardly even notice. And it’s primarily not his fault. He’s a misfit in the 3-4 and his nose tackle doesn’t keep guards off him, preventing Vilma, a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, from running to the ball carrier.

[Kentucky Jet]

Bills shouldn't have much trouble with sinking Jets

Posted by: Connor Byrne on October 26, 2007 12:13 AM

So far this season, both of the Buffalo Bills' wins have come against teams with very little offense. The Bills took out the New York Jets a month ago by a score of 17-14, doing just enough offensively and plenty defensively to win the game. Then in last week's victory over Baltimore, the Bills' defense came to play yet again, holding the Ravens to 14 total points in a five-point triumph.

At 2-4, Buffalo has won two of three and is hoping to get into the midseason playoff hunt, and it's facing the Jets yet again. For the Bills, that's good news.

New York, which boasted a 10-6 record last year and made the postseason, is in total turmoil in 2007, having amassed a horrible 1-6 mark thus far. Additionally, the Jets are without standout middle linebacker Jon Vilma, who's injured, while starting quarterback Chad Pennington might be making his final start in green and white. Head coach Eric Mangini is giving this weekend to the 31-year-old Pennington, but NFL sophomore Kellen Clemens, known for his strong arm, is breathing down the long-tenured veteran's neck.

The Jets' problems coupled with the Buffalo's recent success spells difficulty for the former and success for the latter. The Bills, as maligned as they tend to be around the league, have lost two one-point games -- to Denver and Dallas -- by way of last-second field goals this year; frankly, they're three seconds away from being 4-2 right now. And, in all honesty, they're likely much better than the Jets.

Buffalo's defense has led the team lately, and its strong play began against these same Jets. The Bills allowed Pennington to dink and dunk his way to 291 yards in Week 4, but he also threw two interceptions; further, starting running back Thomas Jones was held to 35 yards on 12 carries.

That's how the Bills' defense has played recently: One aspect -- either the pass or run -- might give them difficulty, but the other won't. It was seen against Dallas, when star back Marion Barber III gained only 28 yards on eight carries and QB Tony Romo threw for over 300 yards (six turnovers, though). The same happened last week against Baltimore: Willis McGahee eclipsed the 100-yard barrier on the ground, but signal-caller Kyle Boller threw for fewer than 200 yards and wasn't much of a factor.

Expect the same this week from Buffalo's defense, which has forced nine turnovers over the past three games. If Pennington has a prosperous day through the air, Jones will probably struggle on the ground, and vice versa. Recent history -- the past three games -- indicates the Bills know exactly how to clamp down on one offensive aspect and make it a non-factor for the opposition. That's a credit to both D-coordinator Perry Fewell and the personnel he's coaching.

Assuming the Bills' 'D' delivers again -- and there's no reason to believe the up-and-coming group won't -- the team's offense, for the third time in four games, won't have to do much.

Rookie Trent Edwards is now Buffalo's official starting quarterback, and he's proven himself as an effective game manager so far. Still, the 22-year-old has tossed a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions this year, and the Bills would certainly like to see that end in his inaugural road start.

Edwards' first start game against the Jets, and he completed a terrific 22 of 28 passes for 234 yards, a touchdown and a pick. New York, expecting running back Marshawn Lynch to carry the load, was totally baffled that a novice QB could make a fool of them. Now, though, the Jets are less ****y, and they'll have to yet again deal with the hard-running Lynch, who seems due for his first-ever 100-yard game by now.

The Jets, ranked 28th out of 32 league teams in rush defense, started off the season well against opposing ground attacks, but they have since allowed 100-yard rushers in four of their past five. That includes the 130 surrendered to anonymous Cincinnati RB Kenny Watson last week; one has to believe that if Watson can amass that kind of total, the ultra-talented Lynch will post similar stats. Thus, all signs point to the rookie's first big game in the pros.

In the end, the rising Bills are better than the downtrodden Jets in all three aspects of the game, including special teams.

Prediction (season record: 6-0): Bills 24, Jets 14.

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I think the guy is wrong! We will have more OFFENSE against that rag-tag DEFENSE and win 24 to 17! KJ

[Kentucky Jet]

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Oct. 25

[Kentucky Jet]

Pereira 'Could Make a Case' for Revis INT

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