NY Jets News Articles- 10/ 28 Beat the Bills!

[Kentucky Jet]

Chad Tries To Rebound- NY SUN

by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sports Day | Friday, October 26, 2007

HEMPSTEAD, NY

[Kentucky Jet]

POTEAT'S BEEN POTENT

By MARK CANNIZZARO

October 28, 2007 -- What does Hank Poteat have in store for today?

The veteran Jets cornerback, elevated to a starting role last week and expected to start again today against Buffalo, made the first interception of his career two games ago. He followed it up with another last week in Cincinnati.

So Poteat, in his seventh season, went six-plus years without a pick and now has two in the past two games.

"He's hot," Eric Mangini said. "Hank to me is the classic example [of what I want in a player]. He knows what to do, he does exactly what he's being coached to do, and he's the same player every day.

"You can expect a very consistent level of performance out of Hank. You know that every single play he's going to try as hard as he can and do everything he can to be in the right spot. He studies hard, he works at anticipating routes, and he's a good tackler."

*

WR Laveranues Coles, who takes losing hard, just wants to have fun.

"You try to look for a light at the end of the tunnel," he said, referring to the Jets' 1-6 start. "The game is fun. You get to Sundays and you always enjoy just playing the game. I come in and work hard and look forward to Sunday when I can go out and compete. That's the best part of the game."

Coles will start his 104th consecutive game at WR, the longest current streak at that position in the NFL.

*

WR Jerricho Cotchery has caught at least four passes in 13 consecutive regular-season games, the second-longest current streak in the league. . . . LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson must beware Bills DE Aaron Schobel, who's always been a headache for him. Schobel has 47 sacks since 2003, second in the NFL. He has 1

[Kentucky Jet]

VILMA'S WASTED SEASON OVER October 28, 2007 -- THE leader of the NFL's 28th-ranked defense is out for the year, but how are we going to be able to tell? This shadow of the hunting, haunting, sideline-to-sideline linebacker that used to be Jonathan Vilma barely will be missed.

Whoever had been wearing No. 51 for the Jets this season had his soul removed at Mangini Laboratories. Because the coach won't let his players admit when they are hurt, Vilma had to go on his own paid radio show Tuesday and humiliate himself by implying he was benched, rather than that he had suffered a potential season-ending knee injury. Yesterday, Vilma was placed on injured reserve, ending the mystery.

Now that's taking one for the team, and a bad one at that. Meanwhile, what bullets are being taken by Mangenius, a former defensive coordinator who was outcoached a week ago when the prodigious-passing Bengals came out running?

Never mind his refusal to publicly criticize players whom you just know he is vaporizing in the film room, Eric Mangini unfailingly evades questions about any aspect of his team's play or personnel decisions by speaking only in the most generic terms.

What a coach does, of course, is more important than what he says. Either way, Mangini appears to have no answers for this 1-6 plight besides shuffling mediocre defensive backs failing for lack of a pass rush.

So if Mangini isn't quite ready to bring on Kellen Clemens, then it's a good thing he has no choice today against the Bills but to replace Vilma with rookie David Harris. We are assured that the second-round linebacker out of Michigan has been catching on fast, like we have the idea that not only defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, but these square pegs Mangini has been jamming into round holes, have got to go.

We can only assume the Jets traded up 16 spots in April to take Harris at No. 47 because he was a good fit for the 3-4 defense that many of the players Mangini inherited are not. The coach loves it for its flexibility, and he's not going to change, damn it!

The definition of good coaching is putting players in the best possible positions to succeed. But the definition of good management is providing players that give coaches their best chance to succeed. And this defense is giving the Jets only an opportunity to go 3-13.

That might seem hard to believe, coming off 10-6 with no significant personnel subtractions, or until now, injuries. But not really, considering the 2006 Jets defense ranked 20th in yards allowed and was gashed almost as badly by the run as the 2007 version. The old football truth - if you are not getting better, you are getting worse - seems applicable not just for Vilma, but for Dewayne Robertson and Shaun Ellis, recent first-round picks who were better fits for a 4-3.

Free speech being squashed in Hempstead like Vilma once squashed backs catching screens, we can surmise a lot of Jets are playing like dead fish because they feel they are out of water. But Vilma's body language on the field - he was averaging 5.5 tackles per game, down from 11.6 in 2004 - practically screams his loss of joie de vivre.

He has not been alone as Mangini holds noses to the grindstone, trying to obliterate the Jets' ability to smell themselves. But by now, a lot of these players on defense not only know their days are numbered, but probably are counting the days themselves.

jay.greenberg@nypost.com

[Kentucky Jet]

SAY, IT AIN'T JOE

JETS' REVOLVING DOOR NEVER TURNED UP ANOTHER NAMATH THROWN AWAY: Mike Vaccaro, who at his first Jets game in 1976 heard fans heckle Joe Namath, points out the team has never had a quarterback nearly as good since.

October 28, 2007 -- THE Jets are sticking with Chad Pennington for at least another week. They are going to send him out to whims of the Meadowlands winds and the fickle swirl of fate, and there is something about that which is especially gratifying, seeing a coach stand loyally by a besieged and embattled player. With the green-tinted world barking for the onset of the Kellen Clemens era, Eric Mangini is holding firm. Good for him. For the most part.

The problem with embracing this philosophy is obvious, though: for another week, the Jets put on hold the holiest quest in New York sports, the search for The Next Joe.

I lay the blame for this directly to the afternoon of Nov. 14, 1976, which happened to be the first Jets game I saw in person. Those of you who are regular readers of this space know there was a defined, definite and unbreakable holy trinity to my rooting interests growing up: Tom Seaver in one corner, Joe Namath in the other, Chris Mullin in the third.

I was 9 years old that day. I wanted to watch Joe play in person before he became an ex-Jet, something everyone seemed to be talking about in those days. He didn't start that day, Richard Todd did, but he came in off the bench and he played well. He recaptured a little of the old Namath magic. He completed seven of 12 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, and I couldn't have been happier.

Except, even as I was getting my first taste of the Joys of Football Fandom, I was getting my first real dose of the Perils of Jets Fandom, too. All around me, guys were yelling and cursing at Namath. It didn't matter what he did. Soon enough, they started a chant: "We want Todd!" and I remember that my horror at that was only matched by the horror on my father's face when I tried to start a concurrent "We want Joe!" chant in the middle of hundreds of guys with angry dispositions and paper bags filled with liquid courage.

The Jets won that game, beating the soon-to-finish-0-14 Buccaneers 34-0. In refreshing my memory of the details, I came across this classic quote from John McKay, the hyper-quotable coach of those sad-sack Bucs teams: "Namath is still Namath, but I must say that our guys were nice to him. I noticed when they knocked him down, they helped him to his feet. That was gentlemanly. I thought one stood around long enough to get his autograph."

Well, the angry drunks got their wish, and Namath was a Ram the next year, and here it is, almost 31 years later, and guess what. Maybe we shouldn't have been in such a hurry to give Namath the bum's rush out of town. Because the Jets are still waiting for the Next Face of the Franchise, one that can only come in the quarterback position.

Think about it: Since Nov. 14, 1976, the Mets have lost Seaver (but have gained, among others, Doc Gooden, Keith Hernandez and David Wright; the Yankees have lost Reggie Jackson (and replaced him with, among others, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez). The Knicks lost Clyde Frazier and replaced him ultimately with Patrick Ewing. The Giants have been led by three different quarterbacks to three Super Bowls. Even the Nets, who committed the most egregious sin of all 25 days earlier by shipping Julius Erving to the Sixers, have been recompensed with Jason Kidd the past five years.

The Jets? Todd had his moments, many of them heartbreaking. When it was time for the drunks with the paper bags to start chanting for his ouster, they got Ken O'Brien. When it was O'Brien's turn to face the wrath, it was Browning Nagle. Boomer Esiason came, saw, and was conquered. Vinny Testaverde got his one season from the gods, popped his Achilles the next year on opening day, and while he's still marvelous proof that the Fountain of Youth is real, he never did re-approach where he was in 1998. And, ultimately, when it was his time and his turn, the guys with the paper bags in their hands started chanting for Chad Pennington, too.

And here we are. Today is Chad's turn, and his time. Today is when Clemens becomes the darling of the Paper Bag Set, as soon as one of Pennington's ducks gets shot out of the air. Maybe some kid is going to the game today for the first time, and he'll be wearing his No. 10 jersey. I hope not. The kid may be scarred for life; he may even become a sportswriter someday. Poor kid.

[Kentucky Jet]

HOLE LOT WORSE

JETS WILL FIND OUT IF 1-6 IS ROCK-BOTTOM

By MARK CANNIZZARO

Chad Pennington

October 28, 2007 -- A month ago, the Jets went into Buffalo favored to beat the banged-up Bills and get themselves to .500 at 2-2 after a shaky start.

That start was shaken by a 17-14 loss Sept. 30 and has led to a 1-6 hole that has left the Jets' season in shambles.

Enter the Bills again. Buffalo (2-4) comes to Giants Stadium today riding two wins in three games and can further bury the Jets.

"We're not where we want to be," Jets LB David Bowens said. "We didn't start training camp thinking we were going to be 1-6. Now, it's all about responding. The playoffs are definitely something we don't need the distraction of thinking about. What we have to do is compose ourselves right now and fix the mistakes."

Here's an inside look at today's game and whether the Jets will, indeed, fix the mistakes.

BEST BATTLE

Jets CB Darrelle Revis vs. Bills WRs Josh Reed, Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish. In the prior meeting, the Bills made a concerted effort to go after the Jets' rookie corner, who was busy tackling the Buffalo wideouts after they made catches on him. Look for Buffalo to test him again. Revis, a resilient sort, is still seeking his first career interception. He came very close twice last Sunday.

QB WATCH

Both teams have had quarterback controversies, of sorts. The Jets have come close to replacing Chad Pennington with backup Kellen Clemens as the offense has struggled. The Bills were forced to replace starter J.P. Losman with rookie Trent Edwards when Losman was injured in the third game. Edwards, who beat the Jets in his first NFL start, has won two of three. He's done it methodically, having thrown one touchdown pass in 100 attempts. Pennington has lost four in a row and thrown some damaging interceptions, as he did twice against the Bills.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

This game pits two of the NFL's best kick returners. Between the teams, they've returned four kicks for touchdowns this season. The Jets' Leon Washington, who leads the league with a 33.2-yard average, with two TD returns, and Buffalo's Terrence McGee, who averages 29.1 yards, including one TD return, could provide some fireworks. Parrish leads the NFL in punt-return average at 22.4 yards and has taken one back for a TD. The Bills have returned nine kicks for TDs since 2004, second behind the Bears (10).

RUSH TO JUDGMENT

One of these teams ought to be able to break out in the running game. After all, the Bills have the 25th-ranked rushing defense in the league and allow 4.7 yards per carry. The Jets' rushing defense is ranked 28th and has allowed nine rushing TDs, including three to the immortal Kenny Watson last Sunday. So look for either the Jets' Thomas Jones, who's been inconsistent (487 rushing yards, 3.7-yard average), or Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch (457 yards, 3.6-yard average) to break loose today.

KEEP AWAY

Seven different Bills have had at least one interception this season. The Jets have thrown nine INTs, two returned for TDs.

JETS FACT

The Jets were charged with their first lost fumble of the season when C Nick Mangold's premature snap bounced off of Pennington's leg last week. But the Jets have not actually fumbled away a ball this season.

FOE FACT

Bills punter Brian Moorman is second in the NFL in net average at 41.1 yards.

NUMBER TO KNOW

One. The number of touchdown passes the Bills have throw this season.

CANNIZZARO'S CALL

JETS - 21

BILLS - 20

The Jets will go back to Thomas Jones and stick with him. That'll lead to his third 100-yard game this year. Look for Jets rookie LB David Harris, replacing Jonathan Vilma, to have a high-impact game with some big hits.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[Kentucky Jet]

BY HANK GOLA

Bills at Jets at Giants Stadium, 4:05 p.m.

The Line: Jets by 3

TV: Ch. 2 (Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker)

Radio: WEPN 1050-AM, WABC 770-AM (Bob Wischusen, Marty Lyons). In Spanish on 1280-WADO-AM (C.L. Smith Muniz, Nelson Fernandez)

Forecast: Partly sunny with the temperature falling from 60 degrees.

Injury Impact

LB Jonathan Vilma being placed on injured reserve (knee) leaves the Jets' run defense even more vulnerable. TE Chris Baker, who missed the Bengals game last week with a back injury, should return. WR Laveranues Coles is expected to play despite missing practice time with a calf injury. Josh Stamer, a big part of the Bills' excellent coverage teams against Leon Washington (calf), is a game-time decision. So is DE Chris Kelsay (ankle). Bills DE Ryan Denney (foot) is out.

Feature Matchup

RB Marshawn Lynch vs. ILB Eric Barton and OLB Bryan Thomas: Vilma's absence was seen in the second half last week when, sidelined, he watched Kenny Watson run wild. Lynch is a tackle-busting force who increased his average carry to 3.6 yards against a rugged Ravens defense. The Bills and Bengals both ran at the undersized Thomas and were able to wall him off. If struggling NT Dewayne Robertson can't hold the point, the Jets may be forced to use more 4-3 looks or bring either Kerry Rhodes or Erik Coleman into the box. WR Jerricho Cotchery vs. CB Terrence McGee: The Bills gave up the underneath routes in the first game and Cotchery had eight catches for 106 yards. His ability to pick up yards after the catch will be key today as he goes across the middle, looking to get in behind the linebackers. Bills MLB John DiGiorgio will bite on play-action so it's imperative the Jets can get Thomas Jones going, unlike their first meeting. Chad Pennington's patience could then pay dividends.

Scout Says

"The (Bills) offense has functioned better under Trent Edwards so it's no surprise that Dick Jauron is going with him over (J.P.) Losman. His numbers aren't great but he's shown some poise and as long as the Bills can run the ball today, he'll have time to pick out receivers. He and Lee Evans are starting to develop some chemistry. The Jets got away from Thomas Jones in the first game but can't today. After running him out of one-back sets and not finding much success last week, I'd expect to see some more fullback leads. Chad Pennington had his best game of the year against the Bills until the late interception. He's very good throwing against zone teams like this."

Intangibles

Momentum favors the Bills, who have found ways to win two of their last three games and should have won all three (see Dallas). That said, this is as winnable a game as the Jets will play until December, when they visit Miami, and it's imperative they stop this avalanche of losing before it rolls into the impending Redskins-Steeelers-Cowboys stretch. Judging by the effort and focus he's been getting, Eric Mangini's message is getting short-circuited somewhere. He's sticking with Pennington, who was among the least of his worries in Cincy, but the big change could be only one more loss away.

Prediction

Bills, 20-17. They're improving each week. The Jets aren't.

[Kentucky Jet]

When the Jets reported for work Thursday morning, the players were pleasantly surprised by a message on the locker-room grease board:

"Practice in the bubble - seriously."

Eric Mangini, known for holding practices in driving rainstorms, goes inside as often as lawn furniture - once a year. It was an unusual development in an unusual week.

It began in Cincinnati, where Mangini - stung by the Jets' four-game losing streak - angrily vowed to conduct a top-to-bottom evaluation of the organization. Many expected a dramatic shake-up, in personnel and preparation, but that wasn't the case.

"To be honest, he hasn't been putting the hammer down," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "I don't think he's been iron-fisted at all."

When everybody expected a fastball, high and hard, Mangini threw a changeup.

It would be na

[Kentucky Jet]

Jonathan Vilma's season is over.

As expected, the Jets' linebacker was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a severe knee injury, ending his year after only seven games.

"This is not a career-threatening injury and the doctors expect a full recovery," Vilma's agent, Mitch Frankel, said in a statement released by the team.

Vilma is believed to be evaluating his options, hoping to avoid surgery. Either way, he faces a long rehabilitation. The club hasn't revealed the exact nature of the injury and Vilma hasn't been made available to the media.

"I'm disappointed that my season ended prematurely," Vilma said in a statement. "I was looking forward to playing the rest of the season and helping the team get back on track. I now look forward to supporting my teammates for the rest of the 2007 season and returning to the field with them in 2008."

Vilma's future with the Jets is cloudy. Because of his well-documented struggles in Eric Mangini's 3-4 defensive scheme, the team may look to trade Vilma in the offseason. Vilma, who has one year left on his contract, also may request a trade to a team that employs a 4-3 defense. The injury, of course, will decrease his trade value.

The former first-round pick was injured in last week's loss to the Bengals, but he appeared in all but eight plays in the second half. Vilma added an air of mystery to the situation, insisting Tuesday on his weekly radio spot that he wasn't injured in the game. It was a curious comment, considering he already knew it was a significant injury.

"After reviewing all of the information available, the best thing for Jonathan and the Jets is to place him on injured reserve and turn his focus to rehabilitation and the 2008 season," GM Mike Tannenbaum said.

Vilma will be replaced in the lineup by rookie David Harris. To replace Vilma on the roster, the Jets activated LB Matt Chatham from the physically-unable-to-perform list.

[Kentucky Jet]

October 26, 2007

Jets Hope to Turn Table on Bills

A month ago, we were laughing at the Bills. Remember? They were winless, half the defense was injured and a rookie quarterback, Trent Edwards, was making his first start. We mocked Eric Mangini for talking them up like they were the Bills of the early 1990s.

Now who's laughing?

The Bills are getting healthy and it looks like they've discovered their quarterback of the future, who has sparked the team to two wins (including a 17-14 decision over your Jets) and a near-win over the Cowboys in a Monday night classic.

The Jets? They haven't recovered from that loss, having lost four straight. It's hard to believe, but they haven't recovered from that embarrassment. Now they have the quarterback issue, not the Bills.

Looking back on that game, two plays jump out that set a bad tone: Mangini's poor decision to punt on a fourth-and-1 from the Bills' 45 and Chad Pennington's interception early in the fourth quarter. It was his first interception of the season, and they've been coming in bunches since.

This is a huge game for Mangini. If they lose in non-competitive fashion, it could mean he has lost the locker room. Although I don't have much to base it on, except for a gut feeling from talking to the players all week, I think they will respond positively. These guys (Pennington, Laveranues Coles, et al) have too much pride to lay down.

The Jets need to take more chances, especially on defense. Week after week, they pay too much respect to the opposition's passing game, and it leaves them vulnerable against the run. Last week, the Bengals' coaches were stunned by the number of times the Jets doubled WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. They were doubled on all but five plays. The Bengals adjusted their game plan, feeding the ball to RB Kenny Watson and throwing to slot receiver Glenn Holt. They Jets couldn't stop the run with seven in the box.

Mangini and defensive coordinator Bob Sutton took a similar tact in the previous Buffalo game. They doubled the outside receivers, so the Bills used a lot of three-receiver packages. Rookie CB Darrelle Revis was isolated on the slot receiver, Josh Reed or Roscoe Parrish, and he got nicked up pretty good.

The Jets should trust their corners a little more. Understandably, they don't want to surrender the quick strike, but how about changing things up a bit? If the Jets double the Bills' outside receivers, they'll get crushed by rookie Marshawn Lynch and the Bills' mammoth offensive line. Sutton and Mangini must do a better job of making in-game adjustments. They're facing a rookie quarterback, for crying out loud; they should throw the kitchen sink at him.

As you know, LB Jonathan Vilma (knee) is injured. The Jets will miss his intangibles, but, frankly, I think rookie David Harris is a better fit in the 3-4. He's a physical tackler, capable of disengaging from guards and attacking the ball.

By the way, I reviewed the tape of last week's game, trying to figure out when Vilma got hurt. He played every defensive snap in the first half, and there was no indication of an injury _ none. He missed eight plays in the second half. There were no instances of him limping or getting up slowly, but he definitely was a step slow, a shell of his usual self. He did an incredible job of concealing the injury. Tough guy, Vilma. Unfortunately, we've probably seen the last of him this season.

Offensively, the Jets should be able to score enough to win the game. As usual, all eyes will be on Pennington, who will be on the Mangini tightrope once again. I could see him getting pulled if he has a bad first half, but he rarely has a bad first half. I'm convinced Mangini is going to ride Pennington into the bye week. If the Jets beat the Bills and the Redskins, hitting the bye week at 3-6, Mangini will stick with Pennington. If they reach the bye with at least seven losses, he'll use the bye to get Kellen Clemens ready.

Time for a prediction. Lately, I've been picking games the way Delta treats its customers - lousy - so keep that in mind. I'm going with the Jets, 17-14 - a reverse of the first meeting. As Billy Joel once sang, "Don't ask me why." Just a gut feeling.

Posted by Rich Cimini at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

[Kentucky Jet]

Knee injury shelves Jets' Vilma for the season

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

October 28, 2007

It's not a surprise, but it is another blow to the listing Jets.

Jonathan Vilma was placed on injured reserve yesterday, less than a week after damaging his knee in a game against the Bengals and four days after an odd denial of any injury during a radio interview.

Vilma, who was benched sporadically but continued to play through the injury last Sunday, did not practice at all this week and had been listed as out for today's game against the Bills.

"After reviewing all of the information available, the best thing for Jonathan and the Jets is to place him on injured reserve and turn his focus to rehabilitation and the 2008 season," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement.

Vilma's agent, Mitch Frankel, said the injury is not career-threatening and doctors expect Vilma to make a full recovery.

"I was looking forward to playing the rest of the season and helping the team get back on track," Vilma said in a statement released by the team. "I now look forward to supporting my teammates for the rest of the 2007 season and returning to the field with them in 2008."

Both Vilma and Frankel made specific references to Vilma playing for the Jets in 2008. Notably, neither Tannenbaum nor Jets coach Eric Mangini made that assumption in their statements.

Many believe the Jets could be planning to deal Vilma during the offseason after a year and a half of struggles in the 3-4 defensive scheme. If Vilma were to continue playing and further damage his knee this season, his value in a trade would certainly be diminished.

On Tuesday, Vilma made it clear that he did not think he was injured and went so far as to say that if he were injured (as Mangini noted a day earlier), he would be ready for today's game. The injury reportedly is "significant," but a person familiar with the situation said Vilma has not yet decided on surgery and continues to seek non-surgical possibilities.

Vilma was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and went to the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2005. He has played in all 55 games of his career with the Jets, starting 53 in a row. His 39 tackles this season ends his streak of three consecutive seasons with at least 100 tackles.

Linebacker Matt Chatham was activated from the reserve/physically unable to perform list, leaving the Jets with one open spot on their 53-man roster. Chatham (foot) could be available to the Jets today.

[Kentucky Jet]

Ex-Jet Lucas full of surprises as a broadcaster

Neil Best

October 28, 2007

'Thank God the Cincinnati Bengals' defense is poopy!" Ray Lucas said.

This was on live TV, during a breakdown of last week's game on "Jets Extra Point" Tuesday night, and summed up much of what you need to know about SNY's manic football analyst.

The fact that he said it while criticizing a Jets play call hinted at his complex relationship with his former team as it heads further down the, um, toilet.

It also was a reminder that no one ever is quite sure what will come out of his mouth.

"Poopy?" It beats the alternatives.

"My friends and family still can't believe I haven't said -- or -- or -- on TV," Lucas said. "But it's a profession. I want to be good at my profession. I want to be taken seriously. If I make a jackass of myself, people will look at me like a jackass."

There are times Lucas walks a fine line. But in his second year with SNY, he has struck a better balance, learning to stop calling the team "we" and helping turn the Jets' postgame into an entertaining forum

"I let him blow off some steam in the meeting, and he knows when the camera is on, it has to be a little more refined," said Will O'Toole, who produces the postgame and Extra Point. "The fire that makes him good is the same thing that makes you a little nervous from time to time, but it's all for the best."

Lucas often is at the center of good-natured arguments with Brian Custer, who hosts both shows, and fellow analysts Greg Buttle (Tuesday) and Adam Schein (Sunday).

Custer said he and Schein try to provoke Lucas. "He makes no bones about it, he bleeds green," Custer said. "But he's always honest as well."

Curt Gowdy Jr., SNY's executive producer, said Lucas' "very frank and very opinionated" approach reminds him of Mets analyst Keith Hernandez.

There are similarities, but one difference is the path taken by Lucas, 35.

Unlike Hernandez, he never was a star, playing seven seasons for three teams, quarterbacking the Jets to an 8-8 mark in 1999 after they started 1-6.

Back problems drove him into retirement in 2003. He worked for ESPN that autumn and for CSTV in 2004. But the pain was so bad he barely could move after flying to college games, which led him to take painkilling pills that muddled his preparation.

"When you're in that much pain, you medicate, so you can imagine how fresh I was on Saturday," he said. "I'm not afraid to say it. But my job suffered because of it."

By late 2005, his mobility was so limited that the 6-3 Lucas ballooned to 287 pounds.

"I went through the whole depression thing; I went through everything," he said.

An 8½-hour surgery in January 2006 that he says saved his life involved the insertion of two titanium screws and a steel plate, and the replacement of a damaged disc.

Sensing Lucas' strength was studio work, Gowdy gave him a shot last fall. "When I got here, I was a different person," he said. "I was healthy."

Lucas would like to turn TV into a career. But for now, he works as an account executive for a company that provides maintenance services for buildings in and around the city.

He called it a "glorified salesman position." But it pays the bills for a guy who never made huge bucks as a player. He lives in Jackson, N.J., with his wife, Cecilia, and three daughters. (He borrowed the term "poopy" from his youngest.)

Trying to develop professional detachment when it comes to the Jets has been a test for him, especially when it comes to Chad Pennington, a teammate in 2000.

"Chad is one of my best friends; I don't want to see him sit because of nonsense ," Lucas said.

"At the same time, he's made mental mistakes three games in a row, throwing picks to lose a game for them. It's a business."

Lucas said players no longer return his calls. "Before, if I called Chad, I'd get a call right back," he said. "Now I can't even send him a smoke signal. I get nothing. I don't know if they're afraid I am going to say something. But I always told them, I'm a player first, then a journalist."

[Kentucky Jet]

Reeling Jets started skid against Bills

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

October 28, 2007

Think back, Jets fans. Can you remember the optimism?

When the Jets last prepared to play the Bills, only four short weeks ago, the pieces seemed to be falling into place. Yeah, they were 1-2, but they'd had two losses to elite AFC teams and had just finished beating the Dolphins. The Dolphins! By three whole points! That's gotta count for something!

The Jets had their starting quarterback apparently healthy after an ankle injury, had just rolled out their star running back for his first 100-yard performance, and had posted their long-awaited first sack and turnover of the season.

Not only that, but they were facing a beleaguered Bills team beset by injuries and among the worst in the NFL in nearly every statistical category. Even Bills coach Dick Jauron referred to his winless team at that point as being "in turmoil."

The Jets were on the verge of reaching .500, and from there a certain playoff run awaited.

Um, not quite. The Jets lost to the Bills and, in case you didn't notice, haven't won since.

Their quarterback is on the ropes and has thrown seven interceptions and only five touchdown passes during the losing streak. Their defense has wilted like a November pumpkin, allowing more yardage per game than all but four teams - two of which, the Bills and Bengals, already have beaten the Jets. And the coach has promised changes after a top-to-bottom analysis of what has gone wrong.

"In the past, we weren't 1-6," Laveranues Coles said when asked why such an in-depth overhaul didn't take place sooner. "Right now, everybody is being evaluated. We're all on the same team right now. We're all losers right now. We're losing."

It's been one of the worst months in Jets history, and if they lose today in their rematch against the Bills, it will give them only their second winless month with at least four games since those dismal days of Rich Kotite. That's right, fans, we're evoking Kotite, who went 0-for-September, November and December in 1996. Only the injury-riddled 2005 Jets have turned a page on the calendar without a victory since then, going winless in November.

The Jets may have been one of the NFL's healthiest teams before this week, and not only because they are prohibited from talking about injuries. Now that defensive captain Jonathan Vilma will miss an NFL game for the first time - he has a knee injury that could cost him the season - they'll at least have that as an excuse on which to hang future defeats. Even with Vilma, the defense was ranked 28th.

"The most important thing when you're in a situation, and I've been in this situation before, you can't start looking at the schedule and saying, 'OK, that's a possible win, this is going to be a tough one, this is a possible win,'" quarterback Chad Pennington said. He may have been overstating his losing credentials a bit; he'd never lost three straight NFL regular-season games as a starter before this four-game skid.

Pennington, who was named the starter after about 48 hours of early-week uncertainty, said he and his teammates need to practice and play with enthusiasm despite their awful record.

"If you don't, you're not going to survive," he said. "It's going to be like an avalanche. It's going to keep snowballing, getting bigger and bigger."

Avalanches and snowballs. The winter of the Jets' 2007 season is coming early this year.

Bills at Jets, 4:05 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2Radio: WABC (770), WEPN (1050)

FUN FACT: Seventh heaven Receiver Laveranues Coles needs one more TD reception to match a pair of luminaries on the Jets' all-time list. Keyshawn Johnson and Al Toon each had 31 career touchdown grabs as a Jet, seventh most in team history. Coles has 30, including six this season.

NEWSDAY.COM/SPORTSWill the Jets bounce back and beat Buffalo? Will the Giants keep their winning streak alive? Log on & vote

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets need to remember how to win

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 28, 2007)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The big question of whether Chad Pennington would remain the Jets' starting quarterback has been answered, at least temporarily.

The bigger question now is whether the Jets, with Pennington still under center, can remember how to win again.

"This isn't a Chad Pennington issue," coach Eric Mangini said. "This is a New York Jets issue. This is all of us needing to do a better job."

The Jets (1-6) host the Bills (2-4) today at 4:05 p.m. having lost four straight, a streak that started with a 17-14 loss at Buffalo Sept. 30. Another loss and the Jets will be off to their worst start since opening the 1996 season 0-8 on their way to a 1-15 finish under Rich Kotite.

Those weren't exactly the comparisons the Jets were hoping for coming off last season's wild-card berth.

"The most important thing when you're in a situation - and I've been in this situation before - you can't start looking at the schedule and saying, 'OK, that's a possible win, this is going to be a tough one, this is a possible win.' You can't do that. You can't see where you might end up," Pennington said.

That certainly didn't work out the first time the Jets met the Bills, who had already lost seven players to injured reserve and were then guided by a rookie quarterback in Trent Edwards making his first NFL start.

Edwards, who has won two of three starts and completed 66 of 100 passes for 660 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions, will be making his first road start today. Last week the Bills beat the Ravens 19-14, and they nearly toppled the Cowboys in their previous game, losing 25-24 on a last-second field goal.

Plus, they're starting to get healthy. Linebackers Keith Ellison (ankle) and Coy Wire (knee), who missed the first Jets game, are back, as is defensive end Anthony Hargrove, a Brooklyn native who was suspended for the first four games after violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

"Two of the last three we've been able to win, and part of it is continuity," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "(Edwards) has progressed a little bit each week. Our offense has gotten a little more consistent each week."

But, like the Jets, the Bills are far from a juggernaut, statistically or otherwise.

The Jets' offense is ranked 29th in the NFL, averaging 288.6 yards per game; the Bills are 31st, averaging 229.2 yards. The Jets' defense is ranked 28th in the league, allowing opponents 377.7 yards per game; the Bills are 31st, giving up 402.5 yards.

However, Edwards seems to have provided a spark missing with quarterback J.P. Losman, who sprained his left knee in Week 3 at New England but is now healthy.

"The Patriots game was moving pretty fast for me, and the Jets," said Edwards, a third-round pick out of Stanford who came with the late Bill Walsh's endorsement. "The Cowboys and Ravens have slowed down somewhat but the way they play was still pretty fast. I'm trying to slow myself down and make sure I know where I'm going with the football. In the long run, that will help slow the game down for me."

Pennington is likewise looking to quiet his team's quarterback controversy.

However, with Mangini saying only, "Chad will be the starter this weekend," there's still plenty of speculation that the 31-year-old Pennington is just a bad half, or a bad quarter or a bad series away from being pulled in favor of second-year pro Kellen Clemens.

"We all have been losing together," Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "It is not one person that you could put the blame on. If there are going to be some changes, we probably have to get rid of all 53 guys."

For his part, Pennington remains unconcerned about his hold on the job he inherited in 2002 from Vinny Testaverde.

"The way I play the game, I don't hide anything, I don't play to save my job," said Pennington, who has completed 115 of 170 passes for 1,211 yards and nine touchdowns and has thrown all seven of his interceptions in the past four games. "I don't play to make sure that I don't get something negative written about me. I play to help us win. So this week is business as usual."

The biggest question of whether the Jets can manage to win their second game - they've already lost as many games as they did last season - still remains.

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

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' Vilma out for season

(Original publication: October 28, 2007)

Jonathan Vilma received second opinions on his injured knee and then he and the Jets opted for the inevitable. The inside linebacker yesterday was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

The Jets have not specified which knee was hurt in last Sunday's 38-10 loss at Cincinnati, or the extent of the damage, but it is believed Vilma will undergo surgery to repair ligament damage.

"The Jets have been very supportive of Jonathan throughout this process and have been focused on his best interests," said Mitch Frankel, an agent for Vilma. "This is not a career-threatening injury, and the doctors expect a full recovery."

Vilma, a fourth-year pro who was the NFL's defensive rookie of the year in 2004 and led the league in tackles the following season, has seen his production decline in coach Eric Mangini's 3-4 defense. There were rumors the Jets had considered trading him prior to this year's draft, and he could still be moved if David Harris does well in his place.

"I am disappointed that my season ended prematurely," said Vilma, who had 39 tackles and one interception this season. "I now look forward to supporting my teammates for the rest of the 2007 season and returning to the field with them in 2008."

Today will mark the first game Vilma has missed since being selected with the 12th overall pick out of Miami. He had started 53 straight games. To take Vilma's roster spot, the Jets activated linebacker Matt Chatham.

Andrew Gross

[JetCane]

VILMA'S WASTED SEASON OVER October 28, 2007 -- THE leader of the NFL's 28th-ranked defense is out for the year, but how are we going to be able to tell? This shadow of the hunting, haunting, sideline-to-sideline linebacker that used to be Jonathan Vilma barely will be missed.

Whoever had been wearing No. 51 for the Jets this season had his soul removed at Mangini Laboratories. Because the coach won't let his players admit when they are hurt, Vilma had to go on his own paid radio show Tuesday and humiliate himself by implying he was benched, rather than that he had suffered a potential season-ending knee injury. Yesterday, Vilma was placed on injured reserve, ending the mystery.

Now that's taking one for the team, and a bad one at that. Meanwhile, what bullets are being taken by Mangenius, a former defensive coordinator who was outcoached a week ago when the prodigious-passing Bengals came out running?

Never mind his refusal to publicly criticize players whom you just know he is vaporizing in the film room, Eric Mangini unfailingly evades questions about any aspect of his team's play or personnel decisions by speaking only in the most generic terms.

What a coach does, of course, is more important than what he says. Either way, Mangini appears to have no answers for this 1-6 plight besides shuffling mediocre defensive backs failing for lack of a pass rush.

So if Mangini isn't quite ready to bring on Kellen Clemens, then it's a good thing he has no choice today against the Bills but to replace Vilma with rookie David Harris. We are assured that the second-round linebacker out of Michigan has been catching on fast, like we have the idea that not only defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, but these square pegs Mangini has been jamming into round holes, have got to go.

We can only assume the Jets traded up 16 spots in April to take Harris at No. 47 because he was a good fit for the 3-4 defense that many of the players Mangini inherited are not. The coach loves it for its flexibility, and he's not going to change, damn it!

The definition of good coaching is putting players in the best possible positions to succeed. But the definition of good management is providing players that give coaches their best chance to succeed. And this defense is giving the Jets only an opportunity to go 3-13.

That might seem hard to believe, coming off 10-6 with no significant personnel subtractions, or until now, injuries. But not really, considering the 2006 Jets defense ranked 20th in yards allowed and was gashed almost as badly by the run as the 2007 version. The old football truth - if you are not getting better, you are getting worse - seems applicable not just for Vilma, but for Dewayne Robertson and Shaun Ellis, recent first-round picks who were better fits for a 4-3.

Free speech being squashed in Hempstead like Vilma once squashed backs catching screens, we can surmise a lot of Jets are playing like dead fish because they feel they are out of water. But Vilma's body language on the field - he was averaging 5.5 tackles per game, down from 11.6 in 2004 - practically screams his loss of joie de vivre.

He has not been alone as Mangini holds noses to the grindstone, trying to obliterate the Jets' ability to smell themselves. But by now, a lot of these players on defense not only know their days are numbered, but probably are counting the days themselves.

jay.greenberg@nypost.com

POTW NOM!!!

Mangina sux

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets have landed in surreal season

Sunday, October 28, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

In Week 4, the winless Buffalo Bills were supposed to be the perfect tonic for the ailing Jets.

Half the Bills' roster, it seemed, was banged up, and the team was still reeling from a near-fatal spinal cord injury suffered by tight end Kevin Everett in the season opener against Denver.

The Bills' defense, minus four starters, had allowed the most points in the NFL and their run defense probably would have had trouble stopping a marginal college team.

Offensively, the Bills ranked last in nearly every major category and rookie quarterback Trent Edwards was making his first NFL start.

Conversely, the Jets, a playoff team a year ago and expected to be a postseason contender this season, were coming off a victory over the Dolphins and were eyeing the .500 mark after opening the season with losses to the Patriots and Ravens. It was time to make a move in the standings against a division foe.

Not so fast.

Edwards was brilliant, hitting 22-of-28 passes for 234 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and the Jets were exposed as paper tigers in a 17-14 loss that launched them on a four-game losing streak that has ruined their season and sparked rumblings of mass discontent.

"We knew the Bills were a good team but we were coming off the win against Miami and I personally thought maybe we could get to 2-2 and maybe turn this thing around," right guard Brandon Moore said. "But we've been saying that for three or four week now since that game."

Against the Bills, the Jets defense was underwhelming, failing to pressure or rattle the young Edwards, and the offense imploded at the end as quarterback Chad Pennington threw an interception to end a drive toward a potential game-tying field goal with 11 seconds remaining at the Bills' 32-yard line.

It's a pattern that has followed the Jets (1-6) all season.

"I don't know if that game threw up a red flag, but it let us know where we were as a team," defensive end David Bowens said. "We've been in most of our games but we haven't been able to get over the top. That game wasn't necessarily a red flag on how bad we were, it was how we kill ourselves."

Said wide receiver Laveranues Coles: "If you could put your finger on it, you would be able to fix it. It's just not that simple."

The embattled Pennington has thrown seven interceptions in the past four games. In consecutive losses to the Bills, Giants and Eagles, Pennington had a chance to tie or win the game in the final minutes and inevitably threw an interception. He played well in a 38-31 loss to the Bengals last week but had an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown with 37 seconds left to play and the Jets trailing by eight points.

Despite Pennington's struggles, coach Eric Mangini hasn't benched him in favor of Kellen Clemens; Pennington will start this afternoon when the Jets play host to the Bills (2-4) at Giants Stadium.

"We've tried to pride ourselves on being able to win those close games and not being able to pull out the Buffalo game was disappointing and those same things have continued," Moore said. "We thought being able to win the close game was one of our strong points but it's not showing true this season."

Last season, the Jets were 5-3 in games decided by seven points or less, including a 17-14 victory at New England. This season, they're 1-4 in such games. Mangini attributes his team's woes to inconsistency. He was livid during his postgame news conference last week in Cincinnati, saying he's tired of giving the same speech every week about the need to be consistent.

The result has been a lost season. The Jets, who returned 18 of 22 starters, were considered a playoff contender. Now, in just Week 8, their season is all but over.

"We definitely didn't expect to be in this situation," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "Besides all of the outside expectations, internally we had our own expectations. Right now, it's like an avalanche. We can either get out of the way and try to make something good happen or we can let it snowball and it can be 1-15 and get really ugly."

Moore said the silver lining is that each week is a new day, another chance to work toward a victory.

"Of course, we're stunned," he said. "Every day you come in here you're reminded of how terrible you are. You think about the record and how it's nowhere near the expectations we had. It's disappointing. But the thing about football is at the beginning of the week you get a fresh start and look forward to the Sunday coming up and think this is the week that things turn around."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

[Kentucky Jet]

Vilma Out For The Season

by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sun

HEMPSTEAD, NY

[Kentucky Jet]

Season's over for Jets' Vilma

Sunday, October 28, 2007

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

The Jets should have a good chance to look at the future of their linebacker unit the rest of the season, although it's a bit quicker than they had planned.

Four-year veteran Jonathan Vilma was placed on injured reserve Saturday with an unspecified knee injury. Vilma hadn't missed a game during his NFL career until today.

His absence means that rookie David Harris, a second-round pick from Michigan, will have a chance to start for the rest of the season.

To fill Vilma's roster spot, the Jets activated eighth-year linebacker Matt Chatham (foot) from the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list. The Jets are still one player short of the 53-man limit for active rosters.

"I am disappointed that my season ended prematurely," Vilma said in a statement issued by the Jets.

"I was looking forward to playing the rest of the season and helping the team get back on track. I now look forward to supporting my teammates for the rest of the 2007 season and returning to the field with them in 2008."

Vilma apparently injured the knee during the Jets' 38-31 loss to Cincinnati last Sunday, and missed several plays during the second half. He hadn't practiced since that game.

Vilma was not in the locker room during the week, although he did do his paid weekly radio spot on WFAN-AM on Tuesday. When asked why he was removed from the game, he replied, "It definitely wasn't because I was injured. ... I had no idea why I was taken out. I didn't even know I was going to be taken out until I was taken out."

It was a curious statement considering what has occurred since, although perhaps Vilma merely didn't want to violate the team's policy about discussing injuries.

He sought some second opinions during the week and is believed to be considering surgery.

"After reviewing all of the information available, the best thing for Jonathan and the Jets is to place him on injured reserve and turn his focus to rehabilitation and the 2008 season," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Vilma, a defensive captain, hasn't been as good of a fit in the Jets' 3-4 defense as he was in the 4-3 used by former coach Herm Edwards.

Vilma was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and made the Pro Bowl in 2005, but was fifth on the Jets with 39 tackles going into today. Vilma's contract is up at the end of the 2008 season but this injury would make difficult to trade him during the off-season.

"This is a not a career-threatening injury and the doctors expect a full recovery," Mitch Frankel, one of Vilma's agents, said in a statement.

Harris, who was taken with the 47th overall selection, has 24 tackles in a reserve role.

"Vilma's a great player," Harris said during the week. "Anytime that you lose a player like that, it's very hard to fill his shoes. He's a great team leader. He's very well respected and he has run the defense for four years now.

"It's been a dream of mine to start an NFL game," Harris said, "and the opportunity has [arisen] so I've got to step up to the plate."

"Jonathan is a leader and has always done everything he can to help this team win," coach Eric Mangini said in the statement.

"He's diligent in his preparation and has always unselfishly taken the time to share his knowledge of the game with his teammates. I know that he will approach this challenge with that same type of effort and focus."

* * *

Jets (1-6) vs. Bills (2-4)

Giants Stadium, today, 4 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2. Radio: ESPN-AM 1050, WABC-AM 770

Line: Jets by 3

What's at stake

Jets: A victory would snap a four-game losing streak and give them some positive vibes for a change. A win in which the offense performs well also could quiet the outcry from people who want to see QB Chad Pennington replaced by second-year player Kellen Clemens.

Bills: Buffalo could put more distance between itself and the Jets and Dolphins in the battle for second place in the AFC East, which is about all that's left with New England unbeaten. The Bills also could notch their first road victory since December, when they beat the Jets at the Meadowlands.

Key matchups

Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery vs. Bills CB Terrence McGee

Cotchery had eight receptions for 106 yards in the first meeting as Buffalo's defense let the Jets complete plenty of short and intermediate patterns. With Cotchery's ability to make yardage after the catch, he can turn some of those short balls into longer gains. Pennington threw for 272 yards and a season-high three TDs at Cincinnati last Sunday.

Bills WR Josh Reed vs. Jets CB Darrelle Revis

Reed burned Revis several times on intermediate patterns from the slot in the first meeting. And Revis is coming off a game in which the Bengals picked on him, too. Revis is a very good rookie corner, but he and the rest of the Jets' secondary aren't getting much help from an inconsistent pass rush. The Jets had only one sack last week.

How they'll win

Jets: The Jets make some big plays in the passing game, which loosens up the Buffalo defense so that RB Thomas Jones can get back on track after a lackluster 67 yards on 19 carries at Cincinnati. The defense doesn't let Bills' rookie Trent Edwards, who is making his first NFL start on the road, get into a comfort zone the way he did in the first meeting when he threw for 234 yards.

Bills: Edwards is as cool a customer as he was in upstate New York four weeks ago and Marshawn Lynch has a big day on the ground as the Jets' 28th-ranked run defense falters again. The Bills' secondary, which picked off Pennington twice in the first meeting, again has his number. Buffalo DE Aaron Schobel, held sackless in the first meeting, is able to get plenty of pressure on the Jets' QB.

-- J.P. Pelzman

* * *

[Kentucky Jet]

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Oct. 26

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets

[Kentucky Jet]

Our run game will kill them!

I still see the Skins beating the Patriots

The GARCIA-led Bucs over Jax

The Giaints by 14 over the sick fish!

GO JETS!