NY Jets News Articles 11/ 3

[Kentucky Jet]

TIME FOR A CHANGE- NY POST

JETS' O-LINE FACING SHAKE-UP

By BART HUBBUCH

THE NEW GUY: New Jets starting QB Kellen Clemens may have some fresh faces protecting him tomorrow against the Redskins.November 3, 2007 -- Ironies abound as the slumping Jets appear ready to shuffle their stagnant offensive line tomorrow against the Redskins.

Not only is rookie Jacob Bender in line to make his first NFL start, but also the Jets could have a new face at Jet-turned-Redskin Pete Kendall's old spot at left guard.

Losers of five games in a row, the Jets (1-7) were likely to mix and match their offensive line regardless of who they were playing this week. The fact such a move would come against the Redskins adds spice to the storyline.

"I was always a huge Skins fans growing up in (Mayo) Maryland, so it would be a dream to get in there and beat up on them," said Bender, a sixth-round pick from Nicholls State. "I would love that."

Bender appears almost certain to play often, if not start, at right tackle in place of the struggling Anthony Clement. Bender, who made his NFL debut last Sunday against the Bills, said he was given frequent repetitions at tackle in practice this week - a sure sign of playing time ahead.

Left guard Adrien Clarke, coming off a horrendous showing against the Bills, could be replaced by Will Montgomery, a two-year pro who hasn't played at all this season, but said he received enough reps to "read between the lines" about playing.

"Whenever they call on me, I'll be ready," Montgomery said. "I'm raring to go."

The Jets will have a new starting quarterback, with Kellen Clemens making his second career start replacing Chad Pennington, a fact that made Bender and Montgomery turn serious.

"It's an important situation for this team," Bender said. "You've got to protect your quarterback."

The Jets haven't done a good job of that this season, giving up 28 sacks in just eight games. And with one of the NFL's worst rushing attacks averaging 3.5 yards per carry with two touchdowns, it's easy to see why Clement and Clarke are on the chopping block.

Eric Mangini insists any lineup tinkering will be based on merit, not desperation.

"It's really about earning the playing time," Mangini said. "That's what it's always going to be about."

*

Wide receiver Laveranues Coles (doubtful, concussion) did not practice again yesterday and appears unlikely to play. . . . Backup offensive tackle Adrian Jones again was excused from practice for personal reasons. Mangini said Jones' absence wouldn't be lengthy.

bhubbuch@nypost.com

[Kentucky Jet]

Concussion likely to end Laveranues Coles' run of starts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By OHM YOUNGMISUK

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, November 3rd 2007, 4:00 AM

It's been a trying week for Laveranues Coles.

A concussion temporarily knocked him cold during last Sunday's game and kept him out of practice the entire week.

His football soul mate, Chad Pennington, was benched in favor of Kellen Clemens. And now, it's likely that the concussion will prevent Coles from playing tomorrow against his former team, the Redskins, and end his streak of 104 consecutive starts as well.

Yesterday, Coles said he was waiting to hear whether he would play but he sounded resigned to the fact that the Jets medical and coaching staffs will keep him on the sideline. Coles, who watched practice in sweats all week long, has started more consecutive games than any other receiver since his streak began in 2001 during his second season in the league.

"It is almost emotional for me," Coles said of leaving his availability in the hands of doctors and coaches for Sunday. "I almost came to tears (on Thursday) just thinking that I have to sit back and wait and let somebody else decide my fate to play a game. I know that it is the right thing to do.

"I feel like if I'm able to walk then I'm able to play."

Coles was slammed to the turf hard against Buffalo last Sunday in the fourth quarter and this is his second concussion suffered since last Christmas.

In several interviews this week, Coles was coherent and lucid. However, the Jets are cautious with concussions especially with the league keeping a watchful eye after the controversy surrounding retired players and their well-publicized struggles with multiple head injuries.

That likely leaves Clemens without Coles, who leads the team with six touchdown receptions, in his second career start and first as the full-time starter. While Coles and Pennington knew at all times what each other was thinking from years of playing together, Coles is unsure how a new quarterback will affect his role for the rest of the season.

"That is not something I am truly going to push for," Coles said of developing with Clemens the same chemistry he had with Pennington. "What I have to do is try to figure out exactly what role I will be fitting in this system with him being the quarterback. I have to approach things totally different and I have to sit back and see how he feels with me and of course he is going to get comfortable with somebody out there."

In his start against Baltimore in Week 2 in place of an injured Pennington, Clemens hooked up with Jerricho Cotchery for seven catches and 165 yards. He also looked often at Justin McCareins, with whom he has worked on the second unit. But McCareins, who had just one catch in the game, dropped two would-be game-tying touchdowns at the end of the 20-13 loss.

"We really have a strong group of talent at that position," Clemens said of his receivers. "With that many guys out there running around, with their speed and route-running ability and the hands that they have, it makes it a lot easier sitting back at the quarterback spot."

KERRY ON? Safety Kerry Rhodes was a surprise addition to the injury report yesterday with a knee injury. Even though he practiced during the media portion of the practice, Rhodes is now listed as questionable.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' Harris downplays his initial impact

BY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com

November 3, 2007

Appropriate for a player on a 1-7 team, David Harris left out the self-aggrandizement, but c'mon, David, things went a bit better than that.

"I did OK, but there are some things that I could have done better," Harris, a rookie from Michigan, said of his first career start last week against Buffalo, which resulted in a 14-tackle, one-sack performance. "You can always get better at something. I think I played OK, but there are some things I need to develop."

Pressed repeatedly Friday after practice, the low-key Harris allowed: "I played good, I guess. It would have been a lot better if we had won the game."

Harris started for Jonathan Vilma, who had started 53 straight games but is out for the season with a still-undisclosed knee injury. By any reasonable assessment, Harris did better than OK. Coach Eric Mangini praised Harris this week, as did defensive coordinator Bob Sutton on Friday.

"He had been preparing all the time, and so when the opportunity came about, he was ready to go," Sutton said. "Certainly, he did a really good job out there."

While Harris distributed the credit elsewhere - "Give credit to my coaches and the other linebackers," he said - he did seem to appreciate a rapidly developing reputation as a jarring tackler.

"As a linebacker, you always want to be known as a hard hitter," the 6-2, 243-pound Harris said. "I try to go out and play the game. People can call me that, whatever. I just try and go out and play football."

Harris' responsibilities extend beyond making tackles; like Vilma, he takes the defensive calls from the coaches and relays them to the unit.

"Both share the strength of being able to get the call from the sideline and communicate the call effectively to the group," Mangini said. "David is becoming more and more responsible for making the master checks after the defense has been called."

Harris said he has been doing that at linebacker since high school. Just don't tell him he's doing any of it particularly well. Most people noticed his 14 tackles; Harris talked about the three he missed.

"He has a high standard for what he expects of himself," Sutton said. "I think that's a great characteristic. For a player, especially a young player, to be able to look at himself critically, that trait I think is really going to serve him well throughout his whole career. That's how you get better."

Notes & quotes: Laveranues Coles, who has started 107 straight games - 104 at receiver - again did not practice after suffering a concussion last week and was listed as doubtful on the injury report released Friday afternoon, though Mangini left open a slight possibility that Coles could play Sunday. Mangini, sounding a bit like Tom Coughlin discussing Plaxico Burress, said Coles is one of those players who can be effective despite missing practice. "He's an excellent player in terms of his classroom work," Mangini said. "With him, he's got a lot of experience. He's got a ton of reps in the system. From a mental perspective, his preparation is as good as any."

"I always want to play," Coles said Friday. "I feel like if I'm able to walk, then I'm able to play. With something like this, I have to let the doctors and our coaching staff do their jobs in coming up with the right decision and trust that."

Sunday

Redskins at Jets

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 5

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

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' defense starting to apply some pressure

By BRIAN HEYMAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: November 3, 2007)

HEMPSTEAD - Maybe it wasn't the all-out, send-the-linebackers-defensive backs-ball boys-and-trainers pressure to the max, but the Jets were using their imagination and blitzing more often in last Sunday's 13-3 setback against the Bills. The team with virtually no pass rush actually had one.

Of course, it didn't really show up in the sack column. The Jets had only one - a blitz by linebacker David Harris. But they did apply some effective pressure for a change. Darrelle Revis' interception was forced by a David Bowens blitz out of a formation with no down linemen. And Revis swooped in from the slot at least six times. The first-round cornerback got credited with four pressures.

"It was fun, man," Revis said after practice yesterday. "I felt like a linebacker coming off the edge. It helped us on a number of plays. That's something that we can use as defense in the near future that can help us."

The defense has made its contributions to the 1-7 bottom line, but the Jets still have to play eight more games. The second half kicks off tomorrow at the Meadowlands against the 4-3 Redskins in the Pete Kendall Bowl.

Coach Eric Mangini took a more active stance with the defense on the sideline during the last game. But a few players said the heavier blitz emphasis was specific to Buffalo and a vulnerability that was seen. Yet for a team that owns just eight sacks and has no Osi Umenyiora types on the line, there's a definite need for the blitzing element.

"It helps," defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. "It changes up. Sacks are obviously the ultimate thing you'd love to have on defense. But one of the things you really want on defense more than anything is pressure. ... The thing we did against Buffalo was really put more pressure on the quarterback."

Which brings us to the Redskins' quarterback, Jason Campbell.

"He's a fluid athlete back there where he can make some things happen with his feet," Mangini said.

It's just that the right side of the Washington line has been hurt by injuries, and Campbell has been a fumble waiting to happen.

The 2005 first-rounder, who's in his first full season as the starter, threw an interception and fumbled the ball away three times last Sunday when the Patriots flattened the Redskins 52-7. He has fumbled eight times overall.

Reach Brian Heyman at bheyman@lohud.com.

[Kentucky Jet]

Different Situations, Same Goal, for 2 Jets

By GREG BISHOP

Published: November 3, 2007

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Nov. 2

[Kentucky Jet]

Humble Harris makes impact

Saturday, November 03, 2007

BY M.A. MEHTA

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- David Harris isn't what you'd call a shameless self-promoter. Just ask the Jets linebacker rookie about his 17-tackle performance in his first start for the injured Jonathan Vilma last week.

"I played okay, but there's a lot of things I could have done better," Harris said after practice at Hofstra University yesterday. "I missed three tackles. ... So you got to go out and do better."

The 6-2, 243-pound Harris, a former star at the University of Michigan, showed why the Jets moved up in the second round to nab him in this year's draft. The Jets (1-7) certainly hope Harris can pick up where he left off when they play host to the Washington Redskins (4-3) on Sunday.

"He's been progressing very well the entire time he's been here," said defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. "He had been preparing all the time, so when the opportunity came about, he was ready to go and he did a really good job out there."

Harris might be humble, but the coaching staff hasn't been shy about giving him plenty of praise. Even the typically tight-lipped Eric Mangini has been complimentary to his rookie linebacker. The coach commended Harris' ability to lead a defense.

"He was the signal-caller in college," Mangini said. "He had that role. He had a leadership position on the team, so you would anticipate those things transferring to the next level. That's one of the things that we look for in our players that we bring in."

Sutton isn't the least bit surprised about Harris' intangibles and production, either.

"He has a good knack for feeling where the ball is," Sutton said. "When you have that type of quality, it really allows you to be a more successful linebacker."

Harris, who played in a 3-4 scheme in college, appears to be a perfect fit for Mangini's defensive system. Harris was outstanding last week at a position where Vilma -- who was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury -- struggled. Still, Mangini sees plenty of similarities between the two linebackers.

"They both share the strength of being able to get the call from the sideline and communicate the call effectively to the group," Mangini said. "David is becoming more and more responsible for making the master checks after the defense has been called. They were both leaders in college. They both understand what that role means."

WR Laveranues Coles (concussion) is listed as doubtful on the team's official injury report after missing practice all week.

"I always want to play," Coles said yesterday. "I feel like if I'm able to walk, then I'm able to play. With something like this, I have to let the doctors and our coaching staff do their jobs in coming up with the right decision and trust that."

Mangini said he wasn't overly concerned about the long-term availability of OL Adrian Jones, who missed his second consecutive day of practice due to personal reasons.

"It's just something that he's going through right now, and I completely support him," Mangini said. "My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."

S Kerry Rhodes (knee), TE Chris Baker (back), DL Dewayne Robertson (knee) and DL Mike Devito (shoulder) are questionable after having limited practice participation yesterday.

Redskins OL Randy Thomas (triceps) is out after missing practice. OL Mike Pucillo (back) did not practice and is questionable. LB Marcus Washington (hamstring) is questionable have having limited practice.

Fifty-five members of the five branches of the military visited the team after practice yesterday. The Jets will celebrate Military Appreciation Day on Sunday.

M.A. Mehta may be reached at

mmehta@starledger.com

CONTINUED 1 | 2 Next

[Kentucky Jet]

News & Notes: Washington Has Setback

By Gary Fitzgerald

Redskins.com

November 2, 2007

Linebacker Marcus Washington aggravated his hamstring injury this week and he was downgraded to questionable for Sunday's game against the New York Jets, head coach Joe Gibbs said.

"He came in a little sore [on Friday], so he didn't take practice," Gibbs said.

Gibbs said that coaches and athletic trainers may work him out on Sunday morning before the game to see if he can play.

Washington suffered the injury in the Week 3 game against the New York Giants. He has missed two games this season as a result.

In five games, Washington has 23 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble.

If Washington cannot play, then Randall Godfrey would take over at strong-side linebacker. In two starts this year, Godfrey has 13 tackles and one forced fumble.

-- MORE ON INJURIES

Backup offensive lineman Mike Pucillo is questionable for Sunday's game due to a back injury. The team may work out Pucillo at pre-game on Sunday before deciding his playing status.

Meantime, cornerback Fred Smoot is probable as he recovers from a hamstring injury. With Carlos Rogers out for the season, Smoot's presence is thought to be necessary.

"Certainly, going into this week, Fred would be a big part of the defense," Joe Gibbs said. "He had good practice all week, so we don't anticipate a problem there. He plays an important role."

Todd Yoder is listed as probable with an ankle injury.

For the Jets, wide receiver Laveranues Coles--the former Redskin--is listed as doubtful due to a concussion he suffered last game.

If Coles can't play, then Justin McCareins would likely slip into a starting role on Sunday.

Three other Jets starters, tight end Chris Baker (back), safety Kerry Rhodes (knee), defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson (knee) are listed as questionable.

-- CAMPBELL'S FUMBLES

Jason Campbell says he has had made adjustments in practice this week to fix his fumbling woes. Campbell fumbled three times in the 52-7 loss to New England, including one that resulted in an 11-yard return for a touchdown.

For the season, Campbell has had eight fumbles, losing four.

"I'm trying to hold on to the football with two hands," he said. "Sometimes it's tougher when you are in the act of throwing and the ball gets knocked out as your arm is going back to throw.

"The ones that you feel like you can try to tuck real quick, you just have to try to put two hands on it."

Campbell said he has never had a problem with fumbles before in his career.

-- BETTS TIME?

Ladell Betts, who rushed for a career-high 1,154 yards last season in place of injured starter Clinton Portis, has had just nine rushes the last three games.

With Portis back this year, Betts has just 135 rushing yards on 47 carries, a 2.9 yards-per-carry average.

Is it time to give Betts more carries?

Said Joe Gibbs: "I would love for Ladell to carry it more, but also we want a balance there. We're trying to get what's best for Clinton and Ladell and for the whole team. We need more first downs and more plays."

[Kentucky Jet]

Clemens ready for test

Friday, November 2, 2007 ; The edition for 11/03 has NOT been posted as of this posting.

By ROB CELENTANO

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Jerricho Cotchery knows the chemistry will come.

The Jets' wide receiver has already shown he can communicate with quarterback Kellen Clemens. Now it's simply a matter of execution.

The fact is that the duo hasn't had much game experience to work on developing that rapport. But if the Week 2 contest at Baltimore when Cotchery caught seven passes for 165 yards is any indication, that necessary bond may develop quicker than expected.

"We just communicated," Cotchery said Thursday of his success with Clemens against Baltimore. "We understood what each other was thinking. It was all about communication on the sideline. When you have that type of communication, you're asking for good things to happen."

"There's definitely a chemistry factor that a quarterback needs to have with his receivers," said Clemens, who will be making his first start since replacing Chad Pennington as the starting quarterback. "Fortunately, I threw with them all summer, a lot of training camp and various spurts through the season thus far.

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"Three good days of practice this week will hopefully help and then continue to grow going forward."

Jets head coach Eric Mangini mentioned that Clemens has worked with Cotchery as well as the other receivers for two years.

"Kellen has gotten a lot of reps over that time period," Mangini said. "They work together, not just during practice, but after practice. There's a nice group mentality between the quarterbacks and receivers regardless of who's throwing."

Cotchery leads the Jets in receptions (46) and yards (592) and has one TD. He will likely be the go-to player for Clemens again Sunday against Washington, as it appears likely that Laveranues Coles will be out with a concussion.

"We know the type of things that we can do on offense and we know the capabilities that we have," said Cotchery. "We know that we can move the ball. We can convert

[Kentucky Jet]

Clemens Needs To Be Perfect To Have Shot Against Skins

Football

By SEAN LAHMAN

November 2, 2007

This weekend, the Kellen Clemens era begins for the Jets. While much of the focus will be on the young signal caller, the list of problems for the Jets goes far beyond the quarterback position. Considering this, you could make the case that Chad Pennington was playing better than anyone else on the Jets. The defense can't stop anybody, particularly when opponents are running the ball. It isn't forcing turnovers, and it's leading pass rusher, Shaun Ellis, has just two sacks. On offense, the Jets still can't run the ball, and it's beginning to look like Laveranues Coles is no longer a dangerous deep threat. The only thing that was working well was the short passing game, and with the change at quarterback, that is now a question mark.

Clemens may be the answer in the long term

[JetCane]

Eric Mangini insists any lineup tinkering will be based on merit, not desperation.

"It's really about earning the playing time," Mangini said. "That's what it's always going to be about."

That's just ****ing coachspeak. Just like his explanation for starting Clemens was "he earned it". As though it had nothing to do with anything else. Gimme a break.

They jerked Bender off of RT in tc when the kendall thing blew up, but now he is back at RT, and probably lost some valuable time learning RT. But it wasnt done out of desperation, he earned it. Riiiight.

[Kentucky Jet]

That's just ****ing coachspeak. Just like his explanation for starting Clemens was "he earned it". As though it had nothing to do with anything else. Gimme a break.

They jerked Bender off of RT in tc when the kendall thing blew up, but now he is back at RT, and probably lost some valuable time learning RT. But it wasnt done out of desperation, he earned it. Riiiight.

I agree with you Jetcane! MANGREENI says it all!