NY JETS NEWS ARTICLES 11/ 9

[Kentucky Jet]

http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/articles/show/1826-ten-seniors-who-are-looking-good

[Kentucky Jet]

Bye week gives Jets chance to put 1-8 start behind them

Nov 08, 2007

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -Kerry Rhodes and the New York Jets were eager to put football and their disappointing start aside for a few days.

"For the most part, I'm trying to get away from it completely," the Jets' standout safety said. "I don't want to think about all the bad stuff that has happened or even the plays that we did make. I'm going to try and come back refreshed."

The players received four days off from coach Eric Mangini during their bye week, and many were heading home to do anything to clear their minds of a season gone terribly wrong.

"There weren't high-fives because we're 1-8, but it was a relief to be able to have that time off to spend with your families," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "Spending time with your families in situations like this is very important."

Big things were expected of the Jets following a 10-6 season capped by an unlikely playoff appearance under a rookie head coach. Mangini was praised for his handling of a young and inexperienced team and turning them into one of the NFL's most exciting and promising squads.

Then, "Mangenius" turned into man, oh, man.

Many thought the Jets would have a more difficult time this season because of a tough schedule, but no one could've predicted 1-8.

"The bye is a great time to honestly assess where you are individually and to look at the things that you need to improve," Mangini said.

There's certainly plenty that has to get better, from the coaching decisions to the porous defense.

New York is ranked 30th in overall defense and 29th against the rush, allowing more than 152 yards on the ground each game. Last Sunday, Washington scorched New York for 296 yards rushing, including 196 by Clinton Portis, while erasing a 14-point deficit and winning 23-20 in overtime.

"We just have to get better, play better technique and play more consistently," linebacker Eric Barton said. "There are times when we stop the run for one, two or three quarters. We're just inconsistent right now and we need to fix that."

That's easier said than done, but the Jets have done it before. They struggled to adjust from a 4-3 base defense to Mangini's 3-4 system in the first half last season, but used the bye to tighten things. In the last half of the season, the Jets were one of the top overall defenses in the NFL.

Those improvements clearly didn't carry over to this year.

"It's a little disheartening because coming into this season, we knew that with the type of players we had on defense that we could come out and be a good unit," Rhodes said. "I thought that we were going to be a pretty good defense."

The Jets also have just nine sacks this season - only three teams have less - and quarterbacks have taken advantage of the extra time.

Even if the Jets improve, it's too late to think playoffs. It isn't all negatives, though. New York has been in every game except for the season opener against New England, when it lost 38-14. Five of the Jets' losses have been by seven points or less.

They have also had a few eye-opening performances. Leon Washington has looked like a Pro Bowl kick returner, replacing Justin Miller and bringing back three kickoffs for touchdowns. Rookies Darrelle Revis and David Harris have looked solid as starters on defense, and Kellen Clemens has shown in two NFL starts he might be the long-term answer at quarterback.

"Last year, we had a pretty good year after the bye week," Cotchery said. "We were able to correct some of our mistakes we made in the first half of the season and win a lot of games in the second half. We look forward to coming into the second half of the year and doing something special."

The Jets need to get running back Thomas Jones going to have any sort of success in the last seven games. After acquiring him from Chicago and giving him a $20 million deal, Jones has been severely misused. He's a surprising 10th in the league with 606 yards, but has just two 100-yard games and has 20 or more carries in only three games. Jones has also failed to get into the end zone.

"The issue with the running game is that we've had some positive runs, some good runs, but we've had too many negative runs," offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said a few weeks ago.

That might change now that Mangini has relegated Chad Pennington to backup duty and promoted Clemens. Solid in his second NFL start last Sunday, he gives the Jets the ability to stretch the field with his stronger arm and can also scramble if he needs to.

"Whatever is going to help our guys, whatever is going to move the football and get the first down is what I'm going to try to do," Clemens said.

Until they get back to work Monday, the Jets were looking forward to forgetting their record for a while.

"Right now, I think coach knows we need time away from the facilities," Rhodes said. "It's not good and the mood is not good. I think the best thing for us is to get away as much as we can."

[Kentucky Jet]

Murrell could help Jets pass rush

By Gregg Hayim

Posted Nov 8, 2007

The Jets have struggled all season long finding a sufficient pass-rush, so they have decided to take a chance on a familiar name; a familiar surname that is.

On Wednesday, the team announced that they have signed rookie defensive end Marques Murrell. Murrell is the younger brother of former Jets running back Adrian Murrell, who had a solid Jets career spanning five years in the mid-90's.

Marques played his college ball at Appalachian State, and was signed as a rookie free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles during the off-season. He eventually earned himself a spot on their practice squad.

Ironically, a key component to Murrell's ability to make the Eagles practice squad roster, was his performance against the Jets in the final game of the pre-season. He was credited with two sacks, and two forced fumbles as he wrecked havoc on the Jets second team offense.

With another family member now donning Green, Marques wasn't the only Murrell thrilled with the news.

"He was pretty happy and excited," Marques said of his brother's reaction to finding out the Jets had signed him. "He is going to be up here for (my) first home game against Pittsburgh. He has been pretty excited and so has the rest of the family."

Murrell was a two-time All-American at Appalachian State, helping his team to consecutive 1-AA National Championships. He finished his collegiate career with 36 sacks and 18 forced fumbles.

Although Murrell has played the bulk of his career as a defensive end, the Jets plan on utilizing his pass-rushing skills at linebacker. A logical transition, given the Eric Mangini 3-4 scheme that relies so heavily on the linebacker's ability to get to the quarterback.

If Murrell can successfully make the shift, he would not be the first Mangini coached player to do so.

"In the linebacker types you always want the ability to play the run, be a downhill player but also transition and have the pass rush ability," Mangini said during his Wednesday press conference. "(Teddy) Bruschi is a great example of that. He had a zillion sacks in college and ended up transitioning into the inside linebacker role. Now when he rushes from that spot, he's pretty difficult to block and you see the same savvy that you saw in college."

Although Murrell's linebacking experience is limited to a few all-star games and the Eagles practice squad, the Jets brain-trust felt comfortable enough in his ability to grasp the system to sign him to the active roster.

[Kentucky Jet]

How Serious Is Jonathan Vilma's Injury?

Posted Nov 8th 2007 10:31AM by Josh Alper

Filed under: Jets, AFC East, NFL Injuries, New York

Since Eric Mangini took over the Jets the team has been about as forthcoming about injuries as the Bush administration has been about interrogation techniques. That reticence may come back to bite them this offseason if they want to make a deal involving injured linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Vilma decided to have surgery on his injured knee but neither the team nor the player has offered up information about which knee and what kind of surgery.

That mystery will lead to speculation about just what's wrong and one surgeon says that Vilma wouldn't have been put on season-ending injured reserve if it wasn't a serious injury. Dr. Johnny Benjamin told Newsday that he thinks Vilma could need two years before he's fully recovered.

"It makes me believe it's a full thickness injury," Benjamin said of the move, adding that the simple cleaning would normally sideline a player for only a few weeks. That would require either micro fracture surgery or the insertion of a bio-absorbable screw into the knee to hold the ligament to the bone.

NBA fans will recognize micro fracture surgery as the operation that cost Amare Stoudemire a year-plus and is currently costing Greg Oden his rookie season. If that's what Vilma is having it will make it much harder to deal him in the offseason and won't make him any more of a help to the Jets on the field. Since Vilma's out for the season anyway it may be time to break down the thick green line and end the speculation about his future.

[Kentucky Jet]

Clemens' leadership raises eyebrows

Thursday, November 8, 2007

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Kellen Clemens was asked Wednesday if there was a play from Sunday's loss to Washington that he would like to do over.

Clemens didn't hesitate. "The last one," he said, meaning the crossing route to Jerricho Cotchery on third-and-7 from the Washington 39 on the Jets' lone possession in overtime. The usually sure-handed Cotchery dropped it, but Clemens faults himself, too.

"The ball was delivered a bit too low," Clemens said. "I think if it's an easier ball to catch, Jerricho makes the play, and who knows?"

Clemens' accountability is only one of many things the Jets like about him as he continues to transition into his new role as the starting quarterback.

Against the Redskins, Clemens showed the ability to make plays on the run, both with his feet and his arm, after the pocket broke down.

"Fear can make you run a lot faster," Clemens said, laughing, and added, "Whatever is going to help our guys, whatever is going to move the football and get the first down, is what I'm going to try to do. There were a few plays where I hung in there, I took a shot, and delivered the ball. There were some others where had to get out of the pocket and make something happen. It's really based on how the play unfolds. You never plan on, 'Well, I'm going to run on this play.'

"I'm starting to develop more of a relationship with the first-string wide receivers," Clemens said. "So any time that you can do that and improve in that area, it only helps further on down the line."

Sunday's game marked the first time since September 2002 that Chad Pennington sat out a game while he was healthy.

"It's the same as being injured," Pennington said, "because you can't help on the field. ... You do the best you can to keep your emotions controlled and take all the positive energy you have toward helping your teammates and Kellen."

JETS SIGN MURRELL: No, not former running back Adrian Murrell, who rushed for 3,447 yards for the Jets from 1993-97. Instead, it's his younger brother, Marques Murrell, a 6-foot-2, 246-pound rookie from Appalachian State who was signed off Philadelphia's practice squad to the Jets' active roster. The Jets project Murrell as a special teams player and as a pass-rushing outside linebacker. He had two strip sacks against the Jets in the preseason finale.

"He was someone that was very productive in the preseason and did a good job rushing the passer," coach Eric Mangini said, adding that Murrell "has some flexibility to play on his feet and at a couple of different spots."

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets Wave Bye

By Greg Bishop

The Jets waved goodbye to their season a few losses ago, but still received a break from the schedule gods this week. After six straight losses, the Jets will not lose again this weekend. Of course, they don

[Kentucky Jet]

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot

[Kentucky Jet]

After Practice, Jets Say Bye-Bye

Published: Wed, November 7, 2:29pm EST

By Eric Allen

Allen is the senior managing editor of newyorkjets.com. He is in his sixth season with the Jets.

File Under: Eric Mangini, Curtis Martin, Mike Nugent, Ben Graham, Pittsburgh Dallas

change font email article 11/07

[Kentucky Jet]

11:54PM - Is D

[Kentucky Jet]

NFL Fan Value Experience

SI.com rates the game day atmosphere for each team

Posted: Wednesday November 7, 2007 10:57AM; Updated: Wednesday November 7, 2007 11:55AM

Fan Value Experience

The Rankings

Read Complete Rankings 1. Packers - Lambeau Field 2. Steelers - Heinz Field 3. Browns - Cleveland Browns Stadium 4. Lions - Ford Field 5. Ravens - M&T Bank Stadium 6. Eagles - Lincoln Financial Field 7. Seahawks - QWEST Field 8. Colts - RCA Dome 9. Titans - LP Field 10. Panthers - Bank of America Stadium 11. Patriots - Gillette Stadium 12. Jaguars - Municipal Stadium 13. Broncos - INVESCO Field at Mile High 14. Texans - Reliant Stadium 15. Bills - Ralph Wilson Stadium 16. Chiefs - Arrowhead Stadium 17. Buccaneers - Raymond James Stadium 18. Saints - Louisiana Superdome 19. Bengals - Paul Brown Stadium 20. Bears - Soldier Field 21. Raiders - McAfee Coliseum 22. Chargers - Qualcomm Stadium 23. Dolphins - Dolphin Stadium 24. Cardinals - Univ. of Phoenix Stadium 25. Giants - Giants Stadium 26. Cowboys - Texas Stadium 27. Rams - Edward Jones Dome 28. Redskins - FedEx Field 29. Falcons - Georgia Dome 30. Niners - Monster Park 31. Vikings - Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 32. Jets - Giants Stadium

How They Finished

1. Packers - Lambeau Field

2. Steelers - Heinz Field

3. Browns - Cleveland Browns Stadium

4. Lions - Ford Field

5. Ravens - M&T Bank Stadium

6. Eagles - Lincoln Financial Field

7. Seahawks - QWEST Field

8. Colts - RCA Dome

9. Titans - LP Field

10. Panthers - Bank of Amer. Stadium

11. Patriots - Gillette Stadium

12. Jaguars - Municipal Stadium

13. Broncos - INVESCO Field at Mile High

14. Texans - Reliant Stadium

15. Bills - Ralph Wilson Stadium

16. Chiefs - Arrowhead Stadium

17. Buccaneers - Raymond James Stadium

18. Saints - Louisiana Superdome

19. Bengals - Paul Brown Stadium

20. Bears - Soldier Field

21. Raiders - McAfee Stadium

22. Chargers - Qualcomm Stadium

23. Dolphins - Dolphin Stadium

24. Cardinals - Univ. of Phoenix Stadium

25. Giants - Giants Stadium

26. Cowboys - Texas Stadium

27. Rams - Edward Jones Dome

28. Redskins - FedEx Field

29. Falcons - Georgia Dome

30. 49ers - Monster Park

31. Vikings - HHH Metrodome

32. Jets - Giants Stadium

By Paul Forrester, SI.com (with additional writing and reporting by Nicki Jhabvala and Bryan Graham)

For NFL fans, each Sunday's game is only part of an event that includes a lot more than what happens between the hash marks for three hours. From the commute, to tailgating to taking one's seat, the act of attending a game is an experience shared by every NFL fan from Seattle to Miami. But what separates one venue from another?

That's what SI.com has attempted to discover in rating the experiences each NFL team offers the fans who attend their games. From ticket prices to availability, from the quality of the tailgating to the comfort of the seats, we asked fans to rank and describe every aspect of the game day experience. After painstakingly reviewing each of the 17,000 responses in our online survey, we sorted the information to give you a snapshot of what our readers told us and rated each team in seven categories.

The criteria we used is described below. In the cases of a tie, teams were ranked based on the length of their current sellout streak. Hence, though the top two teams finished with the same score, the fact that No. 1 (Green Bay) has sold out every game since 1960 carries the day over a team (Pittsburgh) with a sellout streak dating to '72.

So dive in, football fans, to the chart above, and see how each team stacks up. And, of course, be sure to weigh in with your thoughts.

The ratings in each category were determined by the following:

Tickets

The availability of tickets and fan atmosphere were weighed against the average ticket price (determined by Team Marketing Report's 2007 NFL Fan Cost Index, which represents a weighted average of season ticket prices for general seating). The lower the price, the fewer the available seats and the more festive the crowd, the better.

Food & Souvenirs

Does the stadium offer a selection of food that can fuel a fan's passion for the game, or does it specialize in a typical spread of lukewarm hot dogs and expensive beer that can sap a crowd of its vigor as quickly as a loss on the scoreboard?

Accessibility

Is the trip to the stadium smooth or as thick as molasses? Do public buses or rapid transit trains offer more convenient alternatives to driving? And how is the search, and cost, for parking?

Tailgating

The tenor of the game ahead often is set at the hours spent grilling in the parking lot beforehand. What teams offer the chance for fans to bond over fabulous food and heated football talk? Which teams don't?

Team

Is the team's performance worth watching?

Stadium Atmosphere

A facility's architecture can go a long way toward making a fan feel the team isn't merely a tenant, but a resident of the city. Of course, it can also make one feel like the team plays in a soul-less mall. Those teams that do their best to incorporate the city beyond its walls can charm fans even during a losing season; those that don't better win or risk irrelevancy.

Neighborhood

Is the city that lies beyond the stadium's walls worth visiting before or after the game? Is it safe? Or is one best served by beating a hasty retreat to the safety of home?

Mallory Rubin and Greg Beaton contributed to this project.

[Kentucky Jet]

Dr. Z Pushing For Klecko HOF Bid.....Again.

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

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...hof/index.html

I write this column at about the same time, every year. It's the Hall of Fame's annual telephone directory, a.k.a. the preliminary ballot. It has more names on it than the voting registers of both Denville and Mountain Lakes, N.J., and is about as interesting ... no wait, I didn't write that ... and has some rare and exotic names, some going as far back as Watergate.

Once it was explained to me how the 124 names contained herein were submitted, but it's the kind of thing I forget without much encouragement. I think a phone call or write-in from a concerned observer might swing it. I know the lobbyists have been hard at work, as usual.

Nothing like getting a phone call from an old coach -- "You want me to ever talk to you again? You vote for my guy." Even better are the endorsements from noted public figures, on their letterhead, U.S. Congress, State House of Representatives, Hi-di-ho Box Company, whatever. I like it best when the secretary who has typed this thing is kind of in a hurry, and you find your share of howlers:

"Mr.Boselli in his career was able to amass over 300 tackles and assists ... is that what guards do?"

Enough beating about the bush. Step one of this long process is to submit to the Hall 25 choices, those whom I want to progress to step two, which chops the list down to 15. I have not fully decided in some cases, but I'll share what I have with you.

Quarterbacks. My favorite of the nine, and probably the only one I'll vote for, at this point, is Ken Anderson of the Bengals. There was nothing not to like about him. Accurate, powerful, tremendously courageous, he had Hall of Fame written all over him. The prototype, actually. My second favorite candidate is Phil Simms, and ... what the hell, I'll probably go for him, too. He felt deeply about his profession, cared more than almost any of them. Oh yes, he could also throw the hell out of the ball.

Terrell Davis is my only running back, of the six listed. I'm sure he'll make it to the final 15, which will get him into the selection meeting at the Super Bowl, and the debate will rage long and hard. Shortness of career will be the main negative, although others are in there who have done far less.

He played for seven seasons, only four of which were really outstanding ... dynamic actually ... and that's perceived as a negative. But all you have to do is look at one of the current senior candidates, Marshall Goldberg, to see the lack of logic here. His career stretched over eight years, with only two, repeat, two, functional seasons. How his name came up is a mystery. A joke, actually. But that's another matter.

In the last two years of the glory part of Davis' career, the Broncos rode his shirttails to a pair of Super Bowl titles, the only ones in their history. You could rightly say he and John Elway are the two most important people in the history of the franchise. I think that's enough of an endorsement. Quality over quantity will be my argument when this whole thing comes up in January.

I'm going heavy on the wideouts this year, for some reason. I've always been a fan of the gigantic Harold Carmichael. Cris Carter's numbers are overpowering. I don't see how they can keep him out. Andre Reed has a rough time in the balloting, usually because the competition is so stiff at this position, but I've always been in his corner and I'll continue to be. And now we come to Art Monk.

I'm tired of being a negative. I'm tired of all the impassioned letters asking me what did he ever do to me. I've been thinking long and hard about this. OK, he caught a lot of short passes but he also bought a lot of first downs, and he was a terrific team guy, well-respected and a pleasure from whom to borrow money. Why must I continue to pound a shoe on the table?

"Because the heel is falling off," says The Flaming Redhead. Hey, can't you see this is serious? What's the matter with you?

Where was I? Oh yeah, Art Monk. OK. He's got my vote. D.C. e-mailers can mail their contributions to me, care of the office.

Tight ends. Mark Bavaro. For some reason I'm blanking out. Why hasn't he made it before now? His name certainly has come up. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. This is mysterious. Have there been negatives? I can't recall any. OK, so he didn't catch as many passes as other guys did, but blocking? Oh my God, he hunted linebackers down. Defensive ends, too. Please, let's get him in there.

But let's not forget about another guy who's eminently qualified, Todd Christensen. He has been bobbing around the edges for a few years now, always backed up by tremendous numbers, never quite getting the votes to put him over. I'll always be a voice on his behalf, mainly because of the fact that for a four-year span, 1983 through '86, he defined the position. He averaged 87 catches a season, and they were a lot rougher on receivers in those days.

And there's still another tight end on this list. Right now I'm undecided. Russ Francis. Twelve years of high-quality performance. We'll see.

Bob Kuechenberg remains my No. 1 project among the moderns, now that Cliff Harris has gone into the Seniors pool. Kooch's problem is two of his Dolphin teammates went in before he had his shot. Larry Little? OK, he was a powerful guard, a friendly guy, jolly, well liked by the writers. A comfortable Hall of Fame choice. Jim Langer, the center? A bit of a mysterious choice. Even Dolphin fans were surprised. A fine player, granted, but he went in before Kooch did? Come on now.

"Kooch was the best of all of them," Don Shula growled at me in his latest phone call. "You've got to do something for him."

I'm trying, coach, Lord knows I'm trying. But what do you do when he makes it to the absolute finals and all that's required is a yea vote instead of a nay, and he still gets dinged? I mean do I call my Corsican friends in the Bronx and have them pay some of these birds a visit?

Two centers get my vote in this round, Dermontti Dawson, the cat-quick pivotman for the Steelers, and Kent Hull, who kept everything kosher up front during the Buffalo Bills' K-Gun era. Still on the O-line list, Tony Boselli bothers me. It's not the relative shortness of his career. I can live with that. It's that ... well, I probably watched more tape on him than any offensive lineman I can remember, and what I saw was a guy who burst onto the scene like a meteor, but during his career did less and less to get by.

Granted, his "less" was more than a lot of other players' "more," but I wanted to see him going after people. I wanted to see some Artie Shell there. Instead, what I saw was a guy who came to work and did his job and never really took it to the highest level. I must warn you. I think I met one other person in my life who agrees with me about this. So all you Jacksonville fans who want to tell me I'm nuts, fine. Go ahead. But I did watch this guy an awful lot.

There's always tremendous quality in the defensive line list and this year is no different. I penciled in three out of the 11 names, and I wish I could have picked more. Joe Klecko, a complete linemen who could play end or tackle, a dynamic pass rusher, a guy who was almost technically perfect against the run, is not loved by my fellow selectors, no matter how much pleading I have done. I think I know what the problem is. They look at his stats and see 24 career sacks. But those encompass the latter part of his career, when sacks became official. How about the 54 he ran up in his first five years, including 20

[Kentucky Jet]

I am going to TAMPA for the weekend and might not be able to post the articles, if any, tomorrow and Sunday. I will resume on Monday if there are any articles! I will try to post them tomorrow.