NY JETS News Articles 12/5

[Kentucky Jet]

SCOUTING THE JETS Browns at N.Y. Jets, Sunday, 4:15 p.m., WOIO Ch. 19

Man-genius another average-Joe coach

Wednesday, December 05, 2007Tony GrossiPlain Dealer Reporter

Ayear ago when he led the Jets to 10-6 and the playoffs in his rookie season as coach, Eric Mangini was the toast of the Big Apple. He landed a cameo appearance on "The Sopranos" and was dubbed Man-genius by the tabloids.

In his second season, he has been de-geniused -- proof that coaches sometimes suffer the sophomore jinx, too.

The Jets had been so unimpressive, they were listed as underdogs to winless Miami last week. They rolled over the Dolphins for their second win in three games and moved to 3-9 overall.

Mangini may have survived the worst. He has handed the offense over to second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens and his defense has future stars David Harris and Darrelle Revis gaining starting experience.

A year ago, the Jets probably were not as good as their ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^10-6 record. Now they may not be as bad as 3-9.

The above was from the CLEVELAND PLAIN-DEALER newspaper

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' defense says bye to 1st-half woes

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, December 5th 2007, 4:00 AM

It isn't easy for teams to prepare for the Jets' defense - at least not since the bye week, according to an opposing scout. "They made a lot of changes in terms of how they use their personnel, the way they manufacture pressure, the different looks, the different fronts," said the scout, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "They've done things to get their players in better spots to make plays. To their credit, they did what they had to do."

Over the last three games, the Jets have incorporated at least 19 players into the rotation, creating headaches for the opposition. "You've got to prepare for two or three players for every one-on-one matchup," the scout said. "It expands the preparation process."

Backups such as David Bowens, Sione Pouha, C.J. Mosley and Brad Kassell have seen increases in their playing time. They've also made subtle changes. One example: Instead of using a right and left outside linebacker, they switched to strong (Bryan Thomas) and weak (Victor Hobson) side. They also altered Kerry Rhodes' role, allowing the talented safety to play closer to the line of scrimmage.

As a result of the adjustments, the sacks and takeaways have soared over the last three games. The same pattern unfolded last season, which begs the question: Why do they need a bye week to reinvent themselves? Why can't they play this way from the start of the season? Clearly, Eric Mangini needs to take a hard look at the situation in the offseason. Maybe he needs to tweak his training-camp regimen. Maybe he needs to streamline the playbook. It shouldn't take two months to figure this stuff out, regardless of the turnover in personnel. Adjusting to change is everything in the NFL.

[Kentucky Jet]

Kellen Clemens must improve footwork

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, December 5th 2007, 4:00 AM

Antonelli/News

Kellen Clemens' drops in the pocket have been inconsistent in his five starts this season.

Another week, another "S" bomb drops on a New York quarterback. This time, the victim was Kellen Clemens.

During Sunday's Jets-Dolphins telecast, CBS analyst Steve Tasker referred to Clemens as "skittish" after a first-quarter sack. It's not quite the same as a general manager saying that about his own quarterback - see the Giants' Jerry Reese and Eli Manning - but it bears repeating and some analysis.

Tasker's tweak came on the opening possession of the Jets' 40-13 victory, when Clemens got happy feet in the pocket and was sacked by DE Jason Taylor at the line of scrimmage.

"If it's not there, sometimes he gets skittish," Tasker said. "A more veteran quarterback might have given himself a couple of extra seconds or thrown it away."

Tasker raised a valid point; Clemens does need to improve his awareness in the pocket. For the most part, he has received favorable reviews from the coaches for his decision-making, but there are times when he drifts in the pocket or bails out too soon. That, Clemens has admitted, was the knock on him going into college.

Eric Mangini believes Clemens, 2-3 as a starter, must become more precise with dropping back to pass. In other words, if the play calls for a five-step drop, it can't be 5-1/2 steps. Proper footwork is one of the most underrated aspects to playing quarterback.

"I think there's still some work to be done in continuing to get rid of the football or understanding exactly where his drop spot is," Mangini said. "That's so important to the offensive line. They need to know that, if you're supposed to be at eight yards, you're going to be at eight. It really affects how they block the person they're on."

The Jets allowed six sacks against the Dolphins, which reads like a bad day for the line, but that wasn't the case.

Unofficially, only one sack can be attributed to a lineman (LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson). RB Thomas Jones surrendered one, and the other four sacks, including two cornerback blitzes, can be blamed at least partially on Clemens, who still is learning about blitz recognition.

In five starts, Clemens has been sacked 19 times, which projects to 61 over a 16-game season - way too many. Whether that makes him "skittish" is open to interpretation, but it's definitely an area that must be improved.

COACH TALK: The rumor mill is churning with potential coaching changes around the league. One to watch: Longtime Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin will be a free agent, and there's speculation he may go to the Raiders to work under his son, Lane Kiffin. How would that affect the Jets? If Kiffin goes to Oakland, it presumably would free up Raiders coordinator Rob Ryan, who is extremely close to Mangini. Hmmm.

UP & RUNNING: Backup RB Leon Washington received a season-high 12 "touches" against the Dolphins, which may explain why the offense was so productive. (That, and the fact that the Miami defense stinks.) He's the Jets' most dynamic player, and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer made a concerted effort to get him the ball. Washington lined up at halfback, quarterback (on a direct snap) and wide receiver, confusing the Dolphins.

Jones, who rarely says anything interesting, admitted Tuesday on his WFAN radio spot that it was "definitely a slap in the face" to be installed as an underdog against the winless Dolphins.... Last week, the Jets auditioned former Patriots FB Patrick Pass. The Jets and Patriots play next week, so the bitter rivals probably will be up to their old tricks, bringing in the other's recent castoffs in an attempt to gather intelligence. Unlike videotaping on the sideline, this is legal.

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS CHALK TALK: Not the place to be

TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

December 5, 2007

Stacy Tutt walked over to his locker a few Wednesdays ago, hoisted himself up on his tiptoes, and stretched far for his shoulder pads. In some ways, it was a more athletic, graceful maneuver than he's ever shown on the football field as a Jet. Once he was able to slide the pads down from their shelf, he walked to a spot in the middle of the room and started dressing for the upcoming practice.

Why was this routine action for an NFL player - getting dressed - made so arduous? Because Laveranues Coles was around. And when Coles is around, so too are the cameras and reporters and other media types who surround him on an almost daily basis in search of a growl or a laugh or whatever Coles is serving that day.

There are two hot spots in the Jets locker room for members of the press looking for a sound bite or a reaction: Coles' locker and that of safety Kerry Rhodes. They are on completely opposite sides of the L-shaped room, a distance that's likely inadvertent but prevents overcrowding. But for the relatively unknown players like Tutt and others who have their lockers next to those talkative stars, the glow can sometimes be a burden.

That's why Tutt, who is stationed two stalls away from Coles, had to stretch over reporters to reach his equipment and then quietly slink away from his assigned real estate to put on the pads.

"When I see him coming," said Tutt, who has since been placed on IR with a leg injury, "I usually try to do what I need to do and get out of the way."

Same goes for former practice squad running back Danny Ware, who thought he was lucky to have a locker next to an established veteran like Coles until the first time he saw the throng invade his space. Ware, who was signed to the Giants' active roster yesterday, said he often tried to get dressed for practice before Coles took the stage, but sometimes he grabbed his stuff and got out of the way.

"I think it's cool that people have so much respect for him," Ware said of the media maelstrom.

Didn't it bother him, though, when he had microphone booms bang into his head or cameramen step on his toes?

"It doesn't happen that often," Ware smiled, "and if they do they always say 'Excuse me' or 'Pardon me.'"

Around the other side, next to Rhodes' locker, is tight end Jason Pociask. In some ways he has it worse than Coles' neighbors since he is stuck with a corner locker, allowing for very little wiggle room.

"When there's a big crowd I try to stay away from my locker," he said. "When the crowd comes and I'm already at my locker, then I try to stay out of the way as much as possible. I try to duck the cameras. I don't want to be that guy with his head in the background."

There have been times, Pociask said, that he's been physically trapped in his corner, unable to get out without resorting to knocking someone over like, well, a teammate.

"I'm not going to lie, I wish there wasn't a crowd around my locker every day," said the second-year tight end with one career reception. "I guess if they were here for me, then it wouldn't be quite as bad."

Storylines

A quick look at the top stories this week

Friend or foe?

There are friendly rivalries and there are nasty rivalries. In the next two weeks the Jets - and Eric Mangini in particular - will experience both. First he faces Romeo Crennel and the Browns. Mangini and Crennel worked together in New England and have remained friendly competitors who speak often on the phone. The following week, the Jets will face the Patriots. And Bill Belichick. Unlike the Mangini-Crennel relationship, that one has not weathered as well. And in this first meeting since the Patriots were caught cheating - exposed by the Jets some would say - the tension between the two coaches that seemed to have thawed in early September should return to subzero conditions.

Motion and misdirection

One of the key plays in Sunday's win was the 19-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Clemens to Brad Smith that gave the Jets the lead for good. It was a good example of the kind of misdirection the Jets can use to confuse a defense. On the play, Clemens was in the shotgun with Leon Washington on his right and Smith on his left. Clemens faked an inside handoff to Washington (who also threw a block) then rolled to the right to hit Smith, who had cut in front of him to crisscross with Washington and was flaring out of the backfield in the same direction as Clemens. "That's another play that we've run earlier in the season," Mangini said. "A little bit different look, but this time it was just better executed."

Consider this week's game to be a head-to-head tryout for the special teams spot on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Both Washington and the Browns' Josh Cribbs have legitimate chances to punch their ticket to Hawaii. Washington has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, is averaging 30.6 yards per kickoff return, and 8.1 per punt return. Cribbs has two kickoff touchdowns, 31.2 yards per kickoff return and 11.6 per punt return. FYI: the leading vote-getter for kick returner in fan balloting is New England's Wes Welker, who has a 10.8 yard average returning punts but has taken back only six kickoffs this year and has no special teams touchdowns.

Statlines

For the second year in a row, the Jets defense has used the bye as a turning point. Last year they allowed 24.1 points per game before the bye and 12.8 after while improving their overall defensive ranking from 31st to 20th. This year the Jets have already jumped from 32nd to 25th in the three weeks since their bye. A look at the before-and-after numbers this year:

Weeks Yards per game Points per game Sacks Takeaways Record

1 thru 9 380.2 25.3 9 9 1-8

11 thru 13 264.6 21.0 13 8 2-1

Sunday

Cleveland

at Jets

4:15 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WABC

(770), WEPN

(1050)

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Copyright

[Kentucky Jet]

Browns in need of boost from Jets

Jeff Schudel, JSchudel@News-Herald.com

12/05/2007

Willie McGinest has been the calming force in the locker room since signing with the Browns in March of 2006, and so it is no surprise he is not lamenting losing to the Cardinals but instead looking ahead to facing the Jets on Sunday at Giants Stadium.

Nobody on the team knows the Jets as well as McGinest does. He played them twice a season from 1994-2005 when he was with the Patriots and once last season with the Browns.

Just like every other player who had a hand in the 27-21 loss to the Cardinals, McGinest is embarrassed about the way the Browns played in Arizona. But the beauty of sports is until the season ends there is always another game to play, and that is the attitude McGinest and the Browns are taking as practice for the Jets resumes today.

"We're not going to let (losing to Arizona) get us down or stop us," McGinest said. "We're going to keep playing hard and whatever happens, happens.

"We have to look at the film, see the mistakes we made and get better. We can't have self-inflicted wounds."

The Browns got a similar wake-up call in Oakland in the third week of the season. They started in a hole, just as they did in Arizona, and lost the game. They were 1-2, and nobody was linking the Browns to the playoffs. But that 26-24 defeat to the Raiders snapped the Browns to attention. They won six of their next eight games and swept the Ravens in the process.

With four games left, there is little room for error. They and the Titans are 7-5 and tied for the last wild-card spot.

Much can change in the last four weeks, but for now the Browns have the better record in the AFC - 5-4, compared to 4-4 for Tennessee. All four of Tennessee's remaining games are against AFC opponents, including a home game against San Diego on Sunday and a game in Indianapolis on the final day of the regular season. The Browns' next three opponents (the Jets, Bills and Bengals) are from the AFC. They finish the season at home against the 49ers.

Tennessee plays the Jets in Nashville on Dec. 23, the same day the Browns are playing the Bengals. Both games are critical. The next tiebreaker after conference record (head-to-head would not apply to the Browns and Titans this season) is the record against common opponents.

Five games for each team will apply. The Titans are 3-1 in those games, with only the game against the Jets remaining. The Browns are 2-1 with games against the Jets and Bengals left. In other words, the game Sunday at Giants Stadium is enormous for the Browns because it figures into both tiebreakers.

So what would happen if both teams finish 11-5 overall, 7-5 in the AFC and both are 4-1 among common opponents? The next step is strength of victory, which in this scenario would measure the combined win-loss-tied percentage of the 11 teams the Browns beat vs. that of the 11 teams the Titans beat. The team whose opponents had the higher winning percentage would win the tiebreaker.

Such mind-numbing math is exactly what the Browns do not want to trouble themselves with for the obvious reason it would detract from preparing for the Jets. The Jets rank near the bottom of the league in offense and defense, but they won two of their last three games.

"We could easily be 5-7, or we could easily be 9-3," tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. said. "We have to play better as a team. It's the little things that win in this league. We've lost one game at home. If we can win four on the road, we should be in."

The Browns are 2-4 on the road. To reach Winslow's goal, they have to win Sunday and then beat the Bengals in Cincinnati.

[Kentucky Jet]

Irvington man looks to land in the world of sports

By JOHN DELCOS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: December 5, 2007)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - For Mike Blum, there's no escaping that the goal is to someday be on the receiving end of the resume.

Blum found his way from Irvington to the overwhelming lobbies and hallways of the Opryland Hotel this week to sell himself among hundreds of other people seeking jobs in the world of sports.

"I've always loved sports," said Blum, who, like most of the people here, doesn't have the physical attributes to play, just the passion and determination to make sports a career.

"I want to be a part of this."

"This" being a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry, one that has prompted a stream of academic institutions to design programs to train students and become a feeder system of candidates groomed for everything from public relations, to promotions, to running a front office.

Blum, 23, will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. His specialization is sports marketing, his favorite class among a group that includes sports law and ethics, stadium management, accounting, customer service, public relations and sports operations.

If there's not a job for him after this semester, his final one at Lynn, he could pursue an advanced degree.

One of the first schools with a masters program in sports administration is Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

On the first day of the Winter Meetings, Blum and his faculty advisor, Ted Curtis, met with faculty at Ohio University.

That's something to think about, Blum said.

If he goes for his master's, he could add another internship before classes start in the fall.

Blum has already interned with the Dolphins and Jets, Roger Dean Stadium - the spring-training home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins - and Octagon Sports Marketing, based in Norwalk, Conn.

During his internship with Octagon, Blum worked on the Sprint/NFL account, which is a long way from Ardsley High School, where he was a slap-hitting center fielder.

"I could bunt," he said. "I could drop them down."

Part of Blum's experience with Octagon was working on the NFL ticketing Web site. At Roger Dean Stadium he helped set up promotions, a constant at minor-league and spring-training games. With the Dolphins it was working in guest relations, and with the Jets he worked with the public-relations office in game-day operations and assisted in promotions that sometimes involved the players.

"Every experience was a good one," Blum said. "They all help prepare you and build up your resume."

All of these experiences affected Blum in another way, one he didn't envision at first.

They stripped him of his fandom.

"It's one of the first things I try to teach them," said Curtis, 36, a former sports attorney who grew up in New Rochelle.

"Once you work in sports, you won't ever look at the games in the same way."

The perception changes from wonderment and passion to an analytical one.

"Are you ready to give up being a Jets fan?" Curtis asked Blum.

Blum nodded yes, and Curtis came back with the same question, only this time the Jets were replaced with the Mets.

The Mets hold a special place in Blum's heart; he watched Mookie Wilson's grounder trickle through Bill Buckner's legs while visiting his father, Ken, in the hospital.

To this day, he says it's his favorite sport memory.

Of course, that will change when he cashes his first real sports paycheck.

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS INSIDER

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

THE SITUATION

The Jets were reeling after the Dolphins recovered a Kellen Clemens fumble on a blindside hit and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown and a 13-10 lead with 6:41 remaining in the second quarter. On the Jets' ensuing possession, they faced a second-and-3 from the Miami 19-yard line.

WHAT HAPPENED

Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, much-maligned this season because of his predictability, made one of his most clever calls of the season.

With RB Leon Washington lined up to the right of Clemens and WR Brad Smith to his left in a two-back set, Clemens faked to Washington going to the left of the formation. Meantime, Smith ran a short drag route out of the backfield to the right and was wide open. Clemens threw a short pass to Smith, who raced to the corner of the end zone for the touchdown that gave the Jets a 17-13 lead.

"One of my favorite things about that play is what Leon did after he got the fake," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "He went across and really sealed the backside, giving Kellen a couple of extra seconds. I thought that was outstanding on his part."

WHY IT HAPPENED

An aggressive Dolphins defense, led by DE Jayson Taylor, bit hard on the fake to Washington, who had burned Miami earlier on an 18-yard run for a score on a direct snap. Washington then blocked the backside linebacker after going through with the fake and Clemens had an easy throw to Smith.

NEXT OPPONENT

The surprising Browns (7-5) dropped a 27-21 decision to the Cardinals last week when TE Kellen Winslow was ruled out of bounds on a potential touchdown catch in the end zone as time expired. Cleveland had four turnovers, which led to three TDs, and 10 penalties, leaving coach Romeo Crennel livid.

QB Derek Anderson, once cut by the Ravens, is the find of the season in the NFL. He has thrown for 3,062 yards, 24 TDs, 13 INTs and has a 87.7 passer rating. Winslow (65 catches, 909 yards, five TDs) and WR Braylon Edwards (62-1,043-12) are game-breakers. Hard-charging RB Jamal Lewis (803 yards and eight TDs) is averaging 4.1 yards per carry, running behind an outstanding offensive line featuring rookie LT Joe Thomas and LG Eric Steinbach.

The Browns rank last in the NFL in total defense, allowing nearly 400 yards per game. KR Josh Cribbs is among the best, averaging 31.2 yards per return with two TDs.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

QB Kellen Clemens continues to fight through growing pains, but the Jets remain high on him. He showed improvement against the Dolphins (15 of 24 for 236 yards, one TD and one INT) but still has a ways to go. He's not good under pressure, sometimes leaving the pocket too early, and tends to stare down his receivers. He also needs to have a better awareness of backside pressure.

KEY INJURIES

Jets -- WR Jerricho Cotchery (finger) is iffy. ... Browns CB Eric Wright (knee), DE Orpheus Roye (knee) and LB Kris Griffin (knee) are banged up.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets Find Themselves a Defense

Posted Dec 4th 2007 6:40PM by Josh Alper

Filed under: Jets, AFC East, New York

When you're 1-8, success becomes a relative thing. Nothing is going to save your season so you just want to see enough signs of growth down the stretch to make you believe the entire year isn't a waste. The Jets found themselves in just that position and the last three weeks have discovered that there might be a few diamonds in the rough on their defense.

Sandwiched around a disaster in Dallas have been the team's two strongest defensive games of the year. That's a positive sign as the season plays out, especially since the improvement has coincided with increased playing time for several new players. David Harris and Darrelle Revis, the first two draft picks, have gotten much of the notice but others have contributed as well. On the defensive line, C.J. Mosley has 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles since the bye week while Sione Pouha has recorded 10 tackles in the same period. That's more production than Dewayne Robertson was giving for about 10 times the price.

Throw in resurgent play from Bryan Thomas, Shaun Ellis and Victor Hobson and you've got a defensive revival. All of those guys play in the front seven and when they do their job the ripples can be felt all over the field. Kerry Rhodes spent the first half of the year unable to be the playmaker who opened eyes in 2006 but has been back in that role because the guys in front of him are doing their jobs. Corners are helped when the pass rush is working and the entire unit can show its teeth.

There are two caveats to this improved play. The first is that last week's game was against Miami, a gaping chasm of awfulness and the second is that the same thing happened in 2006. The Jets entered the bye as a subpar defensive club and played the second half as one of the best units in the league. Then they fell flat on their face to start this season so it's much too soon to start counting any chickens. They've stopped laying eggs, though, and that's a start.

[Kentucky Jet]

Clemens on Neon Leon 12/2/2007

During the postgame questions, Kellen Clemens was asked about Leon Washington and his role in the win against the Dolphins.

He