NY Jets articles 9/24/08

[Kentucky Jet]

Eric Mangini: Onside good call

BY OHM Youngmisuk

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, September 23rd 2008, 8:30 PM

Eric Mangini did not second-guess his decision to attempt an onside kick early in the second quarter down 17-14 against San Diego.

"In that situation, I would definitely do it again," Mangini said on his conference call Tuesday night. "We had six players over there. Outside the numbers they had one. We had two blockers for their one player, and we didn't execute as well as we should have, but in terms of sheer numbers, it was a really good situation.

"I thought the kick was excellent," Mangini continued. "The look was right, felt good about the kick, it was the right time in the game in terms of momentum. After looking on tape, I would do the same thing again."

The onside attempt backfired as the ball went through Wallace Wright's hands and San Diego recovered before eventually scoring five plays later to go up 24-14 en route to a 48-29 win.

This isn't the first time Mangini has called a surprise onside kick and failed. In a 10-0 loss to the Bears in 2006, Mangini attempted an ill-fated onside kick to start the second half.

NOT A BACK BREAKER: While Mangini wouldn't elaborate much on Kris Jenkins' back injury, the coach did say that the defensive tackle was available to return to the game.

Jenkins left with a back injury in the first half and the Jets' run defense struggled without their big space eater.

"There were times where Kris could come back in, but it didn't quite get to the point where we were able to do that," Mangini said. "He was close definitely throughout the course of the game. So I am hoping with time and treatment that will move along pretty well."

BOOTED: The Jets released punter Waylon Prather off the practice squad. It remains to be seen how much longer Mangini will keep punters Ben Graham and Reggie Hodges on the roster. After releasing Graham last week, the Jets re-signed the punter when Hodges was ruled out with a thigh injury. Graham happened to be training in San Diego and was ready to go.

[Kentucky Jet]

Forward progress: Brett Favre's ankle and outlook appear healthy

BY OHM YOUNGMISUK

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, September 23rd 2008, 8:35 PM

Poroy/AP

Brett Favre walks off the field after Monday night's 48-29 loss to the Chargers.

Brett Favre's ironman streak will continue on Sunday even if his ankle is a bit tender.

Barring an unforeseen setback in practice this week, Favre will make his 279th consecutive start (including postseason games) against Arizona on Sunday despite injuring his ankle late in the Monday Night debacle against San Diego.

PHOTO GALLERY: JETS BLOWN OUT IN SAN DIEGO

Even the ultra-secretive Eric Mangini confirmed as much Tuesday. While Mangini wouldn't say if Favre underwent an MRI on the ankle while getting it treated twice Tuesday, the coach said that it was safe to assume Favre will start because of the quarterback's legendary toughness and the coach's knowledge of the severity of the injury.

"Brett usually plays and I would anticipate the same," Mangini said. "It's just understanding him and I think we have a good (rehab) plan. I feel pretty comfortable with the process and I know if there is any way he can play he will definitely play."

Despite a 48-29 loss to the Chargers in which the Jets committed four costly turnovers, Mangini said he liked what he saw from his offense, which threw early and often. After being heavily criticized for conservative play-calling in the Jets' Week 2 loss to the Patriots, Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer opened it up and had Favre throw on 10 of the Jets' first 15plays. Favre completed six of the passes and had one touchdown, but he also was intercepted by Antonio Cromartie, who returned a pick 52 yards for a score.

Favre ended up with 42 throws as he tried to play catch-up after the Chargers took a 31-14 halftime lead, as the Jets gave their future Hall of Fame quarterback more freedom. It still may be a work in progress as Favre threw for 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

YOUR BRUSH WITH BROADWAY JOE?

But Favre and Mangini both sounded encouraged by what they saw with Favre throwing numerous short passes to Jerricho Cotchery (10 catches, 76 yards) and Laveranues Coles (six catches, 75 yards and a touchdown) and getting tight end Dustin Keller (four catches, 41 yards and a touchdown) more involved.

Favre liked what he saw from the offense as he found Chansi Stuckey, Cotchery and Keller often underneath in the second half, even if the Chargers were in the prevent.

"We found something that we can go back with that's pretty productive," Favre said after the game. "It's a lot like last year. Our running game, it's proven that it's better than last year. Thomas Jones is a heck of a runner. If we fall behind, we can utilize the guys we have.

"We went to more of an empty package," Favre continued of when the Jets were trying to play catch-up. "We were obviously productive as far as moving the ball up and down the field."

There was still some miscommunication between Favre and his receivers, evident on the second-quarter interception when he overthrew Cotchery, who stopped short on the play. Cotchery said it was his fault.

Still, the Jets aren't complaining. They are happy that Favre didn't hurt his ankle badly. And they'll need Favre to keep up with Arizona's high-powered passing attack featuring Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

"I really thought he moved the ball pretty effectively throughout the course of the evening in the air," Mangini said. "There were the turnovers. But they say when you put the ball up in volume, you increase the odds of those things happening.

"There's been progress each week. Brett has made a lot of great plays, sort of ad lib-type plays, and the receivers are getting more used to that, and he is getting more and more used to the receivers."

[Kentucky Jet]

Mangini deserves criticism after Jets' lossJohnette Howard

September 24, 2008

You know the confusion is bad among the Jets when even the day after their Monday night thumping by San Diego, there was still confusion about exactly what the confusion was.

Clearing that up might be a nice starting point when the Jets drag themselves back to work this morning. Does Brett Favre really know the playbook after six weeks or doesn't he? Was that second first-half interception that San Diego plucked away to set up another Chargers touchdown Favre's fault, as Favre said it was, or was wideout Jerricho Cotchery right to insist he was to blame? If everyone was telling the truth afterward - they're all to blame - shouldn't the Jets be worried about, well . . . everyone after their 48-29 smackdown?

Why was the Jets' defense shredded so completely, too? Why was the secondary so badly out of position? Did Favre take such a beating because the Chargers' rushers knew the trailing Jets had to pass? Or was the Jets' rebuilt offensive line also struggling to read the pass rush in addition to not opening holes for running back Thomas Jones? Jones is fast becoming a tree-falling-in-the-forest question: Would Jones find the holes if the line made them?

It would be good for the Jets if they could answer all that before the improved Arizona Cardinals hit town Sunday. Because the Jets had no answers during their meltdown Monday. Jets coach Eric Mangini, who's deservedly attracting more pressure with every week that goes by, didn't sound like the Answer Man during a conference call yesterday, either.

Johnette Howard Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

Immediately after the game, Mangini already was whipping out the brave "Team of Character" bromides that we heard so much during last season's 4-12 slide. By yesterday, Mangini talked more clinically about the defeat during an afternoon conference call that was inexplicably interrupted by the sort of brain-scrambling noise Mangini likes to pipe into Jets practices to challenge his team.

Mangini was so thrown off- message he laughed and asked a reporter, "Can you repeat the question? I got lost in the music there."

While it's far too early to say the Jets won't find the answers to how to play better, the Jets' two straight losses have kick-started some creeping doubt about Mangini even more than it has about Favre.

The same new players who were supposed to be this team's salvation are now being fingered as a drawback because they need more time to jell.

But that's not a good enough answer for the Jets' performance against San Diego.

The shock wasn't that the Jets lost to the very good and very desperate Chargers, who are clearly a better team.

What was startling was how much the Jets regressed for a second straight week.

The Jets were badly discombobulated on both sides of the ball. Then they seemed powerless to stop it. Mangini harped yesterday about the Jets' four turnovers. But the Jets often seemed outfoxed, not just outplayed. The Jets haven't gotten better with more time together. They have gone from narrowly winning their season opener against Miami to missing a golden chance at home to beat a shellshocked New England that just lost Tom Brady to getting smacked in the mouth again and again Monday by the Chargers.

Some of that has to be coaching.

Monday was the sort of game that made Favre, 38, look older and Mangini, 37, seem like an even younger coach than he is.

Favre undeniably had one of his Ugly Brett games until late. He finished with two interceptions and deserved to have three more passes picked off. But he never gave up, even as he was being badly belted around.

If anything, Favre emerged as even more of a leader after this game than his coach did. While Favre was flatly insisting that his grasp of the playbook is "no excuse" anymore, Mangini had no problem critiquing his players' bad performances but defending the momentum-squelching onside kick he called in the second quarter after the Jets had just cut the Chargers' lead to 17-14. Then Mangini defended the call again yesterday.

The truth is it was a lousy, unnecessary risk, a play that hurt the Jets as much as anything any player did. San Diego recovered the kick. Their quarterback, Philip Rivers, who's been red-hot for three games now, took over on the Jets' 40 and promptly threw a TD pass. The Jets never recovered. In a blink, the halftime score was 31 -14, San Diego. Game over.

The Jets still can right themselves. But Mangini needs to pull this group together fast. And everyone needs to play better, not just Favre. Yesterday, Mangini tried to peddle the idea that the Jets did "a lot of good things" against San Diego. But tiny moral victories aren't the answer, either. The NFL season hits the quarter pole Sunday. To steal a line from Yogi Berra, it gets late early there. No one on the Jets gets to be the new guy or young head coach anymore.

[Kentucky Jet]

Favre still catching on to new systemBY RODERICK BOONE | roderick.boone@newsday.com

September 24, 2008

To some, it might've seemed to be a given.

Brett Favre comes in after the first preseason game, takes over the offense, starts slinging passes and racks up the yardage - and subsequent wins.

Well, welcome to reality.

With Monday night's 48-29 pasting by the Chargers in San Diego as the latest evidence, it's becoming more obvious that mastering a new system rapidly and meshing with a different collection of receivers isn't going to happen overnight. Not even a future Hall of Fame quarterback is immune to the growing pains associated with familiarizing himself with a new offense.

"Anytime you bring in someone new, there's a transition," coach Eric Mangini said on a conference call yesterday. "Brett had been in one system for a long time and the nice thing about that is he had experienced a lot of different evolutions in that system. There is tremendous carry-over between the different family trees."

Maybe, but so far, the 1-2 Jets' tree isn't bearing the same results. Favre, who completed a misleading 30 of 42 passes for 271 yards against the Chargers, did throw three touchdowns, but also had a pair of awful interceptions, including one that was returned 52 yards for a score. More than once, Favre and his receivers weren't on the same page.

Still, as bad as he looked at times, Favre said after the game that his gaffes weren't a by-product of learning a new playbook.

"I, as well as the rest of the offense, made some mistakes at times, whether it be protection issues, wrong read, throwing to the wrong guy, whatever," he said. "Those are things that are not a reflection at all of knowing the offense. That was just ... I made bad plays."

Some, apparently, coming on a bad left ankle, which he injured in the third quarter. However, Mangini expects Favre to be out there for his NFL-record 257th straight start Sunday when the Jets host the Arizona Cardinals.

Nose tackle Kris Jenkins also suffered an injury, leaving in the first quarter with back problems. Though Mangini said Jenkins considered returning to the game, he didn't and the Jets' run defense was never the same. Of course, Jenkins doesn't play defensive back, so he wasn't a culprit in one of the myriad blown coverages that had San Diego's receivers running wild.

But the Chargers loaded up on the run immediately after Jenkins' exit, rushing eight times in a 10-play sequence.

"He's been excellent against the run and generating a push in the pocket," Mangini said. "So it is tough when you lose a guy like him. Your guys that are usually playing a certain percentage of the game, that all spikes, as well. So it changes the approach."

Notes & quotes: Mangini addressed the punting situation for the first time since the Jets brought Ben Graham back on board days after releasing him last Tuesday, and signing free-agent punter Reggie Hodges. Mangini said he told Graham things could change quickly when he talked with him last week about the Jets going in another direction.

"I didn't anticipate it changing back that quickly," Mangini said, "but it did and ironically, he had gone to San Diego to work out with Darren Bennett. And he was in San Diego late in the week, so he didn't even have to get on a flight."

The Jets will carry two punters for the short term ... Mangini defended his onside kick decision after the Jets drew within 17-14. "I'd definitely do it over again if it was the same situation," he said. "We had six players over there outside the numbers. They had one. We had two blockers for their one player, and we didn't execute as well as we should have."

[Kentucky Jet]

Favre fights through pain, picks and puzzling decisions

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 | Posted by Adam Sweeney

While X-rays came back negative on Jets quarterback Brett Favre's ankle Tuesday, the real pain comes with each questionable throw he makes. Favre threw for three touchdowns but also tossed two critical interceptions during Monday's 48-29 loss in San Diego.

Commentary: Jets fans thought they would be getting the MVP candidate of last season, a man whom commentators still froth at the mouth over. What they might have forgotten is that Favre ranks as one of the riskiest signal-callers in the game. When he throws a ball up for grabs, the results are either dazzling or disastrous. Favre was a little bit of both Monday and it was clear that he couldn't keep up with the Chargers' offense in a barn-burner.

Favre faces an ankle injury that will probably stick with him longer because of age (he's 38), but you know it won't be enough to keep him off the field. Favre is a warrior, no doubt, but the battle he has fought countless times is one inside his head. In an AFC East race that is wide open, there is no room for mistakes that come with the gunslinger's choices. Jets fans would probably say they're happy with the acquisition of Favre, but you know they wish he would take a cue from predecessor Chad Pennington and play it safe more often.

Fan Pulse: Jets fans are already growing a bit tired of the turnover issues taking place: http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178686. Twenty-one points were handed to the Chargers because of turnovers.

Fantasy Football Impact: An ankle injury can be deadly for Favre, who prefers to throw the long ball. Look for a significant hit to his passing yards and for wide receivers Jerrico Cotchery and Laveranues Coles to get fewer looks down the field. Running back Thomas Jones should get the ball more to help limit the number of throws Favre must attempt.

Injury Watch: Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was very quiet about whether his back injury, which removed him from Monday's game. would keep him out Sunday versus the Cardinals.

"That's the million-dollar question," Jenkins replied when asked if he would miss any playing time.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets Expect Favre to Face Arizona

By LYNN ZINSER

Published: September 23, 2008

Jets Coach Eric Mangini said he was confident that Brett Favre, who left Monday night

[Kentucky Jet]

BASHING BY BOLTS JOLTS JETS PSYCHE

By MARK CANNIZZARO

September 24, 2008

As they quietly showered and dressed in the cramped visitor's locker room in the bowels of Qualcomm Stadium, there were more than a few dumbfounded looks on the faces of Jets players following their ugly 48-29 Monday night loss to the Chargers.

Jets safety Kerry Rhodes sat alone inside of his locker stall trying to digest what had just happened.

"We knew we were a good team. We wanted to show it on the national stage and we didn't get it done. To see what happened (Monday) puts things in perspective," Rhodes said. "It was just bad. I don't think it can get any worse. It can be a smack in the face. I hope we can make it a positive."

Rhodes called it a "crazy" game in which the Jets could get no rhythm.

"You don't envision games going this way," veteran RT Damien Woody said.

"We got a wakeup call, that's for sure," Jets LB David Bowens said. "We all need to take accountability. Guys need to come in this week and figure out what they need to do better. Teams adjust on the run and we have to get to that point."

Mangini called his team "deep in character," but irritatingly lamented the litany of "self-inflicted wounds." A few of those came from veteran QB Brett Favre, who threw two first-half INTs, including one that was returned for a TD.

"Eric said after the game this team has character, very good character," Favre said. "Now we've got to find a way to use that to win games. It's how we come together, if we do. This team can be a very good football team. I really believe that. It's just a matter of how quickly we can put that together."

There were several occasions when Favre looked out of sync with his receivers.

Early in the game, Thomas Jones turned his route up the sideline and Favre threw it short as if it were an "out" route. The ball was nearly picked off for a Chargers' TD.

On the second of his INTs, Favre said he thought Jerricho Cotchery was going to take his route deep, but Cotchery stopped and the ball sailed over his head and into the arms of Chargers' safety Eric Weddle.

Favre said, when he looked at the pictures of the play on the sideline, he saw Chansi Stuckey wide open in the middle of the field.

"That one falls on me. It was a bad play on my part," Favre said.

Favre offered no excuses for his gaffes.

"I feel better with the offense," he said. "There's no excuses from my end to say that I'm still learning the offense. I, as well as the rest of the offense, made mistakes - whether it be protection issues or wrong reads, throwing to the wrong guy, whatever. Those are things that are not a reflection of knowing the offense. Just made bad plays."

Where does that leave the 1-2 Jets as they prepare for Sunday's home game against the 2-1 Cardinals?

When it was brought up to Rhodes that the Chargers, at 0-2 entering Monday night's game, were "desperate," Rhodes said, "They were desperate, but shoot, we're desperate now."

But that won't necessarily give the Jets an edge."I don't know if we have an edge on anyone right now," Rhodes said.

*

Regarding the injury to NT Kris Jenkins, Mangini said he doesn't "anticipate it being serious." . . . Mangini defended his use of the onside kick in the first half. "It's like any other decision - it's a good decision if it works. It was something we felt good about at the time."

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[Kentucky Jet]

JET REPORT CARD

WEEK 3 VS. CHARGERS

September 24, 2008

QUARTERBACKS: C-

Brett Favre (30-of-42, 271 yards, 3 TD, 2 INTs, 92.5 rating) had a rough outing, with miscommunication with receivers and some errant throws.

RUNNING BACKS: F

Thomas Jones (10 carries, 37 yards; 2 catches, 17 yards) gave up a critical, game-turning fumble in the first quarter. Leon Washington wasn't effective on offense with 2 catches for 20 yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS: C

Jerricho Cotchery (10 catches, 76 yards) led the way. Laveranues Coles (6 catches, 75 yards, TD) and Chansi Stuckey (6 catches, 42 yards, TD) got into the end zone. Coles, though, was beaten for one of Favre's INTs, and Cotchery and Favre weren't on the same page for another pick.

TIGHT ENDS: C

Dustin Keller (4 catches, 41 yards, TD) was more involved in the offense, and Chris Baker had 3 catches for 26 yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D

Favre was sacked three times and the running game (14 rushes, 41 yards) got nothing going. Enough said.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F

When NT Kris Jenkins left with an injured back, the middle of the defense went soft. DE Kenyon Coleman had 5 tackles, DE Shaun Ellis had 4 tackles. DTs Mike DeVito and Sioni Pouha had 3 each. No one had a sack.

LINEBACKERS: F

David Harris had 10 tackles, Eric Barton had 7 and Calvin Pace had 6. Unfortunately, some of those tackles came too late, after too many large gains. There wasn't nearly enough pressure on Chargers QB Phillip Rivers.

SECONDARY: F

Tough night for this group after an INT by David Barrett. S Eric Smith fell down on a TD pass. CB Dwight Lowery was beaten for a TD (by Antnonio Gates) and a late long pass. There was a mass screw-up on a Chris Chambers TD catch, with no CB on him at all.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Washington's kickoff returns (39.6 yard average on five returns, including a 94-yarder) kept the Jets in the game for a while. Coverage was good on dangerous Darren Sproles (20-yard kickoff average on two returns. Wallace Wright failed to recover a crucial onsides kick in the first half.

KICKING GAME: B

Ben Graham averaged 38 yards on two punts, but both were inside the 20 and had no return. Jay Feely had a 32-yard FG late in the game.

COACHING: D

Easy to question the decision by Eric Mangini to sign off on the onsides kick in the first half, but Wright should have handled it. Mangini was looking for a momentum change and he got it -- but it went the wrong way.

[Kentucky Jet]

PUNTER GETS HIS KICK BACK

September 24, 2008

Ben Graham's outlook on the NFL changed dramatically in the last week. His life, too, took an interesting twist.

Graham, the Jets' punter since 2005, was released last week after an inconsistent start to the season, but was re-signed for Monday night's game when his replacement, Reggie Hodges, injured his plant leg in practice.

Graham, as it turns out, already was in San Diego when the Jets called him - visiting fellow Australian punter, Darren Bennett, who used to play for the Chargers and lives in San Diego.

Graham, in an interview with The Post, was reflective about the last week, even intimating that his struggles with consistency have to do with being over-coached.

"We're different sorts of athletes," said Graham, a former Australian Rules player. "It's about just getting back to what we know how to do best. Take away all the coaching, because they're just trying to change who you are and what you do when what we do is what got us in the league in the first place."

Asked if he felt his release was "warranted," Graham said, "That's not for me to say, really. I know I had a bad game (against the Patriots). I know field position affected the result of the game. I understand that. But I sincerely believed that I was part of the team and they didn't, so they moved me on."

Eric Mangini, who discovered Graham while on a trip to Australia long before he became the Jets' head coach, spoke last week about how difficult it was to let Graham go.

Graham had a workout with the Patriots last week then had another opportunity with a West Coast team he would not identify, which is what brought him to San Diego to visit with Bennett.

Now the question is, will Graham stay?

"I don't know," he said after averaging 38 yards gross and net on two punts inside the 20 Monday. "I can't control anything. All I know is I ripped up my old contract and signed a new one."

[Kentucky Jet]

COACH EXPECTS BRETT TO PLAY

September 24, 2008

Eric Mangini said he is confident Brett Favre's Iron Man streak will continue Sunday against the Cardinals.

"Brett usually plays," Mangini said on a conference call. "I would anticipate the same."

Favre rolled his soon-to-be 39-year-old left ankle in the third quarter of the Jets' 48-29 loss to the Chargers in San Diego on Monday night and was rehabbing last night following more tests. Mangini was asked how much of his optimism was based on Favre's legendary toughness - 256 consecutive starts - and how much was him knowing the severity of the injury.

"I think it's elements of both," Mangini said. "I think if there's any way he can play, he'll definitely play."

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets not concerned about Favre's ankle

By Jane McManus

The Journal News

[Kentucky Jet]

Favre X-rays negative, but what about Jets' psyche? Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Last updated: Tuesday September 23, 2008, EDT 3:20 PM BY J.P. PELZMANSTAFF WRITER

Despite his three touchdown passes, Brett Favre's 271 passing yards led to nowhere Monday night.

Philip Rivers, meanwhile, threw three first-half touchdown passes as San Diego opened a 17-point halftime lead, and the Chargers (1-2) went on to a 48-29 victory over the Jets (1-2) at Qualcomm Stadium. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for two second-half TDs to keep the Chargers comfortably ahead.

Favre's three touchdown passes on the night were somewhat offset by his two costly interceptions in the first 30 minutes.

Antonio Cromartie returned one 52 yards for a San Diego score, and another one by Eric Weddle set up a Chargers' touchdown drive. Favre was limping noticeably after the game and favoring his left leg. He indicated he had X-rays on the ankle but said he was "fine," although he admitted it will hurt Tuesday.

He wasn't the only Jet injured. Nose tackle Kris Jenkins left the game in the first quarter with a back injury, leaving a gaping hole in the Jets' defense. Although San Diego rushed for only 107 yards on 35 carries, Tomlinson's two rushing touchdowns were the first of the season on the ground for the Chargers.

"I don't anticipate it being anything serious," coach Eric Mangini said of Jenkins' injury.

"All I can say is I wanted to be out there with my team," said Jenkins, who couldn't pinpoint when the injury occurred. "Right now my pride is a little hurt. I'm going to do what I've got to do so I can get back on the field."

When asked how bad his injury is, Jenkins responded, "I honestly don't know."

He wasn't the only one without a lot of concrete answers in the Jets' locker room.

"We all made mistakes," Mangini said. "I made mistakes."

The one he was pointing to in that case was an ill-fated decision by Mangini and special-teams coach Mike Westhoff in the second quarter. In what had been a see-saw first half up until that point, the Jets had closed their deficit to 17-14 on a 3-yard touchdown catch by Laveranues Coles two plays after Leon Washington's 94-yard kickoff return to the Chargers' 4-yard-line.

The Jets tried an onsides kick. It bounced off one Charger and into the hands of San Diego linebacker Marques Harris, who recovered it at the Jets' 44. It took only five plays for San Diego to cover the distance, as Rivers connected with Chris Chambers for a 27-yard touchdown pass and a 24-14 lead. The Chargers' advantage never dipped below double digits after that.

Mangini explained that San Diego was overloaded on one side, so the Jets' Jay Feely directed his kick to the other side. But the Jets'

strength in numbers went for naught.

"We wanted to do it after a momentum-change situation like a touchdown," Mangini said. "We thought that we had that situation there."

Instead, it seemed the Chargers were able to change the momentum more often, as they did when they took a 17-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who had dropped a potential interception with nothing but open space ahead of him in the first quarter, made amends with an excellent play. He deflected a Favre pass away from Laveranues Coles and then made the grab himself and sailed 52 yards for a touchdown.

"Antonio made a good play," Favre said.

Favre's other pick to Weddle came when he badly overthrew Jerricho Cotchery. Each player took the blame afterward, saying, "I thought J-Co was going to actually run up" the sideline, but Cotchery instead cut it short.

"That falls on me," Favre said.

Cotchery said it was a "misread" on his part.

Favre exited the game before the Jets' final offensive possession, although Mangini indicated that had more to do with the score than Favre's injury. Kellen Clemens came on and threw an interception to Cromartie in the end zone.

"We just had turnovers and missed opportunities," said running back Thomas Jones, who coughed up a first-quarter fumble that led to a 16-yard touchdown drive by the Chargers. "An offense like [san Diego's], they have a lot of weapons and they can score pretty quick. ... You can't give them the ball. We had a couple of turnovers early and put ourselves into a tough predicament."

A predicament the Jets couldn't overcome.

Briefs: The Jets had to re-sign Ben Graham on Monday because Reggie Hodges, who won the punting job after Graham was waived last week, was sidelined Monday with a thigh injury. To make room for Graham, who punted against the Chargers, the Jets waived rookie wideout Marcus Henry. Graham averaged 38 yards net on two punts. ... San Diego defensive end Luis Castillo of Garfield left the game after being felled by a cut block by Jones in the second quarter, but was back on the field for the next Chargers' defensive series. Castillo was credited with one tackle and also combined on a sack of Favre on a two-point conversion try, but defensive plays on conversions don't count in official statistics.

[drago]

ok, one of the writers cited Jetsinsider as a source of what fans are feeling.