Jets News 12-2

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December schedule will make or break the Jets' season

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, December 1st 2008, 8:15 PM

Sipkin/News

Brett Favre and the Jets have to put Sunday's tough loss to the Broncos behind them.

The Jets' season, which really began Aug. 7 when Brett Favre arrived in a private jet from his home in Mississippi, comes down to this:

Four games, 26 days.

The homestretch starts Sunday with a trip to the 49ers and it will end at home against the quarterback they 86ed, Chad Pennington of the Dolphins. The ugly loss to the Broncos notwithstanding, the Jets - sole owners of first place for 17 days - still have a chance to do something special.

Everything hinges on how well they handle the crucible of December. If Sunday's 34-17 loss is a harbinger, it'll be a disaster. But, based on the mood Monday in the locker room, the disturbing performance may have served as an alarm.

"I'll tell you what, it's a wake-up call," said wide receiver Laveranues Coles, suggesting that players and coaches need to reexamine their approaches. "It's not like our season is over because of one game, but I think it gets us to realize that we can be smacked on the butt."

Clearly, this defeat cut deeper than the previous one, an inexcusable overtime loss in Oakland. The Jets (8-4) responded to that debacle with a five-game winning streak, but there was serious regression against the Broncos.

Eric Mangini, claiming he was no less upset than he was Sunday night, called it "a different kind of loss." That's quite an admission from a coach who usually says all games are created equal. He was angry because the team failed to keep pace with its own rising expectations.

"To me, you set the bar, you meet the bar, you exceed the bar," he said. "Each game you should be getting better at that. You're either gaining an edge, a significant edge, or you're letting that gap decline."

Even though they squandered a chance to take a two-game lead in the AFC East, the Jets still have a lot going for them. They're relatively healthy, the remaining schedule is favorable (combined record of opponents: 18-20) and they've played reasonably well under Mangini in previous stretch runs.

Mangini's December record is 6-4, including 4-1 in 2006. To match that, the Jets will have to patch their leaky pass defense, which has allowed 1,000 yards in the last three games. Part of that can be blamed on the pass rush, which has disappeared for stretches. Their top three sackers, Shaun Ellis, Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas, have combined for two sacks in the last five games.

Opponents have found a way to throw on the Jets: Spread the field with receivers, put the quarterback in shotgun and pick out the best matchup. In shotgun, the Broncos' Jay Cutler completed 16-of-28 for 245 yards and two touchdowns, both scoring passes against safety Abram Elam. "They put us in some formations that we've had trouble with, and we didn't adjust fast enough," linebacker David Bowens said.

The 49ers (4-8) don't have as many weapons as the Broncos, but they do have a sophisticated passing attack under offensive guru Mike Martz, who's liable to call 50 passes. The Jets are 0-2 on the West Coast, with losses to the Chargers and Raiders, but now the stakes are greater. The Patriots and Dolphins are lurking, only one game behind.

"We're not worried about what the Patriots are doing or what the Giants are doing," said guard Brandon Moore, alluding to the buzz about a Subway Super Bowl. "We've got our own problems."

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Playing mad genius would work wonders for Eric Mangini

Monday, December 1st 2008, 9:25 PM

Sabo/News

Eric Mangini can't watch the Jets' dismal performance against the Broncos Sunday.

The coach looked and sounded calmer Monday, even if the words were the same. The eyes no longer flashed red, the voice was back to a soft monotone. Eric Mangini had been busy breaking down films with his players. There were vectors and arcs running through his head now, instead of missed tackles and blown play calls.

This was a dispassionate matter again, but Mangini wanted everyone to know that it was true, that he had been more upset with this defeat than with any other this season. The 34-17 loss to Denver stung worse even than the three-point loss in Oakland six weeks ago to the terrible Raiders.

There was far more expected of the Jets these days, a higher standard, and then on Sunday they had looked very September-ish.

"I don't feel much different than I did after the game," Mangini said. "I need to do a better job. Each individual needs to do a better job. ... When you set the bar high, you want to see that same consistent level. When it's not met, that's a different kind of loss."

It was good to hear the coach agitated, if only because sometimes you just want to shake Mangini to loosen some passion out of the guy. You don't have to yell at your field goal kicker on the field for missing, the way that Tom Coughlin did last year. But a good old-fashioned snarl can do wonders for a team that hasn't proved much of anything quite yet.

That would be the Jets, who are 8-4 and one bad December from going nowhere. They need to know that this is the case, to understand there is no room for the sort of half-hearted, cold-handed tackling that went on against the Broncos. The remaining schedule is not particularly difficult, but it's not that easy to win three out of four against anybody in the NFL. They can only lose one more of these contests if they hope to earn a decent seeding in the playoffs.

Whatever happened last week leading up to the Broncos, mustn't happen again. Yes, it was windy and wet out there at Giants Stadium, and Denver required this game more than the Jets. But as Mangini said, "It's cold, it's hot, it's windy, it's noisy. We play in New York."

The postmortem goes beyond climate, into the huddle and the playbook. Mangini didn't have his greatest game, and he acknowledged that. Too often, the coach leaves us with the impression he doesn't know how he could do his job any better. Not this time.

He didn't exactly pen a lengthy confession, yet Mangini was specific about a couple of errors: It should have been a soft, underhanded pitch to Brad Smith, on that early play that resulted in a touchdown off the fumble. Brett Favre should have been given a better outlet when the Denver safety stayed back on that fourth-and-1, when Favre was sacked in the third quarter.

Mangini made other mistakes, too. He wasted a challenge and a timeout early. He is often too anxious to throw the red flag. He also grew impatient, too quickly, with his own running game.

You can pile on the guy if you want. The fact is the Jets are still in the driver's seat in their own division, unless they blow two of the remaining four games. The season isn't wrecked, it's merely in jeopardy.

"The same things hurt us in the Oakland game that hurt us Monday," David Bowens said. "I thought it was behind us.

"We let one get away. It's not the end of the world. Things aren't as bad or good as they seem, especially after the game."

Here was a linebacker with perspective - not always welcomed by columnists the day after an embarrassing defeat. You have to admit, however, the Jets aren't in trouble quite yet. They are one more dud away from that.

The 49ers are next, another visit to the Bay Area against a lousy opponent. The last such mission there ended badly. If it happens again, the coach should be angry.

Not just for one day. Two, at least.

fjbondy@netscape.net

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Eric Mangini prefers 'underhand' tactic when it comes to trick play

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Eric Mangini second-guessed himself on the two most questionable play calls in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. Well, kind of.

Asked Monday if he'd do anything differently, Mangini said he would've had Brad Smith use an underhanded toss to Jerricho Cotchery on the ill-fated reverse. That, Mangini said, would've been more catchable in the wet conditions. As it turned out, Smith's overhanded toss was bobbled by Cotchery and returned for a touchdown by Denver.

On the fourth-and-1 call that backfired, Mangini said he liked the "concept" of the play-action pass, but the Jets needed "a better outlet" for Brett Favre, whose No.1 read (TE Chris Baker) was well-covered downfield.

SUSPICIOUS MINDS: No one directly accused the Broncos of faking injuries to slow down a Jets drive in the third quarter, but several players remained suspicious.

"Every time we got a little momentum, it seemed like one of their guys was going down," LB David Bowens said.

CB Dre Bly, one of those players, told the Rocky Mountain News that he purposely didn't rush off the field.

"Just a bruise on my shin," Bly said. "You know Brett, him being a savvy vet, when he sees somebody down, he likes to do a no-huddle, catch a defense off balance. I knew that, so I just laid on the ground and let the pain go away."

Mangini said he wouldn't press the issue with the league because he doesn't know how they'd be able to determine if the injuries were legitimate or fake.

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Mangini Analyzes Himself After Loss

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By GREG BISHOP

Published: December 1, 2008

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.

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New York Jets bemoan missed opportunities

by Dave Hutchinson/The Star-Ledger

Monday December 01, 2008, 9:42 PM

David L. Pokress/Newsday via MCT

Shaun Ellis, left, and Eric Barton of the Jets walk off the field after the Denver Broncos scored in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game at Giants Stadium.As the Jets sorted through the wreckage of their 34-17 loss to the Broncos one day later, they lamented the fact that with a win they could've had a virtual stranglehold on the AFC East title -- a two-game lead with four to play.

Instead, the Jets (8-4) hold a one-game lead over the Patriots and Dolphins in the division, with the loss to Denver taking some of the luster off their back-to-back victories at New England and Tennessee.

Furthermore, the Jets' chances of getting a first-round bye also took a hit. The top two seeds in each conference get a bye. The Titans (11-1) and Steelers (9-3), who thumped the Patriots, 33-10, on Sunday, currently sit atop the AFC.

The Jets were riding a five-game winning streak and Super Bowl talk was filling the talk-show radio airwaves before the Broncos crashed their party. Now they enter the month of December, during which they're 6-4 in coach Eric Mangini's tenure.

"It (the loss to Denver) is a wake-up call," said wide receiver Laveranues Coles. "Anytime you get in a situation like this and you lose a ballgame, they all hurt. You get on a roll, you finally get something going ...

"It's not like our season is over because of one game, but I think it gets us to realize that we can get smacked on the butt ourselves."

Said right guard Brandon Moore: "We're still a confident team. Things just didn't work out the way we wanted them to work out. We'll learn from it and move on."

After the game, Mangini said his team had a subpar week of practice, which contributed to the poor showing.

The Jets uncharacteristically had missed tackles and missed assignments. Two Jets turnovers resulted in 14 points by the Broncos. Denver rang up 484 yards of total offense (127 yards rushing vs. the Jets third-ranked run defense) and scored 17 first-quarter points, the most points allowed by the Jets in the opening quarter this season.

Mangini takes practice seriously, feeling a team plays the way it practices. He insisted his approach didn't change last week in light of the team's recent success, but players admitted yesterday they may have unknowingly slacked off in practice, feeling good about themselves after victories over the Patriots and Titans.

"Looking back on it, yes. At the time, no," linebacker Eric Barton said when asked if practices weren't as crisp as they should've been last week. "You know how that goes. That's more something the coaches would notice. When you're out there you can't really tell.

"But obviously we didn't prepare hard enough or something didn't go right. We went out there and laid an egg. ... We just didn't execute. The simple stuff we do every day we didn't do, like tackling and stuff like that."

Said left guard Alan Faneca: "You look (back) at practice and you say things might have slipped a little bit. It could've been a little more focused, been a little more closer to perfect, which is kind of how practices had been going for the past couple of weeks."

Teams will definitely go to school on how the Broncos and quarterback Jay Cutler dismantled the Jets. Cutler (27-of-43 for 357 yards, two TDs and one INT) worked out of a three- and four-wide receiver set (including the tight end) with one running back. The Broncos' 484 yards of offense was the second-most allowed by the Jets this season. New England amassed 511 yards against the Jets in their second meeting.

And rookie fullback-turned-featured-back Peyton Hillis rushed for a career-high 129 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He was the first 100-yard back allowed by the Jets this season.

On offensive, Jets quarterback Brett Favre (23-of-43 for 247 yards, no touchdowns and one interception) had an off day. He blamed part of it on the freezing rain, saying he'd rather play in snow.

The Jets, however, were able to take solace in the fact that the Patriots also lost, so they maintained their one-game lead in the division.

"If you're going to lose one, you'd like everybody around you lose, too," said Faneca, smiling. "But it's really about us and what we're doing and what we're going to do in the month of December."

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Dave Hutchinson with the New York Jets

by Dave Hutchinson/The Star-Ledger

Monday December 01, 2008, 9:35 PM

Ed Betz/Associated Press

The No. 6 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Vernon Gholston has yet to have a breakthrough game for the Jets.ROOKIE CAN'T TACKLE KEY ASSIGNMENT

On Sunday, the Jets needed rookie linebacker Vernon Gholston's pass-rush ability in the worst way. Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler repeatedly scrambled to make plays and the Jets couldn't lay a hand on him.

Coach Eric Mangini turned to Gholston, drafted sixth overall, and got little.

On a first down on the Broncos' 11-yard line late in the third quarter, Gholston got pressure on Cutler near the goal line, but the quarterback escaped and hit tight end Tony Scheffler for a key 24-yard gain.

Gholston played between 15 and 20 plays and finished with one tackle (an assist) in the Jets' 34-17 loss.

Monday, Mangini finally showed his frustration when asked about giving Gholston an opportunity.

"He had a significant shot (Sunday)," responded a testy Mangini. "There were plays to be made. His opportunities were based on his ability to make those plays."

Asked how Gholston did with his opportunity on Sunday, Mangini said tersely, "I think that he needs to continue to improve."

Gholston, who played 15 plays versus the Titans two weeks ago, has no sacks and only five tackles in 12 games this season.

"In moments, (the frustration) has set in," said Gholston, who signed a five-year, $32.5 million deal that includes $21 million guaranteed. "You look at the sack total for yourself and you wish you had some.

"But just like the other day, there's a lot of times where I've been close. The biggest thing about sacks is once you get that first one, it can keep on after that."

In the past two games against the two teams (Titans and Broncos) that have allowed the fewest sacks in the league (eight apiece), the Jets have just one. And LB Bryan Thomas and DE Shaun Ellis have gone seven and four games, respectively, without a sack.

Even so, the Jets' 35 sacks rank fifth in the NFL.

DID BRONCOS FAKE INJURIES?

In the third quarter Sunday, three Broncos players went down to injuries on consecutive plays in what appeared to be an attempt to slow down the Jets' up-tempo offense.

Leading 27-14 at the time, Broncos LB Spencer Larsen (hip/back), DE Ebenezer Ekuban (shoulder) and CB Dre' Bly (shin) went down with injuries as the Jets were driving. Ekuban and Bly returned, but Larsen didn't.

Afterward and Monday, Mangini refused to accuse the Broncos of foul play. Bly, however, suggested he wasn't hurt that badly.

"Just a bruise on my shin," Bly told the Rocky Mountain News. "You know Brett. Him being a savvy vet, when he sees somebody down, he likes to do a no-huddle, catch a defense off balance. I knew that, so I just laid on the ground and let the pain go away.

"But that's one thing you have to do. You have injuries, anything that's bothering you, stay on the ground, don't try to be Superman and rush back up because it can hurt your defense."

QUICK HITS

-- Mangini said there were two things he would've done differently against the Broncos.

First, he would've made the Brad Smith-to-Jerricho Cotchery pitch that resulted in a fumble more of an underhanded toss instead of overhanded because of the conditions. Second, he would've called a better play on the fourth-and-1 from the Denver 46-yard line in the third quarter because once TE Chris Baker was covered, QB Brett Favre didn't have an outlet option.

That rates as a mea culpa for Mangini, who said he'll send the Cotchery play to the league for clarification on the rule.

-- LB David Harris (groin surgery) and S Eric Smith (concussion) might play against the 49ers.

--RB Thomas Jones' career-high 13 touchdowns (11 rushing, two receiving) are tied for the NFL lead.

-- After yielding 357 yards passing against the Broncos, the Jets' pass defense ranks 30th in the NFL.

-- WR Laveranues Coles was held to two catches for 2 yards Sunday, when he was shadowed by CB Dre' Bly and doubled all game.

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GANG GREEN NEEDS FIX TO RIGHT WRONGS

Comments: 0 Read Comments Leave a Comment By BRIAN COSTELLO

REGROUP: With four games to go, Brett Favre and the Jets find themselves nursing a one-game lead over the Patriots and Dolphins in the AFC East after Sunday's humbling loss to Denver.

Last updated: 2:47 am

December 2, 2008

Posted: 2:26 am

December 2, 2008

Eric Mangini gives his players Mondays off after a victory, so during the team's five-game win streak the day had become a pretty quiet one.

Yesterday, there was an unusually noisy one at the team's New Jersey practice facility.

The JetsNew York Jets showed up to go over Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Broncos and try to figure out how a team that looked so good in recent weeks could look so bad.

"It's not like our season is over because of one game, but I think it gets us to realize we can be smacked on the butt ourselves," wide receiver Laveranues ColesLaveranues Coles said. "At this point, we need to wake up, get back to the drawing board and figure out what we did wrong and try to correct it this week coming up."

Mangini was visibly upset after the game and yesterday he said he did not feel any better after watching it on film. He placed the blame on nearly everyone, including himself.

"Obviously, I need to do a better job of coaching, and each individual needs to do a better job getting ready for the games and being able to go out and execute," Mangini said.

Denver dominated the Jets (8-4) in handing them their second home loss of the season. Now they are facing a final four-game stretch with a one-game lead in the AFC East over the Patriots and the Dolphins.

A week after riding high against previously unbeaten Tennessee, the Jets are left wondering how to fix all the problems that have surfaced before this Sunday's game in San Francisco.

"We didn't come out ready to play, and that's what happens in this league," said tight end Chris BakerChris Baker . "We've just got to refocus and get back to what we've been doing."

The Jets played sloppily in nearly every facet of the game. The rush defense, which had been the team's strength, allowed its first 100-yard rusher of the season - Peyton Hillis. Jay Cutler gashed the secondary for 357 yards. Offensively, Brett Favre never found a rhythm, and the running game had two big touchdown plays but not much more.

The loss was a big step backward for a team that was viewed as one of the best in the AFC after back-to-back road wins over the Patriots and Titans.

After an overtime loss to Oakland in October, the Jets played much crisper football, but the mistakes reappeared this week.

"I thought [the mistakes were] behind us," linebacker David Bowens said. "We went out there from the opening drive, it seemed like we weren't clicking. Defensively, they put us in some formations we've had trouble with. We didn't adjust fast enough. Those things hurt us."

The Jets remain in first place but have to be kicking themselves over a wasted chance at gaining a two-game edge over New England and Miami.

"To have a two-game lead at this point in the season would have been big," Baker said, "but at the same time we have to just worry about what we can control and we've got four games coming up and we're in control of that. If we take care of business there, we'll be fine."

brian.costello@nypost.com

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GHOLSTON FEELING MANGINI'S HEAT

Comments: 0 Read Comments Leave a Comment By BRIAN COSTELLO

VERNON GHOLSTON

Last updated: 3:17 am

December 2, 2008

Posted: 3:04 am

December 2, 2008

Rookie linebacker Vernon Gholston nearly had the first sack of his career Sunday but couldn't quite get to Jay Cutler.

When asked if Gholston might help a sagging pass rush, coach Eric Mangini did not give a glowing review of the first-round pick.

"He had a significant shot [sunday]," Mangini said tersely. "You know, there were plays to be made. You know, his opportunities were based on his ability to make those plays."

Mangini was asked how Gholston did with his shot. "I think he needs to continue to improve," he said.

Gholston's season has to be labeled a disappointment at this point. The No. 6 pick in April's draft, he has 12 tackles, with most of those coming on special teams, and no sacks.

His playing time has increased over the last two weeks, and he nearly had Cutler near the end of the third quarter. He chased the quarterback on a rollout, but Cutler got the ball away to tight end Tony Scheffler for a 24-yard gain.

"In moments [impatience] has set in," Gholston said. "You look at the sack total and for yourself you wish you had some. But like the other day there's a lot where I've been close. The thing about sacks is once you get that first one, they keep on rolling after that. I try not to worry about it too much."

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Mangini acknowledged two minor changes he'd make to his play-calling from Sunday. On the reverse to Jerricho Cotchery that ended in a fumble, Mangini said he would make the pitch from Brad Smith underhanded instead of an overhand flip. Mangini has been criticized for using such a risky play in the rain.

The other was on the fourth-and-1 in the third quarter when the Jets ran a play-action pass that ended in a Favre sack. The play was designed to go to tight end Chris Baker. Mangini said he wished they had a better alternative when Baker was covered.

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The home game vs. Buffalo on Dec. 14 will remain at 1 p.m. It was not flexed by TV . . . Mangini said the team would send a copy of the Cotchery fumble, where he appeared to recover the ball but the refs ruled he didn't, to the league office for clarification.

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Coles says loss to Denver was 'wake-up call'BY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com

December 2, 2008

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The Jets spent much of last week addressing questions about their possible superiority in the AFC and the tantalizing prospect of an all-New York Super Bowl.

Sunday's 34-17 home loss to the Broncos took care of that.

"I'll tell you what, it's a wakeup call," said receiver Laveranues Coles, who had only two receptions Sunday - one for 4 yards, one for no gain. "Any time you get in a situation like this where you lose a ballgame, you're all hurting."

Coles cited the end of the Jets' five-game winning streak as reason for everyone to look inward.

Glauber's NFL Blog "From top to bottom, again, the coaches are going to take a look at themselves and what they're doing. The players need to take a look at what they've been doing and the approach they've been taking into the ballgame," Coles said.

Players reported to work yesterday to view the carnage on video. It reminded several of them of the last time the Jets lost, a 16-13 overtime defeat Oct. 19 in Oakland.

"The same things that hurt us in the Oakland game hurt us yesterday," linebacker David Bowens said. "Tackling, penalties, turnovers - those little intangible things that lose a game."

Bowens said he didn't think the Jets were capable of such a performance. Not that he or his teammates had taken on an aura of infallibility, but they did think many of their most glaring early-season mistakes were in the past.

"I thought it was behind us and we went out there and from the opening drive, it seemed like we weren't clicking," Bowens said. "And defensively, they put us in some formations that we've had trouble with and we didn't adjust fast enough. Those things hurt us. But the things we got from the film today is those things are correctable."

There was one positive from the afternoon. At the same time the Jets were laying their egg in the Meadowlands, the Patriots were in the process of losing to the Steelers in Foxborough. The Jets (8-4) still have a one- game lead in the AFC East over the Patriots and Dolphins.

Of course, the Patriots' loss made some players pine for what could have been: a two-game division lead over the Patriots with four to play.

"Obviously, looking back and seeing they lost, as well ... to have a two-game lead at this point of the season would have been big, but at the same time, we just have to worry about what we can control," tight end Chris Baker said. "We have four games coming up, and we're in control of that. If we take care of business there, we'll be fine."

Right guard Brandon Moore said that what the Patriots or any other teams are doing is irrelevant.

"It's a blown opportunity from the standpoint of what we were trying to accomplish and what we had been doing," Moore said. "We weren't worried about what the Patriots were doing or even you guys [reporters] last week talking about what the Giants were doing. We have enough problems of our own trying to deal with our own stuff."

The locker room emptied quickly after Sunday's loss, and the players who remained spoke mostly in quiet, disappointed tones. Yesterday brought the reminder that this still is a first-place team with a road game against the 4-8 49ers on Sunday.

"Obviously, we would have liked to have won that game and played better, but at the same time, we're 8-4 and we'll be OK," Baker said. "It's one game of the season."

Coles said: "It's not like our season is over because of one game, but I think it gets us to realize that, OK, we can be smacked on the butt ourselves. At this point, we need to wake up, get back to the drawing board and figure out what we did wrong and try to correct it for this week coming up."

Sunday

Jets at San Francisco

4:05 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

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

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Bowens on Burress: If you need to carry, don't go

BY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com December 2, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - David Bowens said there is a simple solution for avoiding the kind of trouble Giants receiver Plaxico Burress found himself in Friday night.

"I'm not taking anything from Plax - he's a good guy and a friend of mine - and the only thing I would have to say is, if you have to feel as if you need to carry a firearm to a place like that, then just don't go," the veteran linebacker said yesterday.

Bowens said he understands players in public might not always feel safe, but when it comes to a nightclub, "you don't have to be there." He added, "If you feel threatened enough to carry it, just don't go."

"I totally agree with that," said tight end Chris Baker, whose college career overlapped with Burress' at Michigan State. "Sometimes you go to places and you're like, 'Maybe I shouldn't be here.' You can't always predict, but you can usually tell by the crowd that's there and sometimes the reputation of a place."

Bowens said he was relieved to hear the injury was a flesh wound and nothing more serious. He recalled the leg wound that ultimately killed the Redskins' Sean Taylor, who was shot last year at his home during a botched robbery. "Everyone can take a lesson from it," Bowens said. "It could have been a lot worse. He hit himself in the thigh, and when you look at it, Sean Taylor got hit in the thigh. It was a major vein [Taylor] got hit in [actually, it was his femoral artery]. It could have been the same for [burress]."

Injury antics

In the moments after the game, the Jets were skeptical about the spate of injuries the Broncos suffered that seemed to opportunely stall the Jets' no-huddle offense.

Broncos DB Dre Bly all but validated that skepticism yesterday. "Just a bruise on my shin," Bly said, according to the Rocky Mountain News. "You know Brett [Favre], him being a savvy vet, when he sees somebody down, he likes to do a no-huddle, catch a defense off balance. I knew that, so I just laid on the ground and let the pain go away."

"It will be interesting to see their injury report," Jets offensive lineman Brandon Moore said yesterday. "It should be about half the team on that."