Jets News 12-3

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Laveranues Coles doesn't feel passed over after loss to Broncos

By RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, December 2nd 2008, 8:25 PM

Sipkin/News

Laveranues Coles makes just two catches Sunday, but credits Broncos instead of ripping Jets.

Plax who? Giants still rolling

Burress arrives at stadium as team mulls future

Imagine this: A millionaire wide receiver who puts team ahead of self. You'd never know it from the current headlines in New York, but there are a few of them out there.

Laveranues Coles is one of them.

On Sunday, Coles suffered one of the worst games of his nine-year career - two receptions for two yards. He attributed his lack of involvement to the Broncos' coverage scheme, which made Brett Favre look elsewhere. There was a lot of elsewhere, as Coles had only one ball thrown to him in the first 3-1/2 quarters - a long pass that was intercepted.

Coles felt powerless as he watched the Jets go down hard, 34-17, snapping a five-game winning streak, but he didn't fire any shots at teammates or coaches.

"I can only do what I'm allowed to do," he said Monday. "For me to approach it any other way would be detrimental to the team. I don't want to cause any wrinkles because we're having success.

"If I was on a losing team and having to deal with this, that would be something different," Coles continued. "I'd probably stomp my foot and say, 'Find a way to get me the ball.' But we're winning."

The Broncos' strategy surprised Coles and the Jets coaches. They figured the Broncos would be hesitant to focus on one player, leaving themselves vulnerable in other areas. But Denver put its top cornerback, Dre Bly, on Coles and kept him there. Bly also had the security of deep help by the safety.

In theory, that should've created plenty of opportunities in the passing game, but the only player who got open consistently was rookie tight end Dustin Keller (seven catches for 77 yards).

"It was hard to get me the ball," said Coles, who didn't make a catch until garbage time. "We really didn't anticipate that type of coverage."

Clearly, the Broncos identified Coles as the Jets' No.1 receiving threat. It will be interesting to see if his own team treats him with that kind of respect in the offseason. He has only one year remaining on his contract, and he'll be looking for a long-term deal.

The club placated an unhappy Coles last offseason, guaranteeing his 2008 and 2009 salaries (a total of $11 million), but he has indicated that he wants to re-visit the matter after the season. Coles temporarily dropped his demands last spring after Eric Mangini made an unannounced visit to his home in Jacksonville - a gesture that touched the veteran wideout. In the meeting, the coach appealed to Coles' sense of team.

With 55 receptions, 615 yards and six touchdowns - solid but not stellar statistics - Coles might be hard-pressed to land a lucrative extension. Plus, he'll be 31 next season. The front office also could be looking for some fresh blood at wide receiver, the only position where GM Mike Tannenbaum has not made a major acquisition in three years.

"Of course, I don't have the stats I'd like to have," Coles acknowledged. "I'm sure Jerricho (Cotchery) feels the same way ... but we're all sharing the load. I'm content with sharing it."

IN NO RUSH: For the first time, Mangini sounded frustrated by the slow development of rookie OLB Vernon Gholston, the sixth pick of this year's draft. "He had a significant shot (Sunday)," Mangini said tersely. "There were plays to be made." Gholston, in limited action, made two glaring mistakes. He got caught out of position on a bootleg pass completion, biting hard on an inside play fake. Later, he missed a chance for his first sack, hesitating and letting Jay Cutler out of the pocket for a long pass completion. Gholston showed little closing speed. Acknowledging frustration, the rookie, who has no sacks, said: "You look at the sack total for yourself and you wish you had some, but there have been a lot where I've been close. The thing with sacks, once you get that first one, you keep on ."

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Dave Hutchinson with the New York Jets

by Dave Hutchinson/The Star-Ledger

Tuesday December 02, 2008, 9:05 PM

LOOKING BACK

Perhaps the most alarming thing about the Jets' loss to the Broncos was that coach Eric Mangini saw it coming after a lackluster week of practice. That is probably why he's so upset with his team. For just the second time this season -- the San Diego game was the other -- the Jets defense was a no-show.

Denver rolled up 484 yards in total offense, 128 yards rushing against the Jets' fourth-ranked run defense. Other than CB Darrelle Revis, the Jets secondary has been awful. S Kerry Rhodes is good, but he's not making plays. Mike Martz, the 49ers offensive coordinator, is likely licking his chops right now.

LOOKING AHEAD

This is the first of two trips this month to the West Coast, and the Jets need to beat the 49ers on Sunday and the Seahawks on Dec. 21. They're 0-2 on the West Coast this season, losing to the Chargers and Raiders. The 49ers (4-8) aren't a complete mess under new coach Mike Singletary. QB Shaun Hill (eight TDs, three INTs) is a game manager and RB Frank Gore (926 yards, six TDs) drives the running game. Veteran WR Isaac Bruce (39 catches, 625 yards, six touchdowns) is still dangerous. LBs Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes and CB Nate Clements are the core of the defense.

LOOKING AT THEM

49ers TE Vernon Davis vs. Jets secondary

Davis (19 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns) has been a disappointment, but the Jets haven't shown they can cover the tight end. So he could have a breakout game. Broncos TEs Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham combined for 13 catches for 149 yards, most coming in key situations.

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NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE ERIC ERA

Comments: 0 Read Comments Leave a Comment Eric Magnini

Last updated: 6:46 am

December 3, 2008

Posted: 2:07 am

December 3, 2008

WITH four games left in the Jets' season, plenty of questions remain about this team.

Does Brett Favre have any magic left in that old right arm? Can they win with a suspect secondary? Can t hose hideous Titans throwback uniforms be buried in the foundation of the new stadium?

The biggest question, though, is about their head coach: Just how good is Eric Mangini?

We're nearly three seasons into the Mangini Era, and the answer is still hard to find. Mangini is 22-22 as the Jets' coach, not including his one playoff loss.

He is the definition of mediocrity - exactly .500.

The first-year success that earned him the handle "Mangenius" and a trip to the playoffs was canceled by last year's 4-12 disaster. This season, Mangini has mixed big victories with perplexing losses to craft a resume that would not have suitors lining up at his door.

Next month will mark three years from when Woody Johnson plucked Mangini from Bill Belichick's staff. The most memorable moments of Mangini's time in New York have been his dinner with Tony Soprano and a couple of dead-fish handshakes with Belichick.

But Mangini has a chance in these final four weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs to show what he's capable of. He followed up one of his best coaching jobs in Tennessee with one of his worst against Denver. The Jets came out listless and played sloppy football in the 34-17 loss, prompting Mangini to admit he needs to do a better job.

The Jets now face four opponents with a combined record of 19-29. An AFC East title is a must. There is no excuse if they somehow surrender this one-game lead to a Patriots team without its franchise quarterback or a Dolphins team a year removed from 1-15.

Mangini has one year left on his four-year contract, and, barring a complete collapse, already has earned himself an extension. But this isn't about contracts. This is about his future with the Jets. Is he the right guy to end 40 years of Mud Bowls, mistakes and mediocre football that made the Same Old Jets?

Three years ago, the Jets thought it was a sure bet to pluck their new coach off the Belichick coaching tree, but we have seen that tree had some weak limbs. If Belichick assistants were stocks, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis would be GM and AIG. To be fair, Mangini has done better than his fellow Belichick disciples, but he still seems to be learning on the job. The 37-year-old looks great one minute, then outsmarts himself like Sunday, when he called for a pass on fourth-and-1.

Mangini came to the Jets as a defensive guru, but his defenses have been inconsistent at best. Last year, the team was awful against the run. This year, their pass defense is hideous. The Jets don't have a shutout under Mangini. By contrast, Herm Edwards had three in his first three seasons with the Jets.

The pressure landed squarely on Mangini's shoulders to deliver this season the minute Favre stepped off that plane in Cleveland. Johnson and GM Mike Tannenbaum made it clear they were going for it this year.

As the Jets prepare for the 49ers this week, they are on track to accomplish many of their goals. The remaining schedule contains more cupcakes than Kris Jenkins' cupboard, so the playoffs should be a lock. Mangini needs to deliver the Jets' first division title since 2002 and his first playoff victory.

The playoffs begin a month from today. You're on the clock, Eric.

brian.costello@nypost.com

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Mangini makes his displeasure with Jets knownErik Boland

December 3, 2008

Two extremes, seven days apart.

After the Jets blew out the then-undefeated Titans on Nov. 23, they were the talk of the town, with visions of a Jets-Giants Super Bowl dancing in the heads of fans and media.

Sunday's deflating 34-17 loss to the Broncos just as quickly had many of those same people questioning the validity of the team's first-place status.

"Things aren't as bad or as good as they seem, especially right after the game," linebacker David Bowens said Monday.

Erik Boland Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

To coach Eric Mangini, those things looked bad. Very bad.

One of the more interesting spinoffs from Sunday's loss has been the psychological dissection of Mangini.

The coach, not nearly as emotionless and dull as he comes off in press briefings, strayed from that public persona after the game Sunday and again Monday.

An all-games-are-created-equal coach decided that, with apologies to George Orwell, maybe some games are created more equal than others. And some defeats sting a bit more, too.

When the Jets last laid a Sunday egg - Oct. 19 in Oakland - Mangini publicly laid off his team, instead complimenting the Raiders' defense and the Jets' ability to come back in the final minute to force overtime.

But Sunday's defeat, a "big" game because of the time of year, had Mangini seething.

The Jets were still 8-4 with a one-game lead in the AFC East, and Mangini could have used that glass half-full approach Sunday. He chose not to.

"I'm not really looking for a motivator or a silver lining here," Mangini said afterward.

Refreshingly, Mangini expanded on his week-to-week expectations, saying a little more than just looking for "complementary football."

"I think that we've established a certain way to play football around here, we've established a certain identity, and it was nothing close to that today," he said. "I don't think we played well in any of three phases, I don't think we coached very well and I think when you have that, this is what you get."

Monday, after looking at the film, Mangini's mood hadn't changed much, though the teeth were a little less clenched.

"I really don't feel much differently than I felt after the game," Mangini said.

There was even some introspection.

Mangini has previously - in public at least - stayed away from second-guessing himself.

But Monday Mangini looked inward. To a degree.

He didn't outright say "I regret that" in talking about two plays - the botched pitch from Brad Smith to Jerricho Cotchery that resulted in Denver's first touchdown and the oft-discussed fourth-and-1 call in the third quarter - but he came close.

"Those were two things," Mangini said, asked Monday what he would have done differently.

As admitting mistakes go, he came a heck of a lot closer to doing so than his organization, which recently sent invoices to season-ticket holders requesting payment for three playoff games when the most the Jets could host was two. When forced to address the blunder, a rather cold e-mail reeking of arrogance and disavowal of responsibility followed, opening with, "It has come to our attention that there is some confusion with this year's Playoff invoices." As if the Jets had nothing to do with said confusion.

There was little to be confused about regarding Mangini on Sunday or Monday, whether he was discussing the team or individuals.

Previously when asked about Vernon Gholston, the No.6 overall pick of the draft, Mangini strained credibility by citing progress not always evident on Sundays.

On Monday Mangini said Gholston had "a significant shot" in terms of playing time against the Broncos.

How did you evaluate his performance during that "significant shot," Mangini was asked.

"I think that he needs to continue to improve," Mangini said tersely.

So, too, do a variety of things with the Jets, starting with their pass defense. The secondary probably won't get the kind of test it did - and failed - last Sunday against Jay Cutler in 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill. But when the playoffs roll around there will be more Cutlers than Hills.

Which, more than anything probably explains, by Mangini's standards, the dressing down of his team. Late November isn't the time of year good teams take a step back. The Jets are a good team, but unquestionably they stepped backward Sunday.

"Every week you set a bar for preparation, you should meet or exceed that bar," Mangini said.

Mangini didn't feel the Jets came anywhere close to doing that against the Broncos and had no problem letting everyone know it.

Storylines

A quick look at the top stories this week

That wild and crazy Mike Martz

The 49ers' offensive coordinator, the ringmaster of the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf earlier this decade, no doubt is excited about Sunday. While his quarterback, Shaun Hill, is no Jay Cutler, Martz likely is going to have Hill come out throwing against a Jets secondary that has struggled against the pass all season. Hill went 14-for-23 for 161 yards and a touchdown in last Sunday's victory over the Bills and he'll probably have that many attempts before halftime against the Jets.

On the rebound

The Jets were disgusted in the moments after Sunday's debacle and almost as much on Monday when they watched the film of their 34-17 loss. Many of the players' comments were similar to those made after the loss to Oakland, and maybe that's a good thing. After losing to the Raiders the Jets won five straight. In the big picture, Sunday's loss was disappointing, but not devastating. The team is still 8-4 and in first place, but a bounce-back performance Sunday is a must.

Go west!

Two of the Jets' worst performances of the season - up until Sunday, anyway - took place on the West Coast. The Jets were awful on a Monday night in San Diego on Sept. 22, a 48-29 loss, and in some ways were even worse in a 16-13 overtime loss to the Raiders on Oct. 19. The 49ers are just 4-8 but are coming off an upset victory in Buffalo. The Jets need to figure out how to win out West as they'll go cross-country one more time, Dec. 21 at Seattle, after Sunday.

Statlines

5,152

Miles traveled by the Jets in 2007 (includes a "road" game at the Giants).

14,246

Mileage for this season.

Sunday

Jets at San Francisco

4:05 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

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