Jets News 12/20

[BP]

ROOKIE LB WORKING TO CRACK JETS' LINEUP

By DAN MARTIN

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Rookie LB Vernon Gholston has spent more time sitting out games this season than playing for the Jets.

Last updated: 7:01 am

December 20, 2008

Posted: 2:40 am

December 20, 2008

Calvin Pace has an idea of what it's like to have been Vernon Gholston this week.

Like his fellow linebacker Gholston, Pace was a first-round pick who, despite being healthy, was placed on the inactive list.

Unlike the rookie Gholston, though, Pace was in his second season with the Cardinals when it happened.

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"To sit there and watch all your teammates play, that's worse than being hurt and a whole lot of things," Pace said. "I know how he feels."

Pace was benched for two games that season, but eventually bounced back and became a high-priced free agent who is playing well for the Jets. And he's confident the same thing can happen to Gholston, who was picked fifth overall in last year's draft, but whose name already has been attached to the dreaded word "bust."

"Coach showed us tape of Vernon playing," Pace said of Gholston, who has a disappointing 12 tackles and no sacks. "He's got all the tools. He's making progress and just has to show it on the field."

For that, he has to be active tomorrow when the Jets visit Seattle. Coach Eric Mangini would rather tell you the code to his home alarm system than divulge who will be on the inactive list, but he did laud Gholston's work since last week.

"I think Vernon had one of the best weeks, if not the best week of practice, since he's been here," Mangini said. "I really liked the one-on-one pass rush drill he had yesterday against the tight ends. I saw a lot of explosiveness."

But Mangini insisted he wasn't merely sending the struggling linebacker a message.

"It wasn't purely for that purpose," said Mangini, who pointed to matchups against the opposition. "But when you go from active to inactive, it definitely helps you become introspective on things you can improve on. . . . You want the player to respond in a competitive fashion."

Which is what Gholston has done.

"I don't consider it putting me on the back burner," Gholston said. "I want to be out there, but I didn't use it as motivation."

Whatever the reasoning, it seems to have worked - at least on the practice field, which is a far cry from the playing field on Sundays.

Mangini and Gholston also spent time together reviewing his playing tapes from Ohio State, where he was more of a defensive lineman.

"It's always good to see yourself doing well," Gholston said. "I'm trying to focus on the things I do best."

Mangini said he's happy with Gholston's hard work.

"He's willing and he's working and I have no qualms with the way he's trying to prepare each week," Mangini said. "With rookies, you don't know when things are gonna happen, when it sinks in [and] the clouds break, but it eventually does happen. I really believe Vernon is developing."

Gholston insists he's not getting impatient or worried about the pressure of being a high draft pick, or the fact that a player like linebacker Jerod Mayo, who was selected by the Patriots 10th overall - five spots later - has outperformed him.

"I don't think about it too much," Gholston said. "I'm just focused on learning the position and trying to become a good player. Once I become a good player, that will be enough for me."

And for the Jets, as well.

dan.martin@nypost.com

[BP]

PRACTICING FOR A REAL SNOW DAY

By DAN MARTIN

Last updated: 7:01 am

December 20, 2008

Posted: 2:40 am

December 20, 2008

When the Jets New York Jets moved to their swanky new home in Florham Park, N.J., they included a state of the art indoor practice field. Yesterday, despite heavy snow, it sat unused.

Instead, the players braved the elements and practiced in the snow in conditions they could face in Seattle tomorrow.

"I've always seen the value in that," coach Eric Mangini said of practicing in bad weather. "You can't simulate it."

Jerricho Cotchery Jerricho Cotchery agreed with the decision.

"It definitely helps," the wide receiver said. "You get a good feel for how it's gonna be on Sunday, running routes and catching the ball."

But they're not too worried about how their quarterback, Brett Favre, would handle it.

"Early on [in practice], I told Laveranues [Coles] that he was throwing like it was 90 degrees," Cotchery said. "Every ball is a spiral."

And for someone such as linebacker Calvin Pace, who grew up in Georgia, went to college at Wake Forest and spent his career in Arizona before this season, it was a first.

"This was new to me," Pace said. "I guess it was necessary to get out there."

*

Jay Feely got plenty of work kicking on the snowy turf, as well. Feely said the only issue he will have to deal with in Seattle - the site of his most infamous game with the Giants New York Giants , when he missed three potential game-winning field goals in an overtime loss in 2005.

He went back to Seattle once with the Giants and kicked well and said he has put that game behind him.

"I dealt with those demons already," Feely said. "I embraced it. I kind of laugh at it now. You can't shy away from it. It made me better, made me stronger."

Mangini said he isn't surprised that he bounced back well.

"He's a really competitive, aggressive guy," Mangini said. "He never once struck me as a guy to let a setback set him back the next time. He's inherently competitive."

*

Brad Smith (concussion) practiced all week and Mangini said he was "encouraged" by the wide receiver's progress.

[BP]

Weather outside is frightful, but not for Seattle-bound Jets

BY OHM YOUNGMISUK

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, December 20th 2008, 2:06 AM

As the Jets stretched in the midst of Friday's storm, Brett Favre began packing a nice round snowball.

"Before practice even started, he was getting one ready," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said.

While commuters all over the area were trudging through the snow, the Jets were acting like kids who just found out school had been canceled. They were pelting each other with snowballs and others such as Cotchery were diving onto the Jets' snow-covered practice field.

For a team that has spent the week trying various methods to acclimate itself to playing on the West Coast, the Jets may have been the only ones in the area happy to see the wintry mix Friday. With the forecast calling for snow Sunday in Seattle, Eric Mangini could not have asked for better practice conditions.

"We can't simulate (bad weather)," Mangini said. "We can talk about it and try to educate on it, but until you go do it, it is different. We have practiced in the rain and the cold, and there is real value to it if you can draw on those experiences."

Potential bad weather, however, is not the only obstacle the Jets are facing this weekend. The Jets have played three games on the West Coast this season and lost to San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco - teams with a combined record of 14-28.

Mangini has tried just about everything he can to combat his team's Jet-lag. Before all three losses, he flew his team west on Friday instead of the normal Saturday to get extra time to adjust. After seeing that didn't work, Mangini wanted to fly out to Seattle today but was unable to change the team's original flight plans. The Jets ended up leaving Friday night.

"I don't have a lot of pull with Delta," Mangini cracked. "I would probably get the automated number and be on hold for two hours."

What Mangini did do the last two days of practice was alter the schedule, pushing it back so that his players could go to bed later and wake up later in an attempt to adjust their body clocks.

"I personally talked to a lot of head coaches who made the East Coast-to-West Coast trip and the West Coast-to-East Coast trip and everybody had different ways of doing it," Mangini said. "As we analyzed all the different games based on that geography, it was about 50-50 win-loss. There wasn't one formula that stood out. It was hit-or-miss."

The Jets just have to stop missing when out on the West Coast. Against the Chargers, the Jets struggled on defense in their 48-29 loss on Sept. 22. And against Oakland and San Francisco, the Jets' offense sputtered, failing to score more than 14 points in each loss.

(Page 2 of 2)

"The bottom line is we just haven't been executing when we have been going out there," Cotchery said. "It hasn't been anything of getting adjusted to the time zone and all that stuff."

Still, Cotchery said instead of getting his normal massage before the West Coast flight, he was going to get a rubdown in Seattle this time.

One thing is certain if it's snowing in Seattle come kickoff - the Jets won't have to worry about their quarterback freaking out in snowy conditions. The former Green Bay quarterback was reveling in the conditions Friday with no gloves on.

"Early on in practice, I (said to) Laveranues (Coles), 'Man, he is throwing like it is 90 degrees out here,'" Cotchery said. "He was zipping it and every ball was a spiral. I think he is very comfortable when it is like this."

GETTING DEFENSIVE: There are indications that Mangini has been spending more time in the defensive meeting room this week. The Jets' defense has been struggling in recent weeks (it gave up 187 yards rushing to Buffalo last week), and Mangini's presence could be an indication that perhaps he is more involved in the defensive operation. The defensive-minded head coach has left the defensive play-calling to coordinator Bob Sutton, who could be on the hot seat. Browns head coach Romeo Crennel, a longtime Mangini associate from their days working under Bill Belichick in New England, is rumored to be a potential candidate to join the staff if he's fired by Cleveland. Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has also been mentioned as a possibility.

"We had two really sharp days offensively," Mangini said Friday. "Defensively, we're getting a good idea of what we need to do to stop the things that (the Seahawks) do. We're getting a good feel for that. We need to clean up some things here."

With Rich Cimini

[BP]

Jets doing what they can to deal with noisy Qwest

BY JOHN JEANSONNE | john.jeansonne@newsday.com

December 20, 2008

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - It is not exactly a "now hear this" revelation that NFL teams visiting Seattle are in for an earsplitting dose of disconcerting noise. The Seahawks' home stadium, Qwest Field, was designed with the acoustic purpose of directing crowd noise onto the field, expressly to mess with opposing players' communication.

Furthermore, it seems to work. Since 2005, visitors to Seattle, their timing thrown off when bellowing fans scramble their signals, have committed more false-start penalties (2.48 per game) than anywhere else. In a 2005 game, the Giants - particularly crazed by the racket - were guilty of 11 false starts.

Not that there aren't methods to counter this madness, and Sunday, the Jets will be required to try their hands at it.

"A lot of it's hand signals," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "You have to communicate. Not a wink, sometimes, but a nod. And noise has been such a constant part of our practices that it's the norm" to function with silent snap counts and other nonverbal messages.

"Many ways," center Nick Mangold said. "Head movements, hand movements. Some teams have the guard and tackle hold hands . I've seen the guard reach over and tap the center."

Plenty of stadiums present a similar problem, of course, but Qwest Field's reputation for deafening noise is well-earned. During a 2005 playoff game, Fox Sports producers recorded a decibel level of 137, far louder than a typical rock concert (115) and on a par with a jet engine from 100 feet away (140). The loudest possible sound is 194.

Naturally, linemen dependent upon some signal to burst into action when they can't hear the quarterback in such a din, let alone each other. So it's up to the center to get things rolling by snapping the ball, having gotten a tip for the quarterback (often the leg stomp) that the quarterback is ready.

That leaves the guards, tackles and ends having to sneak looks toward the center and follow his lead.

"When you do talk, you make sure the other guy is looking at you [to read lips]," guard Alan Faneca said. "A lot of the time, the tackle will look at the ball, then look away , and you get a rhythm. There are a lot of signals. Dig at your ear or something."

Not surprisingly, players won't talk about specifics. "I can't tell you the details of that," tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson said.

Mangini noted that whatever hand signals, head signals or foot signals are employed are "changed from series to series" so the opponents won't catch on.

The linemen, at least, "are close to each other, so they can pass it down the line," Mangini said. "It's not like that with defensive backs, where they're spread out and it can become like that game of telephone, and you're hoping that the message gets all the way to the other side without changing."

All of that noise, it could be argued, is not healthy for the ears, and guard Brandon Moore argued that it's "not healthy for the voice, either" as the players try to make themselves heard.

"But I enjoy those moments when it's so loud," Moore said. "It's special. It's one of the points in the game when it's the highest level of focus."

Block it out, Moore suggested. It's the only form of noise abatement available.

Notes & quotes: The Jets practiced something else for the Seattle game, eschewing their indoor facility to work out in the snow because snow is predicted in Washington state Sunday. "And Brett [Favre] wanted to make snowballs," Mangini said. Questionable for the game are LB Eric Barton (knee), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), LB David Harris (groin), T Wayne Hunter (shoulder), NT Kris Jenkins (hip), WR Brad Smith (concussion) and LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder). Probable are WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder), G Brandon Moore (ankle) and LB Jason Trusnik (knee).

Sunday

Jets at Seattle

4:05 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WEPN (1050), WRCN (103.9)

[BP]

New York Jets practice in snow to prepare for Seattle

by Colin Stephenson/The Star-Ledger

Friday December 19, 2008, 7:18 PM

Eric Mangini is well aware that his team is 0-3 this season in games played on the West Coast, and the Jets coach has been trying hard to figure out how to change that.

He had the team practice later than usual Thursday and Friday, with the three-hour time difference in mind, and initially, he wanted to fly to Seattle today, instead of Friday. However, the airline wouldn't accommodate his wishes because of the ongoing weather problems.

But the one thing no one can control -- snow -- may have done more to change the Jets' routine than anything Mangini could have done.

With Seattle under a winter weather advisory through Monday and snow forecast for Sunday, Mangini decided to hold practice outside in Friday's snowstorm, in order to prepare the team for the conditions it will likely face.

"I've always seen value in that, because you can't simulate it," Mangini said. "You can talk about it, try to educate them, but until you go to do it, it's different. We've practiced a lot in the rain and the cold -- all the different elements. And there's real value to it if you can draw on the experiences the next time you face (those elements)."

It will be colder than usual in Seattle Sunday, and if it does snow, that could be just what the Jets (9-5) need to trick their minds into thinking they're playing in the Northeast, not the Northwest.

Center Nick Mangold was asked if a snowstorm would be an advantage to the Jets against the 3-11 Seahawks.

"I have no idea," Mangold said. "I guess we'll see on Sunday."

Practicing in the snow was something new for linebacker Calvin Pace, who grew up in Georgia, went to college in North Carolina (Wake Forest) and spent the first five years of his NFL career playing for Arizona. Pace said he has played in cold weather before, but never in a snowstorm.

"I don't even know how you go about playing in the snow," Pace said. "I'll just try to stay as warm as possible."

Mangold, who has to snap the ball and never wears gloves, is from Ohio and has played in the snow before.

"It makes things a little bit more interesting as you go through a game," he said. "You've got to pay attention (to gripping the ball) a little bit more, but I've been doing it for so long without gloves that I have a pretty good feel for it."

Players wore long-sleeve shirts and sweat pants at practice, although reserve offensive lineman Robert Turner stood out because he practiced in short sleeves and shorts. Offensive lineman Wayne Hunter wore short sleeves, and practice squad linebacker Brandon Renkart, the rookie from Rutgers, wore shorts.

"I've always worn shorts," Renkart said, insisting he wasn't trying to prove anything by not wearing sweats. "I'm from Jersey. I'm used to the weather."

(When he said that, Jehuu Caulcrick, a practice squad running back whose locker is next to Renkart's, had to say something. "I'm from Buffalo," Caulcrick said. "Cold is cold!")

Turner insisted it "wasn't that cold" at practice, and said he just doesn't feel the cold as much as others. Linebacker Eric Barton, who wore long sleeves and long pants, said a game would be different than practice.

"No (long) sleeves on Sunday," Barton said.

NOTES

Mangini, who had been critical of rookie Vernon Gholston, had some nice things to say about the first-round pick.

"I think, actually, Vernon's had one of his best weeks, if not his best week, of practice since he's been here," Mangini said, mentioning how he liked Gholston's work in the one-on-one pass rush drills against the Jets' tight ends. "Rookies, you never know when things are going to happen and when it's really going to start to sink in."

Still, Mangini gave no hint that Gholston, inactive last week, might be back in the lineup. When asked if Gholston needs to make some big plays in the season's final two games to finish the year on a positive note, he replied, "Well, you get to do positive things not just on Sunday. I mean, there's positive things that take place every day."

Mangini wouldn't say if WR Brad Smith will return after missing last week's game with a concussion. But he said, "I'm still encouraged, based on what I saw (Thursday)."

[Maxman]

Thanks BP. Good stuff!

[SoFlaJets]

"I've always worn shorts," (Brandon) Renkart said, insisting he wasn't trying to prove anything by not wearing sweats. "I'm from Jersey. I'm used to the weather."

I knew there was a reason why I liked this kid...he's a tough Jersey boy who I have been rooting for since PS