Jets News 9/29/09

[SoFlaJets]

Jets Cooking Up Scheme For Saints

Sunday's matchup between the Jets and Saints is so delicious even the players and coaches involved are intrigued to see whether great defense will beat great offense.

The 3-0 Jets will take their physical, blitzing, smothering defense to New Orleans to face the 3-0 Saints and their explosive, multi-faceted offense that's ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

"That's going to be the buzz of the week. It's going to be an anticipated matchup that everyone wants to see -- Drew Brees against Rex Ryan. It should be exciting," right tackle Damien Woody said yesterday.

"People always want to see a good defense versus a great offense," linebacker Bart Scott said. "We'll see how it turns out. I mean, I'll be excited about it. We've got two undefeated teams. This is a great opportunity to see what kind of team the Jets are and to see if New Orleans is as billed. It'll be fun."

Nose tackle Kris Jenkins said, "If I wasn't playing, this would definitely be a game I would want to see on TV. It's always great when you get to see two teams that are doing very well, whatever part of the season it is."

The Saints' offensive numbers through three games are prolific, led by their quarterback, Brees, who has completed 69.l percent of his passes for 841 yards, nine touchdowns, two interceptions and a lofty 118.1 rating.

Beyond Brees is a strong rushing attack with Pierre Thomas (122 yards, 2 TDs) the dangerous Reggie Bush (111 yards and a TD) and Mike Bell (229 rushing yards), who missed the Bills game with a sprained knee and may be sidelined again Sunday. The Saints, known more for their passing, own the No. 2 ranked rushing offense in the league with 512 yards, a 5 yards per carry average and five TDs.

"They're putting points up on everybody," linebacker David Harris said. "The defense knows we've definitely got to step it up. You know something's got to give. You've got the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense (actually No. 3). Somebody's got to lose. Hopefully it's not us."

The Jets' defense gave up a touchdown for the first time Sunday, ending a streak of 24 consecutive offensive series without allowing a TD through the first two-plus games.

"Now we know what it feels like to be scored on," defensive end Shaun Ellis said.

When Ryan was asked if there's a part of him that's relishing going up against the NFL's best offense, he said, "I'll be honest with you, there is some of that. I always think I'm the best in calling a game on defense and you know this is a chess match.

"When I was a coordinator I used to love these opportunities. Now when you step back and you're the head (coach), you're like, 'Oooh.' "

Ryan joked that he'd rather play Brees at Giants Stadium or even in Buffalo, where the windy weather prevented him from going off on the Bills.

"You run a traditional coverage against this guy and he'll carve you up," Ryan said. "He's a crafty guy. We're going to have our work cut out for him. This is not going to be a traditional defense. He knows that. I have a lot of confidence in our defense. It's going to be a great challenge."

Asked, if he were not involved in the game, how intrigued he'd be about seeing his Jets defense taking on the Saints offense, Ryan said, "I would want to watch it. Both teams are 3-0 for a reason. I would definitely watch that game."

[SoFlaJets]

Drew's O vs Rex's D A Must See

AND now . . . The Mad Bomber ver sus The Mad Scientist.

Rex Ryan -- who is Wrecks Ryan to opposing quarterbacks -- versus Drew Brees on Sunday.

It's the kind of matchup we used to crave around here in the good old days when Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick would send their muscle-bound barbarians into battle against Joe Montana and Jim Kelly. No. 1 offense versus No. 3 defense.

Brees, who has thrown for more than 4,000 yards three times and more than 5,000 once during his New Orleans tenure -- gets to lead his 3-0 Saints against the 3-0 Jets in the antiseptic conditions of the Superdome. In 35 games indoors, Brees has completed 66.9 percent of his passes with 64 touchdowns and 38 interceptions

But you can rest assured he won't be getting ****y and partying on Bourbon Street this week. Because all he has to do is reflect back to that October day in 2006 when Ryan showed the world how you shoot the Brees.

The Ravens came, saw and conquered the Saints 35-22. It was 35-7 in the fourth quarter. Brees was 24-45 for 383 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs. Two of those touchdown passes, both to Marques Colston, came in garbage time in the fourth quarter.

"I just know that you gotta be multiple against this guy," Ryan said. "If you're just gonna stand there and play Cover 2, or you're gonna play Cover 1, or you're gonna play Cover 3 or whatever, this guy's a student of the game, he's gonna pick you apart. He can make all the throws, he throws the ball on time, it's hard to get to, and he very rarely makes a poor decision."

Ryan was asked whether Brees was flustered in that 2006 game.

"I don't know, we were up 35-7 going into the fourth quarter . . . and they turned the ball over five times, so I think he probably was," Ryan told The Post. "I know one thing -- as soon as we backed off on him and went to the traditional coverages, he threw for like 200 yards in the fourth quarter."

Yes, Ryan has different players. He doesn't have Ray Lewis -- although David Harris may be The Next Ray Lewis. And Brees still has Colston, still has Reggie Bush -- who was limited to 21 yards of total offense that day in 2006 and knocked out of the game with an ankle injury -- and now has a healthy Pierre Thomas and Jeremy Shockey. But The Mad Scientist was back in his laboratory devising new traps for The Mad Bomber.

"Show him one thing, play something else . . . you're knowing he's gonna make the proper read and you put a trap in there," Ryan said.

The Ravens scored 28 points off five turnovers that day. Rookie defensive backs Ronnie Prude and Dawan Landry returned picks for touchdowns.

"You definitely have to try to give him different looks and try to confuse him a little bit because if he knows where to throw the ball, he gets it out in a hurry," Ryan said. "You don't have a chance to get there. You gotta mix things up on him or you're in for a long day."

Scott was asked to compare the challenge of shutting down the 6-foot Brees compared to Tom Brady.

"There's no difference, the only difference is that he can't see over the top of the defense like Brady," Scott said.

Brees is difficult to sack (29 times in 2007 and 2008, four times this season). The Jets, who have to wait one more game for linebacker Calvin Pace to return, have four sacks.

"We've hit the quarterback just an unreal amount of times in these first three games," Jim Leonhard said. "The sacks will come. Any team that throws that film on realizes that we're getting to the quarterback."

Brees was 26-of-34 for 358 yards and 6 TDs against the Lions at the Superdome, then 25-34 for 311 yards and 3 TDs at Philadelphia, then 16-29 for 172 yards in Buffalo, where the swirling wind was a factor. The Bills relied on a four-man rush.

"We were playing a lot of 3-deep, trying to take the deep ball away," Bills cornerback Terrence McGee said.

Too bad the Bills surrendered 222 rushing yards. Kris Jenkins and Harris won't let that happen. Neither, of course, will The Mad Scientist

[SoFlaJets]

Jets Report Card; Three-mendous

Jets have it all (mostly) going as they stay unbeaten...

QUARTERBACKS B

Mark Sanchez (17-30, 171 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 81.4 rating) made a couple of mistakes, but he ran for a TD and threw for two others, and at the end of the day he was 3-0 in his first three games as a pro.

RUNNING BACKS D

Running was tough sledding for both Leon Washington (12-46 rushing, 1-6 receiving) and Thomas Jones (12-20 rushing, 1-2 receiving).

WIDE RECEIVERS

Jerricho Cotchery (8-108) was the best player on offense for the Jets, making a tough TD catch and a key 46-yard over- the-shoulder catch in the second half

TIGHT ENDS C+

Ben Hartsock made his first catch as a Jet and first NFL TD catch. The blocking in the run game wasn't enough.

OFFENSIVE LINE D+

Poor run blocking game (2.7-yards per carry) and suspect pass blocking (three sacks).

DEFENSIVE LINE B+

DE Shaun Ellis (4 tackles, half sack, 2 QB pressures) was all over the field.

LINEBACKERS B

Bart Scott led the team with nine tack les and also had a couple of QB pres sures, but David Harris was a star, mak ing a huge INT and sack late in the game with 5 tackles.

SECONDARY B+

S Eric Smith had a big INT and five tackles. CB Dwight Lowery, though he did give up a TD pass, played well in place of injured Lito Sheppard.

SPECIAL TEAMS A

LB Jason Trusnik set the tone with a forced fumble and recovery on the first KO to the Titans.

KICKING GAME B+

K Jay Feely made his one FG, a 30-yarder, and he had one KO out of bounds to start the third quarter.

COACHING B+

Nice job by Rex Ryan not allowing his players to get complacent after win over the Patriots and the 2-0 start. Brian Schottenheimer kept the Titans off balance with early no-huddle and some dynamic calls.

[SoFlaJets]

Rex Deems Eric Smith A 'Special Player'

Rex Ryan was effusive in his praise yesterday for safety Eric Smith, who was given a game ball for his all-around game on both defense and special teams during the Jets' 24-17 victory over the Titans on Sunday.

Ryan, in fact, conceded he was so down on Smith's chances to be a part of the team that he considered trading him during the offseason.

"In the first minicamp, I had my doubts and concerns about Eric," Ryan said. "We had just thrown him in as a, 'Well, let's see what [he] does' type. I had no idea what kind of player he was. I was down on him after that first minicamp. I would have been more than happy to have traded him, to be honest.

"Now, I'm like, 'Whoa, this guy is so valuable to our team.' I had no idea. Him and (Jason) Trusnik are playing about as well on special teams as anybody in this league."

Ryan said Smith, who had a huge interception against the Titans, was used as a linebacker, as a spy on Titans running back Chris Johnson and covering Titans TE Alge Crumpler.

*

While the Jets were delighted with the grit Mark Sanchez showed in plowing his way over the goal line on his rushing touchdown Sunday, he has been advised by his coaches and teammates to try avoiding such contact next time.

"Oh yeah," Ryan said, "I think everyone's talked to him, including his teammates."

The Jets, of course, are worried about their franchise quarterback going down with an injury, particularly in the wake of Miami QB Chad Pennington possibly being lost for the season with another shoulder injury.

"He's got to realize that he's got to take care of his body through the long haul, and he's got to take care of the football, too," Ryan said.

Sanchez lost a fumble in the second half of the Jets' win when he held the ball away from his body amid a pass rush.

"Sanchez does a great job avoiding guys in the pocket, (but) still he's got to protect the football, keep it on his front shoulder," Ryan said.

*

Ryan said injured CBs Lito Sheppard (right quad) and Donald Strickland (right ankle) "are way better this week than they were last week at this time," sounding as if one or both might be ready for Sunday. Ryan, however, did not rule out signing another CB such as Corey Ivy or former Jet Justin Miller, both of whom were in for a workout late last week, as insurance.

[SoFlaJets]

Jets' future brighter after Gang Green sheds Eric Mangini for Rex Ryan

It was only eight months ago that Woody Johnson was skewered for vacationing outside the country instead of flirting with free-agent coach Bill Cowher. It probably wasn't the best-timed getaway for the Jets' owner, who had no head coach at the time, but as an old football coach used to say, "How did it turn out?"

Three weeks into the season, Johnson looks like a genius. He dumped Eric Mangini, who might be less welcome in Cleveland than oil sludge on Lake Erie, in favor of Rex Ryan. Mangini is 0-3, his team on the verge of mutiny. Ryan is 3-0, backing up months of bravado with actual results.

Johnson, in an interview yesterday with the Daily News, didn't want to take any bows. He has been around the game for nearly a decade, long enough to know that things can change in a hurry, but he's absolutely convinced he made the right move. And his reasons go beyond X's and O's.

Mangini wasn't a terrible coach for the Jets, winning nine games with a Jurassic quarterback who broke down, but he suffocated the organization with his secretive and paranoid ways. Johnson could've stuck it out for another year, but he took control after last season's collapse and decided he needed a new coach and a new culture.

Johnson wouldn't take any shots at his former coach, but it's not hard to read between the lines. He loves Ryan's outspoken style, which has filtered down to the locker room. Big Brother is dead; say hello to the new big brother - Ryan.

"We're not always going to use the king's English or say what's absolutely correct, but we're not working from 3-by-5 cards," Johnson said. "In the last 10 years, we were working from 3-by-5 cards."

All the trash talk? Hey, Johnson loves the whole freedom-of-speech thing.

"Funny thing is, in football, people are afraid to point out where they want to go," he said. "I guess it's out of fear or whatever. Rex just says, 'This is where I want to go. I want to see Obama.' He said that in his first press conference, and it's a breath of fresh air."

Mangini? He won't name his starting quarterback in Cleveland - again - let alone make a bold prediction. Colorful sound bites don't equate to victories, but Ryan's demeanor has created a more enjoyable working environment, according to the players.

"Rex wants us to come to work for fun," cornerback Darrelle Revis. "He doesn't want you to wake up in the morning, hit your alarm clock and be like, 'Oh, I have to deal with those guys again.' That's no fun. That's what was going on in the past."

Interesting question: What if Mangini were coaching this team?

"We'd be 0-3, maybe 1-2," said one player, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "I'm serious. No one likes to be over-coached. It's no fun."

Johnson and GM Mike Tannenbaum hired Ryan because they believe he's a good football man, but Johnson also wanted a coach who would connect with the fan base. He felt the organization had become too detached from its fans and the media under the micro-managing Mangini. Johnson loves Ryan's "openness," as he called it. But there's a limit to Ryan's tolerance, as he showed yesterday. He revealed that he benched backup wide receiver David Clowney Sunday for complaining on his Twitter page about a lack of playing time in last week's win over the Patriots.

In the World According to Rex, it's okay to rip an opponent (see Kerry Rhodes' "embarrass" quote before the New England game), but never threaten the team concept. Explaining his point, Ryan said there are "guys with unbelievable contract issues" - Leon Washington and Thomas Jones - "that have put everything aside for the betterment of the team."

Mangini preaches the same stuff (ugh, the dreaded "core values"), but he does it in a way that demeans the players. In Cleveland, several players reportedly have filed grievances for fines handed down by the coach. Things are bleak in Cleveland. Revis talks with some Browns, mainly all the ex-Jets imported by Mangini, and he finds himself giving them pep talks.

Ryan also is good for business. He has created a new identity for the Jets, an identity they can market. As Johnson noted, "We are in the entertainment business," and he wants to keep the paying customers happy. That's huge, especially with a new stadium to fill.

Johnson likes what he sees. After the dramatic win over the Patriots, he noticed that many of the fans lingered in the stadium.

"It's like they were enjoying the moment," he said. "I've never seen them do that before."

[Greenseed3]

well done sir.

[SoFlaJets]

well done sir.

thanks gs3

[joewilly]

thanks gs3

other than watching the games monday & tues readings of your news posts is my favorite part of the week

thanks for doing it sfj

[SoFlaJets]

other than watching the games monday & tues readings of your news posts is my favorite part of the week

thanks for doing it sfj

no prob...some days it's not worth doing b/c there's nothing going on but this has been a fun season so far...

[joewilly]

no prob...some days it's not worth doing b/c there's nothing going on but this has been a fun season so far...

yeah I hear ya. this worlds gonna be a better place for all yer grandkids for doing stuff like this ya know hope all is well with the whole sfj family my friend

[SoFlaJets]

yeah I hear ya. this worlds gonna be a better place for all yer grandkids for doing stuff like this ya know hope all is well with the whole sfj family my friend

yea we got the whole clan over here today-FlJetsGirl has been doing dishes non-stop since around 10

[joewilly]

yea we got the whole clan over here today-FlJetsGirl has been doing dishes non-stop since around 10

haha cool stuff. ain't it great knowin yer gonna say goodbye by the end of the day.

Mrs willy & I are now empty nesters. Our daughter comes to visit & we think phew, glad we're not doin drama 101 on a day to day thing.

sorry to clutter this fine thread with my dribble folks.