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Created by gdeforest on Oct 14, 2008
Last updated: 11/10/09 at 10:33 PM
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Shaun Ellis throws an snowberg and gets fined $10K by the NFL. Eric Mangini said that the league and the team can’t double dip and that Ellis will play on Sunday. I will merely point out that Ellis has been caught with marijuana and tossed an unsportsmanlike iceball at Seattle fans with nary a visible [...]
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Jets OLB Vernon Gholston Everyone was in awe of him. His body was downright Herculean and his first step was whiplash-quick. There was more than ...
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Brad Smith seems to have past some of his injury recovery benchmarks, as he was out practicing with the team the past two days. Whether or not you like his play as a receiver, Smith is an integral part of the coverage and blocking units on special teams and the Jets missed his presence [...]
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Although he is already bound for the Hall of Fame with records in every meaningful category, Brett Favre accepts that his powers are waning.
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Eric Mangini handed out more awards today than an Oscar presenter. The players voted for the annual team awards and here are the results:
Team MVP: RB Thomas Jones
Dennis Byrd Award (Most Inspirational): Jones
Marty Lyons (Charitable): FB Tony Richardson
Ed Block Courage Award: WR Jerricho Cotchery
Kyle Clifton Award (Good Guy): Abram Elam
And last, but not least ... "The Eskenazi" - the annual "Good Guy" award presented by the media. A total of 13 media types voted, and this year's winner is RT Damien Woody. Always polite, always available, always quick with a snappy quote, Woody is truly deserving of the award. Past recipients include Pete Kendall and Laveranues Coles.
Woody was presented the award at his locker, whereupon he was reminded that the previous winner - Coles - staged a media boycott this summer in training camp. Woody promised not to continue the trend. Naturally, Woody was razzed about the possibility of being fined by Mangini, who, as everybody knows, prefers that his players reveal little to the media.
"I don't know if this falls in line with the whole media philosophy," Woody cracked.
On to other news and notes:
• Mangini confirmed that QB Brett Favre was, in fact, on a pitch count yesterday in practice. Strictly routine, Mangini said, adding that he used to do the same thing late in the season with Chad Pennington. I was told that Favre's throwing in practice has been limited for about a month.
• WR Brad Smith (concussion) did "quite a bit of work" Wednesday. Looks like he could return Sunday against the Seahawks. That could mean a one-and-done for WR David Clowney.
• Talked to Vernon Gholston about being inactive for the Buffalo game. He said he didn't raise any objections with the coaches, that he just wants to help the team win. That sounded incongruous coming from the 6th pick in the draft, who, in most cases, would be helping the team by actually playing.
• Great line from Leon Washington. Talking about Jones' huge biceps, Washington said, "You can see his guns. He's the only guy who can carry guns legally in New York State." For some reason, that made me think of Plaxico Burress.
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In what can only be interpreted as a move to help the player’s circadian rhythms make the adjustment to West Coast time, Eric Mangini pushed today’s schedule back for everyone, so everything is starting a bit later – report time for players, practice time, media time.
Mangini’s normal 10:15 press conference was moved to 11:30 today and then we have locker room availability and then practice. Not sure as yet on tomorrow’s times but when I know, you’ll know.
In the meantime, enjoy this fine column from Bob Glauber in today’s Newsday regarding New York’s football coaches unplugged. Incidentally, it's Glauber's #%th birthday today so please head on over to his blog and tell him still looks just great.
We’ll talk later this afternoon.
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I sense a disturbance in The Force . . .
Like Darth Vader squaring off against Obi-Wan, the one-time padawan, Brett Favre, will be taking on his master, Mike Holmgren, in an epic final battle that will have galactic playoff implications for one and . . . uh . . .
Well, let’s just say that Mike [...]
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Every once in a while a player comes along whose media guide bio reads like a good book. This week that Jets player is J.R. Reed.
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Jets Confidential is the best holiday gift for any Jets Fan. 32 pages chock full of inside info on the Jets delivered to their doorstep. Call 1-800-932-4557 (M-F, 9-5) to order.
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The Baltimore Ravens are 9-4 and in excellent position for an AFC wild-card spot, a wonderful accomplishment for a team that finished 5-11 a year ago. As they prepare for Sunday's AFC North showdown with Pittsburgh, they want more. "We want to be division champs. We want to be champions. That's something that every team in the division definitely plays for," coach John Harbaugh says.
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There was celebration in the Jets’ locker room today in Florham Park. About 20 minutes before practice, players rejoiced like kids being released early from school. They reacted as if they had received $20,000 bonus checks in the mail. They smiled the way they did after beating the Titans.
What gives?
They practiced indoors.
Yes, indoors.
For only the second time this season, the first time since Week 2, Eric Mangini decided to have practice in the sparkling new fieldhouse at their facility. Instead of braving the rain for a second straight day, the coach broke with tradition and opted for the dry, comfortable confines of the field house.
“I’m shocked, I’m really shocked,” a giddy Damien Woody said.
This may not sound like a big deal, but it is in Jetland, where Mangini takes the mailman approach. He doesn’t let rain or snow or sleet or anything chase them indoors. He believes in practicing in the elements. With Sunday’s virtual must-win approaching, maybe he felt like throwing a bone to the team. He also cut down the practice time by 30 minutes, although players have told me throughout the year that Mangini’s practices haven’t been nearly as long and taxing as previous years. As Mangini said, “This is a scaling back of the scaling back.”
Other news and notes:
• WR Brad Smith does, in fact, have a concussion, Mangini confirmed. However, he was on the field, doing light stuff during the “open” portion of practice. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll play Sunday against the Bills. Then again, you never know. The Jets have been known to play players the week after a concussion. I asked Mangini if 49ers’ LB Patrick Willis deserves to be fined for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Smith, who was in a defenseless position at the time of the blow. “I don’t know … it’s a judgment call,” Mangini said.
• Look for Eric Smith, out the last six games due to multiple concussions, to return this week. He’s practicing with a special helmet that has extra protection. He’d probably be used in the sub packages.
• Rookie TE Dustin Keller, who had a key third-down drop last week, received an earful from Mangini on Monday. Come to think of it, so did the entire team. As I wrote today, Mangini lashed into the team the day after the 49er loss - and it was well-deserved, considering the way they played. Asked about Keller, Mangini said, “The rookie period is over. We’ve graduated.” Keller gave a diplomatic response when asked about the tongue-lashing. “Yeah, he talked to me, but I took it as positive reinforcement.”
• One more note about practice: Mangini described this week as a get-back-to-basics week. There has been emphasis on technique, footwork, leverage, communication. “It’s almost a go-back-to-training-camp mentality,” he said. It’s good that he’s trying to address problems and trying to shake up the status quo, but it doesn’t mean anything if they lose to the Bills. If they lose to the Bills, it’ll be a dark, dark day.
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Brett Favre has been through too many playoff races to allow his confidence to waver. Nope, not even now, with the New York Jets going from anointed as an AFC Super Bowl favorite to being labeled a huge disappointment in just two weeks. "I expect us to make the playoffs," Favre said Wednesday. "I would hope that every guy in that locker room feels the same way.
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In need of help at safety, the Jets added journeyman J.R. Reed on Wednesday. The announcement was made by Eric Mangini.
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The N.F.L. will review Shaun Ellis’s case under its substance-abuse policy, but Ellis indicated Friday that the legal system might first have to run its course.
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Shaun Ellis said today he expects some type of punishment for his arrest Saturday morning in New Jersey. "(I am) pretty sure there will still be some repercussions for what I have done," Ellis said today in his first comments regarding marijuana...
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It turns out the Jets have some legal trouble of their own. Defensive end Shaun Ellis has been charged with possession of marijuana, driving without insurance and speeding after getting pulled over last weekend in New Jersey. Ellis was stopped...
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The last month of the regular season is likely to offer conditions like those Brett Favre faced in Green Bay, namely the winds that whip through Giants Stadium.
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No calls have been placed to Mark Gastineau or Joe Klecko, but the Jets are trying to figure out how to jump-start their sagging pass rush. What was a strength early in the season has vanished recently. The Jets had 29 sacks through their first...
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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -- Brett Favre has often been regarded as the king of miserable weather, lea...
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I just sailed through traffic this morning from Long Island so I arrived at Fort Florham at just after 7 a.m., which even beat Jets interns Matt Hintz, Christie Upton and Jeanette Owusu to the facility.
Shocking.
Anyway, that leaves me with lots O’ time, not that you’ll benefit any.
Wednesdays, as you know, means Favre Day out here, which always draws a larger-than-usual media gathering. In addition to Favre, we’ll hear from Eric Mangini, players in the locker room, 49ers interim coach Mike Singletary and a 49ers player to be named.
This is an interesting week for a variety of reasons, with storylines abound.
Can the Jets play a decent game on the West Coast? How will they respond to getting spanked at home last week? Will the Jets be able to mount a pass rush against a team that has allowed 43 sacks this season?
We’ll do more dissection later in the week but here’s a few numbers on the 49ers:
On defense they’re ranked 23rd in the league (347 ypg), including 28th against the pass (239.8). The 49ers rank tied for 27th in scoring defense, giving up 26.1 ppg. On offense, the 49ers are ranked 26th in total offense (304.4) and 21st in scoring (21.8).
49ers quarterback Shaun Hill doesn’t have a cannon, but he’s played pretty well since replacing the turnover-prone J.T. O'Sullivan. Hill this season is 84-for-139 for 1,067 yards with eight TDs and three INTs.
Is this a team stocked with talent? Not really, but any team has to be considered dangerous considering the way the Jets played last week. I think players will approach it that way. The handful of players we saw in the locker room Monday were a bit ticked with how things went against the Broncos, which is the way many of them were after the last time the Jets lost, Oct. 19 in Oakland. The Jets won five straight after that defeat so who knows…
* By the way, the picture to the right of the programs from Super Bowl III and the AFL Championship that preceded it was emailed to me by Richard Kaufman, a throwback DJ if there ever was one. Check out his site if you’re a fan of 60’s radio, or even if you’re not. Pretty good stuff. Fox News even did a feature on him.
Kaufman lives in Texas, but grew up in Livingston, N.J., is a Jets fanatic and, most germane to me, has been a fan of this blog since training camp. The first, to my knowledge, celebrity reader of the blog. I heard Larry David checks things out here on occasion, but I haven’t been able to confirm it. I might have just made that last part up, but I can't confirm that either.
But back to Kaufman. He apparently collects memorabilia of all kinds and possesses – among other things – those programs from Super Bowl III and that season's AFL Championship. I, being obsessed with old things [hence the frequent mentions of Bob Glauber], enjoyed the photo and decided to share. Kaufman tells me there will be more.
* Some random stuff, but only because there’s time:
* Throughout the Favre-to-the-Jets rumors and ultimate completion of the deal – with all the long hours and circus-like elements surrounding the story, which was fun to cover for the most part – I occasionally received rather humorous emails from colleagues like Glauber and Giants beat guy Tom Rock, and even the great Judy Battista from the Times. The tenor of the emails was basically “having fun yet?” which is a reporter’s parlance for “hahahahahahaha.”
Not sure why this week I thought of that…
* 80's song of the morning heard while driving in: "Take on me" by A-ha.
* Maybe I don’t fully understand the whole “conduct detrimental to the league thing,” but Sean Avery getting suspended for what amounts to stupid speech is absurd to me. The comments were tasteless and yes, but that’s a mighty steep slippery slope the NHL just put itself on.
And with that, check back here later for a report on the day and video from Favre’s press conference.
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Missed tackles were one of several glaring defensive deficiencies Sunday as the Broncos gashed a Jets defense that had shut down Tennessee the week before but had been torched last month by the Patriots for 511 yards.
Denver amassed 484 yards, the second-most allowed by the Jets this season. None of the Jets' next three opponents—San Francisco (4-8), Buffalo and Seattle—rank higher than 20th in the NFL in total offense. But their final regular-season opponent, Miami, is 10th in the league. And if the AFC East-leading Jets (8-4) reach the playoffs, the chances are good that they will face a high-powered passing attack in the first round.
"I thought it was behind us," linebacker David Bowens said, referring to the Jets' defensive struggles.
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--What turned out to be the Jets' last touchdown Sunday was the result of a heads-up play by Thomas Jones. He plunged into the line on first-and-10 from the Denver 29 in the second quarter and appeared to have been stopped by Denver's Kenny Peterson. But Jones actually landed on Peterson's back, and Jones' knees and elbows never touched the ground.
So he alertly scrambled to his feet and went untouched for a 29-yard scoring run, his second of the game, to cut the deficit to 17-14.
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The Jets might want to hold off on those Super Bowl reservations.
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Did you really think the Jets were going to head into the playoffs on a 10 game winning streak? You didn't think there would be an ugly misstep along the way in this final stretch of games? Trust me, yesterday's loss will prove to be one of the best things that happens to this team in 2008.
This past week the Jets were the hot topic of the NFL. Leon Washington, Kerry Rhodes, and Kris Jenkins were all over ESPN. The New York papers constantly discussed the prospect of a Subway Super Bowl. For the past seven days the Jets were recognized as an elite team in the NFL. Not anymore, the Jets have fell back into the pack of the muddled AFC, where any team who ends up playing in January has a good shot of ending up in the Super Bowl.
Leon Washington said after the game the Jets were served a nice dish of humble pie, and honestly that is probably what this team needed. This is good team but a team with some definite flaws that keeps them a clear level below a team like the New York Giants. They can't afford to overlook any teams, especially a solid team like Denver that they don't match-up well with.
It simply wasn't the Jets day on Sunday. You knew that as soon as Chris Baker and Dustin Keller both dropped a pass on the first series. You knew that as soon as the Jets were on the wrong end of a terrible call that allowed the Broncos to score their first touchdown. You knew that when Brett Favre threw a ball 10 yards over Laveranues Coles head and right into the arms of Dre Bly. It wasn't happening on Sunday. A few more observations:
1. Abram Elam had a rough day at the office. The Jets need to scheme something up that allows them to find a better match-up for team's tight ends and #3 wide receivers. They can't keep allowing Elam, Hank Poteat, and David Barrett to get exposed in coverage. When the Jets play a team with a big time tight end, like Denver, they need to have Kerry Rhodes matched-up on him. The Jets also shouldn't be having so many issues with a #3 receiver now since they have three starting caliber corners in Revis, Ty Law, and Dwight Lowery who is now playing better in a more limited role.
2. Favre was just off on Sunday, although he wasn't helped by his receivers. He missed a potential big play down the seam to Dustin Keller and then had Jerricho Cotchery drop one down the sideline early in the fourth quarter on fourth down. When is the last time the Jets hit a big downfield throw? Is it time to activate David Clowney?
3. I hate the calls the thrown the ball on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1. Give the ball to Thomas Jones, period. It has worked once this year, against Arizona where the Jets have hit a big pass play in that situation, beyond that they have had no success. Run the ball.
4. Where is the pass rush? I saw the Jets send Ty Law a few times off the edge, but he poorly timed his blitzes. They need to send Rhodes at the quarterback more often. By the way, Vernon Gholston is the only player I know who can play as much as he did on Sunday and not make a single impact play. He is like Victor Hobson all over again.
Anyway, the Jets now enter the final quarter of their schedule. They need a big time bounceback performance against the 49ers on the road this week. It is a must win game. Personally, I think the Jets will come out on fire after being embarrassed in front of their fans but who knows with this team? However, the bottom line is that they need this game because divisional games in December are never easy and if you think winning in Seattle is a gimme, you are wrong.
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Put those Super Bowl plans on hold. In a sloppy, mistake-filled game, the Jets lost 34-17 to the Broncos at Giants Stadium yesterday, ending their five-game winning streak and putting a stop to that New York-New York Super Bowl talk that gained...
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Here is Kerry Rhodes and his delightful quote on Jay Cutler, “I don’t like him, I don’t want to talk about him today. Next.” I love that Rhodes is honest there. If you’re a competitor, and you took it on the chin all night, it’s OK if you don’t profess love for the guy who [...]
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The weather conditions were perfect, as far as Jay Cutler was concerne...
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Jets are looking porous against the pass in the first quarter, already a wild game against the Broncos. The Jets failed to score on the opening drive for the first time in seven games, and gave up the first touchdown on a wacky botched reverse.
Jets WR Brad Smith took the direct snap and [...]
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Brett Ratliff lives, even if it's as the embodiment, at the moment, of Kerry Collins and Jay Cutler.
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Jay Feely has made 10 field goals in a row, but Jets coach Eric Mangini says he hasn't decided yet who the kicker will be on Sunday - Feely or Mike Nugent.
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A year ago, the Jets were humiliated on national television in a 34-3 loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The defeat dropped them to 2-9 and the only talk among Jets fans was how high the team's draft choice would be.
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Wow, talk about a terrible day of Thanksgiving football. I think our neighborhood “Turkey Bowl” produced more drama than the three games on the tube.
Speaking of football on TV, the NFL Network did a nice breakdown of Brett Favre’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles in last week’s win over the Titans. It’s the “Anatomy of a Touchdown” segment, which I happened to catch on NFL.com. To me, that’s one of Favre’s best plays of the year, a play that captures his entire essence as a quarterback - instincts, anticipation, guts and arm strength. He somehow got the ball through a tight window, past four defenders.
NFL Films had a mike on Titans C Kevin Mawae, and it caught this great exchange between Mawae and TE Bo Scaife on the sideline, moments after the touchdown.
Scaife: “I can’t believe he got that in there.”
Mawae: “It’s Brett Favre, bro.”
Need we say more?
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Brett Favre won three straight MVP awards for the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s, his last coming in 1997.
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The winning locker room wasn't a place of boisterous celebrations after the visiting Jets routed previously unbeaten Tennessee on Sunday. Quiet confidence instead was the norm as players enjoyed the victory but realized that within a day or two, they'd be looking ahead to the next challenge.
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First, to the “news” portion of the program:
* Eric Mangini disclosed the team awards from the Titans game.
Offensive player of the game: Leon Washington
Defensive: Abram Elam
Special teams: Marques Murrell
Practice: Brett Ratliff
Also, Mangini said Eric Smith and David Harris would practice today and when the media went out to practice, both players were stretching with the team. We saw Harris working in the positional drills but Smith, after the team adjourned from stretching, went to the sideline and the exercise bike. I’d say Harris is the more likely of the two to play Sunday, but my bet is neither will suit up.
* Brett Favre’s answers are usually pretty good and it was no exception when he was asked to give a snapshot of each of his offensive linemen – D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Alan Faneca, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore and Damien Woody.
“Nick has the chance to be the best I’ve ever played with. Athletically speaking he’s by far the most athletic.”
“Faneca is one of those guys that every team wishes they had on their team. He never complains; is always running, blocking, doing something. He’s a perfect fit for he side that breaks on, because I see a change in Brick. Once again, I wasn’t here last year, but just form the start of the year now…it goes without saying that Brick is ultra talented. Using that is the key. I think he’s finding out day in and day out he can be pretty darn good.”
“Brandon and Woody, the right side, they’re all playing great. Woody’s got the best feet I’ve ever seen. Brandon is probably our best just pure run blocker. I mean he’s hard to move. He can move people.”
Favre also talked about an in-practice skirmish between Ferguson and Shaun Ellis from a while back.
“Having a little spunk about you is not a bad thing," Favre said. "Everybody laughed, stuff like that. Most people were like, ‘Man, we haven’t seen that side of Brick.’”
* Favre was asked about the dangers of the team getting ahead of itself as the wins keep piling up and the positive attention continues to come. Favre said nothing has changed much since the early part of the season, other than players' confidence.
“You know, you’re on top of the world one day, hit the bottom the next,” Favre said. “As we struggled early in the year, I don’t think it really affected anyone, because look where we are now. I really don’t think that the success we’re having right now will affect us. In saying that, I don’t know what’s going to happen the next five. But I think our preparation, guys will say the right things. It seems like a pretty focused team.”
* Favre on the offense of late, its ability to hold onto the ball and overall effectiveness:
“The key in all of this to me is the fact that our running game has really dominated, no different than our defense, stopping the run. The fact we’ve been able to run the football at our discretion has made all the difference. For any quarterback, if you can run the football the way we’re running it, sort of dictates to the defense, I don’t want to say you want them to play, but how they have to play you. Do they bring an extra guy in the box? If they do that, then a slant should be there, a go route, a back shoulder throw or whatever. We have the guys from our receiver corps standpoint that can catch the ball at the line of scrimmage, get 10 or 15. They did it the other day. If you’re a defensive coordinator, you’re scratching your head going, what do I do?”
* Finally, a quick congrats to the Associated Press' Jets beat reporter, Dennis Waszak, for tagging Thomas Jones and Leon Washington as “Pow and Later.” The nickname seems to have caught on a bit [Washington called it his favorite on ESPN yesterday morning] and whatever you may hear, it originated with Waszak.
And with that, happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I have been - and continue to be - thankful for the readers of this blog since I started on the beat.
I would tell you all about my plans tomorrow, but I don’t want to make anyone jealous. Enjoy the holiday.
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Here are the grades following the Jets' 34-13 win over the Titans this Sunday...
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Here is Part II of "Looking at the Films" from the Jets win over the Titans.
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Damien Woody knows what the Jets are up against tomorrow, going on the road to face a Tennessee team that is 10-0 and has one of the most feared defensive lines in the league.
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A good offense and a good defense both showed up at LP Field yesterday, but neither of them were wearing two-tone blue. Give credit to the Jets -- they were the better team yesterday and they proved it convincingly.
The Jets looked better than their fourth-place ranking in rushing defense and their ninth-place ranking in rushing. The Titans didn't look as good as their rankings indicated. New York outrushed Tennessee, 192 yards to 45. The Jets won the battles on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
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The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre to light up a highlight reel. The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre so they’d be on the big TV game more often. The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre so ESPN would have reporters on their beat and extra cameras in their locker room. The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre to score points like a pinball machine, although it doesn’t hurt when it happens.
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SCOREBOARD Monday, Nov. 24 Green Bay at New Orleans (8:30 p.m. EST). Both teams are 5-5, but that has the Packers in the mix for first place in the NFC North, while New Orleans is in last place in the NFC South. STARS Passing -- Matt Cassel, Patriots, threw for 415 yards, including three touchdowns to Randy Moss, in New England's 48-28 win at Miami.
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Brett Favre and Leon Washington lead New York to a 34-13 victory over the Titans.
The Tennessee Titans are unbeaten no more. Brett Favre and the New York Jets served notice they will be a factor in the AFC this season.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - After passing one road test in New England, the 7-3 Jets get another one today in Nashville against 10-0 Tennessee. The Titans have won 13 straight, and if these two teams continue playing the way they have, this could be an AFC...
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The New York Jets showed the nation last week that the acquisitions of Kris Jenkins, Alan Faneca and Brett Favre, among others, have made them legitimate playoff contenders. Their game Sunday in Tennessee may determine if they can be more than that. The Titans enter the contest 10-0, the NFL's only unbeaten team.
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A second Jet, this time quarterback Erik Ainge, has been found in violation of the NFL's drug policy.
From the NFL late this afternoon:
"Erik Ainge of the New York Jets has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL Policy on Steroids and Related Substances.
Ainge’s suspension begins immediately. He will be eligible to rejoin the team on Monday, December 15, following the Jets’ December 14 game against the Buffalo Bills."
The suspension has no immediate impact on the roster as Ainge was put on the injured reserve Oct. 29 with a foot injury. The suspension does cost Ainge money, however, as he will forfeit four game checks.
The other Jet to be suspended this season was running back Jesse Chatman - also put on the injured reserved Oct. 29 - who missed the first four games of the year.
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I wrote about Leon Washington today and the big-play threat he's become. One point I didn't get to in the story but I thought was interesting was the effect Curtis Martin had on Washington.
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The Jets believed that by signing Ty Law in midseason, they were getting a player who was ready to step immediately into an expansive role without needing much time to get acclimated to the defense, because of his familiarity in ...
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Thursdays are theme days in the music department when the Jets travel so today, blaring on the speakers as we walked out for practice, was Rocky Top ('Wish that I was on ole rocky top,
Down in the tennessee hills...').
After that came a jolt back to the 80’s watching Friday night television as the ole Balladeer himself Waylon Jennings came on with the theme from the Dukes of Hazzard. An odd choice in that the show had nothing at all to do with Tennessee, but more on that later.
*Bubba Franks practiced in full – or looked to; the injury report won’t come out until 4 p.m. – and appeared fluid in catching a couple of passes. Eric Smith and David Harris were missing once again and it seems a slim and none thing on either of them playing Sunday.
* Eric Mangini on the matchup of Kris Jenkins against Titans center Kevin Mawae.
“Any time you put two players of their experience, ability and styles – they are different styles of players – that’s always going to be fun to watch,” Mangini said. “Kevin is very savvy. He’s always been a very savvy guy. To see how he’s going to approach [Jenkins] will be real interesting.”
* Mangini, as he’s talked about a couple times this season, discussed Leon Washington’s long road from his first training camp when he spent much of that first summer at Hofstra running penalty laps.
“It was the fumbling, it was the struggling with the blitz pickup, the route; he was about as in shape as I was,” Mangini said with a smile. “All of those things lead to a very tough rookie camp.”
Rich Cimini from the Daily News asked if Washington’s exposure to Curtis Martin, even though Martin was on his way out, helped the rookie back.
“I definitely think that Curtis helped out,” Mangini said. “Curtis helps out a lot of people whenever he’s around. His focus is rare. I don’t know if he even dated during the season.”
I can relate.
* Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice a Boston College football jersey hanging in Washington’s locker with this note affixed:
“Love Always,
Bob Wischusen”
Curious about the amatory display, I asked both parties about it. Turns out the two had a bet on the recent football game between Florida State, Washington’s alma mater, and Boston College, Wischusen’s. Boston College won, 27-17, last weekend in Tallahassee and, hence, the BC jersey, thanks to the voice of the Jets.
Wischusen said he was required to don a Florida State jersey had the Seminoles won.
Such hard-hitting information is why you read this blog, I know.
* Thomas Jones talked a bit about the season he’s having as he’s leading the AFC with 854 rushing yards and accrued nine rushing TDs to match a career best. His 4.5 per carry average is the second best of his career, behind the 4.6 he had in 2003 with Tampa Bay, but only had 627 yards on 137 carries that season. Jones is on pace to have the best season of his career.
“Honestly, this is my ninth year in the league,” Jones said. “I’m playing this game…I want to win a Super Bowl. That’s why I’m out here doing everything I can to help this team win. So individually I’ve never been one of those people that works for individual statistics. I go out there and play as hard as I can, I work hard during the week to make sure I’m prepared for the game and I let the chips fall where they may. I’m blessed to be having a good year this year, but the main thing is we’re winning football games and that’s what’s motivating me.”
And facing a renown defense like the Titans is motivating the primary cog of the running game, the offensive line.
“Things seem to be going well, so going against the best should be a good test for us,” Nick Mangold said.
Players are very, very much looking forward to Sunday. And for different reasons than they were looking forward to New England. More on that in tomorrow’s Picks Post (I know, I know: that’s a worse tease than the typical Mike Greenberg one on Mike and Mike).
* Before departing for the afternoon, this non-football note: after the Dukes of Hazzard theme song ended, I found myself in a rather heated debate with SNY’s Steve Overmyer (happy birthday, btw, once again to his resplendent producer, Katie Sadler) about where the show was supposedly based. Overmyer swore up, down and sideways that it was in Kentucky because it apparently has a Hazzard County (and it’s with one “Z” I’m just now seeing, the one in Kentucky). Anyway, I said the show, without question, was based in Georgia because of the flag and a lot of the humor that I remembered. Overmyer was convinced he was right because, “I grew up in Indiana,” which I found to be about as relevant as if he had said, "I like baked beans, tin foil and Charleston Chews."
So here’s the final word from the Dukes of Hazzard trivia page on imdb.com:
“The name of the state that Hazzard County was in was never explicitly revealed. However, it was within driving distance of Atlanta, Georgia and in ‘Happy Birthday General Lee’ Boss Hogg tells Daisy she has ‘the best legs in all of Georgia.'"
The glasses have been placed on the bar, courtesy of Boss Hogg. Overmyer, I’ll collect on our bet in Nashville. Cash, please. And with that, I’m out. Speaking of resplendence, Katie Strang fills in for me Friday at The Fort, but I’ll be checking in tomorrow night with the Friday Picks Post.
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Filed under: Jets, AFC East, NFL FansThe Jets are 7-3, lead the AFC East, and are perfectly positioned for a return to the postseason after a four-win effort a year ago. So, naturally, we're talking about ... whether Brett Favre will return for 2009? Really? The New York Post's Brian Costello writes that for as wonderful as last Thursday's overtime victory over the Patriots was, Jets fans shouldn't get used to the of having Favre around forever. Apparently, he really will retire one of these years. I'm skeptical. "I haven't even thought about it," Favre said when the prospect of playing in 2009 came up. "I have people - friends, family - who ask me all the time about next year. The answer I give them, which is the honest answer, is I really don't know. To be totally honest with you, I really don't care. What I care about is trying to beat Tennessee." Amazingly, Favre does admit that he can't play forever, which should come as news to Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers. And even though the Jets acquired Favre with the understanding that it could be a one-and-done situation, depending on how the rest of the season plays out, it might well be worth it.Of course, if New York misses the playoffs and Miami makes it (or even if the Dolphins don't and they win eight or nine games), then, well, the fans and media (obvious exceptions: Peter King, Tony Kornheiser, John Madden) could feel differently. Prior to the Jets-Pats game, I wrote that the Dolphins made out best in the Favre trade, and I still feel that way. Certainly that could change, particularly if Favre decides to return next season. We should know more by next August. Early September at the latest.And So It Begins: Will Brett Favre Retire After One Season in New York? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
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If you like pretty Football, stay away from Sunday's Jets-Titans game. If finesse is your thing, go to the ballet.
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