SB Nation - Kerry Rhodes

Falcons 10 Jets 7: Kicked Away

John B — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:19 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

The Jets fell back to .500 after suffering a crushing 10-7 loss to the Falcons today at the Meadowlands. Once again this team loses in the final minute. Once again this team wastes a great defensive effort. Once again we have to ask how the heck the Jets lost a game they seemed to control. It's the story of the season.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Jay Feely: Jay, I'd like to introduce you to Doug Brien, John Hall, and Cary Blanchard. Feely helped kick the Jets out of the Playoffs by not connection on a pair of makable field goal tries. If he does his job, the Jets are comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter. No, he doesn't get a pass because the wind was bad. This is Feely's second season in the Meadowlands, and he spent time with the Giants before. He has plenty of experience in the Meadowlands. Does he get blame for kicking it too low on the blocked try? You bet. Last week's hero is this week's goat.

Kellen Clemens: Fine, we've established you can't play quarterback. Now you can't even get a hold down? The whole reason the Jets made him the holder was because of the botched field goal try in overtime against the Bills. The Jets wanted a guy capable of throwing it on a broken play. Using the backup quarterback presents a different problem. He's not on the field and doesn't handle the ball. Maybe Brad Smith would be a better choice. He sees action and can make something happen with his legs and arm if things break down.

James Dearth: His long snaps were terrible. They didn't help matters.

Sending Three on Fourth Down: The Jets are an aggressive team. That's how they became the top statistical defense in the league. It's how they shut the Falcons down all game. Why go away from what works and only rush three on the play that decided the game?

Offensive Line: The rare performance where the other team was successful loading up the box because the offensive line wasn't getting enough of a push. I'm not going to get on Thomas Jones (19 carries, 52 yards) because I didn't really see anywhere for him to run most of the time.

Missed Opportunities: Five trips in Falcons territory ended in no points. That's a recipe for heartbreak.

Danny Woodhead: Very unimpressive game. Didn't come up with a pair of catches he should have had early. Later he showed no ability to break tackles. He was slow to break after the catch on a third down, and his run back on the kickoff following the winning touchdown put the Jets' back to the wall.

Alan Faneca: Idiotic personal foul killed the last drive before it really started.

Donald Stickland: Terrible penalty on the last drive. Even worse coverage.

The Good:

Darrelle Revis: Roddy White had 4 catches for 33 yards. He almost had as many times begging the officials for a flag as he had receptions. Revis shut him down.

David Harris: 10 tackles and was effective as a blitzer. The Jets surely won't be going to Miami for the Super Bowl, but Harris should go there for the Pro Bowl.

Kerry Rhodes: The missed tackle was bad, but Kerry played a great game aside from that. He registered 6 tackles and was excellent in coverage. This was the player we were expecting at the start of the year.

Brad Smith: A great kickoff return to start the second half and made good reads out of the Tiger formation.

Mark Sanchez: Yes, Sanchez goes here. He did some bad things, namely holding it too long, not throwing it away in some spots, and once again not sliding. I think you need to find a new scapegoat for the last drive. Can you blame him for the last interception? The Jets needed to get it downfield. He had to try and force something. The first pick was bad, but I was impressed with the way he responded. The rest of the game, he was making good throws and making good decisions with the ball. Even on the second pick, there was a window open. We were worried whether the cold was in his head. The throw seemed to give him confidence he can play in the cold. That's huge for the future. When you look at the numbers, it won't look great. In the grand scheme of things, I view today as a net positive. He proved he can make plays in the element. Mark will have to play better next week to get a win, though.

Braylon Edwards: 5 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. He also drew doubles which in theory should have opened thing up for others and did good work as a blocker. Admit it. You were nervous he'd drop the touchdown pass.

I hate to let the defense off the hook. I mean another game winning drive late is upsetting, but the fact of the matter is the game should never come down to the last drive when you only give up 10 points. This game was lost by the field goal unit and the offense not finishing drives. I have nothing left to say. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. Just like last year, we see a season essentially die in a snowstorm the Sunday before Christmas.

Jets Flight Connections 121709

dvdvil — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:20:02 -0000

It is a sad day for the NFL and for the family of Bengals WR Chris Henry.

May he rest in peace.

Jets HC Rex Ryan wasn't ready to make a decision yesterday on the starting QB, but we should find out later today.

The New York Post's Kevin Kernan says that QB Mark Sanchez needs to start.

Filip Bondy of The Daily News says that The Sanchize needs to grow up fast.

Mark Cannizzaro's blog mentions how Rex reacted to LB Bart Scott's foul in Tampa Bay.

Manish Mehta writes about Scott's punishment, RB Shonn Greene's fumbling and Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez on CB Darrelle Revis. A couple of videos are attached.

If you have a subscription to Jets Confidential, here is an article on Revis and LB Calvin Pace.

Greene will learn to protect the football from mentor RB Thomas Jones, praised in this article by G Alan Faneca.

Revis and Jones are two of three AFC East MVPs.

Revis is one of NFL Fanhouse's non-QB MVPs.

The New York Times blog is shocked at the lack of attention towards TJ.

ESPN.com shows us where the top AFC East players are in Pro Bowl voting.

Newyorkjets.com has an article on the defense.

DT Kris Jenkins talks about money and marriage.

More connections after the jump.

Thanks to David Wyatt for this link: jetstwit.com, where I found this article on Bills great Thurman Thomas encouraging FS Kerry Rhodes.

That then made me look into twitter.com and their little known facts about Revis.

K Jay Feely thinks the Colts should play hard tonight.

Foxsports.com says the same ol' Jets will lose on Sunday, although the spread is Jets -6.

Thebiglead.com predicts the Jets will win out but lose the tiebreakers.

We signed a tackle to our practice squad.

Gang Green going up, Big Blue going down.

Thejetsblog.com has D'Brickashaw Ferguson's appearance on SNY's "Jets Extra Point."

Jetnation.com has a 1st Round Mock Draft.

This blogger is excited about the Jets defense.

Northjersey.com remembers Curtis Martin breaking records in the snow five years ago.

Jets team photographer Al Pereira posted his favorite shots of Marty Lyons.

Jonathan Babineaux says sorry, and then we find out about another Falcon's arrest.

Former Bills HC Mike Mularkey is now Falcons OC and taking heat for playcalling.

Two current Jets coaches have ties with Atlanta football - former Falcon Chuck Smith and former assistant Doug Plank.

While former Jet and DB Coach Corwin Brown recently left his job at Notre Dame, former Jets DB Coach Mike MacIntyre got a promotion at San Jose State.

The Arizona Cardinals not only have former Jets P Ben Graham, they also added Jets former first round pick K Mike Nugent.

Titans RB Chris Johnson says that Dolphins WR Ted Ginn changed his mind about racing him.

Meanwhile, QB Vince Young didn't practice for Tennessee.

Neither did Patriots QB Tom Brady.

Your daily reminder: You have until Dec. 21 to send the Jets to the Pro Bowl.

Lastly, here is Chris Henry this preseason for the Bengals:

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Fifteen

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:30:23 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

8 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai (29) dives over Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, bottom as he chased by defensive end Vonnie Holliday in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

With the Colts defense still only surrendering 16.7 points per game, they maintain their hold on the #2 scoring defense spot. The Cincinnati Bengals (former #1 scoring defense) dropped to third after they were waxed by the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday.

The #1 scoring defense is the New York Jets (16.2 ppg), but if you've watched the Jets recently (and God knows I have) you know this ranking is deceiving. The Jets are minus Kris Jenkins, their best internal run stuffer, who is out for the season. They've benched Kerry Rhodes, arguably their best safety. Darrelle Revis is still a beast and Bart Scott has clearly made a difference with this team. However, their last three opponents have been the Carolina Panthers, the Buffalo Bills, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No offense to the Jets, but if my team played those three teams one, two, three, they damn well better lead the league in scoring defense.

Also, for the Jets, the three games prior to the Panthers, Bills, and Bucs were against the Patriots, Dolphins, and Jaguars. The Jets surrendered an average of 28 points per game against those teams, and lost all three games.

The Colts are also #5 in yard per completion, allowing only 6.3. Anytime you can limit a team to less than 7 yards a completion, you have a good defense.

Also, I highly suggest you check out NFL.com's new offensive line stats system. I just discovered it this morning. Anyone know how long this thing has been up? Colts have allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL (only 10). Their "power ranking" rushing right is 19th, rushing up the center is 7th, and rushing left is 8th. The #1 power rushing team running left: The Jaguars.

Rhode To Resolution

David_Wyatt — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:41:06 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

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The whole Kerry Rhodes saga has unravelled and unravelled fairly quickly in front of our own eyes, their have been several angry comments aimed at Rhodes on here over the past week or so, and some that have questioned him to no end (some of them made by yours truly), but I thought that Rhodes made baby steps in an attempt to resolve the issue yesterday with a few of his post game comments....although they were of course mixed in with his all too familiar, I'm going to show the haters what I can do.....maybe on another team. Not directly quoted but it was that kind of vibe.

"I have gotten a lot of great feedback as far as people wanting me here and some people don’t," Rhodes said after the game. "So, just those guys that don’t believe that I can do anything, I am sure another team wouldn’t mind having me on the team to show them, that’s all."

The above comments are infuriating to fans who just want him to ignore some tweets that he gets from some angry fans and just play the game. I'm sure it's very frustrating for him to have people question him all the time, however surely he can see that by addressing them he is isolating an even bigger proportion of the fan base. I'm not a Kerry Rhodes hater, but after this incident I'm certainly not a Kerry Rhodes fan either.

However despite his hints that he may seek employment elsewhere after this season, saying that he might not mind a change, and the only reason he would leave is to show the 'haters' (which sounds so immature) I don't think he really wants to go anywhere. He said himself he enjoys the city, and his outside football activities only thrive in an area like New York.

So in time it started to feel like high school, do you remember when someone really wanted to do something, but they wanted everyone else to want them to do it, so they would pretend like they wanted no part in it. Which of course encouraged everyone else to compliment them, tell them how great they were, how it wouldn't be the same without them, an EGS (ego boost scenario) something that Kerry has received from hundreds and probably thousands of his twitter followers.

Let's be perfectly honest here, I don't believe that Kerry wants out of New York at all, this is the perfect city, the perfect environment to host a personality like Kerry's. So for the first time yesterday, I saw a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel or perhaps the road, when Kerry made this comment

"Right now I am trying to win and help this team win and that is what I am doing right now."

Not earth shattering granted, but it's at least a start to a resolution and perhaps the bridges that have been burned can be resurrected over the last three games, so what does Kerry have to do to continue on the 'Rhode To Resolution"?

Stop addressing hateful tweets that he is sent, ignore them, block them, or delete them
Advance on his comment above, how winning is the only important thing and all he has his mind on is the New York Jets
Stop trying to prove himself to the 'haters' a group of people he really shouldn't care about
Show his support to his team mates, come out and say that he wants his job back but in the mean time, Eric Smith has his full support, he may be supporting him behind closed doors, but with the need to repair relations with the fans, a public comment would go a long way
Stop with the mysterious answers about next year and beyond, if asked, just reply that the focus is on the upcoming game and nothing else matters
Dedicate himself entirely to his on field play. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed to admit weaknesses in his game, fans appreciate the truth, and comments about how your working to improve go down as well as a JD & Coke

Can we please have the old Kerry Rhodes back, the one who looked like he was working his butt off on every play, who hit people and hit them hard, who was loved by the fans and returned the love in return. The one who was still trying to show the league how good of a player he was, the hungry one with fire in his eyes. He has the athletic ability, but is he willing to work to resolve this issue and work his way back into favour. I think following the above method would be a starting point.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:03:42 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Rookie quarterback melts down. That was the story last week for Tampa. We know how they feel. In his first four starts, though, Josh Freeman had looked pretty good for a rookie with a 7 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio. Accuracy had been something of an issue as it is with many rookies. However, Freeman offered a glimpse of what he may become two weeks ago with a 20 for 29 250 yard game against Atlanta. You may remember I was against taking Freeman in the Draft last April because he threw a ton of interceptions in college and seemed to have a high bust factor. He's given the Bucs room for cautious optimism this year.

I tend to think a second straight rough week is more likely than a bounce back this week. This is a really good Jets defense that will throw looks at him he has never seen. He's also going to have to do without his top wide receiver in any likely scenario. Our friends at Buc Em seem to think Antonio Bryant will be able to hold his own against Revis. I respectfully disagree with our friends. As they point out, Revis shut down Andre Johnson and Randy Moss. Is there anything Bryant can do that Moss or Johnson can't do better? I don't think so. I understand the pass rush does aid corners, but the reverse is also true. Part of the reasons the Jets have had so impressive rushing the passer has been that the coverage has held when blitzes have been picked up, which gives rushers extra time to get to the quarterback.

The Bucs will probably have Freeman focus on Kellen Winslow to make his throws safe. Winslow is Tampa's leading receiver with 58 receptions and 633 yards. This could be a game for Kerry Rhodes to reassert himself. I'm not sure I like the matchup between Winslow and Eric Smith. Winslow's way more athletic.

Beyond that, it's not clear what Tampa has in the passing game. Both Michael Clayton and Sammie Stroughter are battling injuries and quite possibly could miss the game, which would leave Maurice Stovall and his 18 receptions in the starting lineup. With Revis on Bryant, the Jets can scheme their coverage around Winslow because Lito Sheppard should be able to handle his assignment without much help.

Another problem will be protection. Tampa Bay's tackles, Jeremy Trueblood and Donald Penn, and center Jeff Faine are all in the top seven at their position in terms of pressures allowed. This could force the rookie to make a lot of mistakes. Guard Davin Joseph in in the top five while Jeremy Zuttah is in the top fifteen. It's a young line that is still a work in progress.

Jets Flight Connections 121209

dvdvil — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:56:37 -0000

Kerry Rhodes will not shut up.

Rex Ryan praises Lito Sheppard.

Rex Ryan praises D'Brickasaw Ferguson.

Rex Ryan and Bart Scott praise Josh Freeman.

Mike Pettine praises Larry Izzo.

Damien Woody praises Alan Faneca.

Braylon Edwards praises Kellen Clemens.

Brad Smith and Wallace Wright celebrate with a middle school in New Jersey.

The Jets are thankful to Eric Mangini and learn from the Browns' upset.

Mark Sanchez, Dwight Lowery and Robert Turner will not play on Sunday.

Buccaneers WR Michael Clayton and RB Carnell Williams might not play either.

More connections after the jump.

Miami will be playing against last week's Defensive Player of the Week.

New England might be playing wihout a healthy Adalius Thomas, and with a subpar Tom Brady.

Buffalo will not have Demetrius Bell for the rest of the year.

Once again, Wayne Chrebet is quoted in an NFL concussion policy article.

The topic of NFL injuries is becoming more serious.

Former Buccaneers HC Tony Dungy is still very involved in the NFL.

His other former team is currently still unbeaten, along with the Saints.

I would like to stress again that Darrelle Revis and Thomas Jones need to go back to the Pro Bowl. Please vote for them here. Polls close on Dec. 21.

Lastly, Rex Ryan talks about growing up in Toronto:

Rhodes Hasn't Won Back Starting Job

John B — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:28:25 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

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Rex Ryan still isn't ready to anoint Kerry Rhodes his starter at safety.

Rhodes thought he was about to regain his safety position in the Jets' base 3-4 scheme after meeting with defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman a week ago. Rhodes said he thought that was the "one thing" he needed to do before Rex Ryan inserted him in his old spot.

But Ryan, who replaced Rhodes with Eric Smith two days after the Nov. 22 loss to the Patriots, still won't commit to giving back Rhodes his starting role. Rhodes was mostly in on nickel and dime situations the last two games, though he played much more in Thursday's win over the Bills.

"I want this thing to play out," Ryan said Monday. "I want to see how the week goes, see the preparation and game plan before we name a starter in the base group. One way or another, both of those guys are going to play a bunch, Kerry and Eric.''

I take this to mean Rex is really still unhappy with Kerry because there's no doubt which of the two is more talented. We all know Kerry thinks a lot of his own ability. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Rhodes may end up punching his ticket out of town if he doesn't take it well.

Do you think this is the right move?

Bills/Jets: Five Questions with Gang Green Nation

Brian Galliford — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:00:42 -0000

by Seth Wenig - AP

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The Buffalo Bills are 4-7. They're playing under the direction of an interim head coach. A year ago, the Bills were 6-5, and though they had lost four of five and were about to lose three straight and four of their last five, they were in (semi-)serious playoff contention at that point in time. Based on that fact alone, the Bills have clearly regressed from 2008 to 2009.

One clear area of progress, however, has been playing divisional games. Buffalo was swept by the AFC East in 2008, losing two games each to Miami, New England and New York and otherwise ruining a solid 7-3 out-of-conference record. To this point in the regular season, Buffalo is 2-2 in divisional games, registering victories over New York and Miami. Buffalo takes on the Jets this weekend in Toronto looking to sweep our green friends from New Jersey for the second time in three years (Buffalo swept the Jets in 2007).

Joining us this morning is John B from SB Nation's Jets blog, Gang Green Nation. His Q&A with Buffalo Rumblings starts now, and you can see his reciprocating interview here.

What's the latest on the Mark Sanchez knee situation? Will he be hampered at all on Thursday?

I don't think there really is any situation. He left the game briefly on Sunday, but he was back for the next series. Sanchez was wearing a knee brace. He's shown good mobility so maybe it will cut back on that a bit, but he really didn't seem to show any effects from the injury once he got back into the game.

Speaking of Sanchez, I'll get the obligatory status update on him now. Since he threw 5 INT against Buffalo, he's thrown 7 more in 5 games. He's only completing 53% of his passes, and the Jets are 2-6 in their last eight. Obviously the hype has cooled off considerably, but are you still seeing signs of a franchise quarterback?

I think so. The Jets implemented a code system before last week's game, which essentially is the coaching staff giving him guidelines for how acceptable taking a risk on a throw is in a given spot. It worked. His decision making was very good.

There have been games where he's looked like the worst quarterback in the NFL. That's to be expected of a rookie. The good is there have also been games like Miami and Jacksonville where he looked comfortable leading the team back from deficits. He's still a work in progress and needs to protect the ball better. Still, I think back to 2007. At the end of that year, I said to myself that Kellen Clemens hadn't given any indication he was the answer. I won't have the same feeling with Sanchez at the end of the year.

The Jets are obviously leaning heavily on Thomas Jones, as he's carried the ball at least 21 times in each of the team's last six games. Is he wearing down? Should the Jets be using Shonn Greene more?

He's gone over the century mark in 3 of the past 5 games so I don't think he's slowing down. His numbers look pretty good, but it's even more impressive when you consider having a mistake prone rookie quarterback has meant a lot of loaded fronts. Greene has fumbled twice in the past four games so I think Jones will continue to carry a heavy load.

What's your read on just how much the Jets have missed Kris Jenkins? Statistically, the Jets don't appear tangibly worse defending the run.

There are a few factors at play. The Jets have used more four man fronts. Also, his replacement in the starting lineup, Sione Pouha, has done a good job holding the point of attack. They miss Jenkins a lot, though. He's a disruptive force on the defensive line. Opponents always have to worry about him in their blocking schemes. Pouha can tie up blockers. Jenkins consistently beats them and makes plays in the backfield.

Bills fans may not be aware of the situation at safety with Kerry Rhodes and Eric Smith. Mind sharing the Cliff's Notes version of Rhodes' benching and where the team moves from his 2-INT performance against Carolina?

Long story short on Kerry Rhodes: Unheralded fourth round pick from Louisville in 2005. Impressed the coaches enough to start all 16 as a rookie. Broke out in 2006 and 2007 playing at a Pro Bowl level. Got a big contract before 2008. Stopped making impact plays immediately after, although he started talking himself up to the media a lot more. Got burned on a decisive play in a loss to Jacksonville and looked miserable in coverage at New England and shied away from contact in run support. Got benched for Carolina game and had a pair of interceptions.

He won't start this week. The guy who replaced him against the Panthers, Eric Smith, led the team in tackles in that game so Rex Ryan has said he's sticking with Smith. Rex said that Rhodes has earned himself more playing time for the game in Toronto than he had last week, though.

Former Cards blow up in Week 12

Mike Rutherford — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:54:34 -0000

Literally. It was really disturbing.

--Chris Redman stepped in for an injured Matt Ryan and completed 23-of-41 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Atlanta Falcons to a come-from-behind win over Tampa Bay. He'll make his first start since 2007 this Sunday against Philadelphia.

--Elvis Dumervil notched two more sacks to extend his league-leading total to 14. He has nine sacks on 3rd down, which is already the sixth-best single-season mark in NFL history. The record is 11.

--David Akers drilled a 32-yard game-winner to lift the Eagles over the Washington Redskins. The made field goal was his 16th straight.

--Kerry Rhodes responded to being demoted from starting lineup for the first time in five years by notching a pair of interceptions in the New York Jets' 17-6 win over Carolina.

"I got the message," Rhodes said, standing on a chair so he could be heard by the throng of media. "The message was sent. Now, I am moving on and you're going to see Kerry Rhodes. The message was sent to me by Coach [Rex Ryan] and now I'm moving on. That's all it takes. You saw Kerry today and that's what you'll see."

--Former Cardinal linebacker/quote machine Brandon Johnson continued to fill in nicely for an injured Keith Rivers by recording eight tackles in Cincinnati's win over Cleveland He became a starter last year during week 7 and finished the year 112 tackles, second best on the team. Bengals blog Cincy Jungle says that Johnson's play makes Rivers's absence unnoticeable.

Eric Smith Keeps the Starting Job

John B — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:49:29 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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For the second straight game, Eric Smith will start at safety for the Jets instead of Kerry Rhodes.

Eric Smith is the starting safety, but Kerry Rhodes has earned more playing time for Thursday's game against the Bills in Toronto after responding to his benching with two interceptions Sunday against the Jaguars. "Kerry's going to start in more packages, you might not notice how much, but he's going to play a ton," Rex Ryan said Monday. "I probably will start Eric in what you call the base package."

I do like to see Rex rewarding Rhodes for his play on Sunday, but I'm not sure I'm in agreement with the decision here.

I'll reiterate that Rhodes is the better player. It didn't really matter against Jake Delhomme. It might not against Ryan Fitzpatrick. At some point, though, the Jets are going to face a quarterback capable of making big plays in the passing game. I want the guy with better range in the lineup. That's Rhodes.