SB Nation - Larry Izzo

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:

Larry Izzo Goes to IR

John B — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:17:30 -0000

Larry Izzo was placed on injured reserve today.

The New York Jets have placed linebacker and special-teams ace Larry Izzo on injured reserve with a back injury.

The Jets have also signed linebacker Josh Mauga and center Michael Parenton to the practice squad.

Izzo, who signed a one-year deal with the Jets in the offseason, was tied with Eric Smith for the team lead with 18 special-teams tackles. He has 275 special-teams tackles in 200 games with New York, New England and Miami.

I think the stats are a bit deceiving here. I found Izzo's play very disappointing. Sure, he made some tackles, but there were also a lot of errors a guy with the reputation of veteran special teams ace shouldn't make from foolish penalties to his missed tackle on Ted Ginn that turned into a touchdown. I wouldn't be too upset if he wasn't back in 2010.

New England Patriots Links 12/07/09 - Patriots Remain Road Kill; Frustrated in Florida

Marima — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:40:27 -0000

Yeah, we're not happy about it either Tom.

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Bill Belichick's post game comments.

That was a typical game with the Dolphins; in the end it came down to that they made more plays than we did. We had our opportunities and it was a tight game obviously, and they just made a few more plays than we did. We just have to work harder to make a few more of those. That's really about it.

I thought we moved the ball well, we got a lot of yards. We came up with no points in two red area drives, and down in the fourth quarter we didn't move the ball. We had a two series or a three series where we didn't move it. But up until that point we moved the ball a lot, just didn't get as many points out of it as we could have.

We just got to do a better job down there [in the red zone]. I have to coach better and we have to play better. When we have those opportunities we have to take advantage of them.

Tom Brady on if he thinks the team is underachieving, and on how much the injury to his finger impacted him.

I think we've played pretty inconsistent. We have some good drives and then we have some bad drives. Everyone is trying to put their finger on it and really figure it out. It's frustrating for all of us. We certainly think that when we go out there we have a lot of confidence that we're going to get the ball in the end zone. We had some chances today inside the 5 yard line, inside the 10 yard line and we get no points. That's the frustrating part for all of us.

There are a lot of guys that are banged up this time of year. You've got to get the job done. If you're out there on the field you're expected to go out there and play great. At times we did that and other times we didn't. There are a lot of guys that are banged up. I don't think many guys are 100%, I really don't. It's late in the year, it's 12 games, it's a physical game and you still have to go out there and get the job done.

Ron Borges asserts the team's problems are from lack of talented players, not from a lack of effort.

Years ago, Chuck Fairbanks said it best. "It’s not about X’s and O’s. It’s about Jimmys and Joes." For half a decade with the Pats people believed otherwise. In Bill We Trust became the motto, but does anyone honestly believe Bill Belichick forgot how to coach? A guy who has been watching game film since he was 6 now can’t break down film and discover a team’s weaknesses?

That’s not the problem. The problem is he can’t ask people to do what they are not capable of doing. Or, worse, he does and you end up with Sam Aiken, a guy brought here to replace Larry Izzo on special teams, as your third receiver making one great catch for a touchdown and dropping two key ones. Did he have a great game or a disastrous one? Probably both, which is A) not his fault because he’s playing a role he was never supposed to, and B) not something Belichick can change.

TEAM TALK

Patriots at Miami Game Notes - milestones reached, player records, team stats.
Erik Scalavino Patriots can't hang onto another 4th quarter lead; Defense done in again.
Post Game Pressers: Bill Belichick (4:20 min.), Tom Brady (5:53 min.), Wes Welker (3:22 min.)
Post-game Quotes: Patriots and Dolphins.

LOCAL LINKS

Ian Rapoport recaps the Patriots squandering of another lead, falling to Miami 22-21.
Karen Guregian notes Brady's numbers were great, but he couldn't deliver when it counted.
Shalise Manza Young observes the Patriots second-half stumbles continue with a stagnant offense and porous defense.
Albert Breer says there is no 'coming through with the game on the line' mentality anymore.
Chris Gasper writes yesterday's loss left the Patriots at a loss. It was their second straight defeat, their third in four games and their fifth on the road.
Adam Kilgore reports how the Patriots let the Dolphins off the hook.
Dan Shaughnessy notes that even if the Patriots win the division, they don't inspire much playoff confidence. The era of inevitiblity is gone.
Christopher Price lists his Ten Things we learned from Sunday.
Kirk Minihane says it's time to face an uncomfortable reality about the Patriots.
Ron Borges offers the Best and Worst of yesterday's game.
Christopher Price lists his Ten Things we learned yesterday.
Mike Reiss offers his Three Up and Three Down from Sunday.
Mike Reiss looks at the positional groupings utilized by the Patriots, saying the heavier packages couldn't pick up a yard in critical situations.
Mike Reiss looks at the snaps played by offensive skill-position players, saying TE production remains a concern.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Sam Aiken made a highlight reel play, but then had a penalty that nullified a first down and forced a punt; Once again the Patriots struggled in the final 30 minutes; Lack of pressure on QB Chad Henne was a major problem for the Patriots, who had one sack and two hurries - all on one play.
Jim Donaldson says there's not much to like about the Patriots. He goes on to talk about how much they've slipped since 2007. Thanks Glum, for that half-ass journalistic effort there. How about putting in your own 100%?

NATIONAL NEWS

NFL Game Center Patriots at Dolphins. Recap, Analysis and stats.
Peter King (SI) MMQB: New Orleans steals the show, but beware of streaking San Diego.
Clifton Brown (Sporting News) What we learned: Patriots can't finish.
Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) Diner Morning News: Week 13 thoughts.
Don Banks (SI) Inside the NFL: Week 13.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Patriot Nation flag flying upside down.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Did Belichick lose again on fourth down?
Tim Graham (ESPN) Henne's rebound brings a new December.
Tim Graham (ESPN) In second half, Brady a road woe-rrior.

Should Vernon Gholston Have Been Active?

John B — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:08:54 -0000

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Pelzman asks that question:

Linebacker Marques Murrell, one of the Jets’ best special-teams players, was a healthy scratch Sunday, while Vernon Gholston was again active. Gholston has 12 tackles on defense this year, and one tackle on special teams, while Murrell has eight special-teams tackles. Gholston has only four tackles since Calvin Pace returned from suspension.

When asked why Gholston was up instead of Murrell, special-teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said, "That’s a good question. You’d have to ask the defense that, to tell you the truth."

It’s understandable that the Jets would want to get a return on their $21 million investment of guaranteed money in Gholston, the sixth overall draft pick in 2008, but they also must think about the bottom line of winning down the stretch, now that they are in a playoff battle. And if Murrell or someone else gives them a better chance to win that day than Gholston, then that decision must be made — no matter how it looks publicly or how it hurts in the wallet.

Nobody is more disappointed that Gholston has not developed into a defensive force as I am, but I don't think I agree with this thinking. Vernon has been solid against the run this season, and the biggest focus heading into Sunday was on stopping the run. We're not having this conversation if special teams standouts like Jay Feely don't kick a line drive, Wallace Wright takes a better angle, or Larry Izzo doesn't totally whiff on a tackle.

Dolphins 30 Jets 25: Sick to My Stomach

John B — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:36:03 -0000

I don't think the Jets could have gone into the bye on a worse note. Today's 30-25 loss to Miami at the Meadowlands stings. It drops the Jets to 4-4, one and a half games in back of the Patriots in the division, two in the loss column. The Dolphins are just half a game back, even in the loss column, and holding the head to head tiebreaker in addition to a 3-0 division record. The Jets are 1-3 in division.

Beyond the frustration of losing is the way the Jets lost. It's very difficult to win in the NFL when you're spotting the opponent 21 nonoffensive points. All of these points had more to do with what the Jets didn't do than what the Dolphins did right.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Kickoff Coverage: I guess it goes without saying that kickoff coverage belongs here when the opponent runs a pair of kicks back for touchdowns. The Jets looked like they were Purdue against Ted Ginn. There were so many errors on the kicks, it wasn't even funny. There was Jay Feely drilling it too low on the first one. Danny Woodhead didn't contain to the outside. Wallace Wright took a bad angle to Ginn. Larry Izzo whiffed on a tackle on the second one. Guys didn't stay in their lanes. Against a speedster like Ginn, that's asking for trouble. I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one guy on kickoff coverage released between now and the next game.

Larry Izzo: Wasn't he supposed to be on the roster for his special teams play? There was his missed tackle on Ginn, but there was also the inexplicable running into the punter penalty. He had no shot at blocking a punt and still dove into the punter. Izzo is a candidate to be that guy released.

Shonn Greene: Even when Mark Sanchez has been bad, I've gone easy on him. It's rough adjusting to the NFL for a quarterback. So much is different from college. A rookie running back doesn't get the same kind of slack. Sure, there are some things that are different. One is the extra blocking duties. The defenders are also bigger and stronger. Still, you have to hold onto the football. His unforced fumble was a total gift to Jason Taylor.

Justin Miller: Is he in game shape? He looked pretty ordinary on returns (5 for 115). It seemed like he had trouble getting quickly to his lanes and breaking tackles.

Alan Faneca: Lost a ton of one on one battles, including a decisive Randy Starks sack.

The Good:

The Defense: The defense deserved better. It only allowed 9 points, and 3 were the result of a short field. The blitzes got to Chad Henne this time, even though the 'Fins did many of the same things they did in the first game like max protecting and rolling him out. 6 sacks on Chad Henne and only 112 passing yards. Henne got rattled and made some terribly inaccurate throws when he heard footsteps. Ronnie Brown had under 3 yards per carry. Ricky Williams was just over 3. Just a dominant performance by the defense. It avenged its only poor performance of the year. This unit has played much better than its 4-4.

Mark Sanchez: No question the rookie was the best quarterback on the field. The disastrous third quarter put the Jets behind two scores. Although the coaching staff was very conservative early, they had no choice but to let Sanchez cut it loose. Mark put 22 up in the second half (with an assist from Davone Bess) and had the Jets on the verge of a winning touchdown. The Dolphins covered New York's receivers on the goal line, and the offensive line had a breakdown. Not Mark's fault. He did make an incredible throw to Dustin Keller on fourth and long to prolong the drive. Great touch on the ball.

Dustin Keller: Where has this guy been all year? 8 catches for 76 yards and a great grab on the receiving end of that fourth down play. I'll give the coaching staff some credit too. Miami's struggled covering the tight end, and it seems like the calls made Keller Sanchez's primary read. Is this the start of big things? Will he become Mark's safety blanket? Stay tuned.

Braylon Edwards: 4 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Certified Dolphin killer. And if you ever question his heart, watch the way he fought his way into the end zone on the touchdown grab.

Thomas Jones: Another 100 yard day. The average wasn't too great, but put it in context. The Dolphins were loading up the box all day. There were a lot of times nothing was there. He made a lot of guys miss.

Sione Pouha: Miami's vaunted rushing attack gained 2.3 per carry. Pouha was a force inside clogging lanes. He had 5 tackles and opened things up for others.

Shaun Ellis: Nice of him to finally show up this year. He had 1.5 sacks and generally won his matchups on the line. The way Miami was leaving extra blockers in, guys were going to have to win their matchups to get to him.

David Harris: 5 tackles and a sack. He was all over the place.

Bart Scott: 8 tackles and the sack that got the Jets the ball back for their last drive with a chance to win. So was he.

Defensive Approach: Give the staff credit. They adjusted well from the first game. The Wildcat was held in check. The Jets did a much better job of staying in their lanes. They also sent extra men from the secondary. It worked. It may have left them vulnerable to the pass, but they closed on Brown well and forced him to eat it for a big loss and got a ball deflected both times he was looking to throw it. The fact is the formation is usually a running formation. Passes are going to be few and far between. When they do try to throw it, Brown isn't putting it up unless he has a guy wide open and isn't under pressure. He's not trained to throw. It's always best to attack him with extra men even if it leaves a guy open. Force the running back to make a throw.

I also liked the Pace-Gholston-Ellis-Westerman line on passing downs.

We saw plenty of the Ellis-Green-Pouha-Douglas line and Pace-Harris-Scott linebacking look I predicted to stop the run. It worked.

Again, Henne was on the run all day and got hit so much he felt heat and rushed his throws even when there was none.

I don't expect this to be a fun bye. This team should not have lost this game. The Jets lost the first game to Miami because the Dolphins outexecuted them. They lost this game because they self-destructed. Give the Dolphins credit for not self-destructing I guess, but there's no way this team should be 4-4 at the halfway point. That's where we're at, though. At this point, we have a mediocre football team on our hands.

Rex Ryan Press Conference Note- 10/09/09

David_Wyatt — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:38:31 -0000

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Ok so I'm just going to dive straight into the notes from the conference:

Donald Strickland and Jerricho Cotchery did not practise today. Cotchery's hamstring is still bothering him, but Ryan definitely not ruling him out. However he is not 100%
Kerry Rhodes (knee), Lito Sheppard (quad), Damien Woody (foot), David Clowney (personal reason), all were limited
Larry Izzo (hamstring), Jim Leonhard (knee), Bryan Thomas (wrist) were all full participation.
It's a possibility that Cotchery doesn't play, but he expects him to play
Bad games are going to happen, has been pleased with Mark Sanchez's performance so far this week. Just going out and being himself. Not going to be perfect the rest of the season. Will bounce back and Mark is ready to bounce back
Calvin Pace is all over the place, embarrassing his team mates like he always does.
Happy with the offensive line, need give opponents credit. Opponents are putting a lot of guys in the box trying to stop the run, hoping that he can pop a couple. Dolphins not given up a run of 20+ yards. Looking forward to the match-up.
Thinks that Braylon will help spread the field and help the run. When Edwards is covered he is open.
Jay Feeley is a pro, outstanding kicker. Not easy to kick in the Meadowlands but the conditions don't bother him.
When asked how Edwards looked he said no comment, except he is a decent receiver.
Had to give up a lot for Edwards, two really good players that he admires a lot. Had to be a special player to trade those guys. Thought it was a good opportunity and commented on how good a job Mike Tannenbaum does.
This game counts a game and a half. Huge game, were not coming in tip-toeing, coming in with the maximum effort to win this game. Going to give them everything we have.
Game is not about revenge or anything else, it's about whatever it takes to win a game. Got to beat the division rivals. About as big a game as it gets.
All three backs are 25 touch capable, but we are looking to do what's in the best interest of winning, if that means running it 45 times a game then that's what we will do.
Shonn Greene is 100% back and healthy.
Going to try and get Leon Washington the football. Get him as involved as possible he is one of the biggest explosiveness.
Can't remember there being too many 3-4's when he came in the league. People switched because the best teams were running a 3-4, but teams will play a defence that fits there players.
Wilcat is a 'pain in the tail'. Takes time and preparation. Have to be prepared, takes practise time, they may or may not run it. He's not flinching about the prospect of facing it, and the message is that we will be ready.

Wasn't a very long conference, around 10 minutes or so, and not a great deal was covered, I guess the important note to come out of it all was the injury status of the players.

Jets 24 Titans 17: Not Perfect But Still Perfect

John B — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:02:32 -0000

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Doesn't 3-0 have a nice ring to it? It feels like 5 years since the Jets have gotten off to this hot of a start, and that was against a perceived much softer schedule. Today's 24-17 win over the Titans had letdown written all over it. The Jets had every reason to have a hangover after such an emotional win last week. They were up against a proud and desperate opponent. That didn't matter. Gang Green will ride into the Superdome next week for a showdown with the also undefeated Saints as arguably the team to beat in September.

More after the jump.

The Good:

Mark Sanchez: Sanchez played well at the start and at the finish. He was 17 for 30 with 2 touchdowns. He also turned it over twice. He struggled through a bad cold stretch in the middle of the game but caught fire late to lead the Jets to yet another victory. He's now the first rookie since a merger to lead his team to a 3-0 start. What impresses me about Sanchez more than anything is his makeup. After the Jets jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, the Tennessee pass rush seemed to rattle him. He left the ball exposed and coughed up a fumble. From that point, it looked like he lost confidence. He was flustered in the pocket and struggled to grip the wet football. For a lot of rookies, that can mean game over. They start pressing and are overwhelmed by negative vibes. Sanchez shook it off and finished hot. He did enough to win the football game.

Special Teams Coverage: Mike Westhoff's boys forced a pair of turnovers that led to 14 points. The first was on a devastating hit by Jason Trusnik to rookie Ryan Mouton. The Titans inexplicably kept the rookie with shattered confidence in to return punts. He later committed a second unforced error on a punt. First, he called for a fair catch with nobody near him. He then misjudged the flight of the ball and had to backpedal. Then he muffed the ball. This is where the excellent coverage came in. Brad Smith was the first guy on the scene. He hit Mouton and pulled him away from the ball, giving Larry Izzo enough time to fall on it. Execution on these plays was the difference in the game.

Jerricho Cotchery: Who said this guy wasn't a number one receiver? 8 catches, 107 yards, and a touchdown today.

Adjustments: The Jets were relatively more conservative on defense than in the first two weeks, not blitzing as often. The fear was Chris Johnson would get behind the defense. Once the Titans started moving the ball, Rex turned up the heat. On the last drive, Collins constantly had men in his face. Kerry Collins finished the game hitting under half of his passes.

The offensive line struggled in pass protection. On the decisive drive, Brian Schottenheimer left extra blockers in so Sanchez had more time. Mark started finding Cotchery.

The Secondary: Even though Collins caught fire in the middle of the game, it was because he was making perfect throws into tight coverage. Give the other guy credit. There was nothing wrong with the way the secondary was playing.

Eric Smith: This guy's been a different player under Rex Ryan. He picked off a pass and was involved in a few other passes defensed.

Bart Scott: This guy does everything well and is really fun to watch. He had 9 tackles and was always around the ball even when he wasn't making the play.

Kris Jenkins: Another week, another domination of an offensive line.

Sione Pouha: He was consistently getting a push when he was in there. At the start of the season, defensive line depth was a concern. Returning players like Pouha and Mike Devito looked very flawed. Things have sure changed. It's amazing how much of a difference coaching can make in improving players.

David Harris: The future Pro Bowler was quiet for three quarters then picked off a pass and registered a critical sack in the fourth.

The Pep Talk: Give the coaching staff credit. You had to be concerned about the team starting flat coming off such an emotional win. The Jets were flying all over the place at the start of the game and had a 14-0 lead before the Titans even got the football.

The Bad:

Thomas Jones: The offensive line struggled, but Leon Washington had much more success running the ball than Jones. TJ only had 20 yards on 14 carries. He had a tough time breaking tackles and wasn't finding his holes. It's too early to write him off, but in the back of our minds, he's a concern right now.

Offensive Line: Not enough running lanes opened. A pair of sacks. A rookie quarterback constantly under pressure. The Titans weren't sending the house either. They were just outexecuting the Jets up front.

No Shonn Greene: I get why the Jets didn't use him. A bad weather game isn't the best time to break in a rookie for the first time. Still, he's the best power runner on the team, and today was a day where any yards on the ground were going to have to get grinded out in the trenches.

Steve Weatherford: Only a 36.4 average on 9 punts, including a 23 yarder in crunch time. The search for a punter is not over. It's time to bring in some more guys for a look.

Getting Sanchez Ready for the Elements: There aren't many bad weather days in Southern California. Mark Sanchez isn't used to handling a wet football. It was clear for days that weather was going to be a factor. Every ball he handled all week should have been dumped in a bucket of water first.

Be Who You Are: Again, I get why the Jets didn't blitz much early. It was to keep Johnson in check. Still, the Jets are a team strongest blitzing. Adjust your style only if your opponent makes you. Do what you do best. Make the opponent adjust to you. This was an excellent defensive performance, but the Jets were having issues defending the pass until they went back with their familiar aggressive style.

Other Thoughts:

I guess everything really evens out in the end. Four years ago, the Jets suffered a devastating Week 3 loss to Jacksonville in no small part because of a disastrous outing by a rookie return man named Justin Miller.
I'm not upset the team didn't play a perfect game like the first two weeks. Things were eventually bound to go wrong. I'm very impressed with the character these guys showed fighting back. There will definitely be tougher times at some point this year, but the Jets passed their first test with adversity.
Make it two straight weeks Dan Dierdorf makes an excuse for an official blowing a call. It came on Leon Washington's pass. Nick Mangold blatantly held on the play, but Washington's facemask was grabbed. Only the holding got called. Dierdorf said the reason there was no facemask call was the holding. Apparently he didn't realize there can be penalties on both teams on the same play.
I'm not upset because Chris Johnson broke some big runs. He's a great player. He's going to get his. The important thing is he wasn't able to go crazy all day like he did against the Texans. The Jets held him mostly in check aside from those few big runs. It was all or nothing, all or 4-5 yards.

This sets up a showdown down in New Orleans next Sunday. The Saints will put their dynamic offense against the elite Jets defense. Who would have thought Rex would have the team playing this well so soon? With the rookie quarterback and the new system, I honestly thought this was a year away. This start exceeded my wildest expectations. Let's keep it going!

PS Miami's 0-3 :-)

New York Jets Player Power Ranking Week Three (Post Titans)

David_Wyatt — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:42:39 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

New York Jets linebacker David Harris (52) is tackled by Tennessee Titans' Ahmard Hall (45) after intercepting the ball during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Jets won 24-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Back again with the third week of the New York Jets player power ranking, if you would like to check out last weeks then here they are, After another great victory and moving to 3-0 it seems unfair to move anyone down, it wasn't the cleanest performance by the offence but it did what it had to do when it needed to do it, another good performance from the defence however, so here goes: (As always please feel free to leave comments with your own)

1- David Harris (Last Week Ranking: 6)

When you want a big play, turn to David Harris, the guy was made to come up with big plays. He didn't lead the team in tackles, but I saw him take on some important opposing players allowing others to come through and take the glory. He came through with a vital sack and then the interception which pretty much swung the momentum in our favour for good. He really is designing a great partnership with Bart Scott, Jets fans should be very excited by the prospect.

2- Mark Sanchez (Last Week Ranking: 2)

I know that he threw a interception and he fumbled the ball twice but he is a rookie QB who has led the team to a 3-0 start this season. He made some excellent throws in difficult conditions. The long pass to Cotchery was pin-point. Excellent release and precision on the TD catch to Cotchery. Made a rookie mistake with the first fumble holding the ball down by his leg, but he learns from these and to make mistakes and still come back and win. Metal.

3- Jerricho Cotchery (Last Week Ranking: 9)

I have not really been giving Cotchery any love so far this season, even though he is nearly averaging a 100 yards a game, so it's time that he took the step up this week. Some excellent catches in practise, had excellent concentration on the long catch and got his body in front for the TD catch. Many people questioned whether he would be able to be the number one on this team, well I think he is showing that he can go against the best and come out on top.

4- Jim Leonhard (Last Week Ranking: 10)

Not only for his work in the secondary but also for his work on special teams, a couple of times he took the punt and took it back for a good chunk and put us in excellent field position. His coverage skills are better than I thought they were going to be. Remember one play before the White TD where he came up and made the play behind the line. He did miss a couple of tackles but I thought overall his work and his special teams contribution warranted a high placement.

5- Darrelle Revis (Last Week Ranking: 1)

It seems almost cruel to drop Revis from this spot, he got beat on a crossing route, but he didn't have that big receiver to lock down this week. He is always going to give up a play here and there and he played well, his tackling has really come on over the past year. Did a great job wrapping up players that are a lot bigger and stronger than him. He didn't do anything wrong at all, he broke up a play in the first with a great times hand in the mix. Nothing wrong but nothing spectacular either.

6- Sean Ellis (Last Weeks Ranking: Was Not Ranked)

I thought Ellis did a great job today, holding the inside and covering the outside as well. He had the sack and only allowed Johnson to get outside a couple of times. Got a bit of push against a line that some describe as the best line in the NFL. He definitely has been a upgrade since coming back from his suspension. I think he had 4 tackles and a 0.5 sack. He took on some blockers allowing the linebackers to make plays.

7- Bart Scott (Last Weeks Ranking: 7)

Would of liked to have moved Scott up the list a little bit, he really set the tone of the game with that hit on Johnson on the first play for the Titans. Recognized the coverage and saw the gap and just exploded, can see his relationship with Harris developing in front of our very eyes. He does talk and he is not liked but he gets the job done. Anyone see him on the sideline really pumping the defence up, great player on and off the field.

8- Larry Izzo/Jason Trusnick (Last Weeks Ranking: Not Ranked)

What can you say about the special teams, like John said, Mike Westhoff should get the game ball today, his schemes worked and Trusnick really set us up with the hit the sack and then the recovery, that is about as good as you can get on a kick off coverage. Larry Izzo made a couple of nice plays but recovering the 2nd fumble was vital in the old momentum swing. With the offence not on form today we needed the special teams unit to step up and make a few plays and that's exactly what they did.

9- Eric Smith (Last Weeks Ranking: Not Ranked)

He did make the interception that was really important and I'm not sure if he was to blame for the big play to Crumpler. I thought that with a guy like that, one of the linebackers should of gone with him but some seemed to point the finger at Smith. Overall I thought he had a pretty good game.

10- Kris Jenkins (Last Weeks Ranking: Not Ranked)

Keeping Chris Johnson to less than 100 yards and out of the end zone has to be considered a successful day and it all starts in the middle. He didn't do anything spectacular, he didn't burst through like he has in the past he closed the gaps and made the Titans runners go from east to west which allowed us the time to shut them down on the outside. He constantly demands double teaming to just keep him from getting in the back field. For me he is one of the best FA signings in recent memory.

Again it has to be said that this was very hard to do, 3-0 and every player should be given a pat on the back.

Opening Day Roster

John B — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:03:11 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Danny Woodhead making the team is probably the biggest roster news.

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QB: Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge
RB: Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, Shonn Greene, Danny Woodhead
FB: Tony Richardson
WR: Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney, Brad Smith, Wallace Wright
TE: Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock
C: Nick Mangold
OG: Alan Faneca, Brandon Moore, Matt Slauson
OT: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Damien Woody, Michael Kracalik, Wayne Hunter, Robert Turner
DE: Shaun Ellis, Marques Douglas, Ropati Pitoitua, Mike DeVito
DT: Kris Jenkins, Sione Pouha, Howard Green
LB: Bryan Thomas, David Harris, Bart Scott, Jamaal Westerman, Calvin Pace, Vernon Gholston, Brandon Renkart, Larry Izzo, Jason Trusnik, Marques Murrell
CB: Darrelle Revis, Lito Sheppard, Dwight Lowery, Donald Strickland, Drew Coleman, Marquice Cole, Ahmad Carroll
S: Kerry Rhodes, Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith, James Ihedigbo
PK: Jay Feely
P: Reggie Hodges
LS: James Dearth

Thoughts:

Danny Woodhead fans, celebrate. Your man is on the roster. Readers here could probably sense I was back and forth. In the end, I think keeping him was the right call if for no other reason than the game he played against the Eagles. He showed an ability to make plays and an aggressive and elusive running style. I get it was against backups, but his speed and athleticism are real. It's good to find a spot for a guy like this. From Chadron State to the NFL, an incredible story. We may have the next Chrebet on our hands.

I also notice the lack of blockers on the roster, two tight ends and one fullback. I said early today I was fine with it. My guess is Brian Schottenheimer used his influence here. The Jets used a lot of Robert Turner and Wayne Hunter at tight end last season. With a defensive head coach, he has bigger influence, and it looks like he used it.

Two players on the above roster will be gone. The first will be out when Shaun Ellis comes back in Week 2 and the second when Calvin Pace's suspension is over Week 5. Michael Kracalik, Ropati Pitoitua, Brandon Renkart, Drew Coleman, and Marquice Cole are the early favorites. Kracalik and Pitoitua may have only made the roster because they play Pace's and Ellis' positions respectively, and the team needs extra depth. Kracalik is one of five tackles on the roster. The two other backups are the aforementioned Hunter and Turner, who figure to be important cogs in power sets and have experience lining up at tight end. Cole and Coleman are in danger with seven corners, Revis, Sheppard, Strickland, and Lowery the top guys and Carroll a special teams ace.

Camp Helped Chemistry

John B — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:00:10 -0000

As training camp closes, Dave Hutchinson reports the location helped the Jets bond.

Jets first-year linebacker Kenwin Cummings pulled out of the players' parking lot following Thursday afternoon's special teams practice on the campus of SUNY Cortland, he had a full load -- three other players -- in the cab of his shiny gray pickup truck.

But as Cummings drove a few feet away, he saw rookie running back Shonn Greene walking and told him to hop into the bed of the truck. He inched forward another 30 feet or so and veteran special teams ace Larry Izzo climbed in and joined Greene.

Then, the six players, all different ages and from uncommon backgrounds, rode about 300 yards to a meeting.

Somewhere, coach Rex Ryan was smiling because that's exactly the type of team bonding he had in mind when he decided to bring his team to this pastoral town nestled in the Upstate New York mountains.

...

The theme of training camp, however, was bonding. Ryan brought his team to this isolated locale for that purpose and accomplished his mission.

''We had no choice but to bond,'' said left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. ''You look around and you see trees. Team bonding is definitely what has been accomplished here.

I had a lot of fun at the Jets' expense for moving camp away from their new state of the art facility in Florham Park, but if this team really has come together, it will make the move worth it. Chemistry is a huge x-factor in football. It brings potential troublemakers into line. It keeps players focused. If you like your teammates, you are more likely to battle to the bitter end for them.

I don't think the Jets quit at the end of last season. It looked like they played hard until the final whistle. Maybe if chemistry was a little better, though, they could have weathered the storm of the December struggles better, perhaps adopted more of an us against the world mentality.