SB Nation - New York Jets

Report: Mangini Picked Gholston

John B — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:33:06 -0000

More photos » by Kevin Rivoli - AP

Rich Cimini says Eric Mangini was a driving force behind the team selecting Vernon Gholston.

So it has come to this for Gholston, the sixth pick of the 2008 draft: He's extra baggage. But he continues to play because sitting him would be a self-indictment for a team paying him $21million in guarantees. It's a cover-your-backside move, not uncommon in the NFL.

Here's the troubling part: Gholston's lack of progress isn't surprising to some in the organization. Now we're hearing he wasn't a popular choice to begin with. Opinions in the draft room were mixed on Gholston, but the Jets picked him because then-coach Eric Mangini lobbied hard, according to multiple sources.

"That one's on Eric," one source said.

Now they have a potential bust on their hands. Asked if Mangini was the driving force behind the Gholston choice, GM Mike Tannenbaum said, "On all draft decisions, I have the final say. But, organizationally, we felt good about Vernon. Although his rate of improvement isn't where we want it to be, we're still happy he's here and we feel good about his future."

It's not on Mangini. If Tannenbaum has the final say, it's on him. It's ultimately his responsibility to decide which advice to take and which to ignore. There were warning signs on Gholston.

With that said, you can't jump on Tannenbaum too hard. He's been right on too many major moves. Plus the Jets weren't the only team fooled by Gholston. He was a consensus top ten pick for a reason, a ton of scouts thought he was going to be a dominant force.

New England Patriots Links 11/11/09 - A Salute to America's Veterans

Marima — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:59:53 -0000

Thank a veteran today.

View full size photo »

Stephen Gostkowski named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Gostkowski was a perfect four-of-four on field goals against Miami (30, 38, 34 and 40 yards), tying his career high with four successful kicks in a game. Gostkowski also had four field goals against Atlanta on Sept. 27 and had four successful boots in two games in 2008 (at N.Y. Jets on 9/14/08 and vs. Arizona on 12/21/08). In addition, Gostkowski kicked three of his six kickoffs into the end zone with two going for touchbacks to help limit Miami's dangerous kickoff returner Ted Ginn, Jr.

Gostkowski is second in the NFL with 73 points and is on track to finish the season with 146 points. Last season, he had an NFL-best 148 points.

Kerry Byrne The Tom Brady - Peyton Manning rivalry is The Greatest Quarterback Rivalry in NFL History. Here are a few of the reasons why:

The games always have playoff implications. Brady-Manning have faced each other three times in the playoffs (2003, 2004 and 2006). Each time, the team that won the regular-season battle hosted the playoff rematch. Each time, the team that hosted the playoff rematch won the playoff rematch. Each time, the team that won the playoff rematch went on to win the Super Bowl.

Both are among the best passers in history. Manning set a record when he passed for 49 TDs in 2004; Brady broke his record when he passed for 50 TDs in 2007. Manning set a record when he posted a 121.4 passer rating in 2004; Brady posted the second-highest mark in history, with a 117.2 passer rating in 2007. Today, Manning is No. 2 on the all-time passer rating list (95.3); Brady is No. 4 (93.4).

Both are among the great winners in history. Brady has won a ridiculous 107 of 136 career starts, a .787 winning percentage. Only Otto Graham, playing in the early 1950s, won more often. Manning has won 132 of 199 career starts, and his .663 percentage is among the best of all time. This year, his Colts will win at least 12 games for the seventh straight season — a string of success unmatched in history.

It’s rare for two quarterbacks for two quarterbacks to win so often — it’s even more rare for the same two quarterbacks to face each other almost every single season.

Both are MVPs. Brady-Manning have combined to win league MVP honors in the 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 seasons, not to mention Super Bowl MVP honors after the 2001, 2003 and 2006 seasons.

It’s unprecedented for guys with seven different MVP trophies on the mantle to meet so often.

TEAM TALK

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts: Broadcast info, series history, trends, player and team connections, and much more. Check it out.
Ask PFW: Paul Perillo answers his weekly reader mailbag.
Tuesday Conference Calls: Bill Belichick (15:41 min. audio), Dean Pees (12:55 min.), Nick Caserio (13:05 min.)
Patriots Today: Transitioning to Indy, Maroney goes to school. (11:23 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

Chris Gasper declares nothing surpasses Patriots-Colts right now in the rivalry rankings for the region.
Albert Breer, with the help of three NFL pro scouts, looks at five factors that figure in how this one plays out on Sunday against the Colts. Neither team will be reinventing the wheel here.
Ian Rapoport gleans a distasteful trend from Dean Pees' conference call with the media, “In the six years that I’ve been here,” Pees said, “the only time that we’ve really stopped them was in the AFC Championship game back in ’04 out here when it was snowing.” Ugh.
Ian Rapoport notes Peyton Manning keeps the defense thinking; they need to stay relaxed and ready to attack simultaneously.
Mike Reiss looks at where the Patriots rank in key statistical categories through nine weeks of the NFL season, comparing it to the Colts.
Chris Gasper explains why the Patriots play the Colts in Indy for the third straight year.
Mike Reiss notes when the Patriots and Colts meet, the tempo of the game is always a definitive part of the action.
Michael Hurley focuses on Sebastian Vollmer who will be facing his toughest test yet Sunday.
Monique Walker reports Laurence Maroney was the prize when a Duxbury Middle School student won a "Take a Player to School" sweepstakes. Terrific way to spend your day off, Lomo.
Mike Reiss answers his weekly reader mailbag. Terrific insight here as usual.
Christopher Price answers his weekly reader mailbag. Worth a look.
Globe 10.0 Chris Gasper and Dan Shaughnessy debate which is the best receiver duo, Brady-Moss or Montana-Rice. (2:52 min.) Video worth it just to hear Shaughnessy say he's a homer and loves the Patriots.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Brandon McGowan's cover assignment, Dallas Clark; Despite rumors, No Larry Johnson in Foxborough; NBC decided not to flex the Pats-Jets game Nov. 22, keeping it at 4:15.

NATIONAL NEWS

ESPN's Steve Young advises fans not to debate whether Tom Brady or Peyton Manning is the better quarterback, but to appreciate them both regardless of rooting interests. (1 min. video)
Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Would you sign L.J.?
Peter King (SI) NFL Midseason All-Pro Team and Awards. Meriweather and Gostkowski make his list.
Don Banks (SI) Inside the NFL: Midseason report.
Jason LaConfora (NFL.com) Handing out some first half hardware.
Adam Schein (Fox Sports) Peyton heads first half award winners.
Jim Trotter (SI) Ten predictions for '09 second half.
Kevin Hench (Fox Sports) Preseason's no-brainer picks that didn't pan out.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Fun with AccuScore: Playoff field and draft order.

VIEW FROM INDIANAPOLIS

WXIN Fox 59 in Indianapolis reports a worker at Lucas Oil Stadium blew the whistle on the unsanitary conditions (animal and mice feces) in the kitchens, pantries and food service areas. The video is disgusting. I'm brown-bagging it today.
Phil Richards (Indy Star) Colts' spokesman lost his legs in Iraq, but not his heart.

Big Cat Country Radio 11/11/2009

FSBlueApocalypse — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:29:53 -0000

WHEN:10pm-11pm

WHERE: Click Here

First, Happy Veteran's Day everyone! To all the veterans who read BCC, thank you for your service. To everyone who is still active, stay safe and return home to your families.

On the program tonight, we'll discuss the Jaguars 24-21 win over the Chiefs. Have the Jaguars turned the corner on defense going back to the 4-3, or is KC that bad? How does the team look at the halfway point of the season? Best and worst of the first half, and much more!

On the guest spot tonight, JohnB from Gang Green Nation joins us to discuss the New York Jets. How has Mark Sanchez been performing so far? How do the Jets match up against the Jaguars? Is the phrase "Cover 2 Man" even in Rex Ryan's vocabulary?

Join us tonight at 10pm!

-Jonathan Loesche

The Game That Crushed Me

John B — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Ron Schwane - AP

Justin Miller had a critical fumble four years ago against the Jaguars in a painful defeat.

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When you ask most Jets fans about painful losses, they'll be able to rattle off plenty. The Doug Brien Game in 2004 comes to mind. So does the 1998 AFC Championship meltdown in Denver. Older fans will cringe remembering the Gastineau Game in Cleveland. There's also the Marino fake spike game. A few will point back to Christmas Eve in 2000 in Baltimore or the Cary Blanchard Game in Buffalo followed by the Sunday night rout at Houston to end 1993. This Sunday's matchup with the Jaguars takes me back to a loss I've never recovered from, the Week 3 game in 2005 the last time the Jets hosted Jacksonville.

Remember how exciting things were at the start of the 2005 season? The Jets had come a field goal away from upsetting Pittsburgh in the Divisional Playoffs the year before. The team was supposed to be even better and challenge New England for the East. There were new toys like Ty Law. The team was supposed to have an edge and was a trendy Super Bowl pick. Chad Pennington was in theory supposed to be fully recovered from his rotator cuff tear and finally ready to step into the area of championship franchise quarterbacks.

Things started off really, really badly that year. The Jets played one of the worst games you'll ever see in the opener, an embarrassing loss at Kansas City, spared a shutout only by a garbage time touchdown drive by Jay Fielder. A victory over Miami in the home opener seemed to right the ship. That set up a Week 3 contest against the up and coming Jaguars. Words cannot describe how painful the loss was.

The Jets fell 26-20 in overtime. The sure handed Wayne Chrebet couldn't hold onto a pass in the end zone near the end of regulation that would have won it. Rookie return man Justin Miller fumbled away a punt with the Jets leading in the fourth quarter on his own 16 that gave the Jags a really short field they converted into a touchdown. This alone, though, wasn't enough to crush a promising season before it started.

The Jets lost their top two quarterbacks for the year that day. Chad Pennington tore his rotator cuff for the second time after back to back sacks on New York's struggling offensive line. Jay Fielder suffered a season ending shoulder injury of his own a few plays later. Pennington actually returned and played the rest of his game with the torn rotator cuff, just as he did at the end of the previous year. When we found out the severity of the injury the next week, there was no doubt. What looked like a Super Bowl season was over before September. We had to watch the indignity of the rest of a painful 4-12 year that saw the Jets get so desperate they signed Vinny Testaverde off his couch.

The game had greater residual damage. It ended any doubt whether Chad Pennington could carry a team to a championship. Many of us still believed he could. He had looked like a budding franchise quarterback during his first three years as the starter. A second devastating shoulder injury left the area ravaged. There was no doubt Chad had the necessary leadership tools and every intangible in the book, but sapping his arm of what already was not great strength left him very limited. What he's accomplished in retrospect after the injury is remarkable, but he'll never be a guy who can lift a team to a championship on his own. There are too many things he can't do, too many throws he can't fit into traffic. He needs to be surrounded by a great team and be put into a game manager role.

I've never been the same. I know you tend to expect the worst as a Jets fan, but that game made me leery of even hoping things will go right. The Jets had everything going for them that year, a ton of talent, confidence from the year before, and a stud young quarterback. All hope was lost with 13 games left. Three quarters of the season was just playing out the string. Even the Playoff loss to New England in 2006 and last year's loss at home to Miami didn't sting as much as they used to. I saw them coming. I didn't get my hopes too high.

I hope one day Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez can lift my spirit again. Until then, I'll be left remembering the pain of a bitter September Sunday four years ago against the Jaguars.

Stat of the Day: 100 Receptions

John (obviousman) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:44:39 -0000

I was around, and a San Diego Chargers fan, when LaDainian Tomlinson caught 100 passes in a season. I remember that being one of the most frustrating 4-12 teams in history. Anyways, I got an e-mail last night that I was perusing this morning when I saw this....

Rivers’ top two receiving threats -- TE ANTONIO GATES and WR VINCENT JACKSON -- are tied with 42 receptions apiece and can challenge RB LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON’s franchise record of 100 receptions in 2003.

What?!? While it's possible that I just forgot this stat, I am fairly certain that I remember his 100-reception season as a record for a running back. I had no idea that no WR in the history of the Chargers has ever caught 100 balls in a season. That's amazing, especially considering how potent the Bolts offense has been over it's history.

More to the point, only 1 of the top 3 Chargers' spots in terms of receptions is held by a WR. Here's the list.

LaDainian Tomlinson, 100 rec (2003)
Tony Martin, 90 rec (1995)
Antonio Gates, 89 rec (2005)

That's unbelievable! Even with Gates and VJ getting the majority of the catches this season, each of them is on pace for only 84 catches by season's end.

By comparison, the Denver Broncos have had 6 WRs with seasons of 100 receptions or more. The New England Patriots have had 3 WRs with 100+ catch seasons in the last decade alone. The Colts have had 5 seasons like that, with 4 coming from Marvin Harrison. Even the Chicago Bears' Marty Booker caught 100 passes in a season once. The youngest team in the league, the Houston Texans, already have 2 seasons of 100+ receptions from a WR.

This begs the question.....which teams in the NFL have never had a 100+ reception season from a WR? It has to be rare, right? Maybe not as rare as you'd think. Here's a list of them.

A "Brownie" For Your Thoughts - "Rookie" Post

SpecialBrownie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:52:51 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

2 days ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford leaves the field after throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Seattle Seahawks' Josh Wilson in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 32-20. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Browse more photos »

Welcome to a whole new segment on DBN, appropriately titled, A Brownie For Your Thoughts. This is a segment that will be ran once or twice a week and will talk about more off topic football stories. An example would be my uniform fanpost of a week or so ago. I will talk about an idea that has ran across my ever free flowing imagination, speak my own opinion on the subject and ask for all of yours in the comments. I hope you all enjoy it and receive it well!

Now, the title Rookie Post, is an allegoric title. While this may be my own rookie post, it is also a post on how rookies should be brought up in the NFL. Should rookies be thrown in or should they be taught on the sidelines for a period of time? Maybe there is no control when a rookie starts in a NFL game. I'll examine the possibilities...

I have thought of three ways a rookie can be brought up in the NFL, but only two of them can be considered valid choices by a head coach. "Plug and Play" Rookie starter, "Apprentice Rookie starter and "Injury Forced" Rookie starter.

1. "Plug and Play" Rookie Starter - A "Plug and Play" starter, or PaP for short, is what I consider to be when a coach decides to start a rookie in the very first game of the season. Examples of this can be seen with Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions or Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets. A lot goes into a PaP starter. How well did they perform in college? How desperate is the team for production and notoriety? Will the rookie get injured?

To save space, we'll just use Matthew Stafford for example purposes.

How well did Stafford perform in college?

Stats Overview	Passing
YEAR	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	YPA	LNG	TD	INT	SACK	RAT
2006	135	256	1749	52.7	6.83	53	7	13	12	108.99
2007	194	348	2523	55.7	7.25	84	19	10	15	128.92
2008	235	383	3459	61.4	9.03	78	25	10	17	153.54

Check.

How desperate is the team for production and notoriety? Detroit Lions 0 - 16 in 2008. Check.

Will the rookie get injured? Stafford missed two games due to a knee injury. Sadly, Check.

PaP conclusion: Essentially, Stafford matches every boundary for a PaP starter, which he was amazingly. The Lions however, are 1 - 7. Stafford has a 5/12 TD to INT ratio and has a 55.9 rating. Now, many other factors play into this but ultimately, a PaP is a high risk/ high reward starter. So far, Stafford has not played out for the Lions. Then again, it is only Week 9 of the 2009 season. Personally, I've never been one for a PaP starter. I feel like you're throwing them to the "Lions" (Do - Do - Do - Chzzz). I agree more with the next type of Rookie starter...

"Apprentice" Starter - This one is short, sweet and opinionated. An "App" starter is one who sits by on the sidelines, learns from successful or smart veterans and is inserted into a starting role when prepared or at least more knowledgeable than a PaP starter. How can this be proven? It really can't; this is a low risk/ high reward approach. You don't know if any factors will change from a PaP starter but what's it going to hurt? Your rookie learns NFL experience before he experiences it. It can only help.

Let's look at Josh Freeman, another 1st Round rookie QB starter. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0 - 7 until Freeman was named the starter for Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. The first game Freeman was named starter, the Bucs won for the first time in the 2009 season! Freeman has a 3/1 TD to INT ratio and has a satisfying 83.2 rating. It's only been one game though so, really, who knows. Freeman seems to prove my un - provable point though.

App conclusion - LOW RISK/ HIGH REWARD. While you really don't satisfy the fan base or FO by holding back a high profile rookie, you let them learn from seasoned veterans who already know how to handle themselves in a NFL game. I see no real negatives to this approach all except for the negative notoriety. That will change though, once that studying rookie starts winning games.

"Injury Forced" Starter - This one can't be controlled by anyone. More specifically, this type of starter comes about when the starter above them goes down with an injury for at least one game, forcing the 2nd string rookie to start. This type can't be proven either since it can't be chosen. This one won't have a conclusion, just an explanation and example. It's basically a spontaneous split of the two "coach option" starters. As the 2nd string rookie, you're an App Rookie. Once the veteran above you goes down, said rookie morphs into a PaP Rookie, you have to go in regardless of knowledge or preparedness.

We'll use Kaluka Maiava for this example. Maiava had to come in for D' Qwell Jackson during the Pittsburgh Steelers game and started against the Green Bay Packers the week after. In both games combined, Maiava had a total of 10 tackles and one forced fumble. For an inside linebacker, those are decent stats for a span of two games. But who knows if he was even ready for the unexpectedness of Jackson's injury (he shouldn't have been, unless he planned it.) Maybe he'll get better challenging fellow rookie LB David Veikune for a starter spot or working beside veteran David Bowens. Who knows.

Well, there you go. My first ever post on my new segment. If you want, tell me how I did, critique me so the next post can be better. But please, above all else, TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL. Do you agree with these three types of rookies? Are there more types? Less? Please argue, agree and discuss. Thanks for reading and... GO BROWNS!

P.S. I will also be running the Power Rankings post which collects the Cleveland Browns power rankings from notable websites around the internet. It will usually be posted on Tuesdays or Wednesdays with "Brownie Thoughts" usually on Thursdays or Fridays.

Should the Jets Target Larry Johnson?

John B — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:03:09 -0000

More photos » by Andy King - AP

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Let's talk Larry Johnson. The Chiefs released the former Pro Bowl running back yesterday. Should the Jets at least put out some feelers?

Pros:

He'd be insurance for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene. Most teams use two backs in today's NFL. The Jets are a team built on the run game. They already lost one key back to injury. It would be nice to add a little extra depth.
Johnson's been to two Pro Bowls and on two All Pro teams.
He would help the Jets pound defenses with a three back rotation.
This year has been a struggle, but he did average 4.5 yards per carry.
He would likely come relatively cheap after an ugly divorce from the Chiefs.

Cons:

There's that whole thing about struggling this year. He's only running for 2.7 yards per carry.
There are major character concerns. Anti-gay slurs earned him a suspension this year, and he's had run ins with the law. New York isn't the kind of place people avoid controversy and trouble. Even if he kept his nose clean, is the media circus worth a guy likely to play a relatively minor role?
Running backs grow on trees. Every year teams pick up guys off the scrap heap who immediately step in and produce. If anything happens to Jones or Greene, the Jets can do that. There might even be a guy on the roster, Danny Woodhead, capable.

I expect the Jets to conduct their due dilligence and come to the conclusion there's no need to sign a guy like Larry Johnson. What would you do?

Leon Washington Pays a Visit to Practice

John B — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:44 -0000

by Tony Avelar - AP

View full size photo »

Leon Washington was at Jets practice yesterday.

Three weeks after suffering his gruesome, season-ending compound leg fracture in Oakland, Jets running back Leon Washington returned to the practice field today _ an inspiring sight to his teammates.

The popular Washington, whose injury was so serious he had to have emergency surgery immediately following the game and stayed behind in the Bay Area for a couple of days, was using a motorized scooter type vehicle to get around.

We saw Kris Jenkins talk a few weeks back about how important it was for him to stay a part of this team. I have to say that I am very impressed with the chemistry in the locker room. Nobody could blame Jenkins or Washington if they wanted to stay away and rehab in private. It's a credit to the coaching staff these guys are still coming to Florham Park to pull for each other.

Lito Sheppard to Return Sunday

John B — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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Lito Sheppard says he's playing against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Lito Sheppard was especially giddy when I spoke with him. That's because the starting right cornerback proclaimed this is the week he returns to action, which coincidentally comes against the Jacksonville native's hometown team.

"I’m back; I’ll be back this week," he told me before offering up an unsolicited shout out to his old stomping grounds, "Duval County!"

Sheppard has missed five of eight games this season, including the last two against the Raiders and Dolphins after re-aggravating a quad injury suffered in the Week Two win against the Patriots. So the training staff wanted to make sure Sheppard was fully healed before he attempted to returned again.

Not exactly earth shattering news. It seemed like an extra week off would cure an injury like this. Rest is the best balm.

It will be good to get Lito back in action. Dwight Lowery has played well in his place, but all hands need to be on deck next week to try and shut down New England's high flying attack. It's good that Sheppard will get a game under his belt before then and not have to make his return in Foxborough.

Week 9 Approval Rating

John B — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:00:37 -0000

Previous Weeks:

Week 1: 97% Approve; 2% Disapprove

Week 2: 96% Approve; 3% Disapprove

Week 3: 97% Approve; 2% Disapprove

Week 4: 91% Approve; 8% Disapprove

Week 5: 73% Approve; 26% Disapprove

Week 6: 46% Approve; 53% Disapprove

Week 7: 93% Approve; 6% Disapprove

Week 8: 56% Approve; 43% Disapprove

Poll

SB Nation - New York Jets

Report: Mangini Picked Gholston

New England Patriots Links 11/11/09 - A Salute to America's Veterans

Big Cat Country Radio 11/11/2009

The Game That Crushed Me

Stat of the Day: 100 Receptions

A "Brownie" For Your Thoughts - "Rookie" Post

Should the Jets Target Larry Johnson?

Leon Washington Pays a Visit to Practice

Lito Sheppard to Return Sunday

Week 9 Approval Rating

Do you aprove of the job Rex Ryan is doing as head coach of the New York Jets?