ESPN.com is reporting that Jets’ defensive coordinator Bob Sutton will be fired and the soon-to-be-fired Raiders’ defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan, will be hired.
Ryan and Jets’ Head Coach Eric Mangini were defensive assistants together for four seasons in New England.
Both teams’ defenses struggled against the run in 2007. The Raiders finished 31st, allowing 145.9 yards per game. The Jets finished 29th, with 134.8 yards per game allowed.
Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.
The dismal Jets ended their dismal season in dismal weather conditions with a dismal 13 - 10 OT victory over the dismal Kansas City Chiefs.
In what should come as no surprise to Jets’ fans this season, their victory at the Meadowlands actually cost them in the long run, as they dropped from 3rd to 6th in the 2008 draft pecking order. Ironically, with San Francisco’s first-round pick this year, the Patriots will draft #7. My guess is the two head coaches will not be calling each other to share their thoughts on talent.
The 2008 draft must be used to bolster an anemic offensive line and possibly secure another QB of the future. Kellen Clemens (13-25, 115 yards, 1 TD) was average at best yesterday, and in fact, average at best the last half of the season after taking over the starting QB position. Those who think with the glass half-full will say it was the poor blocking in front of him.
Speaking of glasses half full or empty, fans found out when they arrived to the stadium …
As I ponder what to wear in today’s unpredictable weather in Piscataway, I started thinking about some questions that I’m waiting to see answered by 7pm tonight.Â
So without further ado, some questions heading into today’s season finale at the Meadowlands. Some serious and at 3 - 12, most not.
Did the grounds crew even bother changing the logos on the field after last night’s Giants game?
Will the shuttles even be running today or will they let the few cars driving to the game just come park as close to the stadium as they want?
I have an extra ticket for today’s game. Will I even be able to give it away?
Will the lines for the fun activities under the bubble be short enough that even I will have the patience to kick my first field goal of the season (if so, I hope the medics are still working).
Will I be able to take attendance by a show of …
The Tennessee Titans came into today’s game playing for their playoff lives. They got help from the Bengals earlier in the day as they defeated the Browns 19 - 14. That meant, with a victory, Tennessee would be in control of their own destiny, needing only to defeat the Colts in week 17 to get into the playoffs as the last AFC Wild Card team.
As expected, Kellen Clemens’ rib injury kept him out of the lineup and Chad Pennington was put back into familiar territory as the Jets’ starting QB. He often looked like the Chad of old, completing 26 of 32 passes for a very high percentage. But also like the Chad of old he had a costly red-zone interception and a horribly underthrown pick to end two drives. The red zone interception came after Eric Mangini chose to take 3 points off the board. Mike Nugent had converted on a 37-yard field goal but a Titan penalty gave the Jets an automatic first down. Mangini chose to take the first and goal at …
The NY Jets will head into their 4:15pm showdown in Tennessee without the services of captain Laveranues Coles. Following a concussion against the Bills, an ankle injury against the Patriots, and limited playing time in between and after, Coles has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the final two games of the season.
Chad Pennington won the team’s Dennis Byrd award for the most inspirational player on the team, clearly an indication of his upbeat commitment to the squad following a benching midway through the season. It is Pennington’s second Byrd award in a row. He won it last year after starting all 16 games for the Jets following what many thought would be a career-ending shoulder injury and surgery.
To no one’s surprise there is no update on who will be Sunday’s starting QB. As expected, it will be a game-time decision. In fact, don’t be surprised if nobody knows until the first series. All reports are indicating there is no way Kellen Clemens will be able to effectively play QB, so don’t be surprised …
Second-year RB/KR Leon Washington has been voted MVP by his NY Jets’ teammates. On Friday, Washington was awarded the Curtis Martin Most Valuable Player award in an apparent landslide vote.
Via Bart Hubbuch of the NY Post, Washington had this to say about the prestigious award:
“So many great guys in this long history of this organization have their name on the hallway of [the team's practice facility], so it says a lot about what your teammates think of you.”
Filling in for the injured Justin Miller in week 2, Washington set a club record with three kickoff returns for touchdowns and averages 28.2 yards per return, second best in the league behind Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs.Â
Washington has come a long way from his infamous lap-running days at training camp for frequent fumbles and stupid penalties. So far in fact, that he might be heading to Hawaii should something happen to Cribbs. Washington was voted the first reserve as the AFC kick returner.
Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.
With only three wins there wasn’t much hope of any Jets heading to Hawaii in February. The Jets only chance was kick returner Leon Washington.Â
Washington is the first alternate at kick returner behind Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs.
Kerry Rhodes is the third alternate at safety. The three safeties on the AFC roster are starters Ed Reed of Baltimore and Bob Sanders of Indianapolis and reserve Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh.
Nick Mangold is the third alternate at center. The conference’s two centers are starter Jeff Saturday of the Colts and backup Dan Koppen of the Patriots.
Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.
Chad Pennington came in and played admirably in place of the injured Kellen Clemens on Saturday in Foxborough. It was later learned that Clemens could have returned, but Eric Mangini chose to stick with Pennington in a game that was close until the very end.
One can only assume that Mangini felt Pennington gave his team the best chance to hand the Patriots their first loss of the season. Although it didn’t happen, what did come out of Pennington’s valiant effort is a swirling QB controversy. Who will start on Sunday in Tennessee? Who should start? And why?
Mangini was asked several times who his starter will be in the Monday press conference, and in typical Mangini-fashion, like a Rockette at Radio City, danced around the question. Via Mark Cannizzaro’s column in the NY Post:
“We’ve got to see where Kellen is in terms of the injury,” Mangini said. “I think Kellen has done a lot of good things and there’s a lot of things that he’s still growing into and learning about with experience.
“On the other side, I …
The weather outside was frightful, the Jets’ offense not delightful. Thomas Jones had no place to go, and so the Patriots are 14 and oh.Â
In a game that was billed as “Bill’s Revenge” with predictions of a 20+ point differential on paper, the defenses and special teams were the stars on the field. Blocked punts, interceptions and fumble recoveries highlighted a game that was played in a driving sleet storm. The only 20+ stat was the wind gusts.
Kellen Clemens’ first and only pass was picked off and returned for a TD on the Jets’ second play of the game. On the play, he was knocked out with a rib injury and replaced by Chad Pennington, who went the distance and was 25/38 for 186 yards and no interceptions.
New England’s offense was held in check by the Jets’ defense, but an interception and blocked punt deep in their own end of the field, and a fumble in the red zone, cost the Jets a chance to hand the Patriots their first loss of the season.
On a day when the running game …
The NY Jets head to Foxborough following the season’s first major snow storm and anticipate another afternoon of difficult weather. The forecast calls for, at a minimum, high winds and freezing temperatures. Along with this could be a mix of rain, sleet and snow.
The weather could work to NY’s advantage as the one area where they might have an advantage over New England is in the running game. Although Thomas Jones has not lived up to his billing, he has begun to rack up the yards (944) and will look to add to his one rushing TD this season.
The Pat’s passing attack will never be halted, but certainly could be stalled with the weather. Darrelle Revis played respectably against Moss in his first pro game, but more importantly, his recent physical performance shutting down Terrell Owens on Thanksgiving Day, should give him more confidence to slow down Moss, who has 82 catches and 19 TD’s.
Whenever Tom Brady can’t find an open Randy Moss and has to complete a pass, he usually looks to WR Wes Welker. It will be critical …
Eric Mangini was asked about the Jets being asked to stop videotaping during the playoff game against New England last year.
Via the Associated Press, this was his response:
“We taped the game, is what we taped, and we taped end-zone copy of the game, and we tape a double end zone, which is standard operating procedure for us,” Mangini said Wednesday. “We request that every single road game, and it’s usually granted if physically it’s possible. And when people request it from us, we do the same thing: We grant it.
We do it every time we go on the road,” Mangini repeated. “We ask for permission to do it. It’s within the league rules, and when people ask us to do it, we grant it, as well.”
There was no question asked about whether the Jets were given or denied permission to tape this coming Sunday. Any bets?
Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.
The point spread is 24 as of today, but you don’t have to be a die-hard fan to realize that this number could be half of the actual point differential when the Jets travel to face the undefeated Patriots on Sunday.
The Patriots have been running up the score on teams they could care less about, so the fact that the Jets organization embarassed them by turning them into the NFL for spying, makes it hard to not believe that the 3-10 Jets are in for quite possibly the longest afternoon in the history of the NFL.
Biggest Routs
Via ESPN.com, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, here are the most lopsided scores since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970:
Margin
Teams
Date
Score
59
Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta
12/4/76
59-0
55
Jacksonville vs. Miami
12/15/00
62-7*
54
Cincinnati vs. Houston
12/17/89
61-7
52
Miami vs. New England
11/12/72
52-0
51
Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh
09/10/89
51-0
49
Green Bay vs. New Orleans
10/09/05
52-3
* =postseason
Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.
