Jets football blog

Schotty is outie, Sparano is innie

Well, that didn't take long.

Barely 12 hours after Brian Schottenheimer announced in a release through the team Tuesday night that he decided not to come back for a seventh season, the Jets named former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano as their offensive coordinator.

"I'm very proud to be part of such an outstanding organization and to have an opportunity to work with these players," Sparano said in a statement released through the Jets. "I know this division very well and I'm looking forward to that challenge. I'd like to thank Mr. [Woody] Johnson, Mike Tannenbaum and Coach [Rex] Ryan for giving me the opportunity."

Sparano, who was Miami's head coach for three-plus seasons, was fired by the Dolphins in December in the midst of a 4-9 campaign. He's a member of the Bill Parcells coaching tree, starting off as a tight ends coach under Parcells in Dallas in 2003 before eventually being elevated to the offensive line coach as well as the assistant head coach prior to leaving for Miami in 2008. (continue)

Jets lose Leonhard for the season again with knee injury

For the second straight year, Jets safety Jim Leonhard will miss the stretch run of the season, a reality he called both eerie and frustrating. He was placed on injured reserve yesterday after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee in Sunday's 37-10 win against Kansas City.

"It's not the way that you envision your season ending, but it’s the risk you take when you play this game," Leonhard said today on his weekly spot on WFAN's Joe and Evan Show. "It is frustrating, especially for the second year in a row. Really have no reason why. The last two years, out of my seven in the NFL, I've felt as good as I ever had going into December. And then to have two kind of fluky things happen like this and end the season short, it definitely is frustrating."

Leonhard said he will have surgery tomorrow morning. Afterward, he will rehab at the Jets facility and "do whatever you can" to help out, depending on how he feels post-surgery.

 

Jets pound Chiefs, playoff march continues

Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets got going in a hurry — for a change — and never stopped.

The Kansas City Chiefs? Well, this is one they’d like to quickly forget.

Sanchez threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as the Jets kept pace in the AFC playoff race by cruising to a 37-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The Jets, plagued by slow starts all season, scored 28 points in the first half and were helped by an inept Chiefs offense that managed just 4 total yards in the first two quarters.

Sanchez was 13 of 21 for 181 yards before being pulled for Mark Brunell with the game in hand, and was cheered warmly in pregame introductions after being booed in the team’s last home game two weeks ago. Shonn Greene had a season-high 129 yards rushing and a score, and Santonio Holmes and LaDainian Tomlinson each caught touchdown passes for the Jets (8-5), who have won three straight and improved to 6-1 at home. (continue)

Another 4th quarter win for Jets

Another shaky performance for three quarters by Mark Sanchez and the Jets. And then, another fourth-quarter comeback.

Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play Sunday, and Shonn Greene added a pair of insurance scores to give the Jets a 34-19 win over the Washington Redskins, keeping New York in the realistic hunt for an AFC playoff berth

It was Sanchez's 10th career fourth-quarter comeback or overtime victory, including the playoffs, and his second in as many weeks. The Jets (7-5) scraped by the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the first step in the team's stated mission to win out and make the postseason for a third straight year.

But the playoff surge machine again looked more like a combustion engine missing a few spark plugs as coach Rex Ryan's team pulled off another mistake-filled win. New York had only 168 total yards after three quarters, committed untimely penalties and had another special teams turnover against the Redskins (4-8), who have lost seven of eight. (continue)

Jets live to fight another day, beat Bills 28-24

When the Jets escaped with a wild 28-24 win over the Bills on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive, outside linebacker Calvin Pace delivered a healthy dose of reality for a team desperately trying to find its way.

“What if Plax didn’t make that play?” Pace said in a quiet moment in front of his locker. “Then, we’re sitting here looking stupid.”

On a day sprinkled with a classless touchdown celebration, a chorus of boos from an agitated fan base at MetLife Stadium and a bit of resilience from a maligned young quarterback, Plaxico Burress’ acrobatic one-handed catch on the Jets’ game-winning drive stole the show. Burress’ twisting grab on the pivotal third-and-11 help set up Mark Sanchez’s career-high fourth touchdown pass to help the Jets (6-5) snap their two-game losing streak and keep them in the wild card hunt.

“He saved our season,” Pace said. “He made a play. Somebody had to make one.” (continue)

Jets need six in a row, unlikey

Rex Ryan didn't dream the Jets would be facing their current plight.

After all, this was supposed to be the season the Jets were going to the Super Bowl, backing the coach's boastful claims. But after two straight defeats and having to simmer for 10 days before taking the field again following a gut-wrenching last-minute loss to the Broncos, the Jets (5-5) are staring at a daunting task.

With little margin for error given the AFC landscape, the Jets virtually must win each of their remaining six games, beginning with their divisional matchup against the reeling Bills (5-5) at Metlife Stadium Sunday.

It's a concept that would've seemed unfathomable to Ryan barely two weeks ago, when the Jets were riding high on their three-game winning streak.

"I'm surprised," he said. "No doubt. I never thought we'd be in this spot right now, but we are. So we can't do anything about it now. We have to win the rest of them. That's the mentality that we're taking." (continue)

Jets extend coordinators through 2012

Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine are under contract through at least 2012, a team spokesman confirmed.

Each coach was quietly extended during the offseason.

Schottenheimer has been with the Jets since 2006, a holdover from Eric Mangini's staff. He has at times been a target of "Fire Schotty" chants from fans and is currently trying to invigorate an offense that ranks 22nd in the league. He turned his unit around late last season, as the Jets and Mark Sanchez got hot down the stretch for a run to the AFC Championship Game.

 

Sanchez feeling the heat

Heading into the half last week against the Broncos, Mark Sanchez led the Jets just past midfield. With 10 seconds remaining, it appeared they would spike the ball, run a quick play and try and secure a makeable field goal.

But instead, Sanchez faked the spike and whipped the ball out to an uncovered Dustin Keller, who was pounded at the line of scrimmage. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was on the sidelines, displeased.

"I was frustrated with (that) one for sure," Schottenheimer said. "He was trying to make a play, we were in a situation where we were calling to clock the ball. He saw that Dustin was uncovered and tried to kind of make a play to throw it out there and thought Dustin could steal a couple yards and get into field goal range. (continue)

Jets not ready for prime time, lose 37-16 to Pats

The Jets vowed this year would be different.

They planned to take control of the AFC East. They envisioned home playoff games. But when they had what LaDainian Tomlinson called “a perfect opportunity” last night, they squandered it.

The Jets’ 37-16 loss to the Patriots wasn’t a massacre like last December, but the outcome was the same: They were left looking up at their hated division rival in the standings, maddened by an opportunity wasted.

The Patriots, now 6-3, are alone atop the division and have essentially a two-game lead over the 5-4 Jets, by way of sweeping the season series. The Jets’ prospects to win the AFC East? “Doubtful,” an angry Rex Ryan said.

“It’s just tough because they beat us twice,” Ryan added. “We think we’re as good as they are, but clearly we’re not. We weren’t today, that’s for sure.” (continue)

 

Jets look to take control of AFC East

Rex Ryan repeats the adage to Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum every year. Mike Pettine and Dennis Thurman, Ryan’s trusted assistants, can also recite it in turn:

You lose games fastest at quarterback and cornerback.

Ryan wrote this into his defensive gospel during his coaching days in Baltimore. When Ryan was hired by the Jets, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome joked he was shipping him up I-95 with a sign “I need corners” around his neck.

It wasn’t far from the truth. Just five other teams in the league match the Jets’ total of 11 defensive backs on their roster, and only three others had 10 defensive backs active last weekend. Flexibility, depth and talent at that position drive the Jets’ defensive scheme and are necessary for this reality: The Jets play the rival Patriots, and their volatile spread offense, twice a year. (continue)