Jets football blog

Braylon says Jets are in the playoffs

Rex Ryan lined up his players Wednesday along the sideline, shoulder to shoulder on the practice field. The purpose wasn't to run gassers; it was to deliver one of those "seize-the-moment" messages that coaches often convey around playoff time.

Ryan asked those with playoff experience to take a few steps forward. About 20 players did. When he told the players with only one postseason appearance to get back in line, the crowd thinned out considerably. Point made.

Braylon Edwards didn't budge the whole time. He was just another face in the crowd, a guy with a fancy resume and a big salary but ultimately a player with no experience on the NFL's biggest stage. Continue

Jets need only to win

As simply as it can be stated, Jim Leonhard laid out the stunning opportunity that the Jets have before them in Sunday’s win-and-they’re-in game against the Bengals at Giants Stadium.

“This is the Super Bowl right now for us,” Leonhard, the Jets safety, said yesterday. “We can’t lose. There’s no B.S. like, ‘We need to win and this needs to happen.’ Win and you’re in. That’s it.

“That’s all you can ask for — to control your own destiny. With all the things we went through this season to be in this position, we can’t ask for anything more. If we don’t go out there and perform this week, that’s on us. Continue

Jets end colts' win streak

It's official now: The football gods are determined to deliver the Jets safely into the playoffs.

How else can you explain the unfathomable litany of events that have unfolded to leave the Jets with this unthinkably delicious scenario: Win and they're in."We feel like it's got to be meant to be with all the breaks we've caught the last few weeks," Jets safety Jim Leonhard said.

By virtue of yesterday's bizarre 29-15 victory over the previously-undefeated Colts, a win over the Bengals Sunday in the final NFL game at Giants Stadium will give the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006.

Another big challenge for Revis

Darrelle Revis has covered elite receivers all season, but no stage may be greater than tomorrow's game when he lines up against Reggie Wayne as the league's top defense takes on the league's top offense.

According to Rex Ryan, it's the perfect opportunity for Revis to distinguish himself as the NFL's defensive player of the year.

"I would think so with it being on the national stage," Ryan said. "I think the whole country's going to get to see what kind of player Darrelle Revis is." Continue

Jets not sure who they will face on Sunday

With Christmas looming, Rex Ryan did everything yesterday but prop himself up on Santa's lap.

To open his press conference, Ryan stood at the podium, pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and delivered his wish list.

"Manning, Clark, Addai, Reggie Wayne, Freeney, Mathis, Brackett . . . all of those guys will not play," Ryan deadpanned. "Oh, hold up, that was my wish list for Santa Claus."

The reality for Ryan and the Jets is this: With Christmas Eve upon us, they've already received enough gifts in recent weeks to max out 10 toy drives.

Virtually every team they're in competition with in the wild-card race has lost at one time or another to somehow keep the inconsistent Jets alive as they go to Indianapolis to play the high-powered 14-0 Colts on Sunday. Continue

Jets blow another game late

It was a microcosm of the Jets' season: A poor, turnover-marred performance by Mark Sanchez & co, dumb penalties and great defense - until the final drive.

The Jets all but destroyed their playoff chances with an all-time choker loss Sunday to the Falcons, 10-7, before a half-empty Meadowlands on a cold, windy day. Tight end Tony Gonzalez scored on a 6-yard touchdown reception with 1:38 left in the fourth quarter - on a fourth-down play in which he was open in the end zone.

With their season on the line, the Jets caved in crunch time, allowing the Falcons to march 73 yards on 11 plays. It included two third-down conversions. It was reminiscent of their losses to the Dolphins and Jaguars. Continue

Sanchez will be ready for Sunday

Jack Lambert once advocated putting quarterbacks in dresses. The Jets are coming close this week with Mark Sanchez.

The team officially named Sanchez the starting quarterback for tomorrow’s game with the Falcons, and revealed that, in addition to the pair of braces he will wear on his ailing knees, they have added wool lining normally used in winter boots to his helmet to keep the rookie warm.

“We put some of the Ugg boot stuff in his helmet so he’s going to be warmer,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “I’m not kidding. Look at his helmet. He’s got some of that in there. We try to make sure our guys are comfortable and healthy and protected.” Continue

Jets crush lowly Bucs

The Jets didn't need Mark Sanchez to defeat the Bucs Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Truth be told, they probably could've beaten the lowly Bucs with Rex Ryan at quarterback.

With Kellen Clemens at the controls, the Jets cruised to their third straight win, 26-3, staying alive in the AFC playoff chase. They improved to 7-6, moving into a four-way tie for the final wild-card spot. The Dolphins,Jaguars and Ravens also have 7-6 records. The Dolphins and Jaguars hold tiebreakers over the Jets, so they're still facing an uphill climb.

  Clemens, replacing the injured Sanchez (knee), made his first start in nearly two years. He completed 12 of 23 passes for 111 yards. His passing was unimpressive, but he managed to stay out of the way.

Continue

Don't expect Rhodes back in 2010

 Kerry Rhodes wasn’t to be found in the locker room after practice yesterday, but that didn’t mean the maligned safety wasn’t making his opinion heard loud and clear.

Rhodes used his Twitter page yesterday to declare that if the Jets don’t want him anymore, there are other NFL teams that probably do.

“I promise alot of teams would love to have me as their PROBLEM! lol,” he tweeted in response to another Twitter page launched in support of Rhodes. Continue

Sanchez not starting and not happy

Mark Sanchez came to work yesterday fired up and ready to go. He left ticked off.

Sanchez arrived to work flush with hope and expectation, ready to rebound from the sprained right knee he suffered in the Jets' 19-13 win over the Bills last Thursday and prepare to start Sunday's game against the Buccaneers in Tampa.

He left work enraged by coach Rex Ryan's decision not only to keep him out of the Buccaneers game but keep him from making the trip at all.

Ryan told Sanchez yesterday that he was starting Kellen Clemens against the Buccaneers, because he wanted Sanchez's right knee to heal completely for the last three games of the season. Continue