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 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.

 

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)

Shonn Greene is key to victory for Jets

Shonn Greene had reasons to feel anxious and question himself, to doubt his standing as Rex Ryan’s featured back.

Given the onus placed on the running game — a facet of the Jets that Ryan clings to dearly — Greene’s average of 39 yards per game through the first four weeks wasn’t cutting it.

His number of carries dropped to 10 in a Week 4 loss to the Ravens. LaDainian Tomlinson was waiting to pick up the slack.

An upheaval of the backfield was brewing.

“It’s hard to stay positive,” Greene said. “But being a running back as long as I’ve been, there’s going to be days like that. There’s going to be slumps here and there. When you get down on yourself, that’s going to be a problem. When you start worrying about other things, you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

So Greene said he remained focused on hitting holes. Ryan continued to feed him the ball, and his production has picked up since the debacle in Baltimore. Greene has rushed at least 20 times in the last three games, averaging 90 yards during that stretch — including a 112-yard effort against the Chargers two weeks ago.

Given the Jets’ recent history against the Bills, Greene figures to play a prominent role Sunday in Buffalo. The Jets averaged 279 rushing yards against the Bills in the four games since Ryan took over, a stat made more impressive by the 3-1 record and two victories on the road.

Greene ran for a season-high 117 yards last year at Ralph Wilson Stadium. (continue)

Brandon Moore not happy with Santonio Holmes

Receiver Santonio Holmes has made critical comments of the Jets' offensive line twice now, after the loss in Baltimore and again yesterday. Right guard Brandon Moore, the longest-tenured member of the Jets' line, has been bothered by his teammate's words.

"I'm disappointed," Moore said after practice today. "I've never had a teammate do that that I can recall. It's not really being a captain, a leader. It fragments. It’s not productive."

Holmes has called out the line's ability to protect QB Mark Sanchez this season and yesterday said the Jets can't throw the deep ball because of protection issues. (continue)

Can Rex fix the offense?

Rex Ryan took an endless victory lap, disguised as a book tour, in the offseason after leading the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in his first two years.

He changed the culture of the team. He became the dominant sports figure in our town with a big mouth and the ability to back up almost everything that came out of it, making him a hero to Jets fans so tired of their team being irrelevant.

Now that the Jets are right there with the Eagles and Falcons as the most disappointing teams in the league, the blame goes right where the credit had gone.

It's on you, Rex. This is your mess and you must find a way to get the Jets out of it.

"This whole team is my responsibility. That's how I look at it," Ryan said Monday. "This has my name on it." (continue)

Jets look to get running game on track vs Raiders

Jets guard Matt Slauson put it diplomatically when asked about Raiders fans this week.

"They are a little bit different," Slauson said.

Uh, yeah. That’s fair.

But even with the Darth Vader costumes, face paint and the hot dogs that surely will be thrown Mark Sanchez’s way at O.co Coliseum, the Jets’ biggest challenge today isn’t the home crowd, but the home team.

The Raiders showed signs of life last season, winning all of their division games, and could be 2-0 if they had not blown a game to the Bills in the second half last week. Running back Darren McFadden had 150 yards two weeks ago against the Broncos, and is one of the league’s best backs.

For the Jets, this begins a three-week stretch of road games that is an early test for the team with Super Bowl dreams. They face the Ravens and Patriots after this week.

"Make no bones about it, it’s going to be challenging," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "When you talk about going to Oakland first, a West Coast trip, then you come back and you have Baltimore and New England back to back. These are teams that traditionally are tough games for us anyway, and then when you put that West Coast trip on top of that, it’s going to be pretty challenging." (continue)

Jets can't overlook Jags

Tom Brady looks like he's bounced back fairly well from the beating he took against the Jets in the playoffs eight months ago. He opened the season by throwing for 517 yards in Miami, just 37 fewer than the NFL record.

In this Jets-Patriots rivalry, it's never too early to start scoreboard watching as they start the journey to their first showdown on Oct. 9 in Foxborough before the Patriots come to Metlife Stadium on Nov. 13.

The Jets play the Jaguars at home Sunday while the Patriots are home against the Chargers. If one of them is going to be able to open a one-game lead Sunday, it figures to be the Jets. They have a much easier game. Then the Jets play at Oakland and Baltimore while the Patriots play at Buffalo and Oakland. New England has a chance to pick up a game over those two weeks because the Jets game in Baltimore will be much tougher than the Patriots game in Buffalo. (continue)

Hunter vs Ware important match up for Jets

On the island, there is little support by design, little to pad the mistakes an offensive linemen could make when he is all alone, with a pass rusher crashing down on him.

They call it the island because of the pure isolation and lack of assistance. In Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan’s system, his tackles are expected to handle the strongest rushers, typically without the aid of a chip block from a running back or a guard sliding over to offer a hand.

“They don’t get a lot of help, if any at all,” Jets guard Brandon Moore said. “You talk about Revis Island, but Brick (D’Brickashaw Ferguson) and Wayne Hunter, they live on islands.” (continue)