Behind Enemy Lines: N.Y. Jets
Dec 1, 2012, 4:17 PM | Updated: 4:23 pm
It has been a rough seven weeks for the Arizona Cardinals.
After starting the season 4-0, the Cardinals have collapsed and find themselves with a disappointing 4-7 record.
Hope lives, though, as this week Arizona hits the road to visit one of the most dysfunctional team in the NFL in the New York Jets.
The Jets’ season has been filled with quarterback controversy, a head coach fighting for his job and disarray in locker room. To call it chaotic would be an understatement.
This week could be as good of time as ever for the Cardinals to finally capture their fifth win of the season.
Saturday, December 1
Jets’ QB coach: Sanchez getting better (NY Post)
Mark Sanchez is No. 30 in the league in quarterback rating and No. 33 in completion percentage, but quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh says he’s improving.
Wilkerson one of the few bright spots for Gang Green (NY Post)
Every bad team has at least a little bit of good. Inside every losing team’s locker room are at least a few winners. For the Jets, second-year defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson is one of those players.
Source: Tebow highly doubtful vs. Cardinals (New York Daily News)
Tim Tebow barely has had an effect on the Jets’ offense all season long, but this week he’ll likely manage to be even more of a nonfactor. A source told the Daily News it was highly doubtful that Tebow, recovering from fractured ribs, would be active for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.
Tebow likely out; Jets still committed to Sanchez (Newsday)
It doesn’t look good for Tim Tebow suiting up Sunday. As for the starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez’s position Red Ryan said that despite a couple of “boneheaded” plays, Sanchez still is improving and still the right man for the job for the struggling Jets.
Jets to hold toy drive before Cards game (Newsday)
The Jets will hold their annual Touchdown for Tots Toy Drive before Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to benefit the Toys for Tots Program.
Friday, November 30
Jets’ Ryan Stresses Holding On to Football (New York Times)
“I think our biggest thing that we need to do offensively is protect the football,” Jets Coach Rex Ryan said. “There’s other things we’re making strides in, but obviously we have to protect the football. You turn it over five times, you’re not going to beat anybody.”
Rex Ryan sets Bart Scott straight (Newsday)
“I had a conversation with Bart, and what I said I’ll (stand) behind: That our fans deserve better,” Ryan said. “And I was the first guy that would say that. With us, what I mentioned to Bart, you have to appreciate the fans. The thing that makes this game so great is the players and the fans, and that’s the truth.”
Numbers never lie (except to Rex, who swears Jets ‘D’ is still elite) (New York Post)
Rex Ryan does not do concession speeches.The Jets coach refuses to admit his defense is bound to finish outside of the top five in the NFL for the first time during his tenure. The unit is currently ranked 19th with five games left, allowing an average of 354.1 yards a game.
O-line coach: Ducasse playing time forced on me (New York Post)
Jets offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo spoke to the media for the first time this season yesterday, and sounds as if he is not a fan of backup guard Vlad Ducasse.
Rex Ryan alarmed at Jets’ lack of sacks (Newsday)
The Jets have 17 total sacks — a half-sack more than 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith, the NFL’s individual leader. Rex Ryan called their pass-rush production — or lack thereof — “alarming” and “stunning.”
Sanchez facing burden of proving future value( Metro – New York)
It may not matter if Mark Sanchez shows up for the Jets at this point, but they still need to know if hes their future. This Sunday against the Cardinals represents a chance for him to redeem his season. The
Thursday, November 29
Sanchez likes Jets’ playoff chances (Fox Sports)
“We feel great. We love our chances. We’ve got a special group,” Sanchez told David Satriano of the New York Post. “We’ll keep fighting and trying to win some games here. We will do our best. We’re just taking it one game at a time.”
Unlike in his book, Rex not touching Rhodes topic (Newsday)
The Jets coach had no problems calling his former safety Kerry Rhodes a diva, but in the lead-up to Sunday’s game against Arizona, Ryan wouldn’t touch the topic.
Rex explains no claim on Babin (Newsday)
The Jets never put in a claim for former Eagles defensive end Jason Babin. That might come as a shock to some Jets fans, considering Rex Ryan has spent the past few weeks talking about the need for an improved pass rush.
Bart Scott rips Jets fans for heckling players on Thanksgiving night (New York Daily News)
“At the end of the day, if you made it to be able to put an NFL uniform on, then you are one of the best athletes in the world,” Scott told the Daily News. “The person yelling at you probably was picked last in dodge ball all through high school. So do you care about the opinion of them? No.”
Jets’ Sanchez not rattled by butt-fumble blooper (New York Post)
“I’m just trying to do the right thing and I run right into Brandon Moore,” Sanchez began. “Sometimes that just happens. There’s no excuse for it. Try not to let it happen again.”
Jets’ Ryan, medical staff will make decision on Tebow (New York Post)
“We’ll see how he progresses during the week and probably have a good idea of that as the week goes on,” Ryan said.
Namath still believes in Sanchez, thinks Tebow should move on (NBC Sports)
Asked if Tebow should return next season, Namath replied: “No. What position are you going to play him at?”
Wednesday, November 28
The Downside of a Jets Winning Streak (NBC New York)
The Cardinals, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Bills are five of the select teams around the league who have an argument that they have worse situations than the Jets and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets as favorites in each of those games. Beat the Patriots and anything was possible, or so went the argument.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson says Jets are still calm amid rough stretch (NJ.com)
“We have to win, so we’re just going to do everything we can to make sure that’s a reality,” Ferguson said. “This is what we believe, this is what we think is important.”
Joe Namath still believes in Mark Sanchez (Newsday)
“I believe Mark Sanchez can be a championship quarterback as long as he has the right supporting cast, yes I do,” Joe Namath told Newsday Tuesday.
Jets sign WR Gilyard to active roster for depth (NJ.com)
The New York Jets have signed wide receiver Mardy Gilyard to the active roster, giving the team some depth at the position with Clyde Gates and Chaz Schilens recovering from concussions
Mike DeVito: Jets ‘not giving up’ on Rex Ryan (NFL.com)
New York is 4-7 and coming off a Thanksgiving Day beat down at the hands of the New England Patriots, but talk of players jumping ship is premature. Defensive lineman Mike DeVito said this week there’s plenty of support for Rex Ryan inside the locker room. Nobody is sending their coach down the river.
Tebow to be limited in practice (Newsday)
Rex Ryan said Tim Tebow will be active Sunday against Arizona, but for now, the Jets are being precautious with their backup quarterback
Jets waive G Hicks; tryout for QB Simms (ESPN New York)
The Jets waived G Hayworth Hicks, who spent three weeks on the 53-man roster but didn’t dress for a single game. GM Mike Tannenbaum, known for his bottom-of-the-roster tweaking, signed Hicks on Nov. 7 from the Colts’ practice squad.
Tuesday, November 27
Paths diverge along Turnpike for Giants and Jets (NY Times)
For the sake of take-away images, the holiday weekend began at MetLife Stadium with Mark Sanchez running into the backside of a Jets offensive lineman and immediately becoming the butt of N.F.L. jokes nationwide. It ended with Eli Manning lowering his throwing shoulder into a Green Bay cornerback and emerging heroically for an act of aggression that under less fortunate circumstances would have left him scorned for not figuratively using his head.
Though it seems many Jets fans aren’t particularly torn up over Fireman Ed’s “resignation,” Rex Ryan said he will miss the Jets’ superfan. “I love that guy’s passion and the energy that he would bring,” said Ryan, who said he was “disappointed” when he heard the news.
Deflated Rex moves forward with Jets (NY Post)
Defeated. That was how Rex Ryan looked yesterday, despite being three days removed from Patriots 49, Jets 19 on Thanksgiving night, his most humiliating 60 minutes as a head coach.
Beaten Jets still trying to ‘believe’ (NY Post)
The Jets returned to work yesterday trying to shake off the Thanksgiving beatdown from the Patriots and shift their focus to the Cardinals, who come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday for a showdown between 4-7 teams.
The Song Remains the Same (The Jets Blog on SNY.TV)
“Self inflicted wounds” seems to be the rallying cry for the Jets 2012 season, and the Jets can’t seem to go a week without having to use the phrase over and over and over again.
Time to turn the page (NewYorkJets.com)
What is ahead for the Jets? Five games that could go either way. The 4-7 Jets aren’t a good football team at the moment and they won’t line up against a good football team before 2013. But you have to go back a full calendar year to find the last time the Jets won in consecutive weeks as they had a three-game victory streak from Week 12-Week 14, disposing of Buffalo, Washington and Kansas City.
Monday, November 26
For the NY Jets, Fireman Ed is no more as he Q-U-I-T-S (New Jersey Newsroom)
Things have been going so bad for the New York Jets this season, and they just got a little worse. Their unofficial mascot, Fireman Ed, has stepped down from his post.
Esiason on D&C: Jets ‘unbearable’ to watch (WEEI)
Apparently the Jets have taken bad football to a whole new level. NFl analyst Boomer Esiason said of the teams play “I just wanted to poke my eyes out.”
Ryan expects Tebow to dress (ESPN)
Despite two broken ribs, back-up quarterback Tim Tebow is expected to dress out in Sundays game against the Cardinals.
