By
Eben Novy-Williams
-

Fri Mar 09 05:00:01 GMT 2012

The only quarterback to lead the New
York Jets to a Super Bowl championship said he doubts Peyton Manning would be interested in trying to match his feat.

Joe Namath told Bloomberg News that Manning wouldn’t want
to join the Jets with their present roster and locker-room
dysfunction, and said current quarterback Mark Sanchez has the
ability and work ethic to be the signal-caller of the future.

Manning, 35, was released two days ago by the Indianapolis
Colts after 11 Pro Bowl appearances, four league Most Valuable
Player awards and a Super Bowl title following the 2006 season.
The Jets finished 8-8 in 2011, the end of the season marred by
locker-room controversy including verbal altercations between
Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes.

“The Jets have to get things together on their own turf
before someone with his background would be interested in
coming,” Namath, 68, said yesterday in a telephone interview
from his Florida home.

The Reno, Nevada-based Cal Neva sports book gives the Jets
a 9.5 percent chance of signing Manning. The Arizona Cardinals
are favorites with a 19 percent chance, followed by the Miami
Dolphins at 16.5 percent.

“We appreciate Joe and he is entitled to share his
opinions,” Jets spokesman Bruce Speight said in an e-mail.

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, a free agent after two
years in New York, told the NFL Network that Manning could help
the Jets win. He called the team’s locker-room issues last
season the worst he’d seen in his 11-year National Football
League career.

Sanchez, 25, will be entering his fourth NFL season.

Desirable Free Agent

Manning’s release by the Colts made him one of the most
desirable free agents in NFL history. He won 141 games in
Indianapolis, where he helped the Colts become one of the
league’s elite teams with a $720 million stadium.

Manning turns 36 on March 24 and is working his way back
from at least three operations on his neck that kept him
sidelined for all of last season. He said he has no plans to
retire and is eager to play again.

By cutting Manning, the Colts avoided having to pay him a
$28 million bonus. The team has said it will select Stanford
University quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in next
month’s draft.

Namath said that with Manning’s absence last year, the
bonus and Luck’s availability, he wasn’t surprised the
quarterback was released.

“Your heart might be in one place, but business is
business,” he said. “The No. 1 question is, ‘Is he going to be
satisfied with the strength in his throwing arm?’”

Namath’s Prediction

Namath led the American Football League in passing in 1966
and 1967, and became a national celebrity after he delivered on
his prediction that the Jets would beat the heavily favored
Baltimore Colts in the 1969 Super Bowl. He retired after the
1977 season and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
1985.

Namath changed teams late in his career. In 1977, at age
33, he was waived by the Jets and signed with the Los Angeles
Rams, where he played four games in one season.

Namath started eight games for the Jets in 1976, and said
yesterday that he didn’t think he would have regained the
starter’s spot and wanted to play with a contender. He said the
process of leaving New York was “excruciating,” and that he
struggled to adjust to the new life and team in Los Angeles.

‘Wasn’t Prepared’

“What was difficult for me, that I didn’t anticipate, was
how much all the newness could get in the way and be a
distraction,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared for that feeling.
The new faces, new places, new system.”

Namath said Manning’s attention to detail and preparation
may allow him to adjust faster to a new team.

“He’ll handle it much better than I did,” Namath said.

If he could do it again, Namath said, he would have stayed
in New York. Due to knee and hamstring injuries, he found out in
Los Angeles that he was no longer physically able to play to his
satisfaction.

“I didn’t know that when I made the decision to make the
move,” Namath said. “Knowing that I wasn’t up to par
physically, I wouldn’t have left the Jets, absolutely not.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Eben Novy-Williams in New York at
enovywilliam@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick showed in the 45-19 win Dec. 18 over the New York Jets that he’s learning how to protect himself from taking unnecessary hits.

Michael Vick
wikimedia commons

If his performance in the victory was any indication, it’s that his game is slowly changing and progressing. He only ran the ball five times for 32 yards, just one month after making eight attempts for 79 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

For the most part, Vick (15 completions for 274 yards, one touchdown) stayed in the pocket, got rid of the ball quickly and limited his aggressive running style that opened him up to getting smashed by vicious tackles in the past.

With 3:26 remaining in the first quarter, Vick scrambled to the left and ran out of bounds at the Jets sideline after a 10-yard pickup. In the third minute of the second quarter, he scrambled again to the left sideline for an 11-yard touchdown run to give his team a 20-0 lead. He reached his hand with the ball into the end zone while most of his body was already out-of-bounds and out of harm’s way.

Maybe Eagles coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is finally getting through to Vick after expressing concerns this week about his aggressive style of play. “It’s going to be the death of me to get him to protect himself,” Mornhinweg said prior to the game. “I do think he’s gotten better, but not nearly as good as he needs to be for the best interests of his team and, secondly, the best interests of him.”

Perhaps Vick is finally learning that he’s useless to the Eagles when he’s spending time on the bench nursing injuries, and that his team can’t afford to lose him every season for three to four games.

In the past, Vick would have likely opted to challenge the opposing defense by making a crafty move up the middle instead of running out of bounds or sliding away from a hit.

Prior to the game, Vick basically said that he wouldn’t change his gameplan just to avoid taking hits. “That’s just my style of play,” Vick said in a Newsday report. “I take a lot of hits. I used to play football in the backyard and got hit probably 6 million times. I played Pop Warner football. It’s something I’m accustomed to. Getting knocked to the ground is like walking to me. It’s nothing.” But come gametime, he looked like a different quarterback, relying more on his powerful arm than his speed on the ground.

With the New York Giants losing to the Washington Redskins earlier in the day, and the Eagles winning big over the Jets, it puts Philadelphia in a decent spot to earn a playoff berth.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan, but Michael Vick is his favorite NFL quarterback because of his dynamic style of play. Follow the author on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

www.nfl.com, NFL, player and team stats

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/vick-can-stop-slide-by-sliding-1.3396302, Newsday, Marty Mornhinweg quote

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The Philadelphia Eagles will look for their second win in a row when they face the New York Jets on Sunday, December 18. The Eagles have never lost to the Jets in the eight times they met. However, circumstances are a little different this time around. New York is 8-5 and surging toward the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Eagles are 5-8 and looking to avoid their fifth loss in seven games. It seems like this is the kind of game the Eagles should lose. But as an Eagles fan, I have a feeling the team will win this game.

I’m not thinking about the playoffs. I know the Eagles are mathematically alive but there is a lot that needs to happen for this team to get there. For me, it is about finishing the season on a strong note. I realize that won’t erase the disappointment that has already happened. But after three more weeks it will be a while before I see the Eagles on the field again. I would like those games to be meaningful. This game would represent a huge win for Philadelphia. The Eagles are just 1-5 at home and it would be nice to treat the fans to a good effort.

There are many out there that wouldn’t mind seeing the Eagles tank the rest of the season so that Andy Reid is more likely to be fired. I’m not among those fans. For one thing, there is no guarantee that Reid will be fired even if the Eagles lose the rest of their games. I think that if the Eagles were going to fire Reid, they will do it no matter how the Eagles finish. For that reason, fans should keep on cheering for this team.

This should be a pretty interesting game. The Jets have a strong defense and usually play their best football this time of year. Meanwhile, the Eagles had their best defensive effort of the season in Week 14. They want to prove that that was no fluke. The Eagles should be able to get to Mark Sanchez enough to limit the New York attack. However, the real key to the game will be how the Philadelphia offense attacks. The Jets are vulnerable in certain areas and this feels like the kind of game where Reid’s game plan works.

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NEW YORK JETS (8-5) At PHILADELPHIA (5-8)

Sunday, 4:15 p.m., CBS

OPENING LINE — Eagles by 2

RECORD VS. SPREAD — New York 6-7; Eagles 5-8

SERIES RECORD — Eagles lead 8-0

LAST MEETING — Eagles beat Jets 16-9, Oct. 14, 2007

LAST WEEK — Jets beat Chiefs 37-10; Eagles beat Dolphins 26-10

JETS OFFENSE — OVERALL (25), RUSH (22), PASS (21)

JETS DEFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (14), PASS (6)

EAGLES OFFENSE — OVERALL (4), RUSH (3), PASS (11)

EAGLES DEFENSE — OVERALL (11), RUSH (18), PASS (12)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Jets have never defeated Eagles in eight regular-season games. Six of those losses have come by eight points or less and two by one point. … Jets coach Rex Ryan’s father, Buddy Ryan, coached Eagles from 1986-90, leading Philadelphia to three straight playoff appearances. … In last three weeks, no team has scored more touchdowns (13) than Jets, whose total equals Green Bay, New England and New Orleans. … Jets QB Mark Sanchez has completed 49 of 88 passes for 526 yards, seven TDs and one interception for a 95.2 rating and two rushing TDs during three-game winning streak. … Jets lead NFL in red-zone efficiency, scoring TDs on 71.4 percent (30-of-42) of their chances. New York has scored TDs on last 12 possessions inside the 20. … Offensive line allowed three sacks last week after not allowing any in previous two games. … WR Plaxico Burress has five TD catches in last four games vs. Eagles. … Eagles RB LeSean McCoy leads NFL with career-high 17 total TDs. His 14 TDs rushing are one behind Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren’s team record set in 1945. … Rookie K Alex Henery has hit 11 consecutive field-goal attempts, and is 19 for 22 this season. … WR DeSean Jackson’s 34-yard TD catch last week was his 21st career TD of 29 that covered at least 30 yards. … QB Michael Vick has thrown interception in eight of his 10 games, and has 12 total, one short of career-worst. Vick threw six interceptions last year. … DE Jason Babin has career-high 15 sacks. Reggie White holds team record with 21 sacks in 1987. … Team seeks second two-game winning streak this season.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By Jared Smith

– College Sports Writer

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Dec 11, 2011 – This Week 14 NFL match up features two franchises headed in opposite directions, as the New York Jets hosts Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Jets (7-5) are trying to stay alive in the AFC playoff race, which currently has them on the outside looking in, while the Chiefs (5-7) are looking for a way to finish their season above. 500.

New York hopes of winning the AFC East Division are all but over, as the New England Patriots (9-3) have a full two-game lead over the Jets in the standings. Meanwhile, there still is a slight chance that Kansas City can win the AFC West, but it will need to probably win their next four games to do so.

For those fans who would like to catch the game, here’s the game’s location, game time, television schedule and radio streams:

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Game time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Television broadcast: CBS — Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (color commentary)
DirectTV: 706
Redskin radio: 101 The Fox
Jets radio: 1050 ESPN
Point spread: New York is 10 1/2-point favorites

For more Jets coverage, visit our team page, or our blog Gang Green Nation.

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—Shonn Greene had no idea what was wrong. He just
knew this wasn’t what he expected.

The yards were tough to come by for the New York Jets’ starting running back
earlier this season as the entire offense got off to a sluggish start. But this
was his big chance after sitting behind Thomas Jones and then LaDainian
Tomlinson his first two years.

And, he thought, there was no way he was going to blow it.

“I’ve pointed the finger at myself this year,” Greene told The Associated
Press on Friday. “There were times where I was like, `Man, I need to do better.
I need to do this and that much better.’ I’d stay after practice every day and
watch film and try to figure what was going on.”

Well, for one, he wasn’t getting the ball much. And when he was, he wasn’t
doing much with it.

Greene averaged less than 13 carries and 40 yards in the Jets’ first four
games as Rex Ryan and Brian Schottenheimer focused more on the passing game with
Mark Sanchez, Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes. After two seasons as a solid
backup, though, Greene was doing little to distinguish himself as the undisputed
starting running back—“the bell cow,” as Ryan called him.

“I think the toughest thing was just trying to get the running game going,
trying to get it started,” said Greene, coming off a career-high
three-touchdown performance at Washington last Sunday. “When you’re the
starting running back, you’re going to get frustrated when things aren’t going
your way. So, that was probably the toughest part.”

Through it all, Greene has 739 yards rushing, just 28 from topping his
career high set last season with four games to go.

“Really?” Greene said, his eyes widening. “Wow, I guess that’s true.”

Not bad for a season that had such an ominous start.

Greene was aware of all the expectations people had for him, and he had the
same hopes. But there was a domino effect working against him. The Jets were
enamored with their passing game, the offensive line wasn’t playing up to its
usual high level, All-Pro center Nick Mangold was injured and Greene couldn’t
perform consistently.

So, doubts started seeping in from fans and media wondering if he was really
capable of being a starting back in the NFL, or merely a complementary player.

“I don’t look into any of that stuff at all and I don’t listen to it,” he
said. “There are a lot of people on the outside looking in that say this, that
and the other. But, you know what? We’re all family in here. We know what we’ve
got and who’s capable of what. So, if they didn’t think I was capable of doing
the job, I wouldn’t be here.”

As difficult as it was, Greene stayed positive, leaning on Tomlinson, among
others.

“L.T. has rushed for a lot of yards in his career and had a few years where
things didn’t go quite his way or not as well as he wanted, like in his last
year in San Diego,” Greene said. “He was just like everybody else, though,
telling me, `Hey, be patient.”’

The Jets went back to the run-first approach on offense in Week 5 against
New England, Mangold returned from a sprained ankle to anchor the offensive
line, and Greene has gradually become a force on the ground again.

“It’s been a thing where not just Shonn, but the offensive line has done a
great job of continuing to work on their skills and opening up the holes,”
fullback John Conner said. “Shonn has been really patient, though. He has been
practicing hard and just being him, running the ball hard.”

Despite playing with injured ribs that limited him to three carries at
Denver three weeks ago, Greene ran for 88 yards and the three scores on a
season-high 22 carries last Sunday.

“That was impressive,” Ryan said. “We’ll sign up for that each week.”

For Greene, it felt like old times.

“Man, that game was just like it was when I first got here and my first two
years, like it’s supposed to be here, you know, `Ground-and-Pound,’ right?” he
said. “It’s getting there. We’re working on it, and we’re getting better each
game.”

The first score last Sunday came on a 1-yard run in the opening quarter as
he lowered his shoulders and get across the goal line. The second came in the
fourth quarter when he took a direct snap, waited a split-second for the
blocking and then went up the middle for 9 yards.

“It’s patience to the hole, we call it, and then speed through the hole,”
Schottenheimer said. “You have to be patient getting to the sprint spot. Then,
once it opens, you have to accelerate through it. It was just a terrific run.”

The third was a 25-yard sprint that sealed the 34-19 victory. Greene
celebrated by simply tossing the ball to Mangold and then hugging his teammates.

“Oh, man, it was great,” Greene said. “I’m telling you, it was just a
great feeling. I had only two touchdowns all year, so it was so good to get in
there. Just a good overall win. I was excited, definitely fired up. I’m not even
going to lie about that. I was happy, man.”

His ribs are still sore, but he doesn’t care about any of that. Greene also
isn’t concerned that he has only one game over 100 yards rushing this season:
112 against San Diego in Week 7. The Jets are in the middle of a playoff race,
and he’s a big reason—again.

“Stats and all that, none of that really ever gets to me,” he said.
“Seriously, I just want to win games. With each game, we’re progressing in the
run game. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going that we have now and by the
end of the season, we’ll be exactly where we want to be.”

Notes: WR Plaxico Burress says the Jets have what it takes to be a playoff
team. “No doubt about it,” he said. “I think we’re one of those teams
nobody’s going to pay attention to.” … Tomlinson entered the locker room to
one player blasting his “LT Style Electric Glide” song from his days with the
Chargers. A good sport, Tomlinson laughed and then gave his teammates a brief
demonstration of the moves from the song’s video, which was a YouTube sensation.

The Kansas City Chiefs take on the New York Jets Dec. 11. The game is considered a must-win for both teams as the Chiefs are still in the hunt for an AFC West title with four games left and two games behind the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos. The Jets need a victory to keep pace with the New England Patriots.

Here are five keys to victory for the Chiefs as they fight for their playoff lives.

Red Zone Defense

The Chiefs played fantastic defense in the red zone against the Chicago Bears Dec. 4. They limited Caleb Hanie and the Bears to just three points. Kansas City got an interception in the end zone after the Bears drove to the 13-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Field Position

Field position was another reason reason the Chiefs beat the Bears. Chicago started many of their drives inside their own 30. Dustin Colquitt got some good punt coverage and returner Devin Hester was contained all game long.

Sustained Drives

In what was perhaps the best drive of the 2011 season, backup-turned-starter Tyler Palko started on his own 11 early in the second half after a special teams penalty. A 15-play, 86-yard drive stalled on the three yard line and Ryan Succop kicked a field goal for a 10-3 lead. Although the Chiefs should have gotten a touchdown instead of a field goal, that one particular drive proved Kansas City can move the ball on offense.

The drive to end the second quarter was equally as impressive. The Chiefs started on their own 13 and ran 16 plays in just over four minutes. That’s the kind of offense Kansas City needs against the Jets.

Running Game

The Jets give up nearly 113 yards rushing per game. Jackie Battle and company need to take it to the Jets linebackers and run early and often. Combining a sustained drive with lots of runs to put New York on its heels quickly.

Stifle the Offense

New York is the perfect team for the Chiefs to play on the road. They only have 310 yards of offense every game. Scoring 20 points is the key for both teams. The Jets are 7-5. Three of those losses had New York score under 20 points. The Chiefs are the same way. When they score more than 20 points, Kansas City wins. Only the victory against the Bears had the Chiefs win when scoring less than 20 in a game this season.

William Browning is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs after latching on to the team during the lean years of St. Louis football. Born in the gateway city, he is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – A sense of urgency is driving the struggling Buffalo Bills and New York Jets these days.

Mounting losses. Injuries. Fading playoff chances.

They’ve all combined to turn a pair of promising teams that once appeared poised to dethrone the New England Patriots in the AFC East into scuffling squads desperate for a victory.

“It’s a must-win game for us,” Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes said. “We know what’s at stake right now. We have to come out firing just like we did against these guys the last game we played them.”

The Jets (5-5) host the Bills (5-5) at MetLife Stadium in a game New York coach Rex Ryan said marks the start of his team’s playoff push. It was only three weeks ago that the Jets won their third straight game by dominating the Bills 27-11.

Neither team has won since. Two bad losses by New York; three straight for Buffalo.

“They’ve been in a little slump as well as we have,” Holmes said. “We know it’s another game on the schedule and they get paid just as well as we do, so they’re going to be ready to come out and put a real good stamp into our playoff chances right now. So we have to be on high alert right now.”

That’s for sure. But, so do the Bills. As far as both teams are concerned, their playoff chances depend on it.

“I think especially the last (few) weeks have been hard on us,” Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “The biggest thing for us is we’ve really fallen down early, fallen behind and taken big deficits. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to come back from those.”

Fitzpatrick’s play has been one reason. Since signing a six-year, US$59 million contract extension on Oct. 28, he has mostly struggled with four touchdowns and eight interceptions in four games following a terrific start. In Buffalo’s last three losses, the Bills have been outscored 106-26 — including a 35-8 thrashing at Miami last Sunday.

“Well we’re not playing the way we were playing earlier in the season and it’s not necessarily (Fitzpatrick), even though I think he believes he can play a little bit better than he has been playing,” Bills coach Chan Gailey said. “But we can all do better, every one of us can, me included. I watch him play and it seems like we’ve had a different offensive line in there each week for the last three or four weeks and it seems like we’ve had different receivers going out there each week, so it’s been hard on him.”

There will be some more of the same lineup shuffling this week for the Bills as running back Fred Jackson, their biggest offensive star, was placed on injured reserve with a broken bone in his lower left leg. That means the speedy C.J. Spiller will get more playing time in the backfield instead at wide receiver, where he has been lined up a lot this season.

“We lost a great player, but this season’s far from over,” Spiller said. “I’ve just got to elevate my game to a higher level. I’ve got to play at kind of a level that Fred was playing at. Of course, we won’t replace him, that’s obvious. So we’ll just have to try our best and go out there and execute.”

Andy Levitre struggled to replace the injured Eric Wood at centre, so Kraig Urbik will be moved to centre this week while Levitre slides back to his normal left guard position. Starting cornerback Terrence McGee and wide receiver Donald Jones were placed on injured reserve because of injuries, and starting safety George Wilson (safety), wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt (shoulder) and kicker Rian Lindell (shoulder) are sidelined for the game against the Jets.

“We’ve had a good amount of guys go down, but to be honest, the way that this team is structured a lot of the guys that have gotten the chance to play and to prove themselves had to do it by waiting their turn in line,” Fitzpatrick said, trying to put a positive spin on things. “A lot of young guys that are hungry and ready to get out there are really looking forward to the opportunity.”

The Jets are a significantly healthier bunch than the Bills, but running back LaDainian Tomlinson and rookie wide receiver Jeremy Kerley were both questionable with sore left knees that kept them out of New York’s last game.

Both are understandably itching to play, especially with how important the team considers this game Sunday. The Jets are in the middle of a muddled AFC playoff picture, but have some winnable games on the schedule — starting with this one against Buffalo.

“If we win the rest of our games, we’ll be fine,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “I think that’s the mindset we have to have going in. Stop putting ourselves in a hole, hoping somebody kind of slips up.”

They’re in this position again, as it seems they are every year under Ryan, where they need to play their best football down the stretch just to get into the playoffs.

“That’s the story of our seasons these past three years,” Pace said. “We’ve had to make these miraculous pushes at the end when it should’ve never come to that.”

After all, finishing 5-1 and 10-6 overall might not be good enough this season.

“Six-and-oh,” Pace said of the team’s goal. “Sometimes when you get caught losing to teams you’re not supposed to lose to, you end up kicking yourself in the (butt) saying, ‘Man, we put ourselves behind the 8-ball. These are games we should win.’”

The Jets are still trying to get over letting one slip by them last Thursday night, when Tim Tebow drove the Broncos 95 yards for the winning touchdown. The defence insists it’ll be better, as does the offence with a fired-up quarterback Mark Sanchez, whom Ryan took a few snaps in practice from as a motivational ploy — which worked last season.

Both the Jets and Bills know if they lose this game, the focus will suddenly be on looking ahead to next season rather than finishing in the playoffs.

“Whether people believe about the Jets on the outside or not, we believe in ourselves, and we’re going down swinging,” Ryan said. “If we go down, we’re going down swinging. But we think that we have a good enough team to where we can right the ship and get back to winning and get in those playoffs. That’s what it’s all about.”

By Pat Johnston

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 21, 2011 – After losing to the Denver Broncos on Nov. 17, the New York Jets (5-5) have now lost two games in a row and would be out of the playoffs if they started today. The team’s fortunes seem to be headed in the wrong direction. After winning three consecutive games and scoring at least 24 points in each game to get to 5-3, there hasn’t been much offense in the last two games (29 total points) for the Jets.

Yet, Jets players are not disheartened by recent results and are looking forward to playing for a playoff spot.

Jets Safety Jim Leonhard isn’t worried about getting help from other teams:

It seems like every week teams get beat in this league and kind of let you hang around and give you opportunities. You need to take care of your business and just have faith that things around you are going to happen.

Linebacker Bart Scott is concentrating on winning the games the Jets have in front of them:

We dealt ourselves a bad hand, but we’re still in the game. And as long as you’re still in the game you have to perform. This is a good opportunity for us to get on the right track and try to go on a roll, because we have to. We can’t afford to lose any more games.

You worry about you trying to win six games. If you win six games, then that’s the best way to give yourself the best chance to be successful and get an opportunity. You win six games, and then it starts with one.

Jets guard Brandon Moore referred to the regular season’s ‘peaks’ and ‘valleys’:

It’s a long season. We were written off when we had the three game losing streak. It’s a long season, it has peaks, it has valleys. We’re in a valley right now and I know it sounds simple and cliché, but we’re going to have to get better until the end and win our next game. It’s as simple as that. I think our confidence is fine. Guys understand we have the playmakers in here, we have talent to win ball games on a consistent level. We just have to be able to do it during the course of the week and prove it on Sundays.

–For more New York Jets coverage, check out our team page and Gang Green Nation.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tom Brady‘s late touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski gave the New England Patriots a 13-9 halftime lead over the New York Jets on Sunday night in an AFC East showdown.

With Buffalo losing earlier in the day, the winner will have sole possession of the top spot in the AFC East. All three teams entered Sunday at 5-3, with the Jets having won three in a row and the Patriots dropping their past two.

New York also is undefeated at home in four games.

The second quarter was filled with mistakes by both offenses, along with some pretty staunch defense, something the Patriots have not been known for this season. They had three sacks in the half, two by veteran Andre Carter.

But the Jets got points out of one of their rare pressures on Brady. Linebacker Jamaal Westerman got to Brady in the end zone and the reigning league MVP threw the ball away left-handed. Brady was called for grounding and a safety.

New York took the free kick and moved 65 yards on seven plays, including a 21-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson and the first catch of the season by Patrick Turner, good for 22 yards. Mark Sanchez ran in from the 2 on a quarterback draw for a 9-6 lead.

Back came the Patriots after New York opted not to try a pooch kickoff following a 15-yard penalty on New England‘s Vince Wilfork, and Nick Folk kicked the ball through the end zone. Brady hit five passes on an 80-yard drive, with Gronkowski getting open over the middle for the 18-yard score with 9 seconds left in the half.

New England lost top cornerback Devin McCourty midway in the second quarter after he collided with teammate Sterling Moore. He walked to the sideline appearing dazed and holding his right shoulder stiffly against his body. McCourty then went to the locker room.

Jets coach Rex Ryan called the prime-time meeting “a great opportunity.” His team did not seize it in the opening 15 minutes, but did better after that, only to trail after two quarters.

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a pair of field goals and New England’s maligned defense came up with two sacks by Carter for a 6-0 edge after one quarter.

Ignoring their ground-and-pound philosophy, the Jets went to the air on the first series, and completions of 16 and 27 yards to Santonio Holmes helped them get deep in New England territory. But they couldn’t score from the 9 and Folk missed a 24-yard field goal to the left.

An ominous sign against the Patriots, and Brady went right to work. Completions of 12 yards to Aaron Hernandez, 21 to Gronkowski — Brady loves those tight ends — and 12 to Chad Ochocinco got them in field goal range. Gostkowski did what Folk couldn’t, squeezing his 50-yarder just over the crossbar for a 3-0 lead.

Ochocinco’s catch was his first in a month; his last was against the Jets on Oct. 9 in a Patriots victory.

Sanchez overthrew a wide-open Dustin Keller on the next Jets possession, then was sacked by Carter, forcing a punt and quieting the crowd. The fans were nearly silent when Ochocinco broke free behind star cornerback Darrelle Revis — the Jets appeared confused in their alignment — and gained 53 yards on a throw from Brady.

Again, the Patriots stalled and Gostkowski made it 6-0 with a 36-yarder.

Carter got his second sack on the final play of the first period.

For star power, the Patriots went with Jon Bon Jovi as the team’s guest, while the Jets welcomed Donald Trump.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Stephen Gostkowski kicked a pair of field goals and New England’s maligned defense came up with two sacks by Andre Carter to lead the New York Jets 6-0 through one quarter of their AFC East showdown Sunday night.

Jets coach Rex Ryan called the prime-time meeting “a great opportunity.” His team did not seize it in the opening 15 minutes.

With Buffalo losing earlier in the day, the winner will have sole possession of the top spot in the AFC East. All three teams entered Sunday at 5-3, with the Jets having won three in a row and the Patriots dropping their past two.

New York also is undefeated at home in four games.

Ignoring their ground-and-pound philosophy, the Jets went to the air on the first series, and completions of 16 and 27 yards to Santonio Holmes helped them get deep in New England territory. But they couldn’t score from the 9 and Nick Folk missed a chip-shot 24-yard field goal to the left.

An ominous sign against the Patriots, and Tom Brady went right to work. Completions of 12 yards to Aaron Hernandez, 21 to Rob Gronkowski — Brady loves those tight ends — and 12 to Chad Ochocinco got them in field goal range. Gostkowski did what Folk couldn’t, squeezing his 50-yarder just through the uprights for a 3-0 lead.

Ochocinco’s catch was his first in a month; his last was against the Jets on Oct. 9 in a Patriots victory.

Sanchez overthrew a wide-open Dustin Keller on the next Jets possession, then was sacked by Carter, forcing a punt and quieting the crowd. The fans were nearly silent when Ochocinco broke free behind star cornerback Darrelle Revis — the Jets appeared confused in their alignment — and gained 53 yards on a throw from Brady.

Again, the Patriots stalled and Gostkowski made it 6-0 with a 36-yarder.

Carter got his second sack on the final play of the first period.

For star power, the Patriots went with Jon Bon Jovi as the team’s guest, while the Jets welcomed Donald Trump.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Stephen Gostkowski kicked a pair of field goals and New England‘s maligned defense came up with two sacks by Andre Carter to lead the New York Jets 6-0 through one quarter of their AFC East showdown Sunday night.

Jets coach Rex Ryan called the prime-time meeting “a great opportunity.” His team did not seize it in the opening 15 minutes.

With Buffalo losing earlier in the day, the winner will have sole possession of the top spot in the AFC East. All three teams entered Sunday at 5-3, with the Jets having won three in a row and the Patriots dropping their past two.

New York also is undefeated at home in four games.

Ignoring their ground-and-pound philosophy, the Jets went to the air on the first series, and completions of 16 and 27 yards to Santonio Holmes helped them get deep in New England territory. But they couldn’t score from the 9 and Nick Folk missed a chip-shot 24-yard field goal to the left.

An ominous sign against the Patriots, and Tom Brady went right to work. Completions of 12 yards to Aaron Hernandez, 21 to Rob Gronkowski — Brady loves those tight ends — and 12 to Chad Ochocinco got them in field goal range. Gostkowski did what Folk couldn’t, squeezing his 50-yarder just through the uprights for a 3-0 lead.

Ochocinco’s catch was his first in a month; his last was against the Jets on Oct. 9 in a Patriots victory.

Sanchez overthrew a wide-open Dustin Keller on the next Jets possession, then was sacked by Carter, forcing a punt and quieting the crowd. The fans were nearly silent when Ochocinco broke free behind star cornerback Darrelle Revis — the Jets appeared confused in their alignment — and gained 53 yards on a throw from Brady.

Again, the Patriots stalled and Gostkowski made it 6-0 with a 36-yarder.

Carter got his second sack on the final play of the first period.

For star power, the Patriots went with Jon Bon Jovi as the team’s guest, while the Jets welcomed Donald Trump.

BOSTON (CBS) – The New England Patriots and New York Jets have another divisional showdown on Sunday, with both teams fighting for first place in the AFC East.

The two teams are very familiar with each other, with this being fifth meeting in two years, but familiarity may not help come Sunday.

“They kind of do what they do. There is some game plan-type elements to each game. I’m sure they’ll have some for us this week,” Pats quarterback Tom Brady said this week. “They’re a tough team to prepare for. They’ve got a lot of stuff, they’ve got a lot of really good players, good scheme. They play well at home. It’s a great challenge.”

Read: Pats Determined To Stop Skid

“Both teams are going to be humming for this one,” Jets head coach Rex Ryan said on Thursday. “They have to win this game, and we have to win this game. You can sugar-coat it all you want but they know they need it, and we know we need it. So both teams are going to be hungry.”

After dropping two straight, the Patriots will have the tough task of righting the ship against the Jets. Here are a couple of keys for the Patriots to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2002.

Patriots Running, and Blocking, Game

Tom Brady has thrown 125 passes in the last three games, completing 79 of them. But four of the passes have gone to the other team, and the Patriots haven’t scored more than 20 points in any of the games.