New York Jets Blog Fan Site and Schedule with NFL News » nfl

New York Jets’ Season Ends with 19-17 Loss to the…

sdumpsinp — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:57:00 +0000

The New York Jets had no choice but to “play and pray” on Jan. 1. Unfortunately, the football gods weren’t there to answer their prayers, as a 19-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, combined with the Tennessee Titans’ 23-22 win over the Houston Texans, mathematically eliminated them from the playoffs. With the Jets losing and Titans coming away victorious, the AFC playoff picture is a bit clearer.

Sanchez was downright dirty in the playoffs in 2009, helping the Jets make it to the AFC Title Game.
Wikimedia Commons

The game was over when: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who threw three interceptions in the game, was picked off by Dolphins linebacker Marvin Mitchell with 2:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Jets were down 16-10 at the time, but just 10 yards away from taking the lead back with a touchdown pass. Instead, Mitchell jumped in front of Shonn Greene to grab the pick, and took it all the way back to the Jets’ 36-yard line, which set up a Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter for a 44-yard field goal to put his team up 19-10, essentially sealing the win.

The difference: Even though the Dolphins had one of the toughest defenses in the NFL to run against, the Jets reverted back to the ground-and-pound style of offense that made them so successful in 2009 and 2010. LaDainian Tomlinson, playing in what could be the final game of his career, put in a vintage performance and looked like a guy with plenty of gas left in the tank.

Tomlinson rushed for 33 yards on six carries in the first half alone, and he surpassed Jerome Bettis early in the third quarter for fifth all-time in rushing yards. The Jets also established Shonn Greene early on, utilizing his downhill, straight-up-the-middle rushing approach to wear the Dolphins out by the end of the first half. Greene had 10 carries for 38 yards by halftime. Greene finished with 55 yards on the ground.

But with the Jets falling behind in the second half and with time running down, they were forced to rely on their passing attack, and Mark Sanchez’s late-interceptions would ultimately do the Jets in. Sanchez’s final line was abysmal, as his 207 passing yards and two touchdown completions didn’t mean much in comparison to his three game-changing interceptions.

Overall: The first half was ugly on both sides. Manish Mehta, Jets beat writer for the New York Daily News, tweeted at halftime that “The Dolphins’ last four drives include three 3-and-outs and an INT. Not good.” Seconds later, Mehta tweeted “#nyjJets offense: Four 3-and-outs in six drives in the first half. Also, not good. #nyj.”

Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez didn’t do much to quiet his critics, as his interception toss nine seconds before halftime resulted in a 58-yard field goal from Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, Santonio Holmes was seen on camera screaming at one of his teammates in the huddle and was then benched. At his post-game press conference, he was asked if he wanted to return to the Jets next year and he responded by not answering the question, simply saying “Thank you guys” to the media on hand.

Even if the Jets won, they would have been out of the playoff chase with Houston falling short against Tennessee, but a well-played victory over the Dolphins could have been a nice springboard to propel them into next season. Now, after finishing 8-8 with three straight losses down the stretch, they have a long offseason to ponder what exactly went wrong this year.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

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

www.twitter.com/thejetsstream, Manish Mehta tweets

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

What are your opinions.

For Miami Dolphins, much has changed since last…

Mxtxtex-Limeicecy — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:48:13 +0000

By David J. Neal The Miami Herald

Looks like nobody stayed on script since mid-Fall in this Season at the Improv, when the Dolphins were in mid-free fall and first saw the Jets.

Matt Moore, who made his first Dolphins start that night, plays quarterback for the AFC offense with the most pass plays longer than 25 yards and featuring the Dolphins’ first 1,000-yard receiving and rushing combination, Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush (but not Sunday). The Dolphins didn’t see their coach fired after an 0-7 start, but after their second loss in the next five games. With the playoffs in sight, the Jets got smacked around each of the past two weeks and have been less consistent than the Dolphins.

Now, New York’s green team comes to town needing a win to start the dominoes falling toward another in-by-their-heel-skin playoff berth.

OK, that you might have guessed. That’s typical of a game that features the Dolphins and Jets, who comprise the NFL rivalry that regularly pours the wacky sauce on an NFL weekend.

Season finales are no exception. Remember how Brett Favre’s season in New York, 2008, ended foiled by a leaping Ted Ginn touchdown catch and defensive end Philip Merling’s interception-return touchdown?

Take the situation of one of the two probable Hall of Famers possibly ending their careers Sunday, the Jets’ LaDainian Tomlinson and the Dolphins’ Jason Taylor.

Taylor has played the second-most games as a Dolphin behind arguably South Florida’s greatest sporting icon, Dan Marino. He has been a local community pillar, similar to Marino. And it’s entirely possible during the pregame ceremony honoring him — the Dolphins ask that fans be in their seats by 12:45 p.m. — he will hear boos from the Dolphins fans who can’t forgive Taylor for being a Jet during 2010.

“There are a lot of coincidences I guess,” Taylor said. “It’s great to end at home. It’s great to have a chance to walk away and do it in front of your home crowd in a city that means a lot to you against an opponent that you’ve had a tremendous history against.

“I want to win. I want to win the game. I don’t want to win the game so I can say I won my last game. This is not about Jason Taylor and my career and all that stuff. It’s not about that. There’s guys in this locker room that are fighting for jobs, fighting for their futures, auditioning for their next jobs, trying to improve and grow their game and their career, so I’m just a small piece of this team train.”

That train has gone on some serpentine tracks. Ask Dolphins players if this is the weirdest season they have been a part of and you get either “definitely” or a head-shaking “it’s football.”

Nobody’s saying the Jets marched in a straight line to their end, whatever that might be. Instead of a secure future with a quarterback settling into a groove, Jets coach Rex Ryan finds himself refuting questions about Mark Sanchez’s future and fielding a mediocre defense.

“I really think we can do some damage if we get into the playoffs,” Ryan said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, because I think we play excellent defense, I think we can run the football and I think that’s what you have to do this time of year.

“So, can we do some things if we can get in? I think we can. Are we better than the eight wins? I think you are who you are. Right now, we’ve won eight games.”

But, then in the next breath, Ryan said: “I’ll tell you what’s interesting. When you look at when we played Miami … 0-7 to start with, 5-3 their last eight games. I’ve always said that they were a better team than their record. I never thought there was any doubt. And the fact that they’re 5-3 in their last eight games I think proves that they’re a better team.”

Just like it all graphed out two and a half months ago.

Thanks for reading! .

New York Jets Offensive Coordinator Brian…

eeaedw — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:40:00 +0000

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, Rex Ryan expects Brian Schottenheimer to be running the New York Jets’ offense again next season unless the embattled offensive coordinator becomes a head coach elsewhere. “I’ll say that, obviously, if he gets a head coaching job, then `See you later,”‘ Ryan said in the report.

Sanchez was downright dirty in the playoffs in 2009, helping the Jets make it to the AFC Title Game.
Wikimedia Commons

“I’ll be happy to see that. Do I expect him back? It’s probably 50-50 on that, because I think there is an opportunity for Brian to get a head coaching job this year. I thought it the first two years, but it wasn’t to be. He certainly will be a qualified applicant to be a head coach, that’s for sure.”

Here are the main reasons why Schottenheimer won’t get a head coaching job next season:

Window of Opportunity Is Long-Gone

Sometimes you have to strike while the iron is still hot. Schottenheimer was a hot head-coaching candidate in the 2009 offseason after helping the Jets reach the AFC Championship Game behind a ground-and-pound flavored offense led by a rookie quarterback, but it’s a whole different ballgame in 2011. The Jets offense is ranked 27th in the NFL and Schottenheimer’s play-calling has been called in question of late after his team suffered back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

Regressing Mark Sanchez Takes Another Step Back

Now in his third season in the NFL, Sanchez was supposed to take another step forward this year after leading the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship Games. But Sanchez’s worrisome performances in 2011 certainly reflect badly on Schottenheimer, as the quarterback has almost identical numbers to the regular-season stats he put up last year.

The main difference is that Sanchez shined down the stretch last season, while he’s been a flop in December of this year. In his past two games, Sanchez tallied quarterback ratings of 67.8 and 54.2 with a total of four interceptions.

Identity Crisis

The Jets were successful in 2009 and 2010 because they devised a gameplan and stuck to it. Ground-and-pound was the name of the game and it worked well down the stretch as opposing defenses were worn down by late-December.

In 2011 the Jets passed far more often then they should have, with Mark Sanchez attempting a career-high 59 attempts in a loss against the Giants and 44 times in a Week Three loss to the Oakland Raiders. Schottenheimer should have given Shonn Greene at least 20 carries a game earlier in the season, but instead he was limited to 16 or less in each of his first four contests.

Upbeat Demeanor

Schottenheimer doesn’t have the right demeanor to become a successful head coach in the NFL. His bright, upbeat nature and “buddy-buddy” shtick with the players may work as an offensive coordinator, but not as the main guy in charge of a team. “We appreciate him being the type of guy to stand up in front of us and say, `You know what, guys? My mistake on that. That was a bad call by me,”‘ running back LaDainian Tomlinson said of Schottenheimer. “He’s done that plenty of times. So who are we to criticize? When I miss a block, that’s my own fault. I missed the block. We just have to hold each other accountable and have each other’s backs at all times.”

The best leaders in the NFL are the guys that can light a fire under the players and motivate with a certain brashness that Schottenheimer doesn’t have. From Tom Coughlin to Bill Belichick to Mike Tomlin, the top coaches in the NFL are the ones who can run their ship like a military sergeant when the time calls for it.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

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

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Retiring Jason Taylor, Dolphins hope to eliminate…

Motherloadcheatsw — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:48:32 +0000

MIAMI – Jason Taylor’s ready to hang it up, while the New York Jets are desperate to keep playing.

Taylor plans to retire after Sunday’s season finale for the Miami Dolphins. They’ll try to send him out with a win against the Jets, who need a victory to keep alive their slim hopes of making the playoffs.

Even if the Jets win, to earn a post-season berth they’ll also need losses Sunday by Cincinnati, Tennessee and either Denver or Oakland.

“This is the first time I have ever been in a situation like this,” said receiver Plaxico Burress, a 10-year veteran. “If we do get in, great. If things don’t work out, we have nobody to blame but ourselves.”

The Jets (8-7) lost control of their destiny when they were beaten last week by the Giants 29-14. Now the Jets are in danger of missing the playoffs after reaching the AFC championship game each of the past two years, and elimination could come at the hands of the AFC East rival Dolphins (5-10).

“It would be beautiful to ruin their playoff dreams,” Miami defensive end Kendall Langford said. “We’re playing for pride. They’re playing for a playoff spot.”

The teams meet in a regular-season finale for the first time since 2008, when the Dolphins won to clinch their only division title since 2000. That game eliminated the Jets from playoff contention.

This year the Dolphins have been consigned to a spoiler’s role since Halloween, thanks to their 0-7 start. Taylor’s retirement announcement this week provided some additional motivation for the last game.

The NFL’s active sack leader spent 13 of his 15 seasons with Miami, made the Pro Bowl six times and ranks with the greatest players in franchise history.

“His presence will be missed, not only in our locker room, but in this organization,” receiver Brandon Marshall said. “Those guys are once-in-a-lifetime guys. We would love for him to go out with a win.”

Coincidentally, Taylor played last season for the Jets before rejoining the Dolphins.

“He was a great teammate, and we loved having him here,” Jets tight end Dustin Keller said. “But they’re going to want to send him off with a big win, and we can’t let that happen. We know what kind of player he is and what he’s capable of, and we can’t let him disrupt the game.”

Taylor has 16 1/2 of his 139 1/2 sacks against the Jets, although he managed none when the teams met in October. New York won 24-6, and while the Dolphins have been a much better team lately, they’ll be without 1,000-yard rusher Reggie Bush because of a knee injury.

The Dolphins took a 17-point lead at New England last week before losing 27-24, which left them 0-5 in games decided by a field goal or less. The Jets’ loss to the Giants carried even more sting, because it may wind up costing them a playoff berth.

Coach Rex Ryan declared months ago that these Jets are even more talented than the two teams he took to the AFC title game. But New York has given up 74 points while losing the past two games, and the offence was so out of sorts against the Giants that Mark Sanchez was forced to throw a career-high 59 passes. The Jets rank 27th in the NFL in yardage, stirring speculation about offensive co-ordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s job security.

With typical bravado, Ryan insisted the season might yet be salvaged.

“We can do some damage if we get into the playoffs,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that, because I think we play excellent defence, I think we can run the football, and I think that’s what you have to do this time of year.”

But getting to the post-season is now a long shot. Three of the other games that will determine the Jets’ fate are late starts Sunday, which means that if they win, the Jets will likely be flying home when they learn whether their season is over.

“We’re just focused on the things we can control, and that’s trying to play well against Miami and coming up with a win,” Sanchez said. “After that, we’ll see what happens. Hopefully we get a win and on the plane we find out everything worked out in our favour. But all we can control is winning.”

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are bound for another off-season of change. Coach Tony Sparano was fired Dec. 12, and the next coach will be Miami’s seventh since the start of 2004. With a losing record for the third consecutive year — the Dolphins’ first such stretch since the 1960s — a roster shake-up is likely, too.

Given his team’s situation, the 37-year-old Taylor decided the time was right to call it quits. He’ll do it after playing his 204th game for the Dolphins, more than anyone aside from Dan Marino.

“It’s great to have a chance to walk away in front of your home crowd in a city that means a lot to you against an opponent that you’ve had a tremendous history against,” Taylor said. “I want to win the game, but not so I can say I won my last game. This is not about Jason Taylor and my career. There are guys in the locker-room that are fighting for jobs, fighting for their futures, auditioning for their next jobs. So I’m just a small piece of this team train. I’m going to do my part Sunday to help win.”

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Rex Ryan expects Brian Schottenheimer to return to…

Emarlerge — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:04:17 +0000

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Rex Ryan expects Brian Schottenheimer to be running the New York Jets’ offence again next season.

Unless, of course, the embattled offensive co-ordinator becomes a head coach elsewhere.

Schottenheimer has been widely criticized by fans and some media as the Jets’ offence has struggled all season and quarterback Mark Sanchez has not progressed the way the team expected. Some reports have speculated that Schottenheimer’s job could be in serious jeopardy if the Jets fail to make the playoffs.

“I’ll say that, obviously, if he gets a head coaching job, then ‘See you later,’” Ryan said Friday. “I’ll be happy to see that. Do I expect him back? It’s probably 50-50 on that, because I think there is an opportunity for Brian to get a head coaching job this year. I thought it the first two years, but it wasn’t to be. He certainly will be a qualified applicant to be a head coach, that’s for sure.”

Schottenheimer has turned down a few interview opportunities in previous years to remain with the Jets, including Buffalo’s vacancy after the 2009 season. But with increasing criticism of the 27th-ranked offence and Schottenheimer’s play calling, he potentially could look elsewhere this time around.

Although Ryan mostly sidestepped the issue earlier in the week, Friday marked his most definitive show of support for Schottenheimer. When asked what would happen if Schottenheimer does not get a head coaching job this off-season, Ryan responded: “Then, I expect him back.”

Schottenheimer signed a two-year contract extension in the off-season that would keep him with the Jets through the 2013 season, and he said Thursday he would like to remain with the team.

“I’ve said all along, I love being here,” he said. “All I’m worried about is this weekend, because that is what I can control.”

The Jets (8-7) will play the Dolphins (5-10) in Miami on Sunday needing a win and plenty of help from other teams if they are to make the post-season for the third straight year.

Schottenheimer doesn’t think he needs his offence to have a great game to save his job, and he has taken similar heat at times in his previous five seasons with the Jets. But the public outcry against him has been stronger than ever — a Facebook page has been set up to support the cause — and owner Woody Johnson could potentially look to send a message if New York fails to reach the post-season after consecutive trips to the AFC title game.

Most players have publicly supported Schottenheimer, saying there’s plenty of blame to pass around for their subpar performance.

“We appreciate him being the type of guy to stand up in front of us and say, ‘You know what, guys? My mistake on that. That was a bad call by me,’” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said of Schottenheimer. “He’s done that plenty of times. So who are we to criticize? When I miss a block, that’s my own fault. I missed the block. We just have to hold each other accountable and have each other’s backs at all times.”

Schottenheimer, the son of former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, was surprisingly upbeat when he met with the media Thursday and insisted he wasn’t letting the criticism get to him.

“Rex and I talk about that all the time,” Schottenheimer said. “We learn so much about this game, just growing up around our fathers, that maybe it allows you to handle things like this a little bit better than most.”

Notes: LB Garrett McIntyre (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game after being limited in practice. CB Antonio Cromartie (hamstring) and S Eric Smith (knee) also were limited, but Ryan says both will play. … S Jim Leonhard was in the locker-room for the first time since surgery two weeks ago on the torn patellar tendon in his right knee that ended his season. He was on crutches and said his recovery would be up to six months. Leonhard, coming off his second straight serious season-ending injury, is due to become a free agent in March. “I’m 100 per cent confident that I’m going to be playing football somewhere next year,” he said. “Obviously, with the history here, you’d like it to be here, but you never know.” Added Ryan: “A guy like Jimmy Leonhard, I expect that he will be able to come back. I don’t think he is through playing.” … The Jets announced their team awards, which included CB Darrelle Revis being named MVP by his teammates, Tomlinson selected “most inspirational” and TE Dustin Keller named the “Walter Payton Man Of The Year” for his extensive charity work.

There is the quick update of the day.

Ryan expects Schottenheimer back with Jets

ReeXRilenusia — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:55:24 +0000

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Rex Ryan expects Brian Schottenheimer to be running the New York Jets‘ offense again next season.

Unless, of course, the embattled offensive coordinator becomes a head coach elsewhere.

Schottenheimer has been widely criticized by fans and some media as the Jets‘ offense has struggled all season and quarterback Mark Sanchez has not progressed the way the team expected. Some reports have speculated that Schottenheimer’s job could be in serious jeopardy if the Jets fail to make the playoffs.

Schottenheimer has turned down a few interview opportunities in previous years to remain with the Jets, including Buffalo’s vacancy after the 2009 season. But with increasing criticism of the 27th-ranked offense and Schottenheimer’s play calling, he potentially could look elsewhere this time around.

Although Ryan mostly sidestepped the issue earlier in the week, Friday marked his most definitive show of support for Schottenheimer. When asked what would happen if Schottenheimer does not get a head coaching job this offseason, Ryan responded: “Then, I expect him back.”

Schottenheimer signed a two-year contract extension in the offseason that would keep him with the Jets through the 2013 season, and he said Thursday he would like to remain with the team.

“I’ve said all along, I love being here,” he said. “All I’m worried about is this weekend, because that is what I can control.”

The Jets (8-7) will play the Dolphins (5-10) in Miami on Sunday needing a win and plenty of help from other teams if they are to make the postseason for the third straight year.

Schottenheimer doesn’t think he needs his offense to have a great game to save his job, and he has taken similar heat at times in his previous five seasons with the Jets. But the public outcry against him has been stronger than ever — a Facebook page has been set up to support the cause — and owner Woody Johnson could potentially look to send a message if New York fails to reach the postseason after consecutive trips to the AFC title game.

Most players have publicly supported Schottenheimer, saying there’s plenty of blame to pass around for their subpar performance.

Schottenheimer, the son of former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, was surprisingly upbeat when he met with the media Thursday and insisted he wasn’t letting the criticism get to him.

Notes: LB Garrett McIntyre (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game after being limited in practice. CB Antonio Cromartie (hamstring) and S Eric Smith (knee) also were limited, but Ryan says both will play. … S Jim Leonhard was in the locker room for the first time since surgery two weeks ago on the torn patellar tendon in his right knee that ended his season. He was on crutches and said his recovery would be up to six months. Leonhard, coming off his second straight serious season-ending injury, is due to become a free agent in March. “I’m 100 percent confident that I’m going to be playing football somewhere next year,” he said. “Obviously, with the history here, you’d like it to be here, but you never know.” Added Ryan: “A guy like Jimmy Leonhard, I expect that he will be able to come back. I don’t think he is through playing.” … The Jets announced their team awards, which included CB Darrelle Revis being named MVP by his teammates, Tomlinson selected “most inspirational” and TE Dustin Keller named the “Walter Payton Man Of The Year” for his extensive charity work.

There is the quick update of the day.

NFL Preview Capsule: Jets at Dolphins

xmzqtoz — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:12:31 +0000

NEW YORK JETS (8-7) At MIAMI (5-10)

Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

OPENING LINE—Dolphins by 2

RECORD VS. SPREAD—Miami 9-6; New York 6-9

SERIES RECORD—Jets lead 46-43-1

LAST MEETING—Jets beat Dolphins 24-6, Oct. 17

LAST WEEK—Dolphins lost at Patriots, 27-24; Jets lost at Giants, 29-14

DOLPHINS OFFENSE—OVERALL (19), RUSH (10), PASS (22)

DOLPHINS DEFENSE—OVERALL (16), RUSH (3), PASS (26)

JETS OFFENSE—OVERALL (27), RUSH (22), PASS (21)

JETS DEFENSE—OVERALL (7), RUSH (15), PASS (5)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES—Mark Sanchez 2-3 against Dolphins, but has thrown
seven touchdown passes and one interception in those games. … Jason Taylor,
who plans to retire after season, has 16 1/2 sacks, three interceptions, three
forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered against Jets. He has faced them 25
times. … LaDainian Tomlinson has scored only two of his 145 touchdowns against
Miami. … Victory would allow Jets to finish with winning record for fourth
consecutive season, a franchise record. … Shonn Greene needs 1 yard rushing
for first 1,000-yard season. … Jets have scored TDs on 67 percent of red-zone
chances, best in NFL. … Only five teams have worse record than Dolphins, even
though they’ve outscored opponents 310-296. They’re 0-5 in games decided by
field goal or less. … Dolphins rank second to Green Bay with 38 completions of
25 yards or more. … Reggie Bush’s average of 5.0 yards per rush is highest for
a 1,000-yard runner this year. Bush led NFL with 519 yards rushing in December.
… Dolphins rank third in run defense. They haven’t finished that high since
1979. … Dolphins have allowed 51 sacks, two shy of the 42-year-old franchise
record.

That’s all the news for today.

Who has the edge? New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

karen — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:51:41 +0000

Dolphins running game vs. Jets run defense: Reggie Bush’s incredible rebound year has seen him set career highs in rushing yards (1,086) and total yards (1,382), but it is in the month of December where Bush has played like an NFL elite back, with an astonishing 519 rushing yards on 83 carries (6.3 yards per run). Even with the offensive line being hobbled significantly by injury, Bush has had his way, primarily because of the emergence of quarterback Matt Moore and the deep passing game. The question is how affected Bush will be by the injury that sidelined him toward the end of the loss to the Patriots. EDGE: Jets

Dolphins passing game vs. Jets pass defense: Matt Moore is getting the hard part done, completing beautiful throws in the vertical passing game. What is holding him back are the more fundamental aspects of quarterbacking (the center snap exchange, taking bad sacks with plenty of time to throw the ball away). Still, Moore, if he goes without an interception Sunday, will end up with the fewest interceptions by a Dolphin in a stretch greater than eight games with only three in his final nine games, and he owns a 103.8 passer rating in his past eight starts. Brandon Marshall needs 149 receiving yards to set a career single-season high. EDGE: Dolphins

Jets running game vs. Dolphins run defense: The Dolphins, who two weeks ago had the club mark for fewest rushing yards allowed in a season as an attainable goal, have allowed 232 rushing yards since then, and need a season-best 28 yards allowed or fewer to break the mark of 1,430 yards that was established by the 1994 team. The Bills’ C.J. Spiller and the Patriots’ Stevan Ridley both have gotten to the edge with success following the Dolphins’ loss of outside backer Koa Misi to a shoulder injury against the Eagles. EDGE: Dolphins

Jets passing game vs. Dolphins pass defense: The Jets’ Mark Sanchez has been awful the past two weeks, throwing 85 times for only 408 yards (a putrid 4.8 yards per pass attempt), while getting sacked nine times, throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles. Another poor performance may seal his fate and have the Jets turning to someone else for 2012. Tight end Dustin Keller was targeted 18 times on Christmas Eve. EDGE: Dolphins

Dolphins special teams vs. Jets special teams: Speedster Clyde Gates has figured out kick returning since Thanksgiving. Since then, the rookie has averaged 32.2 yards a return with two that were a sliver away from being touchdowns. Meanwhile, Brandon Fields picked an awful time to have two of his worst punts of the season in Foxboro on Saturday, smack in the middle of the Pats’ rally. EDGE: Dolphins
Intangibles: A 6-3 finish to get to 6-10 with an elimination of the Jets would provide some optimism headed into the 2012 offseason. Jason Taylor, the Miami Dolphins’ greatest defensive player, plays his final game on Sunday. Hopefully, he will eventually join Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and John Elway as Hall of Famers who played their final career games at the stadium in Miami Gardens. EDGE: Dolphins

Prediction: Dolphins 28, Jets 17

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

2011 Jets Collapse Nearly as Bad as 2008: A Fan’s…

GroonoVig — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:23:00 +0000

The Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of reasons to be bitter at the New York Jets. First the Eagles destroyed the Jets on Dec. 18 to get their hopes up for a miracle playoff run, and then the Jets ruined that by losing to the New York Giants on Dec. 24. But while Philadelphia fans are stewing in disappointment, they can take solace in how New York fans – also like myself – are equally disappointed in their team.

The Jets have gone from potential Super Bowl contenders to playoff long shots in the span of just a few weeks. What’s more, New York has lived through this situation before – which pretty much triggered the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez era to begin with.

Before Ryan and Sanchez arrived in 2009, New York was just coming off the end of its stint in the Brett Favre soap opera. In 2008, the Jets had Super Bowl hype around them when Favre came to town, but they started slowly with a 3-3 record. Likewise in 2011, the team stumbled out of the gate to a 2-3 start. Yet in midseason, the 2008 and 2011 squads got on a roll and looked ready to make a big run.

The 2008 team was a bit hotter, as it won five straight games to go to 8-3. And since the defending champion Giants only had one loss at the time, hype for an all-New York Super Bowl was building up. However, once the Jets got their eighth win everything started to fall apart – like it has for the 2011 edition.

The outcomes aren’t completely similar, since Favre’s Jets did at least get a ninth win while Sanchez’s team is still stuck at 8-7. But in both cases, they had chances to lock up playoff berths and utterly collapsed in the month of December. Favre ran out of gas and was more hobbled up than usual, three years before Sanchez completely crumbled against the Eagles and Giants.

The 2008 Jets got so bad in their final two losses that it triggered a full scale makeover, as Favre “retired” again, Eric Mangini was fired and the Ryan era was ready to begin. New York seemed to get the better end of that deal with two straight AFC title game appearances, yet Ryan and Sanchez have now reached the low point of their tenure.

If the 2011 Jets complete their collapse and miss the playoffs as well, it might not get Ryan and Sanchez out of town like the 2008 downfall did to Mangini and Favre. However, after three years of talk and bluster and no Super Bowls for Ryan, and after another season of regression from Sanchez, their time is starting to run out. After this, New York might not forgive another year or two with this kind of ending – or any other ending before the first week of February.

In 2009 and 2010, the Jets proved to be experts at ending a season on a hot streak. But in between , there have been a pair of pretty ugly Decembers that have kept New York from January. The consequences for the horrible ending of 2011 may not be as severe as the ones from 2008. Yet Ryan and Sanchez’s window of opportunity is getting smaller, and that might be severe enough before long.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

Other stories by this contributor

Rumors of Spagnuolo’s return to Eagles more of the same

Pro Bowl roster includes three standout Eagles

Eagles, Jackson ending year on best behavior

NFL power rankings after Week 16 set stage for finale

Eagles getting hot enough to keep both Reid, Castillo?

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Miami Dolphins limping into season finale

Snonnaisa — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:11:49 +0000

The Miami Dolphins appear to be limping into the season finale against the New York Jets.

Anthony Fasano returns to practice, and the Dolphins will need him against the Jets.

Not only is Todd Bowles’ team going to be playing without Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long on Sunday – which makes John Jerry the man responsible for stopping Calvin Pace – but the Dolphins have a number of starters nursing significant injuries.

Starting tailback Reggie Bush was held out of Wednesday’s practice because of a right knee injury he suffered late last week’s loss to the Patriots. Bush is walking fine, and says he’s fine.

So the hope is that the team’s featured tailback, who has rushed for 1,086 this season, will practice later this week and be cleared to play.

Starting right tackle Marc Colombo missed Wednesday’s practice because of an ankle injury, but this 10-year veteran has sat out a number of Wednesday practices this season, and played on Sunday.

Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby missed Wednesday’s practice, but his absence wasn’t injury related.

Receivers Brandon Marshall (left knee) and Clyde Gates (groin) were limited. Marshall has been battling knee soreness for a couple of weeks but played through the pain.

Gates apparently re-aggravated a groin strain that sidelined him a few weeks in November. His status will be monitored.

Tailback Daniel Thomas, who suffered a knee injury against the patriots, wasn’t even on the injury report.

Starting cornerback Vontae Davis participated fully despite the elbow injury he suffered in last Saturday’s game.

Davis’ status will be critical considering he’ll probably be responsible for covering Jets receiver Santonio Holmes. The Dolphins also don’t have much depth at cornerback these days, especially since rookie Jimmy Wilson missed practice with a hamstring injury.

On the positive side…. tight end Anthony Fasano passed his NFL mandatory baseline concussion test and has been cleared to return to practice. He’ll likely play on Sunday unless he suffers a setback.

Fasano, a four-year starter, sat out last weekend’s 27-24 loss to the New England Patriots because of the concussion he suffered the previous week.

Fasano’s presence is critical against the Jets because New York’s aggressive 3-4 scheme struggles defending tight ends, especially in the red zone.

Fasano has contributed 22 catches for 237 yards, scoring four touchdowns in the eight games he’s played against the Jets.

Fasano needs 89 receiving yards to establish a career high. He has 440 receiving yards. Last year, he logged 528.

G.G.A.T.G.

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

Jets Vs. Giants, Position-By-Position Breakdown:…

moIbly — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:45:02 +0000

By Ed Valentine

– Regional Editor

Follow , and

Like SB Nation New York on Facebook.

Dec 23, 2011 – Let’s continue our position-by-position look at the New York Giants and New York Jets with a look at the special teams units for each team.

Giants

When the Jets let punter Steve Weatherford go after last season the Giants snapped up the veteran free-agent punter to avoid the disastrous inconsistencies experienced a season ago with rookie punter Matt Dodge. Weatherford has responded with a career year. His 46.3 yards per punt average is the best of his career by nearly three yards and his net average of 40.0 puts the Giants seventh in the league, a vast improvement from a season ago.

Placekicker Lawrence Tynes is having an excellent season. He is 16-of-20 on field-goal attempts, with two of his misses coming from outside 50 yards. Thirty-three of Tynes’ 70 kickoffs have been for touchbacks, a percentage of 47.1. That puts Tynes, historically near the bottom of the league in kickoffs, in the middle of the pack for NFL kickers.

The problem for the Giants has been in the return game, where they simply have not generated any big plays all season.

The Giants’ average of 23.0 yards per kickoff return is 19th in the league and they have only one return longer than 40 yards all season. Devin Thomas handled the job early in the season, and rookie speedsters Da’Rel Scott and Jerrel Jernigan have been the primary returners recently.

Punt return has been even worse. The Giants average just 7.4 yards per return, 28th in the league. Aaron Ross handled those duties early in the season and Will Blackmon has taken over recently. The Giants are one of only two NFL (Carolina being the other) that does not have a punt return of 20 yards or longer this season.

Jets

The Jets replaced Weatherford with T.J. Conley and the rookie from Idaho has done a decent job. He has a 43.0 yards per punt average. His net average of 38.7 puts the Jets 17th in the league. Conley leads the league in forcing fair catches, with 25.

Placekicker Nick Folk is 18-of-23 on field-goal attempts, including thee-of-six from more than 50 yards. Folk’s difficulty comes on kickoffs, where only 16 of his 73 kickoffs (20.9) have gone for touchbacks. That puts the Jets 31st in the league in that category.

Where the Jets are clearly superior to the Giants is in the return game.

The Jets are third in the league with an average of 26.8 yards per kickoff return, and have a league-best of seven returns of 40 yards or longer. Joe McKnight leads all regular NFL kick returners with a 32.3 yards per return average and has five of those 40+ yard runbacks. Antonio Cromartie has the other two.

The Jets average 8.6 yards per punt return. Rookie Jeremy Kerley has been the primary return man, averaging 9.4 yards per return.

Advantage: Jets … based purely on the quality of their return game

Follow , and

Like SB Nation New York on Facebook.

Do you like this story?

Thanks for reading! .

Top Five Games in New York Giants-New York Jets…

Laxamalse — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:23:00 +0000

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, the Christmas Eve clash between the New York Giants and New York Jets actually matters for a change. “For all the history of these teams – the Jets have Joe Namath and Super Bowl III while the Giants have Lawrence Taylor, the David Tyree catch and three titles – none of it intersects,” says the author of the article, Jason Cole. But of the 11 times the teams played during the regular season over the past 42 years, five were highly entertaining and significant. Here’s a look back at the top five games in the Giants-Jets rivalry.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
wikimedia commons

1) Nov. 1, 1981

The Giants and Jets were both in the midst of the playoff race by the midway point of the season, and the early November matchup between the squads would determine who was the top team in New York in the 1981 season. The Jets, featuring legendary Sack Exchange players Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam, sacked Giants quarterback Phil Simms nine times and held their offense to just seven points. The Jets came away with a 26-7 win.

2) Dec. 18, 1988

The teams squared off in the season finale of the 1988 season, with the Jets coming away with a 27-21 victory to knock the 10-6 Giants out of the playoff race. The Jets, who finished 8-7-1, were already eliminated from the postseason, but they showed plenty of heart in the affair. The Jets held a 20-7 lead in the third quarter, but Phil Simms hit Stephen Baker and Lionel Manuel for touchdown passes to give the Giants a 21-20 advantage. But with time winding down, Jets wide receiver Al Toon caught a touchdown pass to seal the victory for the Jets and end the Giants’ playoff hopes.

3) Nov. 2, 2003

The Giants would win their third straight game against the Jets in a wildly entertaining overtime affair on Nov. 2, 2003. New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington pushed the pace of the offense and led a late comeback charge, tying the game at 28-all in the waning minutes of regulation time. But Giants kicker Brett Conway booted a field game with four seconds left in overtime to earn a 31-28 victory for his team.

4) Oct. 7, 2007

The last time the Giants played the Jets in the regular season was in the 2007-08 season, the year they won the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots. The Giants would ultimately win their fourth consecutive game over the Jets in thrilling, come-from-behind fashion. The Giants found themselves behind, 24-14, but Eli Manning connected on touchdown passes to wide receivers Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress to put his team back on top. Aaron Ross then sealed the victory with a game-changing interception, ultimately helping the Giants come out on top, 35-24.

5) Nov. 10, 1974

The Jets earned a 26-20 win over the Giants for their first ever regular-season overtime victory. It was also the first time any regular-season NFL game ended with an overtime win, as this was the year that the league instituted overtime to non-playoff games. It was a back-and-forth affair, with the Jets tying the game in the fourth quarter on a quarterback sneak from Joe Namath. In the overtime period, Namath connected with Emerson Boozer to seal the win for the Jets.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan and he will be pulling for his team to knock Big Blue out of the playoffs on Christmas Eve. Follow the author on Twitter @ericholden.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Michael Vick is…

Healtssputh — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:37:00 +0000

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

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Eagles Notes: Vick, Maclin should be ready against…

viavoinkalo — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:54:53 +0000

The Eagles expect to have Michael Vick, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, tackle Todd Herremans, and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins Sunday against the New York Jets, though they will likely be without defensive end Darryl Tapp.

Tapp, who suffered a broken rib last week against the Dolphins, is listed as doubtful and did not practice all week, a strong indication that he won’t be able to play.

Get Your Philadelphia Sports Gear Here

‘;
}
$k(‘ul#portfolio’).append($k(buffer));
$k(“#tfs-canvas li”).fadeIn(2000);
$k(‘ul#portfolio’).innerfade({
speed: 2000,
timeout: 4000,
type: ‘sequence’,
containerheight: ’250px’
});
}
}
);
})

In his absence, the Eagles would likely give another shot to Phillip Hunt – who notched a sack last week – and would also activate either veteran Juqua Parker or Brandon Graham, last year’s No. 1 pick.

Graham, who has played in only two games this season while recovering from knee surgery, hinted this week that coaches might shut him down for the season. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last December and needed microfracture surgery, a procedure that often entails a yearlong recovery.

Coach Andy Reid said Graham is not necessarily done for the year, but wouldn’t commit to playing the second-year end this week.

“We’ll see how things go in the next couple of days. He’s had a good week of practice,” Reid said. “He’s still alive and going here.”

Graham has been inactive three of the past four weeks and dressed but didn’t play in another game.

Vick (ribs), who is listed as probable, has said he will play this week. He struggled last Sunday in his return from injury. He was asked if the ribs will feel better this week.

“I can’t say. Hopefully they will be a lot better, but I do plan on going out there and giving it everything I’ve got,” Vick said.

Maclin (hamstring) is questionable after playing only a half last week in Miami. He had missed the previous three games, but said he feels far better this week.

“It’s a complete difference. I thought I felt pretty good last week, but now I can actually see it and see it on film,” he said. “I’m ready to go.”

Maclin’s health could be crucial as the Eagles face one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL in Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.

Jenkins (groin) and Herremans (ankle) are both listed as questionable but have said they plan to play.

One late addition to the injury report was backup quarterback Vince Young, listed as questionable with an ankle injury. He practiced in full all week.

Red-zone battle

The Jets rank sixth in the NFL in scoring, in large part because when they get close to the end zone, they punch the ball in. They score on 71 percent of their trips inside opponents’ 20-yard lines, best in the NFL. The Eagles defense, meanwhile, ranks 30th in the red zone.

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress is a big target near the goal line, with seven scores on the season.

“Burress is a big part there, so is their tight end [Dustin Keller],” Reid said. “I’m slighting the running back [Shonn Greene] here on top of that. He’s a big factor.”

Home, sour home

The Eagles’ 1-5 home record, among the worst in the NFL, was a hot topic Friday, especially with the team returning Sunday to the Linc, where they are riding a three-game home losing streak, but players and coaches didn’t have much explanation for the negative stat.

“We appreciate the [fan] support, and we’re busting our tails to make sure we represent the fans and the city in the right way,” Reid said.

Face mask fine

Miami offensive lineman Nate Garner was fined $7,500 for a face mask penalty against the Eagles last week. Garner, who delivered the hit that broke Tapp’s rib, was not fined for that play. The league also fined Trent Cole and Joselio Hanson $15,000 each for hits on Dolphins quarterback J.P. Losman.

Contact staff writer Jonathan Tamari at 215-854-5214, jtamari@phillynews.com, or @JonathanTamari on Twitter.

Thanks for reading! .

Jets prepare for getting the run-around from Vick

valanume86 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:12:24 +0000

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—The New York Jets know they’re going to have their
hands full with Michael Vick.

That is, if they can get a hand on the elusive Philadelphia Eagles
quarterback Sunday.

“You can’t stop him alone,” nose tackle Sione Pouha said. “There’s no one
person that can just match up with him.”

Vick returned last week from broken ribs, but wasn’t 100 percent in the
Eagles’ 26-10 win at Miami. Still, the Jets expect Vick, still dealing with sore
ribs, to provide a tough test. Mobile quarterbacks have given the Jets fits this
season by slipping out of pressure, and now they’re facing perhaps the NFL’s
best ever at creating plays out of nothing with his legs.

“You just have to make sure that everyone assumes the responsibility of
getting him down,” linebacker Bart Scott said. “He’s a playmaker who can keep
plays alive and he has the uncanny ability, with his strong arm, to throw the
ball across his body and across the field with just a flick of the wrist.”

Coach Rex Ryan even had a few speedy defensive backs simulate Vick’s running
skills to get the defensive linemen prepared for what they’ll see at
Philadelphia. Isaiah Trufant and newly signed Gerald Alexander were out there on
the practice field, zipping around in the backfield and trying to make guys
miss.

“They had to chase me around a little bit, so I was giving them a little
bit of the run-around,” Trufant said with a big laugh. “It gave them an early
look of what to expect and what we will get from Michael Vick. When he’s moving
around back there in the pocket, he’s hard to contain.”

And, judging from his teammates’ comments, Trufant was doing a pretty good
job being Vick.

“Slow down,” Trufant said they told him. “Stop!”

If it were only as simple as that against Vick, though. The Eagles (5-8) are
holding on to slim playoff hopes, so Vick will surely be motivated to do
whatever he can to keep them going. Despite missing three games because of the
rib injury, Vick has rushed for 544 yards—second to only Carolina’s Cam Newton
among NFL quarterbacks.

“There are times you understand he’s going to get out,” defensive
coordinator Mike Pettine said. “That’s where the challenge really starts, and
you have to prepare for it. You have to practice it. So, coverage-wise, the guys
in the back end know that they have to plaster, latch on to their receivers and
cover for a lot longer than normal.”

Linebacker David Harris says there is some danger in focusing too much on
Vick because he has so many options with running back LeSean McCoy and speedy
receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, and sure-handed tight end Brent
Celek.

“If you worry (about) him running, you might lose track of one of those
fast wide receivers getting downfield,” Harris said. “DeSean Jackson and
Jeremy Maclin have been thriving off of that, so you just have to play
all-around good defense. They’re one of the top rushing teams in the league and
everybody knows what type of athletes they have on that side of the ball, so we
have to go out there and do our thing.”

As long as they don’t repeat some of their previous performances against
some of the league’s other elusive quarterbacks. Denver’s Tim Tebow might be the
best example, running for 68 yards against them—including a 20-yard dash for
the winning score last month—and being sacked just once.

“Tebow has more called quarterback runs, but they’ve done some with Vick,”
Pettine said. “I don’t know how many we’ll get now that he’s a little banged
up. I would say Tebow’s a little more like (Ben) Roethlisberger in the style of
running where it’s hard to bring them down. It’s hard to bring Vick down, but he
makes guys miss a lot more. He’s like a wideout in open space where
Roethlisberger and Tebow are more like fullbacks.”

Blitzing Vick is almost a no-no because of the way he can side-step a
rushing linebacker or defensive back, and then take off.

“It takes all 11 guys,” Pouha said. “And, I promise you, he’ll make three
or four of you miss. That’s why you’ve got to make sure that you’ve got the
other seven or eight guys right behind you. It’s all about pursuit and being
around the ball. I think that’s how you do it, just swarm the ball.”

Ryan has previously coached against Vick twice in the regular season, both
when he was an assistant in Baltimore and the quarterback was still with the
Atlanta Falcons. Vick was 11 of 21 for 127 yards and a touchdown, while running
six times for 54 yards in a 24-10 loss in 2006. He was 12 of 24 for 136 yards
and an interception, and was held to minus-5 yards rushing on seven carries in a
20-17 win in 2002.

“We’ve done OK against him in the past,” Ryan said. “But, again, you’re
never going to be comfortable until the bus is heading home and the game’s over.
He’s a scary athlete.”

There is the quick update of the day.