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.

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.

“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 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.

“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 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.

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.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Slow starts are a thing of the past for the suddenly clicking New York Jets.

Remember those brutally boring first quarters when they couldn’t get much going? Well, those are so four weeks ago.

Mark Sanchez and the once-struggling offense have become an efficient group that has gotten on the scoreboard early and often during the Jets’ three-game winning streak.

“I think we’re all just playing a lot better across the board,” Sanchez said.

And they’ve done it against some pretty good defenses. Here comes another one this Sunday: the Eagles, who are coming off a nine-sack performance against Miami and playing for their playoff lives in a season that has been filled with inconsistencies.

“It sounds awfully familiar to another team I know,” center Nick Mangold said with a slight grin.

Big things were expected from the Jets offense this season, particularly in the passing game with Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress. Instead, there were a few impressive spurts scattered throughout an early portion of a season marked mainly by spotty play by Sanchez, the offensive line, the running game, and the receivers.

New York is ranked 25th in overall offense, but the Jets are in a real groove offensively. They have 13 touchdowns in the last three games, which ties them with New Orleans, New England, and Green Bay – the top-ranked three offenses in the league – for the most in the NFL during that span.

“I don’t think our practices were quite as sharp as they’ve been lately, and I think that carries over to the game,” coach Rex Ryan said. “I think you see right now our team is feeling pretty good about themselves.”

It all started in the fourth quarter against Buffalo in Week 12, when Sanchez led the Jets to a 28-24, comeback victory over the Bills with a touchdown pass to Holmes with just over a minute left. New York followed that by scoring on its first possession against Washington and then dominating the Redskins in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns in less than five minutes for a 34-19 win.

Last Sunday against the Chiefs, the Jets rebounded from an embarrassing timeout on their first play from scrimmage by again scoring a touchdown on their first possession, and kept going while cruising to a 37-10 victory. While no one might confuse this offense for those of the Saints, Patriots, or Packers right now, it certainly has become a force during the team’s streak.

“I think hopefully we’re just starting to hit our stride, and we’re not there yet,” Sanchez said.

“I think you’re seeing, for the most part, consistent play out of the offense,” right guard Brandon Moore said. “It’s . . . coming to fruition.

 

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.