By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Rex Ryan and the New York Jets were eager to get back to their training facility.

And not only because it had working lights and running water.

The Jets (4-3) returned Monday from a six-day, bye-week break, capped for several players and coaches — including Ryan — by power outages as a result of the rare October snowstorm that blasted the Northeast on Saturday.

“I haven’t had power since 3 o’clock on Saturday,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “After that, the world kind of ended for me, just trying to get everything taken care of at home with the family.”

A few Jets players said they didn’t watch any NFL games Sunday because of the outages, while others acknowledged they wouldn’t have watched anyway as they tried to take a mental break from the game. After all, they said, they know exactly what’s in store for them.

New York is just a game behind both Buffalo and New England in the AFC East, with road games against each in the next two weeks.

“We know we put our backs against the wall, and we have to come out swinging,” Leonhard said. “We can’t come out flat. We have to play well for the next couple games and see what happens after that.”

The Jets are 0-2 in games immediately following the break under Ryan, and they take on a Bills team that has been surprisingly solid so far and is 4-0 at home.

“We have to do something about that trend,” Ryan said. “We need to win this week.”

Cornerback Darrelle Revis ramped things up even more, calling the game “a must win.”

It might seem to be a bit of an exaggeration to some, but this really is a crucial stretch for a team that looked lousy during a three-game road losing streak before showing marked signs of improvement before the bye with two wins in a row. If the Jets can beat the Bills and then the Patriots, they would suddenly be in the discussions about the elite teams in the AFC.

Two losses, and New York will again be in crisis mode with a third straight playoff trip an unlikely — but not impossible — scenario.

“Would we like to have had a better record? Absolutely, we would’ve, but we don’t,” Ryan said. “We’re 4-3, but we have it right in front of us. The teams you have to beat are right in front of us, so we’ll know. These next few weeks are going to be critical for us.”

Ryan has given the players six days off in the past during the break, but said his team is “ahead of the game” in its preparation for the Bills, tweaking its approach a bit from previous bye weeks. Ryan and his assistants spent more time before they also took a few days off to really get into the game plan against Buffalo, something they hadn’t done as thoroughly in the past two seasons.

The results were clear in the first practice of the week as Ryan said players “were flying around.” It was a good first sign that the momentum the Jets had built in their last two games hadn’t been slowed by the layoff.

“We just have to make sure that we come back and focus in and get back into a rhythm as quick as we can,” left guard Matt Slauson said. “I think that’s kind of where we were lacking over the last two years. Everybody gets away and kind of rests a little bit and you fall out of that rhythm. As far as today went, we were right in it, right in a groove, everything was going great. I’m really pleased.”

In Ryan’s first season, the Jets had their bye in Week 9 and returned with a 24-22 clunker at home against Jacksonville. The break came after Week 7 last year, and New York appeared rusty and sluggish in a 9-0 home loss to Green Bay.

“You can’t focus on the past coming off byes and losing,” Revis said. “It’s a new year and we’re in control of our destiny and where we want to go.”

Things weren’t always looking up, though, as recently as a month ago when the losses were piling and players griping about each other.

“Through a three-game losing streak, at the time, there’s a whole bunch of things going through your head,” Revis said. “No. 1, you’re trying to get a win, and No. 2, you’re trying to make sure you do what you need to do at your job. There’s just a whole bunch of stuff going on, a lot of pressure around the building.”

A few wins have allowed the bad vibes to dissipate a bit, and the Jets are still thinking big. If New York wins Sunday, and the Giants beat New England, there would suddenly be a three-way tie atop the AFC East.

“Out of all the stuff that’s been going on, it’s kind of surprising,” Revis said. “It really is. We’re making strides and we’re on a two-game winning streak. We didn’t win on the bye, though, but this is a good game for us to get our third win and especially because it’s on the road, as well.”

Road warriors in the past, particularly in the postseason, the Jets have a chance to get back on track away from home in one of the AFC’s toughest places to play.

“We do have our work cut out for us, but I feel confident,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “I mean, we’ve gone into some places (in the past) that nobody gave us a chance to win and we’ve come out with a win. … We do have some challenges ahead of us, but I think we do a good job of staying in the moment. This week is about Buffalo, and everything else, it doesn’t matter if we don’t take care of business this week.”

Notes: Ryan thinks DE Mike DeVito (knee) and CB Isaiah Trufant (hamstring) will be able to play at Buffalo, but is less optimistic about rookie DT Kenrick Ellis, who injured his left ankle against San Diego. … Slauson disagrees with fans and media who think this year’s offensive line isn’t as good as last season’s. He said the line has shown improvement recently and added that it’s the same five guys, except for RT Wayne Hunter, and “in our opinion, that’s an upgrade” over the retired Damien Woody.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Plaxico Burress planned to hop on a plane bound for Florida this week with his family and meet up with some old friends.

Mickey Mouse. Goofy. Maybe even Donald Duck.

After everything the New York Jets receiver has been through the past few years, Disney World seemed as perfect a place as any for Burress and his family to kick back during the bye-week break.

“I’m pretty sure that they’ll enjoy that,” Burress said, “and just let them unwind and have a little fun.”

For Burress, the football field has always been that special place, and he’s relishing every play, every catch and, especially, every trip into the end zone. For a guy who’s just a few months removed from completing a nearly two-year prison sentence after accidentally shooting himself, this has been quite the Michael Vick-like storybook comeback.

And, Burress insists, he’s only getting started.

“It feels good to go out and have an impact,” he said, “and go out and make a few plays, get into a little groove and establish some consistency and just let this be a stepping stone.”

A big one, at that. His three-touchdown performance Sunday in the Jets’ 27-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers was a clear indication that Burress is back to being a big-time red-zone scoring threat — just as he was before his career was put on hold by a bullet in his right thigh in November 2008.

“That’s the way everybody envisioned the addition of Plaxico to our team, particularly in the red zone,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “You saw it show up three times, for three big scores we needed.”

First came a three-yard catch in the second quarter that cut the Jets’ deficit to 14-10. Next was a four-yard grab late in the third quarter that again sliced the Chargers’ lead to four points at 21-17. The last came midway through the fourth quarter, a three-yard reception that gave New York the go-ahead score.

Burress scanned the crowd at MetLife Stadium after each touchdown, found his family and handed them the ball. His young son, Elijah, couldn’t believe it as the souvenirs piled up.

“After I gave him the third, he was like, ‘Daddy, you got threeee?’ And, I was like, ‘Yeah!’ ” Burress recalled. “He was excited, so excited that he wanted me to get up and take him to school (Monday) morning, I guess to kind of show his Daddy off type of thing.

“It was a great day for us and it was a long time coming for my family.”

They all wondered if there would ever be days like this again while they anxiously waited for Burress to come home while he served his 20 months in the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y. He cleaned toilets and counted off the days, dreaming of moments like those Sunday.

Even in his darkest days, Burress never lost faith he would make it back.

To his family. To the NFL. Or, to the end zone.

That’s why the former Super Bowl star with the New York Giants sat in the back seat of his car after his big game, stuck in traffic near the stadium with the radio off and alone in his thoughts.

“I was just shaking my head and just envisioning getting back to having fun and playing at a high level,” he said. “Just thinking about everything me and my family have been through.

“It was gratifying and humbling all at the same time. It can be a very humbling game. Don’t get too high with the highs and don’t get too low with the lows. Just keep working hard, staying positive and everything will work out.”

That was what some of the 23 missed phone calls and 40-something texts he received reminded him of. With highlights of each of his touchdown grabs shown all over television, the fans and media proclaimed: Burress Is Back.

“I was back a long time ago,” he said with a smile. “I just haven’t really been able to let the practice show on Sundays.”

Burress has 18 catches for 243 yards and five touchdowns, but it hasn’t been a completely smooth return. The Jets signed him in late July, then he missed some time with a sprained ankle. That limited his opportunities to click with Mark Sanchez, and they’re still fine-tuning things.

It was evident even Sunday, when they missed a few times on plays.

“People expect results right away,” Sanchez said. “We’re going through it and (Sunday) happened to be a good day, and we have to keep building on it.”

Burress said his legs aren’t completely in the shape he’d like them to be. He also acknowledged that he now goes to practice for the first time in his career truly needing to work on getting better. In the past, it all came so easily.

Some Jets players knew of Burress from charity events, Pro Bowl appearances and playing against him when he was with the Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. They also wondered about reports that maybe he wasn’t the hardest-working guy, a player who perhaps wasn’t always fully dedicated to the game.

“Yeah, you hear stuff, but you’ve got to leave that in the past,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “I think he has grown as a man and a human being.

“He does what he needs to do. I can’t say all that he went through taught him a lesson because I don’t know. And, I’m not saying it didn’t. But, we accepted him the day he got here. Nobody pointed any fingers, like, ‘Oh, you’re a bad person.’ “

Burress gradually got to know his new teammates, who respected what he had been through and appreciated his humility.

“He’s a Jet, man. We baptized him,” Revis said with a big laugh. “Nowadays, so many players get traded or end up with other teams. Plax is a Jet now.

“His past is his past. He made unbelievable plays in the past, and now he’s making them again. I mean, just throw it up to him.”

Burress still gets questions about the day he shot himself, what prison was like and how difficult the journey has been. That’s OK, he says. With more days like Sunday, that stuff will start to fade.

“I really don’t focus on what everybody’s saying about my past,” Burress said. “I mean, it’ll always be a part of my history. I’ve dealt with it and moved on, and one day, I hope everybody else will, too.

“I’m here just trying to get back to being a good football player and playing at a high level, and I know the only way that is going to come is through hard work.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—Darrelle Revis(notes) strolled into the New York Jets’
locker room wearing a knitted hat decked out with dreadlocks and smiling from
ear to ear.

But, Halloween’s a week away. What’s with the costume party?

“I’m celebrating it early,” the All-Pro cornerback said Monday with a
laugh. “This is my Halloween outfit.”

Ah, yes. Happy days are here again. Just like that, the Jets (4-3) have gone
from gloom and doom to fun-loving again.

Two wins in a week can do that sometimes, and Rex Ryan’s team is feeling
loose and confident as it heads into the bye-week break on a two-game winning
streak. First was a 24-6 win over Miami last Monday night, and then a 27-21
comeback victory over San Diego on Sunday.

“The way we’re playing, the style of football that has been successful for
us, we’re getting back to that,” safety Jim Leonhard(notes) said. “This is how we
win. This is our blueprint.”

All of that talk about the season possibly spiraling out of control for the
Jets has been replaced by the spunk and swagger that appeared to be missing just
a few weeks ago. And, as usual, it all starts with Ryan.

The mouthy coach took an inadvertent swipe at Chargers coach Norv Turner
last week, and later apologized. But it was enough to create a coast-to-coast
stir. Then, Ryan defended his secondary on Monday after San Diego tight end
Randy McMichael(notes) said the Jets’ defensive backs aren’t “anything” and that the
Chargers beat themselves—and had nothing to do with New York’s play.

“Stay classy, San Diego,” a smiling Ryan said, stealing a line made famous
by Will Ferrell’s character, Ron Burgundy, in the movie “Anchorman.”

Jets players weren’t as low-key in their responses to McMichael’s comments,
but were equally amusing.

“When you’re up by 11 points in the fourth quarter and you can’t even
finish the game up, that shows what kind of team you are: a team that can’t
finish,” said cornerback Antonio Cromartie(notes), a former Charger. “And that’s been
San Diego the whole time.”

Added Leonhard: “He’ll have fun watching the tape today.”

The Chargers blew an 11-point third-quarter lead, helped by 13 penalties and
the Jets’ defense holding them to 1 for 7 on third downs in the second half. As
for McMichael, he finished with three catches for 45 yards.

“Nobody was worried about McMichaels,” Revis said. “Whatever his name is.
McMichaels, McMichael. I don’t know his name.”

Yep, this is once again the team the rest of the NFL has loved to hate the
last two years, when the Jets rubbed people the wrong way all the way to two
consecutive AFC championship games.

“If we play like that,” Ryan said of the win over the Chargers, “we’re
going to be tough to beat.”

And even tougher to quiet. Ryan is known for making bold statements and
outrageous proclamations, and projecting a confident and cocky attitude that the
team gravitates around.

“I know there’s a coach that was saying (the players) don’t believe what I
say,” Ryan said without identifying the coach. “Really? Oh, OK. I wonder who
you talked to. No one in this locker room. It might not be the truth, but I tell
them what I believe to be the truth. There’s a difference. But, I’m telling you
what I think is a fact.

“Sometimes, it doesn’t always work out that way.”

Such as those Super Bowl guarantees Ryan has made before each of the last
few seasons. In fact, Turner got back at Ryan for his swipe by issuing a playful
jab of his own, asking if the Jets coach had the rings he would’ve won if he
were the Chargers coach with the ones he has promised in New York.

“I will no longer say the word `rings’ anymore, because of the `kiss
Belichick’s rings’ stuff and the rings here with San Diego,” Ryan said
jokingly. “I’m not going to use that word anymore. No more of those things. I
get crushed every time I say it.”

What about using “Lombardi Trophy” next time you promise a parade?

“That’s a possibility,” Ryan said, smiling.

How about the term, “Super Bowl?” Is that still in the official Rex
lexicon?

“I can use that one, yes,” he said. “But it’s just not `rings.”’

The Jets aren’t blindly optimistic, though. They recognize they have plenty
of work to do to get back into the conversation as serious playoff contenders,
but the win over the Chargers offered a glance at what they might be able to
accomplish. When San Diego took a 21-10 lead in the first half, it appeared the
Chargers were on their way to a blowout.

But the Jets’ defense took advantage of mistakes and the offense started
humming, with Mark Sanchez(notes) finishing with three touchdown passes to Plaxico
Burress(notes). It was perhaps the best half of football the team has played all season
— and now comes a break before the Jets embark on their playoff push.

“We ended on a good note and that’s where we want to pick up,” Cromartie
said. “When we get back, guys are going to be ready because our next two games
are very important division games. We’re playing against Buffalo and then come
back again and play New England. We just have to make sure our mindsets are
correct when we come back in, everyone is fresh and everyone is coming back
healthy. That’s all we’re worried about.”

Oh, but then there’s the fact the Jets are 0-2 in games immediately after
the break under Ryan.

“We’ll do it business as usual,” said Ryan, who gave the players off until
Sunday. “The only difference is we’re going to win coming out of the bye this
year.”

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Plaxico Burress predicted big things for his NFL return a few months ago, convinced he would show everyone he was still one of the game’s best wide receivers.

Well, the New York Jets are still waiting.

“Man, I’ve been in this league a long time,” Burress said Wednesday. “All it takes is a game or two.”

And, chemistry with your quarterback. That, however, is a work in progress.

“It’s just working and coming to work every day to get better,” Burress said. “One thing’s for sure: It can’t get any worse.”

Burress, signed as a free agent in late-July after spending 20 months in prison on a gun charge, has just 14 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Despite the long layoff from football, he was expected to be a dominant red-zone threat for quarterback Mark Sanchez.

“We are not on the right page right now,” Burress said. “But we’ve got to just work on getting on the right page, even if it calls for us to have some practices where we are hitting it, we’ve still got to keep working because that’s the only way you are going to get better at it.”

Burress feels good physically and knows the offense, and he’s confident he’ll click with Sanchez.

“The more and more we get comfortable, when we start playing pitch-and-catch and I’m doing my thing out there, this offense is just going to go through the roof,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time.”

On Tuesday, coach Rex Ryan said the two are “just a little off,” an assessment Sanchez agreed with.

“It’s one of those things where that kind of stuff doesn’t happen overnight,” Sanchez said. “You see quarterbacks and receivers that really click, they’ve been together for a while. They’ve missed a lot more throws than they’ve hit, and then they start to equal those numbers up. It’s a process.”

Burress knows that well. He has played with plenty of quarterbacks during his career, including Kordell Stewart, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox and Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and Eli Manning with the Giants.

“All the quarterbacks that I’ve played with over time, all that didn’t happen in the first six games — anywhere that I’ve been,” Burress said. “But when it comes, it’s going to be the right time. That’s just always how it’s been.”

He said it’s clear when a quarterback and wide receiver have established a certain comfort level when they see the same defensive coverages, give the same hand signals and “are just going out there pitching and catching.” Burress, who missed some time in training camp with a sprained ankle, acknowledged it took him some time to get the offense down. He’d come out of the huddle during practices and games and head the wrong way.

“I’ve got those things settled,” he said. “Now it’s just a matter of us executing.”

Ryan said Burress has been getting double-teamed a lot, although Burress doesn’t necessarily think that’s the case. To Burress’ credit, Sanchez said, the wide receiver has not sulked because he hasn’t been getting the ball much in recent weeks. Burress had four catches and a touchdown in the opener, nothing in the next game and three catches in each of the next three games. He had just one catch for 16 yards in New York’s 24-6 win over Miami on Monday night, but was targeted four times and dropped a pass.

“Being a wide receiver, if you are competitive, like I am, you definitely want to go out there and compete and perform at a high level,” he said. “Playing this position, you have to understand you control the things that you can control. And for me, that’s catching the football. I’ve let a few passes get away from me the past few weeks and I’ve got to correct that first before I even start doing anything else because if I don’t have the ball, I can’t perform anyway.”

Burress thinks he has gotten lazy at times with technique, being so confident in his abilities that he’ll lose focus and not look the ball into his hands all the way. Seems simple enough, but Burress is still shaking off the rust — although he insists that’s not the case — from being away from football for so long.

“It’s just wanting to catch the ball and go and do something exciting and get back to that feel and having fun,” he said. “So you’ve just got to slow it down, catch the football and let it come to you, and then go back to having fun.”

Sanchez has had his share of struggles this season: His 56.1 completion percentage is near the bottom of the league rankings. Part of that is working with a new set of wide receivers — Santonio Holmes is the only starter from last season still with the Jets — and trying to get them all involved and learning their tendencies.

“We talk a lot about it,” Sanchez said of Burress. “He talks to me about, ‘OK, this is what I really like. If I had my way, I hope these calls are in. OK, good.’ When we get the right looks, the ball’s coming.”

And as far as those training camp declarations that he’ll be as dominant as he once was, Burress isn’t backing down.

“When I lose that mindset,” he said, “I’ll walk away from the game.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets have placed linebacker Bryan Thomas on season-ending injured reserve and signed linebacker Eddie Jones from the practice squad.

The move Saturday to place Thomas on IR was expected after he tore his left Achilles tendon in the Jets’ 34-17 loss at Baltimore last Sunday. Thomas was in his 10th season with the Jets and their longest-tenured player, but is due to become a free agent after this season. He led Rex Ryan’s squad with six sacks last season.

Jones was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in August, and was among the Jets’ final cuts before they re-signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 28.

The Jets (2-2) play the AFC East-rival Patriots (3-1) on Sunday in New England.

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

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Kenrick Ellis knows his time will come with the New York Jets.

The rookie nose tackle’s coaches tell him to be patient, and so do his teammates. A third-round pick in April, Ellis was expected to be a big part of Rex Ryan’s defence. And, he still might be — at some point.

But so far, Ellis has been stuck on the sideline with the rest of the team’s inactive players through the first four games.

“When I’m needed, they’ll activate me,” Ellis said. “There’s no stress or anything like that. There can’t be. Why should there be? You can’t go out here frustrated. You have to keep working and trying to be better everyday.”

That’s why he approaches every practice as if it’s game day. That’s all he has for now.

“I mean, I have a great group of veterans in front of me and they’re playing really well,” he said. “What can a rookie do? You just have to play your role, which is, right now, helping the guys get better in practice. That’s my role. I’ll just keep doing that.”

While the 6-foot-4, 346-pound Ellis is still working on keeping his pads low as well as fine-tuning his footwork and hand placement, it has mostly been a numbers game that has kept him from making his NFL debut. Ryan and defensive co-ordinator Mike Pettine have been carrying more defensive backs than linemen, based on the tendencies of the opposing offences.

Ryan said Friday that will likely be the case again Sunday, when the Jets play Tom Brady and the pass-happy New England Patriots.

“It’s just a matter of time for that young man,” Ryan said.

Both Ryan and Pettine said Ellis has been in the discussion every week as far as the last few players to make the active roster.

“Obviously, I want to play,” Ellis said, “but the coaches have to do what’s best for us to win. And if that’s playing more DBs, it’s OK with me.”

Ellis is certainly saying all the right things and appears to be a humble guy in the locker room, but make no mistake: He’s eager for the opportunity to make his debut.

“I remember how frustrated I was when I first came in and I sat, and I was a free agent,” defensive lineman Mike DeVito said. “We know he’ll be ready to go when the time comes, and it’s not a matter of if, but when. The guy’s got such power. He reminds me of Kris Jenkins where he just fires off the ball, is so fast and can just bring it.”

That’s exactly what the Jets saw in him at Hampton, where he was a star for three seasons while stuffing the run and dominating opponents.

“We talk all the time, and I mean, the guy, he’s a great player,” said defensive lineman Marcus Dixon, a friend and former Hampton standout. “The coaches know it. They didn’t draft him in the third round to just sit. He’s going to be a great player for the New York Jets.”

But, there was some baggage that came along with the pick. Ellis had some legal troubles after he was arrested following a fight on campus in April 2010 and was indicted on a malicious wounding charge. The trial has been delayed several times, with the date currently set for Feb. 7, 2012. A native of Jamaica with permanent resident status in the United States, Ellis could possibly face deportation if convicted of an aggravated felony.

“I don’t really think about it, man,” Ellis said. “I just have to focus on what I can control, and right now, that’s just giving my best effort to help make the team better.”

There were other things, though. He was dismissed from South Carolina’s football team in 2008 for what the school called “repeated violations of team and university policy” before transferring to Hampton.

“I’m a pretty straightforward guy and when we got Kenrick, he did everything he was supposed to do,” Hampton coach Donovan Rose told The Associated Press shortly after Ellis was drafted. “The fight was the only incident he ever got into in three years here. Some guys, you can’t trust, but when you sit and talk with him, you know he’s a genuine guy. He made a mistake. What was kind of difficult was everybody judging him off that one incident, but I wish I had more like Ken Ellis.”

Some fans and media wondered if the Jets were getting a player with some serious character issues. Things were written about him that were less than flattering, and Ellis acknowledged that it all bothered him.

“Until you talk to me and know me as a person, you can only perceive from what other people say and what you see out there,” he said. “So, of course, I thought that I was being perceived as someone I wasn’t. I knew that everybody in here was going to let my actions and who I am speak for themselves and not make judgments about me.”

His Jets teammates rave about his attitude and, to a man, say Ellis has been a terrific addition to the locker room.

“He’s a pretty chill, laid-back individual,” nose tackle Sione Pouha said. “I never even knew anything like that was going on when he was drafted. A lot of people would be missing out if they’re just going to base things on that other stuff.”

Ellis works on his conditioning everyday after practice, and tries to improve his technique. He routinely bounces things off the other defensive linemen, hoping to get better while waiting for his chance.

“Basically, you’re just a dumb rookie and there’s a lot of stuff you don’t know and have to learn,” Ellis said with a big smile. “That’s how it is. You just have to catch up. I’ll just keep working.”

Notes: The Jets started using buzzers during practice that sound off during passing plays after a set time, in an attempt to help QB Mark Sanchez get rid of the ball faster and increase the offence’s tempo. Ryan says it was something Bill Parcells used to do during his coaching career. “By the time practice was over, we’d already trimmed a second off each (play),” Ryan said. “The routes were great, full speed and I think added to our practice.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—Antonio Cromartie(notes) dares Tom Brady(notes) to throw in his
direction all day.

Go ahead, the New York Jets cornerback says. He’s ready for the challenge.

“I hope I’m a target this game,” Cromartie said with a smile. “I want to
be a target every game.”

Well, he better be careful what he wishes for, especially with the way the
New England Patriots’ offense is playing. The struggling Jets (2-2) have to
figure out how to stop Brady, Wes Welker(notes) and the high-scoring Patriots (2-2) on
Sunday, and know it won’t be easy—whether Cromartie is up to the task or not.

“We use the phrase, `chasing ghosts,’ and sometimes you have to do that,”
defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said Thursday. “You don’t really know what
their formations are going to be, what their personnel groupings are going to be
and you might work against something all week and not see it, see something
totally different. So you have to be very flexible in your approach when you
play New England.”

The Patriots are ranked No. 1 in overall offense, along with being the top
passing team in the NFL. Their running game isn’t too shabby, either, ranking
ninth overall. And that’s what’s making things so tough for opponents early on:
Will they pass or run?

“They were tough enough when they were one-dimensional,” Pettine said.
“Now having the threat of running the football certainly presents a problem.”

Not that the Jets are intimidated, of course.

“You realize he’s one of the great quarterbacks of this generation,”
linebacker Aaron Maybin(notes) said. “At the same time, nobody’s going to be out there
with their spectator hat on and wanting to give him praise for how great he is.
We want to go out there and make it hell for him.”

That’s much easier said than done, as the numbers show. Brady is off to a
sensational start, throwing for a league-leading 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns,
while Welker already has 40 catches—13 more than Dallas’ Jason Witten(notes), who
ranks second in the NFL. Throw in a running game that’s averaging nearly 123
yards a game, and that’s a lot to deal with for opposing defenses.

The Jets are No. 2 against the pass, though, but are a stunningly low 28th
against the run. New York typically has used a smaller lineup with more
defensive backs against the Patriots.

“I don’t know if that plan will be able to hold up for the entire game,”
Pettine said. “So our menu is a little fuller this week because they are a
flavor-of-the-week offense and it’s smart because it’s typically something you
haven’t practiced against.”

It all starts with Brady, of course, and putting pressure on him. Rex Ryan’s
team has done a pretty good job of that in his five previous games against the
Patriots as Jets coach. New York has won three of those matchups, including in
the playoffs in January when the Jets sacked him five times.

“If you just play standard coverage against him, you’ve got no chance,”
Ryan said. “I mean, zero. You better hope for a hurricane or something because
that might be your only chance. Quite honestly, I’ve been in the sideline
wishing there was a hurricane because he’s that kind of guy. He’s as good as it
gets right now.”

The Jets players agree, and they all respect what Brady can do on the field
— and that includes Cromartie, who made headlines in the playoffs when he called
the Patriots quarterback an expletive and then said earlier this week that those
comments still stand.

The Jets aren’t revealing their defensive strategy, but Ryan said he’s
“sure” All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes) will match up with Welker at times.
Cromartie might be on him, too. And, who knows who else? It might take a few
guys to shut him down.

“It’s him and Tom,” Revis said. “They have a 1-2 punch with each other,
great chemistry. They work well together. He’s got 40 catches already, over 600
yards, so he’s Tom’s go-to guy. He’s always looking for him. He’s tough in the
slot. He’s probably the toughest receiver to cover in the slot.”

Oh, and then the Patriots also have Deion Branch(notes), Chad Ochocinco(notes) and tight
end Rob Gronkowski(notes) to contend with.

“To beat the hell out of their receivers, that’s our game plan on the
outside,” Cromartie said. “It’s to try to mess up their timing routes as much
as we can.”

Or, Brady can turn around and hand it to New England’s three-headed
backfield with BenJarvus Green-Ellis(notes), Stevan Ridley(notes) and Danny Woodhead(notes).

“Coach Ryan said it best: If anybody’s got as good a formula for trying to
beat the Patriots, it’s us,” said Maybin, a newcomer to this rivalry who saw
plenty of the Patriots during his first two seasons in Buffalo. “We’ve been
able to have some success defensively in the past.”

That certainly doesn’t make the Jets less concerned heading into this game.
They know Brady, coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the Patriots have had that
playoff loss in the back of their minds for months.

“The easy thing to say is, `Well it worked the last time we played them,’
and then just blow the dust off of that one and just use it,” Pettine said. “I
know there were more than a few days in Foxborough, whether it was over the
lockout or since the season started, preparing for our defense, knowing that we
had success against them in the playoff game.

“It’s a challenge for us to make sure that we kind of forge ahead with some
new things, but at the same time, not get away from what’s been successful
against them in the past.”

FLORHAM PARK, NJ (AP) — Botched snaps, lousy throws and lots of turnovers. Throw in a sputtering running game and it all has New York Jets coach Rex Ryan steamin’ mad.

This is certainly not what Ryan envisioned for his team. Two bad losses on the road and now the capper: a game against the rival New England Patriots.

“I’m bothered by the fact that I think we’re a better football team than we’re playing right now,” Ryan said. “We’re not executing as well as I thought we’d execute by now.”

Ryan let his team know that – on Sunday night after New York’s 34-17 loss at Baltimore, and again at the team meeting Monday.

“Last night was definitely kind of hurt, very emotionally hurt,” left guard Matt Slauson said when asked to describe Ryan’s mood.

And, Monday? Slauson said the brash coach was, well, pretty ticked off.

At his press conference, Ryan appeared more somber than usual, no smiles or jokes. It’s only Week 5, but it’s gut-check time for the Jets (2-2).

“It’s just something that’s on us as coaches, that’s on me,” Ryan said. “That’s why, to me, I’m subdued, but there is probably a little more fire burning inside of me than I’m letting on.”

There are plenty of improvements to be made, and the embarrassing loss to the Ravens provided some clear indicators that if the Jets plan to reach the AFC championship game – and beyond, as Ryan has promised – things need to get better fast.

“Guys are frustrated,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “You never want to lose games. You never want to lose back-to-back games. We realize we have a tough one coming up. It’s not getting any easier.”

Wide receiver Derrick Mason stood at his locker after getting beat by his former teammates and issued a challenge.

“Obviously, there are some things that need to change,” he said. “They have to change. It’s evident. You saw it, there are some cracks, and nobody really wants to identify the cracks. Until we identify the cracks, we’re going to keep having the same problems. Whenever somebody wants to fill up the cracks, then we can continue to move forward.”

What are the cracks? Well, take your pick. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes said it all starts with the offensive line, a shell of the once-dominant unit it had been. Of course, All-Pro center Nick Mangold has missed the last two games with a high ankle sprain, but the line isn’t protecting Mark Sanchez enough and not providing much running room.

“I don’t think he was calling us out maliciously at all because it is true,” Slauson said. “If we don’t do our jobs, no matter how good Mark is or the receivers are, they aren’t going to be able to anything. We have to be able to pick up the pressure so Mark can deliver him the ball and they can just run.”

Sanchez was under pressure all game and finished 11 of 35 for 119 yards with a hideously low 30.5 quarterback rating. Worse, he couldn’t protect the football. He had three of his turnovers returned for touchdowns, while the other set up a field goal by the Ravens.

“I don’t care if Joe Montana is back there, (with) that kind of pressure, it’s hard to execute,” Ryan said. “There were times when it was like, shoot, they weren’t backing off one bit and neither would I. They hit him. I think they had like 10 hits on the quarterback. He’s not going to make it through the season if he keeps getting hit 10 times a game.”

Ryan sarcastically suggested that the solution could be for the Jets to use seven offensive linemen if it helps keep Sanchez off his back.

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, who helped lead the franchise to its only Super Bowl title in 1969, has been critical of his former team the last few weeks. He said during his weekly appearance on 1050 ESPN Radio on Monday that this latest loss wasn’t all Sanchez’s fault. He pointed at several culprits, including the offensive line.

“Obviously, we don’t like it at all,” Slauson said. “I mean, especially since we in the past have been recognized as a strength, so it doesn’t feel good. But we aren’t going to falter. We’re just going to keep on working, keep on getting better and we’re going to be back. We’re going to be back very soon.”

Ryan insists that his “Ground-and-Pound” run-first approach on offense will also make a return. There has been too much throwing and not enough running for his liking.

“It’s no great secret that we need to be able to run the ball better,” he said.

Sure, Shonn Greene hasn’t done much in his first season as the lead back, running for just 157 yards and 3.1 yards a carry. But, Ryan’s not making any lineup changes yet.

“Shoot,” Ryan said, “how about we give Shonn Greene a chance?”

The Jets have been here before, as Slauson pointed out, hitting a rough patch during the past two seasons with many fans and media playing out the worst-case scenario. New York ended up making it within a game of the Super Bowl both times.

“Our confidence isn’t shot,” Slauson said. “It’s not gone and our season isn’t over by any means.”

Ryan wouldn’t put his team in the Super Bowl at this point, saying it’s too early to talk like that. But, he still believes his guys are headed to the postseason.

“By the time we get to the finish line,” Ryan said, “we’ll be right there.”

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Rex Ryan disagrees with Joe Namath’s opinion that the Jets coach is making his team overconfident, which helped lead to its loss Sunday at Oakland.

“I’m not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something,” Ryan said Monday.

The Hall of Fame quarterback said on 1050 ESPN Radio on Monday that “it’s rather alarming” Ryan allows his players to think “they’re better than they are.” He says Ryan is doing “a great job,” but also says if the coach keeps telling his players how good they are, they might not prepare correctly.

Ryan says Namath, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title in 1969, would be “shocked” at how his team prepares.

“He doesn’t know our team,” Ryan says. “He’s on the outside.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Dustin Keller’s eyes light up whenever he takes off and there’s a linebacker or safety trying to keep up with him.

While opposing defensive backs are paying extra attention to Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason this season, the New York Jets tight end zips around the field and takes advantage of what has become a clear mismatch.

Double-team one of the other guys, the Jets dare opponents, and Keller will make you pay.

“I’ve always been extremely confident,” Keller said. “I don’t want to say I’m even more confident than before because that’s always been a mismatch for me, and as long as I continue to see those looks, I think I’m going to get the better of those guys. And then when people try to shut that down, I think it’s going to open things big-time for the guys on the outside.”

On a team with a trio of big-name receivers, Keller has been Mark Sanchez’s go-to guy through two games, leading the Jets with 11 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s just such an athletic guy,” offensive co-ordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “He’s such a problem for linebackers and safeties. He has such great ball skills. He and Mark have, obviously, a great chemistry and he’s just one big play after another.”

Brett Favre predicted the tight end would be a big star when the two were teammates in 2008, and Keller might finally be on his way in his fourth season. Not that he hasn’t been good since being a first-round draft pick out of Purdue. Keller entered the season with the most catches (148) and yards receiving (1,744) by a Jets tight end in their first three years.

“He’s kind of the model of the tight ends in the league now: the athletic, the pass-catching type,” defensive co-ordinator Mike Pettine said. “The days of the Mark Bavaros and those type guys, those guys are few and far between now. … I think Dustin is more of the newer breed where you almost treat him as a wideout.”

LaDainian Tomlinson played with one of the best tight ends in the game in Antonio Gates while he was in San Diego. A former basketball player, Gates used his size — he’s six-foot-four, 260 pounds — to dominate opponents.

“Dustin, his speed, that’s one of the qualities that he possesses that’s better than most tight ends,” Tomlinson said. “To be able to run down the field or threaten people with his speed, his quick cuts in and out of breaks.”

That was on display last Sunday against Jacksonville, when Keller had six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

“He just demanded a lot of split-safety coverage and our wideouts knew that,” Sanchez said. “Dustin was able to get free in there a couple of times and make some great catches in some zones and sit down and find the football. Our wideouts demand a lot of respect in the passing game, so it could be a good day for Dustin when that happens.”

Keller has also been a clutch receiver this season, which is already shaping up as a breakout year after leading the team with 55 catches a year ago. Nine of his 11 receptions have gone for first downs.

“I feel really good, not just about any stats or anything like that,” Keller said. “I feel like Mark is really playing his butt off. I feel like he’s going out there and reading things out and finding the open man. They matched me up on a linebacker last week, so more times than not, I was always the open man, especially with the guys on the outside being doubled.”

When the Jets re-signed Holmes to be the team’s big-play threat and then signed Burress and Mason, Keller didn’t worry about his catches diminishing. If anything, he thought, those guys being on the field would make things easier for him.

And he’s been right so far. Burress was held without a catch against Jacksonville, the result of being double-teamed nearly the entire time when he was out there.

“We still scored 30 points and I didn’t touch the football,” Burress said. “I mean, Dustin Keller is too good for teams to play us like that. I think that’s what they’ll find out if teams continue to do that.”

One of the biggest knocks on Keller coming out of college was his blocking skills, something he has worked on a lot in the last few years. He has improved to the point where he no longer needs to come off the field when the Jets run the ball and need their tight end to hit someone.

“I’ve been able to get bigger in that area and step up my blocking and they can’t overplay me on one thing,” Keller said. “Obviously, they still lean toward the pass, but that just makes it easier for me in the running game to get guys unexpectedly, get my hands in there and after I do that a couple of times, run my route and it definitely plays to my advantage.”

And if teams start focusing on Keller and hold his reception numbers down, starting with Oakland on Sunday, that’s OK with him.

“If I go out the next game or two games and have zero catches, but the offence averages the next two games 500 yards of offence, who cares?” he said. “We’re playing well, we’re moving the ball and we’re successful, and that’s all that matters.”

Notes: Special teams co-ordinator Mike Westhoff has a lot of respect for Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler. “That’s Mantle and Maris there,” he said. “Heavy hitters.” … Westhoff said kicker Nick Folk, punter T.J. Conley and long snapper Tanner Purdum practised at the Newark Bears’ baseball field to simulate the conditions of the Raiders’ O.co Coliseum, which is shared by the Athletics. … CB Antonio Cromartie will continue to be “the guy” on kickoff returns, with Joe McKnight backing him up.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)—Dustin Keller’s(notes) eyes light up whenever he takes
off and there’s a linebacker or safety trying to keep up with him.

While opposing defensive backs are paying extra attention to Santonio
Holmes(notes), Plaxico Burress(notes) and Derrick Mason(notes) this season, the New York Jets tight
end zips around the field and takes advantage of what has become a clear
mismatch.

Double-team one of the other guys, the Jets dare opponents, and Keller will
make you pay.

“I’ve always been extremely confident,” Keller said. “I don’t want to say
I’m even more confident than before because that’s always been a mismatch for
me, and as long as I continue to see those looks, I think I’m going to get the
better of those guys. And then when people try to shut that down, I think it’s
going to open things big-time for the guys on the outside.”

On a team with a trio of big-name receivers, Keller has been Mark Sanchez’s(notes)
go-to guy through two games, leading the Jets with 11 catches for 162 yards and
two touchdowns.

“He’s just such an athletic guy,” offensive coordinator Brian
Schottenheimer said. “He’s such a problem for linebackers and safeties. He has
such great ball skills. He and Mark have, obviously, a great chemistry and he’s
just one big play after another.”

Brett Favre(notes) predicted the tight end would be a big star when the two were
teammates in 2008, and Keller might finally be on his way in his fourth season.
Not that he hasn’t been good since being a first-round draft pick out of Purdue.
Keller entered the season with the most catches (148) and yards receiving
(1,744) by a Jets tight end in their first three years.

“He’s kind of the model of the tight ends in the league now: the athletic,
the pass-catching type,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. “The days of
the Mark Bavaros and those type guys, those guys are few and far between now.
… I think Dustin is more of the newer breed where you almost treat him as a
wideout.”

LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) played with one of the best tight ends in the game in
Antonio Gates(notes) while he was in San Diego. A former basketball player, Gates used
his size—he’s 6-foot-4, 260 pounds—to dominate opponents.

“Dustin, his speed, that’s one of the qualities that he possesses that’s
better than most tight ends,” Tomlinson said. “To be able to run down the
field or threaten people with his speed, his quick cuts in and out of breaks.”

That was on display last Sunday against Jacksonville, when Keller had six
catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

“He just demanded a lot of split-safety coverage and our wideouts knew
that,” Sanchez said. “Dustin was able to get free in there a couple of times
and make some great catches in some zones and sit down and find the football.
Our wideouts demand a lot of respect in the passing game, so it could be a good
day for Dustin when that happens.”

Keller has also been a clutch receiver this season, which is already shaping
up as a breakout year after leading the team with 55 catches a year ago. Nine of
his 11 receptions have gone for first downs.

“I feel really good, not just about any stats or anything like that,”
Keller said. “I feel like Mark is really playing his butt off. I feel like he’s
going out there and reading things out and finding the open man. They matched me
up on a linebacker last week, so more times than not, I was always the open man,
especially with the guys on the outside being doubled.”

When the Jets re-signed Holmes to be the team’s big-play threat and then
signed Burress and Mason, Keller didn’t worry about his catches diminishing. If
anything, he thought, those guys being on the field would make things easier for
him.

And he’s been right so far. Burress was held without a catch against
Jacksonville, the result of being double-teamed nearly the entire time when he
was out there.

“We still scored 30 points and I didn’t touch the football,” Burress said.
“I mean, Dustin Keller is too good for teams to play us like that. I think
that’s what they’ll find out if teams continue to do that.”

One of the biggest knocks on Keller coming out of college was his blocking
skills, something he has worked on a lot in the last few years. He has improved
to the point where he no longer needs to come off the field when the Jets run
the ball and need their tight end to hit someone.

“I’ve been able to get bigger in that area and step up my blocking and they
can’t overplay me on one thing,” Keller said. “Obviously, they still lean
toward the pass, but that just makes it easier for me in the running game to get
guys unexpectedly, get my hands in there and after I do that a couple of times,
run my route and it definitely plays to my advantage.”

And if teams start focusing on Keller and hold his reception numbers down,
starting with Oakland on Sunday, that’s OK with him.

“If I go out the next game or two games and have zero catches, but the
offense averages the next two games 500 yards of offense, who cares?” he said.
“We’re playing well, we’re moving the ball and we’re successful, and that’s all
that matters.”

Notes: Special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff has a lot of respect for
Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski(notes) and punter Shane Lechler(notes). “That’s Mantle
and Maris there,” he said. “Heavy hitters.” … Westhoff said kicker Nick
Folk(notes), punter T.J. Conley(notes) and long snapper Tanner Purdum(notes) practiced at the Newark
Bears’ baseball field to simulate the conditions of the Raiders’ O.co Coliseum,
which is shared by the Athletics. … CB Antonio Cromartie(notes) will continue to be
“the guy” on kickoff returns, with Joe McKnight(notes) backing him up.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Nick Mangold might have to sit this one out for the New York Jets.

An MRI exam Monday revealed that the All-Pro center has a high ankle sprain that could sideline him for at least this Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

“I would say his status for the game, I would assume, (is) very iffy,” coach Rex Ryan said. “I don’t think it looks very good as far as playing this week.”

Mangold injured his right ankle in the first quarter of the Jets’ 32-3 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday. He had just made a solid block on a 7-yard run by Shonn Greene when he went down as the Jaguars’ Daryl Smith rolled into his leg.

He limped into the locker room for X-rays, which were negative, but didn’t return. He left the stadium on crutches and his foot in a boot.

“Very frustrating,” Mangold said after the game. “It’s not what I want. It’s not what I expected. It’s difficult.”

High ankle sprains usually take a few weeks to heal, so it appears Mangold’s streak of starting all 82 regular-season games since he was drafted in 2006 is in serious jeopardy.

“He thinks he can go,” Ryan said. “We’ll see how it progresses. I wouldn’t count him out. He’s a tough guy, but the trainers will always do what’s in the best interest of the player and we’ll never put a guy out there that shouldn’t be out there. With that said, I think it’s iffy whether he plays or not, with all due respect to Nick.”

Mangold was replaced by rookie Colin Baxter, an undrafted free agent originally signed by San Diego. Baxter will likely get the start if Mangold can’t go, as expected.

“It’s crazy, man,” Baxter said. “It just goes to show that if you just keep working at it, you’ll get your shot.”

Ryan said Baxter did “a great job” after having to take over as the center against Jacksonville, despite having not practiced snapping to quarterback Mark Sanchez until a few on the sideline just before he entered the game. There was one bad snap early, but Baxter otherwise seemed to play well.

“He stepped in and did the best he could with the position he was in,” right guard Brandon Moore said.

Baxter was signed by the Chargers out of the University of Arizona, where he was regarded one of the top prospects at his position, was waived on Sept. 3 and claimed by the Jets the next day. He said he’ll lean on Mangold and the rest of the offensive linemen as well as offensive line coach Bill Callahan this week and prepare as if he’s going to start.

“I’ve got to do a lot this week,” Baxter said. “I’ve been doing a lot out there with Coach after practice, working on sets and technique. I’m in there with Rob (Turner) after meetings, going over books and going over it at home, here, the hotel.”

Starting left guard Matt Slauson would be Baxter’s backup Sunday if Mangold doesn’t play. Baxter is actually the team’s third-string center behind Mangold and the injured Turner, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Jets will look elsewhere to find a veteran center to fill in for Mangold.

“I’m comfortable with the guys we have,” Ryan said. “I feel good about who we have.”

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