NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 30, 2015 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Fitzpatrick throws 2 TD passes, Cromartie scores on INT (Tom Canavan)... 2 Jets 1st-rounder Leonard Williams leaves with knee injury (Dennis Waszak)... 3 NEWSDAY... 3 Jets quarterback Bryce Petty learns a pizza lesson (Edward B. Colby)... 3 Jeremy Kerley not guaranteed to start for Jets (Kimberley A. Martin)... 4 Jets have well-rounded win, but rookie Leonard Williams hurts knee (Kimberley A. Martin)... 5 THE RECORD... 6 Jets bring A game in win over Giants (J.P. Pelzman)... 6 NEW YORK TIMES... 7 Ryan Fitzpatrick Finds Rhythm as Jets Offense Shows a Pulse (Ben Shpigel)... 7 ESPN NEW YORK... 9 Nick Mangold s 911 call helps end burglary spree in New Jersey (Rich Cimini)... 9 Ryan Fitzpatrick & Co. look sharp in win over Giants (Rich Cimini)... 9 Antonio Cromartie, Walt Powell deliver big plays in Jets win (Rich Cimini) Jets rookie Leonard Williams to have MRI on injured knee (Rich Cimini) Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ends preseason with calming performance (Rich Cimini) NEW YORK POST Takeaways from Jets training camp and one is worrisome (Brian Costello) Jets dismantle Giants as offense, Cromartie put on a clinic (Brian Costello) Jets key defensive cog exits game with knee injury (Brian Costello) NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Chris Ivory so fired up about Jets-Giants Snoopy Bowl (Dom Cosentino) Will Jets keep a fullback? (Dom Cosentino) Analyzing how Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick played vs. Giants, as he again had no turnovers (Darryl Slater) observations of Jets first-team offense vs. Giants, as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Co. look better (Darryl Slater) Antonio Cromartie pick-6 of Eli Manning highlights Jets defense vs. Giants (Dom Cosentino) Jets takeaways from win over Giants: How serious is Leonard Williams knee injury? (Dom Cosentino). 21 Brandon Marshall tempers praise for Jets offense vs. Giants: We have a lot of games to go (Darryl Slater) Jets think Leonard Williams knee is just bruised (Dom Cosentino) Jets Darrelle Revis on Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. s catch: It didn t count, man (Jordan Raanan) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS P a g e

2 Ryan Fitzpatrick shows he can be Jets guy at QB (Manish Mehta) Jets center Nick Mangold helps police end burglary spree in N.J. (Seth Walder) Ryan Fitzpatrick and Antonio Cromartie lead Jets over Giants for Snoopy Bowl victory (Seth Walder) METRO NEW YORK Jets third preseason game is a lot more important than you think (Kristian Dyer) Jets Bryce Petty needs a crash course in ordering pizza in New York City (Kristian Dyer) Jets Devin Smith had his own Odell Beckham Jr. catch (Kristian Dyer) Three things we learned in the Jets preseason win over the Giants (Kristian Dyer) Jets training camp: whose stock is up, whose is down? (Kristian Dyer) FRIDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Fitzpatrick throws 2 TD passes, Cromartie scores on INT (Tom Canavan) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes and Antonio Cromartie scored on a 59-yard interception return in the waning seconds of the first half in a win over the Giants Saturday in the annual preseason game for the New York bragging rights. After struggling in place of the injured Geno Smith in the first two preseason games, Fitzpatrick hit 9 of 14 passes for 127 yards. He threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker and added a 24-yarder on a screen pass to Zac Stacy as the Jets (2-1) showed balance on offense. Rashad Jennings scored on a 1-yard run for the Giants (1-2), whose first-team offense has produced 10 points in 12 preseason possessions. Eli Manning (12 of 16 for 90 yards) was having a good half until Cromartie stepped in front of James Jones and scored with 6 seconds left in the half. Coaches Todd Bowles and Tom Coughlin rested most of their starters after the first half. Punt returner Walter Powell supplied the biggest highlight of the second half, returning a punt by Robert Malone 54 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Josh Brown kicked a 48-yard field goal for the Giants on the opening possession of the second half. Ryan Nassib threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Cunningham and a 2-point pass to Julian Talley with 7:31 to play. The teams will play again in a regular-season game on Dec. 6. The Jets did more on both sides of the ball than the Giants. They established a running game, picking up 67 yards on 14 carries in the first half. The Giants were limited to 37 yards on 14 carries and their only drive of significance was a 14-play, 85 yard drive that was kept alive by two Jets penalties. The Giants' defense once again had trouble on crossing patterns and it had a major blown coverage on the screen pass to Stacy. He caught it and there was nothing in front of him but turf. Jets first-round draft pick Leonard Williams sustained a knee injury in the first half and did not return. 2 P a g e

3 The No. 6 overall pick out of Southern California is expected to be a major part of Bowles' defense. He has been starting in place of Sheldon Richardson, who is suspended for the first four games of the regular season after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Jets 1st-rounder Leonard Williams leaves with knee injury (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets are hoping Leonard Williams won't be sidelined for long with a knee injury. The first-round draft pick left the Jets' preseason victory over the Giants in the first half Saturday night. A bone bruise is a possibility, but the Jets will know more after the defensive lineman has an MRI exam Sunday. Until then, the Jets will keep their fingers crossed for positive news. Coach Todd Bowles was uncertain of Williams' status, but defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said he texted with Williams after the game. "He said he's good," Wilkerson said assuredly. It wasn't certain when Williams was injured, but he was seen limping slightly as he walked behind the end zone and to the Jets' locker room after the Giants kicked off following a touchdown with 3:53 left in the first half. He never returned to the sideline after halftime, and was receiving treatment in the trainer's room long after the game was over. Williams, the No. 6 overall pick out of Southern California, is expected to be a major part of Bowles' defense. He has been starting for the Jets in place of Sheldon Richardson, who is suspended for the first four games of the regular season after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Williams had one tackle against the Giants before leaving the game. He had a breakout performance last week against Atlanta, when he had 1 1/2 sacks, including a safety. NOTES: RB Bilal Powell left briefly in the first half with a right ankle injury, but returned to the game. He finished with two rushes for 12 yards, and added an 8-yard reception.... LB Jamari Lattimore left in the third quarter with a knee injury, but also returned.... LB Calvin Pace sat out with a groin injury. NEWSDAY Jets quarterback Bryce Petty learns a pizza lesson (Edward B. Colby) Newsday He hasn't played a regular-season NFL game yet, but New York Jets rookie quarterback Bryce Petty has already learned an important lesson about the team's fan base. Don't put your pizza preferences out there. 3 P a g e

4 It all began Thursday night, when Petty, 24, tweeted enthusiastically about the convenience of ordering from a certain national pizza chain. "NYC has the best pizza in the world. Time to fire #dominos. Any NYer will tell you that's not pizza," a sports fan from Albany. "never order dominos. This isn't Houston buddy," the "NY Sports Guy." In college, Petty played for the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas. The Jets drafted him in the fourth round earlier this year. "Jesus has placed you among the finest pizzerias in the country yet you choose dominos? Why do you reject His Love? Open ur Ad told Petty, whose Twitter profile alludes to his Christian faith. Among the many dishing advice who told Petty simply, "No, dude. Just no. Go to a New York spot and get a real slice." The Jets QB has gotten some support. Petty's tweet has been favorited more than 150 times as of Saturday told him he was "preaching to the choir! #facts domino's is stepping their game up!" When one Jets fan said it was a "shame" that the pie in question was from Domino's, Petty replied, "Uhm what... Clearly you don't know pizza" -- bringing more backlash. A little more than an hour after his initial comment, Petty backed down. Petty seems to be taking things in stride, tweeting Friday, "my first altercation with fans is over pizza... I guess it could be worse." Domino's was at the ready with an offer 45 minutes later. "Keep the fans happy, but there's no NY slice on the road, advantage Domino's," the chain wrote. "DM us, we got your road game pizza fix covered." Jeremy Kerley not guaranteed to start for Jets (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday Todd Bowles insisted Jeremy Kerley isn't in his doghouse. But it's evident the veteran slot receiver hasn't won over his new head coach. "You have to earn your spot on this team," the Jets coach said in a recent one-on-one with Newsday. "I'm not giving nobody anything -- I don't care who it is. He's one of those people that's in a dogfight to earn his spot." The curious case of Kerley -- the resident starter who has been overshadowed by little-known guys like Quincy Enunwa, Chris Owusu and Shaq Evans -- has been as noticeable a narrative as any other in Florham Park these days. Kerley, a 2011 fifth-round pick, signed a four-year, $16-million deal last season but his resume seems to have had little effect on Bowles. There were rumblings that Kerley's slip down the depth chart had something to do with his absence during voluntary practices and his Achilles injury this offseason. But while the Jets' coach downplayed the importance of Kerley's offseason absences, he stressed the importance of putting in work at all times. 4 P a g e

5 "You just know that when everybody's here, you better stand out if you're a starter," Bowles said. "If you're a starter and you miss voluntary workouts, when you come back, you've gotta be rolling. And if not, you won't be starting for too long." During Saturday night's Snoopy Bowl Kerley was inactive due to a concussion he suffered last week against Atlanta. Bowles said he knows Kerley's "a very good route runner" who has "very good hands." But his injuries have opened the door. "So, right now, it's almost survival of the fittest," he said, of naming a third receiver. "And I'll probably go down to the last weekend [before I make a decision]." Jets have well-rounded win, but rookie Leonard Williams hurts knee (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday The Jets might have won the dog-shaped trophy they so coveted. But they might have suffered a big loss in the process. Jets rookie defensive end Leonard Williams was forced to leave Saturday night's preseason win over the Giants with a knee injury. Williams -- the sixth overall pick in this year's draft -- limped off the field in the second quarter and made his way to the locker room with a member of the team's medical staff. It was initially announced that Williams was questionable to return to the game, but the rookie never made it back. Surprisingly, the Jets didn't need the help of the 6-5, 302-pound defensive end to pick apart the rival Giants. Instead, all it took was a balanced attack by Todd Bowles' team, including an Antonio Cromartie pick-6 against Eli Manning, a leaping touchdown by backup running back Zac Stacy and a 54-yd puntreturn for a touchdown by Walter Powell. But it was running back Chris Ivory and receiver Eric Decker who got the Jets' offense rolling first. Ivory rushed for 35 yards on the Jets' second drive of the game, setting the stage for an 11-yard, third-down completion to Brandon Marshall, followed by a 25-yard TD pass to Decker from Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Giants tied the sore in the second quarter on a 1-yard TD run by Rashad Jennings. But it didn't take long for the Jets to regain the lead. Fitzpatrick hit a wide-open Stacy, who then scampered 24 yards to the house and capped the scoring play with a head-first somersault into the end zone. But Cromartie provided one of the top highlights when he easily picked off Manning (12-for-16, 90 yards, two sacks) and ran 59 yards for the TD. The last Jet to return an interception for a touchdown vs. the Giants in the preseason was safety Darrol Ray (off of quarterback Scott Brunner) in The Jets' starters played just the first half, but it was all they needed to jump out to a double-digit lead on the Giants. 5 P a g e

6 And despite some ill-advised penalties (including two on linebacker Demario Davis on the Jennings scoring drive), the Jets' starting defense held its own and gave Manning and the Giants offense fits. Tom Coughlin's backups made things interesting in the fourth quarter, though. Backup quarterback Ryan Nassib threw a 6-yard TD pass to Jerome Cunningham and connected with Julian Talley on the two-point conversion to pull the Giants to within with 7:31 remaining. But that's as close as they would get. The selection of the former USC stud was considered a potential coup for first-year general manager Mike Maccagnan. But his role on defense became all the more critical after third-year defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was suspended the first four games of the season for multiple failed drug tests. Richardson also is awaiting additional punishment from the league after he was arrested in Missouri on July 14. THE RECORD Jets bring A game in win over Giants (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 30, EAST RUTHERFORD Antonio Cromartie often has been beaten for long completions during training-camp practices, but the veteran cornerback said earlier this month that he was trying out different things during practice, and he would be ready when the "lights turned on." Perhaps he was right. Cromartie's 59-yard pick-six off Eli Manning with six seconds left in the first half turned the lights out for the Giants' first-stringers and also capped off a solid showing by the Jets' starters on both sides of the ball. The play gave the Jets a 14-point halftime lead and they cruised to a victory in their annual August battle against their rivals at MetLife Stadium. There was one glitch, however. Prized rookie defensive end Leonard Williams, the sixth overall selection in this year's NFL Draft, left the game with a knee injury. A source said there is a possibility it is a bone bruise, but cautioned that diagnosis was only a preliminary one. That would be better than ligament damage, for instance, but the Jets won't know the exact severity until Williams undergoes an MRI today. Williams is being counted on heavily by the Jets because star defensive end Sheldon Richardson will miss the first four games because of an NFL-imposed suspension for substance abuse. On the positive side, fellow end Muhammad Wilkerson returned after missing the first two preseason games because of a hamstring injury. Wilkerson appeared to be his usual sturdy self in somewhat limited action and said afterward he felt good. In the traditional dress-rehearsal game for the regular season, Gang Green's regulars put on what was easily their best showing of the preseason. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who inherited the starting quarterback when Geno Smith's jaw was fractured earlier this month, was sharp. He completed 9 of 14 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. "This was a nice tune-up for us," said Fitzpatrick. When asked if he would like to play in the preseason finale against Philadelphia on Thursday, he said, "I think I've kind of accomplished everything I wanted to check off" during the preseason. But he added he would be "onboard" with whatever the coaches decide. 6 P a g e

7 Cromartie took advantage of an apparent miscommunication between wideout James Jones and Manning, and an awful decision by Manning, who should have thrown the ball away instead of trying to force it to Jones. Cromartie cut in front of Jones and sailed untouched to the end zone for a 21-7 lead. "I thought we made some strides today," first-year coach Todd Bowles said shortly after posing with the Snoopy Trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual game. "We started fast this week." He cautioned, however, that "we've got a ways to go." He was noncommittal over whether any of the starters would suit up against the Eagles. His predecessor, Rex Ryan, always sat his starters in the preseason finale. BRIEFS: ILB Demario Davis was flagged for pass interference and holding on the Giants' lone touchdown drive. Both plays converted third downs for Big Blue. Second-string RB Bilal Powell limped off with an ankle injury after a 2-yard run late in the first quarter, but returned to the game. Reserve RB Zac Stacy turned a short pass from Fitzpatrick into a 24-yard score, leaping over a defender at the goal line. Fitzpatrick's other touchdown was an 18-yarder to Eric Decker. WR Walt Powell, who is fighting for a roster spot, returned a punt 54 yards for a third-quarter touchdown. CB Darrelle Revis was asked about the one-handed catch Odell Beckham Jr. made that was out of bounds. "It didn't count, man," he said. "It didn't count." Beckham finished with five catches for 31 yards. NEW YORK TIMES Ryan Fitzpatrick Finds Rhythm as Jets Offense Shows a Pulse (Ben Shpigel) New York Times EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Every day, Ryan Fitzpatrick says, his connection with the Jets receivers gets a little better. Their timing improves, their relationships blossom, and their tendencies become more and more familiar to one another. The next two weeks will be critical. That is how much time Fitzpatrick has to develop harmony before the regular season, when his misfires will be magnified. Fitzpatrick s performance in his final preseason appearance, a victory over the Giants at MetLife Stadium, resembled that of his team: encouraging, if inconclusive. On a night when the Jets also scored touchdowns on defense and special teams, it augured well that Fitzpatrick, thrust into the starting role less than three weeks ago after Geno Smith sustained a broken jaw when he was slugged by a teammate, engineered two scoring drives on their first four possessions. He completed six of nine passes to his top two receivers: Eric Decker, who slipped behind coverage to snare an 18-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and Brandon Marshall. The older guys got to prove they can still play, Coach Todd Bowles said, adding of Fitzpatrick, He proved that tonight. All Fitzpatrick wanted to accomplish Saturday, he said, was to lead productive drives plenty of first downs, some touchdowns, hardly any penalties or debilitating mistakes. 7 P a g e

8 On his five series, the Jets gained first downs on all but the last, with five receivers catching passes, and they did not commit their first penalty they had two with Fitzpatrick at quarterback until late in the first half. It was the Giants who lapsed, botching their coverage in the end zone on Decker s touchdown and failing to account for Zac Stacy on a screen pass that he turned into a 24-yard score. That was the final completion for Fitzpatrick, who went 9 of 14 for 127 yards and two touchdowns before giving way in the second half to the rookie Bryce Petty, who was 5 of 8 for 42 yards. In three preseason games, a Jets quarterback has yet to throw an interception. I ve gotten everything accomplished that I kind of wanted to get checked off in the preseason, Fitzpatrick said, adding: When the season comes along, it s going to be a whole lot different out there in terms of the intensity, the type of defense, the schemes, all the different blitzes. It ll be different, but this was a nice tuneup. Fitzpatrick outshined his counterpart on the Giants, Eli Manning, who is trying to become comfortable with his own receivers. Until Saturday night, Manning had not completed a pass this preseason to Odell Beckham Jr., who failed to grab any of the five thrown his way last week against Jacksonville. Finding space in the Jets coverage, Beckham caught five passes for 31 yards, and if not for a foot that landed out of bounds, he would have hauled in a spectacular one-hander on the sideline against Darrelle Revis. It didn t count, man, Revis said. Didn t count. Manning completed 12 of 16 passes for 91 yards, but his final attempt was his worst. Moving up in the pocket, Manning apparently did not see Antonio Cromartie, who broke in front of James Jones and returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown with six seconds remaining before halftime, giving the Jets a 21-7 lead. The third game is usually the most meaningful of the preseason schedule, showcasing the starters before they most of them, anyway spend the finale on Thursday watching from the sideline. After sluggish starts in their first two exhibition games, the Jets harbored modest goals against the Giants. It would be reassuring, they felt, if Fitzpatrick could lead the starters to a touchdown against the firststring defense, something he had yet to do this preseason. And it would be doubly soothing, they felt, if the Jets defense their supposed strength could manage not to allow a long scoring drive on the first series, as it had against Detroit and Atlanta. Buoyed by consistent pressure up front and a stingier rush defense highlighted by the return of Muhammad Wilkerson, who returned to practice last week after missing three weeks with a hamstring injury the Jets forced three punts and a turnover on Manning s five full first-half possessions. The only blemish was a 1-yard touchdown run by Rashad Jennings, capping a 14-play, 85-yard drive aided by two penalties in coverage by Jets linebacker Demario Davis, and even then the Jets offset the touchdown with Cromartie s interception. I just felt like we made progress, Bowles said. Our goal is to make progress each week. We try to get better at something. We tried to start fast. We started faster this week. Bowles was so incensed with the Jets lack of discipline against the Falcons in the previous week, when they committed 17 penalties, that he instituted sprints if they were flagged more than five times during practice. That they had eight more against the Giants frustrated him, though he was impressed by Walter Powell, who is trying to emerge from a crowded pack of receivers. 8 P a g e

9 Powell is not as polished as other candidates, like Chris Owusu or Quincy Enunwa, but he is valuable on special teams, and he scored on a 54-yard punt return. Powell is likely to get one final opportunity on Thursday, when the Jets finish the preseason at home against Philadelphia. Bowles said he had not decided who would play, but if his starters will not dress again until the Sept. 13 opener against Cleveland, he sounded pleased with their progress so far. I feel like we ve grown quite a bit, Bowles said. EXTRA POINTS The rookie defensive end LEONARD WILLIAMS left the game with a knee injury. He was scheduled for testing on Sunday, but TODD BOWLES said he did not have any other information on Williams s condition.... Giants defensive end ROBERT AYERS sustained an ankle injury in warm-ups and did not play.... The new rule pushing extra points back to the 15-yard line claimed Jets kicker NICK FOLK, who missed wide right in the second quarter. ESPN NEW YORK Nick Mangold s 911 call helps end burglary spree in New Jersey (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York New York Jets Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold threw his most memorable block of the summer at his home in New Jersey, stopping burglary suspects from breaking into his car and helping end a crime spree in his neighborhood. Mangold called 911 at 5:30 a.m. last Sunday after hearing his car alarm and noticing his garage door open, according to police. A short time later, police stopped a vehicle in the area and took five suspects into custody. It appears Mangold's quick thinking could have helped solve a rash of burglaries in the area of Chatham, New Jersey, a few miles from the Jets' practice facility. Recently there has been 48 burglaries of unlocked cars. Richard W. Isaacs, 19, of Orange, and Leonard Watts, 18, of Newark, face charges including burglary and theft. They were being held on $50,000 bail, according to ABC-Channel 7. Three juveniles, all of Essex County, also were charged with burglary and theft. One was held at Morris County Juvenile Detention Facility, and the other two were released to their parents. Mangold, 31, is one of the longest-tenured Jets. The former first-round pick (2006) has played in six Pro Bowls. Ryan Fitzpatrick & Co. look sharp in win over Giants (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York P a g e

10 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Jets' win over the New York Giants. What it means: The biggest takeaway was the crisp performance of Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets' starting offense. With a nice run-pass balance, they produced touchdown drives of 64 and 77 yards -- a major improvement over the previous two games. The Fitzpatrick-led unit generated 194 total yards in the first half, as it displayed a more aggressive passing attack than in past weeks. Fitzpatrick (9-for-14, 127 yards) threw touchdown passes to Eric Decker (18 yards) and Zac Stacy (24), the latter on a screen pass aided by a busted coverage. Three of Fitzpatrick's incomplete passes came on shots downfield. After a tumultuous training camp (see: Geno Smith, broken jaw), this was a much-needed jolt of something good. Injuries of note: Rookie defensive end Leonard Williams suffered a knee injury in the first half and didn't return. Uh, oh. The Jets can't afford to lose their No. 1 pick because he's expected to start for Sheldon Richardson, who is facing a four-game suspension. Grizzled vet Stephen Bowen, thought to be on the roster bubble, would be the next man up. Williams was having a quiet game, but he flashed his talent last week, recording 1.5 sacks. His injury came on a night in which Muhammad Wilkerson made his debut after missing two games with a hamstring injury. Wilkerson didn't play every down, but he was fairly active in his return, recording a half-sack. Play of the Game: Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who didn't have a particularly sharp training camp, answered critics by scoring on a 59-yard interception return in the second quarter. Cromartie jumped a slant route to James Jones, reading it perfectly. Eli Manning's throw was slightly off the mark, and Cromartie made him pay, giving the Jets a 21-7 lead. Reports of Cromartie's demise apparently were exaggerated. Stat of Note: The starting offense finished the preseason with 12 possessions -- eight punts, three touchdowns and one field goal. Fitzpatrick's numbers: 24-for-36 (67 percent), 261 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That's a passer rating. That's encouraging, for sure, but remember: Stats mean nothing in the preseason. The defense shows up (finally): After a couple of shaky outings, the starting defense played well against Manning & Co., holding the Giants' first-team offense to only seven points. Aside from one bad drive (14 plays, 85 yards), the defense eliminated the bad tackling and blown coverages that hurt them in the first two games. There were still some penalty issues (Demario Davis had two costly flags), but the overall performance was its best showing of the summer. It didn't allow a play longer than 19 yards, holding Odell Beckham, Jr. to five non-descript catches. Not that we're keeping score, but...: Now that the starters are done for the preseason, let's tally up the points. The Jets were outscored, 31-24, when their starters were on the field (not counting a touchdown drive last week against backups). Give that man a job: Walter Powell helped his chances of making the team with a 54-yard touchdown on a punt return. One thing we know for certain: He's a better punt returner than Decker. Without Jeremy Kerley (concussion), the Jets let Decker return punts -- a bad decision on multiple levels. Do you really want a $7 million-a-year receiver returning punts in the preseason? The experiment ended when Decker muffed a punt near his goal line. Enter, Powell. Best mistake Decker ever made. What's next: It's time to pare the roster from 90 to 75. The deadline is Tuesday. After that, the Jets can focus on their final preseason game, a chance for the backups to get work and marginal players to make one last push for a roster spot. They host the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, which means former Jets quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow will be in the building. Ah, nostalgia. 10 P a g e

11 Antonio Cromartie, Walt Powell deliver big plays in Jets win (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Here are some highs and lows in terms of individual performances from the New York Jets' win over the New York Giants (without the benefit of film review): HIGHS Antonio Cromartie, cornerback -- The whispers started early in training camp, when Cromartie got burned a few times on the practice field. Don't worry, he insisted, it's just practice. (Insert Allen Iverson voice.) Maybe Cromartie was right. He made the defensive play of the night, returning an Eli Manning interception for a touchdown yards. Walter Powell, punt returner -- The Jets' third-string punt returner -- yes, third! -- made one of the biggest plays of the night, scoring on a 54-yard return. Well, well, this makes things interesting. The job belongs to Jeremy Kerley -- or so we thought. Kerley's fall on the wide-receiver depth chart, coupled with Powell's breakout performance, could create options for the decision makers. Kerley sat with a concussion. Trevor Reilly, linebacker -- Starting for the injured Calvin Pace (groin), the second-year linebacker may have cemented a place on the 53-man roster. He's not the most athletically gifted player, but he plays almost as fast as Sheldon Richardson drives. Reilly recorded a half-sack and had at least one quarterback pressure. He deserves to be on the team. LOWS Leonard Williams, defensive end -- His night ended early with a knee injury, the severity of which wasn't immediately available. This would be a crushing loss for the Jets, who are counting on their talented No. 1 pick to hold the fort while Richardson serves his four-game suspension. With no Richardson and no Williams, the Jets' potentially fearsome defensive line would be merely good, a couple of notches below special. Demario Davis, linebacker -- He contributed to the Giants' first scoring drive, committing pass-interference and holding penalties in the span of a few plays. Clearly, he needs to brush up on his technique and ball awareness. Davis has the tools to be very good in coverage; he has to play smarter than that. Nick Folk, kicker -- In eight seasons, Folk never has missed an extra point for-292. But now the PAT has been moved back, making it a 33-yard conversion -- and Folk missed in the second quarter. It probably was just a hiccup, but those kind of hiccups can lead to a serious case of indigestion during the regular season. Jets rookie Leonard Williams to have MRI on injured knee (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Jets rookie Leonard Williams will undergo an MRI exam on Sunday to determine the severity of a knee injury from Saturday night's victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. 11 P a g e

12 A postgame X-ray was negative and the initial feeling is that it's bone bruise, not a major injury, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported. Coach Todd Bowles didn't provide any details after the game; the team will wait until the MRI confirms the injury before announcing a diagnosis. Asked if he's concerned, Bowles said, "We'll wait until tomorrow and see before I make a judgment on that." The Jets' No. 1 pick was injured in the first half and didn't return. He was taken immediately to the locker room. It was unclear how he got hurt, and no one in the locker room was willing to provide details. Obviously, it would be a huge blow if Williams is lost for a significant period of time. It would be a double whammy for the Jets, who won't have defensive end Sheldon Richardson for the first four games due to a drug suspension. They're counting on Williams, the sixth pick in the draft, to fill Richardson's spot. Williams was having a quiet game when he got hurt, but he flashed his talent last week against the Atlanta Falcons, recording 1.5 sacks (including a safety). If he's sidelined, he probably would be replaced by Leger Douzable or Stephen Bowen. Williams' injury came on a night in which the Jets welcomed back Muhammad Wilkerson, who missed the first two games with a pulled hamstring. Afterward, Wilkerson reported that he didn't suffer any setbacks. He started the game and played most of the first half, finishing with three tackles and a half-sack. "I'm fine, I just need reps, that's all," Wilkerson said. "I've been getting good reps in practice and I got good reps tonight." The Jets were thought to have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line, but things change quickly in the NFL. Richardson was suspended, Wilkerson got hurt, Wilkerson returned and Williams got hurt. Nose tackle is the only position that hasn't changed. It has been Damon Harrison since Day 1. Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ends preseason with calming performance (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Handing out a game ball for the New York Jets' win over the New York Giants in preseason action Saturday night at MetLife Stadium: Ryan Fitzpatrick, quarterback: He delivered his best performance of the preseason, throwing two touchdowns in two quarters of work. Fitzpatrick (9-for-14, 127 yards) took a few more chances than he did last week, trying three deep balls. He didn't connect on any, but he stretched the Giants' suspect secondary, creating holes in the short and intermediate range. Recapping his preseason, Fitzpatrick instilled confidence in those around him, showing he can lead the offense just as well as Geno Smith -- and perhaps better. Fitzpatrick made it through three games (roughly four quarters of work) with no turnover. Repeat: No turnovers. That is the single-most important statistic for the Jets' quarterback position. If he can manage the game without committing a Geno-esque number of turnovers, the Jets have a chance to challenge for a playoff spot. His job is to get the ball in the hands of the playmakers, and he did that against the Giants, completing three passes apiece to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. 12 P a g e

13 Let's not go crazy here, folks. The Giants' secondary is awful (Decker was fairly wide open on his 18-yard touchdown catch), so perspective is important. But, all things considered, the Jets don't have to panic about their quarterback situation. Not every team can say that after losing its starter. NEW YORK POST 5 Takeaways from Jets training camp and one is worrisome (Brian Costello) New York Post The Jets wrapped up an eventful training camp this week, the first one under new coach Todd Bowles. Camp started with the news of Sheldon Richardson s arrest, featured The Battle of Broken Jaw that sidelined Geno Smith and even had some actual football. Here are five takeaways from the Jets training camp: 1. Bowles is no-nonsense. The new Jets coach is not a screamer at practice, but he made it clear he has a low tolerance for poor effort or behavior. He had the team run sprints three times in the middle of practice once for an ugly practice, once for fighting and once for too many penalties. Bowles showed he is ready for the job in the way he handled the two crises of camp. With Richardson, Bowles showed just enough anger mixed with compassion for a player who clearly has maturity issues. When Smith was punched by IK Enemkpali, Bowles immediately cut Enemkpali but did not totally excuse Smith s role in the episode either. Will this translate to wins? We ll find out, but for now it was impressive to see how Bowles dealt with difficult situations. 2. Running back Chris Ivory looks primed for a big year if the coaches give him the ball. Ivory has eclipsed 800 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Jets. With more carries this year, he could go over 1,000. Ivory always has been able to run over tacklers and get loose, but he has shown more speed during this training camp. The previous coaching staff hesitated to give Ivory the ball too much. One concern was his injury history, but he has been pretty healthy as a Jet. The other worry they had was about his deficiencies as a pass blocker and receiver. But Ivory appears to have worked hard in those areas, showing improvement in camp. 3. The Jets defense appears loaded on paper, but one player I d be worried about is cornerback Antonio Cromartie. It made for a nice story when the Jets brought him back to play opposite Darrelle Revis, but Cromartie has struggled in camp. The 31-year-old could be on the downside or maybe he will turn it on once the regular season gets here, like he has said. Cromartie was terrible in 2013, his last year as a Jet, but he rebounded last season in Arizona with Bowles. The coach obviously believes in Cromartie enough to bring him with him to the Jets. Now, we ll see if that belief was ill-advised. 13 P a g e

14 4. The hype about Leonard Williams at draft time looks like it was right. The rookie from USC has been in the backfield all camp. He is an explosive athlete who has good instincts. You could tell he was thinking too much early in training camp as he tried to learn the defense, but has looked more and more comfortable as time has gone on. With Richardson suspended for the first four games of the season and Muhammad Wilkerson nursing a hamstring injury for most of camp, Williams has gotten a ton of reps. He should be ahead of where most rookies are when the season comes. Watch out for some big plays from the Big Cat. 5. Everyone is going to focus on quarterback as the biggest area for concern with this team and rightfully so. But tight end has to be right behind it. Jeff Cumberland is back as the starter after an underwhelming Jace Amaro, whom the team drafted in the second round last year, was buried on the depth chart at No. 3 before spraining his shoulder and missing the final two weeks of camp. Who knows where he will be when he gets back? Kellen Davis is the blocking tight end and had three penalties in one preseason game. Where have you gone Mickey Shuler? Jets dismantle Giants as offense, Cromartie put on a clinic (Brian Costello) New York Post It s not the trophy Jets fans have been waiting 4 ¹/₂ decades to win again, but the Snoopy Trophy will have to do for now. The Jets brought home the dog after a win against the crosstown rival Giants on Saturday night in front of 75,235 fans at MetLife Stadium. The Jets starters looked good in their final preseason outing. Most of the starters will sit out the preseason finale next week against the Eagles. That means the next time they will be on the field will be Sept. 13, when the Browns come to town and the game counts. The starters put together their best performance of the preseason, playing the entire first half. The offense had two touchdown drives and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick went 9-of-14 for 127 yards and threw for two touchdowns, for a rating of Running back Chris Ivory had six carries for 38 yards and Eric Decker snagged a touchdown. On defense, the Jets allowed one touchdown by the Giants starting offense. They helped the Giants put together an 85-yard drive by committing three penalties, two by linebacker Demario Davis. Antonio Cromartie got to the end zone, returning an Eli Manning interception 59 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. The biggest concern of the game for the Jets was the health of rookie defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who left in the second quarter with a knee injury. The severity was not immediately known. The Jets outgained the Giants when the starters were in. They scored on their second drive of the game, thanks to a heavy dose of Ivory, who had a tremendous training camp. Ivory gained 35 yards on five carries on the drive to set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to Decker for a 7-0 lead. The Giants tied the game with a 14-play, 85-yard drive to start the second quarter. On the drive, Jets linebacker Trevor Reilly jumped offside and Davis picked up a pass-interference penalty as well as a defensive holding penalty, both on third down plays. The last Davis penalty set the Giants up at the 1-yard line, and Rashad Jennings broke through for the score to make it P a g e

15 When the Jets got the ball back, they used a nice mix of run and pass to move down the field. Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy ran well in relief of Ivory. Fitzpatrick connected with Brandon Marshall and Decker to move the ball down the field. Fitzpatrick connected with Stacy on a screen pass that Stacy took 24 yards to the end zone, jumping into the end zone. Kicker Nick Folk missed the extra point. The Jets offense was perfectly balanced in the first half with 14 passes and 14 rushes as coordinator Chan Gailey used a nice mix of plays. The defense got into the scoring act just before halftime, when Cromartie jumped in front of a Manning pass intended for James Jones and took it 59 yards for the score. Stacy s 2-point conversion run made it Cromartie has had a rough training camp, so the pick-six was a good sign for the Jets that maybe it was just him being bored with practice but ready to turn it on in the games. Both Cromartie and Darrelle Revis spent time covering Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who finished with 31 receiving yards on five catches. Beckham s most spectacular catch came over Revis, a one-handed grab along the sideline that was ruled an incompletion when his feet did not come down in bounds. Walter Powell gave the special teams a big play with a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter. Jets key defensive cog exits game with knee injury (Brian Costello) New York Post August 30, The worst sight of the night for the Jets was first-round pick Leonard Williams walking to the locker room in the second quarter. Williams left the game with a knee injury and did not return, but it sounds like the injury is not serious. The Jets think it could be a bone bruise, but won t know for sure until he undergoes an MRI exam Sunday. If Williams is lost for any length of time, it is a huge blow for the Jets, who were counting on him to start while Sheldon Richardson serves his four-game suspension. Williams, drafted No. 6 overall, was having a nice preseason for the Jets. He recorded 1 ½ sacks last week against the Falcons and seemed to be improving with each passing day. Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said Williams told him he is fine. CB Darrelle Revis did not sound overly impressed with Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. The two were not matched up on every play, but did see some action against one another. It was what it was, Revis said of the matchup. We won the game. Beckham s biggest highlight against Revis was actually an incompletion. Beckham caught the ball with one hand along the sideline, but his feet were out of bounds. It didn t count man, Revis said. Didn t count. Linebacker Demario Davis had a rough night. He whiffed on a tackle of Giants running back Shane Vereen that resulted in 19-yard gain and then committed two huge penalties. He was whistled for pass interference against Giants tight end Adrien Robinson on third-and-8 that extended the drive. Davis was flagged again on third-and-goal from the 2 when he was called for holding against Robinson. 15 P a g e

16 Coach Todd Bowles said he was more upset about the missed tackle than the penalties and spoke to Davis about it. He has a high standard for me, Davis said. I have a high standard for myself. He [doesn t] want me out there missing tackles. Nick Folk may not be a fan of the new extra-point rule. Folk missed an attempt on the Jets second touchdown of the game. The NFL moved the extra point back so that it is now a 33-yard attempt. The usually sure-thing Folk missed from the distance for the first time. With Jeremy Kerley (concussion) sidelined, the Jets had Eric Decker returning punts. That seemed like a bad decision from the start, considering you re risking your No. 2 receiver on return duty. Then, Decker muffed a punt in the second quarter and it really looked like a bad decision. Walter Powell returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Decker s return days may be over. NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Chris Ivory so fired up about Jets-Giants Snoopy Bowl (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media Jets running back Chris Ivory hadn't tweeted in more than a year. Until this week. Something about Saturday night's meaningless Snoopy Bowl preseason game against the Giants really has Ivory pumped. Pretty much every day this week, Ivory busted out his Snoopy plush toy and tweeted up a storm: 16 P a g e

17 It's almost as if this game actually matters. Almost. #Snoopylife Will Jets keep a fullback? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media Among the many roster decisions the Jets' coaching staff must make in the next seven days is whether a fullback will be a part of their new-look spread offense under coordinator Chan Gailey. Gailey, for his part, would give nothing away. We plan to keep enough blockers to be able to run our offense," he said earlier this month. The fullback has increasingly become a casualty of the NFL's recent trend toward pass-oriented offenses. That more and more colleges are using spread systems also means there are fewer fullbacks for NFL teams to choose from. The Jets have two fullbacks on their 90-man roster this summer: Tommy Bohanon, a 2013 seventh-round pick who missed most of last season with a broken clavicle; and Julian Howsare, an undrafted free agent out of Division II Clarion (Pa.) University who began camp as an outside linebacker before being converted. Of the two, Bohanon appears to be the favorite. He's gotten the reps with the first team when formations have called for a fullback. But he's also won the praise of head coach Todd Bowles, who has referred to Bohanon as "a pleasant surprise." 17 P a g e

18 It was Bohanon's block on linebacker Joplo Bartu that sprang running back Chris Ivory for a 33-yard touchdown run last week against the Falcons. "Tommy's been doing a good job," Bowles said. "I'm pleased with Tommy." Bohanon said there are similarities and differences between Gailey's spread offense and the West Coaststyle system the Jets used the last two seasons under coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. "In this offense, I'm still doing a lot of lead blocking, and things like that," Bohanon told NJ Advance Media. "But I'm also running a little bit more [passing] routes and doing those types of things on the outside of the box, so I think that's a little bit of a change." By incorporating the fullback as a pass-catcher, the Jets would be trying to avoid tipping their hand that fullback formations call for running plays. But doing so would also play to one of Bohanon's strengths: As a senior at Wake Forest in 2012, he caught 23 passes for 208 yards and five touchdowns. After Saturday night's Snoopy Bowl exhibition against the Giants, the Jets must reduce their roster to 75 players by Tuesday, and then be down to their 53-man regular-season limit by next Saturday. Whether to keep a fullback could factor into how many running backs the Jets decide to keep, too: They currently have four running backs Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Zac Stacy, Daryl Richardson plus Stevan Ridley, who's all but certain at this point to open the season on the physically unable to perform list (knee). The Jets' roster decision is also somewhat complicated by the likelihood of having to keep four quarterbacks, for reasons outlined here. Bohanon said the Jets would "definitely" be "a run-first team" this season. He's obviously biased on the matter it's his job at stake, after all but he also feels there's a fit for a fullback in the new offense. "This offense is in need of a fullback, just based on the run plays, and how we go about those types of formations," Bohanon said. "I think that it's definitely something that's very important in this offense, to kind of get the ball moving with the running back and everything." Analyzing how Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick played vs. Giants, as he again had no turnovers (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media EAST RUTHERFORD It remains unclear if quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will prove a capable replacement for Geno Smith once the Jets' real games start. But during Saturday night's first half against the Giants, Fitzpatrick and the starting offense looked a lot better. The starters played for only the first half Saturday. It was likely the last time that group will play until the Sept. 13 regular season opener against the Browns, since the starters probably will sit for next week's preseason finale against the Eagles. Once again on Saturday, Fitzpatrick did not commit any turnovers, bringing to a close a turnover-free preseason for him. That is a major positive development, considering how badly Jets quarterbacks have struggled with turnovers in recent years. Fitzpatrick on Saturday was 9-of-14 passing for 127 yards and two touchdowns, including a screen on which Zac Stacy did the heavy lifting (and leaping). 18 P a g e