NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets' top CB Dee Milliner out vs Raiders (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Jets' Vick says he's better QB now than last year (Dennis Waszak)... 3 Jets' Smith was in same spot as Raiders' Carr (Dennis Waszak)... 3 NEWSDAY... 4 Michael Vick's weekly spot with Mike Francesa not a done deal (Kimberley Martin)... 4 Antonio Allen, Darrin Walls to start at CB for Jets (Kimberley Martin)... 5 THE RECORD... 6 Jets deflect off-field distractions (Jeff Roberts)... 6 STAR-LEDGER... 8 With Jets' Dee Milliner officially out for opener, can Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls hold up vs. Raiders? (Darryl Slater)... 8 Jets rookie Calvin Pryor 'ahead of most young safeties from a mental standpoint' (Darryl Slater)... 9 Jets 2014 preview: 3 most important new faces (Darryl Slater) Jets 2014 season: They will make the playoffs if... (Darryl Slater) Dee Milliner (high ankle sprain) still sidelined at practice, seems inevitable to miss Jets-Raiders (Darryl Slater).. 12 Mike Vick still willing to appear on Mike Francesa's WFAN show, but probably not every week (Darryl Slater) Jets 2014 preview: 3 key games that could significantly impact the season (Darryl Slater) Jets 2014 preview: 5 biggest storylines (Darryl Slater) Q&A with Jets rookie Dakota Dozier, on adjusting to a new position and more expensive burritos (Darryl Slater) NJ.COM Eric Decker on Mark Schlereth trashing him: 'I'm going to let my talking be on the field' (Dom Cosentino) NEW YORK POST Dee Milliner still can t find his way onto Jets practice field (Brian Lewis) Jets are only team without stronghold in US (Jonathan Lehman) Eric Decker takes high road while Rex rips Schlereth (Brian Lewis) Michael Vick adjusts to backup life with Jets (Mark Cannizzaro) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NY Jets backup QB Mike Vick confirms radio appearance with Mike Francesa for Tuesday (Stephen Lorenzo) NY Jets WR Eric Decker moves on from criticism by ESPN's Mark Schlereth (Stephen Lorenzo) WALL STREET JOURNAL When Backup Quarterbacks Make More Than the Starter (Jordan Teicher) P a g e

2 Ryan Defends Decker; Vick Heads to the Radio (Alex Raskin) ESPN NEW YORK Dee Milliner out for Jets (Mike Mazzeo) Mentor Vick: I'm excited for Geno (Mike Mazzeo) FRIDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets' top CB Dee Milliner out vs Raiders (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets' top cornerback will start the season as a spectator. Dee Milliner was ruled out for the regular-season opener against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday with a high ankle sprain. Coach Rex Ryan made the announcement, which was expected, after practice Friday. That means Antonio Allen, a converted safety, and career backup Darrin Walls will be the Jets' starting cornerbacks for the game at MetLife Stadium. Safety Josh Bush (quadriceps) and linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali (foot) were also ruled out for the game against the Raiders. "I feel good about all three of them," Ryan said. "Hopefully they can play next week (at Green Bay), but for this week, all three of those guys are out." Milliner injured his left ankle on Aug. 10 during training camp and hasn't practiced since. He said earlier this week that the ankle is giving him very little pain, and he appeared to be walking without any noticeable limitations. But he has yet to make cuts on the field, something he'll need to do before he gets into a game. Allen was listed as probable after suffering a concussion in the Jets' preseason game against the Giants on Aug. 22. He has been practicing fully all week, and is set to make his first NFL start at cornerback after being solely a safety in his first two seasons. "He seems to be coming along pretty good," Ryan said of Allen's development at cornerback. "But we're going to find out on Sunday because there's nowhere to hide when you're out on that field." Ryan is confident Allen, who switched to cornerback during training camp after Milliner and a few others at the position were hurt, will be able to make the transition because he has "unusual ball skills." "He can flat go up and catch it," Ryan said of the 6-foot-1 Allen. "So, if you're going to plan on running jump balls all day long, I like our chances. Is he still going to be a little bit of a work-in-progress? Sure. He's probably not as good now as he's going to be in the next couple of weeks, three weeks or four weeks down the road. But, for right now, he's doing a good job for us." Walls has started four of his 27 career NFL games over three seasons with the Jets and Atlanta Falcons and has one interception. "I think Darrin Walls is a much better player now than he was last year," Ryan said. "I don't think it's even close." 2 P a g e

3 Backup linebacker Nick Bellore, a key special teams contributor, is listed as probable after dealing with a calf injury and will play. Jets' Vick says he's better QB now than last year (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Michael Vick says he's a better quarterback than he was last year, the result of improved study habits and solid play during the preseason. Despite feeling good about his abilities, Vick is set to start the season on the sidelines with Geno Smith leading the New York Jets' offense against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Vick said Friday that it has been "a different adjustment," but he understood "the sacrifices" he'd need to make when he signed with New York in March. Vick says he is working hard to stay ready in case the team needs him to play, but has been impressed by Smith. He adds that preseason rankings that had Smith ranked last among NFL starting QBs are wrong, and the number "may jump, times five." Jets' Smith was in same spot as Raiders' Carr (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Geno Smith knows exactly what Derek Carr is dealing with. First NFL game. First NFL start. First regular-season snap, and all eyes on you. It's an enviable position to be in, and one that could set the tone for a season and maybe even a career. Smith is making his second straight Week 1 start for the New York Jets, set to square off at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against Carr, the Oakland Raiders' second-round draft pick out of Fresno State. "Every guy is going to have a different feeling about it, and a different learning curve," Smith said. "Whether you're a rookie or a veteran or whatever, you're going to have to go out there and do your job. Execution is the name of the game and we have to execute." Smith, a second-rounder last year out of West Virginia, was thrust into the spotlight a year ago when Mark Sanchez went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. He threw a TD pass and an interception, and helped lead the winning drive in the Jets' season-opening win over Tampa Bay. He went on to have a roller-coaster rookie season, capped by a solid four-game stretch the Jets are hoping he builds on. New York gave Smith every opportunity to seize the job, even after bringing in Michael Vick in the offseason. He had a solid summer and the Jets are excited about his future. "He's night and day different," coach Rex Ryan said. "Each guy comes from a different system or whatever, but there was no three-step drop, five-step drop, seven-step drop where he came from. It was very different for him, but this young man has shown a ton of poise." 3 P a g e

4 Meanwhile, the Raiders tabbed Carr to start the opener over Matt Schaub. A terrific summer sealed it for Carr, who completed 66.7 percent of his passes with four touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating. "I'm just going to continue to be myself," Carr said. "I'm not going to change. I'm going to be the same person throughout this whole thing. The responsibilities, the stresses and all those things? Those things don't matter to me. This isn't stressful. It's a game." Here are some other things to look for as the Raiders and Jets kick off the season: REX VS. ROOKIES: Deer in headlights. That's how most rookie QBs have looked against Ryan's Jets teams. When facing a rookie quarterback for the first time, New York is 7-1 since Ryan's first year as coach in Seattle's Russell Wilson is the only one to beat the Jets in that situation. New York is 7-3 overall in games rookies have started in that span, with Buffalo's EJ Manuel (last year, second start vs. Jets) and Miami's Ryan Tannehill (left with injury in second game vs. Jets in 2012) the only others to win. Carr will look to add himself to that list of victors Sunday. NEW TOYS: The Raiders and Jets have several new faces in key places. For Oakland, there's running back Maurice Jones-Drew, wide receiver James Jones, defensive linemen Justin Tuck, Lamarr Woodley and Antonio Smith, and defensive backs Carlos Rogers and Tarrell Brown. Wide receiver Eric Decker, running back Chris Johnson, right tackle Breno Giacomini and rookies Jace Amaro (tight end) and Calvin Pryor (safety) are all set to make their Jets debuts. CORNERING MARKET: Just a couple of years after the Jets had Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie roaming their secondary, they'll go up against the Raiders likely starting safety-turned-cornerback Antonio Allen and career backup Darrin Walls. Dee Milliner, New York's top cornerback, is still recovering from a high ankle sprain. Dimitri Patterson, the other expected starter, is gone after being suspended following a 48-hour unexcused absence and missing a game during preseason. Third-round pick Dexter McDougle is out for the season with a torn knee ligament. The only other CBs on the roster are Kyle Wilson, who plays primarily in the slot, and recently acquired Leon McFadden and Phillip Adams. MEN UP FRONT: Oakland's offensive line is revamped, with only center Stefen Wisniewski playing at the spot he was at in Khalif Barnes is the right tackle after playing left tackle and guard last year. Former Jets right tackle Austin Howard is at right guard. Newcomer Donald Penn is at left tackle, while rookie Gabe Jackson is at left guard. They'll be going up against a Jets defensive line that's widely recognized as one of the best in the NFL, led by second-team All-Pro Muhammad Wilkerson and AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson. DANGER ZONE: The East has been more wicked than the West for the Raiders. They have lost 13 straight games in the Eastern time zone, looking to end that skid this weekend against the Jets. Oakland's last win in that situation came on Dec. 6, 2009, when it beat Pittsburgh NEWSDAY Michael Vick's weekly spot with Mike Francesa not a done deal (Kimberley Martin) 4 P a g e

5 Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Michael Vick will appear on Mike Francesa's show after all, but it's unclear how often the Jets' backup quarterback will chat with New York's top radio personality. Vick clarified Friday that he will do a WFAN guest spot with Francesa on Tuesday afternoon, as planned, but added: "And maybe sometime later on in the year. It remains to be talked about." That was news to Francesa. "Listen, he's either going to do it every Tuesday or he's not gonna do it. That's the way it works. So he can make that decision," said Francesa, who announced earlier in the week that Vick's agent and the station had agreed that Vick would be on regularly. Vick initially seemed unsure about going through with the weekly commitment, saying earlier in the week that his once-a-week guest spot was up in the air until he got "some answers." The Jets, Newsday reported, were unaware of Vick's behind-the-scenes agreement with WFAN, but he said "the organization has been very supportive in just allowing me to make my decisions. But at the same time, there are certain things that you've got to abide by. You have to always make sure that you talk with the right people about certain situations. It's all good on all ends, from the radio station to the organization. We're trying to just make sure that it's convenient for everybody." Rex Ryan seemed completely dumbfounded Friday when asked for his thoughts on Vick's talking regularly with Francesa. "I think my thought is I've got a game here with the Raiders coming up, so I haven't really thought about somebody doing a spot with somebody," Ryan said. Told that Francesa has the ability to "rile" up his guests, Vick smiled and said: "Nah, I can get him riled up. You can't rile me. You see what I go through every Sunday? You can't rile me with words." Antonio Allen, Darrin Walls to start at CB for Jets (Kimberley Martin) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - It's official: The Jets will open the regular season with a converted safety and a career backup as their starting cornerbacks. The news that Dee Milliner had been ruled out for Sunday's home opener against the Oakland Raiders came as no surprise. He hasn't practiced since suffering a high ankle sprain in practice Aug. 10 and he never made it out of the rehab area this week. But with that came the announcement that Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls will be the Week 1 starters. Deep down, coach Rex Ryan knew there was no chance Milliner could take the field this week. But as late as Thursday, Ryan replied "never say never" when asked about the former first-round draft pick's status for the game. 5 P a g e

6 As expected, Ryan expressed nothing but optimism about his makeshift secondary. "We feel good about it," he said. The transition to cornerback hasn't been easy for Allen, who suffered a concussion during the Jets' third preseason game against the Giants. But he's athletic, has proved to be a quick study and has press cover skills that are as good as anyone else on the roster, Ryan said. "We're going to find out on Sunday, because there's nowhere to hide when you're on that field," he said before talking up Allen. "You're going to plan on running jump balls all day long, I like our chances. Is he still going to be a little bit of a work in progress? Sure... But for right now, he's doing a good job for us. He's a playmaker." Walls, according to Ryan, "is a much better player than he was last year." He has four starts on his resume. Allen has no starts at cornerback and rookie Calvin Pryor will make his regular-season debut at safety. Milliner, meanwhile, "is getting much closer" to returning, Ryan said. But he's still not sure if Milliner will be a go for Week 2 in Green Bay. Decker takes high road Eric Decker isn't sure what prompted the barbs from three-time Super Bowl champ Mark Schlereth, but the Jets wide receiver doesn't much care. "I'm confident in my ability," Decker said Friday. "I'm confident in this team. I'm going to let my talking be on the field." Decker caught 172 passes for 2,352 yards and 24 touchdowns the past two seasons for Denver. But Schlereth, also a former Bronco, called out Decker as only the fourth option in Denver -- and much worse. "He's a marginal No. 2 at best," the ESPN analyst said Wednesday on ESPN Radio. "The worst cover guy you have on your defense is assigned to Eric Decker every week." He added, "New York will go crazy watching him be covered one-on-one and incomplete passes, throwing his arms up, begging for flags. I'm telling you New York, get ready, begging for flags like, 'I was interfered with. That's the only reason I didn't catch that ball' every play and then tripping over his own feet. Going for a big play and all of a sudden the turf monster gets him, bam, sniper, down. It will drive you crazy.'' Said Decker: "I didn't really have a reaction, to be honest. That's his opinion, I guess. I'm not gonna get into a battle over who says what or how he feels." Jet streams Linebacker Nick Bellore (calf) is probable and will play. Safety Josh Bush (quadriceps) and defensive end Ikemefuna Enemkpali (foot) are out.... For the Raiders, linebacker Nick Roach (concussion) is questionable and cornerback Chimdi Chekwa (knee) is out. THE RECORD Jets deflect off-field distractions (Jeff Roberts) The Record 6 P a g e

7 FLORHAM PARK Rex Ryan stood behind the lectern, swiveling his head from side to side searching for help. For once, he was speechless. Just 48 hours remained before the Jets opened their season with Oakland. The coach had just acknowledged that he will start a converted safety and a career backup at cornerback with Dee Milliner sidelined. Yet Ryan found himself confronted with questions Friday about his backup quarterback, Michael Vick, and the intrigue surrounding his weekly radio spot that apparently will not happen. And Ryan fielded questions about his new $36.25 million receiver, Eric Decker, who was called out Wednesday by ESPN's Mark Schlereth for being what the analyst described as an overrated crybaby. Ryan was apoplectic. "My thought is I've got a game with the Raiders coming up, so I haven't really thought about somebody doing a [radio] spot with somebody," he said. "Guess how much I've thought about it or was aware of it: That would be zero." In recent years, the Jets have created their own circus-like atmosphere see Tebow, Tim; the Butt Fumble; and Ryan's Mark Sanchez jersey tattoo. But Friday, they were stamping out two mini-dramas as their first game neared. Decker, 27, took the high road with Schlereth, declaring, "I'm going to let my talking be on the field. I'm not going to get into a little battle of who says what or how he feels about what. Let's just move on." And Vick decided he will appear on Mike Francesa's WFAN radio show Tuesday but maybe not as a weekly guest as originally thought. It would have been unusual if he did, given he is the backup. Still the sideshows overshadowed the Jets' decimated cornerback position as the team hosts rookie quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders. Milliner is out with a high left ankle sprain. Converted safety Antonio Allen will make his first NFL start at cornerback after playing safety his first two seasons. Backup Darrin Walls also will start. Allen, who converted to corner in training camp, may possess "unusual ball skills," as Ryan said. But he remains "a work-in-progress" the coach admitted. But football was an afterthought to Vick's radio gig drama and the seemingly personal insults Schlereth directed at Decker. Schlereth, a former Pro Bowl offensive lineman, ripped Decker after he caught a combined 172 passes for 2,352 yards and 24 touchdowns the past two seasons in Denver. "Decker in my mind was your fourth option in Denver, and that's the talent I think he has," Schlereth told ESPN 98.7 Wednesday. "I think he's a marginal No. 2 at best." There was more. "New York will go crazy watching him be covered 1-on-1 and incomplete passes, throwing his arms up, begging for flags," Schlereth said. "I'm telling you New York, get ready, begging for flags... every play and then tripping over his own feet." Schlereth's comments seemed more pointed than typical media analysis. "Like it was a little personal?" Decker asked, but never answered his own question. 7 P a g e

8 He claimed he and Schlereth had no prior history beyond sitting down for interviews. Meanwhile across the locker room, Vick said maybe he won't be a weekly radio guest after all. STAR-LEDGER With Jets' Dee Milliner officially out for opener, can Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls hold up vs. Raiders? (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger nio_allen_and_darrin_walls_hold_up_vs_raide.html FLORHAM PARK After months of hand-wringing about the Jets cornerbacks, even going back to last season, it finally comes down to this: In Sunday s season opener against the Raiders, they will start two mostly unproven players at the position. That became official Friday, when coach Rex Ryan said cornerback Dee Milliner would not play because of a high left ankle sprain that he sustained Aug. 10, and has sidelined him from practice ever since. Ryan had already locked in Antonio Allen, a converted safety, as one of his corners. Darrin Walls, a backup corner, will man the other spot. Walls, a fourth-year pro, has at least started at corner one game in 2012, his first year with the Jets, and three games last year. Allen had never played cornerback in his life until he was moved there after Milliner and rookie backup Dexter McDougle (season-ending knee injury) both got hurt on the same day of training camp at SUNY Cortland. Tim McDonald, the Jets defensive backs coach, dismissed the notion that the Jets would want to avoid giving Allen the full responsibilities of playing corner, since he is so unfamiliar with the position. Allen, a third-year pro, started nine games at safety last year. I don t think he limits us at all, McDonald said. I think we can be wide open with Antonio. He s been in the system. He s communicated with corners (from the safety position). He knows he s going to get tested. He understands that. This is a vertical-throwing football team. We know they like to throw the ball down the field. Our guys will be ready for it. The Raiders last season ranked 24th in the NFL in passing yards and 27th in completion percentage. But they showed a knack for the big passing play. They ranked seventh in the league with 12.2 yards per completion, one spot behind the Jets. Allen is 6-1, so he at least possesses the range and length to reach passes something the Jets defensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman, views as an asset for him. But, Thurman said, You re not confronted with the one-on-one matchup all the time (as a safety), and so that will take some getting used to. Ryan feels totally comfortable with Allen defending at least one type of pass as a corner. This guy has unusual ball skills, Ryan said. He can flat go up and catch it. So if you re going to plan on running jump balls all day long, I like our chances. Is he still going to be a little bit of a work in progress? Sure. He s probably not as good now as he s going to be in the next couple of weeks. You watch him in man coverage, he actually has about as good of technique as we have. He s on top of assignments, and that s going to give him a chance, certainly. 8 P a g e

9 The Jets cornerback situation has caused concern ever since they traded Darrelle Revis, one of the NFL s top corners, to Tampa Bay in April The Jets drafted Milliner ninth overall and paired him with Antonio Cromartie. Milliner endured a rocky rookie season in 2013, but finished strong, with three interceptions in the final two games combined. Cromartie, who played through a nagging hip injury, had the worst year of his career in The Jets finished 22nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed. Still, even after the Jets cut Cromartie in the offseason, to save $9.5 million in salary cap space, the possibility remained that they might sign a high-priced corner in free agency and pair him with Milliner. Instead, the Jets signed a bargain free agent, 31-year-old journeyman Dimitri Patterson, who, according to the Jets, went AWOL for a preseason game, and was cut last Saturday after saying the team lied about him going AWOL. So here the Jets are, on the eve of another season in which Rex Ryan will be coaching for his job, staring down the likelihood of Walls or Allen being one of their starting corners even after Milliner returns. Among players currently on their roster, they really have no other choice, what with McDougle recovering from surgery on injured reserve. Ryan s defensive system typically puts his corners in high-pressure, one-on-one coverage situations, with little help behind them. Can Ryan still afford to play like that? Will he rely on blitzing five or six players from his formidable defensive front, to take pressure off the cornerbacks? How will rookie safety Calvin Pryor, who has prodigious potential as a blitzer, handle the possibility of needing to play more coverage to help the corners? Definitive answers won t arrive until Sunday s game and then the difficult, six-game stretch that follows against prominent quarterbacks ranging from Aaron Rodgers to Peyton Manning to Tom Brady. For now, the Jets coaches can only lean on optimism. McDonald pointed out that even though Allen has never played cornerback in a regular season game, the coaches have been able to spend significant practice time transitioning him to the position, because it s been nearly a month since Milliner got hurt. Ryan said Walls had a tremendous preseason and is a much better player now than he was last year. I don t think it s even close. He hopes Walls has improved at securing interceptions something he struggled with last year. If he can come down with half of them, we re going to be in good shape, Ryan said. That s the operative word for the Jets cornerbacks right now if. There s nowhere to hide, Ryan said, when you re on that field. NOTES: In addition to Milliner, backup safety Josh Bush (quadriceps) and backup rookie linebacker IK Enemkpali (plantar fascia foot injury) will miss the game. I feel good about all three of them, Ryan said. Hopefully they can play next week. I think (Milliner) is getting much closer (to returning). Jets rookie Calvin Pryor 'ahead of most young safeties from a mental standpoint' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger rom_a_mental_standpoint.html 9 P a g e

10 The Raiders, who the Jets will host in Sunday's season opener, like to take deep shots in their passing game. To that end, Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor, their first-round draft pick, expects to be tested in this game. He said as much earlier this week. But the Jets' coaches feel comfortable that Pryor can handle the challenges that await him during his rookie season. (Pro Football Focus also likes Pryor's potential, having rated him the NFL's top safety during preseason games, for what that is worth.) Pryor's coaches have been effusive in their praise of him since he was drafted. That continued this week, with the opener approaching. "He s ahead of most young safeties from a mental standpoint because he understands concepts," said Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, a former NFL defensive back himself. "He understands what he s doing. He s come in and he s learned the defense pretty quickly. But he s had a tremendous amount of help from Dawan Landry (the Jets' other safety). "Dawan Landry might as well be a coach, as smart as he is. And him being back there with Dawan has helped him escalate his learning, and yet he s just a natural football player. And when you love playing football and it s very important to you, then your ability to take it and learn it and apply it appears to be easier, to me. So I think he s ahead of where most young safeties would be." Nothing has really surprised Thurman about Pryor. "He s what we thought he was when he came in," Thurman said. "I just hope that he continues to stay humble and wants to improve and get to a level where he could be considered one of the better safeties in the National Football League." Thurman said the Jets are not limiting Pryor's role in the defense just because he is inexperienced. "He s doing everything in our playbook right now," Thurman said. "So we re asking him to do quite a bit and we haven t held anything back because he s in there. If he wasn t where he is, then yes, that would be the case. But we re giving it all to him right now." As for Pryor's debut Sunday, "I'm ready to see it," said Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who calls the defensive plays during games. "I am excited about him," Ryan said. "I am excited to see him. He has a chance to really do some things, and obviously (being) the big hitter, we know it's what he has there. He has better cover skills than I think (people) give him credit for. I think he has a chance to be really one of these top-notch safeties for a long time." Jets 2014 preview: 3 most important new faces (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger Every year, with every NFL team, new faces arrive. The 2014 Jets have a particularly interesting collection of newcomers -- from free agent signings to draft picks. Here are three who could make the biggest difference this season: 10 P a g e

11 WR ERIC DECKER Is he a No. 1 receiver? How much of his success the past two years stemmed from playing with Peyton Manning in Denver? None of those things matter now. The Jets needed receivers, and they went out and got the top free agent receiver available this year Decker. He is not the fastest receiver, but he has long relied on technique and efficient movement to create separation with defensive backs. The Jets offense gives him more freedom to dictate his routes, based on pre-snap decisions, than he had in Denver. In many ways, this season will provide a major showcase for Decker, as he plays with a far less experienced quarterback, Geno Smith. RB CHRIS JOHNSON The Jets don t need him to be a 2,000-yard back again, like he was in 2009, his second season in the NFL. But they would like to see at least some of his speed reemerge after offseason knee surgery. The Jets were severely missing a fast, big-play threat in their offense last year. Johnson also gives the Jets an intriguing dynamic of being able to catch passes out of the backfield, which keeps linebackers honest and prevents them from spreading out into coverage. This, in turn, helps the other offensive players. If his knee holds up, Johnson could be a big weapon for the Jets. S CALVIN PRYOR He is an enforcer-type safety who can bring an intimidating presence over the middle. But how will Pryor handle coverage situations in his rookie year? The Jets won t ask their first-round draft pick to cover a lot. In fact, they will probably ask him to blitz a whole bunch, as Rex Ryan tries to do anything he can to prevent quarterbacks from sitting back in the pocket and picking apart the Jets unproven cornerbacks. One thing is for sure: Pryor, long a hard hitter, will be fun to watch deliver hits. Can he avoid racking up penalties, though? Jets 2014 season: They will make the playoffs if... (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger Over the course of a season, many factors go into determining whether a team will make or miss the playoffs. A whole bunch of things have kept the Jets out of the playoffs for three straight years -- their longest such drought since they sat home in the postseason every year from Here is one big factor that will result in the Jets missing the playoffs again in 2014: The Jets learned last season that a successful defensive front will only take you so far if your cornerbacks can t cover. Rookie Dee Milliner sputtered last season, while veteran Antonio Cromartie dealt with a nagging hip injury and was largely ineffective. The Jets finished 22nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed. This is a passing league now, so if you can t pass and you can t stop the pass, you probably won t make the playoffs, as the Jets learned last year. Given how good the front is, as long as the Jets can upgrade their pass defense to even a middle-of-the-pack unit, they will significantly help their chances of making the playoffs. But if they rank in the 20s or lower again, they probably will find themselves sitting home for a fourth straight season. 11 P a g e

12 Dee Milliner (high ankle sprain) still sidelined at practice, seems inevitable to miss Jets-Raiders (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger _seems_inevitable_to_miss_jets-raiders.html FLORHAM PARK -- The Jets held their final practice Friday before Sunday's season opener against the Raiders. Once again, second-year cornerback Dee Milliner did not dress and did not participate in the 30- minute portion open to reporters. Milliner sustained a high left ankle sprain in an Aug. 10 training camp practice. He has not practiced since. It seems inevitable that, later Friday, coach Rex Ryan will rule out Milliner for the opener. Ryan has to announce his final injury report Friday afternoon. He had previously declined to officially rule out Milliner. N.J. Sports Now: Coughlin, Ryan deserve benefit of the doubtbefore predicting losing seasons for the Giants and Jets, give both head coaches credit for consistent winning. The Jets are heading toward starting backup Darrin Walls and converted safety Antonio Allen at the cornerback spots. Allen has already been locked in as a Week 1 starter. Also sidelined during the open portion of Friday's practice: backup rookie linebacker IK Enemkpali (foot), backup safety Josh Bush (quad) and tight end Jeff Cumberland (Achilles tightness). Cumberland previously hadn't been listed on the injury report as even being limited during practice this week, so perhaps the Jets were just giving him a rest day Friday. Mike Vick still willing to appear on Mike Francesa's WFAN show, but probably not every week (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger ment_with_wfans_mike_francesa.html Michael Vick, the Jets' backup quarterback, said Friday that he will go on Mike Francesa's popular WFAN radio show, but does not expect to be a weekly guest. Earlier this week, Francesa said Vick would appear on his show every Tuesday, which is an off day for NFL players. A day later, some doubt was cast on the possibility of Vick being a weekly guest -- or a guest, period. On Friday, two days before the Jets' season opener against the Raiders, Vick fielded several questions about his potential appearance on Francesa's show. Does he plan to do it on a weekly basis? "I don't know," he said. "I don't think so. We're going to do this (coming) Tuesday and maybe some time later on in the year. It remains to be talked about." Francesa is known for sometimes riling up his guests. But Vick doesn't plan to let the host get under his skin. 12 P a g e

13 "Nah, I can get him riled up," Vick said with a smile and laugh. "You can't rile me. You see what I go through every Sunday? You can't rile me with words." Vick maintained that he still planned to appear with Francesa this coming Tuesday. "It's not a big deal," Vick said. "There were some things that were (up) in the air, a lot of moving parts. I think we got it resolved. We'll figure it out from there." Francesa had his own say on the matter Friday: So did Vick's people approach WFAN about this potential appearance (which now apparently might not happen after all)? "Collectively, we all just tried to figure it out, what works best for everybody," Vick said. "We came to the conclusion that we'll do the show next week, and then we'll just work through it throughout the year and see what comes out of it." Vick said he wanted to do the show because he had done similar weekly radio spots when he played for the Eagles and Falcons. "It's kind of cool," he said. "You give the fans insight on what's going on. You kind of recap that week. And it may get me ready for post-football. I take a lot out of it. I have fun with it. It's just something that I liked to do in my past. "The (Jets) organization has been very supportive in just allowing me to make my decisions. But at the same time, there are certain things that you've got to abide by. You have to always make sure that you talk with the right people about certain situations. It's all good on all ends, from the radio station to the organization. We're trying to just make sure that it's convenient for everybody." So what is Jets coach Rex Ryan's take on the matter? "I don't know," Ryan said. "I think my thought is I've got a game here with the Raiders coming up, so I haven't really thought about somebody doing a spot with somebody." Which seems reasonable enough, though if starting quarterback Geno Smith struggled, Vick might be in a tough spot having to answer questions about that every Tuesday, or even some Tuesdays. "Guess how much I've thought about it or was aware of it," Ryan said of the Vick-Francesa thing. "That would be zero. Whatever sounds good, fill it in, because I don't know. I think we've got a game, and a real one (on Sunday)." So, might Vick consider getting into radio or television work when he retires? "I don't know," Vick said. "I just use it as an opportunity to get some practice right now. I've been approached for opportunities to do it post-football, down the road from now, because I don't plan on retiring any time soon. It's just an opportunity to just do something different, step outside of the realm. And it's fun." Vick said he is not sure if he would conduct his Tuesday interview with Francesa in person or over the telephone. But based on what Francesa said Friday, there seems to be a chance Vick might not come on the show at all. Anyway, there's your latest on this, um, situation. And if you've made it this far, here's a catchy little song to reward you, on this Friday, the fifth day of September, the year two thousand and fourteen: Jets 2014 preview: 3 key games that could significantly impact the season (Darryl Slater) 13 P a g e

14 Star-Ledger Every NFL team's season ends up hinging on a few important games, usually against division opponents, or in situations that will test something that was the team's weakness the previous season. Such is the case for the 2014 Jets, as we look at three key games that could determine the overall fortune of their season: VS. CHICAGO, SEPT. 22 This is the Jets third game of the season and comes after a challenging trip to Green Bay. It is also the Jets second game in a six-game stretch against successful quarterbacks. The Jets get the Bears on a Monday night at home a showcase opportunity for the Jets defense against quarterback Jay Cutler. This is a winnable game for the Jets, and one they probably need to win, given how difficult this six-game stretch is. AT NEW ENGLAND, OCT. 16 The Jets conclude the aforementioned six-game stretch by visiting their pals the Patriots on a short week, for this Thursday night game. A loss here would by no means break the Jets season. Nobody could declare this team doomed if it lost back-to-back games to the Broncos and Patriots to end the six-game gauntlet unless, of course, the Jets stumble badly in their first five games. But the road to the AFC East title still goes through Foxborough, where the Jets have won just three of their past 13 games. AT KANSAS CITY, NOV. 2 The ninth game of a season is usually a fairly decent time to judge whether a team could be a playoff contender. The Jets begin the second half of their season with a trip to one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. The Jets went 2-6 on the road last season, so this will be a good test to see how much they have progressed away from MetLife Stadium. Moreover, the Chiefs are coming off an 11-5 season in their first year under coach Andy Reid. Jets 2014 preview: 5 biggest storylines (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger As the Jets prepare to open the regular season Sunday against the Raiders, here are five of their biggest storylines -- the angles that will determine whether they can finish with a winning record for the first time since 2010: CAN GENO SMITH AVOID TURNOVERS? As a rookie last season, Smith threw 21 interceptions and lost four fumbles. The Jets, over the past three seasons, have 77 total turnovers from their primary quarterback, with Mark Sanchez coming before Smith. It s no wonder that the Jets have missed the playoffs for three straight years. In today s quarterbackdriven NFL, you simply cannot win with these sort of turnover numbers. If Smith keeps it up, the Jets might just turn to Michael Vick, because unlike last year, Smith has a competent understudy in By all accounts, though, Smith s decision making is much improved. WILL ERIC DECKER S PRODUCTION CONTINUE? 14 P a g e

15 Decker put up strong numbers the past two seasons with Peyton Manning throwing him passes in Denver. During that time, Decker caught 172 passes for 2,352 yards and 24 touchdowns. In the Jets offense, with Smith throwing him passes, Decker is unlikely to replicate those numbers. Forget the whole debate about whether Decker can be a No. 1 receiver. He simply needs to be a consistently reliable target for Smith, who had precious few of those last year. The numbers will take care of themselves if Decker can get open with the route-running efficiency that his new coaches have been raving about. HOW WILL A REVAMPED SECONDARY HOLD UP? If you haven t heard, it s been a rough offseason for the Jets defensive backs. The likely starting cornerbacks for the opener are Darrin Walls and converted safety Antonio Allen. One of the starting safeties will be rookie Calvin Pryor, a first-round draft pick. There are a lot of questions with this position group, even when second-year pro Dee Milliner returns from a high ankle sprain. Can Milliner handle opponents best receivers? How will Allen adjust to his new position? Pryor was mostly an in-the-box safety in college, so what will he do when tested in coverage? MIGHT CHRIS JOHNSON RETURN TO OLD FORM? Johnson, once one of the NFL s fastest players, is coming off offseason knee surgery. Last year was his least productive season (3.9 yards per carry), though he played through a torn meniscus in his knee, and carried 279 times without missing a game. Johnson has 1,742 career carries on his body. He will turn 29 later this month. The Jets won t ask him to carry 250 times this year. They want to keep him fresh. Their offense desperately needs his speed. Coming off knee repairs, does he still possess that speed like he once did? CAN THE JETS DEFENSIVE FRONT KEEP EXCELLING? The defensive line, especially, is the strongest part of the Jets entire team. As the secondary finds its identity, the Jets might rely on frequent blitzing to rattle opposing quarterbacks into hurried, errant throws. End Muhammad Wilkerson is one of the NFL s fastest-rising defensive players. He is still in just his fourth season. Tackle Sheldon Richardson is coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year season in Richardson had 3½ sacks last year seven fewer than Wilkerson and Richardson enters 2014 intent on increasing his sack total. Not to be overlooked: The Jets front ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards allowed last year, and first in yards per carry allowed. Q&A with Jets rookie Dakota Dozier, on adjusting to a new position and more expensive burritos (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger d_and_buying_more_expensive_burritos.html Jets rookie Dakota Dozier made the team's 53-man active roster after being drafted in the fourth round. He and Oday Aboushi, a second-year pro, are the team's backup guards. Like Aboushi, Dozier played tackle in college and has moved to guard in the NFL. While Aboushi did it after his rookie season, Dozier did it immediately -- just as the Jets' starting left guard, Brian Winters, did last season after the Jets drafted him in the third round out of Kent State. 15 P a g e

16 Dozier grew up in West Columbia, S.C., and played his college ball at Division I-AA Furman, just up the road in Greenville. As he transitions to his new position and life in New Jersey, Dozier took a few minutes this week to answer some questions about his learning curves on and off the field. How has your rookie adjustment been so far? I have no complaints. I have a lot of veteran guys to look up to on the line at every position. [Center Nick Mangold, left tackle D Brickashaw Ferguson and right guard Willie Colon are all in their ninth seasons.] It s just a wealth of knowledge for me to tap into. For a little while, it was kind of (like) I m the new guy and I didn t talk to them, but as I ve gotten to know them, as I ve become closer to them, it s really easy for me to go, Hey, what do you do here? How can I correct my footwork? When you have guys like that, it makes it a lot easier to adjust. Did you have a welcome to the NFL moment? I did have one kind of shock moment. The first offseason (workout) we go out to, I get in the huddle, look up and Michael Vick is calling the play. My whole life watching football, and hey, it s Michael Vick. Now he s my teammate. That was pretty cool. Now, that s kind of faded. Obviously, I know that he s a very popular person. But to me, he s just my teammate. I think that s how all of us should view each other. What have been the challenges of moving from a college tackle to NFL guard? Just at tackle, it s a lot more space. There s a lot more room for I don t want to say error, but to adjust to whatever it is you re doing. At guard, you re in that box. You have just a small window of getting your footwork right, putting your hands on the guy. So just adjusting to the quickness of inside, as opposed to outside. D-ends are faster, obviously, than defensive tackles, but they have an edge to go around, and you can cut that point off. But inside, if you step outside, if you get beat inside, you re done. There s no help. So just trying to get that down has been the biggest thing. One thing that I do like about it is it gives me an opportunity to get my hands on them a lot faster, because they obviously have to go through me to get there (into the backfield). I feel like if I can get my hands on somebody, I m pretty good from that point on. What s the lifestyle change been like going from South Carolina to New Jersey? Nothing huge, but the South is a little bit slower. I have noticed that it s a little bit more aggressiveness up here. Like a small thing: The light turns green and you sit there for a half a second and you ve got five people blowing their horns at you. I went to the store to get a few things, and literally in a parking lot of a grocery store, I heard more horns blow than I d ever heard in my whole life in South Carolina. It was nuts. But talking about the city, I got a chance to go in there (with my girlfriend) a couple weeks back and I took my first cab ride ever. These guys are in and out, flying, and I was just like, Whoa, this is a totally new world. And then I took a few more rides and I was like, All right, they do it every day. I ll just sit here and relax and not worry about it. There are a lot of good things as well. I get the call (on draft day) and they say the New York Jets, and automatically my mind goes to the city. I ll be honest. To come from the South, where it s all spread out, if I would have been thrown into the city life every day, that would ve been a lot tougher adjustment. But in this area (near the Jets complex in suburban Florham Park), it s really not that bad. It s still a little bit faster than the South. Nothing crazy. But there s still space. There s still trees. There s still some things that remind me of home. So that definitely helps a lot. Another adjustment has been everything is a little bit more expensive. Even as far as like a Chipotle burrito. My favorite is a double chicken burrito. And it s 10 bucks here. I can get that same burrito for like $7.50 in South Carolina. It s a little more pricey, but I knew that before I even came up here. I m big on 16 P a g e

17 going to the store, putting things in the cart and I know about how much I m going to spend before I go to the register. Well, the adjustment to that has been a little different with everything just being that much more expensive. NJ.COM Eric Decker on Mark Schlereth trashing him: 'I'm going to let my talking be on the field' (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com _let_my_talking_be_on_the_field.html FLORHAM PARK -- Eric Decker said he has no beef with ESPN's Mark Schlereth, and that he can't understand why Schlereth would rip him like Schlereth did in a recent radio interview. Am I surprised? I guess, yeah," Decker said after Jets practice on Friday. "I mean, I don t know how to answer that. We did interviews in Denver a couple times, and it always was good. In need of a wideout, the Jets signed Decker to a contract worth an estimated $15 million in guarantees this offseason. Schlereth is a former offensive lineman who won two of his three Super Bowl rings with the Broncos, Decker's former team. Schlereth is now a talking suit coat on TV. And let's just say that he doesn't think the Jets will get much return on their investment. "Decker in my mind was your fourth option in Denver, and that s the talent I think he has. I think he s a marginal No. 2 at best," Schlereth said this week on ESPN "The worst cover guy you have on your defense is assigned to Eric Decker every week. New York will go crazy watching him be covered 1-on-1 and incomplete passes, throwing his arms up, begging for flags." "I m telling you New York, get ready," he continued, "begging for flags like, I was interfered with. That s the only reason I didn t catch that ball every play and then tripping over his own feet. Going for a big play and all of a sudden the turf monster gets him, bam, sniper, down. It will drive you crazy. It will absolutely drive you crazy." Decker said he hadn't heard or read Schlereth's comments, but that someone told him about them. He seemed pretty non-plussed by the whole thing. I didn t really have a reaction, to be honest," Decker said. "He has opinions, I guess. There s people that go both ways with it. They like the player or they don t like the player, or their skill-set or whatever. He feels the way he feels, that s the end of the story. Jets head coach Rex Ryan didn't put much stock in Schlereth's words, either. He pointed out that Schlereth had once been way off in his assessment of longtime nose tackle Haloti Ngata, whom Ryan used to coach when Ryan was a defensive assistant with the Ravens. "I'll say this, he has some really good salsa," Ryan said, shrugging off Schlereth's words with a reference to a condiment bearing Schlereth's nickname. "I'm not going to say it's not good salsa it's great." Decker also said he's not taking Schlereth's words personally, and that he doesn't feel like he has to prove Schlereth wrong. No," Decker said. "If I got into that kind of war or stressed myself out worrying about what people say I m confident in my ability. I m confident in this team. Really, I m going to let my talking be on the field. That s really what will in time prove itself. 17 P a g e