NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 31, 2015 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets rookie Leonard Williams has muscle strain in knee (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Jets cut 12 players, including 5 wide receivers (Dennis Waszak)... 2 NEWSDAY... 3 Jets trim roster from 90 to 78 (Kimberely A. Martin)... 3 Jets Leonard Williams has no ligament damage, source says (Kimberley A. Martin)... 4 THE RECORD... 4 Good news on knee injury to Jets rookie DE Leonard Williams (J.P. Pelzman)... 4 NEW YORK TIMES... 5 Jets Leonard Williams Expected for Opener After Test Reveals a Strain (Ben Shpigel)... 5 ESPN NEW YORK... 7 New York Jets cut 12 players, including DeVier Posey (Rich Cimini)... 7 Leonard Williams has no ligament damage in knee, according to MRI (Rich Cimini)... 7 Subtle defensive change could lead to more big plays for Jets (Rich Cimini)... 8 Why was Eric Decker returning punts for the Jets? Bad decision (Rich Cimini) Jets manage to salvage something from an otherwise lousy summer (Rich Cimini) NEW YORK POST WRs hit hard as Jets begin to slash the roster (Brian Costello) Jets can exhale after Leonard Williams scare (Brian Costello) The Jets are putting ugly past behind them just in time (Brian Costello) NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Leonard Williams injury: Jets rookie has muscle strain in knee (Dom Consentino) Analysis of Jets roster cuts as they go from 90 players to 78: DeVier Posey, Dalton Freeman (Darryl Slater) Grading performances of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty in Jets vs. Giants (Darryl Slater) Antonio Cromartie, Demario Davis among Jets studs and duds vs. Giants (Dom Cosentino) Jets Zac Stacy says he thought he gained too much weight to make leaping touchdown vs. Giants (Darryl Slater) Sounds like Eric Decker wants no parts of returning punts for Jets (Dom Cosentino) Jets Todd Bowles says Calvin Pace (groin) will play Week 1, but how did Trevor Reilly fare vs. Giants (Darryl Slater) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS MRI reveals Jets rookie Leonard Williams only has a muscle strain, not a serious knee injury (Seth Walder) WR T.J. Graham among 12 players cut by Jets following preseason win over Giants (Seth Walder) P a g e

2 METRO NEW YORK Jets Nick Mangold praises police as he breaks up car-theft ring (Kristian Dyer) SATURDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets rookie Leonard Williams has muscle strain in knee (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) The New York Jets and their anxious fans can exhale. An MRI exam Sunday revealed that rookie defensive lineman Leonard Williams has a muscle strain behind one of his knees, and the team avoided a potentially devastating injury to its first-round draft pick. Williams got hurt in the first half of the Jets' preseason victory over the Giants on Saturday night. The MRI showed no ligament damage to Williams' knee. There was no immediate timetable on when Williams might return, but it isn't expected to be a long-term injury. The Jets open the regular season on Sept. 13 at home against Cleveland giving him two weeks to rest and heal. Coach Todd Bowles wasn't certain when Williams was injured, but the rookie was limping slightly and favoring his left leg 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. Williams never returned to the sideline after halftime, but X-rays on the knee were negative and he 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. Richardson is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Missouri on charges of resisting arrest. The defensive lineman reached speeds as high as 143 mph in a road race on July 14, and later sped from police. Richardson could face additional discipline from the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy, so Williams could see an expanded role to start his rookie season if healthy. Williams had 1 1/2 sacks, including a safety, in the Jets' second preseason game against Atlanta, and has impressed his teammates while having a solid training camp. "He's so young, he doesn't realize the potential he actually has," Jets right guard Willie Colon said recently. "He has that Richard Seymour-type body, that prototype (body), and sky's the limit for the kid." Jets cut 12 players, including 5 wide receivers (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets have released 12 players, including five wide receivers, reducing their roster to 78 a day after defeating the Giants P a g e

3 The Jets must cut three more players by 4 p.m. Tuesday to get down to the mandatory 75-player limit. All teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by Saturday. Wide receivers DeVier Posey, T.J. Graham, Saalim Hakim, Austin Hill and Jonathon Rumph were among the Jets' cuts Sunday. Posey was acquired from the Houston Texans during the draft. Veteran cornerback and returner Javier Arenas, signed Aug. 11, was also cut. Also released were cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Keith Lewis; offensive lineman James Brewer; center Dalton Freeman; linebacker Bryan Johnson; and tight end Matt LaCosse. NEWSDAY Jets trim roster from 90 to 78 (Kimberely A. Martin) Newsday The Jets took the first step in assembling their 2015 team Sunday by trimming their roster from 90 to 78 players. NFL teams have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to get their rosters down to 75, meaning general manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles will have to release three more players to meet the leaguewide deadline. Sunday, the Jets released 12 players: receivers DeVier Posey, Saalim Hakim, T.J. Graham, Jonathon Rumph and Austin Hill; tight end Matt LaCosse; offensive linemen James Brewer and Dalton Freeman; and defensive backs Javier Arenas, Curtis Brown and Keith Lewis. Linebacker Bryan Johnson, a Bellport and Nassau Community College product, was also released. With roster cuts looming, Bowles expressed optimism last week about the state of his team. "I have a pretty good idea of what we have, with the exception of about three or four guys," he said. "I have a good idea about everybody else. I understand what we can be and I know what kind of work we have ahead of us, but I have a good idea of what we have. Yes, I'm very happy." Posey, 25, was acquired during this year's draft by Maccagnan, a former Texans front-office executive. The Jets traded their third-round pick (No. 70 overall) for Posey, the Texans' third-rounder (No. 82 overall) -- which they used to draft linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin -- the Texans' fifth-round pick (No. 152) -- which they used to select guard Jarvis Harrison -- and the Texans' seventh-round pick (No. 229). Maccagnan and the Texans drafted Posey in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft, but the 6-1, 211-pound receiver caught only 22 passes for 272 yards and no TDs in three seasons. He tore his Achilles in January 2013 during the Texans' loss to the Patriots in a playoff game. Johnson, 27, was signed last week by the Jets after a workout. A seldom-used defensive end / tight end in his only season on Bellport's football team (2005), Johnson left Nassau CC after his first semester. Johnson then joined the workforce, cleaning, building and replacing chimneys during the next three years, but eventually returned to Nassau. There, he helped lead the Lions to a 19-2 record and was a two-time all-conference selection. He spent most of last season on the Bills' practice squad. 3 P a g e

4 Jets Leonard Williams has no ligament damage, source says (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday August 29, The Jets' front office is breathing a collective sigh of relief. An MRI on Sunday revealed rookie defensive end Leonard Williams suffered a muscle strain behind his right knee, per a source. Williams, who was forced to leave Saturday night's game against the Giants in the second quarter, did not suffer any ligament damage, so the injury is not expected to be long-term. That's good news for the Jets, who already will be without defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson for the first four games of the regular season because of a substance-abuse suspension. There's also a very good chance the league hands down another suspension following Richardson's July arrest in Missouri. Williams, the sixth overall pick in this year's draft, limped off the field in the second quarter of an eventual Jets win in the annual Snoopy Bowl at MetLife Stadium. Williams walked off under his own power, but he was escorted to the locker room by a member of the Jets' medical staff. The initial announcement in the press box was that the former USC pass-rusher was questionable to return to the game, but the rookie never made it back onto the field. A league source said late Saturday night that it's possible Williams suffered a bone bruise, but a proper diagnosis would not be known until the rookie underwent an MRI. As of now, it's unclear how much time Williams could miss due to injury. Their third preseason game against the Giants was most likely the final dress rehearsal for starters before the regular season begins on Sept. 13. Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles will feature second- and third-string players vying for roster spots. THE RECORD Good news on knee injury to Jets rookie DE Leonard Williams (J.P. Pelzman) The Record August 31, The Jets' win over the Giants in Saturday's Snoopy Bowl might not have been their most significant victory over the weekend. It easily can be argued that a bigger triumph occurred Sunday morning. That was when an MRI on prized rookie defensive end Leonard Williams, the sixth overall selection in this year's NFL Draft, showed he has a muscle strain behind his knee, but no ligament damage. It is not expected to be a long-term injury, although a timetable for his return wasn't immediately clear. The Jets open the season against visiting Cleveland on Sept. 13. Williams left Saturday night in the second quarter after suffering a knee injury and didn't return. Coach Todd Bowles said he didn't know on which specific play Williams was injured, but the 6-foot-5, 302-pound 4 P a g e

5 former USC star seemed to be favoring his left leg when he walked to the locker room late in the second quarter. X-rays taken at the stadium were negative. It has not been specified which knee is injured. 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. He also could face an additional ban for a resisting arrest charge in Missouri on July 14. Williams struggled in the preseason opener at Detroit but was quite impressive eight days later against Atlanta. He had a sack for a safety. As for the game itself, the Jets starters had by far their best showing of the preseason. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for two touchdowns with no turnovers, and the defense held the Giants starters to one touchdown. Plus, cornerback Antonio Cromartie returned an Eli Manning interception 59 yards for a score. "I thought they started the game well," Bowles said after the game when asked about his team's defense. "I thought we still had some missed tackles and a few penalties in the second quarter, and they made a big play [before] the half. [The opponents] scored two weeks in a row; we just have to cut down [on mistakes] and work on small things." "Yeah, we played well, but we still have a lot of work to do," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said after the game. "Am I happier and are most guys happy with the progress we made? Yes, but if we want to be great, if we want to be good, first, we have to calm down and relax and understand we have a lot of games to go and we have a lot of work still to get done. So, we'll strap it back up on Monday [in practice] and try to get better." GRAHAM, HAKIM, BREWER AMONG CUTS: The Jets cut 12 players Sunday morning, reducing their roster to 78. They still must get down to 75 by 4 p.m. Tuesday. CB Javier Arenas and OL James Brewer, a former Giant who was signed as a free agent during the offseason, were released. Brewer had missed some time in camp with a back injury. WRs T.J. Graham, Saalim Hakim, Austin Hill, DeVier Posey and Jonathon Rumph were waived, as were CBs Curtis Brown and Keith Lewis, C Dalton Freeman, LB Bryan Johnson and TE Matt LaCosse. Johnson and LaCosse both had been signed during the past week. Graham got no offensive snaps against the Giants. Posey was acquired in a trade with Houston in May, and had a team-high four receptions in a reserve role Saturday night. The speedy Hakim had been a valuable special-teamer for the Jets last season. The jettisoning of Graham, Hakim and Posey partially clarifies a crowded depth chart at wide receiver. Quincy Enunwa seems to have the inside track for the third receiver job, but Chris Owusu has impressed despite missing some time because of a concussion. Walt Powell helped himself with a 54-yard punt return for a score in the third quarter Saturday. NEW YORK TIMES Jets Leonard Williams Expected for Opener After Test Reveals a Strain (Ben Shpigel) New York Times Leonard Williams, who left the Jets preseason game Saturday against the Giants with a knee injury, appears to have avoided a long-term absence. 5 P a g e

6 His magnetic resonance imaging test Sunday revealed no ligament damage: just a muscle strain behind his knee. The Jets do not anticipate that the injury will sideline him for the season opener Sept. 13 against Cleveland. Williams, the team s first-round draft pick, is expected to start on the defensive line with Sheldon Richardson, who is suspended for at least the first four games. WHITTLING DOWN THE ROSTER The Jets winnowed their pool of receivers, releasing five contenders for a backup job in a wave of cuts before rosters must be pared down to 75 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Among their 12 moves Sunday, which left the Jets at 78, were T. J. Graham, who caught a touchdown pass for them last season and is perhaps best remembered for lying down in the end zone, trying to trick the Bills, during a kickoff return; Saalim Hakim, who returned kicks for the Jets at times last year; and DeVier Posey, whom General Manager Mike Maccagnan acquired from Houston in a draft-day trade. Continue reading the main story Sports Newsletter An insightful and occasionally amusing package of the sports journalism you need today, delivered to your inbox by New York Times reporters and editors. Also gone are the veteran offensive lineman James Brewer, a former Giant, and the backup center Dalton Freeman. CLEVELAND ROOKIE SIDELINED The Browns rookie running back Duke Johnson is following the league s protocol on head injuries after sustaining a concussion in Saturday s win over Tampa Bay. Browns Coach Mike Pettine said Sunday that he did not know when Johnson would return. The team has big plans for the versatile Johnson, who was making his preseason debut after being out with a hamstring injury. With Johnson out, Pettine said the Browns would consider signing another running back. Pettine would not say if the former Baltimore back Ray Rice was a possibility. (AP) HOYER SHINES FOR TEXANS Brian Hoyer led scoring drives on two of his first three series since being named Houston s starting quarterback, and the Texans went on to a preseason victory over the Saints on Sunday in New Orleans. All three Texans quarterbacks led scoring drives. Ryan Mallett, who was upset this past week upon learning he would be the backup, threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jaelen Strong. In the fourth quarter, Tom Savage hit Chandler Worthy for a 6-yard score. Hoyer was 7 of 11 for 82 yards. Mallett was 9 of 17 for 77 yards. (AP) PUNCH ANGERS CHARGERS San Diego offensive linemen have accused the Seattle Seahawks rookie defensive lineman Frank Clark of trying to punch Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers during a preseason game. Several Chargers players were angered when their teammate King Dunlap was given a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness after he yanked Clark from a pile of players after Rivers had been sacked in the Saturday night contest. Dunlap told The San Diego Union-Tribune that he did not see the incident, but said that he wanted to protect Rivers after hearing his teammates yelling at Clark. That guy was on top of Philip, and that s our quarterback, Dunlap said after the Seahawks win. I protect the quarterback at all costs. (AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) 6 P a g e

7 BEARS PART WITH CORNERBACK The Chicago Bears terminated the contract of Tim Jennings, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, on Sunday. Jennings, 31, had a guaranteed base salary of $4.4 million this year. He led the N.F.L. with nine interceptions in 2012 and had four in 2013, earning Pro Bowl honors in both seasons. Jennings started all 16 games last season and had arthroscopic knee surgery in the off-season. Also on Sunday, the team placed safety Ryan Mundy on season-ending injured reserve because of a hip problem. (AP) ESPN NEW YORK New York Jets cut 12 players, including DeVier Posey (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York The New York Jets released 12 players on Sunday, paring the roster to 78. A few thoughts on the moves: Most significant move: None of the cuts was surprising, but the release of wide receiver DeVier Posey had to be disappointing for general manager Mike Maccagnan. He traded for Posey during the third round of the draft as part of a swap with the Houston Texans. Maccagnan is a former Houston executive and always was a Posey fan. He thought Posey would bolster the Jets' depth at the position, but Posey was outplayed by several receivers in camp. He made a late run, scoring last week against the Atlanta Falcons, but it wasn't nearly enough. Trimming at receiver: There is some clarity at the crowded wide receiver position. In addition to Posey, the Jets cut veterans TJ Graham and Saalim Hakim and rookies Austin Hill and Jonathon Rumph. So basically, they have five players vying for three, maybe four, spots: Jeremy Kerley, Quincy Enunwa, Chris Owusu, Shaquelle Evans and Walter Powell, who bought more time by scoring on a punt return Saturday. This, of course, is based on the premise that Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and rookie Devin Smith are locks. What's next: The Jets have three more moves to make before Tuesday's mandatory cutdown to 75. The Jets' cuts: CB Javier Arenas, OT James Brewer, CB Curtis Brown, C Dalton Freeman, WR TJ Graham, WR/KR Saalim Hakim, WR Austin Hill, WR DeVier Posey, WR Jonathon Rumph, LB Bryan Johnson, TE Matt LaCosse and CB Keith Lewis. Leonard Williams has no ligament damage in knee, according to MRI (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York New York Jets rookie defensive end Leonard Williams, who gave the franchise a scare with a knee injury Saturday night against the New York Giants, didn't suffer any ligament damage, a Sunday morning MRI revealed. 7 P a g e

8 Williams, the sixth overall pick in the draft, sustained a muscle strain behind the knee. Although it is not considered a long-term injury, Williams' availability for the regular-season opener in two weeks is unclear. The Jets were hopeful late Saturday night that the injury wasn't serious. An X-ray was negative, and the preliminary sense was that no ligaments were damaged. Leonard Williams does not have any ligament damage in his knee, but the Jets are uncertain about his status for Week 1. Bill Kostroun/AP The Jets are counting on Williams to start at defensive end. That wasn't the plan when they drafted him, but everything changed in early July, when Sheldon Richardson received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Williams started the first three preseason games, recording 1.5 sacks [including a safety]. Richardson has been playing primarily with the backups. If Williams isn't ready for Week 1, he likely would be replaced by Stephen Bowen or Leger Douzable. Subtle defensive change could lead to more big plays for Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York The Sunday notes -- a look at what's going on around the New York Jets: 1. All 3-4 defenses aren't created equal: The Jets have played a 3-4 base since 2006, when Eric Mangini replaced Herm Edwards, but the current scheme is different from the previous two incarnations. Under Todd Bowles, they will use eight-man spacing in the box, meaning it's a one-gap system. Translation: Each of the eight players, including a safety, is responsible for only one gap. Rex Ryan did things a little different, often employing seven-man spacing and a two-gap system, according to players. Ryan actually used a hybrid, mixing both concepts, whereas Mangini ran an old-school 3-4, a pure two-gap scheme. The new approach hasn't generated much buzz outside the team -- granted, it's kind of technical -- but I can tell you this: The players love the Bowles way. Linebacker Demario Davis told me, "It allows you to run free a lot more, play a little faster because you don't have to worry about playing two gaps. You have one gap. It opens you up to play a lot faster." Linebacker David Harris took it a step further, predicting the change will be most noticeable on the defensive line. He said, "Guys like Mo (Wilkerson) and Sheldon (Richardson) can come off the ball. I think you'll see a lot of TFLs" -- meaning tackles for loss. The downside to Bowles' system is that it leaves the cornerbacks in single coverage, but that's why they spent big bucks on Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. You can't play the system without corners who can play press-man coverage. The happy talk sounds good. Now all they have to do is... you know, do it. 2. In it to win it: The Jets have the second-highest cash payroll in the NFL at $173.5 million, according to OvertheCap.com. They trail only the San Diego Chargers ($177.6 million), who moved into the top spot after re-upping with Philip Rivers. Make no mistake, this is not a rebuilding year for the Jets. 3. Diamond in the backfield: The Jets have a lot of big names and big salaries, but one of the most respected players in the locker room -- this may surprise you -- is Bilal Powell. He doesn't have a glittering 8 P a g e

9 resume, but he's a diligent worker who executes his assignments. He's a tough dude with no ego. He just shows up and does his job, and that carries a lot of weight among his teammates. Willie Colon told me, "Bilal is the hidden gem. He's the most underrated guy on our team, maybe the NFL. I've never seen him make a mistake." Wow, that's lofty praise. The coaches trust Powell, one of the reasons why he's the third-down back. They know he won't get the quarterback killed by blowing up a blitz pickup. Bowles, too, has spoken highly of Powell, who, like his running mate Chris Ivory, will be a free agent after the season. 4. The third wheel and his wheels: Revis is one of the most accomplished cornerbacks in recent history, but he's a bit envious of one particular teammate: Buster Skrine, the Jets' No. 3 corner. Revis said of Skrine, "Buster, he's awesome. He's probably the best corner we have in terms of footwork, change of speed and change of direction." Skrine might have great feet, but he has to watch his hands. He was penalized 15 times last season for the Cleveland Browns (11 accepted), and that's simply too many. 5. The wisdom of Bart: I haven't always agreed with Bart Scott over the years, but I think the former Jets linebacker-turned-cbs-analyst is right on with his comments about the Geno Smith/IK Enemkpali altercation over $600. Scott told the New York Post, "I ve never heard anyone get into it with the quarterback. In my opinion, if you put Mark Sanchez into that same situation and he couldn t make it to the charity event or whatever happened, what a quarterback is supposed to do is to give you your $600 and donate $1,000 to your charity. That s what a leader does. Maybe Geno is too young in the process to understand that and he has to mature more. I can add this: Sanchez, I'm told, absorbed the cost of many unused plane tickets while hosting his "Jets West" camp for teammates in 2010 and And you never heard anything about it. It's not a host thing, it's a quarterback thing. As Scott said, Smith should've used the ATM in the players' lounger to repay Enemkpali. 6. Revisionist history: Upon arriving at his new gig with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Michael Vick suggested to reporters the Jets pulled a switcheroo on him last season. He said, Last year took a lot of adjusting and, I admit, I didn t do it as well as I wanted to because, in my mind, the position I was in was supposed to be different." Say what? From Day 1, Vick's mantra was, "I know what I signed up for," saying he expected to serve as Smith's backup. It was Vick, more than team officials, who downplayed any notion of an open competition. To his credit, he did so without complaining. Now he's saying it was supposed to be different? Maybe it could've been different if he hadn't mailed in the season. He was never emotionally invested in the Jets, perhaps because he knew he had no shot to unseat Smith. 7. The Todd Effect: You've heard this a thousand times: Teams reflect the personality of their head coach. Here's a perfect example. During the run-up to last year's preseason game against the New York Giants, the Jets did a lot of chirping. This was Colon: "At the end of the day, that's our house and we consider it our house. There's only one way to solve it. That's to win it and beat them." This year, Colon and his teammates took a watered-down approach with their comments. That they face the Giants in the regular season probably had something to do with it, but the change in coaching philosophy also was a factor. Bowles doesn't get caught up in the trash-talk scene, preferring the "every-game-is-the-same" mantra. It's boring, but it ultimately will be more effective than screaming. 8. Churning the roster: The Jets have made only 14 transactions since Aug. 1. By comparison, the New England Patriots have made 31. What does it mean? I don't know. Just thought it was kind of interesting. 9 P a g e

10 9. Nick Mangold, crime stopper: The Pro Bowl center has received a lot of publicity for calling 911 last Sunday morning, when burglars were trying to break into his car at his home in Chatham, New Jersey. The suspects, believed to be responsible for a crime spree in the area, were apprehended by police. "Shoot, I remembered three digits and was able to punch them into a phone," said Mangold, downplaying his role. "The fine men and women in uniform did their jobs." The car alarm, he said, "woke my son up, which woke my wife up, which woke me up -- a chain of events. Saw the garage door open, which was kind of a scary thought with kids in the house. Luckily, I had a phone right there and dialed 911. The police officers did the heavy lifting." Why was Eric Decker returning punts for the Jets? Bad decision (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York 1. It's really hard to believe the Jets don't have better options at kickoff returner and punt returner. For all the money general manager Mike Maccagnan spent in the offseason, he failed to bring in a proven player at these spots. With Jeremy Kerley out with a concussion, the Jets gave the punt-return job (for one night, anyway) to Eric Decker, their $7 million-a-year wide receiver. He was instructed to fair catch every chance, according to head coach Todd Bowles. So what happened? He misjudged his first chance, running for zero yards. He muffed his second chance, pinning the offense to the goal line. Only then did they give Walter Powell a chance, and he responded with a 54-yard punt-return touchdown. So does Powell replace Kerley, who's a fair catch waiting to happen? The kickoff-returner situation is a muddled mess of mediocrity. Chris Owusu had a nice 38-yard return to open the game, but his durability issues make him a question mark. The Jets will have to rely on defense and field position to win games, and it doesn't look like they're going to get much help from their return units. Maybe they can pick up somebody on the final roster cutdown. 2. Based on playing time, which often is the most telling statistic in otherwise meaningless preseason games, Quincy Enunwa still is in the lead to grab the No. 3 job at wide receiver. He played 24 offensive snaps, mostly with the starters. As Bowles promised, he gave a long look to other candidates, namely Owusu (31 snaps), who returned from a concussion. Most of his playing time, though, came with the backups in the second half. In terms of productivity, none of them stood out. Enunwa had one catch for 10 yards, and that's it. The X factor is Kerley, the incumbent. He didn't play, but we know what he can do. Afterward, Bowles said the battle could go into the final preseason game. If I had to make a prediction, I'd say the job belongs to Enunwa, who started the game (the Jets opened in a three-receiver set). 3. Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson seemed encouraged after the game about his cranky hamstring. In his preseason debut, he wound up playing 26 of the first-team defensive snaps. Afterward, Wilkerson said his "hamstring" was fine. Of all the positive developments Saturday night, this was the most important. 4. Linebacker Demario Davis had one rough series, committing two penalties on a long scoring drive by the Giants, but that's not what prompted a sideline lecture from Bowles. "I was more (ticked) about the missed tackle he had than the interference call," Bowles said. "That was more of a concern for me than anything else." Davis is an important player for the Jets because he's an every-down linebacker; he stays on the field with the nickel package, meaning he has to be sharp in pass coverage. 10 P a g e

11 5. If there was any doubt about Zac Stacy's status as the No. 3 running back, he cemented it with a solid game. He played a team-high 34 offensive snaps, scoring on a 24-yard screen pass (poor coverage by the Giants) and rushing for a team-high 60 yards on 13 carries. It certainly appears Stevan Ridley (knee) will begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he can't practice for six weeks. 6. Sheldon Richardson, facing a four-game suspension, played only 18 defensive snaps. You have to wonder if he'll play at all in the preseason finale, Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Really, what's the point? So he can dominate against backups? He could use the work, sure, but there's a risk-reward factor to consider. 7. Another positive for the Jets was the performance of the first-team offensive line, which blocked well in the running game, allowed no sacks and committed only one penalty (Breno Giacomini). Let's be honest, though: The Giants' front seven left a lot to be desired. Jets manage to salvage something from an otherwise lousy summer (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Jets need to get out of this preseason ASAP. Bad stuff keeps happening to them, from Sheldon Richardson's off-the-field transgressions to the IK Enemkpali/Geno Smith altercation. On Saturday night, they received a scare when prized No. 1 pick Leonard Williams left the game with a knee injury. The early reports indicate it's a bone bruise, not a torn ligament, but they won't know for sure until they receive the MRI results. The way things are going, they should send Williams into the MRI tube with a rabbit's foot and an official program from Super Bowl III. There's nothing wrong with creating your own karma, right? On the field, the Jets' starters salvaged something from the summer of insanity with solid, all-round performance against the New York Giants. The Ryan Fitzpatrick-led offense scored two touchdowns in five first-half possessions, sparking the Jets to a win in the so-called Snoopy Bowl. For the first time in the preseason, they resembled a real offense, mixing the run and the pass, spreading the ball to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker and moving the pocket to give Fitzpatrick better looks. Fitzpatrick, who replaced Geno Smith in the aftermath of The Punch, gave the kind of performance that makes you believe the Jets might have a chance in He completed nine of 14 passes for 127 yards, including touchdowns to Decker (18 yards) and running back Zac Stacy (24) on a screen pass. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was better than last week, and it'll have to do because the starters probably won't play in the preseason finale. Todd Bowles knows what he has in Fitzpatrick, but it was nice to see anyway. "It's always reassuring (to see it)," he said. "Everyone over there on offense pretty much has a résumé, but the older guys have to prove they can still play and he proved that tonight." If Fitzpatrick's preseason is done, he finished with a passer rating and, most importantly, no turnovers. Preseason stats are meaningless, though. As noted by Fitzpatrick after the game, the Jets saw mostly vanilla defenses with soft coverage. It'll be a lot harder when Marshall and Decker see tight, manto-man coverage in the regular season, forcing Fitzpatrick to throw into tight windows. It'll be a different game. "This was another step," Fritzpatrick said of the team's second straight win, keeping it in the proper perspective. "It was a step in the right direction in terms of confidence in the huddle, a little bit better 11 P a g e

12 productivity and good conversations on the sideline, everybody moving in the same direction -- the right direction." Marshall said it best: "If we want to be great, if we want to be good, first we have to calm down and relax and understand we have a lot of games to go and a lot of work to get done." So a couple of long touchdown drives saved the preseason from being a total bust. They'd like to move on to the real season, just the same. NEW YORK POST WRs hit hard as Jets begin to slash the roster (Brian Costello) New York Post The Jets began paring down their roster on Sunday, cutting 12 players. The biggest names were wide receivers T.J. Graham, Saalim Hakim and DeVier Posey. Graham played in 12 games for the Jets last year, catching one touchdown. Hakim played in 19 games over the last two years for the Jets, primarily on special teams. The Jets acquired Posey as part of a draft-day trade from the Texans. The other players cut were: WRs Austin Hill and Jonathon Rumph, TE Matt LaCosse, OL James Brewer and Dalton Freeman, LB Bryan Johnson and DBs Javier Arenas, Curtis Brown and Keith Lewis. The Jets now have 78 players on their roster. They must get to 75 by 4 p.m. Tuesday. The roster must then be trimmed to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Saturday. Jets can exhale after Leonard Williams scare (Brian Costello) New York Post The Jets can breathe a sigh of relief. Rookie defensive lineman Leonard Williams only has a muscle strain behind his knee and an MRI exam Sunday showed no ligament damage, according to a source. The Jets do not expect it to be a long-term injury. It sounds like Williams will be fine for the season-opener against the Browns in two weeks. Williams, the No. 6-overall pick in April s draft, suffered the injury on Saturday night in the Jets win over the Giants. He left the game in the second quarter and did not return. The Jets are counting on Williams to start with Sheldon Richardson suspended for at least the first four games of the season. The Jets are putting ugly past behind them just in time (Brian Costello) New York Post 12 P a g e

13 For the Jets starters, the regular season has arrived after a rocky summer. With the third preseason game in the books, the Jets top players now can start preparing for the Browns in Week 1 while the backups play the final preseason game Thursday night against the Eagles. Jets coach Todd Bowles did not rule out playing the starters in that game, but it is unlikely. Instead, the Jets starting offense and defense move out of the preseason mentality and into the regular season. The Browns come to MetLife Stadium on Sept. 13, so the Jets have less than two weeks to get ready for Mike Pettine s crew. I feel like we ve grown, Bowles said of the preseason. We still have some work to do, but we ve grown each week. Our process is to get better working toward Week 1. I feel like we ve grown quite a bit. Training camp has not gone smoothly for the Jets. They lost their projected starting quarterback, Geno Smith, to a broken jaw after teammate IK Enemkpali punched him Aug. 11. That forced the Jets to adjust their offense midstream to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, a difficult situation for any team. The timing between Fitzpatrick and his wide receivers looked off in the first week he was with the starters. He had spent the spring and the beginning of camp working with the second team. It took time to develop some chemistry with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but it looked good Saturday night, when Fitzpatrick threw for two touchdowns against the Giants and had a passer rating of 133. There s still stuff we need to work on, Decker said. Fitzpatrick has only been in there a few weeks. We re still building that timing with him and the camaraderie so to speak as far as a receiver/quarterback relationship goes. But, I think we did a good job mixing in both run and pass. I think eliminating the penalties is something we have to focus on, clean up that stuff, but as long as we re moving the ball forward and not turning it over, we re making plays when the opportunity is at hand. The Jets were encouraged after Saturday s win over the Giants, but Marshall cautioned they could not get too happy about it. Let me say this again, yeah, we played well, but we still have a lot of work to do, Marshall said. Am I happier and are most guys happy with the progress we made? Yes, but if we want to be great, if we want to be good, first, we have to calm down and relax and understand we have a lot of games to go, and we have a lot of work still to get done. So, we ll strap it back up on Monday and try to get better. Defensively, the Jets had given up touchdowns on their opening drives in the first two preseason games. They emphasized coming out faster against the Giants, and they followed through. The Giants only put together one good drive against the Jets starters, and that was aided by three Jets penalties. The defense also has scored touchdowns in each of the past two games. The lack of creating turnovers was a huge problem for the Jets last year, so they have to be encouraged by what they have done in the preseason in that department. We ve got high expectations for ourselves, linebacker Demario Davis said. I don t know if we re ever where we want to be. We re not content. We re satisfied with the performance, but we ve got a long way to go still. We re going to come back next week, work hard and get ready for Week 1. NJ ADVANCE MEDIA 13 P a g e

14 Leonard Williams injury: Jets rookie has muscle strain in knee (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media ncart_river The Jets got some good news on first-round pick Leonard Williams' knee injury Sunday. An MRI revealed that Williams has a muscle strain behind his knee, and that there is no ligament damage. It is not expected to be a long-term injury. Williams had left Saturday night's preseason victory over the Giants with what was described as a knee injury, though a league source said afterward that the Jets believed it may have just been a bone bruise, pending the results of the MRI. That Williams did not sustain any ligament damage is good news both for him and the Jets. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Williams is expected to begin the season as a starting defensive end because of Sheldon Richardson's four-game suspension. The Jets close out the preseason Thursday night at home against the Eagles, and their regular-season opener against the Browns at home is two weeks from Sunday. It is not yet known whether Williams will be ready for either game. Analysis of Jets roster cuts as they go from 90 players to 78: DeVier Posey, Dalton Freeman (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media #incart_river The Jets on Sunday cut 12 players, to trim their roster from 90 players to 78. NFL teams have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. to get down to 75 players. But the Jets opted to make (most of) their initial cuts a couple days early. The big cuts come Saturday. That's the deadline, also at 4 p.m., for teams to trim their rosters from 75 to the final 53. Here's a look at the 12 players the Jets cut Sunday. There were no major surprises. WR T.J. Graham: The Jets signed him last September. He had three catches for 87 yards and a touchdown last year, while returning six kickoffs. But the Jets' receiver position is crowded this preseason, and Graham didn't get an offensive snap in Saturday's game against the Giants not a good sign for him. WR DeVier Posey: He was acquired in a modest trade during the draft. Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan was familiar with Posey from their time together in Houston. But Posey never made a major impact in the preseason. WR Saalim Hakim: He's fast, but he never got that whole receiving part of playing wide receiver down while with the Jets. Hakim did, however, show potential as a gunner on punt coverage. The Jets signed him in October of He never had any catches in a regular season game for them. He returned 13 kickoffs last season and had two rushes in Like Graham, Hakim didn't play an offensive snap against the Giants. 14 P a g e

15 OT James Brewer: He dealt with a back injury during training camp, while working as the third-string right tackle. The Jets had settled on Brent Qvale (right) and Ben Ijalana (left) as their backup tackles. Brewer was a fourth-round draft pick by the Giants in 2011, and had spent his entire career with them until the Jets signed him this offseason. Another low-cost acquisition. C Dalton Freeman: He was the backup center last season, after spending 2013 on the practice squad as an undrafted rookie. But Wesley Johnson emerged in this training camp as a likelier candidate to be the No. 2 center, presuming the Jets keep a true No. 2 center. They might instead opt to retain an extra guard, like Dakota Dozier, a second-year pro. TE Matt LaCosse: The Jets just signed the undrafted rookie last week. He previously was with the Giants. OLB Bryan Johnson: Like LaCosse, the Jets picked him up last week to provide a body at an injuryimpacted position. CB Keith Lewis: He initially joined the Jets as a practice squad player in December. DB Javier Arenas: The former second-round draft pick signed with the Jets earlier this month, as they needed bodies in the secondary. CB Curtis Brown: A former Steeler, he signed with the Jets in February. WR Austin Hill: An undrafted rookie, he signed with the Jets this summer. WR Jonathon Rumph: Ditto for him an undrafted rookie who signed this summer. Grading performances of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty in Jets vs. Giants (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media Saturday night's third preseason game, against the Giants, was almost certainly the final time Jets starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will get on the field before Week 1. Fitzpatrick and the starters are expected to sit out Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles. Fitzpatrick finished his preseason on a positive note Saturday, as did the starting offense as a whole. Just like we did after the Jets' preseason opener against the Lions, and their matchups with the Falcons, let's grade how Fitzpatrick and Petty played against the Giants. Fitzpatrick's stats: 9-of-14 passing, 127 yards, two touchdowns Petty's stats: 5-of-8 passing, 42 yards Coach Todd Bowles on Fitzpatrick: "I thought Ryan played well. He commanded the ball game, made necessary throws when he needed to make them. We ran the ball, [and] he mixed it up pretty good. I thought he came out of it good. Everybody over there pretty much has a resume, but the older guys still have to prove they can still play, and he proved that tonight." Bowles on Petty: "He's getting better. He's still making mistakes. He's made strides from Week 1. He got better Week 2. He made a couple good throws. He missed a couple things tonight, but the game is slowing down for him, and that's the biggest thing. He made a lot of progress tonight and he'll make some next week." 15 P a g e

16 Fitzpatrick observations: You can read more in-depth analysis of Fitzpatrick's night here. But Fitzpatrick actually threw a couple deep passes Saturday, unlike in the Falcons game. Fitzpatrick wasn't able to connect on any, and there are still concerns about his arm strength. But Fitzpatrick didn't turn the ball over, and he finished the preseason with zero turnovers. That's a big thing. And Fitzpatrick put nice touch on his 18-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker. Fitzpatrick's two touchdown passes Saturday were his first of the preseason. Petty observations: He continues to progress, but he remains a long way from thriving in the NFL. He didn't turn the ball over, though. Petty did say that he made a mistake with pre-snap recognition of a blitz, and that led to him being sacked. (He was sacked just that one time.) He said those are the things he must continue to improve on the pre-snap analysis of what's about to happen. It's a challenge for young players to transfer their film study to the actual game, and Petty is still working on that "chess match" part of playing quarterback in the NFL. But neither Petty nor Fitzpatrick had any turnovers in the first three preseason games. Considering the recent track record of Jets quarterbacks, that's worth praising. Fitzpatrick grade: B+ Petty grade: B Antonio Cromartie, Demario Davis among Jets studs and duds vs. Giants (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media ml#incart_river EAST RUTHERFORD The Snoopy Trophy is heading back to Florham Park. The Jets on Saturday night put together their most complete performance of the preseason with a victory over the Giants. As with any preseason game, any and all performances from the starters whether encouraging or discouraging ought to be taken with a grain of salt. Teams don't game plan, and players know these games don't count, so the approach isn't the same as it would be during the regular season. But that's not to say it's all meaningless. The starters still want to get their feet under them especially the offense, which has now had close to three weeks to work with Ryan Fitzpatrick as its quarterback. Many players who aren't starters are fighting for roster spots. Games like this are ginormous for them. In the gallery above, we highlighted six Jets four studs, two duds who did or didn't play well. Perhaps you have some observations about them of your own. Or perhaps you have some observations about some other players to offer up, too. If so, leave 'em in the comments below. Jets Zac Stacy says he thought he gained too much weight to make leaping touchdown vs. Giants (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media l#incart_river 16 P a g e

17 EAST RUTHERFORD One of the more compelling plays of the Jets' preseason win over the Giants on Saturday night was Zac Stacy's touchdown. Stacy, a third-year running back who the Jets traded for during this year's draft, caught a screen pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick in the second quarter. Stacy had open field in front of him, and he ran toward the end zone. Just before strong safety Brandon Meriweather could low-bridge tackle Stacy near the goal line, Stacy leaped up and somersaulted into the end zone, for a 24-yard score. "I caught it, and my eyes got big because I didn't really see anybody in front of me," Stacy said. "So my initial reaction was to take off. And I saw the guy. I knew he was going to go low, so my initial reaction was to just go over the top. It was nothing special, really." But it actually was special, based on what Stacy also said about the play. "I haven't done that since high school," he said. "I did it in high school, but it's been a little minute. I didn't know I could get up that high anymore. Added a little weight on me." He was joking, of course. But Stacy is a compact, powerful back, at 5-foot-9 and 224 pounds. He is likely to make the Jets' initial 53- man roster because Stevan Ridley almost certainly will start the season on the physically unable to perform list, as he recovers from knee surgery. Stacy will be the Jets' No. 3 back, behind Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, presuming Ridley starts the year on the PUP list. Sounds like Eric Decker wants no parts of returning punts for Jets (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media #incart_river EAST RUTHERFORD Why, exactly, was Eric Decker, of all the Jets, back to return punts in the first half of Saturday night's preseason victory over the Giants? Decker has nine punt returns in his NFL career, and all came when he was with the Broncos. After Saturday night's game, when he to put it charitably didn't do so well, Decker sure didn't sound like he wanted to be returning punts. "I'll try to get better at it," Decker said. "But, hopefully, we'll find a guy." Because hopefully, Decker seemed to be saying, that guy ain't me. Jeremy Kerley, the Jets' primary punt returner, was out with a concussion. Walt Powell, who returned 12 punts as a rookie last season but is battling for a roster spot this summer, was available. But more on him in a bit. Javier Arenas, a cornerback who had three returns for 31 yards just last week against the Falcons, also was available. But Decker, who's set to earn $5 million this season as one of the team's primary wideouts, was out there anyway in what was a meaningless game and with brutal results. Why even put him at risk? 17 P a g e