NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS November 1, 2013 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Geno, Jets' offense looking to be more consistent (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Jets' Holmes, Cumberland sit out practice (Dennis Waszak)... 3 NEWSDAY... 4 Jets must bounce back against high-scoring Saints (Kimberley Martin)... 4 Covering Saints tight end Jimmy Graham will challenge Jets (Bob Glauber)... 5 Ex-Jet Brandon Moore to retire officially (Kimberley Martin)... 6 THE RECORD... 7 Jets notes: Colon plans on playing (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 Rex gives advice to Jets QB Geno Smith: Brace for brother's D (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 NFL: Jets' Dee Milliner gets his job back (J.P. Pelzman)... 9 STAR-LEDGER Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman says Dee Milliner needs experience to improve (Darryl Slater) Jets right guard Willie Colon, nursing bruised calf, plans to play against Saints' formidable pass rush (Darryl Slater) Marty Mornhinweg on Jets' offense: 'We took some steps backwards' against Bengals (Michael Fensom) Jets face another tough tight end matchup with Saints' Jimmy Graham (Darryl Slater) Jets special teams coach says NFL notified team of pushing violation on Patriots field goal (Michael Fensom) NEW YORK POST Jets offensive coordinator pokes fun at Bengals loss (Mark Cannizzaro) Jets need to keep Saints away from Geno Smith (Mark Cannizzaro) How badly will Drew Brees carve up the Jets? (Steve Serby) Brunell: Sanchez won t be brought in as starter (Justin Terranova) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NY Jets secondary must give pass rush time to get to Drew Brees (Manish Mehta) NY Jets may use Antonio Cromartie to cover Saints TE Jimmy Graham (Seth Walder) ESPN NEW YORK Smashmouth is Jets' only hope vs. Saints (Rich Cimini) Cromartie on Graham? Could happen (Kieran Darcy) Double Coverage: Saints at Jets (Rich Cimini and Mike Triplett) NJ.COM 'Uncanny' Drew Brees impresses Rex Ryan (Kristian Dyer) P a g e

2 Jets will give Saints a taste of 'Baby Gronk' (Zach Sudfeld) (Kristian Dyer) Despite hamstring injury, Alex Green says he is ready to play on Sunday (Kristian Dyer) Jeremy Kerley returns to the Jets after missed practice on Wednesday (Kristian Dyer) Jets receivers Stephen Hill and Jeremy Kerley back at practice (Kristian Dyer) THURSDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Geno, Jets' offense looking to be more consistent (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Marty Mornhinweg sat down for his weekly news conference and was all set to open with a review of the New York Jets' last game. Without saying a word about the 49-9 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday, the offensive coordinator kept a straight face. "All right," Mornhinweg deadpanned Thursday, "let's get to New Orleans." When you have a loss that ugly, not much needs to be said. It was brutal, and Mornhinweg knows it. Coach Rex Ryan even opted out of the usual team film session Monday so the Jets could move on quickly. "Look, we took some steps backward," Mornhinweg said. "Now, we've got to take some steps forward. It's just that simple. I've got to do a better job, period, putting the guys in a little bit better spots." The Jets put up 240 total yards of offense against the Bengals, and rookie Geno Smith was 20 of 30 for 159 yards and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns. Smith and the offense have been a roller coaster through the first eight games, a consistent inconsistency that has led to a 4-4 record. The Jets have the 17th-ranked overall offense, which includes being the No. 13 rushing team and 22nd passing. "We've played probably some decent, pretty good, solid offensive football and then we've played some really poor offensive football," Mornhinweg said. "And then we've come back and played some good, solid football. So, we're looking for that good, solid offensive football really consistently. "It seems like we've been up and down and up and down, so there you go." Mornhinweg pointed the finger at himself, adding that he's not "beating myself up" about the way the offense performed last week. But he also acknowledged that the game got away quickly as the Bengals jumped to a 14-0 lead and were ahead 28-6 by halftime. "We've just got to do a better job, especially at the start of the game, because as you know we were completely out of the plan very quickly," Mornhinweg said. The Jets haven't lost - or won - consecutive games this season, and now they face one of the NFL's toughest defenses in the New Orleans Saints. They're the 12th-ranked defense, and they disrupt quarterbacks on a regular basis. The Saints have 24 sacks, including at least one by 12 players. They also have nine interceptions and 10 forced fumbles, six of which they've recovered. 2 P a g e

3 "Yeah, we've got to protect the ball," Smith said. "I've got to protect the ball. They have caused a few turnovers and that's kind of the mentality of the defense. They try to throw a lot at you and get you out of rhythm, get you to rush some things. So, just staying patient, knowing where I'm going with the ball and just being sharp." That's been much easier said than done for Smith. He has eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions, a total that ranks third in the NFL and first in the AFC. Smith has also been sacked 28 times, a total that is second in the NFL only to the 32 by Miami's Ryan Tannehill. Some of the sacks have come because of Smith's tendency to sometimes hold onto the ball a bit too long, but there have also been occasional breakdowns on the offensive line. He was sacked three times by Cincinnati on Sunday before being replaced by Matt Simms. "I know we're way better than that," right guard Willie Colon said of the team's performance. "I know that we're capable of playing a lot better and doing a lot better." Smith has been saying that of himself ever since his first practice with the Jets. He's a tantalizing talent: a big-armed quarterback who can also make plays with his legs. Smith also is the first rookie since the merger in 1970 to lead a winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime four times in his first seven games. But, there have also been the handfuls of mistakes, including the three interceptions returned for touchdowns in the last two games. Five of his 13 interceptions have come in the fourth quarter, and Smith has just one game in which he hasn't had a turnover. "I do understand that there's lots to learn, but I know what I'm capable of," Smith said. "For me, it's just about sticking to it, just continuing to work hard, staying level-headed. That comes naturally. So, (I'm) just going to stick to my guns, just work hard and try and improve every single day." Mornhinweg has been mostly encouraged by the quarterback despite the mistakes. Part of it has been Smith's refusal to blame anyone other than himself for his struggles. There's also his motivation to be better - and make the offense better in the process. "Very few days go by," Mornhinweg said, "where I'm not impressed with the man." Jets' Holmes, Cumberland sit out practice (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes and tight end Jeff Cumberland sat out practice for the second straight day, and could miss the team's game Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Holmes has been sidelined four games with a hamstring injury. Cumberland suffered a concussion in the Jets' 49-9 loss to Cincinnati last Sunday. Coach Rex Ryan says Thursday that Konrad Reuland and Zach Sudfeld could split snaps if Cumberland can't go Sunday. Right guard Willie Colon (left calf) also did not practice for the second consecutive day, but says it's "looking promising" for him to play. Backup running back Alex Green also sat out with a hamstring injury. 3 P a g e

4 Wide receivers David Nelson (quadriceps) and Stephen Hill (foot), and center Nick Mangold (ribs) were limited. NEWSDAY Jets must bounce back against high-scoring Saints (Kimberley Martin) Newsday November 1, FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Geno Smith addressed the media crowd this week in typical fashion, accepting responsibility for his recent shortcomings while keeping one eye fixed on the immediate future. Asked about the challenge of facing the high-powered Saints, the Jets rookie quarterback was matter of fact and pleasant as always. "It's a great opportunity for us again,'' Smith said. For the 4-4 Jets, Sunday is about more than just getting another win. It's about exorcising the demons from last week's embarrassing 49-9 loss to the Bengals. It's about restoring faith that this team can be playoff-bound if it fights hard enough. It's about having the chance to savor victory during their Week 10 bye. But to do that, the Jets know they will need a collective effort to defeat the Saints (6-1). And it starts with their offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg. "We took some steps backwards. Now we've got to take some steps forward,'' Mornhinweg said Thursday. "It's just that simple. I've got to do a better job, period, putting the guys in a little bit better spots.'' Mornhinweg also shouldered the blame for the disappearance of Stephen Hill, the second-year receiver who has only 10 catches for 107 yards (and no touchdowns) since his breakout performance in Week 3 against Buffalo. "I have to do a better job there, get him the ball a little bit,'' Mornhinweg said. The Jets' offense was woeful in the rout in Cincinnati. The key for them Sunday is the running game. With an efficient rushing attack, they can exploit the Saints' biggest weakness (New Orleans gives up rushing yards a game and 4.8 a carry) and take pressure off Smith. "We've got to get in a rhythm; we've got to start being more consistent,'' guard Willie Colon said. "We just have to do our job up front. We've got to take care of the little things. Right now, that's what's killing us. We're not being detailed in our work.'' The Jets' running game was virtually nonexistent last week, with backup quarterback Matt Simms leading the way with three carries for 35 yards after replacing Smith with the game far out of reach. But the Saints' run defense very well could be the Achilles' heel of Rob Ryan's stout defense come Sunday. "Their specific rushing statistics is one of the very few statistics that aren't in the top 10,'' Mornhinweg said when asked if the Jets will use the "ground-and-pound" attack more this week. Colon is convinced that the dud against the Bengals won't shake the confidence of Rex Ryan's young team, particularly his offense. "We laid an egg. Flat- out,'' Colon said. "I know we're way better than that. I know we're capable of playing a lot better. It was just one of those games where it was just ugly. 4 P a g e

5 "All of us collectively didn't play our best ball. When you play against a good team like Cincinnati, who's on the rise, who's probably going to end up winning their division, that's going to happen.'' By halftime, the Jets trailed This week, against this team, their offense has to be better, Mornhinweg said. "We needed to generate something and we just didn't,'' he said. "If we generated anything at all, our defense would've certainly fed off of us just a little bit.'' Covering Saints tight end Jimmy Graham will challenge Jets (Bob Glauber) Newsday November 1, The one-on-one matchup that could determine whether the Jets win or lose Sunday involves Saints All- Pro tight end Jimmy Graham against a guy named Antonio. The only question is whether the Antonio is Cromartie or Allen. Will it be Cromartie, the Jets' best cornerback, who regularly covers the best receiver but rarely a tight end? Or will it be Allen, who did a bang-up job against the Patriots' big-time tight end, Rob Gronkowski, in the Jets' overtime win in Week 7? Either way, whoever shadows the Saints' extraordinary tight end has his work cut out. Graham might be the biggest matchup conundrum for a defensive backfield this side of Calvin Johnson. The 6-7, 260-pound Graham may be listed as a tight end, but he has the speed of a wide receiver and rarely is used in the traditional blocking role of an NFL tight end. The man has been a touchdown machine, with eight in seven games. He had two in a win over the Bills last week despite playing sparingly because of a foot problem -- described as a partially torn plantar fascia -- that has limited his mobility (although you might not be able to tell). I asked Allen if he's noticed any drop-off in Graham's speed or effectiveness. "No,'' he said. "As athletes, we're trained to play through injuries, and I guess he's playing through it well, because I don't see it in the film.'' Rex Ryan suggested the Saints ought to be conservative with Graham's injury and not let him on the team flight. Ryan should only be so lucky. Despite being limited in practice, Graham is expected to play. "Hopefully, [Graham] doesn't play a lot,'' said Ryan, who referred to him as "a unique cat. He has the size, he has speed, phenomenal at adjusting to the football and he has a great rapport with Brees. It just seems like, where do they grow these dudes? They're all 6-7, 6-8 and they're fast. We've played them all, it seems like.'' Ryan hinted it could be Cromartie who shadows Graham. Why? Well, the only game this season in which Graham didn't catch a pass was against the Patriots, who had cornerback Aqib Talib cover him. Perhaps not coincidentally, that was the Saints' only loss. If Ryan likes the way Allen covered Gronkowski (eight catches, but no TDs), he might be tempted to put the former linebacker on Graham. The one hesitation Ryan may have is that Graham is faster than Gronkowski. 5 P a g e

6 "Graham is basically a wide receiver who just happens to be 6-7,'' linebacker Calvin Pace said. "It's a tough matchup. It's like, who do you put on him? "I don't want to guard him,'' he said jokingly... sort of. "And they do a good job of getting him in space, so it's going to be a person that's got to get hands on him, just know where he is.'' Cromartie, who said last week he has been disappointed in his play this season, declined to talk to reporters this week. If it's Allen on Graham, he's ready for the challenge. The Jets played a variety of coverages on Gronkowski before having Allen go one-on-one the entire second half. And it paid off in a big way, as Allen picked off Tom Brady's third-quarter pass to Gronkowski and returned it for a momentumswinging touchdown. Gronkowski did get behind Allen on one pass that would have been a touchdown, but he dropped it. "I was definitely frustrated with that play,'' Allen said. "I misjudged [the ball] and he almost came down with it. He didn't, and it was a relief.'' The key to playing against big, athletic tight ends like Gronkowski and Graham: be physical. "They're both tall, big-type guys. Just got to beat 'em up and be physical with them,'' Allen said. "Just get your hands on him any way you could. Be a tick to him, annoy him.'' And keep everything in front of you whenever possible. "Don't let him get that big play,'' Allen said. "Catching 5-yard routes is not going to beat you. It's going to irritate you, but it's not going to beat us. We just try to stay on top and not let the ball get thrown over our head.'' Easier said than done. Especially with another gargantuan wide receiver in a tight end's body coming to town. Ex-Jet Brandon Moore to retire officially (Kimberley Martin) Newsday November 1, FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The Jets will hold a news conference Friday, when former guard Brandon Moore will make his retirement official. Moore, who spent 10 seasons with the Jets, flirted with returning to the NFL in the offseason. After accepting an offer from Dallas, then turning it down, he surprised many by retiring in August. He will lead the player walk from the parking lot into MetLife Stadium before Sunday's game against the Saints. The education of Dee Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman took the inquiries about struggling rookie cornerback Dee Milliner in stride before finally saying: "You guys are asking me questions I answer every week. I don't know what else you want me to tell you.'' Thurman was asked about the recent benching of Milliner, the No. 9 overall pick. Asked if Milliner's draft status has something to do with starting him over undrafted free agent Darrin Walls, Thurman said: "It doesn't have a damn thing to do with it. 6 P a g e

7 "Our expectation is that [Milliner's] going to go play at a level that satisfies our team. If it's not happening and we make a decision to remove him, it's our decision.'' Jet streams Willie Colon (bruised left calf) did not practice for a second straight day but said he plans to play... TE Jeff Cumberland (concussion), RB Alex Green (hamstring) and WR Santonio Holmes (hamstring) didn't practice. WRs Stephen Hill (foot) and David Nelson (quadriceps) and C Nick Mangold (ribs) were limited... Holmes is among 16 current and former NFL players suing North Carolina-based bank BB & T for nearly $60 million in alleged investment losses, according to legal documents obtained by Yahoo Sports. THE RECORD Jets notes: Colon plans on playing (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 1, Colon_plans_on_playing.html Right guard Willie Colon sat out practice Thursday for the second consecutive day because of an injured left calf, but indicated he is optimistic about his chances of playing against New Orleans on Sunday. "I plan on it," said Colon, who characterized himself as day to day, but added, "It s looking promising" to play. Colon suffered the injury during the Jets 49-9 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. He said that one of the Bengals stepped on his leg during a running play. He wasn t sure who it was. Colon, a former Pittsburgh Steelers stalwart who is in his first year with the Jets, has started every game. If he can t play, he likely would be replaced by Vlad Ducasse, who began the season as the starting left guard but was benched in favor of Brian Winters after a loss to Tennessee on Sept. 29. MOORE TO ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT: Colon replaced Brandon Moore, who had been the Jets starter at right guard for nine seasons until the Jets chose not to re-sign him after the 2012 campaign. Moore officially will announce his retirement today at the team s Florham Park complex. Moore, who has been very active in charitable work in New Jersey, agreed to terms on a contract with Dallas in August. However, he changed his mind because he didn t want to leave behind his wife and children in New Jersey. Moore also will lead the Jets on their now-customary pregame walk from the team bus through the parking lot and into MetLife Stadium on Sunday. BRIEFS: WR Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and TE Jeff Cumberland (concussion) didn t practice Thursday and aren t expected to play. Special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica acknowledged the Jets have been notified by the NFL that their "push" play on a field-goal attempt against New England on Oct. 20 was illegal and should have been penalized. The Jets won after a controversial call on the Patriots for one teammate pushing another on a Jets field-goal attempt. Rex gives advice to Jets QB Geno Smith: Brace for brother's D (J.P. Pelzman) The Record 7 P a g e

8 FLORHAM PARK Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan are identical twins, albeit with different hairstyles and girth. But the defenses the brothers oversee are more like fraternal twins. They look very similar and use many of the same concepts, but have subtle differences. Still, it s not surprising that Rex Ryan has tried to give rookie quarterback Geno Smith as much insight as possible into what brother Rob might unleash against him when New Orleans visits the Jets on Sunday. Smith said Jets coach Rex has told him to expect anything when the Jets face the defense of Rob Ryan, who is in his first season as the Saints defensive coordinator. Rob, who hadn t spoken to the media yet this week, will do so today. Smith added that from what he has seen on tape, Rex is 100 percent right because they ll dial up just about any blitz, no rhyme or reason to it. That s just the way that he thinks, talking about the Ryans. They re just going to dial it up. It s going to be game-plan specific. It s not going to be the same thing I expect to see on tape. [I have to] be prepared for anything and just get my eyes in the right place and just stick to my fundamentals. The Ryan brothers father, Buddy Ryan, revolutionized defensive football in the 1980s with his attacking 46 defense in Chicago, and each brother has taken some of his father s concepts and incorporated it into his own defense. Both use 3-4 fronts as a base, although each one will mix in 4-3 looks, too. They like to blitz and both systems, particularly Rex s, are based on the cornerbacks being able to cover one-on-one, thus freeing up other defenders to blitz instead of having to help out in coverage. You can expect multiple coverages from New Orleans, said Smith, who has plenty of experience facing Rex s defense in practice. You can expect guys to be moving around, [and they re] not going to show you the coverage. They re going to disguise things. It s something that I m used to seeing here. Obviously, having a Ryan as a defensive coordinator always makes the defense good. It s going to be a challenge for me. One other thing Rex told Smith, he said, is that Rob is going to give you every single thing that he has. He s not going to hold anything back, especially against a rookie quarterback, so I can expect to see a multitude of coverages and looks from the front. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees admitted there are similarities between the defenses, but the veteran laughed when asked if he had gotten a lot of advice from Rob. In fact, Rob s counsel to Brees mirrored what Rex Ryan told Smith. Just kind of expect anything, Brees said of Rob s advice. This will be only the second time we ve played him as the head coach with the Jets and then we played him one time when he was with the Ravens. You re talking about three times in eight years. I think just from studying film and just kind of knowing what I know, [I] just know that he s definitely going to have a plan for us. He s got a lot of talented players that can execute it and you just kind of have to expect anything and everything. So, expect the unexpected and be prepared for whatever. New Orleans coach Sean Payton thinks the inside-information angle is overplayed, adding, You spend your time looking at all the tape and you game plan according to what they do personnel group-wise, what they do coverage- and front-wise. I think that s the main thing we kind of put a plan together around. 8 P a g e

9 NFL: Jets' Dee Milliner gets his job back (J.P. Pelzman) The Record Jets Dee_Milliner_gets_his_job_back.html?pa ge=all FLORHAM PARK Dee Milliner was a spectator in the second half of the Jets blowout loss at Cincinnati four days ago, mainly because he often seemed like a spectator when he was on the field in the first half. But the oft-torched rookie cornerback will be a participant again when the Jets host New Orleans on Sunday. And coach Rex Ryan expects him to be an active one, not only against the Saints, but for the rest of the season. After announcing Wednesday that Milliner will retain his starting job Sunday after being benched against the Bengals, Ryan also said he expects Milliner to show he is the best of the crop of rookie NFL corners by season s end. That s high praise for a player who has been benched twice during games this season, and seemed more indicative of the bombastic Rex of years past than the 2013 version, who has been much more cautious with his public proclamations. Ryan said Wednesday that after watching the tape of the loss to Cincinnati, Milliner is "close to being that player that we want. I will say this, by the time the season s over, I think he will be the best rookie corner and playing better than any rookie corner in this year s draft. I don t think there s any doubt. We anticipate that." After the loss to the Bengals, Ryan said Milliner "physically wasn t getting it done." The fifth-year coach expanded upon those thoughts Wednesday, saying, "Mentally, I think he s right there. In this league, the ball is going to be [thrown] where it needs to be, where it should be. If you have leverage inside [as a cornerback], that ball is going to be outside. It s not college. Sometimes, it just takes a little time to understand that." "I m happy about the decision," said Milliner, adding that he will "continue to work and get better each day and continue to try to get better as the games go." Milliner also was benched at halftime of a loss at New England in Week 2. He was targeted five times against the Bengals and allowed four receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. He was replaced by Darrin Walls, who also allowed a touchdown reception. Ryan s decision to stick with Milliner seems at odds with the organization s oft-stated mantra of "competition" espoused by first-year general manager John Idzik, but it also could mean they lack confidence in Walls, a third-year pro who is an undrafted free agent. Walls has been shaky at times, although he has played better than Milliner. And Milliner certainly wasn t the only problem against Cincinnati, which rolled up 255 yards passing and four TDs in the first half. Milliner and his teammates in the secondary will have to improve in a hurry because they ll face Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense on Sunday. Brees threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Buffalo four days ago. Milliner expects to be targeted early and often by the veteran quarterback. 9 P a g e

10 "I ve [shown] on film that plays get [made against] me here and there," Milliner said. "He watches film. He s one of the great quarterbacks in today s game. He s going to be out there and of course I m the new kid out there, so he s going to look to attack me." Can Milliner withstand that? Ryan believes he can. "I don t think there s any doubt," he said. "I see the intensity. I know how he wants to respond. And I know how bad he wants it." STAR-LEDGER Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman says Dee Milliner needs experience to improve (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger iner_needs_experience_to_improve.html Jets coach Rex Ryan said Wednesday that rookie cornerback Dee Milliner benched twice this season, most recently in Sunday s loss at the Bengals would continue to start, even as the Jets prepare for the Saints Canton-bound quarterback, Drew Brees. Ryan said he believed Milliner would end up being the NFL s best rookie cornerback this season. While Ryan makes the defensive calls during games, defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman also plays a big role in the unit. Thurman, a former NFL cornerback, was the Jets defensive backs coach from He spoke Thursday about why the Jets benched Milliner against the Bengals rather than letting him work through his mistakes. Because you re trying to win the game and you want to go with guys that, at that point, you feel can help you win the game, Thurman said. It wasn t a lost cause (with Milliner), but sometimes you can look at an athlete in the eyes and see that he s having a tough time. With Dee, it s just a mattering of continuing to work, and I ve been saying it up to this point, but the young man is behind. We ve got to continue to work with him, get him caught up, and then he s got to go out and he s got to perform. Thurman believes Milliner is behind because he missed offseason workouts while recovering from shoulder surgery, significant time in training camp with an Achilles injury and three games this season with a hamstring injury. Benching a player, Thurman said, is just a feel thing, something you feel. You make a decision, you go with it and you don t second guess it. You just keep going. Thurman said the coaches are continuing to start Milliner because like most young players, he needs experience, above all else, to improve. He s got to go play, Milliner said. We re working with him on a weekly basis to get him better. We want him to go out and play. We re going to give him every opportunity to play. If it s not happening that particular Sunday and we decide to take him out, that s what we ll do and we ll live with the consequences. Jets right guard Willie Colon, nursing bruised calf, plans to play against Saints' formidable pass rush (Darryl Slater) 10 P a g e

11 Star-Ledger o_play_against_saints_formidable_pass_rush.html Five Jets players missed Wednesday s practice: right guard Willie Colon (calf), tight Jeff Cumberland (concussion), wide receiver Stephen Hill (foot), wide receiver Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (illness). Hill was limited on Thursday and Kerley returned to full participation. Cumberland remained out, which could be an issue for the Jets because tight end Kellen Winslow isn t eligible to return until Monday from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL s policy on performance-enhancing substances. If the Jets don t have Cumberland, that would mean bigger roles for Konrad Reuland and/or Zach Sudfeld on Sunday against the Saints. While the Jets have had Cumberland available, they haven t had Holmes, who has missed the past four games. He did not technically participate in Thursday s practice. But another player who was absent Thursday Colon would be a bigger loss versus the Saints than either Cumberland or Holmes. Not only is Colon one of the Jets leaders, his likely replacement, Vladimir Ducasse, was benched as the starting left guard after four games in favor of rookie Brian Winters. So this should relieve Jets fans: Colon thinks he will be able to play against the Saints. I plan on it, he said. Right now, it s day to day. He said his bruised left calf is feeling better each day, so it s looking promising. Colon sustained the injury in Sunday s loss at the Bengals, when he got stepped on during a running play. He said he wasn t sure who stepped on him. As Colon works his way back, he is hopeful that the Jets can run the ball against in the Saints in order to keep New Orleans pass rush on its heels. The Saints have the second-worst run defense in the NFL (4.8 yards per carry allowed), though Jets coach Rex Ryan said there were a couple mitigating factors to this. One is that his twin brother, Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, sometimes is willing to give up rushing yardage in order to be better against the pass. Another is that the Saints (6-1) have led enough this season that teams have needed to pass against them in order to come back, so Rob has had to defend often against the pass, which sometimes leaves his defense vulnerable to allowing rushing yards. The Saints rank 13th in the NFL with seven yards per pass attempt allowed, which is a good measure of pass defense efficiency. The Saints are also ninth with 24 sacks. They are fourth in the league with a sack percentage of 8.9, meaning they have sacked opposing quarterbacks on 8.9 percent of their passing attempts. Colon knows that with rookie Geno Smith under center, establishing a running game against the Saints is critical, so that they can t set up confidently against the pass. We ve just got to be able to be efficient in the run, to kind of slow them down up front with their pass rush, he said. If we re able to kind of get the run game going and take the pressure off Geno, it ll give us a better shot. Bigger picture, this is an important game for the 4-4 Jets coming off a 49-9 loss at the Bengals, and entering their off week. 11 P a g e

12 We laid an egg flat out, Colon said of the Bengals game. We just have to learn from it and understand that if we want to be respected and considered contenders to some degree, we ve got to have better showings, and that wasn t one of them. I know we re way better than that. Marty Mornhinweg on Jets' offense: 'We took some steps backwards' against Bengals (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger _backwards_against_bengals.html Marty Mornhinweg started his weekly press briefing with a joke. He offered an analysis of last Sunday s 49-9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals by pausing for a moment, then beginning, Alright, let s get to New Orleans, this week s opponent. We took some steps backwards, the offensive coordinator said earnestly of his unit s 240-yard performance. Now we ve got to take some steps forwards. As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine -- which was washed down with quite a few four-letter words, Mornhinweg said. We re looking for that good solid offensive football really consistently, Mornhinweg said of the objective this week. The Jets have alternated success and failure this season, reaching the midpoint of the year at 4-4. Since Week 1, a win has been followed by a loss. Strong offensive performances, Mornhinweg said, have unfailingly been erased by a poor showing the next week. You start getting into all these reasons, first of all you sound like crybabies. Secondly, it prevents you from getting better, Mornhinweg said, of why his unit has been inconsistent. We just don t go there. We get better every day. Our foundation is built with hard work and preparation and it s just that simple. To erase the mistakes in Cincinnati -- when a 28-6 halftime deficit got the Jets completely out of the plan very quickly -- Mornhinweg stressed sharpness. The Saints defense, he explained, has a disruptive philosophy. Rob Ryan coaches a pressure-packed unit on which 12 players have recorded at least half a sack, led by Cameron Jordan who has six of the team s 24. They live off mistakes, Mornhinweg said. The mistakes from the Jets offense have often originated with Geno Smith. The rookie quarterback has 16 turnovers and been sacked 28 times. Over the last two weeks, he has tossed three interceptions on throws toward the sideline, all returned for touchdowns. You saw early in the season that I stayed away from those types of plays, Mornhinweg said, but explained he must open up the playbook to startle defenses and continue Smith s maturation. It is incumbent on Smith now to adjust. Smith s first interception last Sunday, for example, was born from a miscommunication with Jeremy Kerley -- a mistake Smith must correct, his coordinator said, if it is to be eliminated from the Jets playbook. 12 P a g e

13 Neither one of them were any good on that play, Mornhinweg said of the quarterback and receiver. As a quarterback, the ball is coming out of your hand. Period. Ultimately, it s our responsibility that way. It s the mentality we have to have. Jets face another tough tight end matchup with Saints' Jimmy Graham (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger jimmy_graham.html The analogy, if not altogether accurate, did at least amuse, and illustrate the point Jets safety Antonio Allen was trying to make about Saints tight end Jimmy Graham. An important part of defending Graham, who is 6-7, 260 pounds and New Orleans leading receiver, involves aggressively getting your hands on him as he starts to run his routes. Or, as Allen put it more plainly, Just be a tick to him or something, annoying. Comparatively, Allen is not really a tick to Graham s deer, though Graham does run like one, according to his quarterback, the future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. Allen, who is 6-1 and 210 pounds, might be the Jets best long-armed option Sunday as they try to contain Graham. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who is Allen s weight and an inch taller, might also match up with Graham. Jets coach Rex Ryan thinks Cromartie can handle the assignment, as Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib did two games ago, holding Graham to zero catches in the Saints lone defeat of the season. Another option for the Jets, besides assigning Allen or Cromartie to be Graham s parasite du jour, would be to simply hope Graham s snaps are limited by the partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot. The injury limited Graham to 20 snaps last week against Buffalo, but he maximized his action and made three catches, on three times targeted, for 37 yards and two touchdowns. There are not many guys that you can put on him where you d say there s not a place where I could throw the ball where he could get it and nobody else can, Brees said. The Jets have never played Graham, who was drafted in 2010, the spring after the Jets last met the Saints. While his presence in Sunday s game is a wildcard, Graham was just as much of a curiosity coming out of Miami. He was a basketball player there and participated in just one season of football. He caught 17 passes for 213 yards and five touchdowns. The Saints liked him enough that they drafted him in third round. But the Jets this season have seen tall, pass-catching tight ends similar to Graham, most recently the Bengals rookie Tyler Eifert last week and the Patriots Rob Gronkowski two weeks ago. Allen performed yeoman s duty against Gronkowski, a second-round pick in Gronkowski had eight catches for 114 yards, but was targeted 17 times. It seems like it s becoming the norm, as opposed to the exception, Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said of tight ends of this size who are receiving threats. Graham, for one, is essentially a wide receiver, since he rarely blocks, Allen said. A Pro Bowler in 2011, Graham leads the Saints with 40 catches for 630 yards and eight touchdowns. He has 10 career 100-yard receiving games, and four of them came in Weeks 2 through 5 this year, before Talib shut him out. Graham s numbers in those four games: 33 catches, 548 yards and five touchdowns. 13 P a g e

14 It s a tough matchup, because who do you put on him? said Jets linebacker Calvin Pace. I don t want to guard him. Though Allen did an admirable job against Gronkowski, Graham s style differs. Gronk is probably maybe a little more physical down the field than Graham, said Jets coach Rex Ryan. Graham has got probably a little more speed than Gronk. But both of them, I m not saying it s impossible to cover them, but sometimes it looks like that. The Saints boast the best offense the Jets have faced so far this season. New Orleans ranks sixth in the NFL with 396 yards per game. Brees loves taking deep shots, indicated by him ranking fifth in the league in yards per attempt, 8.5, while throwing the ball more than any of the four quarterbacks ahead of him, except Peyton Manning, who is tied with Aaron Rodgers for the NFL lead with 8.8 yards per attempt. Though Brees biggest threat in production and size is Graham, Allen enters the potential matchup with his confidence buoyed by his experience against Gronkowski. It s pretty much the same type of matchup, Allen said. Just got to beat them up and be physical with them. Definitely going to go in there with confidence and try to steal something, man, because I know we re going to need a turnover or something to win the game. I think I m one of the best athletes on the team. Jets special teams coach says NFL notified team of pushing violation on Patriots field goal (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger ing_violation_on_patriots_field_goal.html Ben Kotwica, the Jets' special teams coach, confirmed today that the NFL notified the Jets that they did indeed commit a pushing infraction against the New England Patriots in Week 7 that should have resulted in a penalty. Quinton Coples shoved teammate Muhammad Wilkerson in the back with one hand during the Patriots' game-tying field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, a play Kotwica labeled last week "incidental contact." The officials did not call an infraction. "I'm aware of what's happened there," Kotwica said. "We've moved on from it. I feel comfortable with what we're doing." He added, "I was notified that that would have been a penalty." Minutes later, in overtime, the Patriots were flagged when Chris Jones used both hands to push Will Svitek into the Jets' line on a 56-yard field goal attempt. The officials flagged Jones for a 15-yard penalty, allowing the Jets another chance at the game-winning kick, which Nick Folk converted. Bill Belichick, the Patriots' head coach, said two days after the game that the Jets were also guilty of an infraction. Last week, Kotwica and Rex Ryan insisted that Coples did not shove his teammate intentionally. NEW YORK POST 14 P a g e

15 Jets offensive coordinator pokes fun at Bengals loss (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post As is his ritual on Thursdays when he meets with the media for his weekly press conference, Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg opens it up with a look back at the previous game before taking questions about the upcoming game. Four days removed from the Jets 49-9 blowout loss to the Bengals, Mornhinweg began Thursday by saying, All right, quick wrap-up from the last game Pause. All right, let s get to New Orleans, he went on. After his dry-sense-of-humor monologue, Mornhinweg then went on to criticize himself and the offense after the loss at Cincinnati. Look, we took some steps backwards, Mornhinweg said. Now we ve got to take some steps forward, it s just that simple. I ve got to do a better job, period, of putting the guys in better spots. The whole offense, including Geno [Smith] and myself, we took a couple steps back now. That was not good what happened on the field and we ve got to take some steps forward this week. Mornhinweg was particularly disturbed with the poor start on offense as the Jets quickly fell behind 14-0, which took them out of their game plan. The first part of that game was important, the way it ended up, he said. We needed to generate something and we just didn t. We take great pride in the start of games. That wasn t good. So I ve got to put the guys in little bit better spots to get things going. I really think this: If we generated anything at all, our defense would have certainly fed off of us. We were completely out of the plan pretty quickly. I was disappointed the way we operated at that point in the game. One of the things Mornhinweg took himself to task for was not designing more plays to go to receiver Stephen Hill, who has only 10 catches for 104 yards and no touchdowns in the last five games. That s my responsibility, Mornhinweg said. I ve got to do a better job there, get him the ball a little bit. The players who did not practice Thursday were RG Willie Colon (calf), TE Jeff Cumberland (concussion), WR Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and RB Alex Green (hamstring). Those who were limited were Hill (foot), C Nick Mangold (ribs) and WR David Nelson (quadriceps). Colon said he plans on playing. It appears Holmes and Cumberland will not play. When asked about his status, Cumberland said, I ain t allowed to talk. Not cleared yet. Al these guys concern you when they don t practice, Jets coach Rex Ryan said. It wasn t like we were just resting somebody, so all those guys concern you. I m not going to say that all of them are out, but anytime guys can t practice it concerns you. Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman was frank on Thursday when speaking about the decision to bench rookie CB Dee Milliner last week, saying, Sometimes you can look at an athlete in his eyes and see he s having a tough time. Sometimes it s just a feel thing. You go with your instincts; don t second- 15 P a g e

16 guess it. That s what we did last week. With Dee, it s a matter of continuing to work and catch up. The young man is behind. Milliner was replaced, as he has several times this season, by Darrin Walls. You re still trying to win the game, and you want to go with guys that you feel at that point you feel can help you win, Thurman said. Ryan said this week Milliner will start Sunday against the Saints, despite his struggles. Asked why Walls does not start, Thurman said Milliner has got to go play. Our expectation is that he s going to play at a level that s satisfies our team and if it s not happening, then we make a decision to remove him, Thurman said. Thurman bristled a bit when asked if draft status had anything to do with the fact Milliner continues to start and not Walls. That doesn t have a damn thing to do with it, he said. Thurman described the overall performance of the defense this season with the words growing pains. We have the right people, [but] we re not always doing the right thing, Thurman said. Only two Jets players dressed up for Halloween Thursday Mangold and kicker Nick Folk. Mangold dressed as the lead character from the movie The Big Lebowski, wearing a smoking jacket, plaid shorts and sun glasses. Folk dressed up as Santa Claus. The dude abides, Mangold said. It s Halloween, baby. When it was pointed out only he and Folk dressed up, Mangold said he was very disappointed that s all we got. Folk, who said, You can dress as whatever you want on Halloween, added his get-up was a leftover costume from a party his wife threw last year. We had a dress as your favorite Christmas character party, he said. CB Antonio Cromartie, who has been struggling this year after having the best season of his career in 2012, refused to speak to reporters, as required by league rule. When a team official asked him to be available for a couple minutes, citing the league policy, Cromartie barked, I don t have to. [Beep] that policy. The Jets will conduct a retirement ceremony Friday for former guard Brandon Moore, who will lead the team on the player pregame walk before the Saints game at MetLife Stadium. On Monday, the first day of the Jets bye week, the team plans to make general manager John Idzik, who is rarely available to the media, available to speak about the team and the season. Jets need to keep Saints away from Geno Smith (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post The Jets must protect Geno Smith. Not the way they protected Mark Sanchez, by pampering him until they decided they didn t want him anymore in the fourth quarter of that preseason game against the Giants. 16 P a g e

17 No. The Jets must protect Smith in the pocket from the wrath of Rex Ryan s evil twin, Rob, and his swarming Saints defense Sunday at MetLife Stadium or be damned not to mention be 4-5 entering their bye week. You may or may not have noticed, but as Smith goes, so go the Jets. They have not won a game this season when their rookie quarterback has performed poorly. In the Jets four wins, Smith has six touchdown passes and four interceptions. In their four losses, Smith has one touchdown pass and nine interceptions. It is also no coincidence their pass protection has been better in the four wins than in the four losses. The Jets have allowed 29 sacks this season, second-most in the NFL. The Saints defense s 24 sacks rank sixth in the league. This is not a good combo platter for the Jets. Granted, those 29 sacks allowed are not all the fault of the offensive line. Smith is prone to holding onto the ball too long and running backs Bilal Powell and Chris Ivory will never make you forget the great pass-blocking backs in NFL history. But, at the core, the offensive line must set the tone for Smith and the offense and keep the Saints from smothering him and forcing him into some of those patented poor decisions he has made with the ball this season. That means left tackle D Brickashaw Ferguson, who s having one of his worst seasons as a pro, right tackle Brian Winters, who s performing the way rookie starting tackles perform (which is to say inconsistently), guards Willie Colon (who has been slowed with a calf injury) and Austin Howard, as well as center Nick Mangold, must take ownership of this game. The Saints are a resourceful pass-rushing bunch under the watch of Rob Ryan, with 13 different players having had a hand in at least one sack. They are led by Cameron Jordan s six sacks and Junior Galette s four, but they come at the quarterback from all positions and angles. I think my brother is the only one without a sack on that team, Rex Ryan said Thursday. It is impressive that he has that many guys [with sacks]. It just shows that it s about the team, not just trying to set up one individual. The pressure comes from everywhere. Smith has struggled most against defenses that present multiple looks and rush the passer well. Last Sunday, in the Jets 49-9 loss at Cincinnati, the Bengals got to Smith twice early in the game with safety blitzes from the slot. Smith, who has thrown three pick-sixes in the last two games, can expect to see more of those multiple looks from the Saints. They re very aggressive, well-coached with excellent schemes, Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Thursday. Man, you turn on the film and they can rush the passer. Our line and backs and tight ends have to be sharp on every play against this type of defense. Asked where protecting Smith falls on the list of things to do Sunday, Mangold said, Keeping Geno clean and running the ball are 1A and 1B. It s going to be a very difficult task. Obviously, the Ryan brothers share a lot more than just DNA. I know how difficult their defenses can be, so it s going to take a good week of preparation and I think we re on our way to having that kind of week. Howard said keeping Smith clean, is huge, adding, We take a lot of pride in keeping Geno clean. That s been a big emphasis this week. We know [the Saints] are very talented up front, but we feel we have the guys to confront that challenge and keep Geno clean. 17 P a g e