NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 17, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets struggle, rally to beat Bengals (Joe Kay)... 2 NEWSDAY... 3 Eric Decker among a host of Jets who sit this one out (Kimberley Martin)... 3 Secondary is primary concern for Jets (Bob Glauber)... 4 Resourceful Jets overcome 12 penalties, fisticuffs to beat Bengals (Kimberley Martin)... 5 Calvin Pryor a bright spot in dull-looking secondary (Bob Glauber)... 6 THE RECORD... 7 Jets first-stringers far from first-rate in win over Bengals (J.P. Pelzman)... 8 STAR-LEDGER... 9 Eric Decker, Chris Ivory, Jeff Cumberland out for Jets' preseason game at Bengals (Darryl Slater)... 9 Jets see few answers in secondary, quick decisions from Geno Smith against Bengals (Darryl Slater)... 9 Jets vs. Bengals: 3 things we learned from second preseason game (Darryl Slater) Rex Ryan on Jets' secondary: 'I know we're a lot better than what we're given credit for' (Darryl Slater) NJ.COM Rex Ryan defiant about Jets' many penalties: 'We're not here to take anybody's stuff, period' (Dom Cosentino)13 NEW YORK POST These Giants, Jets must step it up in their biggest preseason test (Steve Serby) Decker, Ivory among Jets on sideline vs. Bengals (Brian Costello) Jets starters stink it up in meaningless win over Bengals (Brian Costello) Despite Rex s bravado, DBs must improve or Jets are in trouble (Steve Serby) Jets get flagged to all hell to get revenge on Bengals (Brian Costello) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Despite dirty dozen, NY Jets' penalties can't rankle Rex Ryan (Seth Walder) Geno Smith rises above as Rex Ryan rips defensive backs in NY Jets' preseason win over Bengals (Seth Walder) NY Jets' secondary status gets worse as Bengals QB Andy Dalton rolls (Gary Myers) NEW YORK TIMES Jets Win but Fail to Ease Worries Over Defensive Backfield (Ben Shpigel) ESPN NEW YORK Eric Decker (quad) out vs. Bengals (Rich Cimini) Jets get defensive -- after the game (Rich Cimini) P a g e

2 Out-of-control Jets refuse to be bullied (Rich Cimini) QB competition (charade?) almost over (Rich Cimini) CBS NEW YORK Dyer: For The First Time In A While, The Jets Are Doing Right By Their Fans (Kristian Dyer) SATURDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets struggle, rally to beat Bengals (Joe Kay) Associated Press CINCINNATI (AP) With their secondary depleted, the Jets had no chance of stopping Andy Dalton. Dalton completed all eight of his passes and led the Bengals to a pair of touchdowns and a field goal during three impressive series Saturday night before New York's reserves rallied for a preseason victory. "Dalton looked like a million-dollar quarterback tonight," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. It was Dalton's first game at Paul Brown Stadium since his turnover-filled loss to San Diego in the opening round of the playoffs. Also, it was his first home game since he signed a six-year contract extension that showed Cincinnati's commitment. The fourth-year quarterback went 8 for 8 for 144 yards, one touchdown and a perfect passer rating of The Bengals (0-2) rolled up 173 yards while he was in the game, pulling ahead With their starters on the field, the Jets (2-0) had another rough day at Paul Brown. They got drubbed 49-9 in Cincinnati midway through last season Dalton threw a career-high five touchdown passes in that one. Their injury-depleted secondary made it easy for Dalton on Saturday night. In an experiment, they moved safety Antonio Allen to cornerback and had him cover A.J. Green. Ryan informed him before the game that he'd be covering one of the NFL's top receivers. "They gave him multiple looks," Ryan said. "I told him before the game: 'By the way, you're going to cover (No.) 18.' It ain't going to get any worse than that. He's the best in the AFC." It didn't go well at all. Green caught three passes for 69 yards, including a 35-yard catch after he pulled away from Allen down the sideline. "I got up and just tried to press him," Allen said. "He got loose and caught the ball." Dalton threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu on the opening series, fitting a long throw inbetween double coverage. "That's about as good as it gets in the preseason, I guess," Dalton said. "It just felt good out there." The Bengals went no-huddle with Dalton in the game, part of new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson's attempt to speed things up. The Jets couldn't keep up. 2 P a g e

3 Geno Smith played the first half, staying in with the starters after Cincinnati substituted on defense in the second quarter. Smith was 10 of 13 for 98 yards and a passer rating of He also ran four times for 20 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown. Smith had his worst day as a rookie at Paul Brown last season, throwing two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. He had one regrettable throw on Saturday, overshooting an open David Nelson deep down the middle. "No matter who's out there we've got to execute," Smith said. "We did a good job up-front tonight. Now we just have to figure out ways to get better." Michael Vick took over in the second half and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass. He went 5 of 9 for 70 yards and scrambled twice for 16 yards. Rookie Ikemefuna Enemkpali blocked Kevin Huber's punt out of the end zone for a safety. The Jets had seven penalties for personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness. Offensive tackle Breno Giacomini got two of them one for shoving cornerback Terence Newman after his interception, another for a roll block. Guard Brian Winters also got flagged for two. "We want to be as physical of a football team that we can be within the confinement of the rules," Ryan said. "We want to be a clean, physical team." Notes: Attendance was 45, Rookie WR Jalen Saunders, who was involved in a one-car accident on Friday, didn't accompany the Jets to Cincinnati.... CB Ras-I Dowling suffered a groin injury and sat out the second half.... S Calvin Pryor, the Jets' first-round pick, played in the second half. He missed the first preseason game with a concussion.... Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict left in the first quarter with an injured right shoulder but returned for the next series.... Top draft pick CB Darqueze Dennard hurt his hip in the first half and didn't return. Second-round RB Jeremy Hill hurt his right shoulder in the second half. NEWSDAY Eric Decker among a host of Jets who sit this one out (Kimberley Martin) Newsday CINCINNATI - Eric Decker anticipated playing. But in the end, the Jets' No. 1 receiver wound up standing on the sideline. Because of a lingering quadriceps injury, Decker was a late scratch for their second preseason game Saturday night against the Bengals. General manager John Idzik and a trainer chatted with him during warm-ups and decided the former Bronco wasn't good to go. Decker was one of several injured Jets on the sideline. Running back Chris Ivory didn't suit up because of a nagging rib injury, tight end Jeff Cumberland still is experiencing Achilles tightness and wideout Jalen Saunders did not travel with the team after being involved in a single-car accident Friday morning while en route to the team's facility. The Jets' secondary remained thin with cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quad, calf, ankle) out, as well as Dee Milliner (ankle sprain) and Dexter McDougle (ACL). 3 P a g e

4 Safety Antonio Allen started at cornerback in place of Milliner, Ellis Lankster started in place of Patterson, Jaiquawn Jarrett started at safety for Allen, David Nelson started for Jeremy Kerley, Oday Aboushi started for Brian Winters and Stephen Hill started for Decker. Offensive lineman Marcus Zusevics (knee) and wide receiver Shaq Evans (shoulder) also did not play. Holmes-coming 'Tonetime has taken his talents to Chi-town. The Chicago Bears agreed on a one-year deal with free-agent receiver Santonio Holmes, the team announced. The Jets and Bears face off in Week 3 on Monday night, Sept. 22 at MetLife Stadium. Often considered a malcontent and an enigmatic figure during his time in New York, Holmes, 30, caught 146 passes for 2,128 yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons with the Jets. He suffered a Lisfranc injury in 2012, and caught 23 passes for 456 yards and one touchdown last season in 11 games. Secondary is primary concern for Jets (Bob Glauber) Newsday Forget the final score. In the NFL preseason, you always forget the final score, because it means nothing. Zero. Come to think of it, do you remember any team's record from last year's preseason without the assistance of Google? Didn't think so. No, what you look for in these preseason games is how individual players and units do, and how it translates into what happens heading into the season. Here's what we saw from Jets-Bengals: - Hurry back, Dee Milliner. The Jets need you in a big way. With Milliner nursing a badly sprained ankle, the Jets' secondary struggled against Bengals starter Andy Dalton, who threw a perfect game (8-for-8, 144 yards, 1 TD) in a little more than a quarter of work. Nickel corner Kyle Wilson got smoked on Mohamed Sanu's 43-yard touchdown pass over the middle. The Jets didn't even move Wilson to the outside with the injuries to Milliner and Dmitri Patterson, going instead with converted safety Antonio Allen and Ellis Lankster on the outside. Wilson still leaves plenty to be desired in defending the slot; he just hasn't played like a first-rounder at this level, and probably never will. Allen got toasted by A.J. Green on a 35-yard pass down the right side. If the Jets have to use him as a starter to begin the season, it won't be pretty. As for Patterson, no word on when he'll return to practice because of ankle, calf and quad issues. Nothing new for the 10th-year cornerback, who has played a combined 15 games the last three seasons. Does general manager John Idzik swing a trade for a corner, or sign a veteran free agent? He prefers to go with his younger players, but with another corner, Ras-I Dowling, going out with a groin injury against the Bengals, Idzik might need to make a move. - Are the Jets running out of patience with another former first-round pick, Quinton Coples? Recently signed defensive end Jason Babin got plenty of work in the first half with the starters, and he produced a consistent push on his pass rush. Babin is not as big as Coples, but he uses his leverage much better, and has some nasty to his play. 4 P a g e

5 It wouldn't be surprising to see him more; he's simply better than Coples, who talks a better game than he plays. - Solid night for Geno Smith, who is the starter, period. The second-year quarterback was 10-for-13 for 98 yards, with an interception. Hard to tell whether it was Geno's fault, or if wide receiver David Nelson cut off his route and left Smith hanging. Despite the pick, Smith looked very comfortable running the offense, and ran well when he had to in some key spots. - First-round safety Calvin Pryor looked good in his first preseason action since returning from a concussion. Like the way he can rush the passer when called on to blitz. He does not look overmatched. He'll make his share of mistakes, but he can be an impact player. - Wideout Stephen Hill had a drop on a crossing route in the first half. But he made a clutch 17-yard catch on third-and-16 in the second quarter. He might not be a lock to make the roster, but it looks like the Jets are trying to get a definitive answer from him by playing him much of the way against Cincy. - What the heck is with all these penalties? The Jets had eight of them in the first half alone. So much for Rex Ryan making everyone in the organization do 10 push-ups when there's a penalty in practice. The coach's message isn't getting through; penalties are always a reflection of a coach's discipline, and right now, Rex needs to show more of it. - Chris Johnson ran well in the first half, with 63 yards on 10 carries. And Bilal Powell flashed some of the slippery moves he showed early last season. Powell fell mostly out of the rotation last year, but looks ready to contribute again, especially with Chris Ivory nicked up with a rib cartilage injury. - Looks like linebacker Demario Davis' work with former NFL linebacker Stephen Boyd, now the Chaminade head coach, is paying off. Davis looked terrific, as he has from the start of training camp. All over the field. His sack-forced fumble of Bengals backup Matt Scott led to a Jets touchdown in the second quarter. Resourceful Jets overcome 12 penalties, fisticuffs to beat Bengals (Kimberley Martin) Newsday CINCINNATI -- The Jets showed plenty of fight. But not in a good way. Rex Ryan's players allowed their tempers to overrun their better judgment in a meaningless preseason game against the Bengals Saturday night. And the result was fisticuffs and flags -- a lot of them. On a night when Jets quarterback Geno Smith flashed some nice footwork and backup Michael Vick gave the Jets a late-game lead, the most eye-popping line on the stat sheet was the Jets' 12 penalties for 133 yards. Vick's 17-yard touchdown pass to Clyde Gates and a safety off a blocked punt by rookie linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali in the fourth quarter wound up being the difference in their win over the Bengals. But perhaps more troubling was the Jets' lack of restraint on the football field. There were several culprits, but the most egregious were offensive linemen Brian Winters (three), Breno Giacomini (two) and Willie Colon and wide receiver Stephen Hill. Colon, Giacomini and Hill were each involved in fights and each flagged for personal fouls. 5 P a g e

6 The fiery tempers between both clubs came as no surprise, however. The Jets and Bengals had discussed holding joint scrimmages this past week in preparation for Saturday night's game. But, according to a team source, a few Jets players told Ryan it would be a bad idea. Why? Because they knew there would be more fighting than playing on the practice field. While the Jets were racking up flags early on, Cincy starter Andy Dalton was carving up their secondary. Dalton, who left with 10:54 to go in the second quarter, was 8-for-8 for 144 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals took a lead with 10:34 to go in the first quarter, thanks to Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson. Their five-play, 67-yard scoring drive was set up by a 21-yard catch by A.J. Green. Green was lined up in the slot against Wilson, but the cornerback blitzed, allowing Green to run free. Soon after, Mohamed Sanu beat Wilson -- who never turned around to see the ball -- on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Dalton. After Nick Folk pulled the Jets to within 7-3 with a 40-yard field goal, Dalton marched down the field again and hit Sanu on a 13-yard pass with Wilson in coverage. On the next play, A.J. Green caught a 35-yard pass near the sideline on newly converted cornerback Antonio Allen. That helped set up a 1-yard score by running back Gio Bernard, which made it The Jets first-team defense kept the Bengals out of the end zone on drive No. 3, thanks to a big thirddown stop by nose tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison. That forced Cincy to settle for a 42-yard Mike Nugent field goal that made it The Jets responded on the next drive, thanks to a Bengals bumble. Linebacker Demario Davis strip-sacked Dalton's replacement, Matt Scott, and rookie first-rounder Calvin Pryor recovered. The Jets took over on Cincy's 19, were pushed back to the 28 after a personal foul on Giacomini. But the offense responded with a 15-yard run by Chris Johnson, an 11-yard scramble by Smith and a 2-yard Bilal Powell score. Smith took matters into his own hands on the next drive, scampering into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. That pulled the Jets to within 17-16, but Smith (10-for-13, 98 yards, one interception) failed to connect with tight end Zach Sudfeld on a two-point conversion. Vick, who played three series, was 5-for-9 for 70 yards and one TD. Calvin Pryor a bright spot in dull-looking secondary (Bob Glauber) Newsday Problems in the Jets' secondary? Where would you like to begin? Injuries? Blown assignments? Miscommunication? Poor technique? The Jets are taking an all-of-the-above approach, as their revamped secondary -- already a question mark coming into the season -- has taken growing pains to the next level. With injuries to starting cornerbacks Dee Milliner (ankle) and Dmitri Patterson (ankle, calf and quadriceps), the Jets' fill-ins made Andy Dalton look like a quarterback who has won multiple Super Bowls, not the guy who's still waiting for his first playoff victory. "Dalton looked like a $100- million quarterback today," Jets coach Rex Ryan quipped after Dalton, who recently signed a $115-million contract extension, went 8-for-8 for 144 yards and a touchdown before calling it a night. 6 P a g e

7 But a defiant Ryan then expressed confidence in his secondary, pointing out one player in particular who had an unquestionably positive effect in the Jets' win: rookie Calvin Pryor. "I don't know how you'd evaluate Calvin Pryor. You give him a plus?" Ryan asked rhetorically. "He forced two fumbles, knocked some dudes out. Guess we were right on that one." Ryan has been known to puff his chest about most of his players, but his hyperbole about Pryor might be closer to reality. The Jets saw enough upside in the Louisville safety to make him their first-round pick in May, and the kid certainly looked both comfortable and impactful Saturday night in his first live action in the NFL. It's still way too early to make any definitive judgments about Pryor, the hard-hitting safety who sat out last week's preseason opener with a concussion. But you had to be impressed with the way he fit right in when he joined the starters midway through the second quarter and went the rest of the way. Pryor didn't need long to make his presence felt. On his third play in the game, he broke up a pass intended for Bengals receiver Cobi Hamilton down the left sideline. "I think it should have been a forced fumble when I looked at it," Pryor said. "I had made a great break on the ball. I had a long way to go because we were in Cover 2. The quarterback threw the ball and I tried to make a play on it." Pryor later knocked running back Rex Burkhead out of the game on a low hit. He also recovered a fumble, had two passes defensed and made a team-leading six tackles. So yes, there are major problems in the secondary, particularly at cornerback, where converted safety Antonio Allen was forced to start on one side and journeyman Ellis Lankster on the other. Nickel corner Kyle Wilson, the former first-round pick, was torched on a 43-yard touchdown by Mohamed Sanu, although Wilson was supposed to get deep help from the safety. Ryan said the Jets might consider bringing in another cornerback if they think they can find an upgrade on the free- agent or trade market. But at least he can take solace in the fact that he has a terrific young talent in Pryor, a guy who promises to make his presence felt. "I feel like some things I could have done better, but for the most part, the older guys, when I was there, they lined me up, got me in the right position to make plays and just told me to go out, have fun and ball out, and that's what I tried to do," Pryor said. "A lot of people questioned me because I had a concussion and they felt like I wasn't going to be as aggressive when I came back. But that's the way I play football. I'm an aggressive player. I try to play lights out and I try to put fear in my opponents." Someone reminded Pryor of his knockout hit on Burkhead, who left with a knee injury. Pryor smiled and said, "Yeah." He then offered an almost diabolical-sounding "ha... ha... ha... I mean, that's football." One more thing to like about Pryor: The guy can blitz. Ryan had him rush the passer several times, to the point that Pryor was spent after the game. "I ran plenty of blitzes," Pryor said. "Rex was calling my number. He was trying to let me loose and go play football." There's more of that to come, Pryor said. "Tonight," he said, "that was only step one." THE RECORD 7 P a g e

8 Jets first-stringers far from first-rate in win over Bengals (J.P. Pelzman) The Record CINCINNATI The Jets held Cincinnati scoreless for almost the final three quarters Saturday night. But what the Bengals offense managed to do in a little more than one quarter is cause for concern for the Jets. Andy Dalton went 8-for-8 for 144 yards and one touchdown and was not sacked as Cincinnati s starters rolled up a 14-point second-quarter lead at Paul Brown Stadium before exiting. Sure, the Jets rallied for a victory against Cincinnati s backups, but that didn t erase the team s lackluster play when firststringers matched up against first-stringers. Worse yet, the Jets racked up seven penalties in the first three quarters for personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct or unnecessary roughness. They totaled 12 penalties for 133 yards in all. Still, coach Rex Ryan was defiant, as usual, despite the fact that Dalton and his top receivers toyed with the Jets injury-wracked secondary for the limited time the Cincinnati quarterback was in the game. Ryan began his postgame news conference by joking, First off, I will not be answering any questions about the secondary. But as usual, Ryan couldn t stifle his tongue for long. Although he said, I recognize we have some work to do in the secondary, he added that his years of experience give him confidence that the Jets will improve significantly in that area. On Cincinnati s second touchdown drive, the big play was a 35-yard pass from Dalton to star wideout A.J. Green, who badly beat third-year pro Antonio Allen, seeing his first-ever NFL action at cornerback. Allen was moved from safety Monday after a rash of injuries to the Jets cornerbacks, including starters Dee Milliner and Dimitri Patterson. Ryan noted that Allen held up well against Green. However, Cincinnati didn t throw at Green while Allen was covering him other than that play. I was amped up, Allen said. I think I did fairly well against one of the top receivers in the league. On the long pass, Green appeared to get away with a shove against Allen downfield, something Allen didn t bring up until he was asked about it. He acknowledged he thought it should have been a penalty. On Cincinnati s first possession, former Rutgers star Mohamed Sanu beat slot cornerback Kyle Wilson for a 43-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Ryan said Wilson should have had help on the play. On offense, Geno Smith went 10-for-13 for 98 yards with one interception, but directed two touchdown drives. However, one march was only 19 yards after a Cincinnati turnover, and both of those scores were accomplished against a mixture of second- and third-stringers for the Bengals defense. Ryan said Smith played great, but the second-year quarterback took the blame for his first-quarter interception that led to a Cincinnati field goal. Smith missed an open David Nelson, and Cincinnati cornerback Terence Newman made a diving pick at the Jets P a g e

9 Smith said he and Nelson were on the same page, but that he threw it too soon, resulting in the turnover. BRIEFS: Tight end Jeff Cumberland (Achilles) sat out. Reserve TE Chris Pantale (Wayne Hills) saw his first action of the preseason. Second-year pro Oday Aboushi started at left guard. STAR-LEDGER Eric Decker, Chris Ivory, Jeff Cumberland out for Jets' preseason game at Bengals (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger season_game_at_bengals.html CINCINNATI Jets coach Rex Ryan indicated this week that he thought wide receiver Eric Decker and running back Chris Ivory would both play in Saturday s second preseason game, at the Bengals. But neither will. Nor will the Jets primary tight end, Jeff Cumberland. The Jets ruled out both players before the game. Decker is dealing with a sore quadriceps. Ivory bruised his ribs in last Thursday s preseason opener against the Colts. Neither injury is considered serious. The absence of Decker and Ivory on Saturday seems more like the Jets simply trying to get through a largely meaningless game without aggravating injuries. Decker had previously been recovering from a hamstring injury. He said his quad "overworked for the hamstring," which resulted in the quad injury. Also out for Saturday s game: rookie wide receiver Jalen Saunders, cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quad/ankle/calf), cornerback Dee Milliner (sprained ankle), rookie cornerback Dexter McDougle (seasonending knee injury), offensive tackle Markus Zusevics (knee), rookie wide receiver Shaq Evans (potentially season-ending shoulder injury) and Cumberland (Achilles). Saunders had already been ruled out by the Jets. They said he was involved in a one-car accident Friday morning, though police said it was a medical incident, and they did not believe a car crash happened. Saunders was taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to the Jets. They have yet to clarify any other details about the incident. The absences of Patterson and Milliner are not surprising. Patterson has missed five straight days of practice since the Colts game. He and Ryan have both downplayed his injuries. Milliner is out indefinitely with his sprained ankle. Ryan had expected Cumberland to play Saturday. But as it turns out, he won t. Ryan said Cumberland is experiencing tightness in his Achilles, and that the injury is not serious. Jets see few answers in secondary, quick decisions from Geno Smith against Bengals (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger 9 P a g e

10 CINCINNATI Snap after snap, Antonio Allen stared down the Bengals best receivers, Mohamed Sanu and A.J. Green. Each time, the play ended with the same result either a run or a ball not thrown in Allen s direction. The first drive of Saturday night s preseason game between the Jets and Bengals passed. The Bengals jogged back onto the field for their second drive. Allen lined up in man-to-man press coverage on the fringe of the formation against Green. This happened on two consecutive snaps, and still, no action in Allen s area of the field. Then Allen did it again press man coverage against Green, with no help behind Allen on the outside. This is the island Allen spoke about last week, the place where only the most gifted NFL defensive backs can thrive when matched up with players like Green. It was first-and-10 at the Jets 43-yard line. Green burst off the line, got a step on Allen, maybe got a hand on him, too, for a little help. Like that, Green was gone, streaking down the sideline. Andy Dalton flicked a pass toward him, and Green caught it smoothly and easily. He ran out of bounds for a 35-yard gain that set up a touchdown. The Allen cornerback experiment is still in its infant stages. It includes a small sample size one pass in one half of one game. That completion to Green was the only ball thrown in Allen s direction in the first half, after which the Jets removed their starters. There also remains a possibility that the Jets won t even need Allen to slide from safety to corner, as he did last week after Dee Milliner got hurt in practice. Milliner, their No. 1 corner, could return from a sprained left ankle in time for the Sept. 7 opener against the Raiders. But that is by no means guaranteed. So the Jets must continue to assess this desperate contingency plan. And if they can take away one thing from Allen s showing Saturday night it is that they still need more time both to get Allen comfortable playing corner (especially against receivers like Green), and to assess whether he is consistently capable of doing it at all. They have two preseason games left, though starters typically don t play in the final preseason game. In the meantime, they cannot cling to any definitive answers about Allen the cornerback. There is no shame in Allen getting torched by Green. It has happened to plenty of corners who have spent much longer than a week playing the position. Allen was not the only Jets defensive back dissected by Dalton on Saturday. Slot corner Kyle Wilson surrendered a 43-yard touchdown pass to Sanu on the game s first drive. Wilson didn t even appear to turn around and try to spot the ball in the air as he chased Sanu. Dalton finished his night 8-of-8 passing for 144 yards and that touchdown. The Jets need not meet Dalton again this regular season, but they do face a gauntlet of successful quarterbacks from Weeks 2-7 Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, and then just two of the best to ever play the position: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Even if Milliner is available for the opener, the Jets corner combination of him and Dimitri Patterson, an oft-injured journeyman, is far from a proven pairing. While the Jets secondary stumbled through Saturday s game, another uncertain factor on this team second-year quarterback Geno Smith played steadily, while looking unspectacular. The Jets don t need him to be a hero. Not with their defensive front, and with newly acquired skill position players Eric Decker and Chris Johnson at his disposal. Smith must, at the very least, avoid game-changing mistakes. On Saturday, when he played only the first half, he completed 10 of 13 passes for 98 yards. He threw an interception, but it was unclear if his intended 10 P a g e

11 receiver, David Nelson, might have run the wrong route, leading to Smith s errant throw. Smith had no touchdowns, but his decision-making seemed sound, perhaps aside from whatever led to the pick. Smith answered after his interception by leading the Jets to two touchdowns, against the Bengals backup defense, to end the half. On the first drive, Smith made a quick decision and decided to scramble on thirdand-4 at the Bengals 13. He gained 11 yards. On the next drive, he found Stephen Hill, who made a pretty, leaping catch for a 17-yard gain on third-and-16 from the Jets 32. That possession ended with Smith s 1- yard touchdown run on a perfectly executed read option play. Smith on Saturday did not have his No. 1 receiver, Decker, who is nursing a sore quadriceps. Smith and Decker have been on the field together for just 12 snaps this preseason, in the opener against the Colts. How they work together on a regular basis remains uncertain. But that situation is nowhere near as murky or troubling as what the Jets secondary is trying to sort through. Jets vs. Bengals: 3 things we learned from second preseason game (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger CINCINNATI The Jets played their second preseason game Saturday night, against the Bengals. Their secondary did not look so hot. But a positive development was the sharp decision making (for the most part) of second-year quarterback Geno Smith. If you want five quick observations from Smith s night, Dom Cosentino has them here. Here are three other things we learned from Jets-Bengals: BILAL POWELL NOT GIVING UP HIS SPOT He is projected to be the Jets third running back, behind Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson. But with Ivory out Saturday because of sore ribs, Powell got a bunch of action in the first half with the starters. He made good on his opportunity, carrying four times for 41 yards, with a long of 32. Powell also ran for a 2-yard touchdown. Last season, Ivory developed into the Jets most reliable back, even though he and Powell ended up essentially splitting carries. Powell on Saturday also caught two passes for 13 yards, with a long of 12. Ivory s injury is not serious, and Johnson looked sharp Saturday, so it is hard to imagine Powell suddenly getting the bulk of the Jets carries in 2014, the final year of his rookie contract. But he seems by no means ready to fade into the background. CALVIN PRYOR LOOKS READY TO GO Coach Rex Ryan decided to sit Pryor, his first-round draft pick safety, for the preseason opener against the Colts, because he wanted Pryor to be prepared when he took the field for the first time. Pryor missed significant practice action during training camp because of a concussion. Pryor did not start Saturday. But as expected, he played with the starters. On his first drive, he made an immediate impact. He burst into the backfield, unblocked on a blitz, and recovered a fumble that was caused by Demario Davis s sack. Pryor stayed in the game in the second half again, as Ryan said he would because the coaches want to give him ample work, so he can catch up. In the second half, Pryor came on a blitz and tipped a pass. He then burst into the backfield and made a tackle for loss of 2 yards on a run. Pryor looked active and aggressive and that s a good sign for the Jets. JETS STILL HAMSTRUNG BY PENALTIES 11 P a g e

12 Penalties were a major problem for the Jets last season, when they ranked 12th in the NFL with 108 penalties. Their 54 pre-snap penalties were the most in the league. On Saturday, the Jets were a penalty machine. They accumulated 12 penalties for 133 yards. They were flagged for seven, 15-yard personal fouls two on right tackle Breno Giacomini, two on left guard Brian Winters, and one apiece on right guard Willie Colon, wide receiver Stephen Hill, and weak-side linebacker Demario Davis. Late last season, the Jets instituted a policy to eliminate penalties. Whenever someone was flagged in practice, every member of the organization at the practice dropped down for pushups. They have continued that policy throughout this year s training camp. They would have gotten quite a workout Saturday if the policy applied to games. Rex Ryan on Jets' secondary: 'I know we're a lot better than what we're given credit for' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger han_what_were_given_credit_for.html CINCINNATI Jets coach Rex Ryan began his press conference after Saturday night s preseason game at the Bengals by making a joke about something he knew every reporter in the room wanted to ask about. Rather than standing directly behind the podium, Ryan stood on a raised level a few inches higher and a couple feet behind the podium. I ll stand up here so I won t get too many questions on the secondary, Ryan said. Then he began his opening statement by saying, First off, I will not be answering any questions about the secondary. Ryan smiled. He still had one more joke, this one about Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who completed all eight of his passes, for 144 yards and a 43-yard touchdown. I ll tell you, Dalton looked like a $100 million quarterback today, Ryan said, referring to Dalton s new contact. Then Ryan got serious defiant, even about his team s secondary situation. The Jets on Saturday started converted safety Antonio Allen and special teams ace Ellis Lankster at cornerback, with starters Dee Milliner (sprained ankle) and Dimitri Patterson (quad/calf/ankle) sidelined. Allen got beat by A.J. Green, one of the NFL s best receivers, for a 35-yard completion. It was the only pass thrown at Allen all night. Ryan was asked how he would evaluate his secondary. He bristled. I don t know, Ryan told the assembled reporters. It doesn t matter what I evaluate them. I know you guys are going to write about it all you want. Obviously, we ve got some work to do. We ll sort it out. (Green) can make you look bad. We said that going into it. You put guys at risk when you double him. I m fired up (about the secondary) because I know we re a lot better than what we re given credit for. I recognize we ve got some work to do. There s no question. Nobody is giving the Jets secondary much credit for being any good right now, what with the Allen cornerback experiment in its infant stages. There were questions about the secondary even when Milliner and Patterson were healthy, since the Jets didn t sign an elite corner in free agency to replace Antonio Cromartie. Now, there are even more doubts about this group, especially if Milliner isn t healthy for Week P a g e

13 Even if Ryan has to trot Allen out there at corner against the Raiders in the Sept. 7 opener, he insisted everything will be fine. And why does he feel this way? I guess I ll just rely on what I know, which is about, I don t know, 20-some years of (coaching) experience, Ryan said. It gives me plenty of confidence. We ll make it work one way or the other. Really, what else do you expect Ryan to say? He is always publicly confident in his players and his scheme and unafraid to stand by them with strong words. But the fact remains: Nobody knows right now if a Jets cornerback duo of Allen and Patterson, an injuryprone veteran, can competently hold up over the entirety of a game. Remember, the Jets must travel to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers in Week 2. Ryan concluded his Saturday night press conference with another joke, because he just can t resist. He was asked if the Jets would consider signing a free agent corner, to help this patchwork secondary. Ryan did not rule it out. I don t think Willie Brown is out there, Ryan said, referring to the Hall of Fame cornerback, who is 73 years old. Maybe he is, but he s like 60 years old. He can probably still get it done. Play Cover 2 with him maybe. NJ.COM Rex Ryan defiant about Jets' many penalties: 'We're not here to take anybody's stuff, period' (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com CINCINNATI -- The final tally looks pretty grim: The Jets were flagged 12 times for 133 yards in their preseason victory over the Bengals on Saturday night at Paul Brown Stadium. That total includes a whopping six three for personal fouls, three for unnecessary roughness that went for 15 yards, plus a seventh that wound up being declined. Yeesh. Sure, the Jets want to get that corrected. And, yes, they're aware they can't succeed during the regular season by giving up so many yards via mistakes they can control. But several Jets with the blessing of head coach Rex Ryan also suggested there was a method to the team's frequent madness on Saturday night that the Bengals had engaged in behaviors that, at times, warranted physical responses. "I think the main thing is," Ryan said, "our guys were protecting each other." An example: In the first quarter, quarterback Geno Smith threw a pass that was picked off by safety Terence Newman, who caught the ball near the ground. Jets receiver David Nelson touched Newman while he was down to end the play, but right tackle Breno Giacomini said he never heard a whistle. "And I couldn't tell if [Nelson] tagged him," Giacomini said. Giacomini came over and grabbed Newman, which caused Bengals defensive end Margus Hunt to shove Giacomini, which then caused Jets right guard Willie Colon to angrily jump in to go after Hunt. 13 P a g e

14 Said Colon: "I reacted how I felt like I needed to react." You know where this is going: Both Giacomini and Colon were flagged for personal fouls. Colon's was declined. "It was getting a little feisty," Giacomini said. "That's the type of physicality we want to come with." Giacomini also got flagged for a cut block, which he owned up to by saying he didn't get in front of his man. Cut blocks are a point of emphasis for NFL officials this season. Left guard Brian Winters got hit with three penalties: Two for unnecessary roughness, and one for a hold. Colon, one of the league's most penalized players last season, also got hit with a holding penalty. But it wasn't just the offensive line: Wideout Stephen Hill and linebacker Demario Davis were flagged for unnecessary roughness. Tight end Zach Sudfeld was flagged for holding. Same with linebacker IK Enemkpali, who got pinched for holding on special teams. "Again, we re not here to take anything from anybody," Ryan said. "If a teammate is at risk, then we re not going to take that. We want to be a clean, physical football team, and that s what we plan on being." Asked if anything had participated all the chippiness, Ryan doubled down. "We're not here to take anybody's stuff, period," he said. Davis was called for giving Bengals backup quarterback Matt Scott a light shove after he had run him down out of bounds. He declined to answer a direct question about it. "The league is changing where you can t have as much contact on the field as you would like to have," Davis said of the Jets' penalty-filled night in general. "You really can t play football the way you want to play football. So you have to be able to adjust to that." Winters suggested the Bengals were doing a lot to set the Jets off. He didn't get too specific except to say there was activity both before and after the whistle. "Some things got a little out of hand," Winters said. "But we're looking out for one another. We want to be physical, but sometimes not in that way." Giacomini and Winters both acknowledged the Jets need to clean it up. So did quarterback Geno Smith. "We can't have those penalties throughout the course of a regular-season game," Smith said. "We understand that all of our guys are tough, but there is a way to exhibit it out on the field." NEW YORK POST These Giants, Jets must step it up in their biggest preseason test (Steve Serby) New York Post CINCINNATI Geno Smith threw six passes in the Jets preseason opener, a veritable Air Rex assault compared with Eli Manning, who fired two passes unsuccessfully in the Giants second preseason game. It was Michael Vick who got the headlines and it was Manning who got the punch lines. So it will be Showtime for Geno on Saturday night and Showtime for Eli in Indianapolis at the same time, for the one half or however long they play. 14 P a g e

15 Geno: Show us your growth, reward the faith John Idzik and Rex Ryan and Marty Mornhinweg are showing in you by giving you their team to start the regular season, give Jets fans a reason to believe and hope for the present and future. Eli: Show us evidence you are beginning to master the hybrid West Coast offense of new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Give us something more than dink and dunk, give us a vertical strike or two, get the ball to Victor Cruz and give Giants fans a reason to salsa. Geno: Preseason or not, show the Bengals you are not the wide-eyed, mistake-prone Cincinnati Kid of a year ago, when you threw two pick-sixes (to Chris Crocker and Pacman Jones) and were yanked in the fourth quarter of that 49-9 humiliation in favor of Matt Simms. Remember that with Vick behind you now, growing pains like that will be tolerated only until another season begins slipping away. Remember how you felt in the visiting locker room last October, when you said: I understand why the decision was made, but I always want to be in the game. I never want to come out of a game, never want to be in those situations where we re down and I have to be pulled from a game. Eli: Show us signs that 2013 was an aberration. Show us that a realistic goal for your completion percentage with Rashad Jennings available for screens and check downs is the mid-60s. Show Big Blue Nation that it is too early to press those panic buttons, give them reason to believe that September will not be a trial-and-error month for you and your offense. It also will Showtime for these players: Will Beatty: Show us as you make your preseason debut that you can be the left tackle you were in Show us your broken right leg is getting stronger. Remind us why the Giants signed you to a five-year, $38.75 deal before your nightmare 2013 season. Antonio Allen: Show us your switch to cornerback isn t the desperation move everyone thinks it is. Rueben Randle: Show us you are ready to emerge as Cruz s partner in crime, at least before No. 1 draft pick Odell Beckham Jr. is ready to join the party. Calvin Pryor: Show us as you make your preseason debut why Idzik and Ryan selected you over cornerback Darqueze Dennard, show us you will be the enforcer Ryan craved for his secondary. Johnathan Hankins: Show us why the Giants drafted you in the second round to fill the void left by the departure of DT Linval Joseph, because your head coach doesn t want anyone running on his team. Chris Johnson: Show us some burst. Show us you can be CJ1K as lead dog in the running back-bycommittee with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, show us your surgically repaired knee is surgically repaired, show us how much you love the creativity and unpredictability of Mornhinweg s offense, show us what you can do as a receiver (272 career receptions, 7.4 average, eight touchdowns) out of the backfield. Corey Washington:Show us an undrafted rookie from Newberry College can be a legitimate zone threat, go make a third touchdown catch in three games and make the New York Football Giants. Jace Amaro: Show us why you were a second-round draft pick, catch the damn ball and make Mike Ditka sit up and take notice. Brandon Mosley: Show the Giants there can be Life After Chris Snee. Stephen Hill: Show us something, anything. Decker, Ivory among Jets on sideline vs. Bengals (Brian Costello) 15 P a g e

16 New York Post CINCINNATI The Jets were without several key offensive players in Saturday night s preseason game with the Bengals. Wide receiver Eric Decker, running back Chris Ivory and tight end Jeff Cumberland were all held out of the game with injuries. Decker is nursing a quad injury that has kept him out of practice. He met with general manager John Idzik, a team doctor and the head trainer on the field about 90 minutes before kickoff, and it appeared they told him he would not be playing. Ivory injured his ribs against the Colts last week and has been limited in practice. Cumberland left practice Tuesday with tightness in his left Achilles tendon. On defense, the Jets were without starting cornerbacks Dee Milliner and Dimitri Patterson. Milliner suffered a high ankle sprain last Sunday and is out for 3-4 weeks. Patterson has multiple leg injuries and has been out of practice for more than a week. The other players who did not dress for the game: WR Shaq Evans (shoulder), OT Marcus Zusevics (knee), CB Dexter McDougle (knee) and WR Jalen Saunders, who had a car accident on Friday. Jets starters stink it up in meaningless win over Bengals (Brian Costello) New York Post CINCINNATI The Jets picked up right where they left off the last time they visited Paul Brown Stadium. Fortunately for them, this one didn t count. Don t be fooled by the final score a Jets win. The Jets starters looked shaky when they were in their against the Bengals first-team in Saturday s preseason game. The offense did not score a touchdown until Cincinnati s backups were in the game,and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton picked apart the Jets secondary. The final score was not as the 49-9 beatdown the Bengals put on the Jets last October, but it might have been if Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis hadn t pulled his starters early in the second quarter. The first quarter felt like the fifth quarter of last year s game. The Bengals led 17-3 when the starters exited the game. Dalton had fun against the Jets secondary again. He was a perfect 8-of-8 for 144 yards and one touchdown. He had a perfect quarterback rating. The Jets offense opened the game with a three-and-out, handing the ball to Dalton. He found wide receiver Mohamed Sanu for a 43-yard touchdown over Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson for a 7-0 lead. With Dee Milliner, Dimitri Patterson and Dexter McDougle all injured, the Jets started Antonio Allen at cornerback, just five days after moving him from safety. Dalton only threw Allen s way once. He completed a 35-yard pass to A.J. Green down the sideline over Allen. That throw set up a 1-yard Giovani Bernard touchdown that put the Bengals up Geno Smith showed improved decision-making, finding his check-down receiver and making some smart scrambles. His only big mistake was an interception by Terence Newman late in the first quarter. It looked 16 P a g e

17 like Smith and wide receiver David Nelson had a miscommunication. Nelson had not turned around when Smith fired the ball into Newman s waiting arms. Smith finished the night 10-of-13 for 98 yards with the interception. He rushed for 20 yards on four carries and a touchdown. The Bengals tacked on a field goal after the turnover to take a 17-3 lead and then Lewis pulled his starters. One disturbing trend in the game for the Jets was a ton of penalties. They had 12 penalties total, seven of them went for 15 yards. The right side of the offensive line were the biggest culprits. Right guard Willie Colon and right tackle Breno Giacomini each had two penalties. Both of them were flagged for a personal foul after Smith s interception for getting into a fight with the Bengals. Things improved dramatically in the second quarter for the Jets against the Bengals backups. The defense shut down Bengals backup quarterback Matt Scott. Demario Davis drilled Scott on a sack that forced a fumble. Rookie safety Calvin Pryor recovered the fumble on just his third play of the game. Pryor, the team s first-round pick from May, made his Jets debut and showed why the team drafted him. He had a huge hit on Bengals receiver Cobi Hamilton that dislodged the ball, creating an incompletion. He blitzed on several plays and coach Rex Ryan moved him around, playing him in the box and at deep safety. Another positive for the Jets was their running game. They rushed for 124 yards in the first half when the starters were playing. Chris Johnson rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries and showed a burst around the outside. Bilal Powell showed his play-making ability with a 32-yard run. He finished with 41 rushing yards on four carries. Powell scored the Jets first touchdown on a 2-yard run on a drive set up by the fumble recovery by Pryor. The Jets cut the score to on a 9-play drive that was capped by Smith running for a 1-yard touchdown on a zone-read option play. Jets coach Rex Ryan opted to go for the 2-point conversion, but Smith s pass to Zach Sudfeld fell incomplete. Michael Vick did not see any time with the starters. He played with the second team in the second half. Vick connected with Clyde Gates for a 17-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give the Jets a lead. Despite Rex s bravado, DBs must improve or Jets are in trouble (Steve Serby) New York Post CINCINNATI Jets coach Rex Ryan was cornered, and he knew it. So first he tried humor. First off, I will not be answering any questions on the secondary, he said, and cue the laughter. Tell ya, Dalton looked though, like a $100 million quarterback today. More laughter. Except this was no laughing matter, the play of cornerbacks no longer named Revis and Cromartie, but Antonio Allen, Kyle Wilson, Ellis Lankster and Darrin Walls instead, and Ryan knew it. So he tried fire and defiance and raging machismo next. Ryan has a crisis in his secondary, and he believes he can beat Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers anyway. Doesn t matter what I evaluate it, I know you guys are going to write about it and all you want, he said after the Jets ugly preseason win. Obviously we got some work to do. I don t know how you 17 P a g e