NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS. October 16, 2013 Table of Contents

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS October 16, 2013 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 1 Jets sign former Pro Bowl WR-KR Josh Cribbs (Dennis Waszak)... 1 NEWSDAY... 2 Jets sign former Stony Brook star Miguel Maysonet to practice squad (Kimberley Martin)... 2 Jets sign kick returner/wide receiver Josh Cribbs (Kimberley Martin)... 3 THE RECORD... 4 Pelzman on Jets: Recent injuries force Geno Smith to make adjustments (J.P. Pelzman)... 4 Jets-Patriots: A look ahead (J.P. Pelzman)... 5 STAR-LEDGER... 6 Jets lose wide receiver Clyde Gates for season due to shoulder injury (Darryl Slater)... 6 Jets film review: Picking apart Geno Smith's critical first pick vs. Steelers (Darryl Slater)... 7 Jets sign Josh Cribbs, 30-year-old kickoff return ace, according to report (Darryl Slater)... 8 For those joining Jets midseason, opportunity is mixed with frenzied preparation (Michael J. Fensom)... 9 NEW YORK POST Jets sign Cribbs as returner with Gates moving to IR (Brian Costello) Jets need some INTs ASAP (Brian Costello) Rex can blame stadium, prices, less-interested fans for lack of noise (Brian Costello) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NY Jets add veteran Josh Cribbs to boost return game (Seth Walder) NY Jets' Willie Colon says he hates New England Patriots as Week 7 game approaches (Manish Mehta) NEW YORK TIMES Jets add Cribbs and Salas (Ben Shpigel) ESPN NEW YORK Jets sign Cribbs, put Gates on IR (Rich Cimini) TUESDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets sign former Pro Bowl WR-KR Josh Cribbs (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) -- Josh Cribbs is getting a chance to continue his career and give the New York Jets a boost on special teams and at wide receiver. 1 P a g e

2 The three-time Pro Bowl selection was cut by Oakland in the preseason after having offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The Jets had shown interest in Cribbs during the last several months, working him out twice before signing him Tuesday. Cribbs, 30, is tied with New England's Leon Washington for the most kickoff-return touchdowns in NFL history with eight, and has returned three punts for scores. He spent his first eight NFL seasons with Cleveland. New York also signed wide receiver Greg Salas from Philadelphia's practice squad, and placed wide receiver Clyde Gates and running back Mike Goodson on season-ending injured reserve. The Jets also signed former Stony Brook running back Miguel Maysonet to the practice squad. Cribbs could help offset the losses of both Gates and Goodson. He has 107 career receptions for 1,161 yards and seven touchdowns, and has experience running the wildcat formation - one of Goodson's roles with the Jets - with 753 yards rushing and two scores. The versatile Cribbs is also 4 of 12 passing in his career. The signing of Cribbs is a low-risk, high-reward move - especially if he can regain the form that made him one of the league's most dangerous players who could score from any spot on the field. Gates injured his left shoulder Sunday in the Jets' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but had expressed optimism Monday that he would be able to play this Sunday against New England. He hadn't yet received the result from an MRI exam, though, and it apparently revealed the injury to be more serious than first thought. Gates finished with 12 catches for 122 yards this season, and averaged 23.2 yards as the Jets' primary kick returner. Goodson, a potential replacement for Gates on kickoffs, was also lost for the season Sunday when he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee. He was hurt while trying to make a tackle on Lawrence Timmons' game-sealing interception of Geno Smith in the fourth quarter. New York's offense was already without top receiver Santonio Holmes, who is nursing a hamstring injury, and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. With the losses of Gates and Goodson for the season, the Jets were seriously short-handed on offense. Salas was a fourth-round pick of St. Louis out of Hawaii in 2011, and had 27 catches for 264 yards as a rookie. He was traded to New England before last season, but was later claimed off waivers by Philadelphia. Salas had yet to play this season for the Eagles. Maysonet went undrafted after running for 1,964 yards and 21 touchdowns during his senior season. He was signed in April by Philadelphia, and also spent time with Cleveland, Indianapolis and San Diego this season. NEWSDAY Jets sign former Stony Brook star Miguel Maysonet to practice squad (Kimberley Martin) Newsday 2 P a g e

3 Miguel Maysonet arrived in Cincinnati on Monday night, anxious to prove to yet another team that he deserved a shot. But within minutes of getting off the plane, his NFL journey was rerouted again. Around 7:30 p.m., when he landed in Ohio, the Jets called Maysonet. They were interested. And they had a spot on the practice squad waiting for him. "It was a New York area code, so I knew it was either going to be the Jets or the Giants,'' Maysonet told Newsday by phone Tuesday. "And they said they wanted to bring me in to sign me.'' So instead of working out for the Bengals the next morning, the former Stony Brook running back was on a plane back to the Tri-State area Tuesday morning. Within hours, Maysonet had signed with the Jets' practice squad. His long, winding road has brought him to Florham Park, his fifth destination since going undrafted six months ago. The Riverhead product has spent time on the rosters of the Eagles, Browns, Colts and Chargers, and it's unclear how long the 5-9, 200-pounder will last in New Jersey. "I don't know, I don't know,'' he said, adding with a chuckle: "I've been only sticking around on these teams for a week. So if I stick around for 10 days, that'll be my longest stretch with a team. Hopefully, I'll be able to stay around for a while.'' Maysonet, 23, was the first Stony Brook player ever invited to the NFL combine, but a "significant'' hamstring tear kept him from running the 40-yard dash. A month later, he impressed the 25 teams attending his pro day and he worked out for the Patriots, Jets and Giants in the weeks ahead. But the three-day draft came and went without being called. Since then, he's bounced around the league, spending time on both coasts looking for a permanent spot. "It's tough being on the practice squad because you're mimicking the other team's players, so it's hard to show them what you can do,'' said Maysonet, who last year was a runner-up for the Walter Payton Award as outstanding player in the Football Championship Subdivision after rushing for 1,964 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns. "But the one thing you can show them is effort and that you're trying to help out the team by giving them the best looks.'' The Eagles signed him as a free agent after the draft but released him less than a month later. The Browns claimed him off waivers May 21 but released him in August. Two weeks later, he was signed to the Colts' practice squad, but was cut 10 days later. Then he spent only nine days on the Chargers' practice squad. Stops in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indianapolis and San Diego haven't shaken his resolve. The Puerto Rico native knows all about setbacks, having grown up in a condemned apartment above an auto repair shop in Riverhead with his mother and two brothers, surrounded by drugs and crime. So he isn't focused on the disappointing NFL start. Instead, he remains optimistic this will be his final stop. "I've spoken to a lot of guys and a lot of them tell me how they bounced around from team to team, so I figured it was just something that happened to an undrafted free-agent rookie,'' he said. "I figured, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to stick it out for the long run and try to make the team.'' Jets sign kick returner/wide receiver Josh Cribbs (Kimberley Martin) Newsday P a g e

4 Apparently, the third time's a charm for Josh Cribbs. A day after Rex Ryan said the Jets were "in the market" for a playmaker, the team announced Tuesday that they have signed Cribbs, a three-time Pro Bowl kick returner/wide receiver. Cribbs will take the place of Clyde Gates, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury, along with running back Mike Goodson (ACL, MCL tears). In corresponding moves, the Jets also added wideout Greg Salas from the Eagles practice squad to the active roster and signed former Stony Brook running back Miguel Maysonet to the practice squad. With injuries mounting, it was no surprise the Jets made roster moves. Veteran receiver Santonio Holmes is still nursing a hamstring injury and tight end Kellen Winslow is serving a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. And with an important rematch with the Patriots looming, the Jets need healthy offensive weapons for rookie quarterback Geno Smith. "I think we're in the market to look at anything that can help our team," Ryan said Monday, during his weekly ESPN Radio spot. "With Goodson out, we'll need a playmaker... We'll certainly be looking." Gates, who was injured in Sunday's loss to the Steelers, said Monday that he hoped to play this weekend. At the time, however, he still was awaiting MRI results on his left shoulder. Cribbs, 30, visited the Jets in May, but general manager John Idzik said the former Brown and Raider "wasn't quite there" in his recovery from a torn meniscus. The Jets brought him in two weeks ago for another workout but Cribbs left without a deal. Cribbs hasn't played a regular-season game since 2012 and was cut in the preseason by the Raiders. But he could be an asset for the Jets if he remains healthy. Though he's primarily known for being a threat in the return game, Cribbs was a college quarterback at Kent State -- so there's always a chance offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg could use him in the Wildcat package. But Cribbs' main focus will be bringing an immediate spark to special teams. The Jets rank 27th in the NFL in kickoff returns, averaging 20.3 yards. Cribbs and former Jet Leon Washington share the NFL record for kickoff return touchdowns (eight). Salas, a fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2011, has 27 catches for 264 yards in seven games with the Rams and Patriots. The 6-2, 210-pound receiver was traded to New England in September 2012 in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The Patriots released the Hawaii product in November 2012 and Salas, 25, was claimed off waivers by the Eagles. Notes & quotes: Patriots LB Jerod Mayo, the team's leading tackler, could miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a torn pectoral muscle, according to Yahoo Sports. New England, which faces the Jets Sunday at MetLife Stadium, recently placed five-time Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork (Achilles) on injured reserve. THE RECORD Pelzman on Jets: Recent injuries force Geno Smith to make adjustments (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 16, Recent_injuries_force_Geno_Smit h_to_make_adjustments.html?page=all For a rookie quarterback in the NFL, life is all about adjusting on the fly. 4 P a g e

5 And Geno Smith will have to do even more of that in the coming weeks, as the Jets' rookie quarterback continues to try to get onto the same page with the ever-changing offensive personnel around him. Injuries recently have hit the Jets hard, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes (hamstring) has missed the past two games, and his status for Sunday's game against visiting New England is uncertain. And although it isn't an injury that will keep suspended tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. out for the next three games, the effect is the same. Matters got even worse in the loss to Pittsburgh three days ago. Wide receiver Clyde Gates (shoulder) and running back Mike Goodson (knee) were placed on season-ending injured reserve after they were hurt in the fourth quarter of the 19-6 loss to the Steelers. In a cruel irony for Smith, both were hurt on passes he inaccurately threw. Gates hurt his left shoulder while extending himself to try to catch a slant that was thrown too hard and too far in front of him. Goodson was hurt while tackling Lawrence Timmons on Timmons' game-clinching interception off Smith. Left guard Brian Winters, who also was trying to tackle Timmons, accidentally hit Goodson in his left knee. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL. Gates had 12 receptions and was the Jets' primary kickoff returner, averaging 23.2 yards. Goodson, who had missed the first four games because of an NFL-imposed suspension, was just beginning to be worked into the Jets' offense and special teams, and it appeared his speed and elusiveness could have made him a major change-of-pace weapon in coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's offense. To take the place of Gates and Goodson on the roster, the Jets signed ninth-year veteran wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs and wideout Greg Salas, who had been on Philadelphia's practice squad. The acquisition of Cribbs is intriguing. He is a versatile three-time Pro Bowler whom the Jets have had their eye on for quite some time. They considered signing him in the spring, but backed off because Cribbs still was recovering from off-season surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He later signed with Oakland, but was cut during the preseason. He has eight kickoff-return touchdowns, which ties him with former Jet Leon Washingtion for the most in NFL history, and has three TDs on punt returns. So he figures to become the No. 1 kickoff returner with Gates and Goodson gone. Cribbs was a quarterback at Kent State and is adept at running the Wildcat, which Mornhinweg might want to mix in more often in upcoming games to try to take some pressure off the mistake-prone Smith, who has 13 turnovers through six games. As for replacing Goodson on offense, starting running back Bilal Powell figures to get most of the snaps on third down, just as he had before Goodson was activated. The Jets also could try giving more chances to former Green Bay Packer Alex Green, who only has eight touches in six games. Chris Ivory, now healthy after two bouts with a hamstring problem, figures to get more carries. But the chances of him being an every-down back in Mornhinweg's West Coast offense are slim because backs need to be able to catch the ball, and Ivory has only three receptions in his NFL career. Jets-Patriots: A look ahead (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 16, A_look_ahead.html Patriots (5-1) at Jets (3-3) 5 P a g e

6 At MetLife Stadium Sunday, 1 p.m. TV: CBS; Radio: ESPN-FM 98.7 Early line: Patriots by 4 The Jets seem to be catching the Patriots at the right time. Then again, that certainly has been said before in recent years, yet the Jets have lost five straight in the series. Although the Jets are banged up, New England has major injury concerns. WR Danny Amendola (head), RG Dan Connolly (head), CB Aqib Talib (hip) and LB Jerod Mayo all left the Patriots' win over New Orleans with injuries, and Mayo could be out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Star TE Rob Gronkowski (back, arm) has been practicing, but has yet to play this season. In the spotlight Cornerback Antonio Cromartie. One of the reasons the Jets didn't mind letting go of Darrelle Revis was that they believed Cromartie, who had an outstanding 2012 season, was nearly the equal of Revis in terms of lockdown capability. But a nagging hip problem and a knee injury suffered in practice last week have made Cromartie look little like the Pro Bowler he was last season. He needs to regain that form, and this would be a good time, considering New England's Tom Brady seems to be rapidly gaining rapport with his young wideouts. Game plan The Jets rushed for 129 yards in their loss to New England last month, and again should try to establish the run to make things easier for QB Geno Smith, who tossed three interceptions in that game. New England is averaging a respectable 4.1 yards per carry, but the Jets' excellent run defense has limited opponents to 3.0 yards per attempt. The Jets' defense will try to disrupt the timing of Brady and his inexperienced receivers, but they'll need to put the pressure on. He was sacked only once in the first meeting. STAR-LEDGER Jets lose wide receiver Clyde Gates for season due to shoulder injury (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger houlder_injury.html On Monday, Jets wide receiver and kickoff returner Clyde Gates expressed optimism that he would be able to play in Sunday s home game against New England, despite injuring his left shoulder in last Sunday s loss to Pittsburgh. It s painful, but it s not that bad, Gates said. I should be ready to go (against New England) if I just get in and get treatment and go from there. But he said he wasn t aware about the exact nature of the injury. As it turned out, it was serious enough to sideline him for the rest of the season. The Jets on Tuesday placed Gates on injured reserve. He concludes his third NFL season, and second with the Jets, with 12 catches for 122 yards and nine kickoff returns for 209 yards. 6 P a g e

7 So, for the next three games, turnover-prone Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith won t have tight end Kellen Winslow (suspended for violating the NFL s policy on performance-enhancing substances), Gates or running back Mike Goodson, a receiving threat who suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Steelers. Against New England, the Jets also might not have receiver Santonio Holmes, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. On Tuesday, as the Jets officially placed Gates and Goodson on IR, they announced the signings of two receivers: free agent Josh Cribbs (a successful kickoff returner) and Greg Salas, who was on Philadelphia s practice squad. The Jets on Tuesday also signed running back Miguel Maysonet (Stony Brook) to their practice squad. Now that Gates and Goodson are done for the year, Cribbs is in line to return kickoffs for the Jets, who rank 27th in the NFL with 20.3 yards per kickoff return. If Holmes can t play against the Patriots, Smith s primary receiving targets will be Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson (a recent free agent pickup) and tight end Jeff Cumberland. Of course, Cribbs and Salas could be available as well. Cribbs, a ninth-year player who has primarily contributed as a returner, has far more experience than Salas, who was a fourth-round draft pick by St. Louis in Salas played in six games in 2011 and had 27 catches for 264 yards. He spent 2012 with New England, mostly on the practice squad. The Eagles picked him up after the Patriots cut him in November. Salas played in one game last season and had no catches. He had yet to play in a game this season, since he was on the practice squad. Jets film review: Picking apart Geno Smith's critical first pick vs. Steelers (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger pick_vs_steelers.html The Jets offense actually gained more yards in the second half of Sunday s 19-6 loss to Pittsburgh than it did in the first half. Before halftime, the Jets accumulated 112 yards. After it, they gained 155. Yet all six of their points, on two field goals, came in the first half. You re not going to win many NFL games when you don t score in the second half, or when you don t score a touchdown in the game, period. And so it was that the Jets fell to 3-3 entering the final three games of a challenging five-game stretch that precedes their off week. They are 1-1 so far in this stretch, having won at Atlanta and lost to the Steelers. Now they face a home game against New England, a trip to Cincinnati and a home game against New Orleans teams that are 5-1, 4-2 and 5-1. The Jets could end up looking back on the Week 3 loss at Tennessee and this defeat against Pittsburgh as two big missed opportunities in a season that is about to get a whole lot tougher. A common theme in those two losses? Rookie quarterback Geno Smith throwing two costly interceptions. His two first half picks at Tennessee led to Titans touchdowns. The Steelers didn t score after his two picks, but both were in the second half, and came on drives that ended at Pittsburgh s 12- and 23-yard lines. 7 P a g e

8 Smith now has 10 interceptions in six games one in the opener against Tampa Bay, three at New England, zero against Atlanta and two in the three other games (Buffalo, Tennessee and Pittsburgh). All things considered, the Jets are lucky to be 3-3. They rank third-to-last in the NFL with a minus-11 turnover margin. One spot in front of the Jets, Pittsburgh (1-4) is at minus-9. Behind the Jets, Houston (2-4) is at minus-12 and the Giants (0-6) are at minus-16. Those brutal records usually happen when you have a terrible turnover margin like the Jets do. So in this edition of our weekly film review which appears here on NJ.com every Tuesday, with the exception of last week, because of the short week after the Monday night game we ll take a look at one of Smith s interceptions from the Steelers game, since this continues to be the single biggest factor hamstringing the Jets offense. Smith s first interception of the day came on a first-and-10 play from Pittsburgh s 23 with 8:01 remaining in the third quarter. The Jets were down 16-6 and still very much in the game. They had moved well on this drive, which began at the Jets 24. Smith hit tight end Jeff Cumberland for a 29-yard gain on the possession s second play, which pushed the Jets to Pittsburgh s 46. The Jets sustained the drive with a 4-yard run by Bilal Powell on third-and-3 at the 27. They had a fresh start, down just 10 points, on first-and-10 at the 23. Smith hadn t turned the ball over yet, on the heels of his first (and only so far) turnover-free game, the win at Atlanta. A 4-2 start was still within reach for the Jets at this point, as they neared Pittsburgh s goal line. The Jets put backup tight end Konrad Reuland in motion before the snap, sending him to Smith s right. Reuland was playing more in this game because Kellen Winslow was serving the first of a four-game suspension for violating the NFL s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Steelers free safety Ryan Clark, in his 12th season in the league, stayed in position, on Reuland s side of the field, to read Smith as the rookie dropped back, with a clean pocket. Smith would later say he was trying to throw the ball away (under no pressure?), but it sure looked like he was actually attempting to throw to Reuland, and just sailed the pass. Clark slid over and picked the ball off at the 1. Even if the throw would have been accurate, it still would have been a poor decision by Smith, throwing to an area where Pittsburgh had three defenders. Rookie overthrow and rookie mistake the sort of things the Jets knew they were going to have to live with from Smith this season, but that they now hope can fade quickly, lest these next three games send their season down the drain. Jets sign Josh Cribbs, 30-year-old kickoff return ace, according to report (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger Josh Cribbs was one of the most explosive players in recent NFL history. But how much of that burst remains? The Jets are about to find out, as they have signed Cribbs, according to ESPN. Cribbs, a 30-year-old wide receiver and return man, was a free agent. He entered the league in 2005 and played with Cleveland until The Browns cut him after last season. The Raiders picked him up, but cut him in August, after he struggled in the preseason. 8 P a g e

9 In May, the Jets worked out Cribbs, who suffered a knee injury last season and failed a physical with Arizona during free agency. Shortly after Cribbs Jets workout, first-year Jets general manager John Idzik indicated Cribbs wasn t completely healthy. "I don't think he's quite there yet, but he's probably getting close, Idzik said in May. Now, the Jets have given Cribbs another shot and decided to take a chance on him. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith needs receiving targets, which he is lacking right now. Tight end Kellen Winslow will miss the next three games while suspended for violating NFL s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He was the Jets catches leader at the time of his suspension. Receiver Santonio Holmes (hamstring) has missed the past two games and his status for Sunday s home game against New England is uncertain. Receiver Clyde Gates injured his shoulder in last Sunday s loss to Pittsburgh. He said he is hopeful that he will be able to play against New England. And running back Mike Goodson, who the Jets signed in the offseason to be a quick-burst, pass-catching threat out of the backfield, tore two ligaments in his knee during the Steelers game and is done for the season. If Holmes and Gates can t play against the Patriots, Smith s primary options in the passing game will be Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson (a recent free agent pickup) and tight end Jeff Cumberland. Gates is also the Jets kickoff returner, while Kerley returns punts. But Gates has just nine kickoff returns this season. Kickoff returns in the NFL have been de-emphasized by the league moving the kickoff from the 30-yard line to the 35 for the 2011 season, resulting in more touchbacks and making special teams aces like Cribbs less valuable. Still, Cribbs was, at one time, among the best return men the league has ever seen. He has 387 career kickoff returns for 10,015 yards (fifth most in NFL history) and an NFL record-tying eight touchdowns (three in 2009). Former Jet Leon Washington shares that eight-touchdown record with Cribbs, who has also returned 195 punts for 2,154 yards and three touchdowns. All told, Cribbs 12,169 yards on kickoff and punt returns rank sixth in NFL history. Cribbs has 107 career catches for 1,161 yards and seven touchdowns. He s never had more than 41 catches in a season, though that happened in 2011, when he had a career-best four touchdown catches. Cribbs ran the Wildcat offense at times with the Browns. He is 4-of-12 passing in his NFL career, with no touchdowns and an interception. He was a successful, dual-threat quarterback at Kent State. The Jets have used the Wildcat several times this season. Last season with Cleveland, Cribbs had just seven catches, but he returned 43 kickoffs for 1,178 yards and 38 punts for a career-high 457 yards. It was his best season as a return man since 2009 (1,542 kickoff return yards, 452 punt return yards). Cribbs last season ranked eighth in the NFL with 12 yards per punt return and ninth with 27.4 yards per kickoff return. For those joining Jets midseason, opportunity is mixed with frenzied preparation (Michael J. Fensom) Star-Ledger with_frenzied_preparation.html 9 P a g e

10 It is a breathless moment for an NFL player when he is summoned to a new team. Injuries and in the Jets case, two suspensions necessitate a constant shuffle of personnel. Just as soon as a Jets player is knocked out of duty, another is shuttled to Florham Park to fill one of 53 spots on the active roster. For unemployed players training on their own as a free agent or sliding off another team s roster onto waivers each day is spent waiting for an invite back to the locker room. And when that call comes, life is reordered instantly. Punter Ryan Quigley is one of the 13 players who has been swapped onto the Jets roster since a last round of preseason cuts Aug. 31. That sum does not count David Garrard, the quarterback placed on the exempt list last week as he tries out for the team. Quigley was in Jets camp but was cut during the preseason in favor of Rob Malone. The Jets told Quigley, in his second professional season out of Boston College, that he was on a short list to return to the team should Malone get hurt or under-perform. On Sept. 14, two days after Malone struggled in a loss to the New England Patriots, the Jets called Quigley s agent. They wanted to work him out in 48 hours at the team s headquarters. In the 19 days since Quigley had been cut, he had decided to leave his parents house in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and go train with Mike Husted, a former NFL kicker who trains players in Huntington Beach, Calif. "You want to have control of something, and the only thing I can control is how hard I m going to work and what I m going to do," Quigley said. "Am I going to sit around waiting for that phone call, or am I going to keep progressing at kicking and punting but also start networking in talking to different people about different jobs outside of football? That s something I was thinking about constantly, moving forward. "It s the worst when you re kind of in La La Land. Some guys, it s easy to get down on yourself." Quigley, though, was hardened by the year before. After parting with the Chicago Bears in training camp, he spent time as a substitute teacher in South Carolina. He decided if his NFL aspirations did not materialize three years out of school, he d quit and pursue a career in business. He decided to work with Husted to stay in shape in case a team called. Family members and friends joked he did not have a home his only belongings were a suitcase filled with clothing and a duffle bag full of footballs. "I always pack light," Quigley said. "All my clothes and a bag of balls. That s all I really needed." Quigley, 23, had spent the afternoon at the beach before the Jets called. He dashed plans to attend a game between Boston College and USC in Los Angeles with college friends and booked a flight to New Jersey that arrived early on the morning of Sept. 15, a Sunday. He left his footballs in California. "I kept telling myself, if I make the team I don t need footballs," Quigley said. Quigley stayed at the Hyatt House, a hotel about a mile down Park Avenue from the Jets headquarters. The day before his 7 a.m. workout, he was so anxious he walked the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson three times to clear his head. The next morning, Jets long snapper Tanner Purdum rifled footballs back to Quigley in the Jets airporthangar-sized indoor practice facility. ryan-quigley-new-york-jets-1015.jpg.jpga couple hours after working out with the Jets, Ryan Quigley was on the practice field.william Perlman/The Star-Ledger "It s you, the coaches and a stopwatch," Quigley said. "It s never like that on the field." 10 P a g e

11 By nine that morning, Quigley was on the practice field, once again in a No. 1 Jets jersey after signing a deal that pays him $28,928 per game more than any substitute teacher could hope for. He has handled the punting duties for the Jets the past four games, with a net average of 40.8 yards in his 22 punts. NELSON CATCHES ON Two weeks after Quigley signed, David Nelson received a call from Jets general manager John Idzik. The Jets top two wide receivers were ailing from a concussion and hamstring injury, and Nelson, cut Aug. 31 by the Cleveland Browns, had been plucked out of the free-agent pool. Sometimes players have the luxury of time when joining a team to meet teammates, acclimate to a new town, consume the playbook. Nelson would not, Idzik said. In a week, the Jets would be facing the Atlanta Falcons. The Jets stuck Nelson on a flight at 6:45 the next morning from his home in Dallas to Newark roughly 12 hours after Idzik s call. His brother was put in charge of the wide receiver s 3-year-old Husky, Bo. Nelson filled a suitcase with clothing and a backpack with items accumulated for inspiration. In an envelope mailed from Browns headquarters was a notice of termination. "In the judgment of the club," the letter read, "your skill and performance has been unsatisfactory as compared to that of others competing for positions on the club s roster." He arrived at the Jets facility on a Tuesday, the week s day of rest for players, took a physical and met with Sanjay Lal, the Jets receivers coach, for five hours. The meeting began a strenuous week for Nelson. Having not played football for four weeks, his feet ached in cleats that were not broken in before he wore them at practice. He readjusted to running routes in pads and a helmet. Each morning at 6 a.m., Nelson made the short drive from Hyatt House in a rented car to begin an exhausting routine. He studied game film, practiced, reviewed the playbook and the week s game plan in meetings and didn t leave the Jets facility until after 7 p.m. "There was a light at the end of the tunnel for me and that was playing again," Nelson said. Unfamiliar with the area and without the time to explore, Nelson ordered pizza each night at the hotel and continued to study the Jets encyclopedia-thick offensive playbook. "The Papa John guy knows my name," Nelson said. "I ll call and he s like, What will it be tonight, David? " Almost a week to the minute of his conversation with Idzik, Nelson started against the Falcons in Week 5, and he caught a pass last Sunday against the Steelers. His rigorous preparation is a template for those who each week pop up on NFL rosters, a cycle without conclusion. NEW YORK POST Jets sign Cribbs as returner with Gates moving to IR (Brian Costello) New York Post 11 P a g e

12 In search of a playmaker, the Jets signed kick-return specialist Josh Cribbs on Tuesday, hoping he has something left. Cribbs, 30, has not played in a regular-season game this season, but he is one of the most accomplished kick returners in NFL history. The Jets needed to add Cribbs after learning Clyde Gates shoulder injury was season-ending. Both of the Jets top kick returners Gates and Mike Goodson were placed on injured reserve Tuesday, ending their seasons. The Jets showed interest in Cribbs during the spring, but expressed reservations about his health. He underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus last year and that scared off many teams. The Raiders eventually signed Cribbs, but released him before the season started. The Jets worked out Cribbs again two weeks ago and must have been convinced he s healthy. Cribbs has eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, tied with former Jet Leon Washington for the NFL record. He played for the Browns from Cribbs has not played much wide receiver, but can in an emergency. To take Gates spot in the widereceivers rotation, the Jets signed Greg Salas from the Eagles practice squad. Salas has spent time with the Rams, Patriots and Eagles. He has 27 career receptions. The Jets are banged up at receiver with Gates out and top receiver Santonio Holmes (hamstring) missing the last two games. Holmes status this week is uncertain. Gates injury was not considered that serious Monday. He said he thought he could play this week against the Patriots. The injury-prone Gates injured his shoulder while falling to the turf on an incomplete pass. Gates had 12 catches for 122 yards and averaged 23.2 yards per kick return. The Jets also signed rookie running back Miguel Maysonet to their practice squad. Maysonet went to Stony Brook and grew up in Riverhead. Jets need some INTs ASAP (Brian Costello) New York Post The Jets defense is ranked No. 4 in the NFL, but the unit must start forcing turnovers if it is going to be a truly dominant defense and help out the offense. The Jets have just one interception this season, the fewest in the league. They have three takeaways total, tied with the Texans and Chargers for second-worst, ahead of only the Steelers. All of this has left coach Rex Ryan scratching his head. His front seven has been tremendous this season and shut down the run. You would think by forcing teams to throw, the Jets would at least luck into a pick. Am I shocked that we have one interception all year? Yeah. I d be shocked if we only had one a game, Ryan said. Quite honestly, yes, it s very disappointing. Ryan said he s tried calling traps and schemes on defense to get some picks, but it has not worked. Throw in Geno Smith s penchant for throwing the ball to the other team and the Jets have a cocktail that leads to losses. It s time for the Jets secondary to catch up to the big guys up front and come up with a turnover or two to help out the offense. 12 P a g e

13 Rex can blame stadium, prices, less-interested fans for lack of noise (Brian Costello) New York Post All Rex Ryan needs is a pair of pom-poms to complete his transformation into a cheerleader this week. The Jets coach exhorted fans to recreate the frenzy of the 2009 game against the Patriots when Ryan s Jets won 16-9 in his second game as coach. You may remember Ryan giving the fans a symbolic game ball afterward because the noise level was so high the Patriots had 11 penalties, including four delays of game. If you make it like that, Ryan said on ESPN Radio, we re going to beat this team. Here is the problem: That scene never will be duplicated. Any hope of that ended when the wrecking ball took down Giants Stadium a few months later and fans were given the $1.6 billion MetLife Stadium in its place. The 3-year old stadium has as much charm as a parking garage, with its gray, metallic exterior and its drab interior. The Jets are in the new building, but it s hard to remember any games when the fans were a factor. Any home-field advantage the Jets ever had left with the last remnant of the old stadium. The new stadium s main issue is a problem many franchises are facing across sports many true, rabid fans have been priced out of the stadium entirely, or at least the good seats, thanks to PSLs and high prices on everything from parking to a bottle of water. In their places are the fans whose wallets are bigger than their knowledge of Jets history. When building the stadium the Jets put a higher priority on the bottom line than making sure the place was loud when the opponent was on the goal line. The Team Marketing Report put together a Fan Cost Index that evaluates the fan experience based on a game for a family of four. The Jets are the fifthhighest priced team with an average cost of $577.12, including tickets, parking, food, drinks and souvenirs. The Giants, who face the same home-field problems as the Jets, are third on that list. There is also the basic structure of the building. The larger, newer buildings never seem to contain noise the way the old buildings did. We ve seen it in The Bronx with Yankee Stadium and in East Rutherford. It s hard to fault the Jets for wanting to score a profit, but at what cost? The lower bowl between the 20-yard lines, where the highest-priced seats are, clears out just before halftime and remains empty deep into the third quarter while those ticket-holders head to the club areas to eat their sushi and shrimp cocktail. It s a sea of gray in these areas when the second-half kickoff hits. Then you have the issue of people trying to recoup some of their money by selling their tickets to opposing fans. There were so many Terrible Towels in the stands Sunday it looked as if the Jets were giving them out. Steelers fans took over the stadium by the end of the game the same way 49ers fans did a year ago. I don t blame the fans for selling their tickets. I blame the Jets and the NFL for creating an environment where people feel the need to sell their tickets in order to offset the costs involved with going to the games. 13 P a g e

14 The Jets are trying to improve the fan experience. Led by team president Neil Glat, the team has introduced things like the Aviators, a drum line shown on the big screen during games and the team walk through the parking lot before the game. They are also studying the decibel levels at the stadium and trying to figure out when the building is the loudest and what they can do to keep it loud. The problem is these ideas were conceived in a board room not Section 308. The best fan traditions are organic. Potvin Sucks at the Garden or the J-E-T-S chant that for years dominated Jets game. Like him or loathe him, Fireman Ed did bring something unique to Jets games, something which is now missing. Sometimes you wonder if the Jets understand their fan base, too. All I have to do is check my Twitter mentions or my to get reminded of how jaded and cynical Jets fans can be. Jet Up videos on the big screen might work in Indiana. Here they re likely to get a Bleep You. Four years ago, Ryan delivered an automated voic to season-ticket holders asking for the crowd to get loud, and it worked. The stadium that day was stick-your-head-in-an-airplane-engine loud as the fans embraced their new coach and beating Tom Brady for the first time in East Rutherford. On Sunday, the Jets hope to give their fans another moment like that. How loudly will the Jets fans cheer it? NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NY Jets add veteran Josh Cribbs to boost return game (Seth Walder) New York Daily News Rex Ryan indicated Monday that the Jets might need a playmaker to replace Mike Goodson. On Tuesday, he got one as the Jets signed wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs. Cribbs has been brought in to replace receiver and return man Clyde Gates, who went on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday with a shoulder injury. The Gates move was a surprise; he had indicated Monday that he was optimistic about playing the Patriots this week. The Jets also put Goodson on IR, ending his season as well. Goodson tore his ACL and MCL in Sunday s 19-6 loss to the Steelers. The Jets still have three running backs in Bilal Powell, Chris Ivory and Alex Green. With Gates done for the year, Santonio Holmes (hamstring) injured and Cribbs likely contributing more on special teams, the Jets also signed wide receiver Greg Salas off the Eagles practice squad. Cribbs ought to provide an upgrade in the return game. The Jets rank 27th in average kick-return yardage and 14th in average punt-return yardage. With Goodson and Gates out for the season and Kyle Wilson banged up, the Jets were probably in need of another return man, anyway. Cribbs has scored eight touchdowns as a kick returner and three as a punt returner in his eight-year career, all with Cleveland. The Jets brought Cribbs in for a workout in May, but passed on him because GM John Idzik said Cribbs wasn t fully recovered from knee surgery. Cribbs failed a physical with the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason. 14 P a g e

15 Cribbs has caught 107 passes for 1,161 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. Salas caught 27 passes for 264 yards with the Rams in The Jets added running back Miguel Mayonset (Stony Brook) to their practice squad. 4TH AND WRONG? Ryan has made a couple of interesting in-game decisions the past two weeks. Ryan s two questionable calls kicking a field goal on fourth-and-1 at the 2-yard line against Pittsburgh and kicking an extra point to go up by 13 in the fourth quarter in Atlanta haven t garnered much attention because they didn t have a direct impact on the outcome of the game. Ryan s conservative decision against the Steelers came in the first quarter, and the Jets ultimately came back to beat the Falcons despite not going for the two-point conversion. Ryan was asked why he didn t go for it after the game. Yeah, but my thinking there was to take the lead. It was kind of windy out there, Ryan said. I thought our defense was playing well at that time. Let s just get on the scoreboard. com/sports/football/jets/jets-add-veteran-cribbs-boost-return-game-article #ixzz2hr4131zb NY Jets' Willie Colon says he hates New England Patriots as Week 7 game approaches (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News Willie Colon has compartmentalized his animosity for the Patriots.The Jets veteran right guard has a lot of different reasons not to break bread with the NFL s Evil Empire even if he s not willing to share all of them. Colon, who spent seven years with the Steelers, used to ratchet up his intensity for AFC North bloodbaths with the Ravens. It s weird, Colon told the Daily News of that rivalry. I hated them, but I loved them at the same time, because they re a team that forced you to give them your best. And the Patriots? I just hate them, he said. Colon literally threw himself in to the Jets-Patriots rivalry in Week 2. His role in a late-game skirmish along the New England sideline in the Jets loss in Foxborough cost him about $34,000. The league doled out $88,500 in fines from that game, further evidence that these teams aren t very fond of each other. I don t like them, Colon said in the run-up to the rematch Sunday at MetLife Stadium. But at the same time you got to respect what they ve done as an organization. Winning Super Bowls. They ve built a tradition there where they get it done. No matter what you feel about them personally, you got to respect that they win. Colon grew to hate the Patriots in Pittsburgh even though he faced them only twice in his career. He believes there s a reason that the Steelers, one of the league s model franchises, are viewed differently than the Patriots. 15 P a g e

16 The Steelers don t irk opponents as much as Bill Belichick s team does. They don t whine, either. People respect the Steelers because they play you one way, Colon said. You never hear an excuse about why the Steelers lose. When we lost, we moved on. I think sometimes when the Patriots lose or things go wrong, it seems as if there s excuses for why they didn t have a good game. Sometimes that rubs people the wrong way. I feel that way. If you lose, you take it. The Jets share that contempt for an organization that has repeatedly bludgeoned them. Antonio Cromartie famously called Tom Brady an ass---- a few years ago. Darrelle Revis once voiced his displeasure about Belichick. The Jets, of course, tattled on New England to introduce the world to Spy Gate. Although Colon didn t play on the Steelers teams that lost to the Patriots in the 2001 and 2004 AFC Championship Games during the SpyGate era, those moments likely helped shape his opinion of them. There is no middle ground in cheating, Colon said. You either cheated or you didn t. I think the proof is out there on that regard. It is what it is. Colon, however, is quick to point out that New England s success shouldn t simply be ignored. Belichick has won at least 10 regular-season games for 10 consecutive seasons. His 18 playoff wins trail only Tom Landry and Don Shula on the all-time list. The Patriots have won three of five Super Bowls in the Brady- Belichick era. They ve been playing well for a long time, Colon said. You know the Patriots are going to be in the playoffs, hell or high water. You got to respect it whether you like them or not.... They win and they get it done. Brady has been flummoxed by Rex Ryan s defenses from time to time, but the Patriots perennial Pro Bowl quarterback typically gets the last laugh. Ryan is 3-8 against the Patriots, who have won five in a row against their division foes since the Jets 2010 divisional playoff upset. Brady & Co. have won five of those eight games by 17, 42, 21, 30 and 21 points. If we want to have a chance at the division, Colon said, We got to have this game. Ryan isn t calling this week a must win, but the Jets, losers in Foxborough off a short week last month, are fully aware that they can t afford to fall three games behind the team they love to hate. NEW YORK TIMES Jets add Cribbs and Salas (Ben Shpigel) New York Times The Jets added kickoff returner Josh Cribbs and receiver Greg Salas on Tuesday. Cribbs, who has returned a combined 11 punts and kickoffs for touchdowns, lifts a return unit that ranks 27th. He replaces Clyde Gates, who hurt his shoulder against Pittsburgh and was placed on injured reserve. The signing of Salas, who joined the Jets off Philadelphia s practice squad, does not bode well for the availability Sunday of Santonio Holmes, who is out with a hamstring injury. ESPN NEW YORK 16 P a g e

17 Jets sign Cribbs, put Gates on IR (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York Looking for a kickoff returner to replace Clyde Gates, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday, the New York Jets signed Josh Cribbs. Cribbs, 30, is one of the most prolific kickoff returners in history, although he hasn't played a regularseason game since last year. He was cut by the Oakland Raiders in the preseason. Cribbs can play wide receiver, but it's not his primary position -- he has only 107 receptions in eight seasons. To fill Gates' role at receiver, the Jets signed Greg Salas from the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad. Salas has 27 career receptions, all with the St. Louis Rams. Santonio Holmes (hamstring) is likely to miss his third straight game, creating a depth issue at wide receiver. The Jets have been monitoring Cribbs since the spring. They worked him out twice, most recently in October. With injuries piling up on offense, the Jets finally decided to add him to the roster. The Gates move came as a surprise. On Monday, Gates said the injury was "painful, but not that bad," expressing hope that he'd be ready to play Sunday against the New England Patriots. Oddly, it was a non-contact injury. He fell to the turf after an incomplete pass and tried to break his fall by extending his arm, suffering a partial dislocation. They may have simply lost patience with the injury-prone Gates. The Jets have been struggling on kickoff returns. They rank 27th in the league, averaging only 20.3 yards per return. The backup kickoff returner was running back Mike Goodson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday. As expected, he was placed on injured reserve. Because of his running skills, Cribbs -- a former college quarterback -- could contribute in the Wildcat package. That, too, was one of Goodson's roles. The concern with Cribbs is his health. He underwent arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus after last season, prompting some teams -- including the Jets -- to take a pass during the free-agency period. He tweeted about his deal with the Jets on Tuesday afternoon. Cribbs, who appeared in 124 games with the Cleveland Browns from , has scored eight touchdowns on kickoff returns, tied with Leon Washington for the most in league history. In addition, the Jets signed well-traveled rookie running back Miguel Maysonet to their practice squad, releasing linebacker Troy Davis. TUESDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS Associated Press COLORADO ROCKIES Agreed to terms with manager Walt Weiss on a three-year contract. 17 P a g e