NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS October 14, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Rex Ryan on 1-5 Jets: 'We're not dead' (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Injuries for Jets' Milliner, Winters 'significant' (Dennis Waszak)... 4 NEWSDAY... 4 Jets to face Darrelle Revis for second time (Kimberley Martin)... 5 Dee Milliner, Brian Winters out for the season (Kimberley Martin... 5 Jets sign cornerback Josh Thomas with Dee Milliner out for season (Kimberley Martin)... 6 Rex Ryan: Jets 'not dead' yet (Kimberley Martin)... 7 Rex on Jets QBs: 'Geno's the best way to go right now' (Anthony Rieber)... 8 THE RECORD... 9 Losses, injuries hit Jets hard (J.P. Pelzman)... 9 Jets report card: Week 6 (J.P. Pelzman) NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Jets-Patriots injuries: Stevan Ridley, Jerod Mayo out for year, per reports; Greg Salas doesn't practice (Darryl Slater) Geno Smith blames the media in conference call with Patriots reporters (Dom Cosentino) Phillip Adams on doubts about Jets CBs: 'Let them see what they want to perceive. I could care less' (Darryl Slater) Jets place Brian Winters on injured reserve; sign offensive lineman Wesley Johnson (Dom Cosentino) Broncos-Jets studs and duds: Jace Amaro, Jason Babin, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Breno Giacomini (Darryl Slater) Jets place Dee Milliner on injured reserve; sign cornerback Josh Thomas (Dom Cosentino) Jets report card: Some good against the Broncos, but still plenty of bad (Dom Cosentino) Rex Ryan still thinks Jets' 2013 draft class merits an 'A-plus' (Dom Cosentino) Rex Ryan suggests Dee Milliner, Brian Winters could be out for year, says Jets plan to sign cornerback (Darryl Slater) Rex Ryan on Jets QB situation: 'I think Geno's the best way to go' (Dom Cosentino) Jets rookie Jace Amaro on first NFL TD: 'Would have been better if we won' (Dom Cosentino) After Jets' fifth straight loss, Sheldon Richardson says, 'None of us are losers' (Darryl Slater) NEW YORK POST Does Rex Ryan actually believe the Jets have drafted well? (Mark Cannizzaro) Jets rewind: Rex s message of We re not dead rings hollow (Brian Costello) Rex Ryan s brown-nosing of John Idzik reaches absurd levels (Brian Costello) P a g e

2 NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Rex Ryan, in futile attempt to save job with NY Jets, praises inept GM John Idzik (Manish Mehta) NY Jets' Dee Milliner has torn Achilles, Brian Winters torn ACL as both out for season (Seth Walder) NY Jets' Geno Smith says miscues not his fault, media has 'miscommunicated, misprinted, misunderstood' things (Seth Walder) Rex Ryan tries to put positive spin on 1-5 Jets: We re not dead (Seth Walder) NEW YORK TIMES On the Jets Day After, Platitudes Abound (Ben Shpigel) WALL STREET JOURNAL As Stars Fall, Jets and Giants Try to Regroup (Alex Raskin) ESPN NEW YORK Rex Ryan views Idzik's drafts through rose-colored glasses (Rich Cimini) Gloomy Jets desperate for win (Jane McManus) Geno Smith calls out New York media (Rich Cimini) Dee Milliner has torn Achilles (Rich Cimini) Geno Smith will start vs. Patriots (Jane McManus) Rex Ryan: The effort is there (Rich Cimini) Things we learned about the Jets (Rich Cimini) Stock market: Risers and fallers (Rich Cimini) METRO NEW YORK Rex Ryan: Jets not dead despite 1-5 start (Kristian Dyer) MONDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Rex Ryan on 1-5 Jets: 'We're not dead' (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Rex Ryan had never been in this spot before as a head coach. His New York Jets are 1-5 with five straight losses, a stretch of increasing frustration for the team and fear from fans that this season is already over just six games in. Ryan knows it doesn't look good. It's the longest losing streak in his six years with the Jets, but that doesn't mean the coach is writing off the season. "My message is pretty simple: Hey, we might be counted out, (but) we're not dead," Ryan said Monday. "We are going to fight our tails off." Ryan tried his best to sound positive, but he appeared weary and acknowledged he got very little sleep after the Jets' loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. His job status has also been a hot topic of discussion. 2 P a g e

3 He is with the Jets, including 4-2 in the postseason with his last trip coming four years ago, which likely seems a lifetime ago for Ryan. For a guy who made headlines with his brash approach and headlinemaking bravado, his current conundrum has become the low point of his coaching career. "Yeah, I would say so," Ryan said. "It's not by a lack of effort. We're trying everything we can. It just hasn't happened for us yet." Next up is a game Thursday night at New England against the AFC East-rival Patriots. It's another chance to try to get things moving in the right direction, but even Ryan acknowledged it's "not ideal." Not when you're going against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Not when there are questions as to whether the Jets' morale might be dipping dangerously low. "Well, look, this is the biggest rival you have," Ryan said he will tell his players. "You don't have to worry about the motivation. It's going to be there. Both teams don't like each other. There's respect for each other, but I don't think you really like each other. We know we have to be at our very best. "We can't make mistakes." There have been plenty of those this season, and quarterback Geno Smith has been in the middle of a lot of them. He has seven interceptions, including a wayward toss in the closing moments Sunday that Aqib Talib returned for a sealing touchdown. Despite his struggles, Smith remains the starter over Michael Vick despite calls by some to give the veteran a chance to spark the offense. "I think Geno is the best way to go right now," Ryan said. "That's why I'm comfortable saying he will be our starter." Smith mostly rebounded from a brutal week in which he was fined $12,000 for cursing at a fan while walking off the field after a game; bristling a bit at a reporter; and missing a team meeting the night before he was benched at halftime of the Jets' 31-0 loss at San Diego. During a conference call with Patriots writers, Smith was asked what the year has been like for him because it appears it's been "a little topsy-turvy." "For me, it hasn't been," Smith said. "Obviously, with everything that goes on with the media, a lot of things are, I would say, miscommunicated, and then it just gets misprinted and then misunderstood. I don't have any quarrels with anything. The main thing is that we just have to find a way to get a win. The hardest part about it all is losing. With the effort, the time that we put in, the preparation that we put in throughout the week, coming up with game plans we always have a really good game plan going in and then obviously we haven't executed as well as we'd like. "Those things are tougher than I guess what can be said and what is portrayed out there in the media." Winning often helps temper criticisms, but it's something the Jets haven't done since the season opener against Oakland. "There's no way I would have thought," Ryan said, "that we'd have the record that we have right now at the beginning of the year." During training camp, Ryan insisted his team was good enough to be a playoff contender. The Jets' current record, combined with injuries and shaky play, indicate that Ryan overestimated his team. But his players know that with 10 games left, there is time although it's quickly dwindling to turn their season around. 3 P a g e

4 "There is a shot," Smith said in the locker room. "It's definitely one that's a stretch, but as long as we've got a shot, we've got an opportunity. We can look forward to having another tough game, but I believe that we're going to be fired up this Thursday night." Injuries for Jets' Milliner, Winters 'significant' (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets could be without starting cornerback Dee Milliner and left guard Brian Winters for the rest of the season. Milliner injured the Achilles tendon in his right leg and Winters hurt his left knee in the Jets' loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. "They look like significant injuries," coach Rex Ryan said Monday. The team was awaiting results from MRI exams and other tests, but Ryan wasn't optimistic about either player's prospects, saying that there's a "definite chance" they could be season-ending injuries. "Both those guys, it doesn't look good," Ryan said. Milliner, the team's first-round pick last year, was hurt about two minutes into the game. He was playing special teams on Brandon McManus' 37-yard field goal for Denver when he crumpled to the turf. Milliner was helped up by team trainers, but couldn't put any weight on the leg. He was taken to the locker room and seen leaving MetLife Stadium on a cart after the game, crutches at his side. Ryan said the team would "add a guy" to its secondary to try to help make up for the loss of Milliner. The Jets were counting on Milliner to bounce back from a shaky first season to be the team's top cornerback. Milliner missed most of training camp and the season opener with a high ankle sprain, and sat out two games with a quadriceps injury. "I still think the young man, when he's healthy, he has a chance to be a really good one," Ryan said. So, obviously, it hurts. There's no doubt about it." Winters was hurt late in the third quarter, and the Jets think it's possibly an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament. "We'll see what we get back when they do all the MRIs and everything else," Ryan said, "but it looks like that's going to be a significant injury as well." Winters, a third-round pick last year, was replaced Sunday by Oday Aboushi, who was selected in the fifth round a year ago. Backup wide receiver Greg Salas injured a wrist and ankle both on the same play, Ryan said and his status was uncertain. Rookie linebacker Trevor Reilly also injured a knee and didn't return to the game Sunday. NEWSDAY 4 P a g e

5 Jets to face Darrelle Revis for second time (Kimberley Martin) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Revis Island is in enemy territory. And that realization takes some getting used to, Jets center Nick Mangold said. "It's definitely weird. Never thought I'd see it," Mangold said of former teammate Darrelle Revis being a New England Patriot. "Now that it's here, it just adds to the fun and the excitement of this rivalry." On Thursday night, the Jets will come face-to-face with their former shutdown cornerback in a rival uniform for only the second time. Jets general manager John Idzik traded Revis to the Bucs in 2013, and he faced them in the opener last year. The Bucs released Revis in March instead of paying a $1.5-million roster bonus as part of the $16 million he was due in 2014, but when he became a free agent, the Jets weren't interested. Revis, who tore an ACL during the Jets' 2012 season, appears to be adjusting to the Patriot Way just fine. In six games, quarterbacks targeting Revis are 15-for-27 passing for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception, according to the Boston Herald. On Sunday, he held Bills rookie Sammy Watkins to two catches (on three targets) for 27 yards. Asked after the game about the Jets, Revis said: "I did my time there, my six years. It was a great six years. We had success, two AFC Championship Games. We did the best we could, and that was that. I had a great time." Jet streams For the first time this season, linebacker Jason Babin played more snaps than Quinton Coples, 36-34, in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. Asked why, Rex Ryan said: "I think Babin is playing really well for us and, again, you share a position with a guy. That's a no-huddle offense. We knew we were going to play multiple guys. We had to keep them fresh and that's exactly what we did. It's not a slap at Quinton Coples, it's the fact that we have a good football player behind him."... The Jets sent a care package to Leah Still, 4, the daughter of Bengals lineman Devon Still, who has been battling pediatric cancer. She is recovering in a Philadelphia hospital after undergoing surgery to remove cancerous tumors from her body. Dee Milliner, Brian Winters out for the season (Kimberley Martin Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The news is as bad as Rex Ryan initially feared. The Jets announced on Monday that cornerback Dee Milliner and starting left guard Brian Winters -- two key pieces of general manager John Idzik's 2013 draft class -- have been placed on season-ending injured reserve. 5 P a g e

6 Milliner tore his right Achilles tendon on a special-teams play minutes into Sunday's loss to the Broncos and Winters tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the third quarter. Both players will need surgery. In corresponding roster moves, the Jets signed former Seahawks cornerback Josh Thomas and claimed offensive lineman Wesley Johnson off waivers from the Steelers. Thomas, a 2011 fifth-round draft pick of the Cowboys, played his first three seasons with the Panthers before the Seahawks signed him in August. Johnson, also a fifth-rounder, was selected by the Steelers in May but was waived Saturday. The injuries to Milliner and Winters -- and Greg Salas (wrist/ankle) and Trevor Reilly (knee) -- couldn't have come at a worse time for the Jets (1-5), who entered training camp with obvious roster holes (particularly at cornerback) yet still have about $21 million in salary-cap space. Idzik began 2014 with Milliner and journeyman Dimitri Patterson as his starting cornerbacks, with 2014 third-round pick Dexter McDougle waiting in the wings. But all three are no longer on the active roster. McDougle suffered a season-ending ACL injury in training camp and Patterson was cut after going AWOL for 48 hours during the preseason. As a result, Ryan likely will start backup Darrin Walls and recent pickup Phillip Adams (also a former Seahawk) Thursday night against the Patriots. Milliner's Achilles tear caps a slew of injuries that date to his time at Alabama. Before being drafted ninth overall by the Jets, he underwent five different procedures, including shoulder surgery that forced him to miss much of the 2013 season. Nevertheless, he was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for December. In training camp this year, he suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him sidelined for much of the preseason and for the regular-season opener. Soon after, he suffered a quadriceps injury that forced him to miss another two games. Then, on a first-quarter field goal by the Broncos, Milliner suffered a noncontact injury that ended his season. "It's tough on Dee," said safety Antonio Allen, who was converted to starting cornerback to compensate for Milliner's training-camp injury. "I just told him my heart is out there for him, I was going to pray for him, do whatever I can, and just stick with it and come back faster and healthier." Despite the uneven play of Milliner, Winters and starting quarterback Geno Smith, Ryan went out of his way to defend the selections Idzik has made in his two drafts for the Jets. "I thought our first draft class we had with John was an A-plus," Ryan said of the 2013 group, which included Smith, Milliner, Winters and Oday Aboushi, who likely will replace Winters Thursday night. "I would argue with anybody. Dee Milliner was going -- is going -- to be an outstanding player. The young man's got tons of talent and it's just a matter of him staying healthy." Jets sign cornerback Josh Thomas with Dee Milliner out for season (Kimberley Martin) Newsday P a g e

7 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - With Dee Milliner lost for the season with an Achilles injury, the Jets signed former Seahawks cornerback Josh Thomas. The Jets placed Milliner on season-ending injured reserve with an Achilles injury. Thomas, 25, was a fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2011 but was waived that year. He played his first three seasons in Carolina before the Seahawks signed him in August. In his career, he has one interception and 10 passes defensed in 42 games. It's no coincidence that Jets general manager John Idzik zeroed in on Thomas. Idzik, a former Seahawks executive, also signed Seattle castoff Phillip Adams to fill the Jets' cornerback needs. Because of injuries to Milliner and third-round pick Dexter McDougle (ACL), backup Darrin Walls and Adams are the Jets' starting corners. Milliner, the Jets' ninth overall pick in 2013, suffered the Achilles injury on a special-teams play early in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to Denver. Winters suffered a knee injury in the third quarter against the Broncos and a source later confirmed that the Jets fear the left guard tore his ACL. "We'll see what we get back when they do all the MRIs and everything else, but it looks like that's going to be a significant injury as well," Rex Ryan said of Winters, their third-round pick in "So both those guys, it doesn't look good." Wide receiver Greg Salas suffered a right wrist and ankle injury in the loss and Trevor Reilly left the game with a knee injury and did not return. The slew of injuries comes days before the Jets (1-5) travel to Foxborough to face AFC East rival Patriots (4-2). Even though his team has lost five in a row, Ryan said "you've got no choice" but to shake off their loss to the Broncos with the Patriots looming. The Jets' depth will be tested with Milliner, Winters and possibly Salas unable to play. Walls, who was questionable for Sunday's game because of a knee injury, was forced to replace Milliner and play opposite Adams. But Ryan said he was "happy with the way Walls played" and added that Adams "certainly competes." Rex Ryan: Jets 'not dead' yet (Kimberley Martin) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Rex Ryan wants Jets fans to know one thing: His Jets aren't done yet. His team may be in last place in the AFC East and losers of five straight games, but Ryan said his players are not quitters. "Hey, we might be counted out, but we're not dead," the Jets coach said Monday, a day after they lost, 31-17, to the Broncos. "And we're going to fight our tails off. One thing about it: This group is a hard-working group and it's a resilient bunch and we're going to put it out there. We're going to compete... As I told our team: A team that doesn't quit is hard to beat. And we ain't quitting. And as we say, we've just begun to fight." 7 P a g e

8 The Jets (1-5) have shown some fight at times, but their sporadic offense and undisciplined defense have contributed to a string of losses that have Ryan scrambling unsuccessfully for answers. The Jets coach admitted Monday that he's reached the low point of his head-coaching career, but he said there's no time to wallow with the Patriots (4-2) on the horizon. The Jets will travel, on short rest, to Gillette Stadium for a Thursday night showdown with quarterback Tom Brady. "You don't get a whole lot of sleep, you just move on. That's the way it is," Ryan said. Asked how difficult is it to shake off Sunday's failed comeback against the Broncos, he added: "You've got no choice." Ryan admitted things aren't so rosy at One Jets Drive following five straight losses. "Well, any time you have the record we have, it's not going to be the happiest place to be, obviously," he said. But he vowed his Jets haven't given up. "Playing at New England, on a short week, is probably not ideal," he said. "But they know what they're going to get. They're going to get our best shot and we're going to get theirs." He also promised that the rest of the Jets' opponents -- starting with New England -- "are going to get our best punch." Rex on Jets QBs: 'Geno's the best way to go right now' (Anthony Rieber) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Geno Smith was OK on Sunday. Not great, not awful. He wasn't the reason the Jets lost their fifth in row, 31-17, to the Denver Broncos. With a short week to prepare for Thursday's visit to Foxborough to face the Patriots, Rex Ryan was asked on Monday if he has thought about starting Michael Vick at quarterback in place of Smith this week to give the 1-5 Jets a spark. Not surprisingly, Ryan said he hasn't. "I think, to me, obviously you can look at Mike to adding different things to you," Ryan said. "But I think Geno's the best way to go right now, and that's why I'm comfortable saying he'll be our starter." One week after being benched at halftime in a 31-0 loss to San Diego, Smith was 23 of 43 for 190 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The interception was returned for a touchdown to seal Denver's victory. Smith was sacked four times. "We knew they were going to get after the passer, which they did," Ryan said. "I thought when the protection held up, we were able to do some things. I thought Geno threw the ball well. Had a couple of big drops that hurt us." It also didn't help that Smith was the Jets' leading rusher with 11 yards. Overall, the Jets gained 31 yards on the ground. Smith is part of general manager John Idzik's first Jets draft class. Ryan defended his boss' two-year Jets draft record. 8 P a g e

9 "I thought our first draft class we had with John was an A-plus," Ryan said. "I would argue with anybody. Dee Milliner is going to be an outstanding player. I know he hasn't been out there as much as we would have liked, but the young man's got tons of talent and it's just a matter of him staying healthy. Sheldon Richardson is a Pro Bowl player. You've got Geno Smith, a starting quarterback in this league that I think has upside. So I think that's a great pick. [Brian] Winters, a starting guard, I think that's pretty good when you're drafting there... This year's class hasn't had the pop that last year's had." Ryan also cited injuries to Tommy Bohanon and Dexter McDougle and the fact that rookie safety Calvin Prior - this year's first-rounder -- is starting. THE RECORD Losses, injuries hit Jets hard (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 14, FLORHAM PARK The losses are mounting. The injuries are piling up. But Rex Ryan still is acting like Rex Ryan. Well, sort of. The embattled Jets coach s words still have a taste of the old bravado. But Ryan looked subdued when he met reporters Monday morning, less than 24 hours after his team s fifth straight loss. My message is pretty simple: Hey, we might be counted out, [but] we re not dead, Ryan said of his team s current status. We are going to fight our tails off. But when they line up against host New England on Thursday night, the Jets will be missing two starters who were placed on season-ending injured reserve Monday. Cornerback Dee Milliner has a torn right Achilles tendon and left guard Brian Winters has a torn ACL in his left knee. Both players were injured in the loss to Denver on Sunday and both will need surgery. Granted, the Patriots also have lost two starters for the season: Running back Stevan Ridley and linebacker Jerod Mayo each suffered severe knee injuries in a victory over Buffalo on Sunday, according to multiple reports. The secretive Patriots haven t announced anything other than that both are out of Thursday s game. Winters, who had started the previous 18 games at left guard, will be replaced by Oday Aboushi. He was drafted in the fifth round out of the University of Virginia in 2013 as a tackle, but was moved to guard this season and worked with the starters at times during the spring and summer. Aboushi finished Sunday s game after Winters was hurt. Phillip Adams, signed last month after being released by Seattle, likely will take Milliner s spot and start opposite Darrin Walls. Milliner, who had five surgeries in college at Alabama, has had various leg woes since joining the Jets as the ninth overall pick in 2013, and also had a high-ankle sprain and a quadriceps injury this season before the Achilles tear. Dee Milliner was going to be is going to be an outstanding player, Ryan said Monday. 9 P a g e

10 As for facing the Patriots, Ryan believes that playing a hated division rival will provide plenty of motivation. An upset victory would pull the Jets to within two games of first-place New England, but a loss would drop them four games behind with nine left. This is the biggest rival you have, Ryan said of what he would tell his players. You don t have to worry about the motivation. It s going to be there. Both teams don t like each other. There s respect for each other, but I don t think you really like each other. We know we have to be at our very best. GENO TAKES ON MEDIA: During a conference call with New England reporters, struggling quarterback Geno Smith took a shot at the metropolitan-area media. When asked if things have been topsy-turvy this season, Smith replied, For me, it hasn t been. Obviously, with everything that goes on with the media, a lot of things are, I would say, miscommunicated, and then it just gets misprinted and then misunderstood. I don t have any quarrels with anything. Smith cursed out a heckling fan after a home loss to Detroit on Sept. 28, and then missed a team meeting because he was at a movie six days later. The main thing is that we just have to find a way to get a win, he continued. The hardest part about it all is losing. With the effort, the time that we put in, the preparation that we put in throughout the week, coming up with game plans we always have a really good game plan going in and then obviously we haven t executed as well as we d like. Those things are tougher than, I guess, what can be said and what is portrayed out there in the media. BRIEFS: To fill the two roster spots, the Jets signed CB Josh Thomas and claimed OL Wesley Johnson off waivers from Pittsburgh. Thomas was a fifth-round pick of Dallas in 2011 and also has been with Carolina and Seattle. Johnson was drafted out of Vanderbilt by the Steelers in May. Jets report card: Week 6 (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 14, Rushing offense: F The Jets managed only 31 yards, which is their lowest game total since RBs Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell totaled 20 yards on 13 attempts as the offensive line consistently got pushed back by Denver's defensive front. QB Geno Smith's 11-yard scramble was their only run longer than 5 yards. Passing offense: C-minus Smith bounced back somewhat after being benched at halftime last week at San Diego. He threw two touchdown passes and played turnover-free until the final minute of the game, when he threw a pick-six from his end zone. But he completed only 23 of 43 attempts, and managed just 190 yards as offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called lots of short and intermediate throws. Rookie TE Jace Amaro had 10 receptions, including his first NFL touchdown. Rushing defense: C-minus The Jets again used extra defensive backs and pass rushers, as they had against the Chargers last week. And again, it left them vulnerable to the run. Ronnie Hillman, filling in for the injured Montee Ball, had 100 yards on 24 carries, including a 26-yard run on the Broncos' final TD drive. Denver averaged 4.2 yards on 33 attempts. 10 P a g e

11 Passing defense: C Peyton Manning threw for three TDs, but only 237 yards a week after compiling 479 in a victory over Arizona. Muhammad Wilkerson and Leger Douzable each had a sack. The Jets pressured Manning on numerous occasions and seemed to rattle him into some uncharacteristically poor throws. Still, the Jets again had no interceptions and have recorded only one pick this season. Special teams: C-minus Ryan Quigley averaged 42.7 yards net on seven punts, but a 36-yarder from his end zone led to a Denver touchdown. Walt Powell took over the kickoff-return duties from Saalim Hakim and showed potential by averaging 25.5 yards on six attempts. However, he also muffed a punt, and the lost second-quarter fumble flipped field position and changed momentum. Nick Folk made his only field-goal attempt, a 37-yarder. Coaching: B-minus Rex Ryan's gambits often foiled Manning, but led to the Broncos rushing for 138 yards. Mornhinweg's emphasis on short, safe passes limited the chances for Smith to make mistakes, but also hampered the Jets' ability to make any big plays. Ryan, an excellent motivator, had his team believing it could win despite the fact that it was undermanned. That emotion helped the Jets to an early lead, but it eventually faded. NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Jets-Patriots injuries: Stevan Ridley, Jerod Mayo out for year, per reports; Greg Salas doesn't practice (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger FLORHAM PARK -- Monday was a grim day of injury news for the two AFC East rivals who will play Thursday night in Foxborough, Mass. The Jets lost two starters for the season, cornerback Dee Milliner and left guard Brian Winters, to a torn Achilles tendon and torn anterior cruciate ligament, respectively. Both injuries were sustained in Sunday's loss the Broncos. The Patriots, per reports, also lost two starters for the year: running back Stevan Ridley and middle linebacker Jerod Mayo. Both players sustained knee injuries in Sunday's win over the Bills. Ridley has both a torn ACL and medial collateral ligament, while Mayo has a "bad" lower leg injury, according to ESPN. These are two potentially catastrophic losses for the Patriots, who are 4-2, with two convincing wins following the blowout loss at Kansas City. Ridley leads New England with 94 carries, 340 yards and two touchdowns. His departure will mean more time for Shane Vereen, who has 42 carries for 216 yards and a touchdown. Vereen is a fourth-year pro who had 44 carries in eight games last year. Mayo was drafted 10th overall by New England in He immediately became a starter. Before last season, he had missed just five games combined in his first five seasons, while making two Pro Bowls and once being named a first-team All-Pro, in Last year, Mayo played just six games before going on season-ending injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. Once again, his season is over after six games. 11 P a g e

12 Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he expects "a combination" of players to fill Mayo's duties as the quarterback of New England's defense. "We were lucky to have him," Belichick said. Four starters, for two rival teams, lost for the season in one day. Such is the brutal reality of life in the NFL. Both the Jets and the Patriots conducted walk-through practices Monday. Afterward, the teams released "estimation" injury reports that read as follows: JETS Did not practice: LB Trevor Reilly (knee), WR Greg Salas (wrist/ankle) Limited: TE Jace Amaro (knee), S Josh Bush (quadriceps), *RG Willie Colon (knee), *WR Eric Decker (hamstring), *MLB David Harris (shoulder), *C Nick Mangold (shoulder), *WR David Nelson (ankle), *CB Darrin Walls (knee) PATRIOTS Did not practice: *LG Dan Connolly (concussion), S Nate Ebner (finger), RT Cameron Fleming (finger), *C Bryan Stork (concussion) Limited: *QB Tom Brady (ankle), CB Brandon Browner (ankle), *LB Jamie Collins (thigh), DL Dominique Easley (shoulder/knee), *LB Dont'a Hightower (knee), *DE Chandler Jones (shoulder), *S Devin McCourty (rib), WR Matthew Slater (shoulder) *Starter Geno Smith blames the media in conference call with Patriots reporters (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com atriots_reporters_1.html FLORHAM PARK -- Having a rough season, eh, Geno Smith? Smith, the Jets' quarterback, was asked during a conference call with Patriots reporters Monday how "topsy-turvy" his season seems to appear from afar. The Jets play at the Patriots Thursday night. What say Geno? "For me, it hasn t been," Smith said, according to a transcript of the call. "I think, obviously, with everything that goes on with the media, a lot of things are, I would say, miscommunicated, and then it just gets misprinted and then misunderstood. "I don t have any quarrels with anything. The main thing is that we just have to find a way to get a win. The hardest part about it all is losing. With the effort, the time that we put in, the preparation that we put in throughout the week, coming up with game plans we always have a really good game plan going in and then obviously we haven t executed as well as we d like. Those things are tougher than I guess what can be said and what is portrayed out there in the media." "Miscommunicated," "misprinted," and "misunderstood"? Oh? Look, Smith has dealt with some stupid from the media this season. But every pro athlete works his butt off to prepare for every game he plays, and part of every pro athlete's burden is the reality of being in a 12 P a g e

13 results-oriented business: You either win or you lose. Smith did curse at a fan after he got booed during a home game two weeks ago. He did miss a meeting (albeit accidentally!) on the night before a game the following week. He has turned the ball over in every game this season. And the Jets are 1-5 and have lost five games in a row. Just a hunch, but all of that might explain a lot of what gets "portrayed out there in the media" about Geno Smith. Phillip Adams on doubts about Jets CBs: 'Let them see what they want to perceive. I could care less' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger e_what_they_want_to_perceive_i_could_care_less.html FLORHAM PARK Six weeks into the season, the Jets cornerback lineup looks nothing like they imagined it would, even two months ago. One starter, Dimitri Patterson, was cut after blowing off a preseason game. Another, Dee Milliner, tore his Achilles tendon in Sunday s loss to the Broncos. A top backup, rookie third-round pick Dexter McDougle, sustained a season-ending knee injury Aug. 10. Another projected backup, Darrin Walls, is dealing with a nagging knee injury that could limit his effectiveness as a starter in Thursday night s game at the Patriots. The 1-5 Jets have the option of starting converted safety Antonio Allen at corner, as they did in the first four games, but he has only been playing the position for two months. The Jets other starting corner candidate, Phillip Adams, was signed after final cuts simply to provide depth, following the release of Patterson. But Adams has seen starter-type action the past two weeks, because of the injury to Walls against the Chargers in Week 5. Yes, the Jets signed free agent corner Josh Thomas on Monday, while placing Milliner on season-ending injured reserve. But it is difficult to imagine him being prepared in time for Thursday s game. Rex Ryan almost certainly will have to pick from Walls, Allen and Adams to start at the two cornerback spots against Tom Brady. And Adams does not mind one bit if people regard that as a mismatch. He said he cannot even understand why most observers would feel this way. I can t understand, Adams said. Why would I be able to understand? I couldn t tell you what they perceive. Let them see what they want to perceive. I could care less. I could care less about what they think. People in this locker room, my brothers who I ride for every Sunday, that s all I care about. And I m going to make sure I handle my business for them. They can count us out. By they, Adams obviously meant people who doubt the Jets corners. Adams remains confident in his secondary s potential, even amid widespread uncertainty about it. That s fine, he said. I appreciate that. I use that as my motivation. They can say what they want. But at the end of the day, we re going to handle our business. They can say what they want about who we ve got out there, and about the corners that are out there. But I could really care less, because I know what our capabilities are. 13 P a g e

14 (Milliner) is going to be missed, but collectively, we have to just continue to communicate and study and just continue to work. People are defined by how they react to those adverse situations. We ve had a lot of things go on. But we ain t going to quit. We ain t going to back down no matter what. Two weeks ago at San Diego, Adams made a pretty, leaping interception of Phillip Rivers in the end zone. It is the Jets only pick of the season. Adams played 52 of 74 snaps in that game. Leading into the Denver game, he worked with the starters throughout the week, as Ryan did not plan to start Walls, because he wanted to rest Walls knee. But after Milliner got hurt, Walls had to play. Adams played every snap against the Broncos. Pro Football Focus gave Adams a plus-0.4 overall rating for the Chargers game (plus-0.1 in coverage). For the Broncos game, he got a minus-1.3 overall, and minus-1.6 in coverage. He was targeted 10 times and allowed seven completions for 113 yards and a touchdown, according to PFF. Demaryius Thomas beat him for a 54-yard completion on the game s first play. Adams was a seventh-round draft pick in He played 15 games that year for the 49ers, then seven in 2011 (including six for New England). He played in 31 games from with Oakland. Thursday will mark Adams 60th career NFL game. He has four picks. So he is not totally inexperienced. But he is on his fifth team in five years, including two stints with the Seahawks. Sunday was Adams fifth career start. As he got ready for it, it helped that he was able to work extensively with the starters in practice last week. I ve always prepared as if I m going to go the whole game, he said. It wasn t a huge adjustment to me. It s just (that) when you re playing the whole game, you see a lot more, which continues to give you that confidence. During the week, it helps to see the looks, physically, as opposed to just seeing it on film. That was the biggest thing to me. Adams knows that regardless of what he or anybody else thinks about the Jets cornerbacks, the results will bear themselves out on the field, on Thursday night. That s the beauty of it, he said. Jets place Brian Winters on injured reserve; sign offensive lineman Wesley Johnson (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com e_lineman_wesley_johnson.html FLORHAM PARK -- In another move that was easy to see coming on Monday, the Jets placed left guard Brian Winters on season-ending injured reserve. Winters had injured a knee in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. A team spokesman confirmed the injury was a torn ACL. Head coach Rex Ryan had suggested earlier Monday that Winters would be out for the season. To replace Winters spot on the 53-man roster, the Jets claimed interior offensive lineman Wesley Johnson off waivers from the Steelers. Oday Aboushi, a fifth-round pick last year, is expected to take Winters's place as a starter. He and Winters had split a lot of the reps back in training camp. Right guard Willie Colon, who missed the 2010 season and all but one game in 2011 with the Steelers because of injuries, felt bad for Winters. 14 P a g e

15 "It s tough," Colon said. "It s personally tough for me because me and Brian trained together this summer [in Arizona]. He s like my little brother. Obviously, I ve been through my injury-plagued seasons. So I kind of know where his head is at. Oday is more than ready. He s going to step in and do a great job for us." Winters had been struggling this season. Pro Football Focus ranked him 71st out of 74 guards across the league this season. Now the Jets have to transition in Aboushi and on a short week: They play the Patriots on the road Thursday night. "Luckily, we were able to get some good work in this spring, and we were able to rotate some guys around," center Nick Mangold said. "So we have a base to it. It's going to take a little bit more effort and everything to get on the same page with communication, all the little things. But that's what this week is for. We've got to get that done, and we've got to get that done in a hurry." The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Johnson was picked by the Steelers in the fifth round out of Vanderbilt back in the spring. He was waived Saturday. Johnson has not played an NFL snap. Broncos-Jets studs and duds: Jace Amaro, Jason Babin, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Breno Giacomini (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger FLORHAM PARK The Jets don t have a lot of time to dwell on Sunday s loss to the Broncos, what with Thursday night s game at New England fast approaching. But the fact remains: The Jets did some things well against the Broncos, who are probably the most challenging opponent they will face all season. Unquestionably, the Jets performed better against the Broncos than they did in a 31-0 loss at San Diego a week earlier. With that in mind, here is our weekly look at the Jets studs and duds, this time from the Broncos game: STUDS TE Jace Amaro: The rookie was targeted 12 times and caught 10 passes for 68 yards, including a long of 15. He demonstrated excellent catching ability on his 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter the first touchdown grab of his career. He went up and got it and stayed in the end zone. We mentioned leading into Broncos-Jets that Amaro was showing signs of progress. He made a couple good catches in the Chargers loss that were overshadowed by the fact that the game was such a blowout. Amaro s catches and yards against the Broncos were both new career highs for him. He is demonstrating flashes of potential here, even as the Jets season goes down the drain. Amaro now leads the Jets with 24 catches, four more than Jeremy Kerley. Amaro has been targeted 29 times. He ranks second on the team with 212 receiving yards, behind Eric Decker s 258. OLB Jason Babin: On the other end of the experience spectrum is Babin, a 34-year-old whom the Jets signed on the eve of training camp to provide depth at the rush outside linebacker position, behind Quinton Coples, because Antwan Barnes had not yet recovered from knee surgery. Babin had been mostly used as a situational pass rusher before the Broncos game. But coach Rex Ryan liked what he saw from Babin, and decided to give him more opportunities against Denver. Babin took advantage. He played 36 snaps, compared to 34 for Coples. It was Babin s largest chunk of action to date with the Jets. Babin received a plus-3.9 grade from Pro Football Focus the highest of anybody on the team. He is known as 15 P a g e

16 mostly a pass rusher, and he graded out at plus-2.1 in that area. But he was also plus-1.6 against the run. Babin was credited by PFF with a quarterback hit and a quarterback hurry. PFF credited him with 40 snaps, including 21 as a run defender a sign to Coples that Ryan is willing to keep Babin on the field in more than just likely passing situations. S Dawan Landry: Another veteran who received high marks from PFF, Landry got rave reviews for how he performed against the run, even though the Jets overall were not great against the run. They dared Denver to run the ball, and the Broncos gained 138 yards on 33 carries 4.2 per rush. PFF gave Landry an overall rating of plus-2.4. He also received that same rating for his run defense against the Broncos. In the official stats, Landry made 13 tackles. According to PFF, he made 10. Either way, it was a positive showing for the 31-year-old Landry, whose two-year contract with the Jets expires after this season. DUDS LT D Brickashaw Ferguson: The Jets needed a big showing from their offensive line Sunday. Ryan made the entire starting line game captains, sending the unit out to midfield for the coin flip a sign that he was looking for a strong game out of this group. Ryan did not get his wish. The Jets ran 15 times for 31 yards. Geno Smith was sacked four times, though PFF credited just one of those against the line. Ferguson gave it up. Ferguson also allowed four quarterback hurries and a quarterback hit. Smith was hit three times overall and hurried six times. Ferguson s minus-3.6 grade was the Jets worst on their entire team Sunday. He got a minus-2.0 for pass blocking and minus-1.8 for run blocking. It was his second negative grade of the year from PFF. He received three all of last season. RT Breno Giacomini: He was not much better than Ferguson. Giacomini surrendered a hit and a hurry. He graded minus-3.1 overall, minus-2.0 in pass protection and minus-1.3 in run blocking. Giacomini has two negative grades from PFF so far this season, with both of them coming in the past three games. He has allowed six quarterback hits and eight hurries this season, compared to four hits and 12 hurries for Ferguson, who now gets to play next to a new left guard, Oday Aboushi, the replacement for Brian Winters (knee). How will the presence of another developing player which Winters was impact the line? RB Chris Johnson: This free agent signing is not working out quite as the Jets had hoped. Johnson got just three carries on Sunday and gained 9 yards. So he did not have a ton of opportunities. He dropped one of the two passes thrown his way and has two drops this year. He got a minus-1.8 grade from PFF his fourth negative grade in six games. Johnson simply hasn t gotten going this year, though part of that is because of the line s struggles. Johnson has 51 carries for 200 yards (3.9 per carry), with 35 yards coming on his lone touchdown run. He has 10 catches for 40 yards and a touchdown grab. Last season, Johnson averaged just 3.9 yards per carry his career low. The Jets insisted when they signed him that he still had the burst that made him such a special back earlier in his career. So far, we haven t seen it on a consistent basis. Jets place Dee Milliner on injured reserve; sign cornerback Josh Thomas (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com ck_josh_thomas.html FLORHAM PARK -- In a move that was a matter of time until it became official, the Jets on Monday placed cornerback Dee Milliner on season-ending injured reserve because of a torn Achilles sustained during Sunday's loss to the Broncos. 16 P a g e

17 To replace Milliner on the 53-man roster, the Jets signed cornerback Josh Thomas, who had been cut last week by the Seahawks. Milliner going on IR was expected; head coach Rex Ryan had suggested earlier Monday that Milliner and left guard Brian Winters (knee) would be out for the season. For more on the implications surrounding the Milliner move, read Darryl Slater's story here. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Thomas, 25, was drafted in the fifth round by the Cowboys in 2011, only to get cut that September. The Panthers claimed him that season and kept him until the end of training camp this year. The Seahawks signed him just after Week 1, and he played a total of seven snaps in Weeks 2 and 3 before getting cut. Jets report card: Some good against the Broncos, but still plenty of bad (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com ll_plenty_of_bad.html FLORHAM PARK -- Here's how we graded the Jets' loss on Sunday to the Broncos: Quarterback: Geno Smith was 23-for-43 for 190 yards, and two touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers. But his wideouts give him he was again hesitant to run (two carries, 11 yards), and he still had a rating of 39.6 when he was pressured, per Pro Football Focus. Oh, and it didn't happen till the very end, but he did throw a pick-six the seventh of his career. Grade: C- Running backs: Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory, and Bilal Powell combined for 20 rushing yards on 13 carries, plus just two catches for four yards. Johnson also had a drop. The Jets like to say they're a run-first offense. Now what? Grade: F Wide receivers: Eric Decker has six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown against his former team, but Greg Salas, Jeremy Kerley, and T.J. Graham combined for three catches for 42 yards. And the Jets had no deep threat whatsoever: Smith attempted just two throws of 20 yards or more, and both sailed incomplete. Don't forget to blame this unit for the offense's woes, too. Grade: C Offensive line: Another game, another poor showing by the guys up front. There were few holes for the running backs, and Smith saw pressure on 14 dropbacks despite being blitzed only 16 times, per PFF. The sack left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson gave up was a coverage sack, but still. Grade: D Tight ends: Jace Amaro had a bad drop, but he's coming into his own as a bona fide pass-catching option (10 catches on 12 targets, 68 yards). At the same time, with all of the struggles from the other receivers, how is it that Jeff Cumberland gets targeted just twice? Grade: C+ Defensive line: This continues to be an outstanding group, even as the losses keep mounting. The Jets frequently lined up two D-linemen and dared the Broncos to run the ball, but Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson were able to pressure Peyton Manning at times anyway. That said, Richardson was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty that gave the Broncos a first-and-goal. Grade: B- Linebackers: The Jets relied on coverage instead of a pass rush, and they often only had two or three linebackers on the field to make that happen. But Jason Babin, who played 36 snaps to Quinton Coples's 34, earned a grade of 3.9 from PFF and was particularly good at rushing Manning off the edge. Grade: B Defensive backs: The Jets played a lot of nickel and dime packages to force Manning to throw into tight spaces. It worked about as well as one could have hoped: If anyone had said they could hold the Broncos 17 P a g e