NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 14, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Fireman Ed gone, but he still roots for J-E-T-S (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Willie Colon says Jets closer now than last season (Dennis Waszak)... 3 Jets all wet, accept Pats' Ice Bucket Challenge (Dennis Waszak)... 5 NEWSDAY... 5 Jets' Rex Ryan tweaks Browns' Mike Pettine with ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (Kimberley Martin)... 6 Willie Colon: We're starting to believe in each other (Kimberley Martin)... 7 THE RECORD... 7 Jets have good vibes while helping charity (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 STAR-LEDGER... 8 After Jets' ALS ice bucket challenge, Rex Ryan jokes about punching Mike Pettine in face (Darryl Slater)... 9 Jets' Jeff Cumberland (Achilles) misses practice, Rex Ryan expects him to play vs. Bengals (Darryl Slater)... 9 Once again, Rex Ryan predicts Jets will have top 5 defense (Darryl Slater) Jets want Brian Winters to stop 'going rogue' and 'relying a lot on his stud-hood' (Darryl Slater) NJ.COM Willie Colon: Last year's Jets had some 'division in the locker room' (Dom Cosentino) NEW YORK POST Rex tweaks Mike Pettine as Jets are hosed in Ice Bucket Challenge (Bart Hubbuch) Jets hoping to avoid the divide that last year s squad fell into (Bart Hubbuch) How Eric Decker s research led to marriage with Geno Smith (Brian Costello) Rex Ryan can t help himself: Here s his latest prediction (Bart Hubbuch) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Jets' Damon Harrison known as 'Snacks' has appetite for destruction (Manish Mehta) No secondary, no problem as Rex Ryan breaks out bravado, sees NY Jets defense as top unit (Seth Walder) NY Jets coach Rex Ryan takes double-edged dig at Mike Pettine during ice bucket challenge (Seth Walder) NEW YORK TIMES Pryor, Jets Top Selection, Is Set to Make His Debut (Tom Pedulla) WALL STREET JOURNAL Why Jets Players Are Looking for Love on Tinder (Stu Woo and Anna Russell) ESPN NEW YORK Vick: Rice must back up his words Wildcat for Vick? Think again, Rex (Johnette Howard) P a g e

2 Chris Johnson feeling unpredictable (Rich Cimini) WEDNESDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Fireman Ed gone, but he still roots for J-E-T-S (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) Ed Anzalone never wanted to hang up his helmet. The New York Jets super-fan known as Fireman Ed simply grew tired of the increasing harassment in the stands at MetLife Stadium. Some cursed at him. Others spit on him. Beer was also tossed his way. "It was just guys who decided, 'Hey, we're going to mess with the fireman,'" Anzalone said. The tipping point came on Thanksgiving night in 2012, when the Jets were getting romped by the New England Patriots. Anzalone went to a rest room at halftime and two men confronted him. Sensing a bad situation brewing, Anzalone took off before it escalated. "It was time to go," Anzalone said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I said, 'If it's got to come to that and we're getting to that point, it's over.'" And just like that, Fireman Ed was no more. The familiar face of the fan base, the leader of the J-E-T-S chant, was G-O-N-E. "I've still got plenty of energy and plenty in my tank, but it was for the best," Anzalone said. "We had a nice time, I had a great run and I didn't want to go out in a negative manner. I didn't want to end up on the front page of a newspaper." Anzalone became a fixture at home games, leading the J-E-T-S chant for 27 years from Shea Stadium to Giants Stadium to MetLife. He would climb on the shoulders of his brother Frank, and later his buddy Bruce Gregor, silence the crowd of 80,000 and then rock the stadium with the deafening chant that fans all over the NFL came to recognize. "It was an honor and I was humbled by it," he said. "As much as there were haters, there was nine times more love. It was all because I spelled out four letters. If they had me spelling Buccaneers, I would've been out of business." His absence as Fireman Ed has been felt. Anzalone, who turns 55 next month, was approached by the Jets about returning, but declined. The Jets recently announced that they're holding a contest to find eight chant leaders. Season ticket holders are being asked to submit videos of themselves leading the J-E-T-S cheer, and fans will be able to vote for their favorites on the team's site. In a sense, it's a search for the next Fireman Ed. "I'm happy they're doing something because I want to see it go on," he said. Anzalone and his brother are entering their 40th year as season ticket holders, and they still attend Jets games. They sit in a different part of the stadium, though, and Anzalone is no longer decked out in his familiar Fireman Ed garb his firefighter helmet and, for years, a No. 42 Bruce Harper jersey before switching to Mark Sanchez's No P a g e

3 His absence has angered many fans, who accuse him of quitting on them and the franchise, despite Anzalone writing an open letter published in Metro newspaper in 2012 announcing his reasons for stepping away. "All these years, I never left until there were four zeroes on the clock," he said. "You can't be the leader and leave. You have to stay. So, there was a reason why I left. I didn't quit. That's what bothers me." Anzalone, who once got into it with a Giants fan during the 2010 preseason, thinks the introduction of personal seat licenses or PSLs helped contribute to the negativity. "I feel like the fans felt like they were entitled," he said. "It just changed the whole attitude. It was tough." Anzalone, a retired New York City firefighter, grew up rooting for the NFL teams he saw on TV: mainly the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. He has caught grief for years about the high school yearbook photo in which he is wearing a Dolphins sweatshirt. That all changed in 1975 when his brother bought Jets season tickets and asked him to come along. "I went to Shea and I just fell in love with them," he said, laughing. "And, I've been suffering ever since." The J-E-T-S chant wasn't started by Anzalone. It was fans in opposite end zones who would chant back and forth. In 1986, an excited Anzalone was running up and down the aisles at a game and trying to get fans fired up in the lower tier when he got on one of the railings. "The next thing I know, I almost fell over," he said. "My brother grabbed me, pulled me back up and says to me, 'Get on my shoulders!' Slowly, as the years went on, it started to build." That's how the legend of Fireman Ed was born, and he became part of the in-game experience. He was even included in an exhibit at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in Visits with sick children and die-hard fans became regular occurrences. "I was very lucky," Anzalone said. "It was a wonderful time." While Anzalone will never be Fireman Ed on a regular basis, he is open to the idea of a cameo appearance to lead one more J-E-T-S chant. "If the time is right and the fans wanted it and it worked out, I would do it for old times' sake, of course," he said. "I would never turn my back on the Jets. It was never about not loving the Jets. It was about the good of my name. "I love the Jets. It's just in my blood and always will be." Willie Colon says Jets closer now than last season (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) Willie Colon sees a big difference in the New York Jets from this time last year. There's an unmistakable sense of camaraderie the type three weeks of bonding during training camp can bring. "We got a lot closer this camp," the veteran right guard said. "The knock on us is maybe we haven't been as close in the past as a team." 3 P a g e

4 The Jets wrapped up three weeks of full practices at SUNY Cortland on Wednesday. They've got a walkthrough scheduled for Thursday and a preseason game at Cincinnati on Saturday night before heading home to their facility in Florham Park, New Jersey. "I think this year, guys kind of stepped outside themselves and got to know other guys," Colon said, "and I think that's just the makeup of what Cortland brought." It's not exactly singing "Kumbaya" while sitting around by the campfire, but Colon saw offensive linemen sharing meals with defensive linemen and defensive backs hanging out with running backs. That kind of stuff wasn't necessarily happening last summer, and it trickled down. "It's totally different now," Colon said. "When I first got here, we weren't a close team. I didn't feel like we were a close team, for a lot of different reasons. I think that's totally turned around.... We're starting to believe in each other, and winning does that. The more you win, the closer you get. So, that's important." Rex Ryan agreed with Colon's assessment that the current team is a close bunch, something he also believes is a key piece in developing into a winning team. "By saying 'close,' it's the fact that they can enjoy each other off the field, they can enjoy each other on the field," Ryan said. "They compete against each other hard. There's accountability. There's all that type of stuff that you look for." Colon didn't go into specifics about whether there were certain players who might have poisoned the locker room with negativity and created some division, but this year's group includes several new faces and perhaps, new attitudes. "I think the team just went through a lot," he said. "I think this year, we've put that aside and we understand that every man needs to put their hand in the pile and be for each other. That's what we believe in." Colon spent seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with the Jets as a free agent last offseason. He immediately sensed a different vibe. "In Pittsburgh, we were a very, very, very close team," Colon said. "We prided ourselves in being a family first. I think the element of trying to get that here is on its way. I think it's growing. Rex preaches that every time he gets a chance to talk to us that, we're all we've got. "It's us against the world. It's us against every team that steps into the stadium with us. We have to be as close as possible to get through some of the wars that are ahead of us. If we're not, that adds to the losing edge." Ryan has been a huge proponent of holding training camp far from the team's facility to create a better bonding experience, away from friends, families and other potential distractions. The Jets had trained at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, for decades before moving their headquarters to New Jersey. When Ryan took over as coach in 2009, the team relocated its training camp to Cortland about 3 1/2 hours away from their facility. There's a chance the Jets could move camp next summer elsewhere such as SUNY Farmingdale on Long Island or they can return to central New York. "Like always, it was fantastic," Ryan said. "We enjoy our time here. The people of Cortland treat us fantastic. So, yeah, we got a lot accomplished, I think, in the three weeks we were here." 4 P a g e

5 NOTES: Ryan has big plans for his defense after it finished No. 11 overall last year. "I think we'll get back to where we are accustomed to being," he said. "That's at least in the top five."... Rookie S Calvin Pryor will play with the starters, as well as the backups, at Cincinnati after missing the preseason opener with a concussion.... Ryan thinks TE Jeff Cumberland (Achilles tendon) will be able to play against the Bengals, but wasn't certain. Jets all wet, accept Pats' Ice Bucket Challenge (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) Rex Ryan and the New York Jets got soaked for a good cause. The team accepted the New England Patriots' Ice Bucket Challenge to their AFC East rivals and ended its last public practice at SUNY Cortland on Wednesday by getting doused with help from the Cortlandville Fire Department. "Any time you get issued a challenge by New England, we're going to accept that challenge," Ryan said. The challenge, a social media phenomenon, is part of a program launched by the ALS Association to raise money for fighting ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Participants challenge others on video to do it or donate money to ALS before dumping ice cold water over their heads. A Jets spokesperson said the team would be donating an undisclosed amount to an ALS charity. The Jets, who were also challenged by comedian Jimmy Fallon, dumped a few buckets on the rookies and then Ryan and general manager John Idzik before the Cortlandville Fire Department sprayed the entire team with a crane-mounted fire hose sending the drenched players, including Geno Smith and Michael Vick, scurrying as fans cheered. Ryan nominated his wife, his dogs, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "He's a big dude, but not as big as he used to be" the Jets cheerleaders and the Cleveland Browns. "Let the Browns take a page out our playbook, if you will," a smiling Ryan said. "Play like a Brown, so to speak." Ryan later acknowledged that he was taking a playful dig at Browns coach Mike Pettine, a long-time friend and former assistant who said in a recent interview that the Jets coach used to give out playbooks "like candy" and Patriots coach Bill Belichick might have gotten his hands on one. "I'll get him back any chance I can get," Ryan joked during his news conference after practice. "I haven't had a chance to punch him in the face yet, so that'll be the next time." Idzik nominated the Mets, Yankees and the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. "They have what we want!" he shouted. Jets owner Woody Johnson accepted the challenge with his two sons Tuesday after he received one from Giants owner John Mara. Johnson then nominated Fallon, comedian Adam Sandler and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan. NEWSDAY 5 P a g e

6 Jets' Rex Ryan tweaks Browns' Mike Pettine with ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (Kimberley Martin) Newsday CORTLAND, N.Y. - The Jets raised awareness for a good cause -- and managed to take a subtle jab at Browns coach Mike Pettine in the process. With the help of the Cortlandville Fire Department on Wednesday, Rex Ryan and his players happily accepted the Patriots' "Ice Bucket Challenge," the social media phenomenon that raises awareness and money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis {ALS). After practice, Jets players, coaches and even general manager John Idzik huddled together underneath a crane-mounted fire hose and awaited their freezing cold fate. But before the water rained down, the Jets turned to the camera and issued their own "Ice Bucket Challenge" to the following teams: Idzik called out the Mets, Yankees and his former team, the Seattle Seahawks ("They have what we want," the Jets GM said). Ryan, meanwhile, challenged his wife, his dogs, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie -- and, of course, the Cleveland Browns. "Let them take a play out of our playbook," Ryan said, taking a shot at Pettine, his longtime friend and former coordinator who is in his first year as head coach of the Browns. The "PlaybookGate" drama started in June when Pettine told Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback website that the Patriots bragged about having a copy of the Jets' playbook in Pettine also insinuated that Alabama coach Nick Saban, a good friend of both Ryan's and New England coach Bill Belichick, had handed over the copy. At the time, the allegation angered Ryan and Belichick. But on Wednesday, the Jets coach was in a far more playful mood. Asked if he was intentionally tweaking Pettine on camera, Ryan smiled and said: "I don't think so... Yeah, of course I was tweaking Pettine a little bit! But all in good spirits... Of course, I wanted to tweak him and get him back any chance I get. I haven't had a chance to punch him in the face, so that'll be the next time." But Ryan made it clear that his relationship with Pettine, his former coordinator from , is just fine. "Please. Of course," he said. "Realistically, it's going to take a lot more than something like that to drive a wedge between us. We're lifelong friends and things like that. But I had to fire back a little tweet at him for sure. "I was just waiting my time," the Jets coach said, smiling. Each challenge participant who dumps ice-cold water on his or her head, donates money to ALS research and then nominates three additional people to do the challenge. At first, it was either accept the challenge or donate, but lately, participants have been posting that they would donate in addition to dumping the ice water on their heads. Jets owner Woody Johnson was the first in the organization to accept the challenge, which had been issued by Giants co-owner John Mara. The Patriots then got in on the action, posting a video of their entire team -- as well as Belichick and owner Robert Kraft -- dousing themselves with water. 6 P a g e

7 "We decided we want three other teams. Our good friends in the AFC East: the Bills, the Dolphins and our good friends the New York Jets," Kraft said in a video posted to their official website. And now, it's Pettine's turn. But while he and his players had fun dancing in the rain, so to speak, Ryan stressed the true importance of the "Ice Bucket Challenge" by highlighting the struggles of former NFL players living with ALS. "Any time you get issued a challenge by New England, we're going to accept that challenge," Ryan said. "I think what's kind of lost in this a little bit -- but hopefully it isn't -- is the recognition for ALS. O.J. Brigance, a young man who played with us in Baltimore, obviously [Steve] Gleason and Kevin Turner, there are several people. So hopefully that message is being sent and it's not just people doing the ice bucket, which I think is great, but recognizing ALS as well." Willie Colon: We're starting to believe in each other (Kimberley Martin) Newsday CORTLAND, N.Y. - Family first. To be a strong football team, you've first got to be brothers, Willie Colon said. And it appears the bonds between the Jets players are stronger than ever after three weeks in Central New York. "It's totally different," the veteran guard said Wednesday, after their final training-camp practice at SUNY- Cortland. "When I first got here, we weren't a close team, for a lot of different reasons. I think that's totally turned around... We're starting to believe in each other, and winning does that. The more you win, the closer you get." The 2013 Jets "went through a lot," said Colon, who signed a one-year deal last offseason and then resigned in March. And when the losses kept piling up last year, the "division" in the locker room was more apparent. "I think this year, we've put that aside and we understand that every man needs to put their hand on the pile and be there for each other," said Colon, a former Super Bowl champ with the Steelers. And if anyone knows what it takes to be a tight-knit team, it's him. Colon said the Steelers prided themselves on being a family first and now that same mentality is being fostered in the Jets locker room. "I think Rex preaches that every time he gets a chance to talk. [He says] 'We're all we got. It's us against the world. It's us against every team that steps into the stadium with us,' " Colon said. "We have to be as close as possible to get through some of the wars that's ahead of us." THE RECORD Jets have good vibes while helping charity (J.P. Pelzman) The Record 7 P a g e

8 CORTLAND, N.Y. One day after practicing in a heavy rain, the Jets got drenched again Wednesday. But it was for a good cause. After their last public practice at SUNY Cortland, the Jets participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS, accepting the challenge from the New England Patriots. The Cortlandville Fire Department sprayed the members of the team with a fire hose mounted from a ladder, drawing the water from a small pool filled with ice water. The challenge is part of a program launched by the ALS Foundation to raise money to fight the disease. Coach Rex Ryan, addressing the fans, challenged his wife, his dogs, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the Jets cheerleaders and the Cleveland Browns. General manager John Idzik nominated the Yankees, the Mets and the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, for whom he formerly was a member of the front office. "Let the Browns take a page out of our playbook, if you will," Ryan said, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Cleveland coach Mike Pettine s charge that Ryan gave out his defensive playbooks like "candy." Ryan certainly will need every page of that playbook if he cannot find and keep some healthy cornerbacks. "We got a lot accomplished, I think, in the three weeks we were here" in Cortland, Ryan said. Maybe so, but injuries to corners Dee Milliner, Dexter McDougle and Dimitri Patterson certainly marred the last few days at the Jets summer home. Ryan, ever the mad scientist on defense, has moved safety Antonio Allen to cornerback in an experiment he hopes will fill the void, at least until Milliner returns. It s unclear when he will be back. Of course, all of that didn t stop Ryan on Wednesday from saying the Jets will be at least "top five" in total defense. He has made that boast each of the past two Augusts, and in each season, the Jets fell short. They were eighth in total defense in 2012 and 11th last year. Ryan, as always, believes the experience of bonding away from home for three weeks has brought his players closer together. "They can enjoy each other off the field," he said. "They can enjoy each other on the field." Right guard Willie Colon, who joined the Jets as a free agent before the 2013 season, said there was "division in the locker room" last year, but not now. "When I first got here," he said, "I felt like we weren t a close team. We re a closer team" now. "Our team last year, we were just getting to know each other," Ryan said. "I agree with Willie. I think it s a close team." Whether that camaraderie transfers into wins remains to be seen. BRIEFS: Ryan hinted that Franklin Lakes Matt Simms might not play in Saturday s game at Cincinnati. Simms, who is battling sixth-round pick Tajh Boyd for the No. 3 quarterback position, played the entire second half in the win over Indianapolis in the preseason opener Thursday. Boyd didn t play at all in that game, and Ryan said Wednesday, "Tajh is going to play this game" Saturday. Boyd, who is behind Simms on the depth chart, totaled four interceptions in various drills during Wednesday s practice. TE Jeff Cumberland missed practice after leaving Tuesday s workout early because of tightness in his left Achilles tendon. "I don t anticipate him being out long," said Ryan, who didn t rule out Cumberland playing against the Bengals. STAR-LEDGER 8 P a g e

9 After Jets' ALS ice bucket challenge, Rex Ryan jokes about punching Mike Pettine in face (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger _punching_mike_pettine_in_face.html CORTLAND, N.Y. As you might have heard, the Jets on Wednesday did the ice bucket challenge, to raise awareness for ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig s disease. It was a neat way to end the SUNY Cortland portion of training camp. The Jets technically have a practice scheduled for Thursday, but coach Rex Ryan has traditionally cancelled that practice. Either way, the Jets are heading back to Florham Park on Thursday. Their practice Wednesday was the final one open to the public and reporters and, as we mentioned, probably their final one, period, in Cortland this year. Before the Jets completed the ice bucket challenge by getting doused with water sprayed from a local fire department truck, Ryan nominated others to do the challenges, per tradition. One of Ryan s nominations was the Cleveland Browns, who are coached by Mike Pettine, Ryan s close friend and former defensive coordinator. "Let the Browns take a page out of our playbook, if you will," Ryan said before water rained down on all the Jets. "Play like a Brown, so to speak." It was a joking reference to Pettine saying in June that the Patriots had once acquired a copy of the Jets playbook. Ryan had to answer a bunch of questions about the matter. In classic Ryan fashion, he doubled down on the Pettine wisecrack in his post-practice press conference Wednesday. Yeah, of course I was tweaking Pettine a little bit, Ryan said with a smile. But all in good spirits. And obviously, Mike, we were all together with O.J., and so you know (Pettine) is going to step up big-time (and answer the challenge). So that ll be good. Of course, I wanted to tweak him and get him back any chance I get. I haven t had a chance to punch him in the face yet, so that ll be next. This was clearly vintage Ryan sarcasm, with the punching reference, if you couldn t decipher that. But Ryan was definitely annoyed at having to answer questions about the playbook thing back in June, after Pettine brought it up. That s what Ryan was alluding to, when he talked about getting Pettine back. The O.J. whom Ryan referred to is O.J. Brigance, who has ALS. He played linebacker for the Ravens in 2000, when they won the Super Bowl. Ryan was the defensive line coach on that team. Pettine joined the Ravens as a coaching assistant in Brigance had moved on to the Rams by that point, but he obviously has a strong connection to the Ravens/Ryan coaching trees. In 2007, Brigance was diagnosed with ALS. He is currently the Ravens senior advisor to player development. In all seriousness, Ryan said his friendship with Pettine remains strong, despite the whole playbook thing. Realistically, it s going to take a lot more than something like that to drive a wedge between us, Ryan said. We re life-long friends and things like that. But I get a little tweak (with the Pettine playbook situation), and I had to fire back at him, for sure. Jets' Jeff Cumberland (Achilles) misses practice, Rex Ryan expects him to play vs. Bengals (Darryl Slater) 9 P a g e

10 Star-Ledger xpects_him_to_play_vs_bengals.html CORTLAND, N.Y. The Jets top tight end, Jeff Cumberland, left Tuesday s practice because of tightness in his Achilles tendon. Afterward, coach Rex Ryan downplayed the situation. Ryan continued to do so Wednesday, when Cumberland was completely absent from practice. It s not to the extent where he ruptured an Achilles tendon or things like that, Ryan said. But clearly, we re going to make sure that he s fine before he gets out there. I don t anticipate him being out long. But again, the trainers will tell us. Will Cumberland play in Saturday night s second preseason game, at the Bengals? Right now, I believe so, but I m not 100 percent on that, Ryan said. Wednesday was probably the Jets last practice before the Bengals game. Ryan has traditionally cancelled their final scheduled training camp practice at SUNY Cortland. This year, that final scheduled practice is Thursday, but it probably won t happen. Ryan has emphasized that Cumberland s current Achilles issue does not involve the same Achilles that he had repaired in 2011, his second season in the NFL, when the Achilles tear limited him to three games. Cumberland is entering his fifth season with the Jets, having re-signed in the offseason. He as 29 and 26 catches the past two years and three and four touchdown catches in each of those seasons. Once again, Rex Ryan predicts Jets will have top 5 defense (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger op_5_defense.html CORTLAND, N.Y. The Jets defense has unquestionably been their strength since Rex Ryan, a defensiveminded head coach, took over in But last season was something of a down year for the Jets defense, particularly because their secondary struggled so mightily. The Jets last year finished 11th in the NFL in total defense. In Ryan s first four years, they were first, third, fifth and eighth. In scoring defense under Ryan, the Jets have finished first, sixth, 20th, 20th and 19th. Despite uncertainty in his secondary, Ryan said Wednesday that he believes the Jets will return to the top five in the total defense rankings. I don t think it ll be (down) there this (year, near No. 11), Ryan said. I think we ll get back to where we are accustomed to being. That s at least in the top five. But again, our goal is to be set higher than that. Top five, that s to be expected. That s what I know. This has become a rite of August. Each of the past two years in August, Ryan made the same exact assertion about the Jets finishing in the top five. Each of the past two years, the Jets and Ryan failed to make good on Ryan s promise, by finishing eighth and 11th. 10 P a g e

11 Ryan is currently scrambling to find answers in his secondary. Safety Antonio Allen is going to start at cornerback in Saturday s second preseason game, at the Bengals, since Dee Milliner is out with a sprained ankle. The other starting corner, Dimitri Patterson, has missed five straight days of practice because of various leg ailments. A top backup corner, rookie Dexter McDougle, is out for the year with a knee injury. Oh, and first-round draft pick safety Calvin Pryor has barely practiced in this training camp, because of a concussion, so the Jets are trying to get him caught up now that he is back. Pryor will play with the first-, second- and third-team defenses against the Bengals, Ryan said, because he desperately needs the reps. The Jets defensive front is clearly one of the NFL s best. But even with the potential problems in the secondary, Ryan is confident (go figure!) that his coaching staff can make things work and put together a successful defensive showing in If you just think you re going to have all the pieces for a whole season and all that, that doesn t work, Ryan said. That s not the case in this league. The (coaches) with staying power, guys that have been fairly successful through the league know how to make adjustments and play to the strength of your team. That s certainly what we ll do. Do I fall back on my experiences and all that? I know we ll have a tremendous defense. There s no doubt. That s one thing you can say, throughout the years, I ve been right on that. And I ll be right again on this. Except that he wasn t in either of the past two years, for what it s worth. But anyway, Ryan was asked which ranking has more value scoring defense or total defense. Sometimes, when you look at it, you want to lead the league in scoring defense for sure, he said. You ll probably lead the league in wins that way. Yeah, that would be the No. 1 goal for sure. A lot of things attribute to (scoring defense). You ve got to protect the football (on offense) and things as well. Yeah, absolutely, if you re picking one, I would pick that. I was part of the one that broke the record with the Ravens. But with that being said, the best defense in the history of this game was the 85 Bears. I think (in) the scoring defense, I think they would maybe be in the top 10 or something like that. Most Ryans are up there. I think we ve got five or six of them in that category. It just kind of seems that it works that way. I don t get it. OK, let s parse Ryan s comments here. First of all, scoring defense in football does not separate out things like pick 6s that the offense allows. So there is that. The 2000 Ravens, a team that had Ryan as its defensive line coach, has the all-time record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165). That is true. In terms of points per game allowed since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, those Ravens are seventh (10.3). First are the 1977 Falcons, with 9.2. The 1985 Bears are tied for 18th (12.4). Ryan s father, Buddy, was the defensive coordinator for that team, which dominated on its way to an 18-1 record, counting a Super Bowl blowout victory. In total defense (yards per game allowed), the 85 Bears allowed That does not even rank among the top 25 all-time since Still, that was a great defense. The 25th team in that category, the 1979 Buccaneers, allowed yards per game. Since the merger, the No. 1 defense in yards allowed per game is the 1970 Vikings (200.2). We ll give you full top 10 lists down below. But first, here is one more notable thing Ryan said Wednesday, regarding this Jets defense 11 P a g e

12 We re going to play to the strengths of our players, like we always do, and good things will happen, Ryan said. I know we ll be successful. Ranking-wise or whatever on defense, we want to win period. To do that, we think that our defense should be a top five defense, if you will. But as a team, we want to be a great football team. So whatever that takes, that s what we plan on doing. He was asked if that might involve playing more Cover 2 zone defense, to account for his secondary s deficiencies. Ryan prefers to play mostly man-to-man coverage in the defensive backfield. So is Cover 2 a dirty word in the Ryan defense vocabulary? That s a dirty word, Ryan said with a smile. But it s funny, we ll play Cover 2, depending on our personnel and calls. There are ways of disguising that Cover 2 as well. Anyway, we will see how all these predictions play out, and if Ryan is indeed right. Here now, the top 10 lists since the 1970 merger with the caveat, of course, that the league has changed its rules over the years, especially recently, to favor offenses. We have also denoted the teams on which Rex Ryan, Rob Ryan or Buddy Ryan was a coach, since Rex Ryan brought up that point Wednesday TOTAL DEFENSE Vikings Colts Rams Steelers Eagles Vikings Raiders Cowboys Falcons Dolphins SCORING DEFENSE Falcons Rams Steelers Vikings Colts Vikings Ravens 10.3 (Rex Ryan, defensive line coach) Rams Broncos Dolphins 10.7 Four notes on these lists 12 P a g e

13 1. Buddy Ryan was the Vikings defensive line coach in 1976, when they were 24th all-time in points per game, at least since the merger. 2. In 1986, the year after Buddy Ryan left the Bears to become the Eagles head coach, they had the No. 12 all-time scoring defense. 3. In 1984, with Buddy Ryan as the Bears defensive coordinator, they were 18th in total defense, on the aforementioned list. 4. In 1991, the Eagles had the fifth all-time total defense. Buddy Ryan s final year as their head coach was Jets want Brian Winters to stop 'going rogue' and 'relying a lot on his stud-hood' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger g_a_lot_on_his_stud-hood.html CORTLAND, N.Y. To the untrained eye, playing offensive line in the NFL appears to mainly involve several-second segments of vicious collisions, one after another, for the duration of a game. This is some of it, sure, at least on a basic level. But thriving as a professional offensive lineman involves delicacy, and the ability to grasp that this is, in many ways, a ballet of sorts albeit one involving 300-pound men. Therein lies the next step in the growth of Brian Winters, the Jets left guard. Last season, he sputtered as a rookie after being forced into the starting lineup in Week 5 by Vladimir Ducasse s ineffectiveness. Winters, a third-round draft pick who played tackle at Kent State, performed well in spots. Mostly, he looked like a rookie. He allowed 10 sacks, the most among the league s guards, according to Pro Football Focus. Winters was rated 77th out of 81 guards in the NFL by PFF, including 73rd as a pass blocker and 76th as a run blocker. PFF s grades are not gospel, of course. But it was clear Winters needed to progress. That makes him no different than most rookie offensive linemen. His challenge now: Put Year 1 behind him. In May, he said this season is going to be a whole different story. He doubled down on those comments Wednesday, after the Jets final training camp practice at SUNY Cortland that was open to the public. "Without a doubt, I m 100 percent confident that s how it s going to be," said the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Winters. "I feel a lot more further along than last year." Based on the 26 snaps he played in last Thursday s preseason opener against the Colts, his coaches agree. They see him distancing himself from last year s mistakes. The Jets have given Oday Aboushi snaps with the first team during training camp, but mainly to rest starting right guard Willie Colon s surgically repaired knee. Aboushi, a second-year pro, moved from tackle to guard in the spring. He figures to be a top reserve this season. The Jets appear set with the guard combination of Winters and Colon as the starters. For the coaches to feel better about Winters potential, they must see him continue to focus more on the subtlety of his position, rather than just on those vicious collisions. 13 P a g e

14 "Brian had a tendency to play outside the box," said assistant offensive line coach Ron Heller, a former 12-year NFL tackle. "Against these quality defenders, you ve got to be pretty technically sound, and then oh, by the way be a stud. Well, Brian was relying a lot on his stud-hood, if you will. When he would do things with good technique, he plays well. And then sometimes, he gets out of that. He gets caught in the emotion, and it almost turns into a street fight for him. The defenders take advantage of that." Heller and head offensive line coach Mike Devlin encouraged Winters to settle his nerves and narrow his focus when presented with challenging situations in a game. "When things get tough, instead of going rogue or something, actually concentrate more on your technique," Heller said. To this end, Heller said Winters "did everything right" against the Colts from his footwork to his hand placement. "He played within the scheme real well," Heller said. "That s the one thing that we needed him to do, and he s really been responding well." The curious thing about Winters last season is that he nailed his technique in drills, and at the beginning of games. Then, Heller said, "It always seemed like, at some point in the game, either he had trouble with a guy or something, and he would just go back to his primal instincts." To be fair, Winters was in a tough spot last year, forced into the starting lineup at a completely new position. And the players on either side of him left tackle D Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold have combined to make eight Pro Bowls. Perhaps Winters confidence waned at points, so his technique lagged. "Sometimes it s insecurity," Colon said. "He s stuck in between two Pro Bowlers. That s a lot in itself. I think he has to understand that you re not always going to be the guy to make the play. You ve got to let your mechanics and how you re taught make the play for you. That s all about maturity." The Jets last season tied for the second-highest sack percentage in the NFL, 8.9 the frequency with which their quarterbacks were sacked when attempting to pass. Some of that stemmed from rookie quarterback Geno Smith s inexperience. Some of it also resulted from Winters occasionally forgetting the finer points of his job. "That s a big thing trust your technique," said Jets head coach Rex Ryan. "But what happens sometimes, especially if you struggle or whatever, you go right back to where you were, and it s almost like technique is out the window. So hopefully, he s past that." NJ.COM Willie Colon: Last year's Jets had some 'division in the locker room' (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com ker_room.html CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Last year, Willie Colon was one of the new guys on a Jets team in transition. The offensive guard and Bronx native signed on after having spent seven seasons with the Steelers. And his new digs took some getting used to. 14 P a g e

15 "When I first got here, we weren't a close team I didn't feel like we were a close team," Colon said. "For a lot of different reasons." Back in May, just a few weeks into the Jets' offseason program, Colon was already saying the locker room felt "way different" than it did in On Wednesday, just after the Jets' last public training camp practice at SUNY Cortland included an elaborate ALS ice bucket challenge, Colon revisited that theme. "The knock on us is maybe we haven't been as close in the past as a team," Colon said. "I think this year guys have stepped outside themselves and gotten to know other guys, and I think that's just the make-up of what Cortland brought. "Before, position groups stayed with position groups, the O-line hangs with the O-line, the D-line. But this year, we're all around each other." The Jets this offseason jettisoned veterans like cornerback Antonio Cromartie, receiver Santonio Holmes, and quarterback Mark Sanchez, among others. Colon didn't single anyone out, nor did he even come close to he suggesting that any players who are no longer Jets were necessarily problem children. "I think the team just went through a lot losing, and some of the issues that stemmed from that, caused division in the locker room," Colon said. "This year, we've put that aside." Colon he did say the Steelers, with whom he won a Super Bowl and was part of a team that played in another, were "a very, very, very close team." And he said the Jets were building a similar kind of closeness. Understand: Teams don't win Super Bowls simply by being chummy. But it's not a bad place to start. "It's huge," Colon said. "Chemistry and rapport and all that brings success." In a little more than three weeks, the Jets begin find out how much success that chemistry may bring. NEW YORK POST Rex tweaks Mike Pettine as Jets are hosed in Ice Bucket Challenge (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post CORTLAND The Jets answered dares from Jimmy Fallon and the rival Patriots on Wednesday with teamwide participation in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for ALS research. A collection of Jets rookies lined up at the end of practice to be doused with buckets of ice water as they stood on the stadium track at SUNY Cortland while fans cheered. The Jets then added some spice to their challenge by having a truck from the Cortlandville Fire Department raise a ladder above them and douse a group that included Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik with a hose. They were following in the footsteps of Jets owner Woody Johnson, who had answered the challenge from Fallon and the Patriots on his own Tuesday. Idzik challenged the Yankees, Mets and Super Bowl champion Seahawks his former team to participate in the charity event, while Ryan dared New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the Jets cheerleaders and the Browns. Ryan needled Cleveland coach (and longtime friend) Mike Pettine during his challenge, saying Pettine needed to take a page out of our playbook and participate. 15 P a g e

16 Ryan was referring to Pettine telling MMQB.com in July he was slimming down the Browns playbook because Ryan gives out copies of the Jets playbook like candy. Jets hoping to avoid the divide that last year s squad fell into (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post CORTLAND Willie Colon made it clear Wednesday the true story of the 2013 Jets has yet to be told. Speaking as Gang Green finished their last public practice of training camp at SUNY Cortland, the veteran guard never afraid to speak his mind pointedly described their locker room as fractured and divided on the way to last season s 8-8, non-playoff finish. Colon, who was in his first year with the Jets last season after six years and one Lombardi Trophy with the Steelers, wouldn t name names or give any specifics. But he used the word divided at least twice in a lengthy post-practice media session. The [2013] team just went through a lot of losing, and some of the issues that stemmed from that caused division in the locker room, Colon said. We put that aside this year, and we understand every man needs to put his hand in the column and be for each other. While Colon refused to point any fingers, the only major departures from the Jets in the offseason were wide receiver Santonio Holmes, cornerback Antonio Cromartie, tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., safety Ed Reed and quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has never been thought to be a problem in the locker room (his new teammates with the Eagles rave about him), but Holmes, Cromartie, Winslow and Reed carry the reputation as me-first players. Holmes, Winslow and Reed are out of the league, while Cromartie wasn t brought back by the Jets despite their depth issues at corner and the fact he could have been re-signed for just $3.25 million for one year the deal Cromartie finally scrounged up from the Cardinals. It would be a little surprising if Colon was referring to Holmes, though, because Holmes acrobatic, lastsecond catch in Super Bowl XLIII resulted in Colon getting the only world-championship ring of his career. Colon indicated the division in the Jets locker room last year stemmed mostly from players rarely socializing with teammates at other positions a problem he said Rex Ryan has since corrected. Usually on a team, you see position groups stay with position groups, Colon said. But we re all around each other this year. You see running backs hanging out with defensive backs and defensive linemen, and the quarterbacks are eating with whoever. We re a closer team, Colon continued. We re starting to believe in each other, and winning does that. The more you win, the closer you get. So that s important. When Ryan was told of Colon s comments about last year s divided locker room, the coach seemed to confirm there were issues by attributing them to a retooled roster with plenty of new faces. [Chemistry] is really important for any team, but for our team last year, they were just getting to know each other, Ryan said. 16 P a g e

17 Colon s claim wasn t met with universal approval, however. Offensive tackle D Brickashaw Ferguson reacted testily when asked by The Post if the locker room was fractured. I m not aware of anything like that at all, said Ferguson, who is one of the Jets elder statesmen in his ninth season with the team. I do know that we re practicing hard now and doing everything we can to get better. Colon said he hopes the Jets can be as tight-knit as the teams in Pittsburgh he played with were, a cohesiveness that helped lead to regular playoff appearances and that 2009 Super Bowl win. We were a very, very close team in Pittsburgh, Colon said. We prided ourselves on being a family first. The element of trying to get that here is on its way. I think it s growing. Rex preaches that every time he gets a chance to talk to us, that we re all we ve got, Colon added. It s us against the world and us against every team that steps into the stadium with us. We have to be as close as possible to get through some of the wars that are ahead of us. If not, that adds to the losing edge. How Eric Decker s research led to marriage with Geno Smith (Brian Costello) New York Post August 14, CORTLAND Sitting in front of his computer in March, Eric Decker opened up Google and searched Geno Smith interviews. Then he went to YouTube and did the same search. The wide receiver was days away from becoming a free agent and he was considering signing with the Jets. But first, he wanted to learn about the team s quarterback who finished his rookie season in 2013 as the lowest-rated passer in the NFL. Decker had already watched some game film of Smith. Now, he wanted to learn more. I was impressed by the games I watched of Geno, and then I Googled and YouTubed interviews to get a feel of who he was as a person more than just the physical skill on the field, Decker said. That s a big thing. As a young guy, everyone goes through bumps. For me, it was how mentally strong he was and his potential I saw. It s enormous as a veteran receiver. I want to be a part of this kid s growth because I really see something that stands out. The Jets signed Decker to a five-year, $36.25 million contract in March, hoping he can be the answer at a position that has been a problem for years. His other task is to help Smith s development in his second year, a task he has embraced in training camp. Michael Vick has been brought in to push Smith, but Decker is the one who will be pulling him along. Decker said after his research he felt like he had a good feel for Smith. It s the power of technology, Decker said. I feel like I have good intuition and good instincts. I just felt something that he was going to be good. Fellow receiver David Nelson said Decker s approach is to treat every practice like a game situation and it is rubbing off on his teammates. Decker is known for his precise route running, and his teammates say he is a reliable professional. 17 P a g e

18 That s what he brings to Geno that consistent piece that we didn t have last year, Nelson said. We weren t able to get that accomplished last year because of injuries and whatever. He s going to bring that key component to our offense and take us to the next level. Decker spent the first four seasons of his career with the Broncos and thought he would spend his entire career there. But when his agent spoke with the Broncos after the season, it was clear they were going to let him walk away. It s tough because I gave everything to the city and the organization, Decker said. There s no disrespect or animosity between us. That was the business decision that was best for them. It was a decision that was best for me. When free agency began, Decker s first visit was to the Jets. He loved what he heard from coach Rex Ryan and liked Marty Mornhinweg s system. He canceled a visit with the Jaguars and signed the contract. I did my research, Decker said. I did my homework on the potential teams and what they did in 2013 and watched some film. I watched a couple of games from the beginning and the end of the season. I felt like I knew a little bit going into it. I didn t know every detail, but I knew the mystique of the defense and I knew the offense didn t have the best year. The Jets had done their homework on Decker. The visit with him confirmed that they wanted to bring him aboard. It pretty much backed up everything we thought about Eric, general manager John Idzik said. Just a real pro. Besides the football, the city of New York also appealed to Decker, who has a reality show on E! along with his wife, Jessie James, a country singer. I wish I could play football forever, but I need to understand what I want to do afterward, Decker said. This is a place you get to meet people that understand the business side of different things. Decker acknowledges being in New York will help his wife s career, too. It gives her chances to reach out and pursue her dreams as well, he said. It was a lot of things that added up. Football is No. 1, but everything on top of that, you compare a New York to a Cleveland, the opportunities are so much greater or even to Denver, the opportunities are so much greater. At the moment, Decker is focused on his other opportunity the one with the Jets. Decker is done watching YouTube videos of Smith and the Jets offense. Now he hopes to create some highlights with them that can be posted to YouTube. Rex Ryan can t help himself: Here s his latest prediction (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post August 14, CORTLAND So much for Rex Ryan getting out of the prediction business. The Jets famously confident coach was at it again Wednesday, all but guaranteeing his defense would finish in the top five of the NFL s statistical rankings this season. Gang Green slipped to 11th in the league in total defense last season after finishing in the top eight in each of Ryan s first four seasons as coach including a No. 1 overall ranking in P a g e