NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

Transcription

1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS September 8, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Defense, Ivory run lead Jets past Raiders (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Jets push around Raiders in victory (Dennis Waszak)... 4 NEWSDAY... 6 Jets aren't pushed around, win season opener against Oakland Raiders (Kimberley Martin)... 6 Rex Ryan focuses on mistakes after win (Bob Glauber)... 7 Calvin Pryor, Antonio Allen, Darrin Walls aren't weak links at all (Greg Logan)... 8 Jets grades: Defense gets highest mark in all-around solid win (Kimberley Martin)... 9 Jets Q & A: What did Chris Ivory have to say about his early celebration on the touchdown run? (Kimberley Martin) THE RECORD Geno Smith does just enough as Jets win opener, (J.P. Pelzman) Rowe: Take good with bad, but it s way too early to judge Jets (John Rowe) STAR-LEDGER Calvin Pryor bemoans dropped interception that would've been 'a clear pick six,' he says (Darryl Slater) Jets show too many flaws in win over Raiders that 'should've been a rat kill,' says Rex Ryan (Darryl Slater) Calvin Pace on Austin Howard saying Raiders could push Jets around: 'Maybe next week for them' (Darryl Slater) Geno Smith knows his first-game performance is not good enough (Steve Politi) Jets need to cut out the gimmicks and nonsense on offense (Steve Politi) NEW YORK POST Jets defense dominates in season-opening win over Raiders (Brian Costello) Jets report card: The weakest link was Rex (Brian Costello) Despite solid play, Rex wants more out of the Jets, defense (George Lewis) Smith s three gaffes taint an otherwise solid start to Year 2 (Mark Cannizzaro) Rex Ryan takes out the trash talk (Brian Costello) Jets cornerbacks get it done for one game at least (Mark Cannizzaro) Ivory shows he can be the Beast of the East (Steve Serby) Jets have no luck with Vick tricks (Brian Lewis) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Jets survive mistakes, ground and pound Raiders behind Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson in Gang Green's win (Seth Walder) P a g e

2 NY Jets running back Chris Ivory coasts into end zone, irks announcer Phil Simms (Bob Raissman) Jets cruise past Raiders, but road ahead gets tougher for Rex Ryan, Geno Smith and company (Gary Myers) Rex Ryan's NY Jets defense dominates Oakland Raiders in Week 1 (Manish Mehta) NY Jets newest WR Eric Decker catches on debut (Mitch Abramson) NY Jets' Chris Ivory showboats too early, says 'I messed up' (Stephen Lorenzo) NEW YORK TIMES Yard Run Helps Jets Overcome Mistakes (Ben Shpigel) WALL STREET JOURNAL The Jets Are 1-0, but That Hardly Means They're Perfect (Alex Raskin) Swaggering Jets Open Season Making a Point (Stu Woo) ESPN NEW YORK Jets show some promise, no polish (Johnette Howard) Hakim and Coples, two unlikely DBs (Rich Cimini) Fueled by insult, Jets stall Carr & Co. (Rich Cimini) Chris Ivory blazes to 71-yard run (Jane McManus) METRO NEW YORK Jets hold on to beat Raiders in season opener (Kristian Dyer) Eric Decker looks like No. 1 wide receiver in debut with Jets (Kristian Dyer) Antonio Allen looks good in debut as cornerback for Jets (Kristian Dyer) NJ.COM Michael Vick gets three gimmick plays in Jets' win over Raiders (Dom Cosentino) Jets cornerbacks pass first test against Raiders (Dom Cosentino) Chris Ivory on his early touchdown celebration: 'As soon as I did it, I knew I messed up' (Dom Cosentino) Instant analysis from Jets' win against Raiders, when defense dominated (Dom Cosentino) USA TODAY Jets get win but fail to hit afterburners vs. Raiders (Lorenzo Reyes) Jets just good enough to beat Derek Carr, young Raiders (Lorenzo Reyes) YAHOO! SPORTS Oakland Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr suffers tough debut (Kristian Dyer) SUNDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Defense, Ivory run lead Jets past Raiders (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press 2 P a g e

3 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Rex Ryan wanted more from his New York Jets. More points. More discipline. More execution. That's why the coach was far from thrilled after a season-opening victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. ''This game should've been a rat kill,'' Ryan said. ''It wasn't.'' Chris Ivory had a 71-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, and the Jets' swarming defense mostly clamped down on Oakland rookie quarterback Derek Carr as New York held the Raiders to 158 total yards and overcame a sloppy, penalty-filled performance to win. ''Our fans were better than our team today,'' Ryan said, bemoaning the Jets' 11 penalties for 105 yards. ''We never had any takeaways and had two turnovers, so that's obviously a work in progress. It has to get better for us to do what we want to do.'' With the game still in the balance, Ivory rushed up the middle and appeared stopped. He slipped a few would-be tacklers and took off into the end zone. A pass on a 2-point conversion failed. Carr, the Raiders' second-round draft pick, made it close with a 30-yard touchdown toss to James Jones, who made a leaping grab over Darrin Walls with 1:21 left. The Raiders tried an onside kick, but Greg Salas recovered to seal it for the Jets. ''We'll take it,'' Ryan said. ''I'm not very happy with it, but it's a victory.'' Geno Smith was shaky early with an interception and lost fumble. But he threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson as the Jets sent the Raiders to their 14th straight loss in the Eastern time zone. Smith finished 23 of 28 for 221 yards. ''We've got high expectations,'' Smith said. ''We can't shoot ourselves in the foot and we can't make excuses for it.'' Ivory finished with 102 yards on 10 carries, while Johnson had 68 yards rushing in his Jets debut and caught five passes for 23 yards. The Jets were fired up by comments made by former right tackle Austin Howard, saying the Raiders would push around his ex-teammates. ''They certainly did that, to the tune of 25 yards rushing,'' Ryan said sarcastically. ''And they gave up (212) rushing.'' Carr, who got the nod over Matt Schaub, held his own in the first half, but the Jets pressured him throughout the final two quarters. He finished 20 of 32 for 151 yards, with touchdowns to Jones and Rod Streater. ''I don't think the game was too big for him,'' Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. ''Overall, I saw some positive signs, some things that he did well. Obviously, I saw some mistakes.'' With the Jets leading 10-7, the defense came out roaring to start the second half, holding the Raiders to minus-3 yards in the third quarter. ''I need to do a better job of putting us in better situations,'' Carr said. ''Now I have to do a better job of making the correct calls. You can put it all on me.'' Carr had a short field to work with after Charles Woodson intercepted Smith. He got his first NFL touchdown on a screen to Streater, who scored from 12 yards to give the Raiders a 7-3 lead. 3 P a g e

4 Smith turned it over again on the next possession, killing a long drive, when he fumbled - with Michael Vick lined up at wide receiver - while trying to get into the end zone. Sio Moore plowed into Smith, knocking the ball loose, and TJ Carrie recovered. Johnson, signed by the Jets as a free agent in April, took a shovel pass and stretched into the end zone for a 5-yard score that put New York up 10-7 just 30 seconds before halftime. The Jets nearly got a touchdown on some trickery on the previous play when Vick lined up as a wide receiver, sprinted into the backfield and took a flip from Smith. Vick zipped a pass just wide of an open Eric Decker as the ball went off his fingertips in the end zone. It ended a sloppy first half for the Jets, who were called for eight penalties, including one that was declined. The Raiders had no first-half penalties, and finished with four. NOTES: Ryan improved to 8-1 against rookie quarterbacks making their first appearance against his Jets defense.... The Raiders fell to 0-3 in season openers under Allen, while Ryan is 5-1 with the Jets.... Woodson joined Darrell Green (19) as the only players with an INT in at least 17 consecutive seasons.... The Raiders' 158 yards were their fewest since getting 124 against the Giants in Jets push around Raiders in victory (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press September 8, EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- A little extra motivation for the New York Jets came from one of their former teammates. They heard all about how Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Austin Howard suggested that his new team could push around the Jets' big, bad defensive line. Well, not quite. The Jets held rookie quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders to 158 yards of total offense, including just 25 yards rushing in a season-opening victory Sunday. ''He's supposed to be confident,'' Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said. ''It just didn't happen that way. Maybe next week for them.'' While it was mild by trash-talking standards, it fired the Jets up a bit. ''We knew the Raiders were going to come in here and push us around,'' coach Rex Ryan said sarcastically, ''and they certainly did that to the tune of 25 yards rushing.'' Ryan said he didn't mention the quote to his team, but a few players said it was a topic of discussion. Either way, the Jets improved to 5-1 in season openers under Ryan, and they sent the Raiders to their 14th straight loss in games played in the Eastern time zone. Chris Ivory had a career-best 71-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, and Geno Smith finished 23 of 28 for 221 yards, including a 5-yard scoring pass to Chris Johnson. His 82.1 completion percentage was the third-highest in Jets history. But Ryan was far from thrilled even in victory. He wanted more points, execution and discipline. ''This game should've been a rat kill,'' the coach said. ''It wasn't.'' 4 P a g e

5 He wasn't happy with the 11 penalties - not including two others that were declined - his team was called for. Ryan also wasn't pleased by winning by just five points. ''Our fans were better than our team today,'' Ryan said. Meanwhile, Carr made it close with a 30-yard touchdown pass to James Jones, who made a leaping grab over Darrin Walls with 1:21 left - giving Oakland one last chance. But Greg Salas recovered the Raiders' onside kick try, sealing it for the Jets. ''Tough loss on the road,'' Raiders coach Dennis Allen said. ''Not the way we wanted to start our season.'' NEW CARR: After getting the starting nod over Matt Schaub, Carr held his own in the first half and completed his first seven passes. But the Jets pressured the second-round pick throughout the final two quarters. He finished 20 of 32 for 151 yards, with touchdowns to Jones and Rod Streater. ''I don't think the game was too big for him,'' Allen said. ''Overall, I saw some positive signs, some things that he did well. Obviously, I saw some mistakes.'' Ryan improved to 8-1 against rookie quarterbacks making their first appearance against his Jets defense. ON THE RUN: The Jets hit the ground running, rushing for 212 yards against the Raiders. A big chunk of that came on Ivory's long run, but New York was able to run at will. Ivory finished with 102 yards on 10 carries, while Chris Johnson had 68 yards rushing in his Jets debut and caught five passes for 23 yards. Smith also ran 10 times for 38 yards. ''I thought they won the line of scrimmage battle,'' Allen said. ''And, really, without watching the tape, I think they were able to win the line of scrimmage battle on both sides of the football.'' Darren McFadden had just 15 yards on four carries for the Raiders, while Maurice Jones-Drew had 11 on nine rushes. COMPETENT CORNERS: The focus on the Jets' defense all preseason was its cornerbacks because of the absence of the injured Dee Milliner and the released Dimitri Patterson. But converted safety Antonio Allen, in his first NFL start at cornerback, and Walls were solid. Even though Walls gave up the late touchdown, Jones had to make an extremely athletic play. Both made some nice open-field tackles, too. LIKE MIKE: Michael Vick's debut with the Jets consisted of just three plays - all near the end zone. He handed off to Johnson in the first quarter. The backup quarterback lined up at wide receiver on a play during which Smith lost a fumble. Then, just before halftime, he took a flip from Smith and tossed a pass that was just a bit wide of Eric Decker in the end zone. ''I thought the packages were pretty cool,'' Vick said. ''Obviously, I wish that I could have had an impact on the game. Hopefully I did. I've got to keep working.'' GREEN SLIDE: Smith took a few hard hits from the Raiders, something Ryan doesn't want to see become a regular occurrence. He went headfirst on a couple of runs, and got sandwiched by two defenders when he fumbled near the goal line. Ryan suggested a visit from a member of his favorite baseball team. ''Maybe we can get (Derek) Jeter to come after he retires,'' Ryan said. ''Hopefully, that's in late-october. Maybe he can teach him how to slide.'' 5 P a g e

6 NEWSDAY Jets aren't pushed around, win season opener against Oakland Raiders (Kimberley Martin) Newsday Daily Clips Cont. Sheldon Richardson saw the words flash across the screen and just laughed. His former teammate, Raiders guard Austin Howard, had said his new team -- which hadn't won in the Eastern Time Zone since could "push'' the Jets "around a little bit'' at MetLife Stadium. Richardson found the comment even more comical Sunday afternoon as he sat at his locker after the Jets' win in their season opener. The stat sheet told the real story, one of domination by Rex Ryan's team: 402 total yards to 158 and 212 rushing yards to just 25. "It wasn't possible,'' Richardson said of the Jets being bullied in their backyard. "Why would it be? Do you see how we play defense?'' Howard's words, however, struck a chord with his former coach, who without being provoked referenced the remarks in his opening statement. "We knew the Raiders were going to come in here and push us around,'' Ryan said. "And they certainly did that to the tune of 25 yards rushing.'' The Jets' new-look offense showed off a little bit of everything: some three-back sets, lots of read-option plays and even Geno Smith and Michael Vick on the field at the same time. But a good old-fashioned running game made the difference. Chris Ivory's 71-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career, sealed the win, and Ryan's suffocating defense got the best of rookie quarterback Derek Carr. Even though the Jets won, penalties and poor decision-making by Smith remain major issues. The Jets were flagged for 11 penalties, three committed by guard Willie Colon, for 105 yards. And Smith began his second season just as he did last year: with an interception and a fumble. "I am still growing, I'm still learning, I'm still gaining experience,'' said Smith, who was picked off by Charles Woodson in the first quarter. That one led to a Raiders' touchdown. His next turnover, a fumble at the Oakland 4-yard line, ruined a drive in the second quarter. "You need to move forward,'' Smith said. "I'll know I need to get the ball out sooner to not give that guy the opportunity, or just not throw it in the first place.'' Smith (23-for-28, 221 yards) broke off several nice runs of his own, gaining 38 yards on 10 carries, with a long gain of 17. He connected with Chris Johnson (13 rushes, 68 yards; five catches, 23 yards) on a 5-yard shovel pass to make it 10-7 Jets in the second. Seven Jets caught passes, including Eric Decker (five for 74 yards). But for all the training camp talk about Smith's confidence in the huddle, he showed he still needs to work on making decisions. Leading 13-7 with under 10 minutes left, Smith held the ball too long on third-and-3. Safety Tyvon Branch sacked him for a 19-yard loss, taking the Jets out of field-goal range. Antonio Allen, a safety who made his first NFL start at cornerback, told Newsday prior to the game that the Jets could "rattle'' Carr. He was right. After completing his first seven passes, Carr fell victim to the defensive genius of Ryan, who is 8-3 against rookie quarterbacks. But afterward, Ryan stressed the missed opportunities on offense and defense. 6 P a g e

7 "This should have been a rat kill and it wasn't,'' he said, visibly frustrated. Ryan also harped on not getting any takeaways. "I don't even want to [talk about it],'' rookie safety Calvin Pryor said of the would-be pick- 6 he dropped at midfield. "It was crazy. As soon as I was about to catch the ball, I saw the end zone, I saw white jerseys and I was trying to run before I got the ball. I got to make that play next time.'' While Ryan seemed miffed at Howard's comments, Howard told ESPN.com his quote was taken out of context. His former teammates, however, weren't at all upset. "He played for us, so no, it wasn't a surprise,'' Richardson said, adding that Howard is known for talking trash. "It was just a joke. We laughed it off. We were teasing him in the game 'cause they only rushed for 25 yards. "Point proven.'' Rex Ryan focuses on mistakes after win (Bob Glauber) Newsday In his five-plus seasons as the Jets' coach, I can't remember Rex Ryan acting the way he did after yesterday's win over the Raiders. Oh, he was quick with the one-liners, as always. Like the shot he took at former Jets tackle Austin Howard, who suggested in a radio interview in Oakland on Thursday that he thought the Raiders might be able to "push the Jets around." After his defense throttled Oakland's running game and his rushing attack sliced apart the Raiders' defense, Ryan quipped: "The Raiders were gonna come in here and push us around, that's what was told. They certainly did that... to the tune of 25 yards rushing. And they gave up [212] rushing." But Ryan's overall tone was strikingly different this time. Never before had the man complained so long and so pointedly about his team's play after a win. Not that he was wrong, mind you. There was plenty to complain about in a mistake-filled victory that included two turnovers, no takeaways, an eye-popping 11 penalties and about as many other lost opportunities to bury the Raiders. Coaches like to say you never apologize for winning, but Ryan came awfully close. As far as he was concerned, about the only performance worth praising was that of the fans, most of whom did as he asked by wearing white and providing a steady stream of boisterous support. "On a positive note, our fans were awesome," Ryan said. "We had a lot of white jerseys out there and towels. That's what it's supposed to be about. I'm counting on our fans." And then this: "Our fans were better than our team was today." Seriously, when can you remember Ryan ever taking a shot at his own team like that after a win? Try never. "We'll take it, but I'm not very happy with it," he said. "It's a victory, but I know we have to get better." 7 P a g e

8 No argument there. The Jets were lucky to win at home against a Raiders team that had lost its last 13 East Coast games and was starting rookie quarterback Derek Carr. And with that schedule the Jets face in the next two months, when they will play five 2013 playoff teams, there's no way they'll get away with this kind of stuff on a regular basis. Rex knows it. His players know it. And that's why no one had a problem with saying as much after they got away with one against a bad Raiders team. The list of transgressions was long: Geno Smith had an interception in the first quarter that led to an Oakland touchdown. He fumbled near the Raiders' goal line in the second quarter and took a 19-yard sack in the fourth quarter to move the Jets out of field-goal range when they were clinging to a 13-7 lead. Rookie safety Calvin Pryor, who otherwise had an excellent game, and Kyle Wilson dropped what should have been easy interceptions. And the penalties. Oh, the penalties. Ryan has the entire organization do 10 push-ups each time there's a penalty in practice, but those constant reminders did nothing Sunday. Eleven penalties for 105 yards? Please. Had the Jets' defense not been mostly terrific in holding the Raiders to 158 net yards, and had Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson not shredded the Raiders for a combined 170 rushing yards, this would have ended badly. "It was close because of the penalties," Ryan said. "It's something we have to focus on. We talk about it, but it has to get done. We've just got to keep working. Obviously, we're not there.'' He added, "If we eliminate those penalties, take care of the football, it would have been over. It could have been a beat-down. It should have been a rat kill." Smith knows it has to get better. "We've got high expectations and we believe we have a really good team, but we can't shoot ourselves in the foot and we can't make excuses for it," he said. "We have to get better at the little things, the small details. It takes extra concentration. We have to concentrate a little bit harder, and it starts with me." The Jets got away with one and Rex knows it. But unlike previous games in which his team might not have played particularly well and won anyway, Ryan wasn't willing to absolve his players. Not this time. Not with this team -- a team he thinks can play into January. And maybe the first week in February. Calvin Pryor, Antonio Allen, Darrin Walls aren't weak links at all (Greg Logan) Newsday The football was hanging right in front of his wide rookie eyes, and new Jets safety Calvin Pryor knew it had "pick-6" written all over it. "As soon as I saw I was about to catch the ball, I saw the end zone, and I was trying to run before I got the ball," Pryor said. "That's one play I left out there. It won't happen again. I'll get the next one." 8 P a g e

9 That second-quarter play was one of many third-down stops by a defense that shut down the Raiders' running game and gave rookie quarterback Derek Carr a confusing NFL baptism in the Jets' victory Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Whatever concerns the Jets had about their patchwork secondary were allayed for one week. After the Jets allowed Antonio Cromartie to leave in free agency, released Dimitri Patterson after his AWOL episode and lost No. 1 cornerback Dee Milliner for the opener because of a high ankle sprain, cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Antonio Allen and rookie safety Pryor were pegged as the weak links in Rex Ryan's defense. Walls was beaten for a 30-yard touchdown on a circus catch by James Jones near the end, but the Raiders were held to 133 net yards passing and a mere 25 rushing. "There have been a lot of changes in the secondary, but we stuck together," Pryor said. "Before the game, our front seven said, 'Stay back. We'll handle the run.' [The Raiders] had 25 rushing yards, so my hat goes off to those guys up front." Allen, who moved from safety to cornerback, and Walls are veterans who knew what to expect. But Pryor, the Jets' first-round draft pick, essentially stepped into the "defensive quarterback" role Ed Reed once played in the great Baltimore defenses Ryan helped coach. "I think he did a great job," Walls said of Pryor. "It was loud out there, so we had to communicate even more. He did a good job of directing the defense and putting us in positions we needed to be in. With motions and shifts, the safeties have to control it back there. He does a great job doing that. He doesn't get confused on most things I think a rookie safety would get confused on." Allen echoed those sentiments, but he wouldn't let the rook off the hook for dropping a potential pick-6. "I think he still owes me 10 push-ups," he said. The secondary's job was made easier by a front seven that not only cleaned up the run but pressured and confused Carr, who still completed 20 of 32 passes for 151 yards and two TDs. "They gave [the Raiders] different looks," said Allen, whose open-field tackling ability was a key in several third-down stops. "Carr guessed a couple times out there. He thought he was going to get some pressure, and he let the ball go out pretty quick. Sometimes we were just messing with him." Things figure to get tougher when the Jets visit Green Bay and quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday. The lineup after Rodgers includes Chicago's Jay Cutler, Detroit's Matthew Stafford, San Diego's Philip Rivers, Denver's Peyton Manning and New England's Tom Brady. "You can say we shut the critics up, but we've got to do that every week," Walls said. "This is just one game. We have to perform every week and show we're not the worst group in the world, as they make us out to be." Jets grades: Defense gets highest mark in all-around solid win (Kimberley Martin) Newsday OFFENSE B 9 P a g e

10 Geno Smith made some big plays with his feet and his arm, connecting with Chris Johnson on the 5-yard shovel-pass touchdown and rushing for 38 yards on 10 carries. The second-year quarterback was 23-for- 28 for 221 yards but committed two turnovers -- a Charles Woodson interception that the Raiders converted into a TD and a fumble at the Raiders' 4-yard line. Chris Ivory rushed for 102 yards, including a 71-yard TD run. New Jets Johnson (13 rushes for 68 yards) and Eric Decker (five catches for 74 yards) also had good showings. The unit finished with 402 total yards, including 212 rushing. But there were several missed opportunities -- Greg Salas' drop in the end zone and Michael Vick's incompletion to a wide-open Decker in the end zone. DEFENSE A- The Jets dominated the Raiders and rookie quarterback Derek Carr. Aside from James Jones' late acrobatic TD catch, Rex Ryan's unit left Carr dazed and confused in the second half. Jason Babin and Dawan Landry each had a sack, David Harris led the group with eight tackles and Quinton Coples delivered a highlightreel clothesline tackle on Maurice Jones-Drew. The win was a big confidence boost for starting CBs Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls, but the secondary also dropped some easy INTs. SPECIAL TEAMS B+ Return man Saalim Hakim kicked off the game with a 44-yard return that gave the Jets excellent field position on their first drive. Ryan Quigley had a 56-yard punt and Nick Folk was steady on FGs from 45 and 42 yards. COACHING B- At times, Marty Mornhinweg got a little too cute with the play-calling for his own good. But overall, the 'O' coordinator mixed up some brilliant plays and got several players involved. Penalties demonstrate a lack of discipline, however, and the Jets have struggled with infractions since the preseason. Clearly, the penalty push-ups in practice aren't working. Jets Q & A: What did Chris Ivory have to say about his early celebration on the touchdown run? (Kimberley Martin) Newsday Did Chris Ivory celebrate his touchdown run too soon? The Jets running back was able to smile about it in the locker room. But Ivory knew he had messed up. In the blink of an eye, he had slid through an opening and taken off, hustling his way downfield. His 71- yard touchdown, which ultimately sealed the Jets' win over the Raiders Sunday at MetLife Stadium, was the longest run of his career. But the play almost ended short of the goal line when Ivory raised his hand skyward in celebration just as cornerback T.J. Carrie was closing in for the tackle. 10 P a g e

11 "After you put your hand up, you better get in there," said Ivory, who crossed the goal line before he was taken down. "So that's what I was thinking. As soon as I did it, I knew I messed up, but I was able to get in the end zone." Ivory is known for his punishing running style, but he also flashed his speed in the open field. It was the Jets' longest rushing TD since Oct. 19, 2009, when Thomas Jones ran for a 71-yard score. "It was just a great run," said Ivory, who finished with 102 yards on 10 carries. "I was able to break one or two tackles. I saw a cutback lane and I took it. And after that, I just tried to see who was fastest to the end zone. I got caught. But hey, a touchdown is a touchdown." Speaking of running backs named Chris... how did Johnson do in his debut? Ivory may have broken the game open with his score, but Chris Johnson scored the first Jets touchdown of the afternoon. Johnson caught a 5-yard shovel pass from Geno Smith and lunged into the end zone to put the Jets up 10-7 with 30 seconds to go until halftime. He finished with 13 carries for 68 yards and had five catches for 23 yards and a touchdown. And in the process, Johnson eclipsed 10,000 yards from scrimmage (10,059) and 8,000 yards rushing (8,033) for his career. Rex Ryan said Ivory is "the man. So is Chris Johnson... These two guys are good. [General manager] John [Idzik] and I need to find some more Chrises." Speaking of Johnson's touchdown on a shovel pass, Smith said, "Chris came off the field saying, 'Man, that window was tight' and he was right." Geno Smith took a lot of unnecessary hits, no? Ryan was complimentary of Smith's play, but noted his quarterback has to be more careful when running with the football. "We have to protect ourselves a little bit," Ryan said. "That scares me a little bit. He needs to protect himself a little better. He needs to slide. Go down and slide a little bit. "Maybe we can get [Derek] Jeter to come after he retires. Hopefully, that is in late October. Maybe he can teach him how to slide." What were Calvin Pace's thoughts on his roughing-the-passer penalty? Ryan wasn't at all pleased with the Jets' 11 penalties for 105 yards. And one of those infractions was Pace's helmet hit on rookie QB Derek Carr. "Hopefully, Mr. Roger Goodell doesn't tax me," Pace said. "I should have got off him." Was Saalim Hakim on defense? It's true: The return man/wide receiver was in on a few defensive plays. Ryan had Hakim drop into coverage on third down and even had the speedster blitzing. With Leon McFadden inactive, the Jets dressed only four cornerbacks and three safeties. And that means Ryan, who playfully is referred to as a "mad scientist" by defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, had to get creative. He even lined up outside linebacker/defensive end Quinton Coples at cornerback and had him jam wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. THE RECORD Geno Smith does just enough as Jets win opener, (J.P. Pelzman) The Record 11 P a g e

12 EAST RUTHERFORD What might have been Geno Smith s best pass Sunday wasn t a tight, crisp spiral. It wasn t a majestic deep ball, either. It was a quick flip that barely went past the line of scrimmage. Smith s second-quarter shovel pass to Chris Johnson for a 5-yard touchdown put the Jets ahead to stay in an eventual season-opening victory over Oakland at MetLife Stadium. It was symbolic of a day in which Smith s play certainly was efficient, but not always artistic, and downright ugly on at least three occasions. He looked great, coach Rex Ryan said of the second-year quarterback, but quickly added that Smith had two big mistakes. Well, actually there were three big mistakes, but who s counting? Geno Smith, that s who. When asked what he would think about most from this game, Smith responded, The three plays, definitely. Yes, Smith threw for 221 yards and completed 23 of 28 passes for an 82.1 percent completion rate, the highest of his young career and the best for a Jet since Chad Pennington connected on 32-of-39 (82.1 percent) in a loss at Buffalo on Sept. 30, But he also was at the center of three pivotal plays that cost the Jets points and ultimately helped prevent the game from becoming a blowout that the lopsided total yardage numbers, , would have suggested. In the first quarter, Smith was intercepted by veteran safety Charles Woodson, who returned it 2 yards to the 28. The Raiders capitalized with a touchdown six plays later when rookie Derek Carr threw a short pass to wideout Rod Streater in the right flat. He scored untouched from 12 yards. Smith appeared to telegraph a throw to Eric Decker (five catches, 74 yards in his Jets debut), and the savvy Woodson picked it off. I felt like I had enough room to get that ball in there, Smith said, adding if he had thrown it a second earlier it could have been a completion. Going forward, Smith said, I ll know I need to get the ball out sooner to not give that guy the opportunity, or just not throw it in the first place. On his next possession, Smith drove the Jets 82 yards to the Oakland 3, but on a designed running play, Smith was hit hard by LB Sio Moore and fumbled. Oakland s TJ Carrie recovered at the 4. Those guys did a good job of getting under me and getting that ball out, Smith said. I try to squeeze it with my dear life sometimes, and on the defensive side of it, those guys are trained to strip it out. My job is to hold on to it and not put us in tough situations. But Smith atoned with the shovel-pass TD, which he flipped just past former Giant Justin Tuck. Johnson bulled his away into the end zone for the 5-yard score. It was a very tight window, Smith said, and had the timing not been what it was, I think it easily could have been an incomplete pass, and that s the difference between seven points and three points. 12 P a g e

13 And that turned out to be a huge difference in this low-scoring contest. Smith was unable to get rid of the ball on third-and-3 from the Oakland 20 in the fourth period and instead took a 19-yard sack that pushed the Jets out of field-goal range. He later was bailed out by Chris Ivory s 71-yard touchdown run. Know the down and distance, Ryan said of that play. We re in field-goal range, just take a sack [immediately] or throw it away. He tried to make something happen and we took a big loss. That s avoidable, but I m proud of Geno. He bounced back. Any time you can get points and come away with a victory you re happy with it, Smith said, but we want to set the bar high for ourselves, and we want to be at our best and we want to score touchdowns. Especially because the Jets next game is at Green Bay. The Packers will have had three extra days to prepare and have a superstar quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. I m still learning, Smith said. That learning curve must accelerate in the weeks to come. Rowe: Take good with bad, but it s way too early to judge Jets (John Rowe) The Record September 8, EAST RUTHERFORD Even after an opening-game victory, the Jets season is an open book. Draw your own conclusions. They may or may not be better than last season s 8-8 team, but some things never change. They re still self-inflicting too many wounds. Eleven penalties, two turnovers and two dropped interceptions made their victory over Oakland on Sunday a lot closer than it should have been. With a edge in total offense and a time of possession advantage 20 seconds shy of 10 minutes, the Jets should have been gloating. They weren t, especially coach Rex Ryan. Instead of sounding like a slick used car salesman who had just sold a lemon, he was more like a high school dean of discipline who had just read the riot act to a bunch of Animal House -impersonating teenagers. This wasn t Rex trying to act mad. This was him scolding his players. Our fans were better than our team, said Ryan, who praised the vocal, white-towel-waving Met Life Stadium fans for creating a home-field advantage that isn t always there. The game was close because of the penalties. It could have been a beat down. In many ways, it was. The Jets drove 80 yards to take a 10-7 lead with 30 seconds left in the first half, offsetting the gift 29-yard first-quarter Raiders scoring drive courtesy of a Geno Smith interception. Then their defense toyed with Oakland rookie quarterback Derek Carr for much of the second half. Expecting him to succeed on the road against a Ryan defense was asking too much. Their blitz packages forced Carr to get rid of the ball faster than he wanted to, and he was under 100 yards passing until the last quarter, when a sensational catch by James Jones produced a 30-yard TD with 1:21 left that had more effect on gamblers who laid the points than the outcome of the game. 13 P a g e

14 For the longest time, Carr and Smith appeared they were trying to set a record for the shortest pass attempts. If Al Davis was looking from above, he must have been wondering where the vertical passing game of the Raiders glory years had gone. Don t expect much vertical passing by the Jets. Perhaps trying to minimize Smith s mistakes, they had their second-year starter throwing in the flats and 10 to 15 yards down the middle. You can get away with that when the Raiders are the opponent and your running game produces 212 yards, 68 by off-season pickup Chris Johnson and 102 by Chris Ivory. Ivory s 71-yard touchdown run with 8:03 remaining tied for the second best in franchise history. Ryan joked that he and general manager John Idzik need to get more players named Chris. Ryan also poked fun when he was asked about Ivory s premature celebratory pointing with a Raiders defender in close pursuit. He was trying to point out who to block, Ryan said. Ryan felt the need to point out his team s opening-game flaws, and the players knew it was coming. I m a little embarrassed, said guard Willie Colon, who was flagged for three penalties. We ve got to clean it up. And quickly. The Jets travel to Green Bay on Sunday, and as well as fill-in cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Antonio Allen played against Carr, Aaron Rodgers is a much tougher assignment. He s a totally different animal, linebacker Calvin Pace said. Anything is possible if the Jets clean up their act. Their running game is much improved and their defensive front seven is as good as anybody s in the league. If they can teach Smith to slide, which he didn t when fumbling at the Raiders 4-yard line in the second quarter, and improve their red-zone efficiency (1-for-4), things will be looking up. Even with a schedule that must sound like a death march to its maligned secondary. After Rodgers, they must contend with Tom Brady twice, then Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford and Peyton Manning once. If we eliminate the penalties and turnovers, who knows how good we can be, linebacker Quinton Coples said. Or, as Colon said, The sky s the limit. There are 15 more chapters to be written in this regular season. Make your own conclusions along the way. STAR-LEDGER Calvin Pryor bemoans dropped interception that would've been 'a clear pick six,' he says (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger e_been_a_clear_pick_six_he_says.html EAST RUTHERFORD Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor, a first-round draft pick whom his coaches have raved about, looked impressive on the first disruptive play he made in Sunday s season-opening win over the Raiders. 14 P a g e

15 On the Raiders second snap of the second quarter, Pryor burst into the backfield on first-and-10 from Oakland s 21-yard line and took out fullback Marcel Reece s legs, stopping him for no gain. Then, six plays later, still on the same possession, Pryor had a chance to make an even more impactful play. It was third-and-3 from the Jets 49. Rookie quarterback Derek Carr threw a short pass over the middle. It went right to Pryor and right off his hands. The Raiders punted on the next play anyway, but that not only would have been Pryor s first NFL interception. It also probably would have been a pick six, since there was a whole lot of turf and not a whole lot of Raiders between Pryor and the end zone. I was already looking at the end zone before I tried to catch the ball, Pryor said. It was just a missed opportunity. You can say I Then Pryor used a metaphor a guy might use to describe the first intimate experience with his girlfriend. We ll spare you the details of the rest of Pryor s quote, but needless to say, Pryor could at least smile and laugh about his near-pick six after the game. That s exactly what he did when delivering the final line of that quote smiled and laughed. So that would ve been a pick six? Definitely a pick six, Pryor said. I just took my eyes off it. It was a clear pick six. I ve got to make sure I get that one next time. As soon as I saw I was about to catch the ball, I saw the end zone. I saw white shirts (Jets jerseys) and I was trying to run before I got the ball. I have to make that play next time. As for his overall thoughts on his regular season debut, Pryor said, If I had to grade myself, I would say B- minus, because I left some opportunities out there on the field, plays I was supposed to make. Next time, I ve got to make those plays. Pryor said he was helped by the fact that the Jets defensive line and linebackers were able to tend to Raiders running game mostly by themselves and to great success. Oakland ran 15 times for 25 yards. The front seven told me: Don t worry about the run. We ve got it, Pryor said. I just tried to stay on the back end, playing pass coverage and try to make as many plays as possible. He must wait at least another week before making his first truly big one. Jets show too many flaws in win over Raiders that 'should've been a rat kill,' says Rex Ryan (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger EAST RUTHERFORD The Jets on Sunday played another NFL team, at least in the most literal sense. So their victory over the Raiders counts like any other they might achieve in this season of increased hope and expectations for coach Rex Ryan and his players, who are trying to break a three-year playoff appearance drought. If they get there, they almost certainly won t see the Raiders. This looks like another non-contending Oakland team, a group that must live with the ebbs and flows of a rookie quarterback, Derek Carr. The Raiders haven t enjoyed a winning season since They now have lost 14 straight games in the Eastern time zone. 15 P a g e

16 Therein lies the blessing and curse of opening the season at home against a team like Oakland. A win, while not given, is expected. Sure enough, the Jets are 1-0, as they should be. But if you stumble, as the Jets did all too often Sunday, doubts arise about what might happen against more talented teams. The only team that can beat us is ourselves, and we almost proved that today, said right tackle Breno Giacomini. Those doubts will dog the Jets all week. They are preparing to begin a six-game stretch against quality teams with prominent quarterbacks that will define the first half of their season, and potentially could sink it, if they play like they did at times Sunday. Somewhere, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers might have watched Jets-Raiders, following Green Bay s season-opening loss Thursday at Seattle. Perhaps he sipped a beverage and smiled as he pondered welcoming the Jets to Lambeau Field in Week 2. It s a totally different beast coming up next Sunday, said Jets linebacker Calvin Pace. The Jets will walk into Lambeau s gaping maw hoping they fixed glaring flaws from the opener. Not that the opener was entirely miserable. The Jets moved the ball well and refused to let Oakland really do it. The Jets out-gained the Raiders 402 yards to 158, out-rushed them 212 yards to 25, and possessed the ball for nine minutes and 40 seconds longer. The Jets defense, their strength, delivered a mostly a dominant performance. Their prodigious defensive front looked disruptive all afternoon. End Muhammad Wilkerson tipped three passes at the line and almost came down with one. In the second half, the Raiders went three plays and out on four of their first five drives. They went four and out on the other drive. Sunday marked just the second time since 2010 and first since 2012 that the Jets surrendered fewer than 200 yards. Before scoring a touchdown on their final drive, the Raiders accumulated 85 yards. But the Jets also gained no turnovers, and dropped two should-be interceptions one by cornerback Kyle Wilson, the other into the hands of rookie safety Calvin Pryor, who was poised to return the pick from midfield for a touchdown. The Jets offense had three drives of at least 10 plays, but one ended when quarterback Geno Smith lost a fumble at the Raiders 4-yard line. Smith also threw an interception that led to a 28-yard Oakland touchdown drive. He had another fumble, but recovered it. Receiver Greg Salas dropped a 27-yard touchdown pass in the end zone on the game s opening possession. Oh, and the Jets piled up 11 penalties for 105 yards. The Jets offensive line drew five flags. Right guard Willie Colon had three for 30 yards. It s ugly and I m real embarrassed by it, to be honest, Colon said. It s not something I take pride in. I ve got to wear it. It s me doing it out there, and I ve got to clean it up, because it hurts the offense. I think we have a great team, but if we don t go out there and be efficient and not hurt ourselves, it s just a wash. By the time Wilson dropped a pick near the Raiders 20 with 6:54 left in the game, with the Jets up 19-7, Ryan had seen enough of this nonsense. Standing a few feet away from where Wilson landed, Ryan stomped and flapped his arms down in frustration. The glow of a win did little to ease Ryan s angst afterward. He knows the Jets won t get away with this against the Packers, or any of the five games that follow. This game should ve been a rat kill, Ryan said. It wasn t. It was close because of the penalties. We re not going to just necessarily focus on the negative, but trust me, we are going to focus on the negative, 16 P a g e

17 as well as some of the good things. But negatives are what is holding this team back. If we eliminate those penalties and take care of the football, this thing would ve been over. It would ve been a beat-down. Ryan said he cannot recall being so disappointed after a win, not when the numbers are like this. But it s just like, God, that thing shouldn t have been this way. It should ve been the way I thought it was going to be, where we handled our business. But it got a little too close for comfort there. Ever the optimism despite having stalled in his goal to avoid turnovers this year, Smith said the Jets can look at the opener two ways something that can be our downfall or something we can straighten up now and be better than that. I think we will. The Jets left MetLife Stadium on Sunday with at least the expected result a 1-0 record, with a win over an opponent that also happens to play an NFL schedule. Now comes more serious football, six straight weeks of it, deep into mid-october, the likes of Rodgers and Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning and Tom Brady waiting. Ryan s players can keep him around for 2015 by making the playoffs. It is the next logical step for an organization that insists it is ascending. Starting next week, the margin for error gets thinner. Will it squeeze the Jets out of their goal to reach the postseason? Calvin Pace on Austin Howard saying Raiders could push Jets around: 'Maybe next week for them' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger ey_certainly_did_that_to_the_tune_of_25_yards_rush.html EAST RUTHERFORD Last week, Austin Howard spoke some words in Oakland that eventually rode the fiber-optic Pony Express across the country, and into the Jets locker room. "This will be a good evaluator for where we are as a team," Howard said of the Raiders opener on Sunday at the Jets. "But I believe we can go up there and push them around a little bit." Howard is now the Raiders right guard. He spent the previous three seasons with the Jets, and was their starting right tackle in 2012 and He was mostly a reserved guy in media interviews, so his seemingly brash comments came as something of a surprise. The Raiders, as it turned out, did not push the Jets around. Not even a little bit. They lost They were out-gained They were out-rushed Here s the thing: Howard s comments had nothing to do with this. Nothing. Zero. The Jets are, quite simply, better than the Raiders, who it seems are still not very good at all. The Raiders have now lost 14 straight games in the Eastern time zone. Moreover, Oakland started a rookie quarterback, Derek Carr, in Sunday s opener, which surely limited what its offense could do especially against a Jets defensive front that ranks among the league s best. But, naturally, the Jets were asked afterward about Howard s comments, and they had plenty of responses. First, we should note that what Howard said is not exactly earth-shattering stuff. NFL players make comments like that almost every week. Sheldon Richardson, the Jets refreshingly candid defensive tackle, 17 P a g e

18 is never shy about expressing confidence in what he thinks his front can do against an opponent. Plus, Richardson said after the game that he interpreted Howard s push around comments as a joke. Also, what else do you expect Howard to say? Of course he is going to be confident in his team. If he is already shrinking from expectations before his first game with a new team, then why did the Raiders bother paying him all that money in free agency? Either way, the Jets had comments about Howard s comments after Sunday s game. Jets coach Rex Ryan clearly used Howard s remarks as a motivational tool, even though, again, the Jets already had plenty of advantages against a team with less talent. Ryan actually brought up Howard s comments without being prompted and without using Howard s name in his postgame press conference. It started from Ryan s opening statement. We knew, the Raiders, they were going to come in here and push us around, Ryan said sarcastically. That s what was told. They certainly did that to the tune of 25 yards rushing. Ryan said he didn t share Howard s quote with his players, but two later said that he did. I mean, we knew they re big, bad dudes, man, Ryan said sarcastically of the Raiders. Obviously. There was plenty of sarcasm in the Jets locker room, too. "They pushed us around for 25 yards, so I think that was a good job, said defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Just before he said that, he said this: "The game is not won by talking. The game is won on the field." Rush outside linebacker Quinton Coples said the Jets are happy Howard provided some extra fire for them. No man wants to say he s going to get out-physicaled, so at the end of the day, we appreciate it, Coples said. We talked to (Howard) afterward and he got a better understanding. He understands, they understand that they ll look back on the film and see who really got pushed around. Wilkerson said Ryan did mention the quote to his players, but everybody knew what was said, because it was on social media. That s how Richardson learned about it, on Twitter. His reaction: Laughed. Just laughed. He watches film, just like we do. Richardson said he laughed at the notion that the Jets could be pushed around, because it wasn t possible. Why would it be? Do you see how we play defense? Do you see how our box (front) seven plays? It s tough, man. Richardson did see Howard after the game. (We) laughed it off, man, Richardson told reporters. It was a joke, man. You guys can make it whatever you want, but it was just a joke. We laughed it off. We were teasing him in the game because they only rushed for 25 yards. So, point proven. Richardson said that while Howard was mostly reserved with the media in New York, he wasn t really like that in the locker room among his teammates. We know Austin, Richardson said. Austin talks a little trash. He talks a lot, actually. He s not a quiet guy. Linebacker Calvin Pace also said Ryan talked about it a little bit, in regard to Howard s comments. Austin said that, but we knew that s what they were going to try to do, Pace said. They were going to try to be physical with us. I think we passed the test. I don t know if they realize we see that every day. 18 P a g e