NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS August 13, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets sign DB Lewis, waive LB Fugger (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Jets safety Allen likely to start at CB at Cincy (Dennis Waszak)... 2 NEWSDAY... 3 Jets owner Woody Johnson accepts Giants co-owner John Mara's challenge (Kimberley Martin)... 3 Confident Geno Smith: Jets are my team (Kimberley Martin)... 3 THE RECORD... 5 Jets' Allen 'up for the challenge' (J.P. Pelzman)... 5 STAR-LEDGER... 6 If Jets' Antonio Allen can cover Bengals' A.J. Green, 'then he can cover them all,' says Rex Ryan (Darryl Slater)... 6 Why isn't Rex Ryan ready to name Geno Smith the Jets' Week 1 starting QB? 'Just don't feel like it' (Darryl Slater)... 7 Marty Mornhinweg expects 'there will be times' when Mike Vick plays as change-of-pace QB (Darryl Slater)... 8 Jets' Calvin Pryor returns to first-team action with 'a little love tap' hit, knocking Saalim Hakim to ground (Darryl Slater)... 9 Why might Jets improve road record this year? 'We're a better team,' says Rex Ryan (Darryl Slater) Michael Vick vs. Geno Smith: Day 16 breakdown, when there was rain, drops (Darryl Slater) NJ.COM Jets sign LeQuan Lewis, release Tim Fugger because they need cornerbacks (Dom Cosentino) Michael Vick: Ray Rice needs 'to make amends' for what he's done (Dom Consentino) NEW YORK POST Jets Amaro dismisses Rex Ryan s Ditka advice (Bart Hubbuch) Rex will start Antonio Allen vs. A.J. Green because What the heck? (Brian Costello) Geno Smith shines through the rain at Jets practice (Brian Costello) Rex still won t say it, but Geno will be the starter (Brian Costello) Jets should give rookie Jace Amaro a serving of tough love (Bart Hubbuch) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Jets-Patriots rivalry cools with ice bucket challenge (Seth Walder) For NY Jets' Antonio Allen, no safety net at cornerback (Seth Walder) Donovan McNabb trashes NY Jets for using garbage Wildcat with Michael Vick: Nobody wants to be Tim Tebow (Manish Mehta) NEW YORK TIMES Young Jet Welcomes Chance to Move Up in Pass Coverage (Tom Pedulla) P a g e

2 WALL STREET JOURNAL Jets Are Hoping Allen Can Cover the Corner (Stu Woo) ESPN NEW YORK Antonio Allen feeling confident (Rich Cimini) METRO NEW YORK Antonio Allen asked to step up against A.J. Green (Mark Osborne) NEWYORKJETS.COM Jets Make the Most out of Wet, Windy Practice (TJ Brennan) Cornerback the Hot Topic (Eric Allen) LeQuan Lewis' 27 Pro Transactions (Randy Lange) CB Darrin Walls Asks, 'Why Not Me?' (Jackie Lovett) TUESDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets sign DB Lewis, waive LB Fugger (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) The New York Jets have signed defensive back LeQuan Lewis and waived linebacker Tim Fugger. The Jets made the move Tuesday to add depth to their banged-up secondary. Cornerback Dee Milliner is nursing a sprained ankle, Dexter McDougle is out for the year with a torn knee ligament and Dimitri Patterson has been hampered by various leg and foot ailments. Lewis has been with several teams since signing with Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in He spent time in training camp with the Jets in 2012, and was also on their practice squad for a week that season. Fugger, signed to the Jets' practice squad last December, had been sidelined with a knee injury. Jets safety Allen likely to start at CB at Cincy (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) Rex Ryan says safety Antonio Allen will "probably" start at cornerback in the New York Jets' preseason game at Cincinnati on Saturday night. Allen was moved to cornerback on Monday because the Jets are short-handed at the position after injuries to Dee Milliner, Dimitri Patterson and Dexter McDougle. Ryan says Allen can play the position because he's versatile and athletic enough. Ryan adds Tuesday that if Allen can effectively cover the Bengals' A.J. Green, "he can cover them all." 2 P a g e

3 Allen, a hybrid linebacker at South Carolina, was drafted in the seventh round by the Jets in He has worked primarily at safety for the Jets, and Ryan has said Allen has the talent to be a Pro Bowler there. NEWSDAY Jets owner Woody Johnson accepts Giants co-owner John Mara's challenge (Kimberley Martin) Newsday CORTLAND, N.Y. - Chal Each challenge participant dumps ice-cold water on his or her head, donates money to ALS research and then nominates three additional to do the challenge. The Patriots -- including owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick -- also took part in the challenge. "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 Rain is not Vick's thing While Geno Smith fared well (5-for-11, though three of his incompletions were drops by Stephen Hill, with a sack), Michael Vick admitted his game was a bit off because of the inclement weather. "I actually thought we were going to have a walk-through, but that's not the way we do it here," the veteran quarterback said. So when was the last time the former Eagle took part in full practice in rainy, windy weather? "I can't remember," said Vick (4-for-11, three sacks). "Every time it rained, or we had a lot of wind, we always went indoors the last couple years or wherever I've always been. So I haven't practiced like this in a long time. It was different, it took a while to get used to, and it wasn't one of my best practices by any means, but I managed. I got through it." As expected, Smith will start Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals, though Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg wouldn't say how long Smith and the rest of the starters will play. Vick could see time with the first-team offense and first-round pick Calvin Pryor, who is coming off a concussion, is expected to play with the first-team defense... Jeff Cumberland (Achilles tendon tightness) did not finish practice. Dimitri Patterson (quad, calf, ankle), Ras-I Dowling (groin), Shaq Evans (shoulder), Marcus Zusevics (knee), Dee Milliner (ankle sprain) and Dexter McDougle (ACL) did not practice, and Eric Decker (quad), Chris Ivory (rib) and Jeremy Reeves (knee) were limited... The team waived Tim Fugger (knee) and signed CB LeQuan Lewis. Confident Geno Smith: Jets are my team (Kimberley Martin) Newsday CORTLAND, N.Y. - Geno Smith is very clear about who and what he is. He's the Jets' starting quarterback, and he hopes their franchise quarterback. 3 P a g e

4 "My job now is to go out there on the field and show it and exhibit what the coaches and the players have been saying because I'm the quarterback," Smith told Newsday after Tuesday's practice. "And you want to do good and want to win games. That's what it's all about." He said he's felt that way ever since he was drafted last year, and that the arrival of Michael Vick hasn't altered his expectations for the season. In the midst of all the chatter about the quarterback situation, Rex Ryan and the front office continue to play a game of semantics. But on this particular afternoon, Smith provided clarity. Shortly before Ryan danced around the topic of whether the second-year man would be the Jets' regularseason starter, Smith stood underneath the bleachers of SUNY Cortland's stadium, detailing his growth as a player and laying to rest any concerns about Vick encroaching on his territory. Sixteen games may not seem like much, but Smith said there's a "huge difference" between the player the Jets drafted 39th overall last year and the one who will start Saturday's preseason game in Cincinnati. Despite his rookie struggles turnovers (including 21 interceptions) and only 12 touchdowns -- confidence has never been an issue for Smith. That's why he's certain his stat-line will be much improved in "Yeah, I had a bunch of turnovers last year," he said. "And of cours you want to have less than that -- and I'm going to have less than that. Just because of the experience and knowing a lot more, seeing the field a lot better, and knowing where my guys are and where they'll be. "So I'm not even worried about what happened last year, to tell you the truth, because I've moved on and I've gotten better from it. So I anticipate doing better things. I do have high expectations. My goals are set high." So what can we expect to see from Smith in 2014? "You'll see it," he said. "You'll see it when we step on the field." Smith said he takes everything in stride, never getting too high or too low. The same was true when the Jets signed Vick to a free-agent deal in March, and it appears to be true after competing with Vick in training camp. "You never watch over your shoulder,'' Smith said. "The minute you watch over your shoulder, you lose it." Despite Vick's shaky showing Tuesday, the 34-year-old has impressed in his limited reps. His left arm is still electric and his feet are as fast as ever. When Vick flashes that athleticism on the field, Smith said he isn't the least bit concerned. "I believe I can make a 30-yard run,'' Smith said. "I believe I can make those types of plays." Smith's competition with Vick may not be on par with his battle last year with Mark Sanchez, but Smith is adamant he's earned the starting job. "People can say what they want, but come turn on the practice film, come watch practice or turn on the game tape and you'll see what happens," he said. "So I don't try to fight those battles." Smith has always felt this was his job, his team. Even with Sanchez, then in his fifth season, on the roster. "I felt that from Day 1,'' he said. "I felt that when they drafted me. "I try to exhibit what it takes to be the starting quarterback and the franchise quarterback on the practice field and around the locker room with the guys. And as I play more games, I'll get better. That's just natural." 4 P a g e

5 THE RECORD Jets' Allen 'up for the challenge' (J.P. Pelzman) The Record Daily Clips Cont. CORTLAND, N.Y. Antonio Allen is very serious about his craft, which is one of many reasons he firmly believes he can make the transition from safety to cornerback. But when someone asked the third-year pro Tuesday when he first thought about playing corner, he smiled and said, "Yesterday, probably." Yes, it s an interesting time for the cornerback-starved Jets, whose experiment with Allen is moving quite fast. Allen is expected to start at cornerback Saturday at Cincinnati in the Jets second preseason game. "You know what, I think he probably will," Ryan said with a grin when asked if Allen would start at cornerback against the Bengals. "What the heck? Let s put him out there." It s possible Allen could be matched up against Cincinnati superstar wide receiver A.J. Green. "Well, if he can cover that kid, then he can cover them all," Ryan said. "I think if he can cover that kid, then we know we re in good shape because that guy is about as good as it gets. I think our entire fan base would sleep a lot better." Ryan and his coaching staff have decided to get creative at cornerback after a spate of injuries struck the position. Starter Dee Milliner suffered a sprained ankle Sunday, about 35 minutes after backup Dexter McDougle tore the ACL in his left knee, an injury that will sideline him for the entire season. "Rex came up to me [Monday] before practice and told me he was going to try me at corner and see how that went," Allen said Tuesday, speaking to reporters for the first time since the position switch. "I guess I did pretty well. "I m up for the challenge. It s tough out there on the island but you ve got to get it done. I m trying to do whatever helps the team. Whatever helps the team, I m down for" it. Allen was a so-called "box" safety in college at South Carolina, where he specialized in run support. But he has improved his coverage skills as a pro and returned an interception of a Tom Brady pass for a touchdown last season in a victory over New England. "All the guys telling me I can t play man [coverage] or I can t cover tight ends and all that kind of stuff," Allen said, "I ve just proven them wrong." Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said Tuesday, "we re basically looking at it as an experiment. [Allen] is talented, he s long, so we re experimenting with it." Allen "has practiced well," Thurman said. "It s a tough adjustment, but he s doing a good job with it." The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Allen has long arms and likes to play physical, so he should be able to do a decent job of jamming and re-directing receivers just past the line of scrimmage. But as a safety, he s played almost exclusively inside, covering tight ends such as the Patriots Rob Gronkowski and New Orleans Jimmy Graham. "My rookie year, I played outside a little bit [against] Jacksonville and it felt pretty normal," Allen said. "The [receivers] are a little faster, but as long as you have good eyes and good feet, you should be in good position." 5 P a g e

6 Thurman made it clear Allen isn t the only option for the Jets. "We re trying to get all the young corners involved," he said. "We want to see who can handle being out there with the first group, and a couple guys have stepped up. Ellis Lankster and Darrin Walls both, the last couple days, have practiced pretty well." STAR-LEDGER If Jets' Antonio Allen can cover Bengals' A.J. Green, 'then he can cover them all,' says Rex Ryan (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger e_can_cover_them_all_says_rex_ryan.html CORTLAND, N.Y. The Jets are not abandoning the Antonio Allen cornerback experiment any time soon. Coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday that Allen probably will start at corner in Saturday night s second preseason game, at the Bengals. The Jets on Monday moved Allen from first-team safety to first-team corner, to deal with the possibility that cornerback Dee Milliner could be out for a while with a sprained left ankle. Milliner has not yet undergone an MRI to determine the severity of his sprain, according to Ryan. The Jets like how Allen has handled man-to-man coverage responsibilities since they drafted him in the seventh round in But playing on the perimeter against NFL wide receivers like the Bengals A.J. Green is an entirely different thing than playing safety and matching up with tight ends in the slot, as Allen's college position coach knows well. He ll be tested a little bit this week, Ryan said. He ll start. I don t know if it ll be (at) corner, but I think he probably will. I think, what the heck, let s put him out there. They have a pretty decent kid out there. Ryan then rolled his eyes for comedic effect, emphasizing the intentionally sarcastic understatement he had just made about Green, a fourth-year pro and three-time Pro Bowler. Last season, Green ranked sixth in the NFL with 98 catches, fifth with 1,426 yards, eighth with 11 touchdown catches, seventh with 6.1 catches per game, and fifth with 89.1 receiving yards per game. The Jets played at the Bengals last regular season, and the Bengals torched them, Green made three catches for 115 yards. Well, if (Allen) can cover that kid, then he can cover them all, Ryan said. I think if he can cover that kid, then we know we re in good shape, because that guy is about as good as it gets. So, yeah, I think our entire fan base would sleep a lot better. I don t know if he can do that. I don t know. I don t know if anybody can. Yeah, that would be a tough matchup, that s for sure, for anybody. Ryan said he does not expect to leave Allen in the game after the starters depart, in order to get him more cornerback experience. I think starters go pretty much a half in this coming up (game), Ryan said. We re not going to stretch him any more than that. On Tuesday, for the second straight day, Ryan used special teams ace Ellis Lankster as his other first-team corner. The first-team safeties were primarily Dawan Landry and Jaiquawn Jarrett. Ryan used this same secondary deployment Monday. Ryan said he has not decided yet if Lankster will start against the Bengals. 6 P a g e

7 We re going to give everybody opportunities, Ryan said, alluding to his point Monday that backup cornerbacks like Darrin Walls could get a chance to work with the first team in the coming days. Ryan said he feels confident that Allen would be ready to start in Week 1 at cornerback if needed. But whether the Jets will actually need him to do that or ask him to do that remains unclear. Yeah, I think he ll be ready, Ryan said. I don t think there s any doubt. If he needs to play corner, if he needs to play safety. He s had some great days. You see just a young player ascending, whether he s playing safety or corner, but especially at safety. Why isn't Rex Ryan ready to name Geno Smith the Jets' Week 1 starting QB? 'Just don't feel like it' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger week_1_starting_qb_just_dont_feel_like_it.html CORTLAND, N.Y. When the Jets play their second preseason game, on Saturday night at the Bengals, Geno Smith will obviously get the first snaps at quarterback. Jets coach Rex Ryan acknowledged that Tuesday, which was not exactly major news. Ryan, as he is wont to do, cracked wise when a reporter told him it seemed pretty obvious that Smith would start the game. At quarterback? Or is he going to start at corner? Ryan said, referring to the Jets current attempts to develop a backup plan in case injured cornerback Dee Milliner is out for a while with a sprained ankle. I mean, yeah, go ahead. Throw it out there. Starters typically play a half in the second preseason game. In the third preseason game, they play a half, and then a series in the second half, Ryan said. In the fourth preseason game, they usually don t play at all. In the Jets preseason opener, last Thursday against the Colts, Smith played two series. Then Michael Vick, the likely Week 1 backup, played the next two series, including the first of those two with the starters. Smith played 12 snaps against the Colts. His drives ended in a punt and a field goal. Vick played 18 snaps. His drives ended in a touchdown and a punt. The touchdown drive, on which the Jets offensive starters played against the Colts defensive reserves, was aided by two 15-yard penalties against the Colts. Ryan said he and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg have yet to devise a specific plan for how much the quarterbacks will play against the Bengals. We haven t really talked about that yet, Ryan said. But we ll certainly have a plan here in the next day or so. Mornhinweg indicated the quarterback reps could change for this game. He did not dismiss the possibility that Smith could play the entire first half against the Bengals. But, he said, This is Game 2, so I doubt it s going to be quite that long. Sometimes, it will depend on the amount of plays, though, rather than half, or quarters, or series. A particularly long or short series could affect Mornhinweg s plan for the quarterbacks playing time. He said he goes into preseason games with playing time mapped out by quarters, rather than snaps, but he reserves the right to alter his plan. 7 P a g e

8 Mornhinweg said there is a possibility Vick could play some with the starters against the Bengals, for what that is worth. Clearly, Smith is well on his way to being the Week 1 starter for the second straight year, with Vick serving as the backup/insurance policy in case Smith gets hurt or massively screws things up. Through 14 training camp practices, not including an intrasquad scrimmage, Smith has played 189 snaps with the first team, while Vick has played 41. In this so-called competition a favorite buzzword for the Jets Vick never really had a legitimate chance to win the starting job. Of course, that is not to say the Jets have eliminated the possibility of inserting him if Smith struggles. As the Sept. 7 season opener against the Raiders nears, are the Jets ready to finally acknowledge the obvious and name Smith their Week 1 starter? For the regular season, no, Ryan said. We re not ready to do that. OK, then. Why not? Just don t feel like it, Ryan said, non-contentiously and with a smile, as a room full of reporters laughed. We know things can happen, and that s why it s like: Let everything work out. So if you re into semantics, there you go. But everybody knows where this Smith-Vick situation is heading as the Jets approach Week 1. Marty Mornhinweg expects 'there will be times' when Mike Vick plays as change-of-pace QB (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger ike_vick_plays_as_change-of-pace_qb_acknowledges.html CORTLAND, N.Y. Jets coach Rex Ryan has not eliminated the possibility of using Michael Vick as a changeof-pace quarterback. Vick, meanwhile, has seemed somewhat lukewarm on the idea, acknowledging its potential to disrupt rhythm that likely starting quarterback Geno Smith might be creating with the offense at that point in a game. Smith has said he is taking a wait-and-see approach with how this package could impact the Jets offense. On Tuesday, Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg fielded questions about Vick as a change-ofpace guy. Mornhinweg has been down this road before, in 2009, when he used Vick as a changeup for Donovan McNabb with the Eagles. Vick said Mornhinweg quickly got away from using the package regularly, because we kind of learned that there is a time and place for it, and you just don t want to disrupt the timing of the game. Like Ryan, Mornhinweg did not dismiss the possibility that the Jets could use Vick as a situational quarterback this season. He also acknowledged the possible downsides to this arrangement mainly, the disruption of Smith s rhythm. That s real, I think, said Mornhinweg, who used the Wildcat package fairly often last season with Bilal Powell and Jeremy Kerley. There s no question about that. However, I know this: It depends how you do it. So yeah, that part of it s real, and I understand that. I suspect, looking forward, there will be times 8 P a g e

9 where you may see a little bit (of it). There may be times where you don t see much of it. There s an awful lot of positives (to the package). Mike is a unique player. He has unique abilities. So we ll see. Mornhinweg said Smith and Vick have both played outstanding in training camp, as Smith has received 189 first-team snaps, to Vick s 41. Smith is well on his way to being the Week 1 starter, even if the Jets won't say that publicly. Naturally, what everyone will remember at the end of the season is not that Smith had an outstanding training camp, but rather, how he played when games actually mattered. Mornhinweg mentioned needing to iron out communication problems that cropped up with at least one of his quarterbacks in last Thursday s preseason opener against the Colts, because the Jets had a couple mistakes in this area in that game. Smith will start Saturday night s second preseason game, at the Bengals, but the quarterbacks playing time has yet to be determined. Mornhinweg said the quarterback reps in this camp have been divided up just like I want them. Mornhinweg has had a specific goal in mind with Vick this summer, as the veteran quarterback moves closer and closer to beginning the season as Smith s backup. I m trying to get Mike, at minimum, enough (snaps) with the (first team) so he feels a high level of comfort with the personnel that he would be playing with, Mornhinweg said. Jets' Calvin Pryor returns to first-team action with 'a little love tap' hit, knocking Saalim Hakim to ground (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger CORTLAND, N.Y. Near the end of Tuesday s rainy practice, reserve rookie quarterback Tajh Boyd completed a pass to wide receiver Saalim Hakim, who ran a slant route. Safety Calvin Pryor, the Jets firstround draft pick, popped Hakim and knocked him on his butt. Pryor s defensive teammates came over to congratulate him happy, as they were, to see Pryor demonstrate the primary reason the Jets wanted him. Pryor s hit did not technically violate the Jets no-tackling edict for training camp practices. Players are allowed to thud tackle, by bumping into each other, and that s what Pryor did. He will have an opportunity to do much more in Saturday s second preseason game, at the Bengals. The Jets envision Pryor as a disruptive, hard-hitting presence in their starting secondary and that is just where they will place him Saturday. Coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said Pryor would definitely get first-team reps against the Bengals, though they did not specify if he would start. Pryor sustained a concussion on July 26, the third day of camp, and the first day in full pads. He worked with the first-team defense on the first two days, rotating with Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen. On Saturday, when the Jets returned to Cortland, Pryor fully participated in full-speed team periods for the first time since suffering the concussion. After three days of practicing with the second- and thirdstringers in team periods, Pryor on Tuesday returned to action with the first string, though he did not play nearly every first-team snap, because the Jets want to ease him back in. Pryor replaced Dawan Landry in the first-team secondary in the first segment of team periods Tuesday. Pryor played alongside Jaiquawn Jarrett his primary safety partner on Tuesday as Ellis Lankster and 9 P a g e

10 Allen manned the cornerback spots for the second straight day. The Jets also used the Landry-Jarrett starting safety pairing Monday. The Jets want to get Pryor as much work as possible, to catch him up. So he continued to play with the second-team defense Tuesday, in addition to his work with the starters. Pryor said over the weekend that he was looking forward to hitting again. He got a chance to do it late in Tuesday s practice while playing with the backups. It was a minor hit, Pryor said with a smile. (Hakim) caught the ball on a slant. I was coming downhill. Just a little love tap. Nothing too serious. Did Hakim say anything to him afterward? Nah, Pryor said. I think he was kind of mad. He just walked back to the huddle, so he didn t really say too much. Despite how much time Pryor has missed, Thurman remains excited about his potential. Oh, he s back, Thurman said. He s healthy. He s picking up the defense. I think the guy has a chance to be big time. We are working him back in. Thurman said there is no question Pryor will work with the first-team defense against the Bengals. That was news to Pryor. (Thurman) hasn t told me that, but it s good to hear, Pryor said. I m excited. I ll be ready. Ryan said Pryor will also play a lot of reps with the backups against the Bengals, because he needs to play. We ll give him some opportunities. Pryor will take as many snaps as he can get, regardless of who he plays alongside. I just need to get my reps back, he said. The reps I missed were so important, not being out there with my teammates, communicating with everybody, not having the feel for everybody. Once I m back out there getting a lot of reps with everyone, I can just get the feel back and have a feel for the game and just communicate with those guys and be on the same page. I wouldn t say I m really behind. I m just trying to communicate with everybody, because now they re throwing me out there with different guys. Everyone thinks different. So I have to be aware of who I m out there with. Maybe I talk more. Or, if I m out there with guys like Dawan Landry or (Jarrett), I might not have to talk as much. They just put me in a position to play football. Why might Jets improve road record this year? 'We're a better team,' says Rex Ryan (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger e_can_cover_them_all_says_rex_ryan.html CORTLAND, N.Y. The Jets were a pretty terrible road team in 2013, when they went 2-6 away from MetLife Stadium. They had some ugly defeats at the Titans, 49-9 at the Bengals, at the Bills and 19-3 at the Ravens chief among them. The Jets only road wins were against the Falcons on a Monday night and against the Dolphins in the season finale. 10 P a g e

11 Granted, the Jets have not been very good overall for the past three seasons, but they have been particularly bad on the road. In 2011, they went 2-6 on the road and 6-2 at home the same split as they had last season. In 2012, they went 3-5 in both places. The Jets 7-17 road record over the past three seasons (compared to 15-9 at home) stands in stark contrast to Ryan s first two seasons. In 2009, the Jets went 5-3 on the road, 4-4 at home, and then went 2-1 on the road in the playoffs. In 2010, the Jets were 6-2 on the road, 5-3 at home, and again 2-1 on the road in the playoffs. So after going 15-7 on the road in Ryan s first three seasons, including the playoffs, the Jets basically reversed that record from , with their 7-17 road mark. In Saturday s second preseason game, at the Bengals, the Jets will return to the scene of last season s worst defeat. I think the motivation is huge in this one, Ryan said jokingly after Tuesday s practice. We did get smoked by them. There s no question. We got waxed pretty good by that team. I think our guys will want to play really well. There s no doubt we ll want to play well. Did we get our tails kicked last time we were up there? We absolutely did. I think the competitor in you, from a coach, from a player, you don t like that. I mean, I don t know if it is more motivation (to win this time), but you certainly want to account for yourself better than we did last time. They certainly dominated us last time we were up there, so I think it will be a great test for us. Obviously, as Ryan also mentioned, winning is not the primary goal in a preseason game. The coaches are trying to evaluate specific players, particularly those fighting for roster spots. Little to no game-planning is involved as teams prepare for these games. And even if the Jets lose at the Bengals on Saturday, that doesn t mean they will stink on the road again. But in the bigger picture, is there anything Ryan sees in this team to indicate it might perform better on the road than last year s group did? Yeah, we re a better football team, Ryan said. That s the number one thing. They always say, bring your defense with you (on the road), and be able to run the football. I ve figured out, through all those years, if you bring a better football team with you, you ll do better. So I think we re a better team (than last year). Michael Vick vs. Geno Smith: Day 16 breakdown, when there was rain, drops (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger ere_was_rain_drops.html CORTLAND, N.Y. -- The Jets' quarterback competition is neither an open competition nor a controversy, no matter what the team's brass might still be might saying publicly. Head coach Rex Ryan can keep calling it a competition, and general manager John Idzik can say all he wants that the situation isn't "tilted" toward Geno Smith, but the reality is obvious: Smith has the advantage over Michael Vick. It's Smith's job to lose, and it's been that way since organized team activities and minicamp. Vick, of all people, has had no problem making that clear. But since neither quarterback has officially been named a starter, we're going to chart their progress until that happens. 11 P a g e

12 It rained and it was windy Tuesday. The Jets had a lively practice, particularly as they ran a number of plays in the red zone. There were some dropped passes. Smith had a better day than Vick did, under the conditions. This is what happened. Geno Smith Analysis: Smith wasn't too bothered by the conditions. "We are professionals, this is our jobs to do things and negate the elements and what we are facing," he said plainly. Most of his throws were on target, and Stephen Hill dropped at least two of them, including a deep ball after Hill had beaten cornerback Antonio Allen on the first play in team drills. In the red zone, Smith zipped a pass to Eric Decker for touchdown and had a bad throw on a ball broken up by Ellis Lankster. Another deep throw for Hill was either a drop or broken up by Lankster. Stats (team drills): 5-for-11, sack on Tuesday. Overall, Smith is 65-for-115, 12 sacks, four interceptions. Number of first-team reps: 19 on Monday (90.5 percent); 189 to date (82.2 percent) Quote from Smith: "I think the weather kind of boosted everyone up a little bit. It s just good to get out there and compete against the defense. We Had good plays out there, I think we had some touchdowns, some plays we [wish we] could take back as well. Overall, I think we did a great job." Quote from Ryan: "You can see Geno Smith is not affected in these kinds of conditions, whether it's his hands, the size of his hands, whatever it is. Where [Vick] was a little more affected by the conditions." Michael Vick Analysis: Vick had a bit of a rougher go in the rain than Smith did, completing his first two passes and then going 2-for-9. He forced a throw from the 5-yard line to Jace Amaro in the end zone, only to have Lankster break it up. He also had a high throw for Clyde Gates and a couple of deep overthrows. Not his best day. Stats (team drills): 4-for-11, three sacks on Tuesday. Overall, Vick is 55-for-90, 10 sacks, four interceptions. Number of first-team reps: 2 on Tuesday (9.5 percent); 41 to date (17.8 percent) Quote from Vick: "Every time it rained, or we had a lot of wind, we always went indoors the last couple years or wherever I ve always been [with the Eagles], so I haven t practiced like this in a long time. It was different, it took a while to get used to, and it wasn t one of my best practices by any means. But I managed; I got through it." Quote from offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg: "Geno has had an outstanding camp. Mike has had an outstanding camp. Now, we just have to minimize a couple of things that have occurred. That s why we practice by the way. But for all of the quarterbacks, I ll take last preseason game, each quarterback had one thing, so we need to minimize [each of] those one things. Then we ll be in good shape." If the season started today... Smith would start. But you knew that already. NJ.COM Jets sign LeQuan Lewis, release Tim Fugger because they need cornerbacks (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com 12 P a g e

13 n_lewis.html CORTLAND, N.Y. -- The Jets on Tuesday morning announced a pair of roster moves: Linebacker Tim Fugger was released, while defensive back LeQuan Lewis who briefly was with the Jets in training camp two years ago was added to the 90-man roster. Lewis, 25, brings additional depth in the secondary. The Jets presently are down three cornerbacks, including two likely starters: Rookie Dexter McDougle is lost for the season with a torn ACL, Dee Milliner is out for several weeks what what's believed to be a high ankle sprain, and veteran journeyman Dimitri Patterson is battling nagging calf, ankle, and quad injuries. Just don't look for Lewis to be the answer at corner. Lewis (5-foot-11, 193 pounds) has bounced around the NFL and CFL since signing with the Titans out of Arizona State as an undrafted free agent in Aside from the Titans, he's had stints with the Raiders, Cowboys, Bucs, Bears, Patriots, and Cardinals. He was even with the Jets for two weeks back in August 2012, was later re-signed for one day, and then spent about a week on the practice squad before being released again. Lewis had signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts back in June. Fugger had been drafted by the Colts in the 2012 seventh round. The Jets added him to their practice squad last December. Fugger had been battling a knee injury at training camp this summer. He did not practice Monday. The Jets are scheduled to resume practice Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. It is closed to the public because of rain. Michael Vick: Ray Rice needs 'to make amends' for what he's done (Dom Consentino) NJ.com hes_done.html CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Let's be clear about something up front: This is not an attempt to compare what Michael Vick and Ray Rice have done, to minimize their transgressions, or to make some phony suggestion that either of them has any sort of "adversity" to overcome. The facts are the facts: Vick, the Jets' quarterback, pleaded guilty to crimes related to the torture and killing of dogs. He spent nearly two years in a federal prison. Rice, a running back who went to Rutgers and now plays for the Ravens, hit his then-girlfriend earlier this year and knocked her out. He was indicted on charges of aggravated assault, but he avoided jail time by enrolling in a pre-trial intervention program. The NFL, to its eternal shame, suspended him for just two games. Vick, for his part, is five years removed from prison. He resurrected his career with the Eagles before joining the Jets this spring. And he is immensely popular: Fans showered him with loud ovations at the team's intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 2, then again at last week's preseason opener. Not a single protestor has appeared at SUNY Cortland to campaign against his presence at training camp. But Vick's past is never too far away, even now. As Will Leitch wrote three years ago in GQ: "The dogfighting crimes for which he served 544 days and he knows the exact number off the top of his head will be in the first sentence of his obituary no matter how many Super Bowls he wins." 13 P a g e

14 Vick has said and done all the right things since his release from prison. But as someone whose indelibly dark past will forever follow him, as someone who will never be forgiven by a good many people, what advice would Vick have for Rice, who likewise will always have his name attached to the awful things he did? I think the most important thing that you can do is to try to make amends for what you ve done," Vick told NJ.com this week. I think you have to show people that you re trying to help yourself and bring awareness to that situation to help others, to prevent it. You ve got to become an advocate. Ray Rice as a crusader against domestic violence? Vick was basically saying that's what has to happen. Vick has had a battalion of PR handlers steer him through the years. But he's worked with the Humane Society and advocated for animal welfare. He described this to NJ.com as a kind of penance, as "something that weighs deeply in my heart because of my past." Whether that's sincerity or just a talking point for image repair is irrelevant: Vick, through his actions, has tried to wring something positive out a negative he created. He thinks Rice needs to do the same. "You ve got to continue to make amends," Vick said. "Once you start something, you can never go back. I feel like I ve become an advocate of animal welfare, and I think I have to continue that. It s all about keeping kids 15 years from now from doing the same. We ve saved a lot of kids, and we ve saved a lot of animals. That s how I feel. Ray will make it right. He ll do everything he can to make this situation whole again. NEW YORK POST Jets Amaro dismisses Rex Ryan s Ditka advice (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post CORTLAND Rex Ryan s recent suggestion that Jace Amaro get playing tips from old Mike Ditka game films got a chilly reception from the rookie tight end Monday. I m not going back 30 years to see how Ditka played, Amaro told The Post after finishing another day of training camp at SUNY Cortland. I know the way he played and the kind of character he is. Ryan offered the suggestion last weekend, after Amaro caught two passes in the Jets preseason opener against the Colts. The Jets coach thought Amaro could have had two other receptions if he had been more aggressive. Give him tapes of Mike Ditka or something and say, This is how we want you to play, Ryan said Saturday. Recognize you re a big guy. You need to be a bully out there. When that ball s thrown up, you ve got to go catch it. I don t care where it is. Ditka was a Hall of Fame tight end for the Bears, Eagles and Cowboys, revolutionizing the position with his combination of toughness, receiving and blocking in an age when tight ends were little more than glorified linemen. A second-round pick from Texas Tech, Amaro has endured a rough first NFL training camp, injuring his knee and suffering through some drop-filled practices. 14 P a g e

15 Ryan thinks the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Amaro could be just as dominant as Ditka was, but Amaro said he has little use for comparisons. You don t really want to look into it too much, Amaro said. You want to be your own player. You don t want to [imitate] anyone else who has played. I want to be the guy who someone decades from now says, That guy plays like Amaro Under fire for hoarding space under the salary cap, GM John Idzik said Monday reports that the Jets have $21 million in cap room aren t entirely accurate. If you want to nitpick, Idzik was right. The NFL Players Association keeps a running total updated daily of every team s cap space on its website, and the Jets figure as of Monday afternoon was $ million. Ryan defended the Jets tightfisted spending by saying the NFL isn t the same as Major League Baseball, which has no ceiling on player salaries. If you could spend like the Yankees, trust me, we would have an All-Star team, Ryan said of Jets owner Woody Johnson. Our owner would say, All right, let s go for it. There are fiscal responsibilities Ryan said he isn t strongly considering using Kyle Wilson as one of the outside cornerbacks after Dee Milliner, Dexter McDougle and Dimitri Patterson were injured in the past five days. Wilson s role will continue to be as a nickel corner, which Ryan said is the same as a starter now because NFL offenses use so many three- and four-receiver sets. In today s game, he s basically a starter, Ryan said. I think he s coming on. I think Kyle s playing extremely well. Rex will start Antonio Allen vs. A.J. Green because What the heck? (Brian Costello) New York Post CORTLAND The Jets are throwing Antonio Allen right into the fire. Allen was moved from safety to cornerback on Monday, and now he will start there in Saturday s preseason game with the Bengals. What the heck? Let s put him out there, Jets coach Rex Ryan said. They have a pretty decent kid out there. Cincinnati s A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in football, so Allen will have his hands full. If he can cover that kid, then he can cover them all, Ryan said. If he can cover that kid, then we know we re in good shape because that guy s about as good as it gets. I think our entire fan base would sleep a lot better. I don t know if he can do that. I don t know if anybody can. That would be a tough matchup, that s for sure, for anybody. 15 P a g e

16 Allen got beat a few times in Tuesday s practice, once by Eric Decker for a touchdown in a red zone drill. The Jets moved Allen over to corner after losing starter Dee Milliner to a high left ankle sprain. They also are missing Dimitri Patterson, who has calf, ankle and quad injuries, and Dexter McDougle, who is out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Ryan is confident Allen can man the position. He s just a good football player, Ryan said. Regardless of where we put him, he s going to play well. Geno Smith shines through the rain at Jets practice (Brian Costello) New York Post CORTLAND The Jets went through a rain-soaked practice Tuesday and some players fared better than others in the elements. Quarterback Geno Smith had a strong day and seemed unaffected by the rain drops. He finished 5-of-11 during team drills and two of the incompletions were drops. Smith hit wide receiver Eric Decker for a 10- yard touchdown during a red-zone drill. Smith took 19 first-team reps. Backup quarterback Michael Vick did not play as well. Vick took only two reps with the first team. He finished 4-of-12 and was sacked twice. He clearly had trouble gripping the wet ball. It was different, Vick said of practicing in the rain. It took awhile to get used to, and it wasn t one of my best practices by any means, but I managed. I got through it WR Stephen Hill had a terrible practice. He dropped two passes and maybe even a third, depending on how hard a grader you are. Hill has had a strong training camp, but did not have a catch in the first preseason game with the Colts and then stumbled Tuesday. Today, we ve got to get that thing straight, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said of the dropped passes Despite the rain, or maybe because of it, the Jets had their most spirited practice of camp. The Jets closed the practice to fans and moved it onto the turf field. Things got loud during a red-zone drill with the offense and defense woofing at each other TE Jeff Cumberland left practice with tightness in an Achilles tendon. Rookie S Calvin Pryor delivered a huge hit on WR Saalim Hakim, a sign he is all the way back. The third-team offense had a nice series at the end of practice, ending with QB Tajh Boyd finding TE Chris Pantale for a touchdown. Decker (quad), RB Chris Ivory (ribs) and CB Jeremy Reeves (knee) were limited in practice. CB Ras-I Dowling (groin), CB Dexter McDougle (knee), CB Dee Milliner (ankle), CB Dimitri Patterson (quad, calf, ankle), WR Shaq Evans (shoulder) and OT Markus Zusevics (knee) did not practice. Rex still won t say it, but Geno will be the starter (Brian Costello) New York Post 16 P a g e

17 CORTLAND The Jets first team took 21 snaps in 11-on-11 drills at Tuesday s practice. Geno Smith was the quarterback for 19 of them. Smith will start Saturday night s preseason game against the Bengals, just as he started last week s game against the Colts. Over the last four practices, Smith has taken 63 first-ream reps while Michael Vick has had just 12. So, Smith is the team s starting quarterback, right? Not if you ask coach Rex Ryan, who continues to go along with general manager John Idzik s competition farce. Ryan was asked Tuesday if he s ready to acknowledge Smith is the starting quarterback. For the regular season? No, we re not ready to do that, Ryan said. Why not? Just don t feel like it, Ryan said. Ryan did not end up turning sideways at this press conference like he did last year when being grilled about Smith vs. Mark Sanchez, but he clearly wants to wait before saying what everyone at training camp has seen Smith is the starter. We know things can happen and that s why it s like, let everything work out and we ll [say it] at the right time, Ryan said. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Jets had not decided how the playing time will be divided Saturday. Usually in the second preseason game, the starters stay in for a half. Ryan acknowledged Smith will start, but not how long he will play. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said it is possible Vick will get a series with the starters, as he did last week, but Vick didn t sound so sure. It s going to be tough, Vick said. This is a week where, I think, the starters are going to play a half. I know what that s about and I know what it s like and I know the reasoning behind that, so if not, then I have to go out and play with my group and go out there with confidence and try to lead them, so I have the utmost confidence in them, and nothing s going to change. Smith has had a good training camp, and nothing he has done has opened the door for Vick to take the starting job from him. The only way Smith can lose the job now is if he completely screws up against the Bengals or next week against the Giants, and even then, it s doubtful. It has been clear from the start the Jets wanted Smith to be the starter, even as Idzik and Ryan peddled their competition spin. Mornhinweg said he has been pleased with what he has seen from both quarterbacks. Geno has had an outstanding camp, Mornhinweg said. Mike has had an outstanding camp. Now we just have to minimize a couple of things that have occurred. That s why we practice by the way. But for all of the quarterbacks, I ll take last preseason game, each quarterback had one thing, so we need to minimize [each of] those one things. Then we ll be in good shape. This weekend, Smith will be returning to the site of one of the Jets worst losses last season. The Bengals smoked the Jets 49-9 in a game that saw Smith throw two interceptions. Smith said he won t be thinking about last year when he takes the field, and has some simple goals. 17 P a g e