NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS October 27, 2015 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets' Eric Decker and wife Jessie tackle bullying in schools (Dennis Waszak, Jr.)... 2 Jets bemoan missed opportunities in loss to Patriots (Dennis Waszak, Jr.)... 3 Jets Mangold has sore neck, X-rays negative (Dennis Waszak, Jr.)... 5 NEWSDAY... 6 Jets' Willie Colon, Ryan Fitzpatrick lament missed opportunities (Kimberley A. Martin)... 6 Todd Bowles says Geno Smith was not an option on final plays of game (Kimberley A. Martin)... 7 X-rays show Nick Mangold has sore neck (Kimberley A. Martin)... 8 Todd Bowles walks us through timeout strategy against Patriots (Kimberley A. Martin)... 8 THE RECORD... 9 Jets Todd Bowles sticks to his guns (J.P. Pelzman)... 9 NEW YORK TIMES After a Loss to the Patriots, a Familiar Routine for the Jets (Ben Shpigel) ESPN NEW YORK Darrelle Revis: Jets got 'suckered' by Pats QB Tom Brady (Rich Cimini) NEW YORK POST Jets, Nick Mangold get the good news they were waiting for (Brian Costello) The 4 non-patriots threats to Jets making the playoffs (Steve Serby) How are the Jets coping after crushing loss to rival Patriots? (Brian Costello) Jets rewind: Patriots expose a blueprint in maddening escape (Brian Costello) NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Jets' Willie Colon on Nick Mangold (neck injury): 'I don't think anybody can replace him' (Darryl Slater) Jets' Todd Bowles' clock management vs. New England Patriots made no sense (Dom Cosentino) Nick Mangold, Buster Skrine, Calvin Pryor Jets injuries a day after loss at New England Patriots (Darryl Slater)20 X-rays on Jets center Nick Mangold's neck come back negative, source confirms (Darryl Slater) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Jets losing to undefeated Patriots in October isn t crushing their season (Manish Mehta) Tests on Nick Mangold s neck come back clean, Jets center cleared after injury scare (Manish Mehta, Seth Walder) Jets coach Todd Bowles defends not using timeouts vs. Patriots (Seth Walder) METRO NEW YORK Jets' loss deflating for the moment only (Kristian Dyer) P a g e

2 MONDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets' Eric Decker and wife Jessie tackle bullying in schools (Dennis Waszak, Jr.) Associated Press October 27, FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Eric Decker never actually heard the gunshots. The New York Jets wide receiver remembers being in the school lunchroom when the "Code Red" ominously blared over the intercom. As teachers frantically tried to move students to safety, Decker headed to the library with 10 other kids who piled into a closet and locked the door behind them. Then, they waited. Some cried while others tried to console them. For 45 minutes, Decker and his classmates feared they could be next. "It's all still very vivid to me," Decker told The Associated Press, shaking his head. "Every year, especially on the date, it always kind of brings me back. It's crazy." On Sept. 24, 2003, freshman John Jason McLaughlin brought a gun into Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota, and shot 15-year-old Seth Bartell and 17-year-old Aaron Rollins. McLaughlin was found guilty of first- and second-degree murder. During his trial, the issue of whether McLaughlin had been teased or bullied by Bartell about his severe acne was often mentioned as a possible motive. "In a small town like that, you just never think that's going to happen," said Decker, a junior at the time. Decker was friends with Bartell's brother, Jesse, and recalled running from the lunchroom when his buddy spotted a body on the gymnasium floor across the hall. "He screamed, 'That's my brother! That's my brother!'" said Decker, staring at the ground. "That's the only and last thing I heard or saw. I still get a little scared in certain situations. For about two years after that, I was just on edge always, just with people around me and in certain settings. It was definitely tough." That experience has driven Decker to partner with STOMP Out Bullying, along with his wife Jessie, to educate students, teachers and parents. The Jets launched an anti-bullying campaign by donating 1,000 prevention toolkits to area schools, and the Deckers wanted to be ambassadors to the program through their foundation. On Tuesday, the couple was scheduled to appear at Albert Leonard Middle School in New Rochelle, New York, to help announce their program. "Having kids, there's just that realization even more to put a stop to all of these issues," said Decker, the father of two young children. "I think it starts, obviously, at home with proper communication and just not holding things in. That sort of escalates some situations." While Decker said he never was personally bullied while growing up, the issue hits home for his wife. The country music star experienced her share of uncomfortable moments as a self-described "military kid," moving 12 times and always trying to fit in. Things were worst in Newnan, Georgia, from seventh through 11th grades. 2 P a g e

3 "I was tortured, pretty much, by these kids," she said during a phone interview with the AP. "I think it messed with me so much that I still to this day can't drive by a school without some anxiety or just feeling sick to my stomach." Jessie Decker still has nightmares every now and then about that time in her life. At one sleepover, a girl she had never met poured what she called "a huge bucket of slop" over her head. "It was like something out of the movie 'Carrie,'" she said. Decker was also voted to the homecoming court by her choir peers, then was booed by many students when her name was announced. She remembers being chased between classes by girls with scissors wanting to cut her waist-length hair. There was also the "I Hate Jessie James Club" website that someone started. "I would hide underneath my hoodies just to get to classes," she recalled. "And then when class was over, I'd just run so I could escape anyone trying to find me in the parking lot. It was so horrible." She never really understood the reason for the despicable acts. Decker said she developed at an early age, which might have caused jealousy, and was always involved in singing and performing. A few months ago, she received an from "one of the mean girls," who wrote a massive apology for how she and her friends acted toward her. The woman said the girls were "full of envy and jealousy." Decker wrote back to the woman and accepted her apology. "I think it made me feel validated because for so long after that stuff happened, I wondered if I had just made it all up because it was so horrible," Decker said. "After she wrote to me, it was like, 'OK, they did do this to me and this is real.'" Decker said her husband helped her break out of her shell after often sitting in the corner at parties or events. "It was just because I was scared," she said, adding she has also overcome stage fright, thanks in large part to her fans. The NFL experienced a bullying scandal in 2013, when then-miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin accused teammates Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey of harassing him. That incident sparked debate about the culture of sports, whether athletes go too far with hazing young players. Eric Decker acknowledged there's a "macho man" mentality to sports, but thinks the line is crossed when things get too personal no matter how old people are. "I always just want to ask the question, 'Why? What makes you want to tease someone else?'" he said. "I understand, obviously, there's always little jabs and even at our age, we'll tease our good friends. But it's about when it becomes very personal and whether it's their appearance or learning ability things that might be really sensitive. Unless you really know the person, why would you ever do that?" Kids who are bullied need to know they're not alone: Parents, teachers and coaches can be resources to help them through difficult times. "I think the message needs to be put across that it feels a lot better to be nice to people than it does to be mean," Jessie Decker said. "Hurting people maybe lasts a few seconds for you, but to do something really great for somebody, that lasts forever." Jets bemoan missed opportunities in loss to Patriots (Dennis Waszak, Jr.) 3 P a g e

4 Associated Press October 26, NEW YORK (AP) The game film confirmed everything the New York Jets already figured. A victory was there for the taking against the New England Patriots on Sunday. They just couldn't seal the deal. "I think the hardest thing to swallow," right guard Willie Colon said Monday, "was that we had them right where we wanted to." New York took a lead into the fourth quarter, and Nick Folk's 30-yard field goal made it with just under 13 minutes left. That's when Tom Brady went to work. The Patriots quarterback completed 14 of 17 passes while leading New England on two touchdown drives for a victory at Gillette Stadium. "We were the more physical team," Colon said. "I felt like we were able to make a lot of big plays on third down that kept the drives going. We just didn't score enough touchdowns. When it came late in the game, obviously Brady took over and those guys made the bigger plays that counted. You have to take your hats off to them." With the loss, the Jets dropped to 4-2 two games behind the AFC East-leading Patriots, who remained undefeated at 6-0. Some fans and media were impressed by how tough the Jets played their rivals, narrowing the gap perhaps in a division that has been won by the Patriots 12 of the last 14 years. All that, though, meant little to coach Todd Bowles. "There are no statements when you lose," he said. "You've got to win games. We're not in this thing to play close games." And with that, the Jets were already turning their focus on their next opponent: the Oakland Raiders, who are 3-3 after a victory at San Diego. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was actually reviewing tape of the Raiders "multitasking," he called it while speaking to the media on a conference call. "We're onto the next game here and trying to figure out the best way to attack Oakland," Fitzpatrick said. "In every game, you're going to learn stuff and there's some stuff that we learned from, whether it was situations or whether it was different routes or the way that we called certain plays, we'll get better each and every game. You've got to be quick to move on." That doesn't mean the loss to the Patriots didn't sting. Brandon Marshall dropped a pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter on a drive in which the Jets had to settle for a field goal and just a four-point lead rather than eight points. Marshall also was called for a false start penalty that ended the game after New York had recovered an onside kick and reached the Patriots 37 one play later. Bowles also took some heat for his clock management and not using any of the Jets' timeouts during the Patriots' final touchdown drive. 4 P a g e

5 "They were all positive plays," he said of the Patriots' drive. "Had we stopped them at any shorter time when we could have used a timeout, we would have used it." The Jets also had no answer for Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had 11 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. But they did shut down New England's running game, holding the Patriots to 16 total yards on nine rushes with Brady leading the team with 15 yards. With New York RB Chris Ivory dealing with tightness in one of his hamstrings, he finished with just 41 yards on 17 carries. "Everybody was kind of disappointed," Colon said. "I think at the end of the day, we all understand where we're at. We still control our season, we still control our fate. The one thing we can't do is let this resonate." Certainly not against the Raiders, who turned two interceptions of Philip Rivers into 10 points on Sunday against San Diego and got three TD passes from Derek Carr. Rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper already has 33 catches for 519 yards and three TDs, including three games of 100 or more yards receiving. Bowles plans to have the Jets leave for Oakland after practice Friday, making no changes to the itinerary despite the cross-country flight. "We have to learn from our mistakes and clean up the little things, but if we linger on this game, then we're going to get beat next week," Bowles said. "Oakland played a heck of a ball game (Sunday). We know we have to move on. We know what kind of fight we have..." Jets Mangold has sore neck, X-rays negative (Dennis Waszak, Jr.) Associated Press October 26, NEW YORK (AP) Nick Mangold avoided what initially appeared to be a lot more than just a pain in the neck. Multiple tests an X-ray, a CT scan and an MRI exam on the New York Jets center came back negative Monday, and coach Todd Bowles described the injury simply as a "sore neck." "I don't know the timetable on him getting better," Bowles said. "I just know it's not as bad as we thought it was." Mangold left the Jets' loss at New England on Sunday late in the fourth quarter when his head was knocked into by Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins on a play. He stayed face-down on the field for a few moments before eventually sitting up as trainers and doctors checked on him, and walked off the field on his own at Gillette Stadium. Bowles said the team will see how Mangold feels as the week goes along to determine his availability for Sunday's game at Oakland. Second-year offensive lineman Dakota Dozier replaced him for three snaps against the Patriots. "Nick is our field general just as much as Fitz is," said right guard Willie Colon, referring to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. "Just his ability to put us, especially the line, in a place where we can be effective and make the right calls. He's everything for us and he's pretty much a coach on the field." 5 P a g e

6 While Mangold has experienced stinger injuries during his career, Bowles didn't think that was the case with the latest injury from what he was told from doctors, calling it a "muscle/neck" situation. Safety Calvin Pryor has a sprained ankle and his availability is also uncertain. Cornerback Buster Skrine has injuries to his shoulder and some fingers on one of his hands, but Bowles said he should be fine. Bowles said punter Ryan Quigley's right shin was "feeling better" Monday after he sat out the game. The Jets had to sign Steve Weatherford on Saturday when they realized Quigley would potentially be sidelined. In a pinch, they called Weatherford, who lives in New Jersey, while the punter was on-air doing a radio show. "He was the only one in close proximity," Bowles said, "that could probably get on a plane that we kind of knew of at that point in time." Bowles said Weatherford did OK despite being rusty after not having punted in a game since the preseason with the Giants. Weatherford's net average was 30.8 yards on four punts against the Patriots. Bowles said the Jets will see how Quigley feels at practice Wednesday and make a decision on the position when he's healthy. Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett cleared waivers Monday and was added to the Jets' season-ending injured reserve list with knee and shoulder injuries. NEWSDAY Jets' Willie Colon, Ryan Fitzpatrick lament missed opportunities (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday October 27, Good teams know how to finish off their opponents. Unfortunately for the Jets, they couldn't score enough touchdowns to put away New England. "A team like that, when you have a chance to put the knife in them, you've got to do so," guard Willie Colon said Monday, a day after the Jets lost to the Patriots, "If not, they're going to turn around and do it to you. And that's what happened.'' But, in many respects, the upcoming week will say more about Todd Bowles' team than the final minutes of Sunday's letdown. And his players know it. In other words: Everyone's on to Oakland. "I'm multitasking right now, paying attention to your questions but also watching Raiders film,'' quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "So we're on to the next game here and trying to figure out the best way to attack Oakland... You've got to be quick to move on.'' "We still control our season, we still control our fate,'' Colon said. "One thing we can't do is let this kind of resonate. We've got to be able to drop it because Oakland's a good team and they're fighting hard.'' The Raiders (3-3) aren't as talented as the Patriots (6-0), but they're an upstart team with wins over the Ravens, Browns and the Chargers. 6 P a g e

7 "Right now, how they're trending, it's going upwards,'' Colon said. "Obviously, it's a tough loss, but we've got to be able to move on from it. Because if we don't, and we go into Oakland with this still on our minds and we're not physical like we need to be, Oakland will beat us. And we can't have that.'' But even with their focus on the Raiders, the Jets (4-2) still were lamenting missed opportunities -- the dropped passes on potential touchdowns by Jeff Cumberland on third-and-goal at the 2 and Brandon Marshall on third-and-7 from the 12. Both times the Jets had to settle for field goals. "Those were huge,'' said Fitzpatrick, who threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns and gained 29 yards on five carries. "Not being able to be perfect down there in the red zone, that was a huge part of the game, and it definitely could have changed the outcome if we were able to convert there.'' Then there was Julian Edelman's 27-yard catch-and-run on third-and-17 early in the fourth that kept alive the Patriots' go-ahead touchdown drive. "We felt that we played well throughout three quarters,'' cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "In the fourth quarter, we were up 20-16, but those last couple minutes, we made some mistakes.'' But while players rued their blown chances, Bowles stuck to his convictions on his late-game clock management. He was asked if he thought he made a mistake saving all three of his timeouts during the Patriots' final touchdown drive. Bowles essentially said he would have called timeout had it not been a short-yardage situation after Edelman's 8-yard catch on first-and-10 from the Jets' 44 with about three minutes left. Todd Bowles says Geno Smith was not an option on final plays of game (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday October 27, Geno Smith never was an option for the Hail Mary, said Todd Bowles. The Jets coach admitted Sunday that Ryan Fitzpatrick's arm strength, or lack thereof, was the reason behind his decision to call a short pass over the middle -- at the New England with a seven-point deficit, 14 seconds on the clock and no timeouts. The play call resulted in a completion -- a 12-yarder to Eric Decker that put the ball at the Patriots' 37 with time running out. But Brandon Marshall's false-start penalty as the ball was spiked resulted in a 10-second runoff and the Patriots came away with a win. In his postgame interview, Bowles said he wanted the offense to get closer to the end zone before attempting the Hail Mary -- hence his decision to have Fitzpatrick throw a short pass over the middle. And on Monday, Bowles had no regrets about his play-calling. "For Fitzpatrick, it probably would have been deeper than that if he had gone back and scrambled and gone back and everything, but Geno was cold," Bowles said. "He was on the bench all game. It would have been unfair to put him in the game and ask him to throw one ball." Did Fitzpatrick think he could have heaved a Hail Mary from the Patriots' 49? "I think I max out at about 30 yards with my arm strength," he said, sarcastically during a conference call. Then, he added with a laugh: "I'm glad you guys can't see my face right now." 7 P a g e

8 So what is his optimum throwing distance? "I think the closer you are the higher percentage you have," the Jets quarterback said. "The less you have to hold up the rush and potentially the firmer the throw can be depending on what you're calling. I would say the percentage probably goes up whether you're on the 50 and getting down to the 30, 35, 40, wherever it is." X-rays show Nick Mangold has sore neck (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday October 26, The Jets were relieved when Nick Mangold's test results came back Monday. "Everything was negative,'' coach Todd Bowles said on a conference call. With a minute left in Sunday's loss at New England, Mangold was forced to leave the game with a neck injury. The center lay motionless on the turf as a few teammates and Patriots players knelt nearby. After being helped to his feet by the Jets' medical staff, Mangold walked to the sideline under his own power and was carted to the locker room. He was spotted wearing a neck brace after the game, but Bowles said Monday that Mangold has only a sore neck. It's unclear whether the 10-year veteran will play Sunday at Oakland. When Bowles was asked about his level of concern, he said: "Well, not as much as it would have been had the X-rays showed something else. I don't know the timetable on him getting better. I just know that it's not as bad as we thought it was. He's sore and he's got to get treatment and everything else and see if it loosens up.'' Jets guard Willie Colon said his O-line buddy is "in good spirits'' and "doing everything he can'' to be ready for the Raiders. Colon acknowledged how critical Mangold's absence is for the offense. "He's everything for us,'' Colon said. "He's pretty much a coach on the field. His value is huge... I don't think anyone can replace him.'' In other injury news, Bowles said running back Chris Ivory has "a little tightness in his thigh'' and safety Calvin Pryor has a sprained ankle. Cornerback Buster Skrine has a finger injury, "but he should be OK.'' Todd Bowles walks us through timeout strategy against Patriots (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday October 26, To no surprise, Todd Bowles was again asked Monday about his clock management in the final minutes of Sunday's loss to New England. And his answer was still the same. No, the Jets coach doesn't regret saving all three of his timeouts during the Patriots' final touchdown drive. 8 P a g e

9 With 5:32 remaining, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw a 4-yard pass over the middle to Rob Gronkowski, followed by a no-huddle pass to Aaron Dobson for 7 yards. The Patriots went no-huddle again on the next play and Brady hit Danny Amendola on a 13-yard completion. The passes came in rapid succession. And with 3:44 on the clock, Brady found another open target. On first-and-10 from the Jets' 44, Julian Edelman hauled in an 8-yard catch to put New England at the Jets' 36. "It was second-and-2," Bowles said on a conference call with reporters Monday. "They had just got a first down. You can't call a timeout on a first down and if we got them at about [second-and-]4 or 3... we would have called the timeout. But at second-and-2, had they got the first down, we'd have wasted one then." Bowles was later asked about his timeout strategy during his weekly radio spot on the "Michael Kay Show." "If we got them to second-and-long, that's one thing," the coach said on air. "But second-and-short and they get the first down, if we use our timeouts, we don't even get a chance to kick a field goal or onside kick. We were waiting for the right situation to try to call them but it's hard to call them on first-and-10 and second-and-short." Bowles noted that he has confidence in his defense, but the unit failed to stop Brady on the previous completions and "it's not like we were trying to stop the run, we were trying to stop a pass," the coach said, "and with the people they had in there, they had, like, four wideouts and one tight end. So we hadn't stopped them the first two or three times, so we were trying to stop them on second-and-short and get us to third down, we would have called one. But either way, it's hindsight. I don't second-guess that." And neither do his players. "That's above my pay grade," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said when asked about Bowles' decision not to call timeout. "We're out there to play and those are all Coach's decisions and we're going to stand behind him 100 percent with that." Said Darrelle Revis: "I don't know if a timeout should have been called or not, that's Coach's call. He has tough decisions... With the game plan, we felt very confident coming into the game. These games that come down to the wire, come down to making a play. Down the stretch they made a couple more plays than we did." THE RECORD Jets Todd Bowles sticks to his guns (J.P. Pelzman) The Record October 27, Nearly 24 hours of real time had passed since Todd Bowles had allowed New England to use up four minutes, 19 seconds of clock time without calling a timeout. But the Jets coach wasn't second-guessing himself when he spoke to reporters on a conference call Monday, one day after his team's loss to unbeaten New England. Bowles reiterated what he said right after the game: that he didn't use any timeouts while on defense because the Jets were having trouble stopping the New England offense. 9 P a g e

10 Here's how it went: New England got the ball on its 32-yard line with 5:32 left, leading the Jets, The Jets had all three of their timeouts left. Tom Brady engineered a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that took the 4:19 off the clock, leaving the Jets only 1:13 on the clock and a 10-point deficit. Yes, they still had three timeouts, but they could have had more time to play with if Bowles had played it differently. But he had no regrets, even a day later. "They were all positive plays" for the Patriots, Bowles said. "Had we stopped them at any [point in] time when we could have used a timeout, we would have used it. They were all positive plays on their side, not on our side, so it was really hard to do." In other words, Bowles didn't want to call a timeout until the Jets' defense came up with a play to put New England into an unfavorable down-and-distance situation. However, the only times that happened during the drive were when Brady threw two straight incompletions, setting up a third-and-10 at the Jets' 33. Naturally, the clock stopped on those passes. But Bowles chose not to spend a timeout before that, when a rare run by James White gave the Pats a first down at the 33. Nor did he use one after Brady's 7-yard pass to Danny Amendola, immediately after the two-minute warning, gave New England a second-and-3 at the Jets' 15. New England milked 30-plus seconds off the clock in both instances. Bowles indicated if he hadn't saved his timeouts, the Jets probably would not have gotten Nick Folk's 55- yard field goal with 18 seconds left. Brandon Marshall then recovered the onside kick, but the Jets were unable to get off a desperation heave because Marshall was called for a false start for not being set while Ryan Fitzpatrick was trying to spike the ball before time expired. The 10-second runoff for Marshall's penalty ended the game. The Jets were charged a timeout with 54 seconds left when center Nick Mangold suffered a neck injury and had to be attended to on the field. Bowles said X-rays on Mangold were negative, but indicated his status for Sunday's game at Oakland is uncertain. Second-year pro Dakota Dozier finished the game at center. "I don't know the timetable on him getting better," Bowles said. "I just know it's not as bad as we thought it was. He's sore, he has to get treatment and everything else and see if it loosens up." Fitzpatrick and right guard Willie Colon said Mangold's presence is important not just in terms of his talent, but for his experience in making the proper pre-snap calls for the offensive line. "He means a lot to our team," Fitzpatrick said. "He means a lot to the guys up front in terms of the communication aspect. It was tough seeing him go down Sunday, but good to see him walking around the building" Monday. "Nick is obviously our field general just as much as Fitz is," Colon said. "His ability to put the line in a place where we can be effective [and] make the right calls he's everything for us. He's pretty much a coach on the field. His value is huge. I don't think anybody can replace him." NEW YORK TIMES After a Loss to the Patriots, a Familiar Routine for the Jets (Ben Shpigel) New York Times October 26, P a g e

11 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. The Jets do not like the routine, but they are familiar with it. They play New England, they lose to New England, and then they assemble the next day to discuss what they did wrong while losing to New England. From season to season, the reason changes, although it is always some toxic cocktail of blown coverages and dropped passes, communication lapses and red-zone inefficiency. The margin of defeat fluctuates, too, though it is usually small. Three combined points last year. Seven on Sunday, when, after a false-start penalty on Brandon Marshall, time ran out on the Jets 37 yards away from the end zone. There are no statements when you lose, Coach Todd Bowles said. We ve got to win games. We re not in this thing to play close games. The Jets have won their four games by an average of 15 points and absorbed both losses, including Sunday by 30-23, by a touchdown. It is not their fault, but until being shredded by Tom Brady, they had not played a high-scoring team. Besides No. 1 New England, only the Dolphins among the Jets opponents rank above the league average, and they sit at ninth only because they scored 44 on Sunday against Houston. So far, the Jets have muzzled Johnny Manziel and Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford (in a loss) and Ryan Tannehill and also Kirk Cousins. Presented with a quarterback of Brady s caliber, who was operating an offense that refused to integrate the run, the Jets defense crumpled. Brady was so efficient that of his 20 incompletions, according to Pro Football Focus, 14 were dropped, deflected at the line of scrimmage or tossed away on purpose. Against the Jets, Brady mounted six scoring drives, the last two of them 10-play touchdown masterpieces of 80 and 68 yards that served an important function. The Jets did not learn anything Sunday so much as relearn. They were reminded that favorable statistical oddities do not translate into victories: They lost despite gaining more first downs and more total yardage; holding a six-minute edge in time of possession; and allowing all of 1 yard rushing to running backs. They were reminded how the Patriots prey on their mistakes. Brady is too smart not to detect and exploit them, and so are his receivers. Once Julian Edelman noticed Dion Bailey turning his hips in coverage on the pivotal third-and-17 play in the fourth quarter, he zipped inside and caught a 27-yard pass. Once Brady recognized that the Jets were blitzing on New England s final scoring drive, he waited for the rush to reach him before flipping a pass to Rob Gronkowski, who ran into the end zone untouched. In the fourth quarter, Brady completed 14 of 17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. You know they re going to rally, guard Willie Colon said. They re going to make the plays they need to make. You can t leave points out there. You can t even leave plays out there. On conference calls Monday, Bowles and a few players lamented opportunities missed. Foremost among them, that third-and-17 debacle we felt very confident about what we wanted to do at that point, cornerback Darrelle Revis said but also the Jets first two field-goal drives. On the first, they had three chances to score from inside the 4-yard line but could not. On the second, Marshall dropped what would have been a 12-yard touchdown. When you have a chance like that to put the knife in them, you ve got to do so, Colon said. If not, then they re going to turn around and do it to you. And that s what happened. 11 P a g e

12 In Bowles s rookie season, it has been both a rapid ascent and a slow march for the Jets. Already they have equaled their win total from Each victory has legitimized their expectations and established their credibility. And yet they are still trying to narrow the distance between them and the Patriots, who beat them for the third straight time and the eighth time in nine games. In the standings, the Jets, at 4-2, still sit in an enviable position, which they recognize. They have asserted their superiority against lesser teams, and their next seven opponents are a combined 18-28, with only one, the Giants, above.500. But that record is somewhat misleading. Oakland, next on the docket, is emerging. Miami, after changing coaches, is thriving. And Buffalo, however discombobulated it might look, is loaded with talent and will be amped for a divisional matchup and Rex Ryan s return to MetLife Stadium. It s a process to make progress, Bowles said. We made progress, but not enough. We got to turn those losses into wins. EXTRA POINTS All tests on Nick Mangold s neck came back clean Monday, said Todd Bowles, who was not ready to speculate on Mangold s availability for Sunday s game at Oakland. I just know it s not as bad as we thought it was, Bowles said. Mangold went into the locker room late in the fourth quarter and left afterward wearing a neck brace. ESPN NEW YORK Darrelle Revis: Jets got 'suckered' by Pats QB Tom Brady (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York October 26, FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- They got played by the master -- Tom Brady, that is. We tried to switch things up on Tom and show him different looks, but Tom is great," New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said after Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots. "He suckered in the defense. That s what he did down the stretch. How did the No. 1-ranked defense get suckered? Before we get to that, let's mention Brady's brilliant fourth-quarter performance for-17, 150 yards and two touchdowns. It doesn't get much better than that. Here's how Brady did it: 1. He spread the ball around, hitting four different receivers. Tight end Rob Gronkowski came alive in the final quarter, catching six balls for 55 yards and a touchdown -- better numbers than the Jets' tight ends have produced for the entire season. The balanced distribution made it hard for the Jets to key on any single player. 2. He stayed in the middle of the field, working the safeties and linebackers and avoiding Revis and Antonio Cromartie. Of Brady's 14 completions in the fourth quarter, only one came against a cornerback. 3. He picked on the Jets' so-called weak links -- the injury replacements, safety Dion Bailey (for Calvin Pryor) and nickel back Marcus Williams (Buster Skrine). Play after play, Brady located the fill-ins and attacked. Unofficially, Bailey allowed four completions for 41 yards, Williams one for eight yards (a touchdown) on the Patriots' final two drives. 12 P a g e

13 4. He beat Todd Bowles in chess. On a second-and-3 from the Jets' 15, Bowles sent an all-out blitz, rushing seven. One of them was Gilchrist, who came on an overload blitz from the strong side. It was child's play for Brady. Gronkowski didn't block Gilchrist, leaking out into a pass route. He caught a lob over the pass rush for an easy, walk-in touchdown. 5. He capitalized on a communication mistake by Bowles. Moments before Gronkowski's touchdown, the Jets got burned on a third-and-10. The Jets sent a cover-zero blitz, but not everyone was on the same page. Danny Amendola made an 11-yard catch to keep the drive alive. "That was my fault," Bowles said. "We made an adjustment on the sideline and I didn't get it put on the field and I didn't get it across to the players very well, so I'll take the heat on that one." NEW YORK POST Jets, Nick Mangold get the good news they were waiting for (Brian Costello) New York Post October 27, The Jets got good news about center Nick Mangold, who left Sunday s game late with a neck injury. All of the tests came back negative, and he just has a sore neck. Coach Todd Bowles said he is unsure about the timetable for Mangold, but was encouraged by the news. I just know it s not as bad as we thought it was, Bowles said. He s sore. He s got to get treatment and everything else and see if it loosens up. Losing Mangold for any period of time would be a huge blow. Nick is our field general just as much as [quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick] is, guard Willie Colon said. His ability to put the line in a place where we can be effective and make the right calls, he s everything for us. He s pretty much a coach on the field. His value is huge. I don t think anybody can replace him. In other injury news: safety Calvin Pryor has a sprained ankle, running back Chris Ivory is dealing with a tight left hamstring and cornerback Buster Skrine has a finger injury. Some people have floated the idea the Jets should have put backup quarterback Geno Smith in for the Jets final series to throw a Hail Mary. Bowles indicated after the game Fitzpatrick would not have been able to throw it into the end zone from the 49-yard line. Smith has a stronger arm. Bowles said he never considered that, though. With Fitzpatrick, it probably would have been deeper than that had he gone back and scrambled and gone back and everything, Bowles said. Geno was cold. He was on the bench all game. That would be unfair to try to put the kid in like that to try to throw one ball. Fitzpatrick cracked a joke when asked about his range on Monday. I think I max out at about 30 yards with my arm strength, he deadpanned. Bowles continued to face questions on his time management at the end of the game. He said he had no regrets about not using a timeout when the Patriots had the ball. No, it was second-and-2. They had just gotten a first down. You can t call a timeout on a first down, Bowles said. If we got them about 4 [yards to go] or 3 we would have called a timeout, but it was second- 13 P a g e

14 and-2. Had they gotten the first down we would have wasted one then and probably not have gotten the field goal. Bowles basically assumed the Patriots would be able to convert second-and-2. If he had used a timeout before that, it would have been wasted. The Patriots would have run the clock down and the Jets would have not had enough timeouts when they got the ball on offense. Cornerback Darrelle Revis was asked if he has studied Raiders rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper: A little. Your thoughts? He s a talent, Revis said. The 4 non-patriots threats to Jets making the playoffs (Steve Serby) New York Post October 27, It is too early to concede Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their seventh consecutive division title. Too many things can happen, the NFL is a marathon not a sprint, blah blah blah. So by no means should Todd Bowles and the Jets abandon their designs on a coup d etat. But because Brady is playing at such a dominant level, imposing his will and imposing Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman on exasperated defenses, Sunday in Oakland is a must-win conference game in case the wild card soon becomes a more realistic goal for Gang Green and their long-suffering fans. The Jets, as long as Ryan Fitzpatrick plays like he did against the Pats, should be considered a favorite for a wild-card berth. Fitzpatrick would have beaten more than a few quarterbacks Sunday. Brady was not one of them. Right now we are looking at a five-team race for the two available AFC wild-card berths, and this game against the rejuvenated Silver & Black takes on even extra importance because the Raiders are one of them. With Derek Carr throwing to wide receiver Amari Cooper, the fourth pick in last spring s draft, and running backs Latavius Murray (power) and Taiwan Jones (speed) providing balance, there is light at the end of the Black Hole at last. Cooper is the third rookie to reach 500 receiving yards in his first six games. The other two: Randy Moss and Anquan Boldin. Darrelle Revis: He s a talent. Carr: He s amazing. He s awesome. A look at the Jets threats: Steelers (4-3) Mike Tomlin has held it together with Michael Vick and Landry Jones filling in for Ben Roethlisberger, and Le Veon Bell (two games) and Martavis Bryant (four) serving suspensions. With Big Ben due back for Sunday s home game against the 6-0 Bengals, Antonio Brown becomes a lethal weapon again. 14 P a g e

15 But the Steelers have to make hay now three consecutive home games against the Bengals, Raiders and Browns because four of their last six games will be on the road (Seattle, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Cleveland). Dolphins (3-3) Dan Campbell has resuscitated the Fish, who were dead in the water under Joe Philbin. There is no excuse for Ryan Tannehill not being the best quarterback not named Brady in the division. While he was throwing four TD passes against the Texans, Cameron Wake was registering four sacks a week earlier in Campbell s debut, and two more against the Texans, matching Ndamukong Suh. This just in: Belichick is impressed. Everybody is contributing they ve got plays coming from everywhere, he said Monday. Coach Campbell has done a good job in the short time that he s been in charge, but I d say what we ve seen the last two weeks from Miami has been a really solid team effort, and a lot of credit to go around to everybody. I don t think it s just one person. But now comes the hard part for the Tannenbaums: three consecutive road games, Thursday night at the Patriots followed by at the Bills and at the Eagles, and at the Jets two weeks later. Bills (3-4) Sexy Rexy isn t looking so sexy these days with an undisciplined, underachieving team. If Tyrod Taylor doesn t hurry back, IK Enemkpali might be tempted to unleash a jawbreaker on EJ Manuel. If Sexy Rexy doesn t fix his beloved defense, he won t have a snowball s chance in hell of reaching the playoffs for the first time since Misery loves company: the Bills haven t seen the playoffs since Sexy Rexy has a bye this week and then comes trouble: the Dolphins at home (pray for snow), followed by three consecutive road games at the Jets, at the Patriots, at the Chiefs. The Raiders have a somewhat easier stretch after the Jets: at the Steelers, home to the Vikings, at the Lions, at the Titans. I m forced to give the AFC East to the Pats. AFC wild-card prediction: Jets and Dolphins, unless Tannehill falters. Jets and Steelers in that case. How are the Jets coping after crushing loss to rival Patriots? (Brian Costello) New York Post October 26, Ryan Fitzpatrick was multi-tasking on Monday afternoon. While speaking to reporters on a conference call, the quarterback was watching film of the Raiders, the Jets next opponent. We re on to the next game here and trying to figure out the best way to attack Oakland, Fitzpatrick said. Yes, the Jets tried to move on quickly from their heartbreaking loss to the Patriots on Sunday. They came close to knocking off their AFC East rivals, but two fourth-quarter touchdown passes by Tom Brady dashed their upset hopes. 15 P a g e

16 Now, the key for the Jets is not to allow the disappointment of Sunday s to loss carry over into this week when they travel to Oakland to face a dangerous Raiders team. We ve got to learn from our mistakes and clean up the little things, but if we linger on this game we re going to get beat next week, Jets coach Todd Bowles said. Oakland played a heck of a ballgame [Sunday, beating the Chargers]. We know we ve got to move on. We know what kind of fight we have. The Jets gathered Monday to watch the film of the Patriots game and correct their mistakes, and saw everything their fans saw Sunday. For three-plus quarters, they looked as if they would win, game and then Brady took over. The hardest thing to swallow is we kind of had them right where we wanted them, guard Willie Colon said. I feel like we were the more physical team. I felt like we were able to make a lot of big plays on third down and keep the drives going. We just didn t score enough touchdowns. When it came late in the game, it was obvious Brady took over and those guys made the bigger plays that counted. There were several instances when the Jets did not execute, and it cost them. A third-and-17 conversion from Brady to Julian Edelman in the fourth quarter was chief among them. Bowles did not bring pressure on the play, choosing instead to play a zone coverage. He had no regrets about that call the day after. We were fine schematically, Bowles said. We just didn t stop them. Safety Dion Bailey, in the game because Calvin Pryor was injured, said after the game he could have done a better job on the play. He was right, Bowles said. He could have played it better. The Jets offense had two red-zone possessions that ended in field goals. The first came on their second drive of the game, when a third-down pass to tight end Jeff Cumberland was broken up by Patriots safety Patrick Chung. The second was in the fourth quarter, when Brandon Marshall dropped a sure touchdown. For us not to execute is tough, especially against a team like that, Colon said. You know they re going to rally and make the plays they need to make. You can t leave points out there. You can t even leave plays out there. It s a learning lesson. When you go against the Patriots, a team like that, when you have the chance to put the knife in them you have to do so. If not, they re going to turn around and do it to you. That s what happened. The Jets played the defending Super Bowl champions tough and still had a shot to tie the game in the final seconds, but they were not taking any moral victories away from this one. There are no statements when you lose, Bowles said. We ve got to win games. We re not in this thing to play close games. Jets rewind: Patriots expose a blueprint in maddening escape (Brian Costello) New York Post October 26, The Jets fell to the Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, dropping them to 4-2, two games behind New England in the AFC East. Here are some thoughts and observations from Sunday s game: 1. The Jets let one slip away. You can look at the positives from this game of how the Jets offense moved the ball and showed they could hang with their AFC East rivals. But this one has to sting Todd Bowles and Company. 16 P a g e

17 Everything was set up for the Jets in this one, and they still could not topple Tom Brady. The Patriots were missing two of their top three tackles. They did not have running back Dion Lewis, who could have given the Jets defense fits. Brady s wide receivers dropped at least nine passes. The Patriots were completely one-dimensional, with only one rushing yard from a running back. But the Patriots still won. The Jets have to be kicking themselves. It is so hard to beat the Patriots, but the door was open here with all of these Patriots issues. They were catching the Patriots when they were not at their best, but could not figure out a way to beat them. Brady got the Jets with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and showed things remain status quo in the division. There are plenty of positives for the Jets from this game, but the overall feeling they let one get away has to be killing them. 2. Bill Belichick is known for taking away the strength of an offense. He really did not have to do much against Chris Ivory, who was dealing with a hamstring injury, but he did shut down Brandon Marshall with double teams. Marshall had just four catches in the game as Belichick threw a bunch of different doubles at him. According to Marshall and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Marshall was double-teamed on every play. Is this the formula other teams are now going to follow? It will be difficult if Ivory is at 100 percent. You might want to walk that safety up to the line for an extra run defender instead of putting him on Marshall. But surely other teams are going to try this approach. Take away Marshall and make Eric Decker beat you. Decker played well against New England, catching six passes for 94 yards, but Marshall is just such a dynamic player that having him limited really hurts the Jets offense. You can be sure defensive coordinators were paying attention to what Belichick did Sunday. 3. The improved play of second-year safety Calvin Pryor has been somewhat overlooked during these first six weeks. Pryor has been playing at a very high level, including Sunday when he was matched up with Rob Gronkowski for a good part of the day. Pryor did a good job against Gronkowski and the Jets felt his absence when he left in the second half with an ankle injury. The simple thing is to say Pryor is playing better because he is back at strong safety, his natural position. The truth is I think he s just gotten better in his second season. The Jets still use him as a free safety in center field several times per game. He just looks like a more confident player. I think having Todd Bowles, who played safety in the NFL, as his head coach has helped him. I also think the addition of Marcus Gilchrist has helped him along. Pryor took a lot of heat in his rookie season. He deserves some recognition now. 4. Playing at Foxborough is about as tough as it gets in the NFL. The Jets schedule eases up now and they have a chance to go on a run. Here is a look at the rest of the Jets schedule and their opponents records: At Raiders (3-3) Vs. Jaguars (2-5) Vs. Bills (3-4) At Texans (2-5) Vs. Dolphins (3-3) 17 P a g e