NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS November 10, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 3 Jets get 4 turnovers, stun Big Ben, Steelers (Dennis Waszak)... 3 Jets stop Big Ben, Steelers in victory (Dennis Waszak)... 4 Jets' Vick becomes first QB to 6,000 yards rushing (Dennis Waszak)... 6 Big Ben, Steelers stopped by Jets in loss (Dennis Waszak)... 7 NEWSDAY... 8 Jets Q&A: How did they feel about having their victory formation attacked? (Kimberley Martin)... 8 It's the latest Jets 'fire' sale (Kimberley Martin) Jets snap eight-game losing streak with win over Steelers (Kimberley Martin) Michael Vick put in tough position: Would Jets have been better with him starting all season? (Neil Best) Jets' Jaiquawn Jarrett (who?) has 3 takeaways (Anthony Rieber) Grading Jets' win over the Steelers (Kimberley Martin) Soar loser takes off before win with 'Jets rebuilding since 1969' banner (Kimberley Martin) THE RECORD Jets replay vs. Steelers (Jeff Roberts) Jets notes: Unhappy with officials (J.P. Pelzman) Sullivan: Michael Vick shows Jets what might ve been (Tara Sullivan) Jets stop Big Ben, Steelers in victory (J.P. Pelzman) NJ ADVANCE MEDIA Why did Jets bench rookie safety Calvin Pryor in favor of Jaiquawn Jarrett? (Darryl Slater) Rex Ryan, Jets rip into officials for not doing enough to protect Michael Vick (Dom Cosentino) Linebacker Calvin Pace compares Jets snapping 8-game losing streak to winning Super Bowl (Darryl Slater) Michael Vick says he thinks Jets might have won more if he had started earlier. Does he have a point? (Darryl Slater) Rex Ryan shows he's going out in a blaze of glory after his Jets beat the Steelers (Steve Politi) Jets upset at Steelers for trying to wreck their victory formation (Dom Cosentino) Why Rex Ryan says he will start Michael Vick over Geno Smith in Jets' next game, at Buffalo Bills (Darryl Slater) Jets finally put it all together with shocking win over Pittsburgh Steelers Rapid reaction (Dom Cosentino) Jets beat the Steelers, but did they lose a shot at Oregon star Marcus Mariota? (Steve Politi) How did Michael Vick play in his second start? Should Jets stick with him? Instant analysis from win over Pittsburgh Steelers (Darryl Slater) P a g e

2 NEW YORK POST Prized Jets rookie was benched the entire game (Zach Braziller) It was BS fuming Jets blast Steelers over dirty play (Bart Hubbuch) Jets report card: Rex kept team together (Brian Costello) Vick: Jets might have won with me at QB (Brian Lewis) Streaking Big Ben comes up small (Zach Braziller) Williams, Adams shut down red-hot Steelers (Brian Lewis) Jets Jarrett makes the most of an opportunity (George Willis) Jets win despite aerial signs mocking their futility (Kevin Sheehan) With critics buzzing, Ryan keeps Gang together (Brian Costello) The streak is finally over: Vick stars as Jets silence Big Ben (Zach Braziller) Latest banner flying over MetLife: Jets Rebuilding Since 1969 (Zach Braziller) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NY Jets snap eight game losing streak, Jaiquawn Jarrett and defense shut down Steelers, (Seth Walder). 41 Rex Ryan drops F-bomb at Steelers player after NY Jets win (Stephen Lorenzo) Jaiquawn Jarrett makes most of second chance with NY Jets (Manish Mehta) Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger cools off against NY Jets (Kevin Armstrong) NY Jets coach Rex Ryan gets mouthy again, drops F-bomb and defends keeping Michael Vick on bench (Gary Myers) Steelers fans invade MetLife Stadium only for NY Jets to leave them disappointed (Stephen Lorenzo) NY Jets beat Steelers, 20-13: Instant analysis (Manish Mehta) NEW YORK TIMES Finally, Jets Look Unlike Themselves (Ben Shpigel) WALL STREET JOURNAL Jets Finally Get Breaks, Beat Steelers to Snap Skid (Alex Raskin) ESPN NEW YORK After week under siege, Jets' Rex Ryan dials up a vintage performance (Rich Cimini) Four! Jets snap takeaway drought with four (Rich Cimini) Jarrett shines in new starting role (Jane McManus) Rex Ryan: Count out Jets 'at your own peril' (Rich Cimini) Jets miffed by Mike Mitchell leap (Jane McManus) Rapid Reaction: New York Jets (Rich Cimini) Vick first QB to 6,000 yards rushing (Jane McManus) Banner over MetLife Stadium: 'Jets Rebuilding Since 1969' (Rich Cimini) METRO NEW YORK Jaiquawn Jarrett steals ball, attention in rare start (Kristian Dyer) P a g e

3 Jets end losing streak with upset of Steelers (Kristian Dyer) Banner reading 'Rebuilding since 1969' flies over Jets game (Kristian Dyer) SUNDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets get 4 turnovers, stun Big Ben, Steelers (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The bravado was back, even if just for one happy postgame press conference. Rex Ryan was downright giddy after the New York Jets ended an eight-game losing streak with a stunning victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. "For people that count this football team out, you do so at your own risk," Ryan said. "This team is tough. I've said it the whole time." The Jets (2-8) got two touchdown passes from Michael Vick and avoided setting a dubious franchise record for consecutive losses. It also made Ryan and his bunch feel a lot better before they head into their byeweek break. "Not that this win will catapult us in to the playoffs, but it's a big win for us because we've been working extremely hard," Ryan said. "Quite honestly, this was the best week of practice we've had since I've been here and it finally meant something." New York's locker room was pretty thrilled, too. Just ask linebacker Calvin Pace. "It's like we won the Super Bowl," he said. "It took us so long to get win No. 2." Ben Roethlisberger came into a Terrible Towel-filled MetLife Stadium having thrown six touchdowns in each of his last two games, and he was going against a Jets secondary that has been shaky all season. The stage seemed set for another big day for Big Ben. The Jets were having none of it. Roethlisberger finished 30 of 43 for 343 yards, but was intercepted twice by Jaiquawn Jarrett. The Jets also recovered two fumbles, both by Antonio Brown, after coming in with three takeaways all season. "There's nothing mystical about the outcome of that football game," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We talked all week about why that team struggled: because they were minus in the turnover ratio.... Well, they weren't today. They were plus-4. "You're going to lose football games when you're minus-4 in the turnover ratio, and we did today." Roethlisberger connected with Martavis Bryant for an 80-yard TD with 1:16 left for his only scoring pass of the game. New York kept Pittsburgh's offense out of rhythm almost all afternoon. "You can't turn the ball over, and we did it too much," Roethlisberger said. "This stings." Here are a few other things to know about the Jets' surprising victory over the Steelers: STEPPING UP: Jarrett started over struggling rookie first-rounder Calvin Pryor, and the move turned out to be huge. 3 P a g e

4 Jarrett, in his third NFL season, had the first two interceptions of his career Sunday. He also had 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. "We were trying to line up guys that we think deserve it, whether it's in the classroom, on the practice field, or in meetings, being on time for meetings," Ryan said. "The guy does a great job. He's dependable and has been playing well." THEY LIKE MIKE: Vick played his second straight game without a turnover, and Ryan announced he will start at Buffalo after the bye-week break. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to run for 6,000 career yards, threw touchdown passes to T.J. Graham and Jace Amaro, and was 10 of 18 for 132 yards passing and ran eight times for 39 yards. Ryan wasn't happy about a few non-calls in which Vick was hit a bit late, in his opinion, including one that knocked off the quarterback's helmet. The coach, who was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a play by Vick, was also caught on TV using an expletive as he walked toward midfield after the game ended. "In this league, there is a huge emphasis on protecting the quarterback, protecting all players, as they should," Ryan said. "I'm not so sure our quarterback was protected as well as the other quarterback today. I think I got a little upset with that." SHUT DOWN: Roethlisberger wasn't the only Steelers offensive player who didn't have his usual big day. Brown had eight catches, but was "held" to 74 yards receiving, the first time this season he failed to get 80 or more. He was looking to become the first player in NFL history to reach five catches and 80 yards in each of the first 10 games of a season. VICTORY FORMATION: With the Jets kneeling on the ball to close out their victory, Steelers safety Mike Mitchell came flying over center Nick Mangold, who tossed him over his shoulder and to the ground. The Jets players weren't happy, and they got into it briefly with Steelers players before things were broken up. But New York was still steaming after the game. "It's a dirty play," Mangold said. "And that's what it is." NON-BELIEBERS?: Blame it on Justin Bieber. At least that's what a lot of Steelers fans on Twitter were doing during the game after the pop star visited his favorite team Saturday night. Bieber, a Steelers fan, met with several players during the team's Bible study session at the Steelers hotel. A handful of players tweeted about meeting him, and even posted pictures with him. Sure enough, as the Steelers fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter, the hashtag #BlameBieber was trending on Twitter. Jets stop Big Ben, Steelers in victory (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) On a rare day for Rex Ryan, the embattled coach of the struggling New York Jets was able to smile after a game for the first time since Week 1. 4 P a g e

5 It's been that long since the Jets had won, so the relieved Ryan was feeling pretty good after a stunning victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. "All right!" Ryan exclaimed. "Finally!" Finally, indeed. Michael Vick threw two touchdown passes and the Jets (2-8) forced four turnovers, including two interceptions by Jaiquawn Jarrett, while shutting down Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers (6-4) and ending an eight-game losing streak. "This team deserved to win, man," Ryan said. Roethlisberger threw six touchdown passes in each of his last two games, and was playing in front of a MetLife Stadium crowd that appeared nearly half-filled with Terrible Towel-waving Steelers fans. But the Jets wouldn't allow Roethlisberger to get into much of a rhythm. "There's nothing mystical about the outcome of that football game," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We talked all week about why that team struggled: because they were minus in the turnover ratio.... Well, they weren't today. They were plus-4. "You're going to lose football games when you're minus-4 in the turnover ratio, and we did today." Roethlisberger finished 30 of 43 for 343 yards and connected with Martavis Bryant for an 80-yard TD with 1:16 left. The Steelers attempted an onside kick, but Eric Decker recovered to seal it for the Jets who avoided setting a franchise mark for consecutive losses. "You can't turn the ball over, and we did it too much," Roethlisberger said. "This stings." The Jets weren't happy, though, that Mike Mitchell tried to break up their victory formation, leaping over the top of center Nick Mangold, who slammed the Steelers safety to the ground, causing a brief shoving match. "It's a dirty play," Mangold said. But the Jets won by playing mostly a clean game Sunday, successful for the first time since beating Oakland on opening day. "Today," Vick said, "was going to be our day." Vick, who became the first quarterback in NFL history to run for 6,000 career yards, threw touchdown passes to T.J. Graham and Jace Amaro. Vick was 10 of 18 for 132 yards and ran eight times for 39 yards, and Ryan announced that the veteran will start again against Buffalo after the bye week. The victory might help temper frustrations of Jets fans, one of whom had a banner-toting plane urging the team to fire general manager John Idzik circle the practice field early in the week. There was another one circling the stadium Sunday, which read: "JETS REBUILDING SINCE 1969." But, heading into the bye, Ryan's job, as well as Idzik's, appears safe for now. The Jets looked good on their first possession, but the 14-play drive stalled at the Steelers 5 and New York Nick Folk made a 23-yard field goal. After Jarrett sacked Roethlisberger on third-and-15 to force a punt, the Jets got right back on the scoreboard. Vick had plenty of time and zipped a perfectly placed pass into the hands of a sprinting Graham, who ran it into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown. The Jets got the ball right back when Muhammad Wilkerson forced a fumble by Antonio Brown and Jarrett recovered. Jarrett finished with two interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery after drawing the late start after first-round pick Calvin Pryor was benched. 5 P a g e

6 After a sack on first down, Vick scrambled for 18 yards, including a shake-and-bake move that buckled Steelers cornerback Brice McCain's knees. Three plays later, Vick found Amaro and made it 17-0 with 19 seconds left in the opening quarter. "That's what happens when you turn the ball over," Roethlisberger said. "You dig yourself a hole." Pittsburgh appeared on its way to its first score with a long drive in the second quarter helped by a personal foul penalty on New York's Jason Babin. But at the Jets 10, Roethlisberger had his short pass attempt tipped by Marcus Williams right into Jarrett's hands. The Jets, who came in with three takeaways all season, got their third of the first half when Brown muffed Ryan Quigley's punt and Graham recovered. But Folk was wide left on a 45-yard attempt. In the final quarter, Pittsburgh had first-and-goal from the 1, but was stuffed on four straight plays including a penalty on the Jets and LeGarrette Blount losing 8 yards on a run. Shaun Suisham's 27-yarder made it 20-6 with 7:21 left. "It's a team we should beat," Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. "But this is the NFL. You have to go in their house and you can't go in here and win if you have four turnovers and none on defense." NOTES: Suisham hooked a 23-yard attempt wide left on the first play of the fourth quarter.... Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell had eight catches for 33 yards, giving him 55 receptions for the season, surpassing John L. Williams (51 in 1994) for the most in team history by a running back.... Brown was held to 74 yards receiving, the first time this season he failed to get 80 or more. Jets' Vick becomes first QB to 6,000 yards rushing (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Michael Vick is still making plays with his legs, running up his recordsetting rushing total with each knee-buckling scamper. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 6,000 yards rushing, getting the mark in the third quarter of the New York Jets' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. "Really, it makes me feel old because that's years of hard work," the 34-year-old Vick said, smiling. "It's probably something, well I know it's something that hasn't been done in the league up into this point. It's a major milestone." Vick entered the game with 5,967 yards rushing and hit the new mark with an 18-yard scramble that put the Jets in field goal range. He finished with 39 yards on eight carries, giving him 6,006 for his career. He set the NFL record in 2011 while with Philadelphia, surpassing Randall Cunningham's 4,928 yards rushing. "Reaching those types of milestones and continuing to play the game at a high level at my age makes me appreciate the game of football," Vick said. "I love this game so much that I would do anything to win with my teammates. That's what means a lot to me. So, those 6,000 yards came through a lot of guys blocking for me, a lot of guys putting their bodies out on the line for me, and a lot of sacrifices so it just wasn't me. "I give a lot of credit to my teammates that I have played with, from Atlanta to Philly to New York." 6 P a g e

7 Vick also showed he still has the ability to fake out defenders and make them look silly. Late in the first quarter, he took off down the right sideline and juked Brice McCain with a shake-and-bake move that sent the Steelers cornerback to the turf. Vick ended up with an 18-yard run that put the ball at the Steelers 3. Three plays later, he threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jace Amaro that gave the Jets a 17-0 lead. "It happened so fast that I've got to go back and look at it," Vick said with a big grin. "All I was thinking about was straightening him up and, for some reason, he bit. They're still biting on the old dead-leg fakes. It's all good." Big Ben, Steelers stopped by Jets in loss (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) No big day for Big Ben this time. Not with four turnovers by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming off two straight games with six touchdown tosses, Ben Roethlisberger was held to just one as the New York Jets' defense mostly shut down the record-setting quarterback and the Steelers' high-scoring offense in a victory on Sunday. "You can't turn the ball over, and we did it too much," Roethlisberger said. "This stings." Michael Vick threw two touchdown passes, Jaiquawn Jarrett intercepted two of Roethlisberger's passes and the Jets (2-8) ended an eight-game skid and stopped a three-game winning streak for the Steelers (6-4). "All right!" Ryan exclaimed. "Finally!" Roethlisberger, the first in NFL history with six TDs in consecutive games, was playing in front of a MetLife Stadium crowd that appeared nearly half-filled with Terrible Towel-waving Steelers fans. But the Jets wouldn't allow Roethlisberger to get into much of a rhythm. "There's nothing mystical about the outcome of that football game," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We talked all week about why that team struggled: because they were minus in the turnover ratio.... Well, they weren't today. They were plus-4. "You're going to lose football games when you're minus-4 in the turnover ratio, and we did today." Roethlisberger finished 30 of 43 for 343 yards and connected with Martavis Bryant for an 80-yard TD with 1:16 left that made it close at the end. The Steelers attempted an onside kick, but Eric Decker recovered to seal it for the Jets who avoided setting a franchise mark for consecutive losses. "The reality is," Tomlin said, "we shot ourselves in the foot today." The Jets weren't happy after the game that Mike Mitchell tried to break up their victory formation, leaping over the top of center Nick Mangold, who slammed the Steelers safety to the ground, causing a brief shoving match. "It's a dirty play," Mangold said. But the Jets won by playing mostly a clean game Sunday, successful for the first time since beating Oakland on opening day. 7 P a g e

8 "Today," Vick said, "was going to be our day." Vick, who became the first quarterback in NFL history to run for 6,000 career yards, threw touchdown passes to T.J. Graham and Jace Amaro. Vick was 10 of 18 for 132 yards and ran eight times for 39 yards, and Ryan announced that the veteran will start again against Buffalo after the bye week. The Jets looked good on their first possession, but the 14-play drive stalled at the Steelers 5 and Nick Folk made a 23-yard field goal. After Jarrett sacked Roethlisberger on third-and-15 to force a punt, the Jets got right back on the scoreboard. Vick had plenty of time and zipped a perfectly placed pass into the hands of a sprinting Graham, who ran it into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown. The Jets got the ball right back when Muhammad Wilkerson forced a fumble by Antonio Brown and Jarrett recovered. Jarrett finished with two interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery after drawing the late start after first-round pick Calvin Pryor was benched. After a sack on first down, Vick scrambled for 18 yards, including a shake-and-bake move that buckled Steelers cornerback Brice McCain's knees. Three plays later, Vick found Amaro and made it 17-0 with 19 seconds left in the opening quarter. "That's what happens when you turn the ball over," Roethlisberger said. "You dig yourself a hole." Pittsburgh appeared on its way to its first score with a long drive in the second quarter helped by a personal foul penalty on New York's Jason Babin. But at the Jets 10, Roethlisberger had his short pass attempt tipped by Marcus Williams right into Jarrett's hands. "We didn't secure the ball and we didn't get the ball," Tomlin said. "It's not winning football." The Jets, who came in with three takeaways all season, got their third of the first half when Brown muffed Ryan Quigley's punt and Graham recovered. In the final quarter, Pittsburgh had first-and-goal from the 1, but was stuffed on four straight plays including a penalty on the Jets and LeGarrette Blount losing 8 yards on a run. Shaun Suisham's 27-yarder made it 20-6 with 7:21 left. "It's a team we should beat," Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. "But this is the NFL. You have to go in their house and you can't go in here and win if you have four turnovers and none on defense." NOTES: Suisham hooked a 23-yard attempt wide left on the first play of the fourth quarter.... Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell had eight catches for 33 yards, giving him 55 receptions for the season, surpassing John L. Williams (51 in 1994) for the most in team history by a running back.... Brown was held to 74 yards receiving, the first time this season he failed to get 80 or more. NEWSDAY Jets Q&A: How did they feel about having their victory formation attacked? (Kimberley Martin) Newsday Did the Steelers really try to break up the Jets victory formation? 8 P a g e

9 When Mike Mitchell went airborne, Nick Mangold did the only thing he could: He grabbed the safety in midair and body-slammed him. And he made no apologies for his actions after the game. With the Jets leading and 1:14 remaining, Mitchell ran toward the line of scrimmage and leaped over his own defensive linemen in an attempt to create a turnover against the Jets victory formation. A skirmish ensued. I think it s a dirty play. That s what it is, said Mangold, who simply shrugged when he was shown a video clip of his body-slam. Former Steeler Willie Colon agreed. I think it was just BS, said Colon, who was drafted by the Steelers in I love that team, I was birthed into that organization. But I felt it was uncalled for. And I reacted the way I reacted. This isn t the first time a team has tried to blow up an opponent s victory formation. Former Bucs coach Greg Schiano came under fire when he tried it against the Giants in 2012 and the Cardinals in But the Jets clearly saw it as a bush-league move. I kind of saw him coming, Mangold said of Mitchell. Didn t expect him to do that. But he did it. And I think it wasn t the smartest of plays. But we re glad he wasn t able to get to Mike [Vick]. Speaking of Vick... were the Jets upset that their quarterback took a lot of hits? Rex Ryan thought there was a discrepancy between how the officials protected Ben Roethlisberger and Vick. I got a little upset, said Ryan, who was caught by cameras shouting an obscenity as he left the field.... In this league, there is a huge emphasis on protecting the quarterback protecting all players, as they should. I m not so sure our quarterback was protected as well as the other quarterback today. I think I got a little upset with that. In the second quarter, Vick was knocked out of bounds by James Harrison and hit late by Lawrence Timmons. No flag was thrown, although Vick s helmet flew off his head. Vick also was knocked out of bounds in the fourth quarter and was hit with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after he got up and flipped the ball at cornerback William Gay. Upon seeing the flag, Ryan completely lost his cool and fired off a round of expletives at the officials. That got him flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, too, creating third-and-46. When you re in the pocket, and even when you are outside of the pocket, the rules are the rules, Vick said. They shouldn t be able to be broken for anybody. Colon agreed with Ryan, adding: The ref s got a job to do... I felt it was spotty at times. But at the end of the day, I don t make the call. Vick hopes the league will review the sideline hit that caused his helmet to fly off. I m not asking for more calls than another guy, he said. Everybody has a job to do and I think it should be done. I play this game, I want to protect myself. I know I put myself in harm s way and that is the way I play, but I try to protect myself, as well. Sometimes I need the refs to protect me, too. Does Vick s milestone of 6,000 rushing yards make him feel young? Actually, quite the opposite. Really, it makes me feel old because that s years of hard work, he said of becoming the first NFL quarterback to surpass the 6,000-yard threshold. 9 P a g e

10 Vick carried eight times for 39 yards, including an 18-yarder that set up Jace Amaro s touchdown catch in the first quarter. "Continuing to play the game at a high level at my age makes me appreciate the game of football, he said.... Those 6,000 yards came through a lot of guys blocking for me, a lot of guys putting their bodies out on the line for me and a lot of sacrifices, so it wasn t just me. I give a lot of credit to my teammates that I have played with, from Atlanta to Philly to New York. How will the Jets spend their bye week? They will practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Ryan likes to give his players the week off, but he decided to do things a little differently this year. We re going to change it up a little bit since we re awful coming out of the bye, he said. Since Ryan took over in 2009, the Jets have lost the first game after their bye four out of five times. They were 5-4 heading into last year s bye week before losing three in a row, including to Buffalo the day after the Jets took a team-bonding trip to a Central New York arcade. Coincidentally, the Jets are facing the Bills on the road again after the bye week. Joked Ryan: I don t think we re doing Dave & Buster s, if that s what you re asking. How will the Jets spend their bye week? They will practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Ryan likes to give his players the week off, but he decided to do things a little differently this year. "We're going to change it up a little bit since we're awful coming out of the bye,'' he said. Since Ryan took over in 2009, the Jets have lost the first game after their bye four out of five times. They were 5-4 heading into last year's bye week before losing three in a row, including to Buffalo the day after the Jets took a team-bonding trip to a Central New York arcade. Coincidentally, the Jets are facing the Bills on the road again after the bye week. Joked Ryan: "I don't think we're doing Dave & Buster's, if that's what you're asking.'' It's the latest Jets 'fire' sale (Kimberley Martin) Newsday Sunday's impressive home win over the Steelers wasn't enough to dissuade a group of Jets fans from voicing their frustrations. As promised, digital billboards calling for the firing of general manager John Idzik went live at midnight, about eight hours after the Jets upset the Steelers. The billboards -- the brainchild of two Jets fans who created the website FireJohnIdzik.com -- are located on Route 3 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about a half-mile from MetLife Stadium. The billboards were paid for through donations from fans. The creators of the site also announced that a static billboard will be put up on Wednesday. 10 P a g e

11 A little less than two hours before kickoff, a small plane flew over MetLife Stadium with a banner that read "Jets rebuilding since 1969.'' It was the latest aerial attack against the Jets (2-8), who snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Steelers. Jets snap eight-game losing streak with win over Steelers (Kimberley Martin) Newsday The day began with another flyover -- this time, aimed at the entire organization and not just Jets general manager John Idzik. But despite the unfriendly skies and the plethora of Terrible Towels waved by rival fans, the Jets jumped out to an early lead against Pittsburgh and never looked back. Their win Sunday over the Steelers snapped an eight-game losing streak for Rex Ryan & Co., who hadn't won a game since Week 1 against Oakland. A ninth straight loss would have set a franchise record. But the Jets managed to hold on for the win, despite an 80-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Martavis Bryant with 1:16 remaining. The Jets forced a league-low three turnovers in the first nine games. But they had three in the first half against the Steelers, who came into the game on a three-game winning streak. Their quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, had been on fire, throwing 12 touchdowns in the past two games. But Pittsburgh's high-octane offense was grounded by the Jets' defense. Roethlisberger (30-for-43, 343 yards) threw two interceptions and was sacked twice. Ryan's decision to start Brooklyn native and Temple product Jaiquawn Jarrett over first-round safety pick Calvin Pryor proved to be wise. In his first start of the season, Jarrett recorded a sack, fumble recovery and two interceptions. The Jets' defense kept the Steelers out of the end zone until the late pass to Bryant. Meanwhile, quarterback Michael Vick took care of business. After Nick Folk's 23-yard field goal gave the Jets (2-8) the early lead, it took the team just 10 seconds -- and one play -- to score again. Vick fired a 67- yard strike to little-known receiver T.J. Graham to make it 10-0 in the first quarter. Rookie tight end Jace Amaro caught a 5-yard touchdown pass later in the quarter to increase the lead to All of the pregame talk centered on Roethlisberger and the Steelers' potent weapons. But aside from a 45-yard catch by Bryant and the 80-yard TD, there weren't any big-time plays by their receivers. Instead, there were plenty of turnovers for the Steelers, including two fumbles by top receiver Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger hadn't thrown an interception since Week 6, but Jarrett picked him off twice and the defense stuffed the Steelers three times in the red zone. Vick, who became the first NFL quarterback to rush for 6,000 yards on a third-quarter scramble, finished 10-for-18 for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Vick put in tough position: Would Jets have been better with him starting all season? (Neil Best) 11 P a g e

12 Newsday Why wait for the inevitable talk radio / social media / water cooler debate to begin? Let's just go right to the man himself to ask the question of the week: So, Michael Vick, might the Jets have a winning record had you been the starting quarterback all or most of 2014? "Yeah, I mean, to sit here and say 'no' would show a lack of confidence in myself and my teammates," Vick said Sunday after leading the Jets to a upset of the Steelers, their first victory in more than two months. "Absolutely, I think if I were starting from Day One, maybe it would have been an opportunity, but that wasn't the case. I wasn't put in that situation." This was after he passed for a modest-but-efficient 132 yards and two touchdowns -- one a 67-yard laser to T.J. Graham -- and ran for 39 yards, including an 18-yarder that featured a vintage, ankle-breaking move on cornerback Brice McCain. ("For some reason, he bit," Vick said. "They're still biting on the old dead-leg fakes.") Along the way, he also took a beating, getting hit on occasion after plays when the Jets thought he deserved better from the officials. "I know I put myself in harm's way and that's the way I play," Vick said, "but I try to protect myself, as well, and sometimes I need the refs to protect me, too." Most importantly: He has zero turnovers in two starts. All good. But about those eight games he did not start... Vick sensed where reporters were heading and tried to answer honestly while walking a fine good-teammate line, but he ended up in a verbal pretzel. Here goes: "Please don't get misconstrued, please don't go out and say Mike Vick felt like if he was the starter that we would be winning, because that's not what I'm saying right now. I'm saying in front of all these cameras that given the opportunity, yeah, I believe our team would have maybe won some games." Forgive him, because this is a complicated situation. Vick insisted that he understood his role and that he supported giving Geno Smith every opportunity to prove himself. He even noted that Smith did not have the benefit of a weapon such as Percy Harvin. He said had he pushed harder to be No. 1 in the summer, he would have been a "distraction." "I knew what I was here for; I played in the league 13 years and I wanted to see a young guy with a lot of potential become the best football player he could be, because I lived those moments," he said. Here's the problem: There was nothing wrong philosophically with the Jets finding out for sure whether they had something in Smith, but they should have been more honest about the plan going in. Vick never was given a real chance to compete in the summer, which he accepted even if the Jets never quite admitted it. And that, in turn, means the Jets were not trying to put their best possible team on the field. So here we are, with a 34-year-old who clearly is better than a 24-year-old and might be forever, leaving the Jets with an obvious choice for whom to start in Buffalo on Nov. 23 and no obvious choice for whom to start in P a g e

13 Does Rex Ryan regret not starting Vick sooner? "I never look back," he said. When pressed, he said, seemingly sarcastically, "Yeah, I should have." Then he added: "He played great, but I believe in Geno Smith as well. That's the truth." Jets fans could have handled the truth during the summer if they had been given it, accepting that an aging Vick might be good for a few extra wins, but not at the expense of never knowing if Smith might be a keeper. That's not what they were told, though, and it turns out the Jets' investment in time, money and attention did not pay off in what became a lost season with no clear path to better times ahead. "That's in the past," Vick said of the competition that wasn't. "There's nothing we can do about that." Jets' Jaiquawn Jarrett (who?) has 3 takeaways (Anthony Rieber) Newsday Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett earned a game ball with a performance for the ages in the Jets' victory over the Steelers Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Perhaps former general manager Mike Tannenbaum should have gotten one, too. It was Tannenbaum who signed Jarrett, a former second-round pick of the Eagles, on Dec. 31, Three days later, Tannenbaum was fired by Woody Johnson. On Sunday, Jarrett was a surprise starter in place of Calvin Pryor, who was the No. 1 pick this year by Tannenbaum's successor, John Idzik. All Jarrett did with the opportunity was grab two interceptions, recover a fumble, sack Ben Roethlisberger and get in on 10 tackles (seven solo) as the Jets dominated a quarterback who had thrown an NFL-record 12 touchdown passes (six each) in his previous two games. By himself, Jarrett tied the Jets' total of three takeaways from the first nine games of the season. "That's what we look forward to: to try to make sure we have the opportunity to get the ball back to the offense," Jarrett said. "The front seven did a tremendous job making sure they got the balls out of there." Jarrett, 25, is a Brooklyn native who played at Temple. He had started two games for the Jets, both last season. In 38 previous NFL games, he had zero interceptions. "He does a great job," Rex Ryan said. "He's dependable and has been playing well." Jarrett sacked Roethlisberger for a 10-yard loss on the Steelers' first possession, forcing a punt. With the Jets leading 10-0, Jarrett recovered Antonio Brown's fumble at the Pittsburgh 22-yard line. The Jets made it 17-0 when Michael Vick hit Jace Amaro with a 5-yard TD pass. Jarrett wasn't done. Cornerback Marcus Williams broke up a pass at the 2-yard line intended for Martavis Bryant and tipped the ball to a diving Jarrett, who returned it 9 yards. "Marcus made the play, actually," Jarrett said. "I was just in the right position. Marcus gets the credit for that one." Jarrett picked up his second interception when Roethlisberger overthrew Markus Wheaton at the Jets' 20 on Pittsburgh's first drive of the second half. 13 P a g e

14 "It's an amazing feeling," Jarrett said. "You go through a lot. You go through a lot of adversity. You've just got to continue to keep your faith, you know?" Pryor's playing time had dwindled in recent weeks, but Ryan hinted there might have been something other than performance behind the decision to bench the rookie. "We were trying to line up guys that we think deserve it," Ryan said. "Whether it's in the classroom, on the practice field or in meetings, being on time for meetings." When asked if he missed a meeting or was guilty of some other football transgression this past week, Pryor said: "Coach's decision. Got to ask him." Pryor also said: "It's not about me. I'm trying to enjoy this victory. I'm just trying to enjoy the guys in the locker room. I'm happy for Jaiquawn Jarrett. He played an outstanding game." Grading Jets' win over the Steelers (Kimberley Martin) Newsday OFFENSE B+ Now this is how Marty Mornhinweg's offense should have looked all season long. Though they were forced to settle for a field goal on their opening drive, the Jets started off brilliantly. Chris Ivory (14 carries, 51 yards) was punishing defenders, rookie tight end Jace Amaro got his second career touchdown catch and Michael Vick (10-for-18, 132 yards, 2 TDs) was extending plays with his arm and his feet. His 39 rushing yards made him the first NFL quarterback to rush for 6,000 yards. Little-known receiver T.J. Graham caught one pass, but it was a 67-yard TD that made it DEFENSE B+ Two words: Jaiquawn Jarrett. Those Jets fans who were upset to see first-round pick Calvin Pryor on the sideline were immediately treated to a banner day by the Brooklyn native and Temple product. In his first start, Jarrett made his first career sack, picked off Ben Roethlisberger twice, recovered a fumble (which was forced by Muhammad Wilkerson) and had 10 combined tackles. Leger Douzable also had a sack, and Demario Davis led the defense with 12 combined tackles. Had it not been for the 80-yard TD to Martavis Bryant, it would have been an "A" day for the group. SPECIAL TEAMS B Graham came up big again when he recovered a muffed punt by Antonio Brown at the Pittsburgh 28 with less than two minutes left in the first half. Ryan Quigley had a 69-yard punt and finished with a 41-yard average, but Nick Folk missed a 45-yard field goal wide left and Percy Harvin netted 19 yards on his only kickoff return. COACHING B+ 14 P a g e

15 The Jets staff had players ready to roll. Mornhinweg's play-calling was excellent to start and Rex Ryan's defense delivered the type of dominant performance fans have been waiting all season to see. The players haven't given up hope or stopped fighting, and that's a credit to the entire staff. One question, though: Why does Mornhinweg always stray from Ivory as the game goes on? Soar loser takes off before win with 'Jets rebuilding since 1969' banner (Kimberley Martin) Newsday Another day, another flyover. A little less than two hours before kickoff between the Jets and Steelers on Sunday, a small plane flew over MetLife Stadium with a banner that read "Jets rebuilding since 1969." It was the latest aerial attack against the Jets, who are 2-8 after ending their eight-game losing streak Sunday with a win over the Steelers. Calvin Pace was asked after the game how the team was able to keep focused with all of the distractions this past week. "Control what you can control," he said. "The thing about playing in New York is, it's tough because people are passionate about their football -- which is a good thing. Everybody's entitled to their opinion. That being said, I'm proud that everybody stuck together." On Wednesday, a Super Cub circled Jets practice with a message for owner Woody Johnson: "Fire John Idzik" in red capital letters. The service was commissioned by a frustrated female Jets fans for less than $1,000. And the pilot of Wednesday's plane all but guaranteed another flyover would be in the Jets' future. The following day, Rex Ryan made light of the incident by attaching a "Go Jets" banner to a toy helicopter that a staffer flew for a few minutes at the start of practice. But the jabs at their general manager are set to continue. Two Jets fans who created the FireJohnIdzik.com website announced on Twitter that digital billboards calling for Idzik's firing were to go live near MetLife Stadium at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The pair also said a static billboard will go up Wednesday. The billboards were funded through fan donations. THE RECORD Jets replay vs. Steelers (Jeff Roberts) The Record November 10, Turning point The Jets had just taken a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Everything was going their way. But then the Pittsburgh Steelers began to march. They reached the Jets 10-yard line before Jaiquawn Jarrett recorded 15 P a g e

16 the second of his three takeaways, intercepting Ben Roethlisberger near the goal line. Pittsburgh would not score a touchdown until 1:16 remained in the Jets upset. Star of the game The Jets entered with three takeaways in their first nine games. Jarrett matched that himself in his first start of the season, recording two interceptions the first of his NFL career and a fumble recovery. The Brooklyn native also recorded a sack and 10 tackles. Unsung hero T.J. Graham caught a perfect pass from Michael Vick for a 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter. It was the longest Jets completion since Geno Smith found Santonio Holmes for 69 yards in their third game of Graham also forced a fumble when Antonio Brown muffed a punt and recovered the loose ball. Costly mistakes Nick Folk had a rare miss, pulling a 45-yard field goal attempt wide left with 51 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Steelers made them pay, driving 37 yards before Shaun Suisham drilled a 53-yard field goal as the half expired to cut the Jets lead to Suisham missed a 23-yard attempt wide left in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh trailing, A secondary breakdown resulted in an 80-yard Roethlisberger pass to Martavis Bryant with 1:16 remaining. Jason Babin was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he hit Roethlisberger after the play had been whistled dead on a delay-of-game penalty. Eye-catching Brown was stripped by Muhammad Wilkerson in the first quarter and it was recovered by Jarrett. It was the Jets first takeaway since Oct. 5 in San Diego. Two plays later, Vick juked Steelers safety Brice McCain during an 18-yard scramble. He later found TE Jace Amaro for a 5-yard touchdown pass to give the Jets a 17-0 lead. The Jets outgained the Steelers, 164-5, in the first quarter. The Jets collected their second takeaway and second interception of the season in the second when Marcus Williams broke up a Roethlisberger pass and Jarrett caught it near the Jets goal line. Vick appeared to have fumbled near the Jets 38 in the second quarter. But Pittsburgh which recovered the loose ball lost a replay challenge. Jarrett s career game continued in the third quarter when he intercepted Roethlisberger again. It was the Jets fourth takeaway. Looking ahead The Jets (2-8) have their bye next weekend before they travel to Buffalo to face the Bills (5-4).. Buffalo blew out the Jets, 43-23, on Oct. 26 at MetLife. Jets notes: Unhappy with officials (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 10, Unhappy with officials As happy as they were to break their eight-game skid, the Jets seemed equally vexed at what they perceived as some rough play by the Steelers that went unpenalized by the officials. "I m not so sure our quarterback was protected as well as the [opposing] quarterback today," coach Rex Ryan said afterward. "I got a little upset with that." 16 P a g e

17 The Jets seemed most bothered by four plays involving quarterback Michael Vick. He was hit so hard near the sideline at the end of a second-quarter scramble that his helmet flew off. Vick also was flung violently to the ground in the fourth quarter on a sack by Jason Worilds. Later in that quarter, Vick dove to the ground, giving himself up, and two Steelers fell on him. After he got up, Vick flipped the ball at cornerback William Gay and was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Ryan also was hit with a 15-yarder for protesting. "I m not asking for more calls than another guy," Vick said. "I know I put myself in harm s way and that s the way I play, but I try to protect myself as well, and sometimes the refs need to protect me too." The final play that bothered the Jets occurred when safety Mike Mitchell tried to launch himself over the line to get at Vick on a kneel-down on the final series. Center Nick Mangold, who called it a "dirty play," was able to flip Mitchell over his shoulder so he didn t get to Vick. Briefs Vick s 39 yards rushing gave him 6,006 for his career, making him the first QB to reach 6,000. Former Don Bosco star Matt Simms was inactive and Geno Smith was the backup QB, as expected. Pittsburgh DE Cameron Heyward, son of the late Passaic legend Craig Heyward, had six tackles, including a sack. "Every Sunday, you have to be ready to come out and play," Heyward said. "This loss could come back to bite us if we re not careful." Sullivan: Michael Vick shows Jets what might ve been (Tara Sullivan) The Record November 10, EAST RUTHERFORD All along, every day, the Jets promised us they were playing for now, playing for today, playing to win games this season. But game after game, interception after interception, missed meeting after mouthed profanity, they undercut their own veracity as they stood by an overmatched, embattled young quarterback while an experienced veteran one stood idly by. Sunday, Michael Vick showed the football world what might have been for these Jets, using his cannon arm and deceptive legs to lead New York to its second win of the season, a victory over the favored Steelers that provided the first real glimpse of all the great things coach Rex Ryan insisted this team could be. The defense smothered Ben Roethlisberger, sub safety Jaiquawn Jarrett led a personal campaign to lift a terrible secondary and the rushing game pushed for 150 yards. But this was a day to talk about Vick, to wonder why it took so long for Rex Ryan to start him over Geno Smith, to take a walk into Vick s personal time tunnel and remember what a fantastic dual threat weapon he can be. From the early moment he unleashed the 67-yard bomb to receiver T.J. Graham to give the Jets a 10-0 first-quarter lead to the late moment he dashed 18 yards on the way to a third-quarter field goal drive (becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipsed 6,000 rushing yards, a milestone he said makes me feel old ), Vick was in control of this game. The guy s a phenomenal athlete, Ryan said. He can still run with anyone at that position. When [a play] breaks down it s not always a bad thing. Not with Vick breaking ankles like a young point guard, as he did on a different 18-yard run in the first quarter, leaving poor Steelers cornerback Brice McCain looking for his cleats along the right sideline. That drive would end in Vick s second TD pass of the day, a 5-yard toss to Jace Amaro, only further cemented 17 P a g e

18 what every right-minded football fan watching this team since training camp has known to be true: Vick is a better quarterback than Smith. And if the Jets were telling us the truth that the two men were in a real competition for the job, Vick should have been starting since Day One, and not only for these past two games. Never look back, Ryan said when asked if he regretted not making the switch before last week. When pressed about the contrasting results of the two quarterbacks, he sarcastically added, Yeah, I should have [played Vick sooner]. And yet it s too late for the Jets to reclaim control of this season. Sure, they avoided the first nine-game single-season losing streak in franchise history, but a 2-8 record isn t putting them back in anybody s playoff conversation. Sure, Ryan could boom his way into a postgame news conference as the giddiest 2-8 coach you ll ever meet, insisting those of us who count this team out already do so at our own peril. But this season is a mess. And yes, there is the obvious, high-percentage chance Vick never would have made it to this point in the season healthy had he been on the field from the start, a risk we were reminded of every time Vick was tossed to the field on Sunday, his helmet flying off on one play, a Pittsburgh body flying at him over the victory formation on another. It was a risk the Jets should have taken. I do feel at times the opportunity was there [for me to play] but the coaches chose not to do it, Vick said at the end of his retro day, having completed 10-of-18 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, having rushed for another 39. It was all about developing a young quarterback, mentoring a young quarterback, giving him every chance to succeed. Yeah, to stand here and say no [that we couldn t have won more games if I was playing] would show a lack of confidence in myself. Vick went on to plead for people to understand his intent. Me saying that, please don t get it misconstrued, he implored, please don t go out and say Mike Vick felt like if he was the starter that we would be winning, because that s not what I m saying right now. I m saying in front of all these cameras that given the opportunity, yeah, I believe our team would have maybe won some games. Give him credit for doing his best to manage a delicate situation. It shows maturity. For a man so notorious in the past, a man who rightfully spent time in prison for the awful dog-fighting ring he once ran out of his home, the man whose promising career in Atlanta imploded as a result, he understood he couldn t sail into Florham Park demanding a job, even if anybody comparing football résumés knew he had a stronger claim to it than Smith. I don t feel like I should have pushed harder, he said. If I would have done that, I would have been a distraction to this team. I know what I was here for. I ve been in this league 13 years. They wanted to see a young guy realize his potential. That s what I wanted for Geno and that s what I signed up for. Over and over, the Jets told us they were signing up to win games now, told us GM John Idzik wasn t pulling any personnel strings to make sure his draft pick Smith got a chance to prove himself worthy of second-round selection, told us Smith was the best man for the quarterback job. Sunday, we were reminded how wrong they were, reminded of the cruelest phrase in sports: what might have been. Jets stop Big Ben, Steelers in victory (J.P. Pelzman) The Record 18 P a g e