NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS. November 7, Table of Contents. ASSOCIATED PRESS... 1 Jets promote safety Rontez Miles from practice squad...

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS November 8, 2015 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 1 Jets promote safety Rontez Miles from practice squad... 1 NEWSDAY... 2 Jets add safety Rontez Miles, waive Jarvis Harrison (Kimberley A. Martin)... 2 Jets GM Mike Maccagnan gets high praise from NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly (Kimberley A. Martin)... 3 Testy Jets focused on Jaguars after two-game skid (Kimberley A. Martin)... 4 Jets could have reign forecast for November (Bob Glauber)... 5 THE RECORD... 7 Jaguars at Jets matchup (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 Jets need to return to early season recipe (J.P. Pelzman)... 7 NEW YORK TIMES... 9 Sunday s Matchup: Jaguars at Jets (Ben Shpigel)... 9 ESPN NEW YORK... 9 Re-upping with Ryan Fitzpatrick could be Jets' best bet for 2016 (Rich Cimini)... 9 Jets give Rontez Miles a chance to fill void at safety (Rich Cimini)...10 Jets starting to show cracks; time for Todd Bowles to be Mr. Fix-It (Rich Cimini)...11 Two ghosts from Jets' past return to MetLife -- one snubbed, one sacked (Rich Cimini)...12 NEW YORK POST...14 Jets season turns on Jaguars: Easy win or will year slip away? (Brian Costello)...14 How Eric Decker proved he s not a product of Peyton Manni ng (Brian Costello)...16 Secret to shutting down Chris Ivory is out can Jets combat it? (Mark Cannizzaro)...17 NJ ADVANCE MEDIA...18 Bryce Petty: How ready was he to start this week for Jets? (Dom Cosentino)...18 Jets promote Rontez Miles from practice squad, waive Jarvis Harrison (Darryl Slater)...20 NEW YORK DAILY NEWS...21 Jets cannot afford any more letdowns with soft schedule ahead (Manish Mehta)...21 Ryan Fitzpatrick's toughness inspires Jets' teammates (Seth Walder)...22 SATURDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS...24 ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets promote safety Rontez Miles from practice squad Associated Press 1 P a g e

2 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets have promoted safety Rontez Miles from the practice squad and waived offensive lineman Jarvis Harrison to make room on the active roster. With starting safety Calvin Pryor out for the second straight game with a high ankle sprain, the Jets had only Marcus Gilchrist and Dion Bailey at the position. Miles was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of California University of Pennsylvania in Miles was promoted to the active roster late last season, but didn't play after seriously injuring a leg in practice. He suffered compartment syndrome, which impedes blood flow, and needed emergency surgery. Miles recovered in time to lead the Jets in preseason tackles. Harrison was the Jets' fifth-round draft pick last May out of Texas A&M. NEWSDAY Jets add safety Rontez Miles, waive Jarvis Harrison (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday To shore up their safety position, the Jets signed practice-squad player Rontez Miles to the active roster and waived fifth-round pick Jarvis Harrison yesterday. Harrison, an offensive lineman, likely will end up on the Jets' practice squad if he clears waivers. With second-year safety Calvin Pryor (high ankle sprain) ruled out for the second straight week, a roster move was expected. Coach Todd Bowles said Friday that he staged a "cattle call" audition for candidates this week, with Miles, cornerback Marcus Williams (who missed as many as six tackles playing safety last week in a loss to the Raiders), free-agent pickup Dion Bailey and cornerback Dee Milliner, who is eligible to play after starting the season on short-term injured reserve. Bowles declined to say who will start at safety after Friday's practice, but he expressed confidence in Miles. "I like Rontez," he said of the 26-year-old, who has spent much of the past three seasons on the Jets' practice squad. Miles had an impressive camp after suffering a serious leg injury in December that required surgery. "If he comes up, I'm pretty sure he'll do a good job," Bowles said. Miles, who had 23 tackles and also scored on a fumble return in the preseason, made the initial 53-man roster in September. He was cut the following day to make room for former Seahawks strong safety Ronald Martin, whom the Jets claimed off waivers. (Martin currently is on the practice squad.) Miles, who was re-signed to the practice squad on Sept. 7, has played in one NFL game -- the Jets' win over the Saints in November But whether he's used in a backup role or plays significant minutes Sunday against the Jaguars, the alwaysenergetic Miles is grateful for the opportunity. "Happy and blessed to be back," he tweeted Saturday. "I will give my all tomorrow #freedom." 2 P a g e

3 Jets GM Mike Maccagnan gets high praise from NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday As a boy, Mike Maccagnan couldn't get enough of it. The NFL Draft has always fascinated him. And even now, at age 48, he can't put his finger on why. It likely was a combination of several things: the exorbitant amount of information that needed quantifying, the challenge of wading through it all, the inherent risk of making the wrong decision. The Jets' first-year general manager likens his job to a portfolio manager or a stock market investor. Maccagnan, whose father was an educator, is enthralled by details. And his need to understand and analyze things at every level borders on excessive. At his core, he's a talent evaluator who believes his strength lies in having a passion and an eye for scouting players. And in many ways, he's the antithesis of his predecessor. Had John Idzik not failed in his two seasons as Jets GM, Maccagnan wouldn't have had the chance to rebuild the franchise from the ground up. The big-ticket signings of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine, plus the trade for receiver Brandon Marshall, were immediate fixes in a longterm transformation process. And Maccagnan's work has only begun. "He could see the big picture of how to put a team together, which is an important characteristic for a general manager," former GM-turned-NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly said of Maccagnan in an interview with Newsday on Friday. Maccagnan scouted for the Redskins from during Casserly's tenure as GM and "was one of the first people" Casserly said he hired when he became the Houston Texans' GM in " 'Thorough' would be an understatement when he's doing something," added Casserly, who, along with former Packers GM Ron Wolf, served as consultants for Jets owner Woody Johnson during his most recent GM search. "He's a very good evaluator and he has a good understanding of people. He's humble. He's a non-ego person. All he cares about is doing a good job. And he's very loyal." IDZIK UPGRADE While Idzik succeeded in creating a salary-cap surplus for the Jets, his fate was sealed by his refusal to address glaring roster holes and the team's 4-12 finish in Idzik declined to be interviewed by Newsday this past week, but the former Jets GM is expected to make his return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday when the Jets (4-3) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5). On Feb. 25, two months after he was fired by the Jets, Idzik was hired as special assistant to Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, who, coincidentally, was Johnson's top GM choice in 2013 before he pulled out. The Jets are very much a work in progress, but they're far more talented and competitive than they ever were under Idzik. Their secondary now is considered a strength. Geno Smith, a second -round pick of Idzik's, is an afterthought behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, the quarterback Maccagnan traded for in March. INFO INPUT The dynamic that plagued Ryan, a head coach fighting for his job, and Idzik, a GM looking to a future that didn't include Ryan, won't be an issue for Maccagnan and Todd Bowles. And although it's too soon to 3 P a g e

4 predict if they'll succeed or fail with the Jets, one thing is clear: They're committed to doing it together.with Maccagnan, there is no ego. Down to earth and surprisingly chatty, he puts as much focus in building his draft and free-agent boards as he does empowering those around him to share their opinions. He isn't shy about having the final say, but he cringes at the thought of being mistaken for a dictator. His vision of success is rooted in the concept of inclusion and the belief that the loudest or the quietest voice in the room might have the right answer. Putting his proverbial stamp on the Jets pales in comparison with building a talented team that consistently wins. And unlike some front-office execs, Maccagnan isn't afraid to admit the areas he wasn't as strong in when he first took the job -- i.e., the salary cap. SCOUT MASTER The 2006 draft will always be special to him, and not just because the Texans selected future four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams No. 1 overall. There was a sense of inclusion between first-year coach Gary Kubiak, GM Casserly and Maccagnan, who then was Houston's coordinator of college scouting. "We had a philosophy of blending everyone together," Casserly said. And with Maccagnan now in charge, the same is true for the Jets. "There's no question [I hired him in Houston] because he was an excellent evaluator and I knew he could do a terrific job with the college and pro scouting because he could do both," said Casserly, who talked to Maccagnan as recently as last Sunday. "He was one of the first people I wanted to get there." Testy Jets focused on Jaguars after two-game skid (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday The Jets' hot start feels like a distant memory. After seven games, people are questioning their legitimacy. Is their defense the real deal? Is an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick (torn thumb ligaments) a better quarterback option than a healthy, two-handed Geno Smith? Is coach Todd Bowles capable of turning the season around? Fast starts are nice, but playoff berths are forged in November. And with the Jets at 4-3, adding wins is the only thing that matters now. "You felt it," right guard Willie Colon said Friday of the heightened level of focus in practice. "Guys understand the situation we're in. The urgency's high." After losing in New England and Oakland, the Jets find themselves at a key juncture of their season. A twogame skid is one thing, but the assortment of injuries to key starters is another form of adversity they must find a way to overcome. Right now, it's too early to watch the standings, Bowles said. But at some point very soon, to reach the playoffs, his team is going to have to make a run. "I would say after Week 12, maybe," he said of checking the standings. "Right now, you just have to play." 4 P a g e

5 Bowles noted that the team practiced "with a little more urgency" this past week, adding that the players practiced in pads for the first time in 21/2 weeks on Wednesday in an attempt to address their poor tackling against the Raiders. Practice performance isn't always an indication of game-day behavior, but the Jets did practice "with a chip on our shoulder," Bowles said. "It was a setback last week," he added. "... It didn't shake the confidence any." The Jets are fortunate that five of their next six games are at MetLife Stadium. The bad news? They'll play two games in five days this week, with the return of former coach Rex Ryan for Thursday night's muchhyped showdown with the Bills (3-4). Complicating matters for the Jets are mounting injuries. Starting safety Calvin Pryor (high ankle sprain) will miss his second straight game; No. 2 running back Bilal Powell (ankle) is doubtful for Sunday's game and receiver Brandon Marshall (toe/ankle), cornerback Buster Skrine (shoulder/hand) and Colon (knee) are all questionable. Center Nick Mangold still is nursing a neck injury and it's unclear how Fitzpatrick will fare wearing a glove to protect his injured left thumb. Meanwhile, the 2-5 Jaguars will be fresh coming off a bye week. They may not be as talented as the Raiders, but they can be dangerous. Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey highlighted Jacksonville's surprising quickness on defense and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers keyed in on the Jaguars' young duo of Allen Hurns (31 catches, 513 yards, five touchdowns) and Allen Robinson (34 catches, 586 yards, six TDs). "They have a really, really outstanding pair of receivers," said Rodgers, whose son Kacy played at Miami with Hurns. Cornerback Darrelle Revis said Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles has "one of the strongest arms in the league. He can make all the throws." So it's no surprise the Jets aren't taking the struggling Jags lightly. "Offensively, I would say they have two good receivers," Bowles said. "They have a really good quarterback that can move with his feet in the pocket. Obviously, the running game is strong with [T.J.] Yeldon and they have a slew of tight ends that can block and get open in the passing game. They are a pretty complete team." Jets could have reign forecast for November (Bob Glauber) Newsday That's two losses in a row, one more disheartening than the next, wiping out nearly all the promise of a 4-1 start. At 4-3, the Jets still are in reasonably good position as they approach the halfway mark of the season. But November in the NFL is moving month, and the Jets now need to make their move as the soft underbelly of the schedule awaits. If they can get on a roll here -- and there's no reason they shouldn't, given how few truly good teams they will face in this upcoming stretch -- then Todd Bowles' first season most likely will extend into January. 5 P a g e

6 If not, his debut will end up the way so many other seasons have before him: in bitter disappointment. "It is a moving month in football, because everybody has gotten the kinks out of the way in September and October," Bowles said. "You try to focus on what you are and in November. You want to see if you have a shot and you have to win those games in November." The Jets nearly upset the unbeaten Patriots two weeks ago with a masterful game plan from their defensive-minded coach, and they might have been a dropped touchdown pass away from tipping the balance in a division that has been owned by New England the past decade and a half. Deny it as they might, they were pancake-flat against the Raiders a week later, at least in part because of the emotional hangover from their near-win in Foxborough. It was the first clunker of the Bowles era, a game that provided no redeeming qualities for the losers, only justifiable self -recrimination. But after two road losses to quality opponents, it now is time for the Jets to go on a run. Of their remaining nine games, only one is against a team that currently has a winning record. That would be the Patriots, who visit the Jets on Dec. 20. Other than that, no team has a better record than the 4-4 Giants, who "host" the Jets on Dec. 6. The stretch of eminently winnable games begins on Sunday at home against the Jaguars, a franchise that has been floundering the last several years. Their only wins this year have come against the Dolphins, before Miami fired coach Joe Philbin, and Detroit, after the Lions fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. If the Jets, in clear bounce-back mode after two straight losses, can't beat the Jaguars at home, they've got problems that run deeper than we thought. In fact, if the Jets can't win six of their next nine games and get to 10-6, which should be good enough for a playoff spot, their 4-1 start will have been one giant tease. That's why the Jets know they're in virtual must-win territory for this one. "I think it's huge," said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will play despite suffering torn ligaments in his left (non-throwing) thumb. "We kind of want to get back on the field and show that that wasn't us and we're a better team than that. Sunday can't come soon enough in terms of getting back out there and getting that winning feeling back." And there's no reason the Jets shouldn't beat Jacksonville and start playing the way they're capable, especially on defense. They haven't produced a turnover the last two games. "We lost two weeks in a row, so clearly we have to create turnovers to have some type of chance of winning," said defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, one of the few Jets who actually did his part against the Raiders. Bowles understands the significance of winning, especially now that the schedule works in their fav or. Especially now that it's moving month. "It's very important," he said. "It's the middle of the season. You lost two in a row. You don't want to lose three in a row. It's important and everybody understands that we have to try to get back on track." Home to the Jaguars on Sunday. Home to the Bills on Thursday for Rex Ryan's return to MetLife Stadium, then at Houston, home to Miami, "at" the Giants, then home to Tennessee. They're at the Cowboys, who might have Tony Romo back by then, and home to the Patriots before finishing things off in Buffalo on Jan. 3. If they're not either in the playoffs or competing for a postseason spot by the end of that run, a season that began with so much promise will end in misery. 6 P a g e

7 THE RECORD Jaguars at Jets matchup (J.P. Pelzman) The Record Jaguars (2-5) at Jets (4-3) At MetLife Stadium, today, 1 p.m. TV: CBS; Radio: ESPN-FM 98.7 Line: Jets by 8 What's at stake Jets: The Jets are trying to right the ship after losing two consecutive games for the first time this season. They need a win to avoid falling into a second-place tie in the AFC East with the winner of today's Buffalo- Miami game. The Jets will host the Bills on Thursday night. Jaguars: Despite their poor record, the Jaguars still are in the running in the woeful AFC South. They begin today only a half-game behind co-leaders Indianapolis and Houston, both of which are 3-5. The defending division champion Colts host Denver today and the Texans have a bye. Jacksonville also is trying to snap a 12-game road losing streak. Key matchup Jets RB Chris Ivory vs. Jaguars MLB Paul Posluszny. Jacksonville has limited opponents to only 3 1/2 yards per carry, and its worst performance against the run came when Tampa Bay rushed for 183 yards with Posluszny out with an ankle injury. Ivory has been limited to 58 yards rushing in the Jets' past two games, partly because opponents have stacked the box. The Jaguars like to do that, too, and it will be up to Posluszny, among others, to stop Ivory before he can get a full head of steam. How they'll win Jets: It won't be easy to get their ground game going against Jacksonville's run-conscious defense, so perhaps the Jets should look to the passing game. The protection should be helped by the return of C Nick Mangold, who missed the last game with a neck injury. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will be wearing a protective glove on his left (non-throwing) hand because of an injured thumb. Although he said taking snaps under center isn't painful, it wouldn't be surprising to see him in the shotgun more often. Jaguars: Improving second-year QB Blake Bortles will look to connect with his fine pair of second-year wide receivers, Allen Robinson (34 catches, 17.2-yard average, six TDs) and Allen Hurns (31-513, 16 1/2, five TDs). The Jets allowed Oakland's David Carr to throw four TD passes last week, so they are vulnerable if Bortles can find the time to operate. Bortles has been sacked 19 times and has been blitzed often, and the Jets likely will send extra pass rushers, too. Jets need to return to early season recipe (J.P. Pelzman) The Record P a g e

8 Todd Bowles has faced major issues before during his nearly 10-month tenure as the Jets coach, such as defensive end Sheldon Richardson's off-field troubles and quarterback Geno Smith having his jaw broken by a player who was a teammate at the time. But this is a different kind of crisis for Bowles and his team. An identity crisis. The Jets won four of their first five games, using a formula certainly approved of by a former defensive coordinator such as Bowles. They had 15 takeaways and featured running back Chris Ivory rushed for 460 yards. Not coincidentally, the lone loss during that span to Philadelphia occurred on a day when the Jets were minus-3 in turnover margin and Ivory sat out with a quadriceps injury. But the Jets take a two-game losing streak into today's contest against visiting Jacksonville, mainly because that recipe has failed them lately. They didn't force any turnovers in losses to New England and Oakland, and Ivory was held to 58 yards on 32 carries in those games. Ivory was asked Thursday if he feels like a marked man. "Yeah, but I don't like to say that," he said. Yes, but it's the truth. Ivory was asked if the rest of the NFL teams have taken notice of his exploits. "I think they already knew who I was, at least the guys in our division," Ivory said. "To me, they've shown that they know we have a good running game and they know that so far, these past two weeks, the focus has been on stopping the Jets' run game. "Defensive coordinators from other teams are watching and seeing how the offensive line gets off their blocks, how aggressive they are, and seeing what I'm able to do after I get into the secondary," he said. "It makes it tough for them [and] they say, 'OK, we're going to focus on stopping the run.' "They feel like when they stop the run, we're one-dimensional," Ivory said. "It starts up front," said Ivory, who consistently gives credit to his blockers. "We have to do a better job up front and just know our assignments." When asked how the offensive line blocked in the loss at Oakland last week, Ivory replied: "I felt like there were a lot of missed assignments, but coming in this week, we corrected those." "There's nothing he needs to do" differently, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said of Ivory. "He just needs to keep running hard. It'll come." As for creating more turnovers, the blitz-happy Jets need to start getting to the passer more often when they send extra pressure. Oakland's Derek Carr wasn't sacked last week. "A lot of quarterbacks are getting the ball out pretty fast because of the way we pressure and the different things we do," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers noted, adding the Jets often don't use four-man fronts and soft zones in the secondary. "That's just not our style of play," Rodgers said. "Sometimes when people know that you have a tendency to come after them they get the ball out faster." Jacksonville second-year pro Blake Bortles, who has 15 touchdown passes and eight interceptions, clearly has improved after an awful rookie season. But he still can be forced into mistakes. Three of his picks have been returned for touchdowns. 8 P a g e

9 MILES PROMOTED: Hard-hitting safety Rontez Miles, a preseason standout, was promoted from the practice squad. Second-year safety Calvin Pryor (ankle) will sit out a second straight game. Rookie reserve OL Jarvis Harrison, a fifth-round pick, was waived. NEW YORK TIMES Sunday s Matchup: Jaguars at Jets (Ben Shpigel) New York Times 1 p.m. Eastern, CBS Matchup to watch: Quarterback Blake Bortles vs. the Jets defense The third quarterback drafted in 2014, Derek Carr, shredded the Jets last week for 333 yards and four touchdowns. This week, the Jets defense will face the first quarterback taken last year, Blake Bortles, who has shown improvement after a dreadful rookie season. He has taken a major leap, said the Je ts defensive coordinator, Kacy Rodgers, and in seven fewer games has already thrown more touchdown passes (15) than he did last season (11). Over their last five quarters, dating to the end of their Oct. 25 loss in New England, the Jets have allowed 48 points and six touchdown passes. Number to Watch: 12 That is how many away games the Jaguars have played since their last road victory, on Dec. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. They lost those 12 games by an average margin of 14.8 points. In Jacksonville s last visit to MetLife Stadium, in 2011, the Jets won by Quotation of the Week: Trying to figure out what we have to do to get Bryce Petty ready to play. That s what you do. CHAN GAILEY, the Jets offensive coordinator, when asked what he was thinking about on the flight back from Oakland last week after Ryan Fitzpatrick (thumb) and Geno Smith (shoulder) both sustained injuries. Petty, a rookie, has yet to take an N.F.L. snap. ESPN NEW YORK Re-upping with Ryan Fitzpatrick could be Jets' best bet for 2016 (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York P a g e

10 I think there's a good chance they keep Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will be a free agent. Obviously, there are a number of variables, but this much we know: He's the only legitimate candidate among the three quarterbacks on the roster. Geno Smith isn't the answer and Bryce Petty won't be ready, so Fitzpatrick could be the ideal "bridge" quarterback. A lot depends on how the rest of the season plays out. If he stays healthy and gets the Jets to the playoffs, why wouldn't you re-sign him? It's not like next year's free-agent class is stacked with great options -- Kirk Cousins, Sam Bradford and Drew Stanton are the top guys. If someone like Matthew Stafford or Colin Kaepernick becomes avai lable, or maybe a Drew Brees, I think you'd have to consider them. The thing you like about Fitzpatrick is that he feels comfortable in Chan Gailey's offense and Gailey feels comfortable with him. It's a good match. Is Fitzpatrick a franchise quarterback? No. Is he a long-term answer? Probably not. But he's only 32, so it's not like his best football is behind him. Again, it depends on the final nine games. He has started 16 games only twice in his career ( , Buffalo Bills), and those weren't exactly stellar years. He has to prove he can be a consistent quarterback for a full season. There's also the matter of money. If Fitzpatrick has a strong finish, he'll be looking to at least double his current salary ($3.25 million). The player who replaced him in Houston, Brian Hoyer, got $10.5 million for two years. Fitzpatrick is having a better year than Hoyer, and he has better credentials overall, so you have to believe he'd be seeking north of $6 million a year. The Jets will have cap issues in 2016, and they have the Muhammad Wilkerson situation hanging over their head, so there will be many factors that go into the quarterback decision. But, unless he implodes, Fitzpatrick might be the best bet. Jets give Rontez Miles a chance to fill void at safety (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York With only two healthy safeties on the roster, the New York Jets signed Rontez Miles from the practice squad on Saturday to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 10 P a g e

11 Presumably, Miles or Dion Bailey will start opposite Marcus Gilchrist. With Calvin Pryor (high-ankle sprain) out of the lineup for a few weeks, and with backup Jaiquawn Jarrett on injured reserve, the Jets have been scrambling for a strong safety. Cornerback Marcus Williams got the start last week, and he wound up missing six tackles in a loss to the Oakland Raiders. Miles' forte is tackling. He's a fearless hitter, and he should be able to help on special teams. As a safety, there's concern about his pass coverage, but the coaches appear willing to live with that risk. Miles has appeared in only one game , against the New Orleans Saints. He participated in 15 snaps, all on special teams. To make room for Miles, the Jets waived rookie guard Jarvis Harrison, a fifth-round pick. He likely will return on the practice squad. Miles was the longest-tenured member of the practice squad, not the kind of title that a player covets. He spent the last 2 1/2 seasons on it, waiting for a shot. He was one of the team's most improved players in the preseason, according to Todd Bowles, which made it surprising when he didn't make the final 53. Known for his upbeat personality, Miles took to Twitter upon learning of his promotion. Jets starting to show cracks; time for Todd Bowles to be Mr. Fix-It (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York His quarterback has a sore thumb, his defense has a bruised ego and his team has a two-game losing streak. The New York Jets have reached a critical pressure point, the first in-season test for Todd Bowles and his ability to manage adversity. Bowles was terrific in the preseason, handling the calamity du jour, but this is a different deal because he will be judged on only one criterion: Winning. There's no gray area. "It s very important," Bowles said of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5), who have dropped a league-high 12 straight on the road. "It s the middle of the season. You lost two in a row. You don t want to lose three in a row. It s important and everybody understands that we have to try to get back on track." Practices were more intense than usual this week and there was an extra edge in the meeting rooms, according to players. "We can't panic," guard Willie Colon said. "Obviously, the sense of urgency is high right now. This is the time when a lot of teams are trying to make their push." 11 P a g e

12 A win over the Jaguars -- and New York should win -- gets the Jets to 5-3 at the midpoint of the season, a nice set-up to next Thursday night's Rex Bowl against the Bills. Sunday's kickoff is 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium. The top storylines: 1. Thumb's up or down? Everybody is downplaying Ryan Fitzpatrick's thumb injury, insisting it won't disrupt any of his quarterback functions. We'll see if they're right. Fitzpatrick will wear a "special glove" on his left hand (his description), protecting the torn ligament in his non-throwing thumb. The Jets are in shotgun about 55 percent of the time, so it's not like he has to take the snap from under center on every play. Nick Mangold, who returns to the lineup after missing last week with a neck injury, said Fitzpatrick's condition won't require any mechanical adjustments in the center-quarterback exchange. Fitzpatrick should have a good day against the Jaguars' suspect pass defense. Their cornerbacks are inviting targets. 2. Dormant running game: With Chris Ivory mired in a two-game slump, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey needs to change up the running game. He should incorporate some misdirection runs into the game plan, exploiting the Jaguars' quick, fast-flow defense. Everybody knows the Jets are a right-handed running team; they should break the tendency and try the left side more than usual. Mangold's return will be huge for the running game. The Jaguars yield a league-low 3.5 yards per carry, in part, because they're willing to commit extra defenders in the box. That should create favorable matchups in the passing game. 3. Can anybody tackle? By Bowles' count, the Jets missed more than 20 tackles last week, an embarrassing number for an NFL team. The only thing more surprising than that was the fallout. David Harris and Muhammad Wilkerson, both quiet players, questioned the effort, with Wilkerson saying there was "loafing" on defense. Harris guaranteed it won't happen again. This is a statement game. There's a lot of talent on this defense, which has allowed 64 points in the last two games, and it would be alarming if it doesn't respond with a spirited effort. The spotlight will be on cornerback Antonio Cromartie and linebacker Demario Davis, both of whom played poorly in Oakland. The defense is Bowles' baby. Get it fixed, Todd. 4. Big plays needed: The defense has gone two straight games without a takeaway after producing 15 in the first five games. Huh? Quite simply, it has to do a better job of generating pressure, which may mean unveiling new wrinkles in the blitz package. The Jets blitzed on 61 percent of Derek Carr's dropbacks last week and didn't record a sack. They should bust out of the slump against the Jaguars, who like to throw deep to promising young receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Blake Bortles will hold the ball to let the plays develop; an average of 2.64 seconds from snap to pass, sixth-longest in the league. That's why he takes so many sacks (19). Two ghosts from Jets' past return to MetLife -- one snubbed, one sacked (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York November 8, A look at what's happening around the New York Jets: 1. The almost-homecoming: The early frontrunner for the Jets' head-coaching job last January will be on the visitor's sideline at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Surely, you remember the Doug Marrone saga. I'm convinced the reason Marrone opted out of his Buffalo Bills contract was because he was led to believe he had the inside track on the Jets' job. One of his coaching friends told me he was making plans to join Marrone's staff as a Jets assistant coach, evidence that something was brewing. 12 P a g e

13 Marrone, who coaches the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive line, would've been a natural fit with general manager Mike Maccagnan; they've been friends for more than 20 years. It never happened because owner Woody Johnson, swayed by some negative press on Marrone, got cold feet. "I hope people are stronger than that," Marrone told ESPN.com writer Elizabeth Merrill in a recent profile. It worked out well for the Jets, who ended up with Todd Bowles after interviewing Marrone and others. For Marrone, not so much. He went two steps backward, from head coach to position coach. He enjoyed a win over the Bills two weeks ago, and you can bet he wouldn't mind seeing the Jets -- the team that stood him up -- lose their third straight. 2. Heeeere's Johnny: Ten months after getting fired by the Jets, former GM John Idzik returns as a Jaguars' front-office exec. This won't be warm and fuzzy homecoming. Idzik wasn't a popular guy at One Jets Drive. Privately, he was mocked by underlings for his infamous midseason news conference, the one with the 19-minute opening statement. We all know how the fan base felt about him. Billboards and plane -toting banners demanded his ouster. The Jets were under Idzik, whose two-year arrangement with Rex Ryan was as genuine as a Kardashian marriage. Hey, look at the bright side: Idzik left the Jets with $50 million in cap space (Maccagnan should thank him) and seven starters, including three of their best players -- Eric Decker, Chris Ivory and Sheldon Richardson. Maybe Bowles should make them game captains. Idzik, who has yet to give an interview since his firing, is expected to attend the game. He doesn't make every road game because of scouting responsibilities. 3. Milliner's Dee-lay: Idzik's first draft pick, cornerback Dee Milliner, was eligible to come off short-term injured reserve for this game, but the Jets decided to leave him hanging for another week. Imagine that: Milliner is a former first-round pick (ninth overall in 2013) and he's having trouble cracking the 53-man roster. If they don't activate him by Tuesday, he'll spend the rest of the year on IR. 4. The tackling myth: The Jets reacted to last week's shoddy tackling in Oakland as if it were some kind of aberration, a dismal performance well below their standards. Truth be told, they're the seventh-worst tackling team, according to Pro Football Focus. Their missed-tackle percentage is 13.7, with most of their misses on pass plays. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14.8) are the worst, the New England Patriots (9.0) are the best. Why doesn't that surprise me? 5. Pace sounds off: Linebacker Calvin Pace apparently didn't appreciate the post-oakland comments from David Harris and Muhammad Wilkerson, both of whom expressed displeasure with the effort and hustle on defense. Wilkerson used the word "loafing," which gained immediate traction. I had no problem with their remarks; they gave honest, unvarnished answers to questions about a "disgusting" performance (Harris' word). When Pace was asked his opinion, he told NJ Advance Media, "Man, things happen. I think sometimes, we as players need to think before we talk. We don't need to share everything with everybody. That being said, yeah, it could've been better.... But I just think that sometimes, you've just got to be quiet, because if your effort isn't 100 percent on every play, man, it's just tough. We don't want to point fingers and all that stuff." Uh, I think you just did, Calvin. 6. Keeping it fresh: One of Bowles challenges over the second half of the season will be managing the practice time of his older players, making sure they re fresh for the stretch run. The Jets have 10 starters in the 30-and-up category, a few of whom are playing hurt. A bye week would help, but theirs came in 13 P a g e

14 Week 5. They have the mini-bye next weekend because they face the Bills on Thursday night; that will be a much-needed respite. 7. Lo' man on totem pole: I'll be curious to see if Lorenzo Mauldin's role is expanded in the coming weeks. The rookie pass rusher still is learning the nuances of the system, but he has something that can't be taught -- speed. And the slumbering pass rush could use some of that on the edge. He played only 10 snaps against the Raiders, but he made an impressive move to beat veteran left tackle Donald Penn, knocking down quarterback Derek Carr. Mauldin has only 41 pass rushes for the season, but he has three QB hits, according to Pro Football Focus. Why not give him more chances? 8. Christmas in November: Next Thursday night, the Jets (kelly green) and Bills (red) will be the first two teams to unveil the new Nike Color Rush uniforms. Another six teams will follow. The uniforms are one color, head-to-toe, in the team's current or historic primary color. Why? It's to commemorate the first color broadcast of a regular-season game -- Thanksgiving, Mr. Inside, Mr. Outside: Who could've imagined we'd be talking about how defenses have adjusted to shut down the Jets' outside running game? This group of running backs is supposed to be built for power, not speed, but Chris Ivory has been surprisingly effective on outside runs. In fact, the Jets average 6.9 yards per rush outside the tackles. It might be a good time to, you know, make a counter move. 10. Inspector Gadget: Unless I'm missing it, I don't think offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has called a single gadget play. I feel a flea flicker coming on. NEW YORK POST Jets season turns on Jaguars: Easy win or will year slip away? (Brian Costello) New York Post Can the Jets return from the Black Hole they fell into last week in Oakland? The team is back home Sunday to face the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium in what feels like a critical point in their season. They are 4-3, coming off two straight losses and have two games over five days with Rex Ryan s Bills coming to town Thursday. The season easily could slip away. This is the time where a lot of teams start trying to make their push, try to make a stand of where they want to be come December, veteran guard Willie Colon said. Obviously, everybody is fighting for a playoff seat. For us, we can t panic. We just need to be on top of what we need to be on top of. The sense of urgency is high right now. We ve got to get it done. That starts with beating the 2-5 Jaguars. Jacksonville is not the pushover it has been in recent years. The Jaguars have a lot of young stars on offense, led by quarterback Blake Bortles. It will be up to the Jets defense to show it can bounce back from whatever happened last week against the Raiders, when missed tackles and big plays doomed the unit. The way we played wasn t us, cornerback Buster Skrine said. We just want to get back to doing what we do, being the No. 1 defense in the league. The Jets put on pads this week at practice for the first time in some time and amped up the tackling drills to improve the technique that was lacking against the Raiders. 14 P a g e

15 It was an off day for us. We didn t play like we normally play, Skrine said. That probably will be our worst performance of the year. We never want to relive that. The tempo this week has gone up a lot. On offense, the Jets breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday when starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to practice after tearing a ligament in his left thumb against the Raiders. Early in the week, it appeared neither Fitzpatrick nor backup Geno Smith might be healthy for this game, but both are. The Jets offense has fed off Fitzpatrick this season. He s done a hell of a job since he s been our QB. We have a lot of faith in him, Colon said. We just want to see him out there leading the charge. Marquee matchup Some of the talk this week has been about the supposed demise of the Jets terrific twosome of Revis and Cromartie. Former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson this week said Revis is no longer an elite cornerback, and Cromartie is coming off his worst game of the season. They can silence the critics this week against the Jaguars young studs. The duo has combined for 65 catches, 1,099 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. This is a definite dynamic two receivers, Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. As you look at them, we sit and watch Robinson, he s going deep, he s getting targeted. [Hurns], coming from the University of Miami, he played there with my son, I got to watch him in college and he s a dynamic route runner, receiver. They have a really, really outstanding pair of receivers. It will be interesting to see how the Jets match up with Robinson and Hurns. Neither is a definitive No. 1 receiver. Their skill set is similar and they are about the same size. The Jets might mix and match their coverage assignments in this one rather than having Revis take one guy. 4 Downs The glove Fitz Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will play Sunday s game, and perhaps the rest of the season, with a padded glove on his left hand to protect his injured thumb. He will need surgery after the season on the thumb, but he is toughing it out right now. Everybody in the NFL, everybody in this locker room, everybody is playing with some sort of ding or nick, Fitzpatrick said. [Everybody is] playing through some stuff. It s more painful to sit on the sideline and not be there for your teammates. That was hard for me, just feeling like I let everybody down and not being able to go out there and compete with them. Just like anybody else in this locker room, I have to go out there and do the best I can. We re all playing through different things and just make sure that it s not affecting my performance. It will be worth watching how Fitzpatrick does taking snaps from under center and handing off with his left hand. When he scrambles, he will have to protect the hand, too. Maybe he actually will slide. Blitzing Bortles Jaguars second-year quarterback Blake Bortles is having a good sophomore season. He has thrown for 1,812 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He showed poise against the Bills two weeks ago, leading the Jaguars to a comeback win late in the fourth quarter. The Jets surely will blitz him, as coach Todd Bowles likes to do. He better be careful, though. Bortles has thrown seven touchdowns against the blitz this season, fourth behind Carson Palmer, Josh McCown and Philip Rivers. 15 P a g e

16 If Bortles does throw it up for grabs, the Jets might have a scoring opportunity. He has thrown a leaguehigh seven pick-sixes since the start of last season, including a comically bad one against the Bills. Tackling the issue By Bowles count, the Jets missed more than 20 tackles in last week s loss to the Raiders. They were abysmal. Led by Marcus Williams and Demario Davis, the Jets looked like they could not bring anyone down. Now, we will see how they respond. The defense has a lot of pride. This unit expects to be one of the best in the NFL, but it looked far from it last week. Several team leaders spoke up this week about the team putting forth more effort and players said practice was crisp. We ve been practicing with a chip on our shoulder, Bowles said. We try to get better every week and even though we try to get better, we had a bad week. It was a setback last week. We just get back to going this week. It didn t shake the confidence any. Guys are just practicing, focused on what they have to do and working hard. Road weary The Jaguars enter Sunday s game as losers of their past 12 road games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Their last win in a true road game came in December 2013 against the Browns. They did win two weeks ago in London, but that was considered a home game. The Jets could be looking at a blowout. During the 12-game losing streak, the Jaguars have lost by an average of 14.8 points per game. Nine of the 12 losses have come by double digits. Costello s call The Jets are not as bad as they looked last week. They snap back into shape and pound the Jaguars, who have not won a road game in almost two years. This one is a laugher for the Jets. Jets 34, Jaguars 10 How Eric Decker proved he s not a product of Peyton Manning (Brian Costello) New York Post Eric Decker has been a surprising touchdown machine during his NFL career. He is fifth among wide receivers in the NFL in touchdowns since he entered the league in 2010 with 43. The top five contains some pretty big names: Dez Bryant (56), Calvin Johnson (56), Jordy Nelson (45) and teammate Brandon Marshall (44). Yeah, I m a product of Peyton Manning, so it s all because of Peyton, Decker said sarcastically this week. That was the knock on Decker when he signed a five-year, $36 million deal with the Jets in People wondered if he could thrive away from Manning, but he has been good for the Jets. He has a team-leading five touchdowns this season and has formed a strong duo with Marshall. Decker admitted he was even surprised by how his numbers stack up. That s pretty cool. That s a lot of touchdowns, he said. Decker said touchdowns are the statistic he puts the most emphasis on. 16 P a g e

17 I ve surprised myself a little bit. Stats, they come and go every year, but touchdowns are so important, Decker said. They re game changers. It s one of the more important stats offensively. So it s pretty neat. Decker has caught touchdowns from six different quarterbacks: Manning (24), Geno Smith (5), Tim Tebow (5), Ryan Fitzpatrick (4), Kyle Orton (4) and Michael Vick (1). The Jets will be without starting safety Calvin Pryor for the second straight game as he recovers from a high ankle sprain. The defense has missed Pryor since he went down in the second half against the Patriots. He is a huge part of their run defense, giving support from the secondary and has improved in coverage this year. We miss Calvin just because at the end of training camp and everything he was our starter, defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. He s a first-round pick and he was playing like that. That s hard to replace. But from our standpoint it s the next guy up. The next guy has got to step up, but Calvin is definitely missed just because he s one of our starters and he s a really good player. The Jets did not say who will play in Pryor s place this week. Cornerback Marcus Williams moved to safety last week and had a terrible game. It is possible they go with Dion Bailey or Rontez Miles this week. The Jaguars have an impressive rookie running back in T.J. Yeldon, but the team has only scored one rushing touchdown all season coming in their last game with the Bills. The Jets lead the NFL in rushing defense, so Yeldon might have a tough time Sunday.. Secret to shutting down Chris Ivory is out can Jets combat it? (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post The Jets have been experiencing engine trouble the past two games. You don t need to travel far back on the Jets schedule to trace the root of the biggest reason they take a two-game losing streak into Sunday s home game against the Jaguars: Chris Ivory is on the blink. First the Patriots, then the Raiders last week in Oakland made the Jets running back who is the engine that makes their offense go disappear. It s as if the Patriots and Raiders poured sugar into the Jets gas tank and their entire operation on offense has stalled. And suddenly, a 4-1 start, which had placed the Jets front-and-center as one of the league s revelations this season after going 4-12 in 2014, currently rests in a crossroads state of murky uncertainty at 4-3. Which way will they go? Will the Jets shake off the two-game malaise, beat a 2-5 Jacksonville team they re supposed to beat on Sunday and carry on with their surprising bounce-back season, staying in the thick of contention for a playoff berth? Or will they lose a third in a row and tumble into the familiar abyss of sub-mediocrity? The key to that question is the key that starts the Jets engine: Ivory. It is no coincidence that, since Ivory gashed the Dolphins and Redskins for a combined 312 rushing yards to get the Jets to 4-1, they ve lost their last two while he has been held to 58 yards on 32 carries. 17 P a g e