NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS November 4, 2013 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Saints shut down by Jets in loss (Dennis Waszak)... 2 Folk and defense lead Jets past Saints (Barry Wilner)... 4 Saints' Sproles, Jets' Kerley leave with injuries (Dennis Waszak)... 5 Wife of Saints owner finds reporter's lost ring... 6 NEWSDAY... 6 Jets ground and astound, beat Drew Brees and Saints, (Kimberley Martin)... 7 Geno Smith manages game nicely against Saints (Greg Logan)... 8 Jets Q&A: Rex Ryan not gloating about again beating twin Rob (Kimberley Martin)... 9 Chris Ivory plays huge role in Jets' big win against his old team (Bob Glauber) Wife of New Orleans Saints owner saves Newsday reporter from a turnover (Bob Glauber) THE RECORD Chris Ivory, Jets quietly making noise (Tara Sullivan) Jets upset Saints, 26-20, improve to 5-4 (J.P. Pelzman) Jets notes: Geno Smith's quiet day (J.P. Pelzman) Jets replay: Week 9 vs. New Orleans (J.P. Pelzman) STAR-LEDGER Jets' depleted receiving corps rescued by Greg Salas, Zach Sudfeld in win over Saints (Michael Fensom) Rex Ryan again beats twin brother Rob as Jets top Saints, with their father, Buddy, watching (Darryl Slater) Chris Ivory has best game with Jets against Saints, his former team (Michael Fensom) Unpredictable Jets prove they're good enough to make the playoffs (Steve Politi) Jets upend Saints, 26-20, thanks to superb defensive effort (Darryl Slater) NEW YORK POST Jets report card (Brian Costello) Beating his twin was special for Rex Ryan (Brian Costello) No wind in sails for Drew Brees, Saints (Bart Hubbuch) Playoffs a real possibility for Jets (Steve Serby) No-name receivers rally Jets (Mark Cannizzaro) Kicker is arguably the Jets MVP this season (Bart Hubbuch) Jets Blitz: Ivory kills former team (Mark Cannizzaro) Jets stun Saints, head to bye at 5-4 (Brian Costello) Chris Ivory carries Jets on his back (Mike Vaccaro) P a g e

2 Quinton Coples gets his breakout game (Mark Cannizzaro) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NY Jets revive playoff hopes with stunning win over Saints (Seth Walder) Changed Rex Ryan much more reserved with NY Jets success this season (Gary Myers) NY Jets defense steps up big, quiets Saints high-powered offense (Seth Walder) Nick Folk remains perfect on season for NY Jets Chris Ivory difference-maker for NY Jets against Saints (Manish Mehta) Lost engagement ring found by wife of Saints owner, returned to Newsday reporter NEW YORK TIMES Error-Free Jets Outrun Saints (Ben Shpigel) Saints High-Octane Offense Sputters (Nate Taylor) ESPN NEW YORK Jets' unsung Folk hero good as gold (Ian O Connor) Up-and-down Jets are playoff contenders (Rich Cimini) Not just another game for Chris Ivory (Jane McManus) Geno Smith manages Jets to a win (Matt Ehalt) WALL STREET JOURNAL Jets' Seesaw Season Continues With Win Over Saints (Stu Woo) NJ.COM After benching last week, Dee Milliner responds with best performance of his rookie year (Kristian Dyer) With four field goals, Nick Folk continues perfect kicking season (Kristian Dyer) USA TODAY Ryan bowl comes down to Rex beating Saints offense (Tom Pelissero) SUNDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Saints shut down by Jets in loss (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The New Orleans Saints knew exactly what to do against the New York Jets. The plan was simple: Shut down the running game and force rookie quarterback Geno Smith into mistakes. The Saints failed at both. 2 P a g e

3 Chris Ivory ran for 139 yards and a touchdown against his former team, New York had seven plays of at least 19 yards, and Rex Ryan's defense held Drew Brees and the high-scoring Saints to six points in the second half in a upset Sunday. "You try to make them play left-handed," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "We didn't do that today." Smith didn't turn the ball over for only the second time this season, finishing 8 of 19 for 115 yards and also running for a touchdown. Nick Folk remained perfect this year by kicking four field goals as the Jets (5-4) continued their trend of alternating wins and losses. They tied the 2005 New England Patriots for the longest such string to begin a season, according to STATS. "I don't want to take away from the Jets," said Vilma, who made his debut against his former team after starting the season on injured reserve following knee surgery in August. "They did a very good job and deserved to win the game." Interceptions by Demario Davis and Antonio Cromartie highlighted New York's solid defensive performance, as the Jets pressured Brees throughout and held the Saints to 3 of 11 on third downs. "The penalties hurt, we had nine of them," Brees said. "I felt like they came at inopportune times when the offense was trying to get something going. You look to the start of the game, (we) used timeouts, had the delay of game. A lack of tempo and rhythm and it took a little while.... But all credit to them, they played well on both sides of the ball." New Orleans (6-2) got two touchdown catches from Jimmy Graham, giving him 10 this season, but did little in the second half while the Jets maintained their lead. Brees was 30 of 51 for 382 yards with two TDs and two picks - each of which the Jets turned into points. Graham finished with 116 yards on nine receptions. "We hit on some good plays and put together some good drives (early on), but overall, there were times we shot ourselves in the foot," Brees said. "They would get good pressure or get us off rhythm." The Jets' offense was opportunistic after getting two takeaways by the D. The second was not Brees' fault: Nick Toon, son of former Jets star receiver Al Toon, had the ball pop off his hands late in the first half and high in the air, where Cromartie snagged it. But a key play came with the Saints trailing midway through the fourth quarter and facing a fourth-and-1 from the Jets 36. Sean Payton went for it, but his playcalling was a bit curious. The Saints tried a reverse to tight end Josh Hill, who was immediately crushed in the backfield by Quinton Coples for an 8-yard loss and change of possession. "We practiced it during the week, but they just didn't do what we expected," Hill said. "The guy (Coples) was right there. That's the situation you want to use it in and it didn't go like we wanted." Brees, who lost one of his favorite targets when versatile running back Darren Sproles left early with a concussion, shook off a first-quarter interception by Davis with a 51-yard throw to Graham. The powerful tight end beat Jaiquawn Jarrett down the right sideline and dragged the safety the final 5 yards to the goal line. Often, though, the Saints were out of sync, including using all three first-half timeouts on offense in the opening quarter. That cost them when they couldn't challenge Cromartie's interception, which led to Smith's 3-yard touchdown run. Davis' interception came on a ball tipped by teammate Dawan Landry, and led to Folk's 39-yard field goal. Ivory gave New York's offense its biggest boost with first-half runs of 27 and 52 yards. The second 3 P a g e

4 burst came from the Jets 2 and sparked a 93-yard drive to Folk's second field goal, from 21 yards to make it 7-6. Ivory added a 3-yard TD run in the second quarter, and Folk hit his 22nd straight field goal without a miss, a 47-yarder, to start the second half. Garrett Hartley, who missed earlier from 43, made a career-best 55-yarder, drawing the Saints within Folk nailed another one, from 45 yards, in the fourth period, and Hartley countered with a 43- yarder. Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan also lost to his twin brother again - with their father Buddy watching at MetLife Stadium - falling to 3-7 against him and 0-3 since Rex took over as coach of the Jets. "Yeah, there's a little extra, but at the end of the day, now you realize that your bro just took a loss, so that's the tough thing," Rex Ryan said. "I pull for them every single week except one." Folk and defense lead Jets past Saints (Barry Wilner) Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Rex Ryan found plenty of things to brag about after his New York Jets upset the Saints Sunday. His impressive string of wins over his twin wasn't the main one. Oh, Rex mentioned beating brother Rob, the New Orleans defensive coordinator, for the seventh time in 10 matchups. How could he not, given the competitive nature of the twins, something they got from their father, Buddy, who went as an NFL head coach? The 79-year-old Buddy was at the game. But there were so many other aspects of yet another victory in an odd-numbered game that thrilled the Jets boss. "All right, I beat my brother again. Just kidding," Rex said with a laugh. "Yeah, there's a little extra, but at the end of the day, now you realize that your bro just took a loss, so that's the tough thing. I pull for them every single week except one." The Jets (5-4) win every other week. They tied the 2005 New England Patriots for the longest such string to begin a season, according to STATS. This win was built on big plays by Rex's pride and joy, the defense. The offense and special teams came up with some huge plays, too. "We didn't know how we'd win and all that, but we told our team, 'All I know is we've got a team that believes and fights until the end and we find a way,' " Rex Ryan said. "And that's really what we did." Nick Folk remained perfect this season by kicking four field goals, the defense held Drew Brees and the high-scoring Saints (6-2) to six points in the second half, and New York had seven plays of at least 19 yards against Rob Ryan's D. Rob was not made available to reporters by the Saints after the defeat. Interceptions by Demario Davis and Antonio Cromartie and a fourth-and-inches stop highlighted New York's solid defensive performance, and former Saints running back Chris Ivory rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown. 4 P a g e

5 "They did a really good job scheming us and figuring out how to get those runs on us, how to get Ivory the ball and get some positive plays on us," said Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who made his 2013 debut after recovering from a knee injury. "They did a very good job and deserved to win this game. Ivory got the ball and had 9 or 10 yards before someone touches him." Folk is 23 for 23 on field goals and 14 of 14 on extra points. "Guys, how about that year?" Ryan said. "It's not that it's a given, but you think, 'OK, Folk Hero, knock it through. Let's go.'" New Orleans got two touchdown catches from Jimmy Graham, giving him 10 this season, but did little in the second half, even resorting to a reverse to rookie tight end Josh Hill on fourth-and-inches in the final period. The brothers hugged at midfield after the game. The Jets' offense was opportunistic after getting two takeaways. The second was not Brees' fault: Nick Toon, son of former Jets star receiver Al Toon, had the ball pop off his hands late in the first half and high in the air, where Cromartie snagged it. That pick soothed the crowd that was getting on Cromartie for two major gaffes earlier in the second period. Cromartie fell down on Robert Meachem's 60-yard catch and run. Graham capped that 80-yard drive when he outmuscled Cromartie in the end zone for a 10-yard score. Brees, who lost one of his favorite targets when Darren Sproles left early with a concussion, shook off a first-quarter interception by Davis with a 51-yard throw to Graham. The powerful tight end beat Jaiquawn Jarrett down the right sideline and dragged the safety the final 5 yards to the goal line. Often, though, the Saints were out of sync, including using three timeouts on offense in the opening quarter. That cost them when they couldn't challenge Cromartie's interception, which led to Geno Smith's 3-yard touchdown run. Davis' interception came on a ball tipped by teammate Dawan Landry, and led to Folk's 39-yard field goal. Ivory gave New York's offense its biggest boost with first-half runs of 27 and 52 yards. The second burst came from the Jets 2 and sparked a 93-yard drive to Folk's second field goal, from 21 yards. Ivory added a 3-yard TD run in the second quarter, and Folk hit a 47-yarder that barely sneaked over the crossbar, to start the second half. Garrett Hartley, who missed earlier from 43, made a career-long 55-yarder, drawing the Saints within Folk nailed another one, from 45 yards, in the fourth period, and Hartley countered with a 43- yarder. NOTES: Brees was 30 of 51 for 382 yards with two TDs and two picks. Graham finished with 116 yards on nine receptions.... Smith was only 8 of 19 for 115 yards, but the Jets rushed for 198 with a 5.5-yard average.... Josh Cribbs, in just his third game for New York, had five kickoff returns for 134 yards, three rushes for 12, two receptions for 6, and even completed a 25-yard pass to a fellow newcomer, TE Zach Sudfeld.... Jets WR Jeremy Kerley hurt his elbow, LB Garrett McIntyre hurt his knee, and safety Antonio Allen suffered a head injury. Saints' Sproles, Jets' Kerley leave with injuries (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press 5 P a g e

6 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New Orleans running back Darren Sproles left the Saints' loss to the New York Jets on Sunday with a concussion and didn't return. Sproles headed to the locker room early in the first quarter, and the Saints announced he was out for the rest of the game shortly before halftime. It was unclear when the injury occurred, but Sproles had a 2-yard catch and was hit hard by Antonio Allen before leaving. He was replaced by Travaris Cadet on kickoff returns, and Lance Moore on punt returns. "What it does is it eliminates a handful of your plan that he's going to be involved in," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "You just have to quickly be able to say, 'All right, here's what we're going to get to, and here's how much we'd like to do with Cadet that we might normally have done with Darren.'" The versatile Sproles came into the game with 36 receptions, tying him with Kansas City's Jamaal Charles for the second-most among NFL running backs, four behind San Diego's Danny Woodhead. New York also lost a key player on offense when wide receiver Jeremy Kerley was knocked out of the game with an elbow injury in the second quarter. Kerley, the team's leading receiver, appeared to be hurt when he was on the ground after a running play. New Orleans' David Hawthorne hit Kerley's left arm, which rolled awkwardly under the linebacker's shoulder. Kerley immediately grabbed at his arm, was checked by trainers on the sideline and then headed to the locker room. Allen left in the third quarter with a possible head injury, and linebacker Garrett McIntyre also didn't return after leaving with a knee injury. Jets linebacker Calvin Pace left the game late, but said he was just "banged up" and was fine. New York coach Rex Ryan had no immediate updates on the severity of the ailments, but said his team had to "overcome some tough injuries" to beat the Saints. Wife of Saints owner finds reporter's lost ring Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The wife of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson found a newspaper reporter's engagement ring after the team's loss to the New York Jets. Gayle Benson was in the women's restroom in the MetLife Stadium press box Sunday when she spotted the ring on a counter. She gave it to stadium security and later found out it belonged to Newsday's Jets beat writer, Kimberley Martin. Martin removed the ring to wash her hands and forgot to put it back on. A relieved Martin, engaged to Bergen Record sportswriter Jeff Roberts, was "incredibly grateful" when told the ring was recovered. Benson wished Martin "many blessings" and added she should always keep her ring on. "Better to get soap on it than lose it," she said in a message to Martin. NEWSDAY 6 P a g e

7 Jets ground and astound, beat Drew Brees and Saints, (Kimberley Martin) Newsday Calvin Pace just shook his head and sighed. These Jets have learned to assume nothing these days -- and not to put much stock into what outsiders say. Few believed in Rex Ryan's team before kickoff Sunday. And Pace, the 33-year-old elder statesman of the Jets defense, figured few would see them differently after the final whistle. It took a total team effort for the Jets to disrupt Drew Brees and stifle the Saints, but that's just what they did in their upset of New Orleans at MetLife Stadium. Rex improved to 5-0 in head-to-head NFL matchups with his twin, Rob, the defensive coordinator for the Saints (6-2). Former Saint Chris Ivory gained 139 yards on 18 carries for the Jets (5-4), who rushed for 198 yards. Muhammad Wilkerson and Pace each had a sack to lead a swarming defense that kept Brees (30-for-51, 382 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) off balance from the opening series. And while he struggled against the pressure, rookie Geno Smith completed only 8 of 19 passes for 115 yards, but he ran for a 3-yard score late in the second quarter to put the Jets ahead to stay But even in the midst of their lighthearted locker room, Pace was skeptical that the Jets now will be viewed as a legitimate playoff contender. "We're always the underdog, and ESPN had their little pieces on us. It's cool. It motivates us,'' he said. "We understand what type of market we're in and some of the things we've done in the past. We're just focused on the next game.'' For the Jets, there is no next game -- well, not until they travel to Buffalo after the upcoming bye week. That's why they couldn't leave East Rutherford without a "W.'' It's become impossible to predict the course of this Jets season, with each week providing another unexpected turn. The Jets continued their trend of alternating wins and losses, tying them with the 2005 Patriots for the longest such string to begin a season, according to STATS. They are masters of inconsistency. But one thing we do know about Rex's Jets is that they're at their best when others doubt them. "Anybody that made those predictions about this team, did not know this team,'' Ryan said. Said wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs: "On paper, they look better than us. But they still had to go out there and play. We went out with the Bengals and laid an egg, but today, we were ready to play. Today, we were better than the Saints.'' The Jets overcame the absences of tight end Jeff Cumberland (concussion) and wide receiver Santonio Holmes (hamstring) -- and the in-game injuries to slot receiver Jeremy Kerley (elbow), safety Antonio Allen (head) and linebacker Garrett McIntyre (knee). Big-time plays by Cribbs (25-yard Wildcat pass), and backups Zach Sudfeld (two catches, 46 yards) and Greg Salas (two catches, 57 yards) also provided a big boost. Nick Folk (4-for-4) remains perfect on field goals this season (23-for-23). Nevertheless, guard Willie Colon insisted this isn't the time for the Jets to be talking about the playoffs. 7 P a g e

8 "Right now, we have to put our foot on the pedal and we've got to start winning some away games,'' he said. Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson couldn't help himself, however. "If we stay consistent like this, we're a tough team to deal with,'' he said. "We have spurts where we've shown that we're a playoff team.'' So how good can the Jets be? "Very good,'' Richardson said. "They were supposed to be the best team in the NFL. So, we proved them wrong.'' When reminded the Jets have beaten two of the NFL's "elite'' teams (New England and New Orleans) in the past three games, Richardson just shrugged and said, "That's ya'll's elite teams.'' Perhaps in the coming days, people will begin to see the Jets for what they are: a team that has the potential to do something special this season. But Pace doubts that the negative perception will change. "You go to Buffalo, they're not going to believe,'' he said. "They're going to think, 'Oh, the 49-9 Jets are coming up here.' So we've got to go out and play our game. It's not so much about the other team, it's about us. If we're on our p's and q's, we can win the rest of them -- or we can win one, lose one.'' Geno Smith manages game nicely against Saints (Greg Logan) Newsday The Geno-coaster goes down, as it did with two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in the Jets' 40-point loss in Cincinnati last week. But the good thing is that the Geno-coaster always seems to come back up, as rookie quarterback Geno Smith showed again in the Jets' surprising bounce-back win over the Saints Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Not that Smith outdueled Saints quarterback Drew Brees by any means. The Jets relied on a running game that produced 198 yards, and Smith managed the game by eliminating turnovers, completing timely passes and scoring on a 3-yard run just before halftime for a lead. Smith played well despite going only 8-for-19 for 115 yards and a 62.4 rating while working with a depleted receiving corps. You could tell because his name came up only once in coach Rex Ryan's media session. "With Geno, the thing I was most proud of, he never forced the issue," Ryan said. "He's not worried about stats or anything else. He's worried about wins. That's where I think he's grown. I've seen it." Smith was especially poised after Antonio Cromartie's interception put the Jets at the Saints' 39 with 2:12 left in the first half. Smith hit passes of 13 yards to Greg Salas and 21 yards to tight end Zach Sudfeld to move to the 3. Running out of the shotgun formation, Smith scored on the next play to put the Jets ahead. "It was designed," Smith said of the TD, crediting center Nick Mangold for suggesting it. "Nick saw something on the D-line and relayed it to Marty, and Marty relayed it to me. I kind of tried to stretch 8 P a g e

9 the play... and just cut back into the end zone. It really elevated us because not only did we get points but we gained momentum." Reflecting on his overall play, Smith added: "Not having so many negative plays and negative yardage really helped us." Jets Q&A: Rex Ryan not gloating about again beating twin Rob (Kimberley Martin) Newsday What did Rex Ryan say about beating his brother Rob? "I beat my brother again," Rex Ryan said with a laugh to open his postgame news conference. "Just kidding." The gentle jab came after Ryan's Jets defeated his twin brother, Rob, the Saints' defensive coordinator. Rex now is 5-0 in head-to-head matchups against his brother. Leading up to the game, Rex praised Rob for leading the defensive turnaround in New Orleans. On Sunday, he praised Rob again, saying: "My brother has done a phenomenal job." While the Jets' victory puts them above and provides much-needed momentum heading into this week's bye -- Rex couldn't help but feel some sympathy pains for his twin. "At the end of the day, now you realize that your brother just took a loss. That's the tough thing," said Rex, who has defeated Rob twice as a coordinator with the Ravens and three times as a head coach. "I pull for them every single week except one. I've mentioned it before -- I always look at their score... There's not one game I can tell you how it went today, but if the Saints were playing, I'd have known." The latest installment of The Ryan Bowl garnered a lot of media publicity, but Jets players said Rex didn't use sibling rivalry as part of his pregame speech. "No, it wasn't so much about his brother," said outside linebacker Quinton Coples, who had three quarterback hits. "At the end of the day, he was focused on us winning the game. We went in with the game plan. It was nothing about him beating his brother, although he takes pride in doing that. It was more about making sure we set a statement and do things the Jet way." How did Nick Toon fare playing against his dad's old team? Let's just say he won't be drawing comparisons to his old man anytime soon. The Saints receiver, son of Jets great Al Toon, had a rough day. He easily outran rookie cornerback Dee Milliner early in the game but dropped a long pass from Drew Brees near the sideline and close to the end zone. That prompted this tweet from Joe Namath: "I don't recall ever seeing Nick's father drop a pass like that... " Toon was targeted four times but had no catches. He also tipped a pass in the direction of Antonio Cromartie, who hauled it in for his first interception of the season. Did Jonathan Vilma say anything about facing his old team? The former Jet made his season debut after being activated from short-term injured reserve, but there were no warm, fuzzy feelings about facing his old club. 9 P a g e

10 "It's a different coaching staff, and I think I know three or four players from when I was there," said Vilma, who was the Jets' 12th overall pick in "It was a little more personal when I played against them in '09. Now it's just another game." Vilma, a 10-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowler, had only one tackle. Chris Ivory plays huge role in Jets' big win against his old team (Bob Glauber) Newsday Go ahead and let it out now, Chris Ivory. The game's over, you beat your former team and you were the offensive star with 139 rushing yards and a touchdown. So even though you insisted during the week there was no added motivation, it's OK to admit it. There has to be a part of you that really, really loved sticking it to the Saints. Sorry. Ivory wasn't buying it. Even after he dominated the team he played for from , he wouldn't puff his chest. Not even a hint of an in-your-face moment. "You guys want me to say that, but that's just not how it feels,'' he said after the Jets scored a upset over the Saints, who entered 6-1. "I really look at it just like another game.'' Of course he does. As we like to say in the Twitter world: #eyeroll "To say that you're going against your old team, there's nothing special there? Yeah, right,'' said Rex Ryan, offering his own eye roll to the notion that the game didn't mean more to Ivory. "There always is, no matter who it is, whether it's high school, college, pro, whatever. You want to play against your former team and you want to have a good showing.'' And Ivory did just that, rushing for the most yards since his rookie season in New Orleans and giving the Jets their second victory over a first-place team in the past three games. Not coincidentally, Ivory's tough running keyed the Jets' Week 7 OT win over the Pats. He did it again in an equally big spot against the surging Saints. Ivory is proving to be every bit as valuable as the fourth-round draft pick the Jets surrendered to get him. Once he recovered from hamstring problems that set him back in the preseason, his between-thetackles running has been a major factor in the Jets' recent surge. A team that was given up for lost entering the season is 5-4 at the bye, with big-time wins over two Super Bowl contenders sandwiched around a mystifying 49-9 loss to the Bengals. "You treat every game the same,'' Ivory said. "Everybody played well collectively.'' If there was one play that underscored just how important Ivory was to the win, it was this: On second-and-12 from the Jets' 2, Geno Smith took the snap and turned to hand the ball off to Ivory. The play was designed to have the running back get through a hole on the right side, with pulling guard Brian Winters leading the way. Winters' job was to pull to his right and block inside linebacker Curtis Lofton to spring Ivory. 10 P a g e

11 "My first read is an inside read or an outside read, and I blocked the linebacker outside and he bounced right off,'' Winters said of Lofton. Ivory barreled through the hole and ran 52 yards before being shoved out of bounds by rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro. "By the time he runs through, I'm a fan,'' right tackle Austin Howard said. "There's no way I'm going to catch Chris, so you kind of just watch him. It was great to see.'' "It energizes you,'' Ryan said of the play. "Any time you get a big back making plays like that, it energizes everybody, including myself.'' Even if Ivory insists it was no big deal doing it against the team that let him go. Right. "I think it's human nature,'' Howard said. "If you have ever played with another team and get the chance to play against that team, it's going to be a little extra edge for you, extra emotion towards it. Chris has that mentality every week, but you could definitely see that in his eyes.'' Ivory runs as hard as anyone, offering an added dimension to a team that knows it can beat the best when it plays its best. That's two statement wins in three weeks -- enough to make you realize that the Jets have a chance to do something no one outside their locker room could have imagined coming into the season: playing into January. Wife of New Orleans Saints owner saves Newsday reporter from a turnover (Bob Glauber) Newsday The Saints didn't get the win on Sunday, but the team did score a victory for a Jets beat writer. Moments after the Jets' win over New Orleans, Saints owner Tom Benson's wife, Gayle, found an engagement ring that accidentally had been left in the MetLife press box's ladies room. Turns out the ring belonged to Newsday writer Kimberley A. Martin, who had removed the ring to wash her hands and realized after she got to the locker room that she hadn't put it back on. Martin, who is engaged to Bergen Record sportswriter Jeffrey Roberts, eventually was told that the ring had been given to stadium security by Gayle Benson. "I am so happy she has her ring," Benson said. "So happy I saw it on the counter. I suspected it was an engagement ring. Very beautiful." She then offered a few words of advice to Martin: "Many blessings and always keep your ring on. Better to get soap on it than lose it." Said Martin, "I am so touched that Mrs. Benson found the ring and was able to get it back to me. You have no idea what it means to me to have it back. I'm incredibly grateful." THE RECORD Chris Ivory, Jets quietly making noise (Tara Sullivan) 11 P a g e

12 The Record l EAST RUTHERFORD In the three weeks since joining the Jets, Josh Cribbs has yet to have a real conversation with Chris Ivory. They ve nodded, smiled and exchanged a few words, but that s about it. And that s more than enough. When it comes to chatter, Ivory may be the personality inverse of the loquacious Cribbs, yet Cribbs was absolutely certain how his offensive teammate felt after a dominant rushing performance Sunday against the Saints. There are universal motivations in the NFL, and when you scratch and claw your way into this league only to have the team you started with trade you away, when you take the field against that team for the first time since the unexpected divorce, well, consider yourself motivated. And when you walk off that field with 139 rushing yards and a touchdown, when you walk into your new home locker room with a decisive victory, when you are one of the last players in the locker room to drop back into your chair, gingerly working through the bumps and bruises to pull on a pair of socks, well, consider your mission complete. I know it meant a lot to him, Cribbs said. He s making them kick themselves in the butt, thinking, Oh man, he s running all over us. Ÿ Veteran Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma put a voice to those thoughts when he admitted, Ivory would get the ball and have 9 or 10 yards before anybody touched him, a concession to the dominance of the team he once played for, too. But as much as Ivory had his told-you-so moment, the real measure of the slow maturation of the Jets is how nobody in the locker room, Ivory chief among them, was interested in saying so out loud. The Jets may have turned in their ugliest performance of the season last week in Cincinnati, but the two games that now sandwich that hideous blowout have to be considered evidence of a potential playoff push. Beating first-place New England two weeks ago followed by Sunday s win over first-place New Orleans raised the Jets record to 5-4, sending them into the bye week on the high end of the win-loss roller coaster they ve ridden all season. But if Rex Ryan s first four years were marked by outsized guarantees and overhyped confidence, this is a group marked mostly by its quiet resilience. On Sunday, Ivory was the perfect representation of that persona, all but goaded into admitting his day was special because it came against the Saints, but that really, You treat every game the same. He s a leader by example and we need more guys like that, Cribbs said. He doesn t need to talk and be loud. He leads with his play on the field. Nothing spoke louder than the handoff Ivory took early in the second quarter, when the Jets were trailing, 7-3, watching Drew Brees throwing the ball all over the field. Backed up on the 2-yard line, the defense stood on the sidelines, in the words of rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, on alert. It was only second down, but we were ready for it, possibly punting out of the end zone, Richardson said. Instead, the end zone handoff went to Ivory, who took off behind the blocking of fullback Tommy Bohanon. Fifty-two yards later, Ivory was pushed out of bounds along the right sideline. Nine plays later, Nick Folk kicked the second of his four field goals, and the Jets were officially on the comeback trail. 12 P a g e

13 He gashed them, just gashed them, Richardson gushed. Chris is a beast, man, linebacker Calvin Pace said. He had a little extra motivation today against his old team. But he really fits what we do and that was the type of game we needed. Ivory would add a 3-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, and by the time it was over, when the defense snuffed out a final, two-minute drill by the dangerous Brees thanks to smothering fourth-down pressure from Quinton Coples, the Jets had added another optimistic layer to a continually promising season. Not that they were willing to say it. We have a long way to go, Ryan said. Clearly, we have to fix a lot of things still, but I know one thing: We have a group that s willing, and that s the toughest thing. When you have a group that s willing to get better and work hard to get better, that s where we are. On Sunday, Ivory was his best test case. No matter who we play, he just wants the ball, Ryan said. The kid loves to play. To say that there s nothing special about going against your old team yeah, right. Whether it s high school, college or pro, it makes no difference. You want to play against your former team and have a good showing, and clearly he did. Just don t ask him to admit it. He s a quiet kid that s his demeanor, guard Willie Colon said. But he plays like a bandit. We have faith in him and he showed up for us today. Jets upset Saints, 26-20, improve to 5-4 (J.P. Pelzman) The Record EAST RUTHERFORD After Geno Smith s game-ending kneel-down Sunday, a few Jets began jogging toward the tunnel. Willie Colon was not one of them. The veteran right guard, who started and played the entire game despite a left-calf injury that had caused him to miss two days of practice, walked toward the exit. He briefly spoke to inactive New Orleans wide receiver Marques Colston, a former Hofstra teammate, then did a brief in-house TV interview before finally trudging off. But even though he walked slowly, he moved well enough during the game. So did the rest of his teammates as the Jets continued an improbable upward climb. The Jets enter their bye week on the upside of their roller-coaster season. Quarterback Geno Smith and former Saint Chris Ivory each rushed for touchdowns, and the Jets scored 10 points off New Orleans turnovers in a upset of the Saints at MetLife Stadium. The Jets (5-4), who have alternated wins and losses since a victory over Tampa Bay on opening day, now will get a good rest. They return to action Nov. 17 at Buffalo. NFC South-leading New Orleans (6-2) lost for the second time in three games. It was the Jets second straight home upset over a division-leading team. They beat AFC East-leading New England on Oct. 20, before being pounded on the road by AFC Central-leading Cincinnati a week ago. It was huge, Colon said of the victory. You want to go into a bye week with momentum. After getting our butts kicked in Cincinnati, something had to turn around. 13 P a g e

14 The Jets secondary certainly did. A week after being shredded by Andy Dalton and Co., the Jets got two first-half interceptions off New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, both on tipped balls. Those picks led to 10 points, including a second-quarter touchdown that put the Jets ahead to stay. The Jets sacked Brees twice and harassed him often. We knew, defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said, [that] getting [Brees] off his mark would get him rattled. And I think we did that. [Give] credit to the whole defense [for] being disruptive. Although the Saints took a 14-6 lead in the second quarter, the Jets defense definitely had them confused, even early in the game. The New Orleans offense used all three of its first-half timeouts in the first quarter, and also incurred two delay-of-game penalties during that period. It almost looked like a potential repeat of the Cincinnati debacle when Brees connected with tight end Jimmy Graham for two first-half touchdown passes, but Cromartie s interception of a tipped pass turned the tide late in the first half. Smith s 3-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds left in the half put the Jets ahead to stay, You just have to forget about those and get going, said Cromartie, who made the pick after getting burned for a 10-yard score by Graham earlier in the quarter. Linebacker Quinton Coples made the biggest play of the second half, nailing reserve tight end Josh Hill for an 8-yard loss on a very curious play call on fourth-and-inches from the Jets 36 in the fourth quarter. The loss of scatback Darren Sproles, who suffered a concussion on the first series of the game, loomed large at that point. I was thinking [Brees] was going to [tuck] it away and throw the ball, Coples said, but when he handed it off my eyes just got big. Much like the rest of his Jets as they continue to look at the possibilities of a surprising season. Jets notes: Geno Smith's quiet day (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 4, Geno_Smith_s_quiet_day.html?page=all Quiet day for Geno In most games this season, rookie quarterback Geno Smith has been a focal point, both good and bad, for the Jets. That wasn't the case Sunday in the upset of New Orleans. Although Smith scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 3-yard run in the second quarter, he had a rather quiet day through the air. Of course, Smith didn't need to do much in the passing game, considering how well Chris Ivory was running the ball. Smith was 8-for-19 for 115 yards and no scores, and his longest completion was a 44- yard screen to wide receiver Greg Salas, who did most of the work. "I think I did a pretty good job of managing situations, not trying to force the ball," said Smith, who was turnover-free after throwing three interceptions for touchdowns in the previous two games. He also said he said he did a good job of knowing "when to tuck the ball and run, [and] knowing when to get the ball out of my hands versus the pressure or even throw it away." 14 P a g e

15 Backups contribute The Jets' offensive depth was tested because of injuries, and their backups did a better job of filling in than did those of the Saints. Josh Cribbs had a 25-yard pass to tight end Zach Sudfeld out of the Wildcat, and Sudfeld had a 21-yard reception to set up Smith's touchdown. Salas, making his Jets' debut, had two catches for 57 yards. Sudfeld started in place of tight end Jeff Cumberland (concussion), and Salas got extra playing time because wideout Jeremy Kerley left in the first half with a potentially serious elbow injury. "Those guys stepped up to the plate and did a tremendous job," Smith said. Briefs The Jets' bye week comes at an opportune time, considering their mounting injury list. S Antonio Allen (concussion) and LB Garrett McIntyre (knee) left the game and didn't return. Nick Folk hit field goals of 39, 21, 47 and 45 yards for the Jets, and is a perfect 22-for-22 this season. New Orleans LB Jonathan Vilma (knee), a former Jet, returned from short-term injured reserve and made his 2013 debut. "It was a little more personal when I played against them in '09," said Vilma, who was traded to the Saints after the 2007 season. "Now it's just another game." Jets replay: Week 9 vs. New Orleans (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 4, Week_9_vs New_Orleans.html Turning point Two plays after RB Chris Ivory went off right tackle for a 3-yard score to cut the Jets' deficit to 14-13, New Orleans QB Drew Brees threw his second interception of the first half. His pass bounced off the hands of Nick Toon and CB Antonio Cromartie grabbed it near the sideline while keeping his feet inbounds. That set up the Jets at the Saints' 39, and they scored five plays later when QB Geno Smith ran 3 yards to put them ahead to stay, 20-14, with 37 seconds left in the first half. Star of the game Ivory, a former Saint, burned his old team for 139 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. His 27-yard burst in the first quarter led to the first of Nick Folk's four field goals, and his 52-yard run in the second period set up the second. Ivory was acquired by the Jets in April for a fourth-round draft choice. Costly mistakes Jets S Antonio Allen was called for holding against backup TE Josh Hill in the third quarter. The infraction wiped out what would have been Cromartie's second interception of the game. A first-quarter interception by LB DeMario Davis helped set up a field goal. New Orleans FB Jed Collins dropped a perfect pass from Brees on third-and-1 in the fourth quarter, and on fourth down, Quinton Coples stopped Hill for an 8-yard loss on an end-around. Eye-catching Smith faked out DE Cameron Jordan en route to his 3-yard score, his third rushing TD of the season. Toon, who misplayed the pass that resulted in Cromartie's interception, earlier had dropped a long pass inside the Jets' 20 after beating struggling rookie CB Dee Milliner. Toon, the son of former Jets great Al Toon, might have been pressing in his first game against his father's old team. He was targeted four 15 P a g e

16 times and had no receptions. New Orleans K Garrett Hartley's 55-yard field goal is the longest of the sixth-year pro's career. Looking ahead The Jets (5-4) reach their bye week in second place in the AFC East, a half-game ahead of Miami (4-4) and two games ahead of last-place Buffalo (3-6). The Bills will visit Pittsburgh next week before hosting the Jets on Nov. 17. The Jets beat Buffalo, 27-20, on Sept. 22 at MetLife Stadium. STAR-LEDGER Jets' depleted receiving corps rescued by Greg Salas, Zach Sudfeld in win over Saints (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger h_sudfeld_in_win_over_saints.html The Jets scooped Greg Salas off the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad on Oct. 15, the same day they signed Josh Cribbs, a free agent. While Cribbs is a former Pro Bowler, and one of the best kick returners in NFL history, Salas arrived with a modest reputation. The Jets were his fourth team since the St. Louis Rams picked him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft out of Hawaii. Perhaps, that s why Willie Colon, the Jets right guard, couldn t recall the wide receiver s name even though the two sit a few stalls apart in the Jets locker room. I don t know his name, but he had a huge one for us, Colon said, referring to his teammate by his uniform number, 17. Suppose that s a start. Salas began his Jets career in earnest this afternoon against the New Orleans Saints. After being inactive for the first two games since he arrived, Salas caught two passes and led the Jets with 57 receiving yards today. Both catches drew first downs on Jets scoring drives in a win. Salas experience since arriving at Florham Park has mirrored those of many in the Jets offensive huddle as general manager John Idzik continues to tinker with the roster. As the new players cram to learn the terminology of the offense, hours of study are accumulated at team headquarters. Developing chemistry on the field supercedes even learning new teammates names. Santonio Holmes, Kellen Winslow, Jeff Cumberland and Jeremy Kerley were ripped from the lineup today, but Idzik has found suitable pieces to patch the holes. When Kerley hurt his left elbow in the second quarter, Salas, who expected only to see time in four-wide receiver sets today, saw increased snaps. On a 3rd and 10 at the Jets 21 near the start of the third quarter, he caught a screen pass, zipped through a hole created by David Nelson and Brian Winters and gained 44 yards. I m trying to make the most of it, Salas said, though he could be speaking for Cribbs, Nelson or Zach Sudfeld today. None of those players were on the roster prior to Oct. 2, when Nelson signed. Two days later, the Jets claimed Sudfeld off waivers from the New England Patriots, who also employed Salas in Today, 16 P a g e

17 the quartet combined to catch seven of the eight complete passes thrown by Geno Smith. They allotted for 103 of Smith s 115 passing yards. I credit it to the GM, Cribbs said. He saw integral pieces. He saw a puzzle being made. He went out and got the pieces to the puzzle that would fit and help this offense be as versatile and as off balance to the defense as possible. Cribbs had 177 all-purpose yards today. He ran for 12 yards, caught two passes for six, completed a 25- yard pass to Sudfeld and gained another 134 yards returning five kicks, including a 42-yarder. I feel revitalized, reborn on this team, Cribbs said. Every time we have a good game, I go up to him and hug (Idzik) for the opportunity. In addition to Cribbs and Salas, the rookie Sudfeld had his best game with the Jets, catching a pair of passes for 46 yards. It was great to be out there, to be in the game and help, said Sudfeld, who filled in for Cumberland, absent due to a concussion. It s what you play for. Rex Ryan again beats twin brother Rob as Jets top Saints, with their father, Buddy, watching (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger s_with_their_father_buddy_watching.html The postgame handshake was warm and the hug an enthusiastic, full-armed embrace. Once again, Rex Ryan and his fraternal twin brother, Rob, had met in a setting that has defined their lives from youth to adulthood. And once again, Rex had emerged the victor on the football field, as the Jets beat the Saints, 26-20, yesterday. Rex is now 7-3 all-time against Rob, including 5-0 in the NFL. On hand to watch the game was their father, Buddy, who molded his sons into two of the NFL s most renowned defensive coaches. The brothers, who posed for pictures before the game, are loving, but always competitive "I beat my brother again," Rex said with a chuckle to open his postgame press conference. "Just kidding." Ryan later said "a little extra" goes into a game against Rob. "At the end of the day, now you realize that your brother just took a loss," Rex said. "That s the tough thing. I pull for them every single week except one. I always look at their score. I can t tell you another game. There s not one game I can tell you how it went today. But if the Saints were playing (somebody else), I d have known (the score)." The Jets sensed some additional zest from their head coach, who already wears his emotions on his sleeve. "He told us he always likes beating his brother," said defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. "He brought a little bit more fire, a little bit more energy (this week)." 17 P a g e

18 But rush outside linebacker Quinton Coples said Rex didn t bring up Rob in the pregame message to the Jets. "It wasn t so much about his brother," Coples said. "At the end of the day, he was focused on us winning the game. It was nothing about him beating his brother, although he takes pride in doing that. It was more about making sure we sent a statement." An hour before yesterday s game, Rex and Rob greeted each other along the Jets sideline. They stood for photographs, and were joined by their father, a former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator, and their other brother, Jim, an attorney in St. Louis. Buddy, 82, was in a wheelchair and wore neutral clothing with no Jets or Saints logos or colors. He has battled cancer in recent years. A couple times during the pregame greeting, Rex and Rob shook hands and hugged. Rex s wife, Michelle, also joined in the photographs. Before heading to the Saints locker room, Rob leaned over and gave Buddy a hug and kiss on the cheek. A few members of the Jets organization also greeted Buddy. Wide receiver Santonio Homes talked to him for a couple minutes. First-year general manager John Idzik, who holds Rex s job security in his hands, also spoke to Buddy and took a picture with him. After Rex and Rob parted ways along the sideline, Jets owner Woody Johnson approached Buddy and put his right hand on Buddy s left shoulder. The men spoke for a few moments. Rex and Johnson then took a photo with Buddy between them. In this season of great consequence for Rex, yesterday's game moved him one step closer to remaining in Johnson s employ. Chris Ivory has best game with Jets against Saints, his former team (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger ormer_team.html Chris Ivory began the week insistent that facing the New Orleans Saints would provide no incentive. Motivation to play well, Ivory said, exists against any opponent, not just a former employer. Still, the Jets sensed the Saints might bring out the best in their second-leading rusher, whether due to an added sense of pride or the fact the Saints came to the Meadowlands today getting carved for 4.8 yards each time an opposing rusher touched the ball this season. Jets coach Rex Ryan named Ivory a game captain. During pregame introductions, Ivory was the last player sent out of the tunnel. There was a practical purpose in believing Ivory would bash the Saints defense, as well. With Drew Brees guiding a powerful Saints offense, the Jets required a productive rushing attack to chew up yards and eat time off the clock. By game s end, Ivory had left tire tracks on the chests of Saints defenders with his "punch-you-in-theface" style, as the Jets coach put it. 18 P a g e