NY Times: In Ugly Debut, Reality Sets in for Jets

[tr1]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/sports/football/14jets.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

By GREG BISHOP

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On Monday night, the Jets went from the cozy confines of their reality television show to the cold reality of the N.F.L., where even teams who aspire to championships must avoid debilitating mistakes. What the Jets presented to a national television audience was disorganized chaos, the opposite of their stated theme.

Hard knocks, indeed.

In came the Baltimore Ravens, the team that Coach Rex Ryan left to coach the Jets, the team that passed him over when it hired John Harbaugh as the coach. They topped the Jets, 10-9, by playing Ryan’s brand of football in a new gray stadium that glowed green.

“It is a long season,” Ryan said. “It is one game. I will say this, I have confidence in every man in our locker room. No question.”

In the first half alone, the Jets’ defense forced three turnovers, giving the offense enviable field position time and again. The offense, which played with ragged and staccato tempo, which failed on third down as if allergic to conversions (1 of 11 over all), produced all of 6 points.

The entire team, defense included, lacked discipline. The Jets racked up 14 penalties for 125 yards. The Ravens exploited the rookie cornerback Kyle Wilson, and other than a second-quarter interception, cornerback Antonio Cromartie also struggled.

Worse yet, Mark Sanchez regressed from the end of his rookie season. He did not budge Baltimore’s defense, even though it played without the All-Pro safety Ed Reed and cornerback Domonique Foxworth. Early in the fourth quarter, Sanchez had 47 passing yards, and he finished with 10 completions, 74 yards and a 56.4 rating.

Worse still, the nose tackle Kris Jenkins left the game in the first quarter, clutching the left knee he had surgically repaired this off-season. The Jets said they did not know the extent of his injury immediately afterward.

“We were awful,” wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. “The defense came out with passion. I don’t believe the offense’s intensity matched what the defense did. It’s not panic time. But our offense definitely needs to get something going now so we don’t wait till the last minute like last year and try to get into the playoffs off a fluke game.”

If these Jets are indeed Super Bowl bound, they must forget Monday night, and quickly, with the archnemesis New England coming to town on Sunday.

Judging by the mood in the locker room, the Jets plan to. Besides Edwards, most players shrugged when prodded for disappointment. Even former Ravens.

“Half the league is 0-1,” linebacker Bart Scott said. “We don’t have time to soak on this. We have another great team coming in here. They’re not going to feel sorry for us.”

The game turned late in the second quarter, when running back Shonn Greene coughed up his second fumble of the game — the first bounced out of bounds — with the Jets ahead, 6-0. The defense, which limited the Ravens to 1.4 yards per rush, which kept the lackluster offense in this game, held Baltimore to a field goal — until Edwards was flagged for running into kicker Billy Cundiff.

Again, the Jets’ defense stiffened. Again, the Ravens advanced via penalty, this time pass interference on Wilson. That set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Willis McGahee with six seconds remaining in the half that gave Baltimore a 7-6 lead.

Already, many opportunities had been squandered. Like the sack of Joe Flacco by defensive end Shaun Ellis and linebacker Bryan Thomas that produced a fumble on the Jets’ first defensive play of the season. Like the two fumbles recovered by defensive lineman Sione Pouha, whom Ryan labeled one of the most underrated players in the league.

But if the Jets’ first forced turnover and first score came quickly, so did their first serious injury. It happened when Jenkins went down on the Ravens’ second drive. Jenkins limped off the field, but he did not return, and he left the locker room before it opened.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis played the first half in typical, shutdown fashion, showing no affects from his lengthy contract holdout. Inside his fifth-level suite at halftime, family members had already moved beyond his 36-day contract holdout. They celebrated the lack of activity on Revis Island, but declined to read too far into his play.

“You can’t assess him by what he does today,” his uncle, Sean Gilbert, said. “I’m sure right now he’s hungry. That’s not based on what happened. He just loves to play.”

On the positive side, the Jets’ defense appeared in midseason form. Kicker Nick Folk, one of the biggest question marks entering this season, kicked three field goals, accounting for all the Jets scoring, with a long of 48.

Problem was, the Jets’ offense appeared in midseason form, too — and not in a good way. In the first half, Greene fumbled twice, tight end Dustin Keller tripped on a third-down route and a long pass from Sanchez to Keller was negated by an illegal shift on Edwards.

“There’s no excuse,” Sanchez said. “Too many self-inflicted wounds. I’m not questioning our will, or our effort. But we just didn’t execute.”

Cromartie, meanwhile, said he had never committed that many penalties in any game in his life, even if he did not agree with all of them. He said he needed to play more disciplined, and that went for all the Jets.

The Jets’ offense had one last chance late in the fourth quarter. Sanchez converted his first third down on his 10th attempt. Then linebacker Ray Lewis flattened Keller when Sanchez floated a pass over the middle. It was that kind of night.

Then Keller caught a fourth-down pass but momentum carried him out of bounds, short of the first down, a clear mental error for which he accepted blame. It was that kind of night, too.

Hard knocks, indeed.

[onedrop]

uh, that wasnt momentum that carried keller out of bounds short of the first down, that force is called stupidity.

[KDawg]

Actually, Keller went by where the stick was.

Those officials are taught to drop the sticks when a player comes towards them. The official didn't, and instead moved the stick FORWARD.

Keller saw the stick and went out of bounds passed the stick for what he thought was a first down. Unfortunately he didn't take into account the orange spot on the ground that indicates where the first down marker should be.

You could tell as he was already out he tried to shift his body closer to the orange marker on the ground as he probably saw it at the last second. Not a smart play, but not entirely stupid, either. He saw the stick and went passed it. The replay shows as much.

[Tweedr01]

Did anyone see that hit Ray Lewis put on Keller? That was nasty!

[onedrop]

Actually, Keller went by where the stick was.

Those officials are taught to drop the sticks when a player comes towards them. The official didn't, and instead moved the stick FORWARD.

Keller saw the stick and went out of bounds passed the stick for what he thought was a first down. Unfortunately he didn't take into account the orange spot on the ground that indicates where the first down marker should be.

You could tell as he was already out he tried to shift his body closer to the orange marker on the ground as he probably saw it at the last second. Not a smart play, but not entirely stupid, either. He saw the stick and went passed it. The replay shows as much.

i appreciate your point of view but im sticking with "stupidity". more importantly and contrary to what the author wrote, momentum had nothing to do with it.

[pointyfootball]

Watching that game, I had flashbacks of watching Buddy Ryan on the sideline. Good defense, terrible offense. Not sure how much is blamed on Sanchez, but I have to agree with Jaws about looking downfield once in awhile. I understand you don't want to get killed by RayRay & company, but you're just playing into their hands when you do that repeatedly.

[TSO]

I could not believe how stubborn Sanchez was about checking the ball down. Wow. What happened to him, wasn't he lighting it up early in the season last year?

[KDawg]

i appreciate your point of view but im sticking with "stupidity". more importantly and contrary to what the author wrote, momentum had nothing to do with it.

You can stick with whatever you want.

The only thing we'll agree on is that momentum had nothing to do with it.

He wanted to stop the clock so he got out of bounds... he just went out of bounds in the wrong spot.

[MartinC]

I could not believe how stubborn Sanchez was about checking the ball down. Wow. What happened to him, wasn't he lighting it up early in the season last year?

I think the Jets have a problem with Sanchez. Not sure if its coaching, scheme or just a QB playing with no confidence but he is not even looking downfield unless its off play action, they have virtually no intermediate passing game. If they can not run the whole offense falls apart as the passing game is based on getting chunks off play action. If Sanchez has to drop back and pass he hardly looks downfield before he goes to the check down.

The Jets have a great D but their offense is not even close to good enough to take them deep into the playoffs. They play the Pats next week - how will Rex's boasting look at 0-2?

[Warhead36]

The Jets D and running game is still good enough to get them to the playoffs. Unfortunately they'll have no chance to win games where they'll have to score points.

[Beans]

Thank god the Skins didn't trade the farm for Sanchez. I wonder if the other "Sexy Rexy" still refers to him as Sanchize?

[onedrop]

You can stick with whatever you want.

The only thing we'll agree on is that momentum had nothing to do with it.

He wanted to stop the clock so he got out of bounds... he just went out of bounds in the wrong spot.

all true. ive just never see anyone else pull the same boneheaded move, ever.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

You can stick with whatever you want.

The only thing we'll agree on is that momentum had nothing to do with it.

He wanted to stop the clock so he got out of bounds... he just went out of bounds in the wrong spot.

But why go out exactly where you think the stick is? Why not take the 1 second it takes to go upfield another two yards and make sure you have the first down? Maybe it wasn't stupidity but it was definitely panic.

[KDawg]

But why go out exactly where you think the stick is? Why not take the 1 second it takes to go upfield another two yards and make sure you have the first down? Maybe it wasn't stupidity but it was definitely panic.

Panic is a much better word than stupidity.

It fits perfectly. It was almost like he thought he was further downfield than he was then saw he wasn't and freaked.

[ArmchairRedskin]

I know I'm gonna laugh my ass off when they go 0-3.

[pjfootballer]

I hate that the Jets had to run their mouths before they even played a game. I wish they could have remained quiet and then take the division, because quite frankly, I'm sick and damn tired of the Patriots. I was really hoping someone in that division would knock the Patriots off their AFC East throne.

[Chachie]

Actually, Keller went by where the stick was.

Those officials are taught to drop the sticks when a player comes towards them. The official didn't, and instead moved the stick FORWARD.

Keller saw the stick and went out of bounds passed the stick for what he thought was a first down. Unfortunately he didn't take into account the orange spot on the ground that indicates where the first down marker should be.

You could tell as he was already out he tried to shift his body closer to the orange marker on the ground as he probably saw it at the last second. Not a smart play, but not entirely stupid, either. He saw the stick and went passed it. The replay shows as much.

I'm not following your logic, K. If Keller went out of bounds where he thought the stick should be, he'd have gone past where the orange marker still was and had the first down...right?

Also- I remember clearly seeing that he did not go out of bounds beyond where the first down marker pole was placed at that very second. This is why I called him a stooge before he even landed out of bounds.

[KDawg]

I'm not following your logic, K. If Keller went out of bounds where he thought the stick should be, he'd have gone past where the orange marker still was and had the first down...right?

No. The chain guy is supposed to drop the chain so the stick is at the orange marker that lies flat on the field when players come towards him. He didn't drop it and he moved the stick forward (backwards, whatever way you want to call it. I mean he moved it so that the chains were closer than the orange ground marker). Keller went out ahead of the stick but behind the orange ground marker.

[Chachie]

No. The chain guy is supposed to drop the chain so the stick is at the orange marker that lies flat on the field when players come towards him. He didn't drop it and he moved the stick forward (backwards, whatever way you want to call it. I mean he moved it so that the chains were closer than the orange ground marker). Keller went out ahead of the stick but behind the orange ground marker.

I remember it exactly the opposite way regarding the stick but if you say you've seen a recent replay I guess I'll defer to you as I haven't seen anything since Monday night. I really want to argue this though, LOL! I'm almost positive I saw him go out of bounds short of the stick.

[KDawg]

I remember it exactly the opposite way regarding the stick but if you say you've seen a recent replay I guess I'll defer to you as I haven't seen anything since Monday night. I really want to argue this though, LOL! I'm almost positive I saw him go out of bounds short of the stick.

I could have seen it wrong, too, but I'm almost positive as well. One of us is wrong here

[onedrop]

I could have seen it wrong, too, but I'm almost positive as well. One of us is wrong here

you are right. the guy is holding the yard stick back from the sideline and seems to move out of kellers way as he goes out of bounds (away from the ground marker). what made it a stupid play to me is that the ground marker is clearly there and keller had the ball in the wrong hand. (as stated during the game)

not the best video in the world but here it is. obviously at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP88U8GY88w

[Popeman38]

you are right. the guy is holding the yard stick back from the sideline and seems to move out of kellers way as he goes out of bounds (away from the ground marker). what made it a stupid play to me is that the ground marker is clearly there and keller had the ball in the wrong hand. (as stated during the game)

not the best video in the world but here it is. obviously at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP88U8GY88w

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81a849c6/Keller-fails-to-get-1st-down

NFL.com highlight of just this play. That employee should be fired for not dropping the marker and moving it.

LOL at the Jets though. They done run their mouths WAY too much this offseason.