‘”I just made my mind up I’m going to stop the run,” Williams said of his eight-tackle performance against Cincinnati. “I wanted to go out and dominate first down, second down, third down. I feel I’ve been playing all right this year. I’ve been playing average, but I’ve got to play above average.”‘
Archives for October 10, 2003
Jets still dangerous on kickoff returns
‘The Jets rank fourth in the National Football League on kickoff return average. Michael Bates, a five-time Pro Bowler signed as a free agent on Sept. 10, is averaging 29 yards on 10 returns this season. His longest is 42 yards.’
Slump wears on Reed, but he won’t succumb
‘Plagued by a terrible case of butterfingers during Buffalo’s 3-2 start, Reed’s confidence has been plummeting faster than a can of Bud from the third deck of the Ralph. He has 11 receptions and half as many drops so far, prompting media and fans to call for his benching.’
Jets Simplify Defense and Add Youth to It
‘With the run defense in shambles, Edwards has been lukewarm in his assessment of how the linebackers have played, and the Jets could undertake a complete overhaul at the position after this season. This is the first opportunity to gauge who, other than Hobson, will remain with the team.’
LBs go on defensive
‘Herman Edwards announced last week that Cowart, Jones and Lewis will rotate with their respective backups and, judging by the way practice is unfolding this week, the Jets’ coach intends to stick with the plan when they face the Bills (3-2) at Giants Stadium.’
Chad fits scout Bill
‘”It was good to see him in the huddle and throwing the football,” said Herman Edwards, confirming that Pennington may participate in full-scale team drills next week.’
Youth will be served
‘”It is very ironic,” Wright said. “I’m going to have to calm myself down. It’ll be like the little brother-big brother factor. I’m going to want to beat those guys.”‘
Chad’s throwing out good vibes
‘”Every day is exciting for me, because I get the chance to do what I love – play football,” Pennington said yesterday in a statement released by the team’s PR department. “Right now, it is in the best interest for our team and my teammates that the focus be on the Jets and our challenge versus Buffalo. We, as a team, need to do everything we can to get ready for a very good Bills team.”‘
‘Big-Picture’ Guy
‘”You’ve got to look at the big picture,” Cowart said. “We’re 0-4. We’re giving up a ton of yards. So if the idea is that we need to rotate the linebackers, whatever the coach feels is best for the team, I’m for it … I don’t take it as an insult. I take it as a challenge.”‘
Chad Mimics Bills’ Bledsoe
‘Posing as Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe for the scout-team offense, Pennington worked mostly out of the shotgun to mimic the Buffalo offense. His throws were crisp and sharp, but he appeared to have trouble getting a handle on the ball with a bulky brace and glove on his left hand.’
Jets searching for answers
‘”Trying to figure it out myself,” Edwards said while on the topic of run defense yesterday. “I don’t know. Like I say, if it’s still happening there are a couple of things you’ve got to do. You can’t ask them to do a lot. And sometimes you’ve just got to, you know, you’ve got to look at what you’re asking a player to do. Maybe he can’t do it.”‘
Pennington nearing return to drill work
‘”Maybe next week,” Jets coach Herman Edwards said when asked when Pennington might do regular drills. “He’ll definitely have a big red jersey on. I don’t know if we have one, but we’ll get one.”’
Back to basics
‘Defensively, the Jets rank last in the NFL in run defense, yielding an astounding 174 yards per game.’
Pennington looks sharp in drills
‘LB Sam Cowart is second on the team in tackles with 39, but looks nothing like the sideline-to-sideline tackling machine he was during his four-year stint in Buffalo. And he’s healthy. Cowart is expected to rotate with Jason Glenn in the base defense as Edwards looks for someone to spark the struggling unit.’
Turnpike ready to blitz Giants Stadium scalpers
‘”If you went to East Rutherford municipal court, you’d see the same names 200 times,” Aramini said. “I can tell you the names of the people out on Route 3. It’s the same people all the time.”‘