Archives for October 2003

‘Other than that, look for a shakeup at LB, where youngsters Victor Hobson, Kenyatta Wright and Jason Glenn will get some playing time, subbing for the under-achieving starting trio of Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones and Sam Cowart.’

‘More than anything, a QB has to score points, and that’s what Vinny Testaverde has not been doing.’

‘The odds are clearly stacked against them, with only one team every escaping an 0-4 start to grab a post-season berth, while the Jets themselves have never done better than a 5-8-1 record when starting this badly. Still, they were 1-4 at one point last season, which would be their record if they can handle the Bills.’

‘With WR Curtis Conway benched, Wayne Chrebet, primarily a flanker during his career, will move to Conway’s split end position, with Santana Moss moving in at flanker.’

‘”It’s pretty much pulling out all the stops,” Spikes said earlier this week. “You are not holding back. You are throwing everything in, the kitchen sink and everything. I know they are not going to sell out. They will be there every play.”’

‘Like running the ball? Stopping the run? Scoring points? The Jets haven’t done any of those things well in 2003.’

‘The Bills must hope Reed is a late bloomer like Moulds, who only had 49 catches in his first two seasons before becoming one of the league’s elite receivers.’

‘”This past game we progressed a lot, especially in the running game,” Henry said. “That was the area we were kind of soft at the first four games. I feel very confident and comfortable going into this week.”‘

‘Part of the problem has been the lack of a running game, something they obviously will try to correct against a Jets’ defense ranked last in the league against the run. Travis Henry is averaging only 2.7 yards on 78 carries, although he had his best game this season against the Bengals with 85 yards rushing on 25 carries. He had missed the game against the Eagles because of a rib injury.’

‘The fact that Abraham has been practicing leads one to believe that he will play Sunday, at least for part of the game. When asked why he hasn’t announced a decision, Edwards intimated that gamesmanship could have something to do with that, as he attempts to keep the Bills guessing.’

‘"All I can do is be positive, like I generally am every day, and let them know we can get out of this," Edwards said during a conference call with the Western New York media. "It’s a long season. Things happen. But we have to win games to get out of it."’

‘"He did more working out on the side today, and we will work him out on Sunday morning," Williams said of Moulds. "He’s a remarkable athlete (considering) what he’s been able to do this week. . . . I wouldn’t hesitate to play either one of those guys if they can answer the bell on Sunday."

‘”We understand the hype, especially after you win two games right off the start,” Spikes said recently. “The thing is, as a pro athlete, you deal with expectations every day. But what we’re trying to do, what we’re doing, is dealing with our own expectations.”‘

‘The second-year wide receiver is being moved into the offensive scheme for a planned 10 to 15 plays this week because he’s probably the fastest man on the team. With wide receiver Santana Moss moved into the starting lineup, the Jets are looking to stretch out their offense with speed.’

‘”Shaun Ellis . . . wow, he’s playing good football now,” Herman Edwards said. “He’s fun to watch. He’s the guy that’s flashing. Shaun is very consistent. He’s playing well in the run game, too. He is playing his heart out.”‘