RAM LOSS WOULD SLOW JETS' MO' By MARK CANNIZZARO November 4, 2008 It's a cruel world, this NFL, which is why the Eric Mangini-imposed "five-second rule" for basking in the euphoria of a big win ends the moment the New York Jets take the practice field tomorrow. Because all of the good that came out of the Jets' 26-17 upset win over the Bills Sunday will mean little if the 5-3 Jets don't dispatch the 2-6 Rams this Sunday at Giants Stadium. All of the proud, feel-good moments that came out of Buffalo will be unceremoniously erased if the Jets, tied for first place in the AFC East with the Patriots and the Bills, cannot beat the Rams. Because that win over Buffalo, the fourth in the past five games for the Jets, appears to have finally helped them begin to forge an identity - one as a true contender in the AFC East and a team that's bound for the playoffs. So, to be blunt: Don't screw it up, Jets. Handle the prosperity with aplomb, beat the Rams to get to 6-3, and you'll assure yourselves of a compelling trip to Foxborough next Thursday to play the hated Patriots. "We learned we can go into hostile environment and win a road game in our division," Jets RG Brandon MooreBrandon Moore said yesterday of the win in Buffalo, where the Jets had lost four of their past five. "If we want to be considered one of the top [teams] in our division and throughout the AFC, these are games we need to win, and we hadn't been successful in these games in the past. "For that type of win to even mean anything in the future we have to continue it this week against the Rams." The Jets last season were 1-7 and headed nowhere at the halfway point. Now, with that win in Buffalo, they have to be considered a pretty good shot to win the AFC East or at least get into the playoffs. "It feels good to be in this position," Jets RB Thomas Jones said, "but we've still got lots of football left. Obviously our record is better [this year] and that makes all the difference in the world. When you're winning games, it makes you a lot more optimistic about the season and gives you a lot of energy in the locker room." Mangini yesterday called the Jets' position "a good place to be." "Obviously I'm happy with where we are in relationship to the rest of the division," he said. "But to me it's more being pleased with the way that we played on Sunday and the style that we played with - having a complete effort, finishing the game, all three phases, finishing the game, being complementary football. That's what we need to do to consistently win." Jets DE Shaun Ellis made the point that the Jets have not even played their best football yet. "We can play a whole lot better than we've played," Ellis said yesterday. "It's very encouraging for us to know that we haven't put it all together yet and once we do it'll be a good thing." That good thing continues only with a follow-up win at home Sunday against the Rams. "We're not looking past any team," Jones vowed. "We don't take anyone for granted." "It [the approach this week] won't be any different for us than what we've done consistently," Mangini said. "You can't lose track of the next opponent, and you saw it again this week. Teams that were favored didn't quite do as well as they thought they'd do, and that's not uncommon. "No matter who you play, they're good teams, they're well-coached teams, and it's a challenge. It doesn't matter what the record is, it doesn't matter what they've done before, it just matters what you do on that day." mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
ELAM GETS RIBBING FOR INT RETURN By MARK CANNIZZARO Posted: 3:03 am November 4, 2008 New York Jets safety Abram Elam got an earful of ribbing on the plane ride back to New Jersey Sunday night about his slow-motion, 92-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Bills. Elam, who picked off Trent Edwards in the second quarter, was nearly run down by Bills running back Marshawn Lynch. "It's funny, Jerome (Henderson, the defensive backs coach) gives a test each week prior to the game, and (sometimes) they're not all just straight football questions," Eric Mangini recalled yesterday. "One of the questions was, 'If we pick the ball off and go 99 yards for a touchdown, who is most likely to do the following?' "He had a list of things. One of them was, 'It doesn't matter, he can't run it back that far anyway.' So you had to assign a DB for each answer, and every DB put Abe down for that answer. I don't know whether Jerome was just being a prophet there or just lucky, but they all chose Abe. Maybe if it was 99 he wouldn't have got there, but 92, he did." Elam said the "adrenaline was flowing and everything was happening so fast. I was just trying to get to the end zone. The last thing I wanted to do was get caught from behind on national TV. "I had to show them there was not going to be any stopping me once I got the ball in my hands. Justin Miller was the first culprit I had to address (on the sideline) and then Coach Henderson as well, because those were the ones cracking on me Saturday night." * Thomas Jones scored one rushing TD last season. He has five already this season and is on pace for a 1,202-yard, 10-TD season. "This is what I'm used to," Jones said. "Last year wasn't what I was used to. It was a tough situation. Every skill player on offense wants to score touchdowns. I came into this season more energetic and ready to go out there and score touchdowns, make plays and help us win." * Jets top draft pick, rookie LB Vernon Gholston, met with former Giants legendary LB Lawrence Taylor in a 90-minute tutorial session, a story first reported by foxsports.com Gholston, who said the meeting came together when a mutual acquaintance of his and Taylor's reached out to LT for them to meet."I sat down and talked with him about how it was for him back in the day he played, making the transition," Gholston said. "It was definitely a confidence builder." __________________
I'm usually against the overuse of the term "must win" for early games. I remember a couple years back driving into the stadium hearing how we were in a "must win" game in week 2. That said, I think this is a very important game. Home against a relatively weak team (though one that's shown some recent flashes) before playing two tough ones on the road. I think if they can take down the Rams, the next two become much less important and it would almost be OK if we lost (would be nice to beat the Patsies, and then Tenn can be a throwaway game (though we may match up almost OK against them with our run D against their running offense....I say let Favre wing it wherever he wants that game)).
Wow...Canizarro figured this out all on his own? There isn't a team left on the schedule that the Jets can't beat. Not a one so it depends on how they play and how they are coached from here on out. Even Tennessee is no jauggernaut. They win with defense and score very little and the Jets will have 10 days to get ready for them.
"Must Win" Games always scare me but where at home against a struggling team we gotta put the hammer down and win this and show what where made of.
Jets' record is now 5-3; Jets' can lose at least 3 more games this season & still make the playoffs with a 10-6 record. Doesn't really matter who the 3 losses happens against.
The Jets can never afford to lose games, thats why we have won zip in over 30 years. Let the others play catch up for a change
