Jets move into national spotlight By Jane McManus The Journal News • September 6, 2008 FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - When Jets running back Tony Richardson got to work yesterday morning, he took a look at the cover of USA Today and saw teammate Brett Favre pictured in the upper left corner. The quarterback was in his crisp green Jets uniform promoting the newspaper's football section, and Richardson marveled that, the day after the defending Super Bowl champions won the first regular-season game of the NFL season, the Jets warranted the cover of a national publication. "There's a lot that comes with that guy," Richardson said. In the darkness before Favre walked into the Jets' training camp, the team was doing some encouraging things. Offseason acquisitions had shored up weaknesses along the offensive and defensive lines, and fans were curious to see what the season would bring. After Aug. 6, when the news leaked out just before midnight that Favre would be a Jet, the rest of the country started watching. As the AFC rights holder, CBS is going all out for tomorrow's season opener, when the Jets head to Miami. This game would have been just another one in the AFC broadcast lineup before Favre's arrival, but now 63 percent of the country will get the game, and CBS' No. 1 announcing team of Phil Simms and Jim Nantz will call the game. "With the addition of Brett Favre to the AFC, certainly on paper, we're set up for a pretty darn exciting opening weekend and also an exciting football season on CBS," said Sean McManus, the president of the network's news and sports divisions. As a result, the Jets can expect a national window for as long as their results can sustain it. The team is starting from a place of strength despite last year's 4-12 season. Jets coach Eric Mangini said he hasn't changed his hairstyle or started dieting to get ready for the airtime. "I don't care if nobody watches the games as long as we win," Mangini said. But commentators all over the dial - as well as team fans - are expecting big things from the Jets this season. Many have the Jets winning 10 games and reaching the playoffs. Some have even mentioned "Super Bowl," and as much as coaches generally like to put their heads down and play the games, a seven-win season will be a letdown. "I am excited to see Brett Favre with the New York Jets," Simms said. "I want to see him in a different system. I want to see him play differently, I guess, and by that I mean I want to see him drop back, hold the ball and throw it down the field more. As a fan, I was always a little frustrated knowing that he's one of the best throwers of the football in the history of the NFL and he throws more short passes than just about any quarterback in the league." With all eyes on Favre, Jets who flew under the radar now have a chance for more national exposure. With that spotlight could come the chance for them to make a name in a media market saturated with professional athletes. "Right after the Giants won the Super Bowl you couldn't get any marketing opportunities because the Giants were taking all of those," Jerricho Cotchery said, then he laughed. "Hopefully with Brett coming here he can bring some of those marketing opportunities back to the Jets." Like any coach, Mangini doesn't want to look at it in terms of an expected record for this year. He downplays the pressure that comes with a national spotlight, putting it in the context of the first few games of the season. "The fact that we're playing a conference opponent to open it up, then going to another conference opponent, then staying in the AFC for the third game, all those things are really important," Mangini said. "You want to start the season on a positive note. Everybody's trying to do the same thing there. It's not a function of, you know, the moves or the changes, it's a function of how you want to kick off the season." The personnel has come together this year, coming in well before Favre made the decision to, it turned out briefly, retire. Guard Alan Faneca, linebacker Calvin Pace, nose tackle Kris Jenkins and tight end Bubba Franks are all experienced players who can shore up their positions. The Jets were due to have a much better season before Favre even came along with his fireworks. "The Jets were letting him hold it and looking for receivers 20 yards in front of him down the field," Simms said, "which I think is going to be fun for fans to see." Certainly it will be if the Jets can win. The first three games present a difficult test, rife with rivalries and perhaps unspoken resentments. But if the Jets can do their part to keep the national interest, they could be the hottest story in New York. "This is a big enough city, there's enough wealth to go around," Richardson said. Reach Jane McManus at jmcmanus@lohud.com.
Scouting the Jets- McManus Scouting the Jets Quarterbacks Not only did the Jets acquire a future Hall of Famer in Brett Favre, the team kept four players at the position for the 53-man roster. Kellen Clemens is the No. 2, but Brett Ratliff played well enough in preseason games to warrant respect. Fifth-round draft pick Erik Ainge, who was strong in the final preseason game of the year, was worth keeping as well. Running backs Whether or not the running game is the focal point of the Favre-era offense, Thomas Jones (1,119 yards on 310 carries last year) is a player to be reckoned with. Both Jones and Leon Washington, a running back and captain on special teams, could pick up yardage as opponents try to guard against the strong arm of Favre. Jesse Chatman will miss the first four games of the season for violating the NFL's steroid policy. Receivers Wide receiver Laveranues Coles was Chad Pennington's favorite target, but he hasn't been able to practice much in the preseason hampered by a thigh injury. Tight end Bubba Franks, who came from Green Bay ahead of Brett Favre, hasn't been as frequent a target as wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Rookie tight end Dustin Keller and tight end Chris Baker have also been getting reps. Offensive line Totally revamped this year, left guard Alan Faneca has focused the line this year. He and Damien Woody, along with third-year Jet D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore, have solidified into a pretty tight group. As a seven-time pro bowl selection, Faneca has the experience to lead and has earned the respect of the teammates. Defensive line Another free-agent signing in Kris Jenkins, brought over from Carolina in February, addresses a weakness. The nose tackle is new to the 3-4 scheme, but has impressed teammates with his size - 6-foot-4 and a robust 349 pounds - and his agility. Left end Shaun Ellis and right end Kenyon Coleman will serve as the guts of the defense. Linebackers The question here is rookie Vernon Gholston, an end being converted into a linebacker with so far less than stellar results. The Jets wanted Gholston to be further along by now, but he is progressing. Calvin Pace (6-4, 270 )is the free agent in this crew, brought over from Arizona. Expect Eric Barton, David Harris, Bryan Thomas and David Bowens to bolster the position. Defensive backs Safety Kerry Rhodes was rewarded with a contract extension in the offseason, and he has stood out since camp started. Darrelle Revis is one starting corner, and it looks like rookie Dwight Lowery has won the opposite spot now that Justin Miller will miss games due to injury. Special teams Ben Graham never lost the starting spot, even though the Jets brought in another punter for offseason-training activities. Leon Washington will be the punt and kick returner, and the rookie Lowery looks good here as well as does Ahmad Carroll. Five questions Can Brett Favre really make a difference? Favre is 38 years old, and has said he feels the games more acutely now. But Favre isn't the only moving part that was added to the Jets - guard Alan Faneca, nose tackle Kris Jenkins and outside linebacker Calvin Pace have all shored up leaks on both sides of the ball. If the quarterback still has the gas, he got an already improved Jets. Which of the receivers does Favre seem to favor? Bubba Franks would seem to have an edge considering that the two played together for a long time in Green Bay, but Favre has been sending plenty of passes to Jerricho Cotchery, whom he already calls calls by his nickname, J-Co. Chris Baker and Dustin Keller have also been frequent targets. How has first-round draft pick Vernon Gholston done? Gholston had 22 1/2 sacks last season as a defensive end at Ohio State. So far for the Jets, where he is being moved to linebacker, Gholston has looked slow and a little lost. He got here late, so he may need a little extra time, like fellow first-rounder (in 2006) D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Which other rookies have impressed? Tight end Dustin Keller and cornerback Dwight Lowery have both been impressive. There were days in training camp where Keller took nearly every rep, showing he had the stamina to play at this level. Lowery led in tackles, with 17 in the first three games of the preseason. He has also proven himself on special teams. How does the 3-4 defense look? Trading Jonathan Vilma to New Orleans and acquiring nose tackle Kris Jenkins looks like it should shore up the center of the defense. Eric Barton and Calvin Pace at linebacker have also adapted to the gaps of coach Eric Mangini's favorite scheme, and overall should be more effective this season. Jane McManus
First off KJ, thanks for posting all of these lately. Not a bad write up and similar to a lot of the others. The repetitiveness of all of these this morning is really making it hard to not get excited and wait out these last 24+ hours. Get the season started already!
