http://www.nypost.com/seven/12132006/sports/jets/not_all_bricks_fault_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm NOT ALL BRICK'S FAULT By MARK CANNIZZARO December 13, 2006 -- No disrespect intended, but Sunday was a game Jets offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson probably had coming to him. Not that he'd been perfect this season, but Ferguson, the Jets' top draft pick (fourth overall), had been pretty solid for a rookie starting from day one and had not really had a clunker of a game until Sunday against the Bills. Buffalo defensive end Aaron Schobel had a hand in making the Jets' left tackle look like, well, a rookie. Schobel finished with three sacks and a forced fumble on a play when he beat Ferguson and stripped Chad Pennington from behind. After the game, even-keeled Ferguson conceded to being upset about his performance. Monday, he came to work with a refreshed mindset. "(On Sunday), I took it hard," Ferguson said. "But I came out with a new focus and am open to criticism and whatever things we need to do to be successful. One thing that my college coach (Virginia's Al Groh, the 2000 Jets' head coach) always told me was that after the game was played and you lay your head down on the pillow at night, it's over." Veteran left guard Pete Kendall defended Ferguson, saying, "It becomes overly simplified to say (Schobel) had a hell of a game so D'Brickashaw was poor. The first part of that statement is obviously true, but the second half takes some deeper digging." * The Jets' challenge running the ball Sunday against the Vikings will be as immense as it's been all season. The Vikings' rushing defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL, has a chance to make history in stinginess. If the Vikings hold their final three opponents to a combined 51 rushing yards, they'll finish the regular season with the lowest average of rushing yards allowed per game since the league began keeping records in 1920. The NFL's all-time record is 47.18 yards allowed per game, set by the 1942 Chicago Bears in an 11-game season. Through 13 games this year, the Vikings are allowing an average of 54.08 yards. The modern-day record (since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger) was set by the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who allowed 60.63 yards per game. * The Jets are awaiting news on which Minnesota running back will face them. The Vikings' leading rusher, Chester Taylor, was inactive for last Sunday's game because of bruised ribs. His replacement, Artose Pinner, rushed for a career-high 125 yards and three touchdowns against the Lions. "I'm playing this week," Taylor told Minnesota reporters. "I feel a lot better than I did last week at this time."
