NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

September 16, 2015

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

Jets waive guard Oday Aboushi a day after suspension ends (Associated Press) ..................................................... 2

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 2

NFL power rankings after Week 1 (Bob Glauber) ...................................................................................................... 2

Jets waive backup O-lineman Oday Aboushi (Kimberley A. Martin) ......................................................................... 4

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Breakdown: Jets (1-0) vs. Colts (0-1) (J.P. Pelzman) .................................................................................................. 5

On the Jets beat: Fitzpatrick looks like a fine fit (J.P. Pelzman)................................................................................. 6

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................... 7

Jets will face desperate and (some say) dysfunctional Colts (Rich Cimini) ............................................................... 7

Jets coach Todd Bowles speaks softly, but carries a big blitz (Rich Cimini) ............................................................... 8

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Jets don’t think much of opening win — and that says a lot (Mark Cannizzaro) .................................................... 10

Why the AFC East may not be another Patriots coronation (Brian Costello) .......................................................... 11

Super Bowl III hero in no mood to end decades-long Jets boycott (Brian Costello) ............................................... 11

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Film review: How did Jets deploy Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall to dominate Cleveland Browns? (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Jets' Brandon Marshall on Giants' clock management fiasco: 'We're beating a dead horse' (Darryl Slater) .......... 19

Jets waive offensive lineman Oday Aboushi after suspension ends (Dom Consentino) ......................................... 20

Marcus Williams, Buster Skrine: How Jets plan to replace injured Antonio Cromartie (Dom Consentino) ............ 21

After Lorenzo Mauldin's concussion, Jets work out pass rusher Quanterus Smith (Dom Costentino) ................... 22

How Jets think Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck is like Johnny Manziel (and they're not joking) (Darryl Slater) ... 23

Lorenzo Mauldin injury: What is Jets' plan for his absence? How might Trevor Reilly's role change? (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 24

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 25

Jets will have work cut out for them in tough AFC East (Seth Walder) ................................................................... 25

Jets secondary will be fine with or without Antonio Cromartie (Manish Mehta) ................................................... 26

Jets WR Brandon Marshall discusses Giants’ implosion on ‘Inside the NFL’: ‘How long are we gonna beat this dead horse? (Seth Walder) ...................................................................................................................................... 27

Jets earn first win of Todd Bowles era with 31-10 romp over Browns, but key injuries put damper on the victory (Seth Walder) .......................................................................................................................................................... 28

TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 30

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets waive guard Oday Aboushi a day after suspension ends (Associated Press) Associated Press September 15, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-waive-guard-oday-aboushi-day-after-suspension-ends

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets have waived guard Oday Aboushi a day after his one-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy ended.

The Jets didn't need to make a corresponding move Tuesday because Aboushi didn't count on the 53-man roster during his suspension.

Aboushi was pulled over on Jan. 10 by police, who found a small amount of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop in Morris Plains, New Jersey. He was suspended a game without pay by the NFL last month despite being given a conditional discharge on the marijuana citation.

Aboushi started 10 games at left guard last season after starter Brian Winters was injured. He was a fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia in 2013 and was expected to back up new starter James Carpenter.

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NEWSDAY

NFL power rankings after Week 1 (Bob Glauber) Newsday September 15, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/nfl-power-rankings-after-week-1-1.10846932

1. PACKERS: Another successful dissection of an NFL defense for Aaron Rodgers, whose game is at an historically high level. Rodgers improves to 13-3 lifetime against the Bears.

2. PATRIOTS: A week after getting a reprieve from a federal judge presiding over the "DeflateGate" saga, Tom Brady was once again masterful on the field, destroying the Steelers with plenty of help from go-to tight end Rob Gronkowski.

3. CARDINALS: Looking for an early comeback player of the year candidate? How about Carson Palmer, who put up three touchdown passes in his first game back from a knee injury.

4. SEAHAWKS: The Seahawks needed a yard once again, and this time, they gave the ball to Marshawn Lynch. But just like last time, when Russell Wilson's ill-fated pass fell into the hands of the opponent, it didn't work. Lynch was stuffed on 4th-and-1 in overtime and the Seahawks couldn't shake the Super Bowl hangover in the opener against the Rams. At the Packers on Sunday in an NFC Championship Game rematch. Can 0-2 be far off?

5. BRONCOS: Not time to panic - after all, the Broncos did beat the Ravens - but Peyton Manning just didn't look like himself. Again. Good thing the defense was up to the task in the opener.

6. BENGALS: A fine way to start the season for Andy Dalton's Bengals, who roll over a Raiders team that showed almost zero pass rush.

7. COWBOYS: Make that 24 fourth-quarter comebacks for Tony Romo, who rallies the Cowboys back from a 10-point deficit against the Giants and finishes it off with a touchdown pass to ever-reliable tight end

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Jason Witten. The win doesn't come without a cost, though, as Dez Bryant will be out several weeks with a fractured bone in his right foot.

8. STEELERS: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin complained about headset problems at Gillette Stadium, but that had nothing to do with his team's myriad mistakes, which included a failure to adequately deal with Rob Gronkowski, poor tackling and inconsistent red zone play against the defending Super Bowl champs.

9. CHARGERS: You're never out of a game when Philip Rivers is your quarterback. He pulls off a massive rally against the Lions at home, overcoming a 21-3 deficit with 30 straight points. Money well spent on the man's contract extension.

10. COLTS: Opening-day hiccup, or sign of things to come? Andrew Luck didn't get much help from his offensive line, and the Colts' defensive issues were on full display in a stunning Week 1 loss to the Bills.

11. CHIEFS: The Chiefs win with the time-tested formula of strong defense, excellent running game and efficient quarterback play. Three touchdown passes from Alex Smith was good enough to get past the Texans.

12. RAMS: The Rams' pass rush might be the best in the league, as evidenced by a six-sack performance against Russell Wilson. A fine showing in his Rams debut for quarterback Nick Foles in a 34-31 OT thriller.

13. BILLS: The Rex Effect leads to immediate results as the Bills win Rex Ryan's debut in Buffalo in convincing fashion against a Colts team many think will wind up in the Super Bowl.

14. RAVENS: The loss to Denver hurt badly enough. The loss of Terrell Suggs to an Achilles injury is even worse. Not only an elite pass rusher but the undisputed leader of the defense. Crushing blow.

15. LIONS: Life after Ndamukong Suh didn't look so hot for the Lions, who gave up 30 unanswered points to the Chargers after taking command early.

16. FALCONS: A promising debut for first-year coach Dan Quinn, who solves Chip Kelly's offense and sees Matt Ryan do just enough on offense to get things started in the right direction.

17. EAGLES: So much for using high-priced running back DeMarco Murray when you need him most. Instead, it's Ryan Mathews who gets stuffed on third down and prompts Chip Kelly to go for a field goal. Cody Parkey misses wide right, and the Falcons hold on for the win.

18. PANTHERS: Hardly an auspicious start for the Panthers, who do just enough to get by the woeful Jaguars.

19. Dolphins: It's Jarvis Landry to the rescue with the game-winning punt return for a touchdown in an otherwise non-descript opener for the Dolphins, who rally from a 10-0 deficit to the 17-10 win.

20. TITANS: There's no better way to start off a career than perfection. Marcus Mariota put up a spotless 158.3 QB rating with a four-touchdown performance against Jameis Winston. Looks like the Titans picked the right guy.

21. JETS: Todd Bowles gets his first win the way he likes: smothering defense, relentless running game and solid quarterback play from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Jets get five turnovers against the Browns after getting just 13 takeaways in 2014.

22. 49ERS: After a host of retirements, suspensions and free-agent defections, first-year head coach Jim Tomsula has his team ready to go in a 20-3 win over the Vikings. Welcome to the NFL, Carlos Hyde, who outshines Adrian Peterson to lead the way.

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23. VIKINGS: With Teddy Bridgewater showing plenty of improvement as a rookie and Adrian Peterson returning from suspension, the Vikings came into the season as a team to watch in the playoff mix. That might turn out to be the case, but not in a desultory loss in San Francisco on Monday night.

24. SAINTS: Not much chirping these days from Rob Ryan. Mostly because the outspoken defensive coordinator doesn't have much reason to puff his chest. Another woeful effort in a 31-19 loss to the Cardinals. Drew Brees put up a ton of yards, but he sure missed Jimmy Graham in the red zone, as the Saints were consistently forced into field goals.

25. GIANTS: A rare brain cramp for Eli Manning, who loses track of the Cowboys' timeouts and blows some critical clock management decision in a devastating loss on the road. Cowboys respond by coming back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in the final eight minutes.

26. BEARS: Bears get the moral victory in keeping it close against the Packers, but it's still 0-1 just the same. Excellent showing by Matt Forte with 141 rushing yards and a touchdown.

27. TEXANS: Not even 60 minutes into the season, and already a quarterback controversy for Bill O'Brien. Good luck with that, coach.

28. WASHINGTON: Two more interceptions for Kirk Cousins, who came into the season as the starter but may not last much longer if he continues turning the ball over.

29. RAIDERS: Can't imagine a worse start for coach Jack Del Rio, who sees starting quarterback Derek Carr go out with a hand injury and his defense go out and veteran safety Charles Woodson leave with a dislocated shoulder. Nothing good about a 33-13 Week 1 embarrassment at home.

30. BUCCANEERS: Bucs still think they made the right call by taking Jameis Winston over Marcus Mariota, but they're obviously taking the longer view on this. The shorter view: a 42-14 clunker at home, with Mariota throwing four touchdown passes and Winston throwing a pair of interceptions to go with two meaningless touchdowns.

31. BROWNS: Another interception and two fumbles for Johnny Turnover as the Browns' misery continues. Manziel took over for an injured Josh McCown, but the Browns never had a chance in a 31-10 loss, Cleveland's 11th straight Week 1 loss.

32. JAGUARS: New and improved Blake Bortles? Not exactly. The second-year quarterback put up only three field goals and had a pick-6 in a 20-9 home loss to the Panthers.

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Jets waive backup O-lineman Oday Aboushi (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday September 15, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-waive-backup-o-lineman-oday-aboushi-1.10848974

The Jets on Tuesday waived backup offensive lineman Oday Aboushi, who had been reinstated after being suspended for Sunday's regular-season opener for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

The Virginia product was a fifth-round pick of former general manager John Idzik in 2013.

Aboushi was inactive for all 16 games of his rookie season, but last year, he started the final 10 games in place of left guard Brian Winters, who was placed on injured reserve after tearing a knee ligament.

On Jan. 10, Aboushi was arrested in Morris Plains, New Jersey, following a traffic stop. According to a release issued by police, officers detected "the odor of burnt marijuana'' coming from Aboushi's black

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Cadillac Escalade and, after they were given consent to search the vehicle, found "a small amount'' of marijuana and "suspected drug paraphernalia.''

Police said Aboushi was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and was issued summonses for "driving while suspended, careless driving and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle.''

But Aboushi's representatives said in an emailed statement Aug. 20 that "Oday accepted responsibility for the traffic infraction and all other charges were dismissed.''

"I apologize for my actions and understand the repercussions,'' Aboushi said at the time, through the Jets. "This is something I've learned from and I'm focused on moving forward.''

Aboushi's off-the-field transgression did nothing to help his playing time. With D'Brickashaw Ferguson, James Carpenter, Nick Mangold and Breno Giacomini securing their starting spots in training camp, that left Willie Colon, Winters, Brent Qvale and Aboushi competing for the right guard job -- and it was clear early on that Colon was head and shoulders above the rest.

Mo: 'D' turned it around

During his weekly radio spot Tuesday on WFAN, Muhammad Wilkerson said the Jets' third-down defense and ability to force turnovers were the keys in Sunday's 31-10 win over the Browns.

"We decided to settle down and relax,'' the defensive end said. "That's the biggest thing we did, getting off the field on third down. We had a hard time doing that at first. But later on, we did what we had to do to get off the field.''

The Jets, who totaled a league-low 13 takeaways in 2014, had five against Cleveland.

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THE RECORD

Breakdown: Jets (1-0) vs. Colts (0-1) (J.P. Pelzman) The Record September 16, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/breakdown-jets-1-0-vs-colts-0-1-1.1410702

Jets (1-0) at Colts (0-1)

At Lucas Oil Stadium, Monday, 8:30 p.m.

TV: PIX 11, ESPN. Radio: ESPN-FM 98.7

Early line: Colts by 7

The Jets could be catching the Colts at the wrong time or the right time. It could be the wrong time, because any NFL team with realistic playoff aspirations doesn’t want to start 0-2, so Indianapolis figures to bring its "A" game. However, there have been reports of possible internal friction between coach Chuck Pagano, who is in the final year of his contract, and GM Ryan Grigson. There are questions on the field, too, after host Buffalo easily defeated the favored Colts on opening day.

In the spotlight

Jets RB Chris Ivory. He still is more bruising than nifty, but has shown more quickness to the edge this year, both in the preseason and in the season-opening win over Cleveland. Buffalo averaged 4.1 yards a carry

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in its win over the Colts, and a ball-control offense would help the Jets’ keep Indy QB Andrew Luck from finding his rhythm after a frustrating opening day.

Game plan

Ivory and backup RB Bilal Powell both figure to get plenty of touches in what likely will be a conservative plan on offense, spiced with an occasional deep shot to Brandon Marshall or new third receiver Chris Owusu. Coach Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers figure to call blitzes often against Luck, just as former Jets coach Rex Ryan did in Week 1. It’s unclear whether Luck will have the services of star WR T.Y. Hilton, who exited the Bills game with a knee injury but suffered no structural damage.

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On the Jets beat: Fitzpatrick looks like a fine fit (J.P. Pelzman) The Record September 16, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/fitzpatrick-looks-like-perfect-fit-1.1410731

Ryan Fitzpatrick said Monday there was "miscommunication" between him and center Nick Mangold on the botched second-quarter shotgun snap that sailed past Fitzpatrick’s head while he wasn’t paying attention Sunday.

Well, so much for the notion that Fitzpatrick can run coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense without even looking. It only seems that way at times.

When Geno Smith’s jaw was fractured last month and Fitzpatrick took the starting reins, Fitzpatrick’s familiarity with Gailey and his offensive schemes immediately was cited as something that would help ease what otherwise could have been a traumatic transition.

That comfort level certainly seemed to be on display in the Jets’ 31-10 win over Cleveland. Other than two major glitches, Fitzpatrick ran the offense like the poised 11-year NFL veteran he is, one who was immersed in Gailey’s system from 2010-12, when Fitzpatrick was with Buffalo and Gailey was the head coach.

"I think it helps," Fitzpatrick said of his prior experience with the 62-year-old coach. "We’ve been in this thing and at it for a few years now. I think just having the few weeks of preseason as well to kind of get everything together and talking throughout the week leading up to this game, I think that was helpful. It was a good reminder of the experience we have together."

Fitzpatrick wasn’t sacked and was hit only once.

"With Chan’s offense in general," he said, "the ball’s coming out quickly. I think everybody knows that. We put a huge emphasis on not taking sacks as a quarterback and being smart with the ball. You never know going into a game what kind of defense they’re going to play or how they’re going to play you on third down, but we did a good job of protecting up front.

"The importance of my job," he added, "is not making mistakes with the ball and getting it out and not taking sacks when I don’t need to."

"He does everything right," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said of Fitzpatrick after the game. "It would take us 10 minutes to sit down and talk about everything he does right. I just think it starts with the way he takes control of not only the huddle, but the entire building. He’s a great guy for all of us to follow and we’re fortunate to have him."

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Granted, Fitzpatrick and the rest of the offense may need more than the 179 passing yards they had Sunday to beat some of the more explosive offenses they will see this season, including Indianapolis’ on Monday.

However, while Fitzpatrick’s arm strength often has been questioned, he had plenty of mustard on a 15-yard score to Eric Decker late in the second quarter, putting the Jets ahead to stay. On the play, Fitzpatrick trusted that Decker would find space in the defense, throwing it before he was open.

"I knew Eric was going to find the right spot and it was nice," he said. "It was just nice because of the anticipation, because of kind of knowing where he was going before he was there and all that. There were some good things on that play."

ABOUSHI WAIVED: The Jets waived backup OL Oday Aboushi, who was their fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft. Aboushi finished last season as the starting left guard but lost that job when the Jets signed Seattle’s James Carpenter as a free agent in March. Aboushi sat out the season opener because he had been suspended for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Jets will face desperate and (some say) dysfunctional Colts (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 16, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/54191/jets-will-face-desperate-and-some-say-dysfunctional-colts

Ten things to know about the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets' opponent on Monday night:

1. For a change, the drama surrounds the opponent, not the Jets. The Colts, a trendy Super Bowl pick at the start of the season, got roughed up in Week 1 by the new bully in Buffalo, Rex Ryan. Now there's talk of a rift between coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson, prompting owner Jim Irsay to issue an emphatic denial. Nevertheless, something smells fishy in Indy. Despite three straight 11-5 seasons and improvement in the playoffs each year, Pagano is a lame-duck coach. He reportedly turned down a contract extension last offseason because it was a low-ball offer. With one year left on his deal, it could be Super Bowl-or-bust. An 0-2 start would be deemed a crisis for a team that has had only one losing season over the last 13 years. Then again, they're no strangers to 0-1. The Colts have dropped five of their last six openers.

2. The Colts will be good as long as they have Andrew Luck, who has a chance to plaster his name all over the record books. He passed for more yards in his first three seasons (12,957) than any quarterback in history. He can do everything on the field, and his TV commercials aren't half-bad, either. One thing about Luck, though: He's not immune to interceptions. He's had 18 interceptions in his last 17 starts, three more than Geno Smith -- a frightening thought for Colts' fans.

3. Did Ryan find Luck's Kryptonite last Sunday? The Bills went after Luck with an array of blitzes, sending extra pressure on 49 percent of his dropbacks -- the third-highest ratio in his career. Andrew the Great didn't handle it particularly well, finishing 10-for-24 with two sacks. He had to make quick decisions and couldn't get the ball to his third and fourth reads. You think Todd Bowles will go to school on that game tape? Absolutely.

4. Luck is ... uh, lucky this game isn't in New Jersey. He'd hear it from the fans who haven't forgotten about a disparaging comment he may or may not have made about the Jets a few months ago. A Page Six item

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in the New York Post reported that Luck was hanging out on Long Island's East End in June with former Stanford teammate Jonathan Martin. A local approached and said to Luck, "I wish you were the quarterback of the Jets." According to the paper, Luck replied, "F--- that, man." Clever Jets' fans probably could've made a derisive chant out of that.

5. One of the big storylines in Indianapolis will be the health of wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, Luck's favorite target. He's listed as day-to-day with a bruised knee after getting hurt in the third quarter of the opener. After the game, Irsay said Hilton could "miss some time." If there's no Hilton to worry about on the perimeter, defenses can take an aggressive approach with Luck. Donte Moncrief would start for Hilton, with rookie Phillip Dorsett moving up to No. 3. Dorsett had a rough day in his debut, fumbling two punts.

6. Demonstrating a win-now mentality, the Colts signed a couple of University of Miami geezers, wide receiver Andre Johnson (34) and running back Frank Gore (32). They looked old in Week 1, combining for only 57 yards from scrimmage.

7. The Colts don't have a lot of playmakers on defense, but they have cornerback Vontae Davis, who held Sammy Watkins to no catches last week. You have to figure Davis will cover Brandon Marshall. The Colts' secondary also includes ex-Jets safety Dwight Lowery, who never clicked with Ryan and was traded away.

8. Their most accomplished defender is pass-rusher Robert Mathis, but he's still a question mark because of a surgically repaired Achilles' tendon. After posting a league-high 19.5 sacks in 2013, he blew out his Achilles' and missed the 2014 season. His goal was to make the opener, reportedly undergoing 10 surgical procedures to prevent infection and help the healing process. Mathis didn't reach his goal, as he was declared inactive last week. If he plays Monday night, it'll be a huge emotional lift for his teammates and the crowd.

9. Everybody knows the Jets' issues with tight ends; last season, they allowed a league-high 13 touchdown passes. The Colts have two good ones, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. This will be a good test for safeties Calvin Pryor and Marcus Gilchrist.

10. The Jets better hope it doesn't come down to a field goal. Adam Vinatieri's career mark against them -- 41 of 44. Wow.

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Jets coach Todd Bowles speaks softly, but carries a big blitz (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 15, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/54184/jets-coach-todd-bowles-speaks-softly-but-carries-a-big-blitz

The Todd Bowles-coached New York Jets defense delivered as advertised, as Bowles and coordinator Kacy Rodgers weren't shy about dialing up pressure in the season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns.

Bowles arrived with a reputation for blitzing, the kind of coach who enjoys living on the edge. It's funny because the aggressive mentality belies his understated demeanor. When you think of blitz-minded coaches, the names that come to mind are Rex Ryan and his father, Buddy, guys with oversized personalities. Bowles is a quiet man who loves to create chaos.

The Jets blitzed 20 times on Sunday, just shy of Bowles' high blitz percentage last season with the Arizona Cardinals. The only teams that blitzed more often than the Jets in Week 1 were Ryan's Buffalo Bills (26) and the Green Bay Packers (23), according to ESPN Stats & Information.

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Overall, the Jets had their way with the Browns and their overmatched neophyte at quarterback, Johnny Manziel, but the results were mixed when they pressured Manziel. Their containment was poor at times -- Manziel rushed for a team-high 35 yards -- and they allowed a 54-yard touchdown pass on a five-man rush, with Antonio Cromartie getting torched by Travis Benjamin. Thinking Cromartie may not have been the only culprit, I asked Bowles if the veteran cornerback was expecting safety help.

He smiled and shook his head.

"He wasn't expecting help," said Bowles, making it perfectly clear Cromartie was the guilty party.

Later, in the third quarter, the Jets used an all-out blitz to create one of the game-changing moments, an interception by Marcus Williams. They rushed seven, with linebacker Demario Davis and safety Calvin Pryor coming from the edges and with linebackers David Harris and Erin Henderson rushing behind three defensive linemen. Davis applied pressure, forcing Manziel into a horrible throw.

Live by the blitz, die by the blitz. The Jets experienced both in Week 1. The Browns' passing stats when facing five or more rushers: 12-for-19, 165 yards, one touchdown, one interception and one sack, per ESPN Stats.

It's one thing to pressure Manziel and his cast of pedestrian receivers, but quite another to go after Andrew Luck. The Jets will get that opportunity Monday night at the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills attacked Luck relentlessly in Week 1 and made him look awful, so it'll be interesting to see if Bowles copy-cats the game plan.

On second thought, is it even a question?

A couple of other takeaways after reviewing the Jets-Browns film:

Ryan Fitzpatrick's 15-yard touchdown strike to Eric Decker at the end of the first half was impressive for two reasons: Fitzpatrick, often criticized for his arm strength, cut loose with a Matt Harvey-like fastball. But what made the play a success was his anticipation. Fitzpatrick released the ball a split-second before Decker cut to the inside on a skinny post. In fact, the ball came out as Decker was bracketed by nickel back K'Waun Williams and safety Tashaun Gipson. Gibson helped them by coming up too quickly, leaving Williams on Decker, but it still showed great chemistry between Fitzpatrick and Decker. They saw it before it happened.

Another note on the play: Decker was used in the slot, along with Quincy Enunwa. In training camp, Decker said he was looking forward to getting more chances in the slot, thinking they'd be able to find favorable matchups. This was a perfect example of that. Williams is the Browns' No. 4 corner, and Fitzpatrick recognized that immediately.

For months, we've been speculating that offensive coordinator Chan Gailey would run the spread system he used a few years ago with the Buffalo Bills -- and that's what he did in Week 1. In fact, they used three- and four-receiver packages on 43 of 61 snaps, per ESPN Stats. You can't argue with the results: 8.90 yards per pass attempt, 5.5 yards per rushing attempt.

The tight ends don't have much of a role in the passing attack (only one target in the opener), but we'd be remiss if we didn't point out a terrific block by Jeff Cumberland. On Chris Ivory's 10-yard touchdown run, Cumberland opened a huge hole with a "wham" block on inside linebacker Christian Kirksey. Also give credit to center Nick Mangold, who tossed aside rookie nose tackle Danny Shelton.

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NEW YORK POST

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Jets don’t think much of opening win — and that says a lot (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post September 15, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/14/jets-move-from-punching-bag-to-angry-powerful-juggernaut/

One of the best things to come out of the Jets’ season-opening victory over the Browns on Sunday was that something did not come out of it: a sense of euphoria and satisfaction.

The players were level-headed, understanding they’ve accomplished little through one week of the season, which is encouraging.

In the immediate aftermath of their 31-10 domination of the Browns, the Jets acted as if they’d been there before, knowing they can be much better than they were Sunday and that there is much more work to be done.

And they’re right: The Jets can be much better, and they’ll have to be much better Monday night against the Colts in Indianapolis than they were against the offensively challenged Browns.

“You can’t hold onto it. That was yesterday, so we’re moving on today,’’ Jets coach Todd Bowles said Monday.

“It’s one game,’’ Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “For us, it’s not about one game, it’s the long haul and getting better each and every game. Personal satisfaction will not be there until the end of the year if we accomplish all our goals.

“Right now, it’s nice to come in with a win, but we’ve got a lot of work to do — a road game on Monday night against a great Indy team. So we’ve got our work cut out for us.’’

The Jets are 1-0, but so is everyone else in the AFC East after Week 1. The Colts were ambushed by the Bills on Sunday in Buffalo, which was of little help to the Jets, because the Colts, one of the favorites to win the AFC, figure to be angry and amped for their home opener.

So the Jets step up in competition, and it’s a big step up. For starters, the Colts have a real, live franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck. The Browns have had 23 starting quarterbacks since 1999.

In Luck’s three NFL seasons, the Colts have made the playoffs in all three and are 21-5 at home.

Bowles called the victory over Cleveland “a great win,’’ but was quick to add: “We looked at the film and corrected the mistakes and we’ve got to move on to Indianapolis. We had a lot of mistakes. Emotions are high in the first game, but we’ve got to calm down and play better fundamental football.’’

The Jets have shown progress in each of their games from the first preseason game to Sunday, and that is a very positive sign.

“We made major strides,’’ Jets nickel back Buster Skrine said Monday. “I mean, from the preseason first game to the first real game, two different defenses. Coach Bowles has been pushing us this whole time. We played good [Sunday], but we didn’t play great.’’

So now the Jets go from facing the schoolyard, scattershot Browns backup Johnny Manziel to Luck, perhaps the most technically sound quarterback in the game — who also happens to be surrounded by big-time skill-position weapons.

“Andrew Luck is good,’’ Skrine said. “He can throw any ball on the field, he can get out of the pocket and run around. He’s just a good, smart quarterback.’’

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Veteran right guard Willie Colon, one of the sages in the Jets locker room, acknowledged Sunday “wasn’t picture-perfect,’’ and likely will emphasize that point to his younger teammates this week.

“It’s going to be our first road game and [the Colts] had a tough time in Buffalo, so they’re going to be fired up for their home opener,’’ Colon said. “We’ve got to stay in our lane and focus on us. We’ve just got to stack the wins and go.’’

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Why the AFC East may not be another Patriots coronation (Brian Costello) New York Post September 15, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/15/why-the-afc-east-may-not-be-another-patriots-coronation/

It has been a while since the AFC East has been this interesting. The Patriots’ dominance of the division has led to ho-hum division races each year. The Bills have not made the playoffs since 1999.

The Dolphins have made it twice in the past 15 years. The Jets made it interesting a few times under Rex Ryan, but ultimately faded away.

But maybe, just maybe, the division will be worth watching this season. The Jets, Bills and Dolphins all have been reinvigorated by various offseason moves. Todd Bowles took over in New York and the team took Darrelle Revis back from the Patriots. Ryan headed to Buffalo after the Jets fired him and has rejuvenated a fan base. The Dolphins spent huge money on Ndamukong Suh and believe Ryan Tannehill is ready to break out.

All of it looked good last weekend, when every team in the division won its opener for the first time since the divisions were realigned in 2002.

The Bills and Patriots meet this week in Buffalo, and Ryan is already pumping the game up to feel like Super Bowl 49¹/₂.

Besides the football, there are enough story lines in the division to fill a reality show. Ryan moving inside the division and still trying to topple Tom Brady. Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum taking over in Miami and bringing his aggressive approach with him. Brady and the Patriots hell-bent for vengeance after the Deflategate saga of the offseason.

It looks good in September. Let’s hope it’s as interesting come December.

The Jets waived guard Oday Aboushi, who was suspended for the first game of the season for a drug violation. Aboushi was a fifth-round pick in 2013 and started 10 games last season.

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Super Bowl III hero in no mood to end decades-long Jets boycott (Brian Costello) New York Post September 15, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/15/super-bowl-iii-hero-in-no-mood-to-end-decades-long-jets-boycott/

Matt Snell still has the broad shoulders you remember. Even at 74, you can see the frame that made him a professional athlete.

As he walks toward you, making his way through the garage of his Jersey City construction business, his gait is slow, but you picture him with the big green No. 41 on his back.

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On Tuesday, he was walking between a blue Cadillac and a gray, vintage 1960s Corvette, but in your mind he always is running around the left end and Winston Hill’s block into the Orange Bowl end zone on that January day in 1969.

Snell extends his hand with the same smile he had in 1973, when Miller Lite picked him to be the first athlete featured in its commercials.

The smile disappears and the posture changes, though, when you tell him you are here to ask him about the Jets.

“I have nothing to say about them,” Snell said.

The Jets travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts on Monday night. Even though Mayflower moving trucks moved the team from Baltimore more than 30 years ago, whenever the Jets and Colts get together on a football field, you are reminded of Super Bowl III and the Jets’ 16-7 upset of Don Shula’s mighty Colts.

Joe Namath is remembered as the hero of that game for his guarantee and was named the MVP, but in many people’s eyes Snell deserved the award. He ran 30 times for 121 yards and the team’s only touchdown. He was essential in the Jets’ ball-control attack that day.

Snell should be one of the franchise’s biggest legends. Instead, he wants nothing to do with it. No one is quite sure exactly why.

“There’s a lot of water under that bridge,” is all Snell would say Tuesday.

The most popular version of the story among his former teammates is the team promised Snell a job after he retired in 1972 and never delivered.

“He’s not too beholden to the Jets,” said Pete Lammons, a tight end from 1966-71. “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, but the last time I did he was just a little put out with the Jets and how they handled his deal.”

The Jets have tried to repair the relationship repeatedly in recent years. He has been invited to reunions of the 1968 team and other alumni functions, but he won’t even return phone calls from the team.

Everyone who was in charge of the Jets at the time of Snell’s retirement is dead. There are new people from owner Woody Johnson on down.

To Snell, it does not matter.

“Those people there now don’t owe me anything,” Snell said. “I’ll be gone soon, too.”

A fourth-round draft pick by the Giants in 1964 out of Ohio State, Snell decided to sign with Sonny Werblin’s AFL Jets instead for a lot more money. He was the AFL Rookie of the Year that season after rushing for 948 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

“I think Matt was as great a runner as just about anybody that played,” said Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Maynard. “Not only that, he was a great protector or pass blocker and lead blocker for [Emerson] Boozer]. And, if you look at the stats, one year he might have caught two or three more passes than I did [1964, when Snell caught 56 passes to Maynard’s 46]. He was a great player and teammate.”

An achilles injury derailed Snell’s career after an All-Pro year in 1969. He hung around for a few more years, then retired. His 4,285 career rushing yards remain the fourth-most in franchise history behind just Curtis Martin, Freeman McNeil and Boozer.

The Jets have done a good job of honoring past players in recent years. They established the Ring of Honor in 2010, and it feels like there is a vacancy until Snell is inducted.

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Would he show up at MetLife Stadium if the team wanted to pay tribute?

“I’m not interested in being honored,” he said.

Not even for the fans?

“Fans today with all of their instant everything, they don’t know who I am,” Snell said.

He’s wrong about that. Jets fans have not had a ton of reasons to celebrate through the years. Snell and his teammates provided the biggest one. Jets fans will never forget that, even if it seems he wishes they would.

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Film review: How did Jets deploy Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall to dominate Cleveland Browns? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 16, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/jets_film_review_offense.html#incart_river_mobileshort

The Jets on Sunday kicked off their season by beating the Browns 31-10.

As we'll do every week, we spent some time examining the game film, to spot the more nuanced things we might've missed while watching live.

We'll give you two film reviews every week — one on the Jets' offense, and one on their defense.

Here now, some film observations about the Jets' offense against the Browns:

How'd the Jets use their wide receivers? You already know Jeremy Kerley got just one offensive snap in the game. (But he made it count, as you'll read down below.) The Jets most often went with Chris Owusu as their third receiver.

So how did the Jets deploy Owusu, Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa, and others? We charted their use, without including anything after the two-minute warning, when the Jets were just running out the clock:

Marshall: three plays in slot, 55 out wide

Decker: 43 plays in slot, 10 out wide

Owusu: two plays in slot, 35 out wide

Enunwa: 13 plays in slot, two out wide

RB Bilal Powell: four plays in slot, two out wide

Kerley: one play out wide

TE Jeff Cumberland: two plays in slot

As you can see, the Jets' most common three-receiver formation featured Marshall and Owusu on the outside, with Decker in the slot. Before the two-minute warning, the Jets used that alignment 20 times, by our count.

In four-receiver sets, Enunwa usually was a second slot receiver, but Enunwa also got work as the lone slot receiver when Decker and Marshall lined up wide.

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Decker's 15-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter came on a play in which he lined up in the slot.

Decker was effective out of the slot in Denver. In 2013, 205 of his 636 routes came out of the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. He led the NFL with an 80 percent catch rate on passes to him after he lined up in the slot, per PFF.

Last season, Decker often lined up wide, since Kerley was the Jets' slot man. Now that Marshall is the Jets' top outside receiving threat, and Owusu and Enunwa are in the mix, it'll be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Chan Gailey deploys Decker.

Marshall dominated Joe Haden. This was supposed to be a good matchup, between the Jets' star receiver and the Browns' star cornerback. It wasn't. Marshall was targeted five times while Haden defended him, according to PFF. Marshall caught all five passes, for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Haden stood no chance against Marshall in one-on-one coverage, and that was plainly evident on a couple occasions. During a third quarter field goal drive that resulted in a 24-10 lead for the Jets, Marshall cut and beat Haden to the outside for an 18-yard catch on third-and-7, despite Haden pulling Marshall's jersey.

On the previous Jets drive, they went up 21-10 after Marshall's touchdown catch, on third-and-goal from the 1. As you can see below, Marshall's quick initial (and very slight) shake move to the inside caught Haden flat-footed. Like that, Marshall had a step on Haden, and the play was over.

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Chris Ivory's power. On Ivory's 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, look where Donte Whitner hit him. Yet Ivory still spun off the hit and scored. As you can see, Ivory had a hole to run through, because of blocks by Nick Mangold, Willie Colon, and Jeff Cumberland. The Jets blocked well on runs against the Browns. Plus, Ivory gained 64 of his 91 yards after contact, per PFF. Few of those yards after contact were bigger than these:

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Kerley made a (subtle) big play. He helped the Jets' biggest gain of the day happen. It was the only offensive snap Kerley played. As you can see below, Owusu's 43-yard catch in the second quarter happened because Kerley and Enunwa effectively pulled their defenders toward the sideline, freeing Owusu to run down the field against single coverage.

Owusu, who lined up on the far outside on this play, also ran a nice route. And the Jets' offensive line let Ryan Fitzpatrick stand in the pocket, clean, for about 2.6 seconds as the play developed. A good play all around. Here's how it unfolded:

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Check out this blitz pickup by Powell. The Jets' No. 2 running back, who primarily plays on third downs, helped a 22-yard completion to Decker happen in the first quarter, on third-and-3, because of his alert block against a defender who otherwise would've had a wide-open path into the backfield. Well done.

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Excellent run blocking. The Jets had PFF's third-best run blocking grade in Week 1 for a reason. We mentioned the blocking for the Ivory touchdown run up above. But look at the two runs below.

The first is an 11-yard run by Ivory in the first quarter. Fine work by the right side of the Jets' offensive line, along with tight end Kellen Davis. Marshall also blocked Haden down the field to clear a path for Ivory as he ran to the right.

The second is a 7-yard run by Powell in the second quarter, on third-and-5, that immediately preceded the Decker touchdown catch. The Jets never trailed after Decker's touchdown put them up 14-10 entering halftime. So Powell's run was a very significant "setup" play in this game. Credit to Mangold, Colon, and James Carpenter for the blocks on Powell's run.

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Jets' Brandon Marshall on Giants' clock management fiasco: 'We're beating a dead horse' (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media

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September 15, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/brandon_marshall_jets_1.html#incart_river_mobileshort

It hasn't been that long since the Giants bungled the end of Sunday night's loss at the Cowboys.

But Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall already thinks people need to move on. Marshall said that Tuesday night on Showtime's "Inside the NFL."

"Fridays and Saturdays are when teams go through situational football [in practice]," Marshall said. "So everyone knows. They just miscommunicated. They made a mistake. Fans and media want players to take accountability. He did. He stood up and said, 'It's my fault.'

Marshall was referring to Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who told running back Rashad Jennings not to score when the Giants were at the goal line, and had a chance to put the game away with a touchdown. It was a stunningly dumb decision, and Manning has taken the blame for it.

"So how long are we going to beat this dead horse?" Marshall said. "There's 15 games left. My whole thing is, this is what happens on Week 1."

And then Marshall ripped a copy of this New York Post that was on set.

"No one cares," Marshall continued, as he spoke about the importance of a Week 1 fiasco like this. "There's 15 more games. What I'm saying is, he took accountability. Let's move on. We're beating a dead horse."

Marshall said these things in a "what we learned" segment on the show.

"So for me, what did I learn?" Marshall said. "I learned that you can't talk about race on the show — and also, we're going to beat a dead horse over and over and over."

And then Marshall crumpled up the Post.

Jets coach Todd Bowles said he didn't see Giants-Cowboys, but did say he has a specific plan in place to avoid screwing up end-of-game situations.

Last week, Marshall made his 2015 debut on "Inside the NFL." He created headlines by saying race impacts how the NFL disciplines its players. Marshall also addressed that whole thing about Eagles coach Chip Kelly supposedly being a racist.

Marshall's race comments on the show resulted in Bowles saying he needs to "be smarter" when he speaks about sensitive issues on television. This is Marshall's second season as a panelist on "Inside the NFL." He is the first active NFL player to have a panelist spot on the show.

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Jets waive offensive lineman Oday Aboushi after suspension ends (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media September 15, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/jets_waive_offensive_lineman_oday_aboushi.html#incart_river_mobileshort

Offensive lineman Oday Abousi, who had been suspended for Week 1 for violating the NFL's drug policy—at least according to commissioner Roger Goodell's roulette wheel of justice—was waived on Tuesday, the Jets announced.

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Aboushi's suspension officially ended on Monday, and the Jets do not have to make a corresponding roster move because he did not count on the 53-man roster during the suspension. The Jets were granted a one-day exemption to decide whether to keep Aboushi or to cut him loose. They chose the latter. (Why the Jets waited till after Aboushi's suspension ended to waive him is a rather interesting question.)

Aboushi had looked like a promising player after he made 10 starts at left guard last season and acquitted himself fairly well. But the Jets signed left guard James Carpenter (formerly of the Seahawks) in free agency, and then drafted Texas A&M's Jarvis Harrison out of Texas A&M in the fifth round.

As the offseason program progressed, Aboushi was running almost exclusively with the backups, then eventually with the third team.

On Aug. 20, the NFL announced that it had suspended Aboushi for the regular season's first game because of a drug policy violation. In January, Aboushi was cited for marijuana possession during a traffic stop after cops in Morris Plains stopped him for driving 66 mph in a 50-mph zone, per court records.

Even though Aboushi was given a conditional discharge on the marijuana citation within days, the NFL decided to suspend him for one game. The suspension was handed down entirely at the whim of Goodell, just another example of Goodell's heavy-handedness on matters of player discipline.

The Jets still have 10 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster. Aboushi had been drafted in the 2013 fifth round. He is now the eighth of former general manager John Idzik's 19 draft picks to be released by the Jets. Eight others remain on the 53-man roster, while tight end Jace Amaro (shoulder) is on injured reserve, cornerback Dee Milliner (wrist) is on short-term injured reserve, and defensive end Sheldon Richardson remains suspended for three more weeks.

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Marcus Williams, Buster Skrine: How Jets plan to replace injured Antonio Cromartie (Dom Consentino) NJ Advance Media September 15, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/marcus_williams_buster_skrine_how_jets_plan_to_spe.html#incart_river_mobileshort

FLORHAM PARK — Antonio Cromartie's left knee is not torn—much to his and the Jets' relief—but it is sprained. Cromartie, a cornerback, has not (yet) been ruled out of the Jets' game Monday night at the Colts. All signs point to him being out, though that could change.

"I would say no," head coach Todd Bowles said Monday about whether Cromartie might play. "If he starts running later in the week and starts feeling better, then there's a chance he'll play."

If Cromartie can't go, the Jets seem likely to go with some combination of Buster Skrine and Marcus Williams at right corner. After Cromartie was injured during the second quarter of Sunday's win against the Browns, Skrine played on the outside in the Jets' base defense, and Williams took that spot in sub packages, with Skrine sliding over to nickel, which is where he would also play if Cromartie were healthy.

The Jets won't start installing their game plan until Wednesday, but using Williams and Skrine in much the same way seems to be the plan for Monday night's game in Indianapolis, too.

Against the Browns, Williams gave up three catches for 38 yards on seven targets, per Pro Football Focus. But he also notched the second interception of his career and was credited with three passes defensed. Skrine was only targeted twice, giving up one catch for 11 yards.

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The Jets were in their nickel package when Williams picked off Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. Williams, who was guarding wideout Brian Hartline, said the Jets were in Cover 0, which meant there was no safety help behind him.

It was third-and-7 on the Browns' 37.

"I thought he would try to get to the sticks," Williams said of Hartline. "He ran to the sticks, stopped, I turned my head, and there was the ball coming."

Williams said the Jets corners wanted to "get physical" with the Browns' wideouts by not allowing them to release easily off the line of scrimmage.

"We knew we were going to bring a lot of pressure from our front seven, so it was going to be on us on the back end to be physical," Williams said.

The challenge this week, with Andrew Luck and the Colts, is a bit of a step up.

"We know that they like to use their receivers and pass a lot," Williams said. "It's a big challenge."

Skrine, of course, was one of general manager Mike Maccagnan's big free-agent acquisitions this offseason. Last week, defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers described Skrine as "pound for pound ... the strongest guy on the team," adding that he wouldn't hesitate to match Skrine up against tight ends, when necessary.

Williams, meanwhile, is young and relatively unproven. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State last season with the Texans, only to get cut at the end of training camp. Williams landed on the Texans' practice squad, but was cut within weeks. The Jets signed him to their own practice squad and activated him in late October. He showed promise, even if it remained a priority for Maccagnan to bring Cromartie and Darrelle Revis back in free agency.

After Sunday's game, Bowles was very complimentary of Williams.

"To be a young player, the game is not too big for him," Bowles said. "He's just about the business. He understands what he has to do. He is not scared of anyone out there. He is not scared to be on an island. I feel like he's a six or seven year player. He's one of my favorite players."

Skrine said the Jets' defensive backs keep a board in their meeting room that charted passes defensed and interceptions during training camp.

"He was one of the guys at the top," Skrine said. "So we expected him to do it. Maybe not outsiders, because they haven't seen him play that much. But we expected him to go out there and ball out."

If Cromartie can't go this week, the real test for Williams will be Monday night.

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After Lorenzo Mauldin's concussion, Jets work out pass rusher Quanterus Smith (Dom Costentino) NJ Advance Media September 15, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/after_lorenzo_mauldin_concussion_jets_work_out_pas.html#incart_river_mobileshort

The Jets on Tuesday held a workout at which free agent defensive end Quanterus Smith tried out for them.

The Jets have a depth need at edge rusher because rookie outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, a second-stringer, sustained a scary concussion in Sunday's win over the Browns.

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Quinton Coples is the Jets' starting rush outside linebacker, while Calvin Pace starts at the other outside linebacker spot, on the strong side. Mauldin is listed as Coples' backup.

Currently, second-year pro Trevor Reilly is the Jets' only healthy backup outside linebacker. (Reilly is listed as Pace's backup, but can play both spots.) Mauldin seems likely to miss Monday's game at the Colts.

Smith's workout with the Jets was first reported by the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson.

Smith was a fifth-round draft pick by the Broncos in 2013. He didn't play in any games that year. Last season, he played in 15 games, with no starts, and had zero sacks. The Broncos waived him in April after he failed his physical.

Now, because of Mauldin's concussion — which could sideline him for an undetermined amount of time — Smith is getting another shot, with the Jets.

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How Jets think Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck is like Johnny Manziel (and they're not joking) (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 15, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/how_the_jets_see_similarity_between_johnny_manziel.html#incart_river_mobileshort

FLORHAM PARK — At first glance, Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck don't appear to be all that similar.

Manziel is a second-year pro who has sputtered in the NFL, on and off the field. So far, he's a whole lot of flash, with very few results.

Luck is a steady fourth-year pro, already a three-time Pro Bowler. He's a budding star who threw 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season.

Plus, Manziel is much smaller than Luck. Manziel, who is 6 feet and 210 pounds, often succeeds by scrambling and improvising. Luck, at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, has a reputation as a prototypical NFL pocket passer.

Last week, the Jets' defense faced (and handled) Manziel, who played almost the entire opener (a 31-10 Jets win) in place of the concussed Josh McCown. In Week 2, the Jets visit the Colts on Monday night.

How will the Jets fare against Luck?

The Jets' defense actually sees one similarity between Manziel and Luck — speed. People know Manziel is quick. They might not know Luck is, too.

"He's mobile, man," said Jets backup outside linebacker Trevor Reilly. "He can run. People don't think he's fast because he's white or something. I don't know. He's got quick feet and he can move. I would say he's probably a top three mobile starting quarterback in the NFL. The guy can run. He's fast."

Reilly correctly pointed out that Luck ran about 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. (It was 4.59 seconds, to be precise.) Manziel ran 4.56 in the 40 at the combine. Not a whole lot of difference there, though Manziel's lateral movement and juking abilities separate him as a more mobile player. Manziel also relies on his mobility much more often than Luck does.

Of course, Luck is "one of the best in the game," as Reilly said. And Manziel is not. He's still a long way from being a complete NFL starting quarterback, like Luck is.

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Reilly thinks the Jets' pass rush rattled Manziel in Sunday's second half, when he threw an interception and lost two fumbles on strip sacks (one by Reilly).

To be fair, Manziel missed significant training camp action because of an elbow injury, so he wasn't exactly thoroughly prepared when he had to play Sunday.

It's difficult to imagine the Jets completely rattling a more prepared Luck, who will be playing at home and motivated to avoid an 0-2 start. The Jets fully expect Luck to play with far more poise than Manziel did in the opener.

"When [Manziel] starts feeling the rush, he starts looking at it," Reilly said. "Then he's not looking downfield to make passes. Most young quarterbacks do [look at the rush], and a lot of shorter ones do, because that's what they see. They're looking right into it. If you're 6-4, 6-5, even though it's four or five inches, for whatever reason, it helps out, with being able to see over the line."

That aspect of Luck's game — and many other things that separate him from Manziel — means a far bigger challenge for the Jets on Monday against the Colts.

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Lorenzo Mauldin injury: What is Jets' plan for his absence? How might Trevor Reilly's role change? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 15, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/lorenzo_mauldin_injury_what_is_jets_plan_for_his_a.html#incart_river_mobileshort

FLORHAM PARK — We now know that Lorenzo Mauldin, the Jets' rookie outside linebacker, emerged from Sunday's season opener with a less serious injury than it initially appeared he might've sustained.

Mauldin, who was carted off the field on a backboard in the fourth quarter, ended up not having a neck injury. He did, however, sustain a concussion. He remained hospitalized overnight Sunday for further observation, after undergoing tests Sunday evening. He was released from the hospital Monday.

Later Monday, Mauldin was at the Jets' facility, up and walking around. He spoke to coach Todd Bowles for a bit. But that doesn't mean Mauldin is going to be ready for Monday night's game at the Colts.

It seems unlikely that he will play. Mauldin's concussion will require him to wear sunglasses, due to light sensitivity, for the immediate future. Mauldin is in the NFL's post-concussion assessment protocol. He must pass a series of tests and gradually return to practice activities before he is cleared to play again.

Bowles anticipates Mauldin will be sidelined for Jets-Colts. That's a safe assumption at this point.

So what does that mean for the Jets' backup outside linebacker situation? How would Mauldin's absence impact Trevor Reilly, a second-year pro who is the other backup outside linebacker?

After the Jets cut veteran outside linebacker Jason Babin, they moved Mauldin to the rush linebacker spot, where Quinton Coples starts. Mauldin got a lot of work in training camp at the strong-side outside linebacker spot, where Calvin Pace starts. But Reilly is now Pace's backup, as Mauldin works behind Coples.

Still, both Mauldin and Reilly can play both sides. Unless the Jets make a roster move between now and Monday, Reilly almost certainly will be the second-stringer at both outside linebacker positions against the Colts.

"Probably, yeah," Reilly said. "At least I'm — what's the word? — deducing. Deducting of logic, I guess."

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Normally, when Reilly plays in the Jets' base defense, he is at strong-side linebacker. But he got work at both outside linebacker spots in Sunday's win over the Browns. Reilly said that in the Jets' nickel package, he and Mauldin bookend the Jets' four-man defensive line, as edge rushers, playing the same role.

So why did the coaches decide to put Mauldin at rush linebacker (a defensive end/linebacker hybrid) once they cut Babin, and stick Reilly at strong-side linebacker (a more traditional linebacker position), behind Pace?

"In college, [Mauldin] was more of a defensive lineman," Reilly said. "When I played in college, I was a true 'sam' [strong-side] linebacker. I played what Calvin plays now. So I'm used to that.

"It's harder for guys to transition from d-lineman to linebacker. A lot of guys, it takes a couple years, usually. I'm not saying that he hasn't done a good job. It's just easier for him [to be Coples' backup at rush linebacker]."

Reilly played 19 of 71 snaps against the Browns, while Mauldin played 11 before getting hurt. Reilly's biggest play was a strip sack of Johnny Manziel in the fourth quarter, on the Browns' drive after Mauldin was carted off.

Reilly is confident he can play both outside linebacker spots. He obviously did it as recently as Sunday, when he received a plus-0.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, which credited him with a quarterback hurry, in addition to his strip sack.

On Monday, Reilly will face a tougher task against the Colts and their elite quarterback, Andrew Luck. Back_to_Top

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Jets will have work cut out for them in tough AFC East (Seth Walder) New York Daily News September 15, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-afc-east-real-beast-article-1.2362070

You can already hear the AFC East hype train picking up steam.

The Jets’ division was in the news this offseason after it led the league in terms of star-power additions, importing the likes of Ndamukong Suh (Miami), LeSean McCoy (Buffalo) and Brandon Marshall (Jets). Percy Harvin followed Rex Ryan to Buffalo, Darrelle Revis moved from the Super Bowl champs to the division cellar, and the Bills may have found a sleeper in QB Tyrod Taylor, who was signed away from the Ravens.

Sure, it’s only Week 2, but the Steelers and Colts were among the teams that fell victim to AFC East teams on Sunday (so were the Browns and Washington, but still ...).

If the Bills and Jets — who impressed in their openers — are better than expected, the race in the AFC East could be close.

“It’s gonna be a good year, it’s gonna be a good (division) this year,” Jets LB Quinton Coples said. “Everybody got a win, but most important we got a win.”

“Hopefully we’re the toughest division,” Jets OT Breno Giacomini said. “You get into the playoffs after that, playing the best teams in the league, (you would be in good shape).”

Easily the biggest statement of the week came from Buffalo, which stomped all over Andrew Luck and the Colts. That came as quite a surprise to most, including Giacomini.

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“I think everybody was (surprised),” he said. “But that just goes to show it’s a new year. This is anybody’s game. Hopefully, we can stack some more wins.”

The rise of the division, if it proves to be true, could come at an unfortunate time for the Jets. Gang Green’s offseason spending that brought in Marshall, cornerbacks Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine and guard James Carpenter suggests the team is trying to win now. The Bills and Dolphins are doing the same.

That’s not to say the Jets were ever likely to challenge for the division — the Patriots are still the heavy favorite — but the battle for second looks like it could be very tight.

Buffalo, riding high after its win over the Colts, will get its first shot at knocking off the Patriots on Sunday.

Even the Bills’ social media account seems to be feeding off Rex Ryan’s confidence. After a New England reporter tweeted a Bill Belichick quote on the Buffalo crowd, that said, “They will be as loud as we allow them to be,” the Bills’ official account responded on Tuesday by saying, “That’s cute.”

THANKS, REX

In beating the Colts last week, Ryan may have shown his old team how to stop Andrew Luck. Ryan blitzed Luck on 25 of 61 dropbacks, according to ProFootballFocus.com, and had dramatic success doing it. Luck completed just 9 of 23 passes when blitzed for 118 yards, one TD and two interceptions. He was also sacked twice on blitzes.

Don’t be surprised if the Jets take a similar approach. Todd Bowles has a similar scheme to Ryan’s and isn’t afraid to dial up blitzes.

GOOD DAY, ODAY

Gang Green cut Oday Aboushi on Tuesday, one day after the offensive lineman was reinstated following a one-game suspension for marijuana possession. The 2013 fifth-round pick started 10 games at guard for the Jets last season. He got some work as a starter in the spring but was bumped down the depth chart during training camp.

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Jets secondary will be fine with or without Antonio Cromartie (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News September 14, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-secondary-fine-cromartie-article-1.2360409

The Jets' feel-good Batman & Robin Reunion Tour in the secondary might temporarily be put on hold, but Todd Bowles is well-positioned to overcome the first significant injury of the season.

Antonio Cromartie avoided a potentially devastating knee injury midway through the second quarter of the Jets’ 31-10 rout of the Browns on Sunday when an MRI on Monday revealed a knee sprain and no ligament tear. The veteran cornerback’s timetable for return is officially “week-to-week,” but it’s conceivable that the Jets won’t feel the sting of losing a four-time Pro Bowler regardless of how long he’s out.

The NFL is the ultimate cut-throat business where “next man up” is far from a jaded talking point. It’s reality. The next man up for the Jets might just be good enough to keep the bus rolling.

GM Mike Maccagnan used the company credit card this winter to pay for more than his 42 daily cups of coffee. He also spent plenty to revamp and solidify a secondary in desperate need of a facelift. Cromartie

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brings valuable experience, but the Jets have the requisite pieces at cornerback to maintain a high level in his absence.

“Our whole secondary is full of starters,” cornerback Buster Skrine said. “You got the guys that started last year that are the second string. I started last year (in Cleveland), and I’m the nickel.”

Bowles’ secondary wasn’t exactly tested in the opener by the Broncos’ Three Amigos or The Posse in Washington from yesteryear, but there were encouraging signs that the back end will be just fine.

Second-year cornerback Marcus Williams, the unexpected shining light from the John Idzik regime, had an interception and three passes defensed after Cromartie suffered what first appeared to be a grievous left knee injury when trying to twist and plant.

Skrine was sharp bouncing from outside cornerback in base defense to the slot in nickel packages for the rest of the game.

“He would be a starter probably on a majority of teams in the NFL,” assistant defensive backs coach Daylon McCutcheon said of Skrine. “He’s an advantage for us. He’ll fill in and I don’t think we’ll miss a beat at all.”

The organization’s reunion with Darrelle Revis and Cromartie grabbed the offseason headlines, but it was critical to bring in more to bolster the secondary. (Although Cromartie brushed off his uneven training camp and preseason, he was beat on a 54-yard touchdown on third-and-19 a few minutes before he was hurt).

Skrine and safety-cornerback Marcus Gilchrist were pivotal additions. The new coaching staff’s decision to stick with the undrafted Williams, who emerged last season as an undrafted rookie to play well for Rex Ryan, paid immediate dividends.

“For a young player, he understands the game,” Bowles said of Williams. “He sees everything. He understands what’s about to happen to him on the field. He plays with a calmness that makes you feel good about him.”

The depth should make it easier for Bowles to avoid any temptation to rush back Cromartie, who hasn’t been ruled out for the road test against the Colts on Monday night.

“I don’t want to rush him back anyway,” said Bowles. “The fact that we have a bunch of guys there that can play definitely helps out a lot though.”

Skrine is a known commodity. He proved with the Browns that he can play effectively inside and out.

Williams, in many ways, is the key to whether the Jets can avoid a dropoff without Cromartie. He logged 30 of the 71 defensive snaps in the opener.

“I thought Marcus played great (on Sunday),” McCutcheon said. “I just think he needs more experience out there. We (have to) pick our opportunities for him to be out there. I don’t know if he’s ready to start at this point and go in and play 60 snaps, but I feel very confident putting him in a nickel or dime.”

T he exact cornerback deployment will be matchup driven, but there’s more confidence in Skrine to thrive in the slot in nickel packages. Depth has given Bowles flexibility.

Cromartie’s absence won’t be as debilitating as you think.

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Jets WR Brandon Marshall discusses Giants’ implosion on ‘Inside the NFL’: ‘How long are we gonna beat this dead horse? (Seth Walder) New York Daily News

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September 15, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-wr-brandon-marshall-discusses-giants-implosion-article-1.2361972

A week after Brandon Marshall was told by his head coach to be “smarter” about his comments after discussing the effect of race on NFL discipline, the Jets wide receiver reigned it in on his weekly appearance on “Inside the NFL.”

“So for me what did I learn (in Week 1)? I learned that you can’t talk about race on this show,” Marshall joked on the show Tuesday.

The hot topic on Tuesday was naturally the Giants’ late-game implosion against Dallas.

“They just miscommunicated,” Marshall said. “They made a mistake. Fans and media want players to take accountability. (Eli Manning) did. He stood up and said it was my fault. How long are we gonna beat this dead horse?”

Marshall clearly is new here, because it’s only been a couple of days since the Giants made several horrific decisions to hand a game to their division rival. New York certainly isn’t done talking about it yet, even if Manning took responsibility.

He also added, “There’s people who have analytics on staff, so you have to go with that.”

Sorry Marshall -- there’s no analytics that tells a team not to go up by 10 inside two minutes.

Asked to make his case for the Jets to win the AFC East, Marshall jokingly declined to.

“We don’t have a chance. We have a 5-5 journeyman quarterback who plays the Rubik’s Cube more than he watches film. We have a malcontent wide receiver ready to implode,” Marshall joked, referring to himself. “No way we’re going to have a chance. A rookie coach...a first-year general manager. Just pass on the Jets, we’ll fly under the radar.”

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Jets earn first win of Todd Bowles era with 31-10 romp over Browns, but key injuries put damper on the victory (Seth Walder) New York Daily News September 15, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-earn-1st-win-bowles-era-31-10-romp-browns-article-1.2358923

The Todd Bowles Era started off with a bang, but it came at a price.

The Jets beat up on the visiting Browns for a 31-10 season-opening win, but cornerback Antonio Cromartie suffered what looked like a serious non-contact knee injury and Lorenzo Mauldin went down with a scary head injury that required the rookie to be carted off on a back board and immediately sent to the hospital. He later was diagnosed with a concusssion but had movement in his extremities.

If the Jets lose Cromartie for significant time it would be a blow to the expensive secondary that Mike Maccagnan purchased this offseason.

But beyond the injuries, there were plenty of encouraging signs for the Jets, who trampled their visitors after falling behind early.

“It feels good, you get the butterflies out of the way,” Bowles said. “It wasn’t perfect, by no means, but we did what we had to do to win.”

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Ryan Fitzpatrick played well, completing 15 of 24 passes, including some tough throws for a pair of touchdowns, along with one interception. Brandon Marshall carried over his strong preseason showing by making some big receptions, including a touchdown on a fade route over Joe Haden. Chris Ivory pummeled Cleveland’s defense for 91 yards and scored twice.

“Truth be told, man, our offense gave us some serious problems in training camp,” Calvin Pace said. “And that right there showed me they’re for real this year.”

The Jets defense — which received an impressive makeover during the offseason — initially struggled against Josh McCown, and then Johnny Manziel after McCown was knocked out via injury as he fumbled diving for the goal line attempting to score the game’s first touchdown.

But eventually, Bowles saw his defense rise to the occasion, forcing four turnovers against the Browns, who reverted back to their punchless ways.

The best play on defense may have come from Marshall in the second quarter. Fitzpatrick’s biggest mistake of the day resulted in an interception to Tashaun Gipson on a pass intended for Marshall. The receiver immediately sprung into action and, as he tackled Gipson, ripped the ball from the defensive back’s grasp to return possession to Gang Green at the Browns’ 9.

“That was huge,” Bowles said. “Brandon plays, he plays everything, he plays offense, he plays defense, he plays aggressive. That play, to me, was the play of the game.”

“He made a veteran move,” Gipson said. “I can’t tip my hat enough to him. I think that play changed the game.”

Bowles said he had fun and was pleased with the win, but, as usual, did not display all that much emotion — a stark contrast to previous coach Rex Ryan.

“Still even-keeled. He smiled a little bit,” Pace said of his coach. “The good thing about him is he’s never too up, never too down. I’m not going to say it’s refreshing, but it’s different.”

Gang Green’s supposedly impenetrable defense looked pretty vulnerable to start the game as the Browns marched down the field and converted on four third downs on their first drive. But finally the Jets made a play with the Browns going in.

As McCown scrambled toward the end zone, Calvin Pryor delivered a jarring hit. McCown then was helicoptered after a second hit from Demario Davis, while the ball flew into the end zone where it was recovered by Cromartie.

The result of the play was not only a turnover, but the removal of McCown from the game with a concussion.

But Manziel entered and he too was able to move the ball. Johnny Football’s first drive resulted in his first NFL touchdown pass: a 54-yard deep ball to Travis Benjamin, who toasted Cromartie, on third-and-19. The score put Cleveland ahead 7-0 early in the second quarter.

“I think we just needed to settle down. We talked about that on the sideline,” Revis said about the defense. “And when we did, I think you kind of saw us a little more poised out there.”

After Marshall ripped the ball away from Gipson later that quarter, Ivory scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

Cromartie suffered his injury before the half, pounding on the turf in pain. Carted off with a towel over his head, he is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

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Down by three with the minutes ticking down in the half, Fitzpatrick put the Jets back on track with a nine-play, 72-yard drive that culminated with the veteran throwing a perfect pass to Eric Decker for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Jets ahead 14-10 heading into halftime.

When Cromartie went down, Buster Skrine moved into his role and Marcus Williams became the nickel corner. And in the third quarter, Williams stepped up — picking off Manziel to put the Jets in Cleveland territory for their first second-half possession. They took advantage as Fitzpatrick hit Marshall in the end zone to put Gang Green ahead 21-10.

Up 24-10 in the fourth quarter, Mauldin was in on a sack of Manziel and helped force a fumble that was recovered by Revis. Mauldin was to remain in the hospital overnight.

After he was carted off the field, the Jets scored again as Ivory easily ran in for a 3-yard touchdown.

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TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE — Suspended Miami C Felix Castillo (Greensboro-SAL) for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

American League

HOUSTON ASTROS — Placed RHP Scott Feldman on the 60-day DL. Selected the contract of INF Matt Duffy from Fresno (PCL).

MINNESOTA TWINS — Reinstated RHP Phil Hughes from the 15-day DL.

National League

ATLANTA BRAVES — Placed 1B Yonder Alonso on the 60-day DL. Assigned RHPs Jake Brigham and Michael Kohn outright to Gwinnett (IL).

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Placed SS Cesar Hernandez on the 60-day DL. Selected the contract of 2B Chase d'Arnaud from Lehigh Valley (IL).

PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Designated RHP Radhames Liz for assignment. Selected the contract of RHP Vance Worley from Indianapolis (IL).

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Reinstated OF Matt Holliday from the 15-day DL.

American Association

GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS — Exercised 2016 options on RHPs Fernando Gonzalez, John Kovalik, Travis McGee, Kevin Osaki, AJ Quintero, Charle Rosario, Matt Solter and Alex Hernandez; LHPs Alex Gunn, Shawn O'Neill, Andy Roberts and Rene Solis; Cs Jaime Del Valle and Michael Vaughn; INFs Elbert Devaire, Dustin Geiger, Spencer Mahoney, Jarred Medores and Jose Sermo; and OFs Anthony Cheky, Matt Hibbert, Jonathan Jones, Brennan Metzger and Adam Taylor.

JOPLIN BLASTERS — Excerised the 2016 option on LHP Josue Montanez.

FOOTBALL National Football League

ATLANTA FALCONS — Signed OT Jake Long. Waived S Charles Godfrey.

BUFFALO BILLS — Released RB Bryce Brown.

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CHICAGO BEARS — Waived QB David Fales.

CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed QB Matt Blanchard to the practice squad. Released OL Erle Ladson from the practice squad.

DALLAS COWBOYS — Waived OT Darrion Weems. Released S Tim Scott from the practice squad. Signed OT Charles Brown.

GREEN BAY PACKERS — Placed LB Sam Barrington on injured reserve. Activated DE Datone Jones from exempt status.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released WR Chris Harper.

NEW YORK JETS — Waived G Oday Aboushi.

OAKLAND RAIDERS — Waived TE Gabe Holmes. Placed S Nate Allen on injured reserve-designated for return. Signed S Taylor Mays and DL C.J. Wilson.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Placed S Duke Ihenacho on injured reserve. Released FB Ray Agnew from the practice squad. Signed CB Will Blackmon. Signed CB Dashaun Phillips to the practice squad.

Canadian Football League

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS — Traded negotiation list rights to QB Tahj Boyd to Winnipeg for a conditional 2017 draft pick.

HOCKEY National Hockey League

NHL — LW Simon Gagne announced his retirement.

SOCCER Major League Soccer

D.C. UNITED — Agreed to terms with D Kofi Opare on a multi-year contract extension.

Major Arena Soccer League

MASL — Announced the addition of Atletico Baja (Mexico) for the 2015-16 season.

COLLEGE

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE — Fined Nevada coach Brian Polian $10,000 after he was called for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during Saturday's loss to Arizona.

ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM — Agreed to terms with football coach Bill Clark on a five-year contract.

FORDHAM — Named Gabby Luety volunteer assistant softball coach, Sarah Ali women's assistant tennis coach and Kathleen Uy women's volunteer assistant tennis coach.

GETTYSBURG — Named Shawn Runyon men's assistant lacrosse coach.

IOWA — Suspended RB Derrick Mitchell from the football program.

PRESBYTERIAN — Named Shelby Petik assistant softball coach.

TEXAS — Fired athletic director Steve Patterson.

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