NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

December 23, 2013

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Table of Contents

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

Smith's arm, legs lead Jets past Browns 24-13 (Dennis Waszak) .............................................................................. 2

Headline-making foster boy guest of Jets' Nelson (Dennis Waszak) ......................................................................... 4

Umpire at Browns-Jets game leaves after injury....................................................................................................... 5

5 things to know from Jets’ 24-13 win over Browns (Dennis Waszak) ...................................................................... 5

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Jets strengthen Rex Ryan's case to stay by beating Browns, 24-13 (Kimberley Martin) ........................................... 7

Jets' David Nelson dedicates TD catches to 2 orphans (Greg Logan) ........................................................................ 9

Dee Milliner turns corner with brilliant game against Browns (Greg Logan) ............................................................ 9

Players want him back, but will Rex Ryan coach a home game at MetLife again? (Bob Glauber) .......................... 10

Jets Q & A: Look out for this up-and-coming team next season (Kimberley Martin) .............................................. 12

Jets grades: Offense, defense both solid (Kimberley Martin) ................................................................................. 13

THE RECORD ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Jets notes: Calvin Pace sets milestone (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................................................. 13

Jets' Milliner steps up against Gordon (Jeff Roberts) .............................................................................................. 14

Jets replay in victory over Brown (Jeff Roberts) ...................................................................................................... 15

Sullivan: Players performed for Rex Ryan's survival (Tara Sullivan) ........................................................................ 16

Jets rebound with 24-13 win over Browns (J.P. Pelzman) ....................................................................................... 17

STAR-LEDGER ....................................................................................................................................................... 19

Jets beat Browns, 24-13, with Rex Ryan's future uncertain (Darryl Slater) ............................................................ 19

Against Josh Gordon, NFL's leading receiver, Jets' Dee Milliner has best game of career (Michael Fensom) ........ 20

Geno Smith's cool command rallies Jets offense to win over Browns (Michael Fensom) ...................................... 21

Politi: Rex Ryan deserves another season as Jets head coach (Steve Politi) ........................................................... 22

Jets' Sheldon Richardson on his injured left shoulder: 'I'm all right, bro' (Darryl Slater) ........................................ 24

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 25

Sky’s the limit: One child’s courage inspiration for Nelson (Mike Vaccaro) ............................................................ 25

Geno forces more debate, not the ball (Mark Cannizzaro) ..................................................................................... 26

Ivory, Powell bring back ‘Ground and Pound’ (Brian Costello and Mark Cannizzaro)............................................. 27

Twisting in the win: Victory does little to secure Rex’s future (Steve Serby) .......................................................... 28

After rough season, top pick Milliner comes up big for Gang (Mark Cannizzaro)................................................... 29

Jets report card: Strong on both sides of the ball (Brian Costello) .......................................................................... 31

Jets blitz: Chris Ivory runs over Cleveland (Mark Cannizzaro) ................................................................................. 31

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Fighting for coach’s job, Geno sparks Jets comeback (Mark Cannizzaro) ............................................................... 32

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 33

After Rex Ryan pleads with Jets to help save his job, Geno Smith & Gang Green deliver against Browns (Seth Walder) .................................................................................................................................................................... 33

NY Jets head coach Rex Ryan takes victory lap, in what could be his last home game at MetLife (Gary Myers) ... 35

NY Jets rookie cornerback Dee Milliner rewards Rex Ryan for his faith (Seth Walder) .......................................... 36

Geno Smith shows NY Jets just enough promise to prove he can be starting quarterback (Manish Mehta) ......... 37

NY Jets' David Nelson inspired by friend Davion Only, a 15-year-old orphan (Seth Walder).................................. 39

Rex tells NY Jets, ‘word on (the) street’ is that he’ll be fired after final game: report (Seth Walder) .................... 40

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 40

Maybe the Jets' Rex Ryan Isn't Finished Yet (Stu Woo) .......................................................................................... 40

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 42

Jets Ride Ryan’s Power of Persuasion to Victory Over Browns (Ben Shpigel) ......................................................... 42

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 43

If Rex goes, then '13 was playoffs or bust (Rich Cimini) .......................................................................................... 43

Angry Rex delivers fiery speech to team (Rich Cimini) ............................................................................................ 45

Nelson dedicates game to foster child (Matt Ehalt) ................................................................................................ 46

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 47

Jets players say Rex Ryan never talking about getting fired (Kristian Dyer) ........................................................... 47

Dee Milliner stands strong against Browns’ star Josh Gordon (Kristian Dyer) ........................................................ 48

Jets score two touchdowns in fourth quarter to beat Browns (Kristian Dyer)........................................................ 49

NJ.COM ................................................................................................................................................................ 50

Jets players deny Rex Ryan told them he was getting fired (but Ryan doesn't) (Dom Cosentino) ......................... 50

Jets receiver David Nelson gets revenge against team that cut him (Dom Cosentino) .......................................... 51

Jets receiver Santonio Holmes slammed by TV analysts after walking out on media (Dom Cosentino) ................ 51

Rex Ryan's support in Jets' locker room remains high (A.J. Perez) ......................................................................... 53

Rex Ryan on his future: 'I know I have a contract for next year' (A.J. Perez) .......................................................... 53

Jets quick hits and instant analysis: Winning one for Rex (Dom Cosentino) ........................................................... 54

SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 55

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Smith's arm, legs lead Jets past Browns 24-13 (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 22, 2013

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=djJfRval

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Rex Ryan wasn't interested in discussing his future, whether he even has one with the New York Jets after the season.

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For a coach sitting squarely on the hot seat, Ryan was loose and excited after what might have been his home finale at MetLife Stadium.

Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes to David Nelson and ran for another score and the Jets topped the Cleveland Browns 24-13 on Sunday.

"I told you this team's on the climb, it's on the rise," Ryan said. "I think it was pretty clear, at least to me, that that's what we saw today."

With Ryan's job status uncertain, the Jets (7-8) showed no signs of a team playing out the string. The players and coaches took a victory lap and high-fived fans after the game.

"We were picked to be the worst team in the NFL," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "It says a lot about this team's character and the way we rallied under Rex. I guarantee you everyone loves playing for Rex."

Smith had his first game with at least two TD passes since October, with no turnovers or sacks.

"No turnovers for him, so I guess he put his foot in my mouth," Browns safety Tashaun Gipson said. "I have nothing but respect for him after this game."

The rookie was 20 of 36 for 214 yards and also ran for 48 yards - including a 17-yard scoring scamper in the fourth quarter.

"A tremendous performance," Ryan said.

Chris Ivory rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries for the Jets, who were eliminated from the playoff picture last week. Nelson, cut by the Browns after training camp, finished with four catches for 33 yards.

Ryan wouldn't address a published report that he told his players at the team meeting Saturday night that the "word on the street" is he's out after next Sunday's game at Miami.

None of the players would even touch the subject, saying they'd keep those types of discussions behind closed doors.

"What I do know, guys, is that I'm coaching this team and my job is to focus on the present, what's right now," Ryan said, adding that he doesn't know if he'll be back next season.

Jason Campbell was intercepted twice as the Browns (4-11) lost their sixth straight, and the offense was clearly hurt with star tight end Jordan Cameron out with a concussion.

Edwin Baker had a touchdown run, and Josh Gordon was somewhat held in check by rookie Dee Milliner, catching six passes for 97 yards.

"Things just started to unravel today, the whole thing that's been happening over the last month," Campbell said. "Being so close and not finishing it, I think is kind of pressing on guys. We just want to win so bad."

With the game tied at 10, Nelson got his second touchdown catch of the game on the second play of the fourth quarter, a 5-yarder. Smith last threw at least two touchdown passes at Atlanta in Week 5 - on Oct. 7.

Two plays after Baker's 2-yard touchdown run was nullified by a false start penalty on Gary Barnidge, Billy Cundiff kicked a 21-yard field goal to make it 17-13.

New York took control with a drive of over 6 minutes capped by Smith zipping up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown, his fifth rushing score, to make it 24-13 with 3:19 left. The Jets converted four third-down plays on the drive, including Smith's TD.

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Ed Reed intercepted Campbell in the closing moments to seal the win.

"I'm not happy with that game," Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said. "It's unacceptable. It was a tough game to swallow."

The Jets scored twice in 78 seconds to tie the game before halftime. Nelson capped a 13-play drive by catching a 6-yard pass, and after the Browns went three-and-out, Smith got the Jets in scoring position again, taking off for an 11-yard gain when was shoved by Gipson out of bounds.

The quarterback appeared to embellish it, dropping to the ground. But, the late hit angered the Jets' sideline, including a fired-up Ryan, and a few players on both sides shoved each other a bit. It ended up being an unnecessary roughness penalty on Gipson that put the ball at the 14.

Nick Folk kicked a 21-yarder as time expired to head into halftime tied at 10.

NOTES: Umpire Butch Hannah left and didn't return after suffering an injury to his face late in the first half. He appeared to make contact with Jets CB Antonio Cromartie's right shoulder pad as he was spotting the ball, and then stumbled into Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson before going down to the turf. ... Browns NT Phil Taylor has a concussion and DE John Hughes sprained a knee. ... Browns DBs coach Louie Cioffi injured a knee injury when he was rolled into on the sideline in the first quarter during a play.

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Headline-making foster boy guest of Jets' Nelson (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 22, 2013

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268750/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=fspHCoDN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - David Nelson pointed to the sky after his first touchdown catch, sending a message to his new buddy.

And giving him a thrill he'll never forget.

The New York Jets wide receiver hosted Davion Only, the 15-year-old Florida foster boy who made headlines with his heartfelt adoption plea in October, for a memorable weekend that included stops all over Manhattan on Saturday and MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

"I think the way I played today, I hope it made him proud," Nelson said after catching two touchdown passes in the Jets' 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. "I hope it brought joy to his life."

Nelson formed the nonprofit i'mME with his two brothers last January to aid orphaned children. He invited Only to New York for "a crash course in Christmastime in the city" after hearing about how the boy stood in front of a church congregation and begged for a family to love him.

Nelson, Only, plus one of the boy's friends and a guardian spent Saturday touring Rockefeller Center and FAO Schwartz, among some of New York's top holiday destinations. During the visit, Nelson asked Only if there was anything special he could do for him during the game Sunday.

"He told me that after my first catch to point to the sky," said Nelson, who had four receptions for 33 yards. "My first catch just happened to be a touchdown and I made sure to honor him at that moment."

Only, wearing a green Jets jersey with Nelson's No. 86, spent the afternoon in the stands after watching the players warm up from the sideline before the game. Nelson also posed for pictures with Only before getting ready to play.

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Turned out, Only might have been a bit of a good-luck charm for Nelson, who scored his first two touchdowns of the season - against the team that cut him after training camp.

"I haven't scored all year," Nelson said, smiling, "so who would've thought I'd score two?"

Nelson made the highlight clips a couple of years ago when he had a TD catch for Buffalo against Dallas, then trotted the length of the field to present the ball to his girlfriend, a Cowboys cheerleader.

After these two touchdown grabs, the former college roommate of Tim Tebow at Florida was eager to get out of the locker room to rejoin Only and complete their terrific weekend.

"I wanted to wait until we saw how the game went," Nelson said. "A loss was going to be a little bit of a different situation. Now that the game went so well, we'll find something to do."

Only, who was born in prison and raised in foster care, stood up in front of a church congregation in St. Petersburg, Fla., in October and boldly declared that he would "take anyone" to adopt him.

"Old or young, Dad or Mom, black, white, purple, I don't care," he said. "And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be."

When Nelson heard about Only's story, he immediately called his publicist to try to set up a meeting. Only, who has been featured on various news programs, will receive a chance at his dream as he'll spend the holidays with prospective adoptive parents.

Nelson and Only had a long discussion Saturday about the boy's life, and how his birth mother died last June. The moving experience helped the wide receiver get focused for the game against the Browns.

"It just changed perspective for me," Nelson said. "Today, I was able to play loose and play free and let the game come to me and not try to stress or press about my performance and how many catches I was going to have.

"It all seemed meaningless after the conversation we had yesterday."

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Umpire at Browns-Jets game leaves after injury Associated Press December 22, 2013

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=cm2K3zfh

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Umpire Butch Hannah left the game against the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets after appearing to suffer and injury to his face late in the first half.

After an 8-yard run by the Browns' Chris Ogbonnaya, it appeared Hannah made contact with Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie's right shoulder pad as he was spotting the ball. Hannah then stumbled into Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson before going down to the turf, holding his face.

Trainers from both teams checked on Hannah, who walked to the locker room under his own power.

He was not back on the field to start the second half. There was no immediate word on the nature of the injury.

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5 things to know from Jets’ 24-13 win over Browns (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 22, 2013

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_BROWNS_JETS_FOLO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- A smiling Rex Ryan reached up and high-fived fans on a victory lap around MetLife Stadium with his team.

The New York Jets coach wanted to say thanks. Whether it was also a goodbye remains to be seen.

With Ryan on the hot seat, Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes to David Nelson and ran for another score as the Jets topped the Cleveland Browns 24-13 Sunday in their home finale.

"I told you this team's on the climb, it's on the rise," Ryan said. "I think it was pretty clear, at least to me, that that's what we saw today."

Ryan wasn't interested in discussing his future, and the Jets (7-8) showed no signs of a team simply playing out the string.

"I think everybody kind of looked at it like this was our AFC championship game and our Super Bowl will be in Miami (next Sunday)," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "Just finish strong. That's all you can do."

Chris Ivory rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries for the Jets, who were eliminated from the playoff picture last week. Nelson, cut by the Browns after training camp, finished with four catches for 33 yards.

Jason Campbell was intercepted twice as the Browns (4-11) lost their sixth straight, and the offense was clearly hurt with star tight end Jordan Cameron out with a concussion.

Edwin Baker had a touchdown run, and Josh Gordon was somewhat held in check by rookie Dee Milliner, catching six passes for 97 yards.

"Things just started to unravel today, the whole thing that's been happening over the last month," Campbell said. "Being so close and not finishing it, I think is kind of pressing on guys. We just want to win so bad."

New York took control with a drive of over 6 minutes capped by Smith zipping up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown, his fifth rushing score, to make it 24-13 with 3:19 left.

Ed Reed intercepted Campbell in the closing moments to seal the win.

"We were picked to be the worst team in the NFL," Pace said. "It says a lot about this team's character and the way we rallied under Rex. I guarantee you everyone loves playing for Rex."

Here are five things to know from the Jets' victory over the Browns:

REX'S FUTURE: Ryan wouldn't address a published report that he told his players at the team meeting Saturday night that the "word on the street" is he's out after next week's game at Miami.

"What I do know, guys, is that I'm coaching this team and my job is to focus on the present, what's right now," Ryan said, adding that he doesn't know if he'll be back for a sixth season.

None of the players would touch the subject, but many voiced their support for their coach.

"I think Rex needs to be back," guard Willie Colon said. "This team is headed in a great direction. He's our general. We love him. We bleed for him and he bleeds for us."

GOOD GENO: Smith was 20 of 36 for 214 yards and also ran for 48 yards - including the 17-yard scoring scamper in the fourth quarter.

"A tremendous performance," Ryan said.

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Smith had his first game with at least two TD passes since Week 5 at Atlanta on Oct. 7.

"No turnovers for him, so I guess he put his foot in my mouth," Browns safety Tashaun Gipson said. "I have nothing but respect for him after this game."

BUMBLING BROWNS: Cleveland was in the playoff hunt at 4-5, and things were looking up for the franchise.

The Browns are 0-6 since.

They led 10-0 in this one, but allowed the Jets to tie it with two scores in a span of 78 seconds just before halftime. Gordon and Greg Little dropped potential touchdowns, and a TD run by Baker was nullified by a false start penalty on Gary Barnidge and Cleveland had to settle for a field goal.

"I'm not happy with that game," Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said. "It's unacceptable. It was a tough game to swallow."

KEEPING DRIVES ALIVE: The Jets converted 12 of 18 third-down opportunities, wearing down the Browns' defense that came in ranked eighth overall.

Four of New York's third-down conversions came on the drive capped by Smith's touchdown run - which also was on third down. The Jets finished with 422 yards, compared to the Browns' 283. Cleveland went just 5 of 12 on third downs.

NELSON'S SPECIAL DAY: Beating the team that cut him earlier this year wasn't even the best part of Nelson's weekend.

The Jets wide receiver hosted Davion Only, the 15-year-old Florida foster boy who made headlines with his heartfelt adoption plea in October, for a memorable weekend that included stops all over Manhattan on Saturday and MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

"I think the way I played today, I hope it made him proud," Nelson said. "I hope it brought joy to his life."

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NEWSDAY

Jets strengthen Rex Ryan's case to stay by beating Browns, 24-13 (Kimberley Martin) Newsday December 22, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-strengthen-rex-ryan-s-case-to-stay-by-beating-browns-24-13-1.6658601

Rex Ryan told his players he wasn't going down without a fight. And neither should they.

The Jets' coach stressed during Saturday night's team meeting that all of their futures were uncertain -- especially his -- and that he believes the organization already has begun to look for his replacement, according to a source familiar with Ryan's situation.

So Ryan implored his players to seize the moment, starting with Sunday's home finale against the Browns.

The tactic -- a combination of heartfelt honesty and, perhaps, some self-serving motivation -- worked. The Jets (7-8) fought back from a 10-point deficit for a 24-13 victory.

Afterward, neither Ryan nor his players wanted to share the details of the meeting with television cameras. But earlier in the day, Fox Sports reported that Ryan told players Saturday night that "word on

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the street is'' he's about to get fired, and he encouraged them to "fight'' with him in the season's final two games.

And they did. Geno Smith had a nice bounce-back game, completing 20 of 36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns, the first time since Week 5 in Atlanta that he has thrown more than one TD pass. Smith, who did not throw an interception, also scored on a 17-yard run with 3:19 to play. Fellow rookie Dee Milliner also had his best game, making his first interception.

All in all, it was a good day for the Jets, who vowed to finish strong despite having been eliminated from playoff contention last week. Chris Ivory ran for 109 yards; David Nelson, who spent time with the Browns in training camp, had his first two touchdown catches as a Jet; Calvin Pace recorded his career-high 10th sack, and Leger Douzable had back-to-back half-sacks.

But there's no telling if this win, or even a win over the Dolphins on Sunday in Miami, will be enough to save Ryan's job.

He began the season on the proverbial hot seat with the arrival of general manager John Idzik, but a 5-4 start quelled speculation about Ryan's job security. Four losses in the first five games after the bye, however, again made his future uncertain.

Jets owner Woody Johnson shed no light on the situation as reporters headed to the locker room. "We're not saying anything about coaches or players regarding contracts,'' he said.

But at the very least, Ryan's players hope they can salvage the season and save his job.

"I'm a fan of Rex's,'' Nelson said. "Honestly, I couldn't have said that four months ago before I [joined] this football team. He inspires me to play with aggression, with physicalness. I hope that what we've done this year will allow him to come back.''

Ryan refused to confirm or deny that he addressed his uncertain status with his players. Asked if he knows if he'll be back next year, he said: "No. I know I have a contract for next year.''

He preferred to focus on the positives from Sunday: the play of Smith and Milliner, the Jets' ability to claw back from a 10-0 deficit and their 422 total yards. Ryan, whose contract expires at the end of 2014, also talked about the future -- the team's immediate future.

"We know what we have in front of us,'' he said when asked when he plans to discuss his contract status with Johnson and Idzik. "For us to be our best, our focus has to be right now on the present, and that's what it's on.''

So his players were left to answer questions about Ryan's uncertain situation.

"This is a league where you're judged on wins and losses,'' Pace said. "But in the same breath, Rex is the guy. Rex needs to be the guy. And I just think everybody rallies around him. I've never played for a coach who believes in his players more than Rex.''

Antonio Cromartie refused to talk about the team meeting, but the cornerback said players feel a sense of responsibility to finish strong for themselves and Ryan.

"I definitely want Rex back,'' Cromartie said. "I think he's the man for the job. It just speaks volumes of what kind of coach he is. Every guy in this room that's on this team would go to bat for him.

"We wouldn't be having this discussion right now talking about Rex and his job if it weren't for those games we should have won.''

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Jets' David Nelson dedicates TD catches to 2 orphans (Greg Logan) Newsday December 22, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-david-nelson-dedicates-td-catches-to-2-orphans-1.6659508

Considering he was cut in training camp by the Browns, Jets wide receiver David Nelson wouldn't be human if he didn't take extra satisfaction from catching two touchdown passes from Geno Smith in the Jets' 24-13 victory over Cleveland Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

"You could say that,'' Nelson said with a smile.

But truth be told, Nelson had something a lot better than the revenge angle going for him. He was playing for two orphaned boys from Florida, Davion Only and Taylor Diaz, who were his holiday guests in New York City.

Only recently became a cause celebre when he spoke to a church congregation in St. Petersburg, Fla., and pleaded for a family to adopt him. The 15-year-old was born in prison, spent his entire life in foster care and was orphaned in June when his mother died.

"I took them around New York City [Saturday] and gave them a little crash course in Christmas in the city,'' Nelson said. "They were on the sidelines before the game today and in the stands during the game.

"I asked Davion if there was anything I could do for him to let him know he's in my heart and that I was playing for him today. He told me to point to the sky after my first catch. My first catch just happened to be a touchdown, and I made sure to point to the sky.''

The Jets trailed 10-0 before Nelson caught a 6-yard TD pass. Nelson's 5-yard TD reception early in the fourth quarter put the Jets ahead for good at 17-10. They also got 109 rushing yards on 20 carries from Chris Ivory to go with Smith's 20-for-36 passing for 214 yards. Smith ran for a 17-yard TD and the Jets converted 12 of 18 third downs.

"We established our running game, and it opened up the passing game,'' Nelson said. "The biggest thing was the way Geno managed the game. So many times this year, we've been down 10 or 15 points, and he kind of forces the issue and tries to make a 14-point play. Today he took what the defense gave him. He was the star of the game.''

Nelson, who runs a nonprofit organization called "I'mME'' to aid orphaned children, undoubtedly was the star to Only and Diaz.

"Davion is a 15-year-old kid who just wants a family,'' Nelson said. "To hear his perspective on life and the things he holds dear to his heart truly inspired me. I was extremely grateful I played the way I did for him.''

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Dee Milliner turns corner with brilliant game against Browns (Greg Logan) Newsday December 22, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/dee-milliner-turns-corner-with-brilliant-game-against-browns-1.6659293

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There's no escaping the fact that the Jets drafted cornerback Dee Milliner in the first round last spring as the replacement for the traded Darrelle Revis. But a baptism by fire that included three benchings earlier this season convinced many that the rookie from Alabama was destined to be a bust.

Coach Rex Ryan defended Milliner until he was blue in the face, though, and kept running him back out to start. Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, the Jets chose to pit Milliner against Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, and Milliner finally rewarded Ryan's faith.

Gordon got his yards -- 97 on six catches -- but he was targeted 16 times, including back-to-back passes in the end zone that Milliner broke up in the second quarter. Milliner had a team-high nine tackles and five passes defensed, including his first NFL interception, to lead a tremendous defensive effort in the Jets' 24-13 victory over Cleveland.

It was the breakout game Milliner needed to earn his starting job. "It's probably the best game I had all season," he said.

Milliner gave up a couple of deep sideline gains, but he didn't miss tackles. More importantly, he knocked down a first-quarter bomb to Gordon in the end zone. In the second quarter, Milliner broke up a fade to Gordon in the left corner of the end zone and then a fourth-down pass intended for Gordon near the left pylon.

"I knew they were going to take a shot with him because he's one of the go-to receivers in the red zone," Milliner said. "He's a bigger guy, so we knew they'd try a fade or a back-shoulder [throw]. Coach called a good coverage which put me underneath on the first one and over the top on the second one. We knew what was coming and tried to play the ball."

Milliner credited video study and scout-team preparation for helping him withstand the Browns' plan to attack him. "We knew that was going to happen," he said. "I was just trying to keep my composure. I knew there was going to be an opportunity to get a lot of plays thrown at me. I was ready."

In the third quarter, Milliner was in zone coverage when Browns quarterback Jason Campbell threw a pass for wideout Greg Little going up the left seam. "We were in a zone, and I broke on it with the receiver," Milliner said. "It's my first [interception] in the NFL. I feel great to finally get my hands on the ball and keep it this time."

Ryan felt great, too. Dripping sarcasm, he said of Milliner's play, "I thought he was horrible. That's what was reported, right? It's funny. I said at the end of the year, we'll see if this guy wasn't the best corner in the draft."

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Players want him back, but will Rex Ryan coach a home game at MetLife again? (Bob Glauber) Newsday December 22, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/players-want-him-back-but-will-rex-ryan-coach-a-home-game-at-metlife-again-1.6659526

Rex Ryan circled the MetLife Stadium field one last time this season, one final victory lap to thank Jets fans for their support and celebrate a home win, this one a 24-13 decision over the Browns.

Now the question is this: Was it the last time he'll get the chance to do that as Jets coach?

It's the question that will hover over the franchise until his situation is resolved one way or another. But until it is answered definitively by owner Woody Johnson and first-year general manager John Idzik, Ryan is left with one more game to show he deserves to coach into next season and beyond.

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My gut feeling is that a change will be made, that Idzik -- even though he no doubt is impressed by the way Ryan has squeezed seven wins out of a team that few expected to win more than three or four -- will turn the page and hire his own guy.

History reminds us that's the way it has worked in most other cases, as other incumbent coaches working for new GMs can attest. Lovie Smith in Chicago, Eric Mangini in Cleveland and Mike Sherman in Green Bay are three of the latest examples.

And don't underestimate the Jets' own history with these things. When Johnson replaced GM Terry Bradway with Mike Tannenbaum in 2006, it was the same year he hired a new coach, as Eric Mangini replaced Herman Edwards. Mangini was a much cheaper alternative to Edwards, who had run his course here and essentially was traded to the Chiefs for a fourth-round draft pick.

If Johnson were to keep Ryan, it would mean an almost certain contract extension, which would be significantly more expensive than hiring a new coach.

From Idzik's perspective, he has to be sold that Ryan can steer the team well into the future after three straight seasons in which the Jets failed to make the playoffs. Ryan certainly is a competent defensive coach, but it might come down to whether Idzik thinks his offense can make important strides moving forward with Ryan overseeing the situation.

Ryan has struggled in that area, although current offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg has been a major upgrade over Tony Sparano, who lasted one season. But what if Mornhinweg were to leave and Ryan would be left to hire another offensive play-caller? That type of uncertainty might prompt Idzik to want a head coach with a background on offense, which is understandable.

Neither Idzik nor Johnson has offered a clue about what comes next. Idzik has remained tight-lipped about Ryan's future all season, and Johnson declined to address Ryan's situation after Sunday's win.

"We're not saying anything about coaches or players regarding contracts,'' Johnson said. He also declined to address a report on Fox Sports Sunday that Ryan -- in a team meeting Saturday night -- told his players that "word on the street'' is that he'll be fired after the season. Ryan also declined to address the report.

One player said before the game that Ryan addressed the uncertainty of everyone's future, not just his own. The player said Ryan did not indicate whether he thinks he is gone after the season.

"The only thing we have is this game and then after that, the Miami game,'' the player said of Ryan's comments. "Play for the guy next to you and know that these two games are huge, because it's the only thing we have. After these two games, we can't control anything. But this we can control.''

Whatever decision Johnson and Idzik do make, this much is certain: Ryan is absolutely beloved in the Jets' locker room, and if he's fired, the next man up will have some big shoes to fill to create the sense of loyalty Ryan has built among his players.

If the decision-makers asked the players whether they'd bring Ryan back, the answer would be unanimous.

"A thousand percent yes,'' linebacker Calvin Pace said. "A thousand percent.''

"Definitely want him to come back,'' cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. "He's a great coach, a coach that's going to go to bat for his players day in and day out. He's the right guy for this job.''

Cromartie wishes things were different. "We wouldn't be having this discussion right now about Rex if it weren't for those games we should have won,'' he said. "Games we weren't supposed to be in that we should have won.''

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But at least one player understands that this isn't about loyalty among his players, or about how much they love their coach.

"It's hard to say it's not distracting at times, because I love the guy so much,'' guard Willie Colon said. "But at the same time, it's a business. I love Rex and I'll be the first one to stand on the block and cry for him and want him back. But those things are just out of your control.''

Only Johnson and Idzik know for sure, and they're not saying.

Ryan has made his case about as well as you could ask for a coach with a rebuilding team and a rookie quarterback.

He hopes it's enough to give him another shot at more victory laps around MetLife Stadium. But he knows that decision no longer is in his control.

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Jets Q & A: Look out for this up-and-coming team next season (Kimberley Martin) Newsday December 22, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-q-a-look-out-for-this-up-and-coming-team-next-season-1.6659707

Are the Jets a team moving up?

According to coach Rex Ryan, they are. After defeating the hapless Browns, 24-13, the Jets coach stood in front of the cameras and declared his team "is on the climb. It's on the rise." Despite their low preseason expectations, the Jets improved to 7-8 after overcoming a double-digit lead Sunday against the Browns.

The ability to bounce back from adversity is proof that the Jets are headed in the right direction, according to Willie Colon. "If you look at our resume during the year, if a team jumps on us . . . we don't fight back," said the right guard. "But the last two games, you see everybody fighting, standing tall."

Calvin Pace agreed, adding that the team's record shows a lot about the team's character and talent level. "I guarantee you, everybody loves playing for Rex," said the outside linebacker. "It's a blast to come into work every day with a guy that motivates everybody and believes in everybody."

Speaking of Pace, what did he say about his 10th sack?

For the first time since 1981 (Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau), the Jets have a 10-sack tandem: Muhammad Wilkerson and Pace, who recorded his career-high 10th Sunday. "It's a lot of them and a little bit of me," Pace, 33, said of playing on the Jets' standout defensive line. " . . . I give them a lot of credit. And Rex, for believing in an older guy . . . "

What did Ryan say about his sideline antics?

Ryan let his emotions fly, screaming at an official for what he thought should have been -- and ultimately was -- a penalty for a late out-of-bounds hit on Geno Smith. When asked if he was surprised he didn't get hit with a penalty for his sideline stomping and cursing, the Jets coach replied: "Who me? Surprised I didn't get a penalty? I was surprised that there wasn't a penalty [called] earlier." He added: "And then, obviously, I missed the flag [on the play that came in late], so I think I was apologizing for [not seeing that]."

Were the Browns able to cover Kellen Winslow Jr.?

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The former Browns tight end generated headlines this week when he said his former team "can't guard me." Though Winslow was flagged for a holding penalty on the very first play from scrimmage, he caught three passes for 35 yards -- including a 16-yard completion during which he hurdled a defender. "It finally worked," he said, referring to his failed hurdle attempt over Oakland cornerback Charles Woodson two weeks ago.

Is Sheldon Richardson OK?

The Jets' rookie defensive tackle was taken to the locker room during the second quarter after injuring his shoulder. Richardson -- injured on a 7-yard run by Edwin Baker -- went for X-rays after the game, but wouldn't let on about how much pain he was in. Richardson repeatedly told reporters he was fine and that he doesn't discuss injuries.

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Jets grades: Offense, defense both solid (Kimberley Martin) Newsday December 22, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-grades-offense-defense-both-solid-1.6659850

OFFENSE

B+ The unit bounced back in a big way by scoring 24 points with 422 total yards. Geno Smith got off to a slow start but finished with a 91.7 passer rating and two passing TDs -- his highest totals since he had a 147.7 rating and 3 TDs in their Week 5 win in Atlanta. The offensive line did not surrender any sacks or QB hits. Led by Chris Ivory (109 yards, 20 carries), the Jets rushed for a season-high 208 yards.

DEFENSE

B+ Dee Milliner finally looked like a first-round pick. Despite some miscues, the rookie cornerback had his best performance by far against Browns receiver Josh Gordon. Milliner had a team-high nine tackles and five passes defensed, and his first career INT. Outside linebacker Calvin Pace recorded his 10th sack, joining Muhammad Wilkerson as the first 10-sack tandem for the team since Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau in 1981.

SPECIAL TEAMS

C The unit, which had a blocked punt in Carolina last week, got off to a shaky start: The Jets failed on a fake punt in the first quarter. Nick Folk tied it at 10 with a 21-yard field goal, but he also missed a 49-yarder. Bright side: Speedy Saalim Hakim likely prevented a kick-return TD for the Browns on Fozzy Whittaker's 50-yarder in the fourth quarter.

COACHING

B+ Rex Ryan must have said all the right things in his Saturday night team meeting. Despite their sluggish start on offense and a plethora of pre-snap penalties, Ryan's players refused to quit. And, as promised, the coaching staff gave their younger defensive players more reps and Marty Mornhinweg got tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. more involved.

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THE RECORD

Jets notes: Calvin Pace sets milestone (J.P. Pelzman) The Record

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December 23, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/236979101_Jets_notes__Calvin_Pace_sets_milestone.html

Pace sets milestone

Veteran linebacker Calvin Pace dropped Jason Campbell for a 2-yard loss on third-and-goal in the first quarter, forcing Cleveland to settle for a field goal. The takedown was the 33-year-old Pace's 10th sack of the season, marking the first time the 11-year veteran reached double digits in that category.

When asked how he will celebrate the milestone, Pace said, "We've got Christmas coming up, so [I] can't wait to open presents with the kids. That's how I'm going to celebrate.''

Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (10.5) and Pace (10) are the first Jets teammates to record double-digit sacks since Joe Klecko (20.5) and Mark Gastineau (20) in 1981.

Unhappy Richardson

Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson briefly left the game in the first half because of a shoulder injury, but that's not why he was upset after the game. Richardson still was steaming over a highly questionable roughing the passer call on him early in the second quarter. It gave the Browns a first down at the Jets' 2, but they were stopped on downs and the Jets took over.

When a reporter asked him about the late hit, Richardson said, "It wasn't a late hit, bro. It wasn't roughing the passer, either. That's football."

Briefs

The Jets finished 6-2 at home, marking the second time they have done that under coach Rex Ryan. They had the same record in 2011. … TE Chris Pantale, a former Wayne Valley star, was inactive. He has yet to dress for a game since being signed to the active roster Nov. 27.

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Jets' Milliner steps up against Gordon (Jeff Roberts) The Record December 23, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/236978901_Jets__Milliner_steps_up_against_Gordon.html?page=all

EAST RUTHERFORD – The rookie was the target.

Rex Ryan knew it. Antonio Cromartie knew it. And the target himself, Dee Milliner, knew it.

The Jets’ embattled first-round pick was assigned to cover Josh Gordon, a blazing, 6-foot-3, 225-pound nightmare who leads the NFL in receiving yards and yards per catch.

In turn, Gordon faced a struggling cornerback who has been benched three times this season.

"It’s [been] kind of hard. It’s been up and down," Milliner said of his season.

But Sunday he fulfilled some of the promise that made him the ninth overall selection in April’s draft. Milliner produced his breakout game, intercepting his first NFL pass, off Jason Campbell, in the Jets’ 24-13 victory over Cleveland. He also led the team with nine tackles and broke up five passes.

And most importantly, Milliner smothered Gordon on two consecutive second-quarter throws into the end zone — on third down, and fourth down from the Jets’ 1. Both resulted in incompletions.

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"You could say in a way [it was my breakout game] ’cause it’s probably the best game I’ve had all season," Milliner said.

And it removed a weight off him.

"Oh, a lot. I never went a season without an interception," he said. "I finally held on to one."

Gordon was targeted 16 times. He hauled in six of them for 97 yards. But he never reached the end zone. And Milliner prevented him from making the kind of back-breaking play that has haunted the Jets’ pass defense — ranked 26th entering the game.

Milliner earned his first interception in the third quarter with the Browns driving. He jumped a pass intended for Greg Little at the Jets’ 20, returning it 19 yards.

"This guy right here is going to be an outstanding player. No question," Ryan said. "There’s no doubt."

Milliner’s teammates celebrated his interception with him. Cromartie said they root for a rookie who has learned to read offensive concepts, allowing him to play freely.

"He’s a whole lot better," Cromartie said. "He’s playing a lot faster. I think in the beginning he was playing a little timid ’cause he didn’t understand the concepts of what was going on."

Told Monday that he would cover Gordon, Milliner broke down film all week, studying the receiver’s favorite routes and tendencies. And he decided to be physical with him.

Gordon — who increased his season totals to 80 receptions for 1,564 yards despite missing two games — was impressed.

"He’s a great young player and should be good for a long time in this league," he said. "The more experience he gets, the better he will be. And offenses will not attack him as much."

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Jets replay in victory over Brown (Jeff Roberts) The Record December 23, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/236978911_Jets_replay_in_victory_over_Brown.html

Turning point

David Nelson’s second touchdown reception gave the Jets their first lead. And they never looked back. The 5-yard catch with 14:14 remaining resulted in a 17-10 advantage. Nelson’s 6-yard touchdown reception with 1:18 remaining in the first half pulled them back into a game they trailed, 10-0.

Star of the game

Chris Ivory (109 yards, 20 carries) was the machine behind the Jets. He had runs of 28 and 21 yards as they rushed for 208 total yards.

Eye-catching

The Jets made a goal-line stand in the second quarter, stopping Cleveland despite facing a first-and-goal from their 10, and then a first-and-goal from their 2 after a Sheldon Richardson roughing-the-passer penalty. The drive yielded no points for the Browns. … Ed Reed picked off his second pass as a Jet to seal the victory with 1:46 remaining. It was his 63rd career interception, the most among active players. … Bilal Powell broke a run up the middle for 39 yards just before the half, resulting in a Nick Folk 21-yard field goal to tie the game, 10-10. ... Leger Douzable registered half-sacks on back-to-back plays in the

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third quarter. ... Kellen Winslow Jr. hurdled CB Buster Skrine in the first quarter on a 16-yard catch-and-run.

Costly mistakes

The Jets failed to convert an ugly faked punt on their first drive. Josh Bush’s incomplete pass to Isaiah Trufant fell about 3 yards short. Cleveland took over at the Jets’ 43-yard line, and converted it into a Billy Cundiff 27-yard field goal. ... Folk missed just his second field-goal attempt of the season and first at home, drilling the right upright on a 49-yard try.

Looking ahead

The Jets (7-8) can avenge one of their losses Sunday in their final game when they trek to Miami (8-7). They also can eliminate the Dolphins from the playoffs.

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Sullivan: Players performed for Rex Ryan's survival (Tara Sullivan) The Record December 22, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/Sullivan_Players_performed_for_Rex_Ryans_survival__.html?page=all

EAST RUTHERFORD – Rex Ryan was playing one of his favorite roles Sunday, the one where he is a proud parent, boasting about his Jets’ gritty come-from-behind victory over the Browns. In describing the way his players fought their way out of an early 10-point hole, Ryan likened them to a purple-faced UFC fighter on the brink of asphyxiation, only to rise from the mat to fight some more.

The Jets weren’t fighting for the playoffs anymore, not after being mathematically eliminated by the Ravens’ Monday night win, and the game meant little or nothing to the NFL standings.

But if you listen to the voices coming out of the postgame locker room, they are not simply fighting for their own futures.

They are fighting for their coach.

If Sunday’s final home game of this season also was Ryan’s final home game as Jets head coach, the next guy is going to have an awfully hard time following the footprints Ryan has left across the locker room. Player loyalty alone won’t make the decision for owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik, but if these players were to let management know how they feel, their stance is clear: Bring back Rex.

“A thousand percent yes,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “A thousand percent. I’ve never had a coach who believes in his players as much as Rex does.”

Ryan isn’t one for irony, so when he used that image of a fighter caught in a stranglehold, he didn’t intend to illuminate his own dependence on coaching life support. But the season-long referendum on his status under the first-year GM who didn’t hire him has yet to deliver a clear verdict on whether Ryan will be retained through the final year of his contract. A pregame report by Fox Sports said Ryan referred to his potential firing in his Saturday night speech to the team.

Ryan declined to comment on the report Sunday, yet there was no way to escape the reality that his coaching future is the one Jets story line to dwarf all others, that his status remains the biggest question facing this franchise as it closed the home portion of its 2013 season.

For all the talk of Geno Smith’s continuing maturation, of the rookie quarterback’s two nice touchdown throws to David Nelson and his third score on a smart run up the middle; for all the talk of fellow rookie

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Dee Milliner’s first career interception, of the most complete effort of the season by the embattled cornerback, there was one subject that swallowed them whole.

“Personally it’s hard to say [Rex’s status] is not a distraction at times,” guard Willie Colon said in the aftermath of the 24-13 win. “I love the guy so much. But at the same time it’s a business. I love Rex. We want him back. This team is going through a maturation period, trying to build a winning culture. That takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We believe Rex is our leader.”

Pace and Colon were not alone, with similar testimonials coming from all corners of the locker room. Another version of these words came from cornerback Antonio Cromartie: “At the end of the day, we love Rex. We want to go to bat for him.”

It could still be too late to save Ryan from the firing line. The inconsistency of the season, Ryan’s inability to connect with his offense the way he does with his defense, the mental mistakes and penalties, the coach’s outsized personality, all of that ultimately may doom him.

But with a rookie quarterback throwing to mostly unproven receivers, without a quality tight end for much of the season, with signature wins over New England and New Orleans, there is a strong case to keep Ryan, too. This is an offense that still showed flashes of competency under first-year coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, and the idea of Ryan’s defense and Mornhinweg’s offense (with a few skill players added) coming together for one more year is enticing.

“This team is on the climb. It’s on the rise,” Ryan said. “This is a team that keeps fighting. No question about it.”

This is a coach that does, too. And his players feed off that passion and energy. Once they get inside the Ryan circle, they desperately want to stay there. Nelson, the scrapheap receiver who walked out of the locker room carrying his two touchdown balls Sunday, used to look at the Jets and laugh, thinking their oversized coach was nothing more than an oversized joke. But after getting injured in Buffalo and cut by Cleveland, it was Ryan who gave him another chance.

It was Ryan who won him over.

“From the outside looking in, to be blunt, I thought he looked arrogant and cocky, that he was all about bold statements and cocky statements,” Nelson said. “But that’s him; he’s honest and sincere. He says it because he means it. Now playing under him, I see how guys play so hard for him, because they respect him and want to play for him. We definitely feel like if we can play well the rest of the season, we can maybe save his job. We can’t know, but guys have to attach to something.”

Ryan has grown attached to this position, but knows the bonds are fleeting. Maybe that’s why he didn’t leave the field until he took a lap around the turf Sunday, slapping high-fives with fans. It might have been his last goodbye. If the players have a vote, however, he should be back. And that should count for something.

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Jets rebound with 24-13 win over Browns (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 22, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Jets_rebound_with_24-13_win_over_Browns.html?page=all

EAST RUTHERFORD — After David Nelson made the first of his two touchdown catches in the second quarter, he pointed to the sky. It was a cathartic release of emotion on a day filled with it for him and his teammates.

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After a very slow start Sunday, the Jets suddenly looked like a team that wants to save coach Rex Ryan’s job. The Jets spotted Cleveland a 10-point second-quarter lead, but then roared back for a 24-13 victory at MetLife Stadium. The Jets (7-8), who ended each of the past two seasons on a three-game losing streak, avoided that fate this year and will close the season at Miami next Sunday. Cleveland (4-11) lost its sixth straight game.

Nelson’s second scoring grab, a 5-yarder in the fourth quarter, put the Jets ahead to stay, 17-10.

According to a report by FOX Sports, Ryan told his team in its usual Saturday night pregame meeting that the “word on the street” was that he will be fired after the end of the season.

Ryan neither confirmed nor denied the report, and players declined to answer questions about that meeting after the game, but it’s clear they were inspired in this otherwise meaningless game for a team that already has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Still, no Jet had more on his emotional plate than Nelson. During the weekend leading up to the game, the wide receiver hosted Davion Only, a 15-year-old orphaned boy from Florida who has been raised in foster care and stood up in a front of a church congregation in October and pleaded for a family to adopt and love him.

Nelson and two of his brothers already have formed a non-profit organization to help orphaned children in Haiti, and Nelson said he was quite touched by Only’s plight and his plea.

“There were a lot of [emotional] elements this week,” said Nelson, who also was playing against a Cleveland team that released him at the end of the preseason.

“It was a whirlwind,” Nelson said, “but at the same time I found peace and refuge in the fact that Davion was coming in this weekend. Having a chance to spend time with him [Saturday] and listen to his story and his perspective on life really inspired me.

“He’s inspired me to a level that he’ll never understand,” he added, “and hopefully what he saw [Sunday] blessed him a little bit and maybe brought a little joy into his life. I was truly inspired and I think you saw the way I played today was a little different than most games.”

Nelson spent time Saturday in New York City with Only, one of the teenager’s friends, and a guardian. He asked Only if there was anything he could do for him during Sunday’s game.

“He told me that after my first catch to point to the sky,” Nelson said. “My first catch just happened to be a touchdown and I made sure to honor him at that moment.”

His second touchdown reception, plus a 17-yard Geno Smith scramble for another fourth-quarter score, helped the Jets hold off the woeful Browns. Smith (20-for-36, 214 yards) had his first turnover-free game since a win over New Orleans on Nov. 3.

Smith’s accurate passing and the hard running of Chris Ivory (109 yards rushing) helped the Jets convert 12 of 18 third-down situations.

“Those are timing routes,” Nelson said of his two scoring catches. “[Smith] has got to trust that I’m going to be in the right place at the right time. I think you saw he put it right on the money, right where it needed to be, and I was in the right spot at the right time.”

And maybe just in time to help save Ryan’s job? Nelson sure hopes so.

“I’m truly blessed and honored to play under Rex Ryan,” said Nelson, who signed with the Jets on Oct. 2 and scored his first touchdowns as a Jet on Sunday. “I hope that what we’ve done this year will allow him to come back, but it’s not in my hands.

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“We control what we can control,” he added. “We have one more game and hopefully that will be enough.”

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STAR-LEDGER

Jets beat Browns, 24-13, with Rex Ryan's future uncertain (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/jets_beat_browns_24-13_with_rex_ryans_future_uncertain.html

Well, what now? What to make of the Jets’ body of work with one game remaining in a third straight season with no playoffs? Back in August, this team faced questions, lots of them and everywhere, from quarterback to cornerback, general manager to coach.

Who would win their quarterback competition? How might their young defense fit together? What did first-year general manager John Idzik really think about the state of this franchise? Could 2013 be the final season of coach Rex Ryan’s time with the Jets, which began with so much bombast and promise?

Here came a transition year for an organization that, not long ago, knocked on the door of the NFL’s grandest stage, with AFC Championship Game appearances in 2009 and 2010. Nobody expected many wins from the Jets as they rebuilt this autumn, and tried to clear up at least some of the ambiguity that hung over them all summer.

So with the end near in perhaps more ways than one, what answers did they offer? Sunday’s 24-13 home finale win against odious Cleveland improved the Jets to 7-8, smack dab in the NFL’s murky middle ground. Whether they finish 7-9 or 8-8 – either way, better than most people envisioned – this remains a franchise seeking clarity in some areas, though probably not as many as in August.

First, the obvious: The Jets have not done enough to definitively save Ryan’s job, especially considering Idzik inherited him. But two weeks ago Sunday, owner Woody Johnson said “the direction of the team,” more so than just wins and losses, would determine Ryan’s fate. Not surprisingly, Ryan insisted he likes that direction.

“I told you that this team is on the climb,” he said after Sunday’s win. “It’s on the rise. It was pretty clear – at least to me – that’s what we saw today.”

Ryan has accomplished admirable things with the Jets’ defense this season, in resuming his role as the unit’s play caller. The defense was not elite, but it could finish among the league’s top third, particularly if it does in Miami next week what it did Sunday. The Browns’ 283 yards were the third-fewest allowed by the Jets this season.

Regardless of if Ryan returns, significant questions will remain about the Jets’ offense and rookie quarterback Geno Smith until they can compound success. Sunday offered but a hopeful glimpse of potential. To trumpet it as anything more would be short-sighted, considering its talent level desperately needs offseason improvement.

Still, for all its misery, Cleveland (4-11) entered Sunday ranked eighth in the NFL in total defense. The Jets gained 422 yards, their second-most of the year. Smith completed 20 of 36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception for just the third time all season. It was the Jets’ first game of 2013 with no sacks allowed and no turnovers committed.

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“I feel like these past couple games, we’ve made steps to being a great offense,” said running back Chris Ivory.

This is debatable. The Jets gained 297 yards in last week’s loss at Carolina and Smith threw his fifth interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Yet no argument can be made about the Jets’ unity Sunday, from start to finish. Before the game, they were introduced as a team and walked onto the field together. Near the end, when safety Ed Reed’s interception clinched the win, players mobbed him in celebration, with Idzik not far away on the sideline.

These are the images of a team not withering even when its season already has. At Saturday night’s team meeting, according to Fox Sports, Ryan told his players that “word on the street” is that he would be fired, and he asked them to fight with him during the final two games. Ivory and right guard Willie Colon said Ryan did not address his job status to the team Saturday. Ryan declined to discuss the situation Sunday.

The meaning of what Ryan reportedly said can be parsed ad nauseam. But the Jets’ passion Sunday, when they trailed 10-0 with two minutes left in the first half, was clear.

“I think we showed character today,” Colon said. “I think that’s something that we lacked all year. If you look at our resume during the year, if a team jumps on us, we kind of go for that emotional ride and we don’t fight back. I think this team is going through a maturation period where we’re just trying to build a winning culture. That takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

For what it is worth, the players were equally passionate in the locker room, as they lobbied for Ryan to stay, though they know this is not their decision. Rush outside linebacker Calvin Pace said “a thousand percent, yes,” in favor of Ryan’s return. Colon said Ryan “needs to be back,” and that uncertainty about Ryan’s status has been tough.

“Personally, it’s hard to say it’s not distracting at times because I love the guy so much,” Colon said.

In the next breath, both players recognized the harsh reality. The NFL “is a league where you’re judged on wins and losses,” Pace said. Colon punctuated a day when MetLife Stadium was far from full by acknowledging, “It’s a business.”

Ryan’s future – and this team’s direction – would not remain so ambiguous if only he had been able to celebrate more wins like Sunday’s, which he concluded by taking a postgame victory lap with players around the field, high-fiving fans. There might be less doubt about whether those fans would ever again witness him coach the Jets – if only he could have boasted after more games with his old bombast, as he did Sunday.

“It kind of reminds me of that UFC fighter that’s turning purple,” Ryan said of the Jets’ comeback win. “He’s choked out, but he still fought, found a way to get out and win. And that’s kind of what we are.”

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Against Josh Gordon, NFL's leading receiver, Jets' Dee Milliner has best game of career (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/against_josh_gordon_nfls_leading_receiver_jets_dee_milliner_has_best_game_of_career.html

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Dee Milliner received last Monday the hardest assignment of his rookie season. Jets coaches alerted the cornerback, the No. 9 pick in last April’s draft, he would spent the afternoon against the Cleveland Browns covering Josh Gordon, the NFL’s leader in receiving yards and yards per catch.

To prepare Milliner, the Jets tried to mimic Gordon, a wide receiver with a punishing mix of size, speed and skill, on the practice field. Sometimes Saalim Hakim, the Jets’ fastest player, put on a No. 12 uniform and lined up opposite Milliner. The Jets even used members of their starting offense to portray Gordon.

In the film room, Jets coaches showed Milliner the routes Gordon tended to follow across the field.

After Sunday’s 24-13 victory over the Browns, Milliner summarized the lesson he carried into the game: “You had to be physical with him -- he’s a big receiver -- and tackle him when he caught short routes.”

Considering the task, Milliner produced his best game of his career. The Browns threw at Gordon 16 times, and often Milliner was the player tracking him. Gordon caught six of those passes for 97 yards, 25 yards shy of his season average. His long was 24-yard gain. And Milliner recorded five passes defensed, one fewer than he had recorded all season.

On one occasion when Milliner was not step for step with Gordon, he slipped in front of a Jason Campbell pass and recorded his first career interception.

After the game, Rex Ryan beamed like a proud parent. The play of the team’s top draft choice Sunday reflected the confidence the Jets have -- whether rational or misguided -- he will ascend soon to be one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks.

“I said at the end of the year that we’ll see if this guy wasn’t the best corner in the draft,” Ryan said.

Throughout the season, Jets coaches have touted Milliner’s potential, though the cornerback’s play on the field hasn’t coincided with their words. Three times, Milliner has been benched.

But his performance Sunday offered an important step forward. For rookies, key tests late in the season demonstrate what they have learned over a year spent adjusting to the NFL.

“At this point in the season, when you’re not in the playoff hunt, you wanna see what you can build off of for next year,” wide receiver David Nelson said.

Milliner showed he possessed the technical ability to cover a receiver of Gordon’s caliber. He also displayed composure enough to shake off the inevitable catches Gordon did make.

The next step for Milliner will be to replicate his performance in next weekend’s season finale. Last time the Jets played the Miami Dolphins, in Week 13, Milliner was benched after missing a tackle on Mike Wallace.

“They pretty much slaughtered us the last time out,” Ryan said, “so we’ll see how we do.”

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Geno Smith's cool command rallies Jets offense to win over Browns (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/geno_smiths_cool_command_rallies_jets_offense_to_win_over_browns.html

Having battled biting cold and unyielding winds already in his rookie season, Geno Smith couldn’t help but remark to teammates pregame how ideal Sunday’s conditions were at MetLife Stadium. A 70-degree afternoon in late December? For a quarterback, consider it an early Christmas gift.

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The weather acted as a backdrop for one of the most comfortable days of Smith’s 15-game professional career. He delivered accurate throws and darted forward at key moments to demonstrate his nimble running ability, conducting three touchdown drives spanning at least 80 yards.

In a 24-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the quarterback’s final line looked picturesque: He completed 20 of 34 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Smith’s 91.7 passer rating was the second-highest mark of his career, as he did not turn the ball over or take a sack. He ran for 48 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown that sealed the win in the fourth quarter.

Wide receiver David Nelson, who caught Smith’s touchdown tosses, called his quarterback “the star of the game.”

For a rookie, a new test is presented each week. Successes and failures are magnified, particularly for a quarterback. Failings often accumulate before growth is evident.

“It takes a little getting beat up,” said Kellen Winslow of a rookie’s learning curve. Prior to this week, Smith had three touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in his previous nine games.

There was a shift evident in Smith Sunday, though. Teammates noticed confidence and maturity. When the Jets fell behind by 10 points in the first half, Smith paced the sideline in between series preaching encouragement.

Smith’s cool-headed approach carried onto the field, beginning with a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the second quarter in which Smith completed five passes for 53 yards.

“So many times this year we’re down 10 or 15 and he presses things and tries to force the issue and make a 14-point play,” Nelson said of Smith. “Today, he took what the defense gave him.”

Nelson said he and Smith had been working for six weeks, perfecting the goal-line route that resulted in two touchdowns Sunday. The timing of the play needed practice to become perfect, but dividends are showing on the field.

David Garrard, the Jets’ third-string quarterback who is also Smith’s mentor on the roster, described how playing the position changes when confidence leads to command of a game.

“As a quarterback you’re getting into the right plays, you’re not having mental mistakes and you’re throwing the ball with authority, throwing catchable balls that guys can make plays with,” Garrard said.

He added, “Man, it feels like everybody is open.”

The Jets’ offensive huddle was uplifted by the quarterback’s confidence. A rhythm rarely seen from the Jets offense this season emerged. The unit converted 12 of 18 third down plays and pieced together a pair of 14-play scoring drives in the second half.

“No distance felt too far,” Nelson said.

As the season draws to a close, the Jets have pointed to performances in their final two games as having a significant effect on next season. Garrard identified Smith’s ability to rally a struggling offense to a win as an important building block.

“This game has really given Geno confidence,” Garrard said. “He sees he can really take command in games now. He sees that we can put some weight on his shoulders and he can carry this team.”

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Politi: Rex Ryan deserves another season as Jets head coach (Steve Politi) Star-Ledger

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December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/politi_rex_ryan_deserves_another_season_as_jets_head_coach.html

If this is really the end for Rex Ryan – and, make no mistake, it shouldn’t be – then he left MetLife Stadium the final time in typical style: He put on a show without stepping on the field.

He left with a little Cal Ripken victory lap around the perimeter of the field following this 24-13 victory over the Brown, slapping hands with the few Jets fans who stuck it out to the end.

He left with two moments that’ll show up on GIFs across the internet – one when he jumped up and down like a petulant child when a referee failed to throw his flag on a hit out of bounds, and another when left the ground with a pair of fist pumps after a Geno Smith touchdown run iced the win.

But mostly, he left knowing his team, eliminated from meaningful football last week, had his back. On the field, with another solid effort. In the locker room, with support from all corners.

Nobody, it seems, wants this to be the end for Ryan. Will that be enough for team owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik following a third straight season without a playoff appearance?

The Jets can only wait and wonder.

“Rex is the guy,” veteran linebacker Calvin Pace said. “He needs to be the guy. Everybody rallies around him. I’ve never played for a coach who believes in his players more than Rex.”

That was just one of the many testimonials offered. This is a team that understands its coach is twisting in the wind now – and, according to a report from Fox commentator Jay Glazer, that message came from Ryan himself in a team meeting Saturday night.

Glazer tweeted that Ryan told his players that the “word on the street” was that he would be fired. Nobody in the locker room would confirm that, but it is no secret that Glazer and Ryan are pals.

So did Ryan already know his fate when he walked into the stadium on Sunday? Or was this just one more motivational ploy from a guy who has never shied away from them?

Better question: What do the Jets really stand to gain from firing Ryan now?

Not all 8-8 or 7-9 seasons are equal, and it is clear this Jets team, while dealing with a turnover-prone rookie quarterback and a talent-vacuum at the skill positions, has overachieved from its preseason expectations. Plus, Ryan is not just blowing smoke when he says it has saved its best football for the end, a sign the team has improved.

It is also clear that the backbone of this Jets team will be its defense – specifically, its potentially dominant defensive line. Ryan is a top-notch defensive strategist. Firing him now, with an unimpressive list of likely candidates to replace him, feels like change for the sake of change.

And if Ryan goes, offensive coordinator Marty Morninweg goes, too, which means Smith will have to start over with a new system. The Jets have spent so much of their history rebooting with a new plan, a new system, a new whatever. Maybe, for once, consistency is the right play.

His players certainly think so.

“I think you saw 53 guys out there giving everything they had,” said David Nelson, who caught two touchdown passes. “Rex inspires me to play. I am truly blessed and honored to have played under Rex Ryan.”

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This, in many ways, was the style that Ryan had hoped to play from the moment he marched into Florham Park promising to shake President Obama’s hand some day. His offense rushed for 208 yards on 39 carries, and his quarterback threw 36 passes without an interception or a sack.

But, as usual with Ryan, this one was won on defense. The Browns had six chances from inside the Jets 5-yard-line on one second-quarter drive after a questionable roughing the passer penalty, and all six times, the defense held.

So when Smith scrambled for the touchdown that iced it in the fourth quarter, Ryan celebrated as if he had won another game here on Feb. 2. Once he stopped jumping, defensive tackle Leger Douzable wrapped him up in a hug.

“I love playing for Rex,” Douzable said. “When Geno scored that touchdown to seal the game for us, I was happy for Rex more than anyone.”

“We’ve been through a lot this year. A lot of people didn’t believe in us. A lot of people thought we were only going to win two or three games. I love playing for that man. I’d go to war with him any day.”

He’ll get one more chance this season on Sunday in Miami. After that? Only Johnson and Idzik know. But if it is the end, at least Ryan knows he exited MetLife Stadium in style.

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Jets' Sheldon Richardson on his injured left shoulder: 'I'm all right, bro' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/jets_sheldon_richardson_on_his_injured_left_shoulder_im_all_right_bro.html

Jets rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, injured his left shoulder in Sunday’s 24-13 win over the Browns, but returned to the game. Richardson did not want to discuss much about the injury afterward.

When asked what happened, he said, "What happened? You seen what happened. I walked off holding my shoulder, man. That’s it. That’s as far as injuries go.”

Richardson typically does not publicly discuss the details of his injuries.

When it was noted to him that he returned to the game, he said, “So you assume to believe that I’m all right, right?”

Well, maybe not 100 percent all right …

“I’m all right, bro,” Richardson interjected. “I’ve played through a lot of pain. It’s OK.”

Richardson also deflected questions about coach Rex Ryan’s uncertain job status.

“That’s front office talk,” Richardson said. “I don’t know why people ask players. We don’t make those decisions. I’m not talking about Rex, man, or his job. That’s for front-office talk, so talk to Idzik. I’m a player. I get told what to do.”

(First-year general manager John Idzik has rarely made himself available to reporters since taking the job.)

However, Richardson spoke definitively when asked about the questionable penalty flag he drew for roughing quarterback Jason Campbell in the second quarter, on the drive before Richardson was injured.

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“It wasn’t late, bro,” Richardson said of his hit on Campbell. “It wasn’t roughing the passer either. It’s football. Next question.”

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NEW YORK POST

Sky’s the limit: One child’s courage inspiration for Nelson (Mike Vaccaro) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/skys-the-limit-one-childs-courage-inspiration-for-nelson/

When it was time to head back to work, when team meetings beckoned back at the team hotel and a fun day in the city was nearing an end, David Nelson had one final question for his new friend.

“Is there anything I can do for you tomorrow?” Nelson asked.

This is the part, in the movie, where Davion Only asks Babe Ruth to hit a home run for him — or, at the least, where he would ask David Nelson to score a touchdown for him. And maybe two.

Davion is 15. He was born in prison to a mother serving time for petty theft and cocaine distribution. He has spent his whole life in foster care; when last June he decided to find his birth mother he discovered La-Dwina Ilene “Big Dust” McCloud had died two weeks earlier in Clearwater, Fla.

“The things this kid has experienced in his life,” David Nelson said Sunday afternoon. “It’s humbling just to think about.”

It was a few months ago when Davion stood in front of the congregation at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, opened his heart, and asked for the most heart-rending gift a child could request: a family.

“I’ll take anyone,” Davion said that morning. “Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don’t care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be.”

Ten thousand people responded, and if you can find a better Christmas story than that, good luck to you. That is how Davion is spending the Christmas season, visiting prospective parents. And this weekend he and another Florida orphan, 13-year-old Taylor Diaz, had an especially unforgettable treat: spending time with David Nelson.

Along with his two brothers, Patrick and Daniel, Nelson runs i’mMe, a foundation that tries to aid and assist orphans, whose mission statement reads, in part: “to empower, love, and care for each orphan, as well as provide every child with a family environment, education, food, and clean water.”

So on Saturday David, Tayor and Davion had lunch at Tao, they went to the M&M Store, they went to FAO Schwartz, they tried to see as much of Manhattan as the daylight allowed. Then work beckoned, and as much as Nelson would have gladly spent the night with his new friends, too, he needed to prepare for Sunday’s game with the Browns — who happened to cut him at the end of training camp this summer.

And so the question.

“Is there anything I can do tomorrow?”

And the response was enough to stir David Nelson’s heart.

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“Just this,” Davion replied. “When you make your first catch tomorrow, point to the sky. When you do that, I’ll know you’re thinking of me.”

So it was that with just under 90 seconds left in the first half at MetLife Stadium, Nelson was lined up with his teammates at the Browns’ 6-yard-line, third-and-goal, down 10-0. It had been another quiet couple of quarters for the Jets’ offense. MetLife was restless, little more than half-filled.

Nelson was Geno Smith’s third option on the play; one of the big flaws in Smith’s game is if his primary receiver is covered, he rarely makes it though the rest of his progressions. He did this time. He threaded the football though a mass of hands, right to Nelson, open in the end zone.

Nelson knew his friend was upstairs at MetLife, sitting in the family-section suites, no doubt beaming from ear to ear. And also knew he made a promise.

So he pointed. To the sky. For Davion.

“I wish I could have planned something like that, my first catch being a touchdown,” Nelson would say later.

He would add three more catches and another TD, and each time he pointed to the sky, and the Jets won 24-13, and he’d gone and had himself a Babe Ruth moment. Two TDs for his pal.

“You probably noticed I played a lot better today than I’ve been playing,” he said, smiling. “I don’t think that’s an accident. Davion’s story inspired me in ways you can’t imagine. All the stressing and pressing of playing this game — none of that really mattered all that much after I spent some time with him.”

There was so much drama around the Jets Sunday, Rex Ryan’s job status, and Geno Smith’s future. Nelson has heard the frequent buzz: part of Geno’s problem is a lack of quality talent around him. None of that disappears now. But for a day, David Nelson felt empowered to play a good bit beyond his ceiling.

For a day, his new friend helped make him one dangerous wide receiver.

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Geno forces more debate, not the ball (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/geno-forces-more-debate-not-the-ball/

In a twisted way, with his strong performance in Sunday’s 24-13 Jets win over the Browns at MetLife Stadium, Geno Smith might have complicated matters for Jets management as it looks beyond this season.

He has had enough bad moments in his rookie year to make management question whether he should be its quarterback of the now and future. But his generally spotless performance Sunday — 20-of-36 for 214 yards, two TDs, no INTs and a 91.7 rating — surely has to make silent general manager John Idzik pause.

Smith’s most inaccurate throw of the day might have been the celebratory heave he sent when he whipped the game ball into the stands after the win was in the books.

“A tremendous performance,’’ Rex Ryan said. “I was really impressed with him.’’

Smith threw two 5-yard touchdown passes to receiver David Nelson — the first with 1:18 remaining in the second quarter to cut the Cleveland lead to 10-7 and the second in the fourth quarter to give the

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Jets a 17-10 lead they would not relinquish. He also ran for 48 yards, including a 17-yard score to seal the win.

“This was big for his confidence — for the next game and next season,’’ receiver Jeremy Kerley said. “The biggest thing with him is consistency. He’s building that. The biggest thing we’re trying to build on this team is consistency, and it starts with the quarterback.’’

Veteran tight end Kellen Winslow said, “He is making progress, and for a rookie it just takes time. He has all the tools. It takes a little getting beat up, like, ‘Oh, this is the NFL now, OK.’ And you progress from that. He’s going to be fine. You saw that today.’’

Veteran guard Willie Colon: “He has composure and he’s strong-minded.’’

Veteran linebacker Calvin Pace: “He has the tools. He just has to play with confidence. It takes time. This time last year he was in bowl practices. It’s a process. He just needs to build on the wins and the good, just finish the season strong and take it into next year.’’

This was clearly one of the tidiest games Smith has played this season, a game he entered with 21 interceptions and four lost fumbles. The Jets did not turn the ball over at all Sunday.

“I’ve been growing,’’ Smith said. “I felt pretty comfortable back there in the pocket. The offensive line did a great job of keeping guys off me. I was able to step up all day long, had great throwing lanes. It was good to come out of the game with no sacks and no turnovers.’’

Most impressive about Smith was, despite the Jets trailing 10-0 early and their offense sputtering, he did not force matters, staying the course and eventually making some big plays.

“When we got down 10, the sense of urgency kicked in,’’ Smith said.

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Ivory, Powell bring back ‘Ground and Pound’ (Brian Costello and Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/ivory-powell-bring-back-ground-and-pound/

The Jets showed some vintage “Ground and Pound” in Sunday’s 24-13 victory over the Browns, gaining a season-high 208 rushing yards.

Bruising back Chris Ivory led the way with 20 rushes for 109 yards, but Bilal Powell added 54 yards on seven carries.

“Beasts. Beasts. The best one-two punch I know,” wide receiver Jeremy Kerley said. “Those boys were running the ball good. You got a finesse back in Bilal and you got a monster back in Chris. I like to block for them. I just like to see them run. Either one of those guys when they get the ball it’s like a highlight reel.”

Ivory and Powell have developed into a nice pair for the Jets. Ivory can run around or through defenders and Powell has the quickness to break a career-long 39-yard run and also had four catches for 26 yards.

For many, Ivory has become the most fun thing about the Jets to watch because of his physical running style.

“We have two really, really good backs right now,’’ tackle Austin Howard said. “They complement each other greatly and as an offensive line we love it. Chris’ mentality is, ‘I’m going to run you over.’”

TE Kellen Winslow was asked if this could be the final home game as a Jet.

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“It could be,” said Winslow, who had three catches for 35 yards. “It felt great. I love the game. I love football. I live for this game, so I wake up thinking about it dreaming about it, and hopefully it’s not my last one.’’

Winslow is a free agent after this year.

Kerley caught four of his five passes on third down, making the first down three times. … LB Calvin Pace recorded his career-high 10th sack. He and Muhammad Wilkerson (10 ½) are the first Jets teammates with double-digit sacks since Joe Klecko (20 ½) and Mark Gastineau (20) in 1981, before sacks became an official statistic.

Safety Ed Reed intercepted his second pass as a Jet when he picked off Jason Campbell in the fourth quarter. Reed now has 63 in his career, most among active players. … Kicker Nick Folk made his 20th consecutive field goal at home in the second quarter, passing Pat Leahy (1985-86) and Nick Lowery (1994-96) for the longest such streak in team history. He then missed a field goal in the third quarter.

The Jets improved to 6-2 at home this year, matching the best mark under coach Rex Ryan . They also did it in 2011. … The Jets converted 12-of-18 on third downs (66.7 percent), their highest total since they went 12-for-20 against the Packers on Sept. 3, 2000.

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Twisting in the win: Victory does little to secure Rex’s future (Steve Serby) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/twisting-in-the-win-victory-does-little-to-secure-rexs-future/

None of them, least of all Geno Smith, wants Rex Ryan to become Ex Ryan. But there is this growing gloom and doom, if not a resignation, that has settled over Ryan, who has more reasons than he deserves to live in fear of the Grim Reaper.

Feeling the walls closing in on him, left so isolated on Ryan Island that paranoia has set in, a miserable Ryan, sapped of all Christmas cheer, “hinted” to the team Saturday night, a source said, that GM John Idzik has already begun the search for his successor.

Smith (20-of-36, 214 yards, two passing TDs, no INTs, one TD rushing) looked more like quarterback of the future than he ever has, at the end of a weekend when Ryan remains in the dark and appears to be coming to grips with the notion he will soon be the coach of the past.

If ever there was the chance for owner Woody Johnson to stop Ryan from twisting in the wind, it was here and now, after Smith brought the Jets back from a 10-point deficit, after Ryan led his players on a victory lap to thank the fans after Jets 24, Browns 13.

“I’m not going to say anything about coaches or players,” Johnson said.

Asked about a Fox report Ryan had told the players Saturday night “word on the street” was blaring he was a goner, Johnson said: “We’re going to answer all those questions after the season.”

That hardly sounds like a man inclined to save from Idzik’s scythe the coach he once so revered.

For Ryan, the silence must be deafening, his relationship with Idzik not nearly as chummy as it was with Mike Tannenbaum, or used to be with the owner who saved him a year ago.

Ryan sounded like a man baying at the moon, grasping at any green-and-white straw, when he said:“We’re 9-2 at home, when you count the preseason as well.”

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“I told you this team’s on the climb, it’s on the rise.”

“We take a lot of pride in the fact that we are a team. … It kind of reminds me of that UFC fighter that’s turning purple, he’s choked out, but he still fought, found a way to get out and win, and that’s kind of what we are.”

“The toughest things are … to have a team that’s motivated all through the season, to get better. We knew that, hey look, we might of had this (rookie quarterback), might of had that (no receivers), but I know one thing: We’re going to have 53 guys pulling in the same direction, and that’s what I certainly know we have.”

Ryan would not deny the Fox report.

“Whether that report’s accurate or not … that’ll stay in house,” he said.

He was asked if he knows if he’ll be back next season. “No, I know I have a contract next year,” Ryan said. “My job, and I said it all season long, is to focus on the present, what’s right now.”

He was asked if it crossed his mind Sunday might have been his last home game as HC of the NYJ.

“No,” Ryan said. “Again, I’m just trying to get a win.”

He got the win, got to 7-8 with a team no one thought could win more than six. A team Vince Lombardi would have struggled to lead to the playoffs. A team Idzik tore down over the offseason. A team with a rookie quarterback and a revolving door of playmakers who might excel in the Ivy League.

And none of it will mean anything if Idzik has decided he wants his own man to coach the Jets.

Ryan’s team is a reflection of him in this regard: anything but perfect, but full of passion and full of fight. And there is no such thing as fair in the NFL.

“All I know is I got a game in front of me,” Ryan said.

Smith loved how a raging Ryan had his back on an out-of-bounds hit.

“To have a head coach that is going to stand up for you no matter what is the reason why we go out and play the way that we do as players,” Smith said.

Smith (91.7 QB rating, 17-yard TD run to seal the deal) showed composure and athleticism.

“I felt pretty comfortable back there in the pocket,” he said.

It poured water on the notion he can’t develop under a defensive head coach, and silenced naysayers who doubt Marty Mornhinweg can groom him.

“I’ve been growing. … We’re all growing as players and we’re all growing as men,” Smith said.

Ryan’s eyes grew moist talking about being the coach of this team.

“Shoot, I was like all these guys in the stands today, just a fan of the Jets and a fan of football, and I was given an incredible opportunity,” he said.

Notice Ryan didn’t say, “I have.” He said “I was given.”

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After rough season, top pick Milliner comes up big for Gang (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post December 22, 2013

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http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/after-rough-season-top-pick-milliner-comes-up-big-for-gang/

On paper, it looked like the least favorable matchup for the Jets against the Browns Sunday at MetLife Stadium: Rookie cornerback Dee Milliner, who has been benched three times this season, covering Browns star receiver Josh Gordon, who entered the game leading the NFL in receiving yards with 1,467 despite having played in just 12 games.

The matchup looked about as good as Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries.

It ended quite a bit differently than many people might have expected, though, with the Jets top draft pick, maligned more than anyone on the team except perhaps rookie quarterback Geno Smith, helping to prevent Gordon from beating the Jets.

It was as much a key to the Jets’ seventh win of the season, as anything.

Gordon finished the game with six catches for 97 yards, but he was targeted 16 times to get those six catches, and Milliner’s tight coverage had a lot to do with that.

Though most people figured the Jets would put Antonio Cromartie, their top cornerback, on Gordon, the coaches told Milliner on Monday that it would be him on Gordon.

Milliner responded with his best game as a pro, making a key interception to go along with five passes defensed and a team-high nine tackles.

“Coach [Rex Ryan] told me I was going to be on Gordon, so I knew there were going to be opportunities to make plays,’’ Milliner said. “I was going to get a lot of plays thrown at me, so I was just ready for it.’’

Milliner credited the coaching staff with having him in the perfect coverage on consecutive plays in the first half when the Browns tried to throw to Gordon in the end zone. He made plays on both third and fourth downs and the Jets kept the Browns out of the end zone.

“I knew they were going to try to take a shot with him [in the end zone] because he’s one of their go-to receivers in the red zone,’’ Milliner said. “[Gordon] is a bigger guy, so we knew they would try a fade or back-shoulder route. The coaches called a good coverage that put me underneath and then over the top on the second one, so we knew it was coming.’’

Gordon was complimentary of Milliner.

“[He’s] a great young player who should be for a long time in this league,’’ Gordon said. “The more experience he gets, the better he will be and offenses will not attack him as much. As a rookie DB, teams are going to go after you every week.’’

Ryan, who has been Milliner’s biggest booster, was effusive when asked after the game about his top draft pick.

“I said at the end of the year that we will see if this guy wasn’t the best corner in the draft,’’ Ryan said. “That kid [Gordon] is a pretty darn good receiver. We’ll see. I’ve seen a few good players come down the road in my day. This guy [Milliner] is going to be an outstanding player.’’

Cromartie said the plan was for him to play “zero coverage’’ man-to-man on Browns receiver Greg Little and have Milliner cover Gordon with safety help. It turned out to be a strong strategy, with Little catching only one pass for 4 yards on four targets and Gordon neutralized.

“[Milliner] played a tremendous game,’’ Cromartie said.

“Dee had a phenomenal day,’’ Jets safety Dawan Landry said. “He had a tremendous week in practice, studied a lot of film and it showed today. That was a real big confidence boost for him to come out and

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execute against a hot receiver like [Gordon], one of the top guys in the NFL, and he pretty much shut him down.’’

Fellow rookie first-round draft pick Sheldon Richardson, who rooms with Milliner on the road, said Sunday’s game should be a big boost for Milliner’s confidence.

“Call it what you want — swag, momentum, confidence, he should be up on the highest level right now,’’ Richardson said. “He stepped it up big today.’’

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Jets report card: Strong on both sides of the ball (Brian Costello) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/jets-report-card-strong-on-both-sides-of-the-ball/

OFFENSE

This is the best game the Jets have played on offense in two months. They rolled up 422 total yards and had a great balance of pass (214) and run (208). QB Geno Smith (20-of-36, 214 yards, 2 TDs, 1 rushing TD) had his first turnover-free game in six weeks. RBs Chris Ivory (20 rushes, 109 yards) and Bilal Powell (7 rushes, 54 yards) combined to give the Jets a nice ground game. The offensive line did not give up a sack. GRADE: A

DEFENSE

The Jets gave up some yards, but were again at their best in the red zone. The Browns went 1-for-4 in the red zone. Rookie CB Dee Milliner (9 tackles, 1 INT, 5 passes defended) played his best game of the season matched up against Browns star Josh Gordon. They sacked Jason Campbell three times and picked him off twice. GRADE: A-

SPECIAL TEAMS

This group had very little impact on the game for the Jets. They tried a fake punt in the first quarter that did not work and did not have any returns in the game. They gave up a 50-yard kickoff return to the Browns. GRADE: D

COACHING

Players play hard for Rex Ryan. That may not be enough to save his job, but you can’t say these players have quit on him. On the defensive side of things, Ryan rolled the dice by putting Milliner on Gordon, but it worked. He had Campbell confused a lot. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg used the no-huddle effectively and had plenty of plays that got guys open in the game plan. GRADE: A

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Jets blitz: Chris Ivory runs over Cleveland (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/jets-blitz-chris-ivory-runs-over-cleveland/

HERO: Jets running back Chris Ivory rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries for a 5.5-yard average. He made the tough short yards and he broke some big runs. Ivory broke numerous tackles and eventually broke the will of the Browns defense.

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UNSUNG HERO: Jets cornerback Dee Milliner, the rookie first-round pick who has been benched three times this season, had the best game of his season, covering Browns star receiver Josh Gordon for most of the game and coming up with an interception, five passes defended and a team-leading nine tackles.

ZERO: Browns quarterback Jason Campbell was dreadful, completing only 18-of-40 for 178 yards, no TDs, two INTs and a rating of 37.3. Campbell telegraphed the pass Milliner picked off and was just generally off all day.

KEY STAT: 67 percent (12-of-18) conversions on third downs for the Jets, an area they entered the game as one of the worst in the league.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We expected to win, and that’s how we should go into a game, expecting to win, so it was a good feeling.’’ — Jets TE Kellen Winslow

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Fighting for coach’s job, Geno sparks Jets comeback (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post December 22, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/jets-top-browns-24-13/

Rex Ryan has at least one more week as head coach of the Jets. If his players have anything to say about it, though, it will be a lot longer.

The Jets rallied around their beleaguered coach Sunday with a 24-13 victory over the Browns at MetLife Stadium that improved their record to 7-8 and added to the suspense of whether Ryan will keep his job.

“This is a league where you’re judged on wins and losses. I think everybody understands that,” veteran linebacker Calvin Pace said. “But in the same breath, Rex is the guy. He needs to be the guy. I just think everybody rallies around him. I’ve never played for a coach who believes in his players more than Rex.”

A pregame report by Fox said Ryan told his team the “word on the street” was he was going to be fired and he asked the team to play hard for him over the final two weeks of the season. After the game, Ryan and the players either denied he said that or said they would not disclose what was said in a team meeting.

Ryan did say he has not been told anything by owner Woody Johnson or general manager John Idzik about his future. Johnson declined to address Ryan’s future after the game.

“What’s said in a meeting or whatever will stay there,” Ryan said. “Whether that report’s accurate or not, whatever, I’m going to tell you this … that will stay in house.”

Whether he said it or not, the players clearly were motivated to play for Ryan. They were eliminated from playoff contention last week, but the Jets players said they still want to play for each other, including Ryan.

The Jets fell behind 10-0 to the dismal Browns (4-11) in the first half, but they rallied to tie it just before halftime. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith played his first turnover-free game since Nov. 3 and connected with wide receiver David Nelson for two touchdowns, the second to put the Jets up 17-10 with 14:14 left to play. Smith added a rushing touchdown with 3:19 left that iced the game.

The Jets offense, which has been non-existent at times this year, rolled up 422 yards with near perfect balance — 208 yards rushing, 214 yards passing. The unit converted 12-of-18 (67 percent) third downs and had 25 first downs.

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The defense held the Browns to one touchdown in four red-zone trips and caused two turnovers and three sacks.

It was the most complete performance by the Jets since their win over the Saints in early November. The Browns are not exactly the toughest opponent in the world (they’ve lost six straight and nine of their last 10), but the Jets can’t be concerned about style points.

“I told you this team is on the climb,” Ryan said. “It’s on the rise. I think it was pretty clear, at least to me, that’s what we saw today.”

The Jets will finish the season next weekend in South Florida against the Dolphins. Since a three-game losing streak, the Jets have played much better and insist it will continue next week.

“I think everybody’s man enough to realize that we had a golden opportunity in front of us but we just didn’t capitalize on it, but that doesn’t mean you just go out and lay down for the last two games,” Pace said. “I think everybody kind of looked like it like this was our AFC Championship Game and our Super Bowl will be in Miami. Just finish strong, that’s all you can do.”

After the game, the focus was on Ryan’s future. He took a “victory lap” around MetLife Stadium after the game, slapping hands with the few remaining fans. The last time he did that the Jets were on the way to the playoffs in 2009. Now, he may have coached his final home game for the Jets.

As he has all year, Ryan insisted he is not worried about his job.

“My job is to focus on the present — what’s right now,” Ryan said, “and the immediate thing is we’re going to enjoy this one, no question about it.”

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

After Rex Ryan pleads with Jets to help save his job, Geno Smith & Gang Green deliver against Browns (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 23, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/rex-asks-jets-back-gang-delivers-browns-article-1.1555820

JETS 24, BROWNS 13

After the final whistle of the Jets’ 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns, Rex Ryan joined a bunch of his players in taking a victory lap around the field at MetLife Stadium, high-fiving fans along the way.

It was a joyous celebration, one the coach with his Jet future in doubt had to enjoy. But according to a team source, Ryan was downright angry during a team meeting Saturday night because he had heard rumors the Jets may have already reached out to potential candidates to replace him.

In that meeting, the source said Ryan was riled up, and discussed his job status with the team. The source said part of bringing up his tenuous status was meant to be motivational.

Earlier Sunday, Fox Sports reported that Ryan had said in a team meeting that he heard “word on (the) street” was that he was getting fired, but that apparently was the coach’s unorthodox attempt to motivate the team.

“We feel like we can play well the rest of the season and maybe save his job, but at the same time we don’t know,” wideout David Nelson said.

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34 | P a g e

Whatever Ryan said worked as the Jets, after falling behind 10-0, gave an inspiring performance, led by beleaguered rookie quarterback Geno Smith.

After his trot around the field, Ryan was asked if he thought it might be his last time coaching the Jets in the Swamp.

“No,” said Ryan, whose fragile job status remains the last bit of mystery in this Jets season. “I’m just trying to get a win.”

The coach certainly seems to have the support of his players, who backed up their words of praise with an impressive showing on the field.

Smith completed 20 of 36 passes for 214 yards, with two TD passes and a rushing TD, finishing without a turnover for the first time since Week 9. He also had multiple touchdown passes for the first time since Week 5, and he capped off his rushing score that sealed the outcome late in the fourth quarter with a leap into the crowd like he played at Lambeau Field.

“(He had a) tremendous performance,” Ryan said of his young quarterback.

It was that kind of festive day at the Meadowlands, for the Jets and their coach whose job status has been a heavy topic of conversation.

“Ultimately this is a game of sacrifice: you play for the next man, you play for your coach. ... Hopefully it does help,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “This is a league where you’re judged on wins and losses ... but in the same breath Rex is the guy. He needs to be the guy. I just think everybody rallies around him. I’ve never played for a coach who believes in his players more than Rex.”

With his team having no chance to surpass .500 for the third consecutive season, Ryan is unquestionably on the hot seat. His fate rests in the hands of Johnson and Idzik, who will presumably make a ruling one way or the other by next Monday. They have not tipped their hand one way or the other, although Idzik was on the sideline after the game and was seen hugging some players.

The Jets have one more chance to make a case for Ryan when they close out the season next week at Miami, where they can knock the Dolphins out of the playoffs.

Ryan, like the players, claimed he does not know what his status is beyond 2013.

“No, I know I have a contract next year,” the coach said. His current contract expires after the 2014 season, but it’s doubtful the Jets would bring him back as a lame duck.

Ryan got an unlikely boost from another struggling rookie, cornerback Dee Milliner, who came up huge in marking Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon. Though Gordon finished with 97 receiving yards,

Milliner was able to keep his damage to a minimum.

The Jets found themselves in an early 10-0 hole, but thanks to Smith’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Nelson and a last-minute drive leading to a field goal, Gang Green tied the game just before halftime.

Smith then found Nelson again for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and then iced the game himself with a 17-yard touchdown run with 3:19 left.

Was it enough to help Ryan save his job?

“Personally, it’s hard to say it’s not distracting at times,” lineman Willie Colon said about Ryan’s job status, “because I love the guy so much.”

Sunday that showed.

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NY Jets head coach Rex Ryan takes victory lap, in what could be his last home game at MetLife (Gary Myers) New York Daily News December 23, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/myers-victory-lap-rex-head-coach-article-1.1556120

Rex Ryan's run as the Jets coach may be down to its final seven days and he’s desperately trying to hang on.

The Daily News learned from a Jets source that Ryan was angry and animated at a team meeting Saturday night addressing his players about his tenuous job status. According to the source, Ryan was angry because he has heard rumors the Jets may have already reached out to potential replacement candidates for his job.

In that meeting, the source said Ryan discussed his job status with the team. The source said part of bringing up his tenuous status was meant to be motivational. There was an earlier report by Fox that Ryan told his players at the meeting that the word on the street was that he was getting fired and he asked them to fight with him the last two weeks of the season.

Ryan’s motivational ploy to fire up his players is unlikely even to make an impression on Woody Johnson and John Idzik. The season is over Sunday and it’s quite possible Johnson/Idzik have already made up their minds about Ryan, regardless of the 24-13 victory over the Browns and whatever happens in Miami. Ryan’s speech could backfire if Johnson/Idzik think it was inappropriate.

Ryan doesn’t want to lose his dream job and his players love playing for him and want him back, but the Jets have missed the playoffs three years in a row and the team has grown stale and the players don’t have a vote.

The Jets’ downfall the last three years after Ryan took the Jets to the AFC title game his first two years is much more a function of a dropoff in personnel than coaching mishaps by Ryan, but coaches are judged on wins and losses.

Ryan has serious flaws as a head coach — he doesn’t pay attention to offense, he’s not a good game manager — but he’s a superior defensive coach and his players always support him. It may not be fair if he gets fired, but this is a vicious business. On his way out of MetLife Stadium following the victory over a really bad Browns team, Johnson once again refused to commit to Ryan in 2014. “I’m not going to say anything about coaches or players regarding contracts,” he said.

What about the pregame report on Fox, Woody? “We’re going to answer all those questions after the season,” he said.

It was interesting that Idzik, who for so many years was a behind-the-scenes salary cap guy for the Bucs, Cardinals and Seahawks, worked his way down to the sidelines again in the final moments of the victory and was congratulating players. Maybe he was looking to create a higher-profile for his coaching search.

Then, after the game, Ryan and the players did a victory lap around MetLife, high-fiving fans. A victory lap for a team that is 7-8? That’s a little strange. But it was the Jets’ last home game of the season and maybe it was just Ryan’s way of saying a fond farewell to Jets Nation. Typical Ryan. Always with the drama.

Anyway, Ryan said after the game that what he says in his meetings stays in his meetings and not one player admitted that Ryan addressed his job status. They play hard for him and they are pretty good at

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covering up for him, too. Ryan hitting the loyalty button with his players is just another of the many psychological ploys he’s used over the years — remember the burial of the football after the 49-3 loss in New England in 2010 and then the Jets went back to Foxborough and beat the Pats in the playoffs — to make sure his guys play with a chip on their shoulder.

Ryan said he doesn’t know if he will be back next season. This is his team, he has an emotional attachment to his players and the organization, but he became endangered when Johnson fired GM Mike Tannenbaum after last season and hired Idzik to replace him. Johnson forced Idzik to retain Ryan, but it was just a one-year reprieve. All indications are that Idzik and Ryan have gotten along just fine, but missing the playoffs gives Idzik the perfect opening to hire his own coach.

Ultimately, Idzik’s job security will be based on wins and losses and does he want to place his trust in Ryan or bring in a coach from his past, like Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, or perhaps go after a hot college coach like Penn State’s Bill O’Brien?

Johnson could save Ryan again, but it would be counterproductive if he forced Idzik to keep Ryan another season if indeed he wants to start over. Idzik, of course, has not addressed the subject. Ryan was asked if he knows if he will be back next year.

“No,” he said. “I know I have a contract for next year.”

Johnson owes him $3 million in 2014, the final year of his deal. If he gets fired, there’s a chance he will get interviewed for another head coaching job. At the very least, he could probably get any defensive coordinator opening he wants. Or he can work in television for a year.

But the job he wants is the one he has.

“What I do know is that I’m coaching this team,” Ryan said. “I’ve said this all season long: My job is to focus on the present and what’s right now.”

He said it didn’t cross his mind that this might have been his final home game.

“No. Again, I’m just trying to get a win,” he said.

His players want Ryan back.

“I think he’s the man for the job,” Antonio Cromartie said. “He’s a great coach.”

Ryan was a cult hero in Jets Nation a few years ago when he beat the Patriots in the playoffs. But on Sunday, on his victory lap, he just may have been saying goodbye.

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NY Jets rookie cornerback Dee Milliner rewards Rex Ryan for his faith (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 23, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-milliner-rewards-ryan-trust-turns-corner-article-1.1556131

Outside of benching him three times, Rex Ryan has mostly been supportive of Dee Milliner despite a disappointing season. On Sunday, he finally got some vindication for continuing to trust the rookie when the young cornerback finally managed a strong game against one of the league’s best receivers, Josh Gordon.

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Gordon, who led the league in receiving yards heading into Sunday’s action, still managed six catches for 97 yards, but Milliner had an interception and managed to disrupt two passes to Gordon in the end zone.

“I said at the end of the year that we’ll see if this guy wasn’t the best corner in the draft,” Ryan said. “I’ve seen a few players come down the road in my day. This guy right here is going to be an outstanding player.”

Milliner matching up on Gordon was a surprise; most assumed Antonio Cromartie would be on the star receiver.

“Coach just came to me and told me I was going to be on him,” said Milliner. “We knew he was going to run a lot of digs (and) verts. Depending on where he was lining up. If he was inside the slot, they were going to try to give it to him and isolate him. We knew those things. Coach called coverages to prevent the big plays that he usually gets.”

Milliner’s interception came with 9:22 remaining in the third quarter, when he sprinted in front of Greg Little and snagged a Jason Campbell pass.

IVORY RUSH

Chris Ivory, who quietly has put together a very strong second half to the season, had one of his best games as a Jet against a solid defense. Ivory totaled 109 yards on 20 carries in the win.

REED IT AND LEAP

Just days after calling out the media for criticizing his play, Ed Reed was able to grab his second interception as a Jet. With the game essentially over — there was just 1:54 left — Reed picked off Campbell.

PICKING UP PACE

Calvin Pace reached double-digit sacks for the first time in his career after picking up his 10th of the year on a third-and-goal in the first quarter. Pace’s sack held the Browns to a field goal. Pace and Muhammad Wilkerson are the Jets’ first double-digit sack tandem since 1981, when Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau did it (unofficially, since the sack didn’t become an official stat until 1982).

ROUGH CALL

Sheldon Richardson wasn’t pleased when he was flagged for roughing the passer on a third-and-goal stop in the second quarter. Replays showed that the flag was undeserved. Richardson, incredulous, was seen on the Jumbotron saying, “Get the f--- outta here, man. That’s bulls---.”

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Geno Smith shows NY Jets just enough promise to prove he can be starting quarterback (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News December 23, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-geno-doesn-green-article-1.1556128

Geno Smith doesn’t believe in the speculative artificial deadlines and minimum requirements that laid out his future as the Jets starting quarterback.

For all of Smith’s flaws that have been picked apart for the better part of 16 weeks, he’s flashed enough promising moments like Sunday’s three-touchdown performance in a 24-13 win over the Browns to give

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the organization hope that he can be the franchise quarterback that everyone on One Jets Drive is desperately searching for these days.

“Anything is possible, anything can happen,” wide receiver Jeremy Kerley told the Daily News. “But he’s definitely the answer for next year.”

Nearly four months after Smith began his audition, the team’s decision-makers have one more game this season to evaluate the rookie before charting the future direction of the game’s most pivotal position. General manager John Idzik will surely add a veteran quarterback in the offseason to provide insurance at the very least, but he could also draft another signal- caller to fuel his competition mantra.

The Jets shouldn’t close the door on Smith, who had his third turnover-free game of the season (and first since Week 9 against the Saints) to help the Jets overcome an early 10-0 deficit to improve to 7-9.

“I don’t know by whose standards that deadline has been set by,” said Smith (20-for-36 for 214 yards, 2 TD passes, 48 rushing yards and 1 TD) about his evaluation process coming to an end. “I’ve got another week to go out there and prove myself as I have all season long. Quite frankly, that’s all that matters. I’m not worried about what anyone else says about a deadline or who I’m supposed to be proving myself to. The only people that I have to prove myself to are my teammates and my coaches.”

Smith engineered three touchdown drives of at least 13 plays and 80 yards against Cleveland’s top 10 defense, saving his best for critical moments to keep the chains moving. He went 7-for -7 for 84 yards, 1 TD pass and 1 TD run on third downs during those scoring drives.

Buoyed by an offensive line that kept him upright all afternoon — the Jets had their first game with no turnovers and sacks allowed — Smith looked nothing like the young quarterback who felt the need last week to say that he let Rex Ryan down after a loss to the Panthers.

Smith used his arm, his feet and, most importantly, his brain to keep the Browns off-balance. He looked like the comfortable and confident quarterback who helped the Jets surprise the league in the first couple months of the season.

“He’s played at a high level,” said wide receiver David Nelson, who caught both of Smith’s touchdown passes. “He’s beaten some really good teams. So I think he’s proved that he belongs. So now the next step for him this offseason is to make sure he’s consistent. … The way he played today was a great stepping stone and a great foundation for him moving forward.”

Smith has been lauded all season by Ryan and teammates for his resilience, a double-edged sword for a guy who wishes he didn’t put himself in a position to constantly need to bounce back from poor performances.

Smith’s numbers — 17 total touchdowns and 25 turnovers — mask the progress that he’s made from his first OTA practice when he couldn’t execute a five-step drop and make a read at the same time. The progress has been significant, but the question remains if the typically deliberate Idzik has the patience to develop his second-round pick.

“It’s always tough when you come in and start like he did,” right tackle Austin Howard said. “But I believe he took full control of that position and prepared his ass off to get better every week.”

Smith’s willingness to escape the pocket, take off and run for daylight as he did on a game-clinching 17-yard touchdown on third-and-2 that gave the Jets a double-digit cushion late in the fourth quarter impressed Ryan. Even though Chris Ivory believes that Smith “doesn’t like to run,” the rookie has used that dimension much more lately.

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“He’s maturing,” Kerley said. “As a rookie quarterback coming into the league, it’s a lot of responsibility. He’s maturing in front of my eyes. He’s maturing in front of a lot of these guys’ eyes.”

Smith’s and Ryan’s futures may be linked. Both have shown enough during this rebuilding season to come back in 2014. The quarterback deserves another year to progress in Marty Mornhinweg’s system.

"I’ve been growing,” Smith said.

He just needs more time.

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NY Jets' David Nelson inspired by friend Davion Only, a 15-year-old orphan (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 23, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-wr-nelson-inspiration-article-1.1556108

After David Nelson scored the first of his two touchdowns in Sunday’s 24-13 win over the Browns, the Jets receiver pointed to the sky. It was, Nelson later said, a sign to honor Davion Only, a 15-year-old orphan Nelson is hosting for the weekend.

“I talked to him yesterday and asked him if there was any way that I could do something for him, a moment between him and I that he would know that was for him,” Nelson said. “He told me after my first catch to point to the sky. My first catch just happened to be a touchdown and I made sure to honor him.”

Only attended the game, and it turned out that it was Nelson’s best yet as a Jet: He scored two touchdowns en route to the win, on four receptions for 33 yards.

The receiver is showing Only around New York at Christmastime after being touched by his story.

“The kid was born in a prison cell. He’s been in, I think, over 20-plus homes in his life. All he wants is a family,” Nelson said. “And here I am going through the day-to-day life of a football player and trying to catch touchdowns and make people happy and please people, and I’m talking to this kid and all he wants is a family.”

Nelson’s first touchdown was the Jets’ first score of the day, a 6-yard reception with 1:18 left in the first half. His second score, 46 seconds into the fourth quarter, put the Jets ahead, giving them a lead they would not relinquish.

“It’s crazy because we’ve been practicing those two plays the past six weeks,” Nelson said. “What you saw today was the product of six weeks of work.

“I came in midseason so we had to continue to work on it. Those are timing routes. (Geno Smith) has to trust that I’m going to be in the right place at the right time.”

Nelson’s big day also came against a former team. The wideout was with the Browns in training camp, but was cut before the season began after playing in just the fourth preseason game. He signed with Gang Green in Week 5.

Several weeks ago Nelson was extra fired up to play the Bills, another one of his old teams. This time around, he didn’t head into the game with much bravado.

“Because the last time I did we didn’t play very well,” Nelson said. “We played Buffalo about five weeks ago and I made a big deal about it. I played a little outside myself. I tried to play too hard and tried to make too many things happen.”

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Nelson said earlier this week he didn’t blame Cleveland for letting him go before the season because he wasn’t fully healthy.

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Rex tells NY Jets, ‘word on (the) street’ is that he’ll be fired after final game: report (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 22, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/rex-tells-jets-word-street-fired-report-article-1.1555666

With his team out of the playoff hunt, it sounds as if Rex Ryan is using his uncertain job status as a motivational tool.

Ryan told his players in a team meeting that “word on (the) street” is that he’s getting fired and to fight with him over the team’s final two games of the season against the Browns and Dolphins, Fox Sports reported Sunday.

Whether that speech is an indication that Ryan has actual knowledge of his future is unclear.

If the “word on the street” is coming from the front office, then it might. But it’s also possible that Ryan was simply relaying the public and media’s perception that there is a strong chance that it will be the coach’s last season with the Jets. In that case, perhaps Ryan was just trying to pump up his team.

Jay Glazer, who made the initial report, seemed to indicate in a follow-up Tweet that Ryan does not know whether he will be fired or not.

“Lot of support tweets for Rex here, which is a HUGE change from earlier in year. Nobody knows for sure what they do but Idzik and Woody,” Glazer tweeted.

Ryan is firmly on the hot seat after the Jets (6-8) have failed to finish above .500 for the third consecutive season.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

Maybe the Jets' Rex Ryan Isn't Finished Yet (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal December 22, 2013

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304244904579274731842158854

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—After his team's 24-13 win over Cleveland, Jets coach Rex Ryan walked a victory lap around the MetLife Stadium field. Slapping hands with adoring fans while an entourage of players flanked him, he looked like a politician stumping for re-election.

That is essentially what Ryan is now, and Sunday became his three-hour pitch about why he should keep his job for another year. His players, though already eliminated from the playoffs, supported him by rebounding from a 10-0 deficit to show they were still motivated to play for their bombastic, charismatic coach.

"We love playing for him; we love having him," said offensive lineman Austin Howard. "Rex's mentality resonates through this entire team."

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After leading the Jets to conference-title games in the 2009 and 2010 seasons, Ryan hasn't taken his team back since. Most coaches get fired after three straight playoff-less years; owner Woody Johnson and first-year general manager John Idzik haven't hinted as to whether the same fate awaits Ryan.

Many of the players, though, have made up their mind. They want Ryan to stay.

"I definitely want Rex back," said cornerback Antonio Cromartie. "I think he's the man for the job. Speaking volumes of what kind of coach he is, I think every player in this locker room and every player that has been on this team would go to bat for him."

Ryan declined to address a Fox Sports report, which said he told his players in a team meeting Saturday that "word on street is that he's getting fired" and that he asked his players to "fight" with him. The coach said what is said in team meetings is private, and several players said the coach never said anything like that.

Linebacker Calvin Pace, who got his 10th sack Sunday, said that Ryan has done a remarkable job just coaching the Jets to their 7-8 record, given that many analysts picked them to be the one of the league's worst teams.

As he has done all season, Ryan declined to comment about whether he thinks he deserves to remain on.

"My job is to focus on the present and what's right now," Ryan said. "The immediate thing is—guess what?—we're going to enjoy this one."

The coach did say earlier this week that he felt his team was "on the right path." That seemed hard to believe before Sunday, when the Jets blundered their way to four losses in five games and dropped out of playoff contention.

But on Sunday, the team supported his statement with perhaps its best performance of the season. (Against Cleveland, granted.) Rookie Geno Smith completed 20 of his 36 pass attempts for 214 yards and two touchdowns, both to receiver David Nelson, while also running for another score. Running back Chris Ivory ran for 109 yards.

The Jets committed no turnovers, while defensive backs Dee Milliner, panned all year for his rookie inexperience, and Ed Reed, belittled for being too slow and old, each had an interception.

"I told you that this team is on the climb," Ryan said.

The Jets on Sunday showed early signs of sass against the hapless Browns, who fell to 4-11. On their opening possession, the Jets faked a punt at their own 43-yard line. The snap went to blocker Josh Bush, who tried to pass to a wide-open Isaiah Trufant. But the throw from Bush, a backup safety, bounced well short of the target. The Browns would then score on Billy Cundiff's 27-yard field goal.

It wasn't until the Jets were down 10-0 that they got going. Smith found Nelson over the middle for a six-yard touchdown pass. After Cleveland went three-and-out, the Jets would tie the game just before halftime on Nick Folk's 21-yard field goal.

Cleveland drove into Jets territory on its opening possession of the second half, but Milliner saved the defense by interception Jason Campbell's pass at the Jets' 20. Early in the fourth quarter, Smith completed seven of nine pass attempts on a 81-yard drive that ended with a touchdown when he found Nelson again, this time in the end zone's left corner.

Smith would put the game out of reach on his next possession, when he scrambled on a third-and-2 on the Cleveland 17 and into the end zone to give the Jets a two-possession lead.

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"I've been growing," Smith said. "That's a part of the process. We're all growing as players and we're all growing as men."

Smith declined to address the job security of Ryan, who said that he would give his players Monday off, to celebrate the victory, before looking ahead to Sunday's season finale at Miami, where the Jets will have a chance to finish the season with a .500 record.

"All I know is I've got a game in front of me and that's where the focus is going to be," Ryan said.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Jets Ride Ryan’s Power of Persuasion to Victory Over Browns (Ben Shpigel) New York Times December 22, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/sports/football/jets-ride-ryans-power-of-persuasion-to-victory-over-browns.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=football&adxnnlx=1387768914-cABi2cKgXbbHQF129+a72g

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Rex Ryan stamped. He shouted. He cursed and snarled and appealed, releasing a reservoir of fury on a man who was in position to make a very important decision. When he had finished pleading, Ryan had what he wanted.

A penalty.

He unleashed his sideline tirade in the closing seconds of the first half of the Jets’ 24-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns, when he raged at the line judge, who had not called a personal foul for what Ryan deemed was a late hit against quarterback Geno Smith. Ryan was so incensed that he tried to slam his headset to the ground. Somehow, he held on.

Whether he possesses as strong a grip on his job will not be disclosed until Dec. 30, the day after the Jets’ season ends at Miami. A victory there would even their record at 8-8, which would be an almost incomprehensible achievement for a team that was gutted in the off-season and has endured the vagaries that come with starting a rookie quarterback — one who on Sunday accounted for three touchdowns, did not commit a turnover and led an offense that gained 422 yards against the league’s eighth-ranked defense.

Only the owner Woody Johnson and General Manager John Idzik know if Ryan has persuaded them to retain him in 2014 — and if he can still influence their decision with a result next week. There are plenty of reasons to keep Ryan, just as there are plenty to dismiss him. But it is obvious — and has been for weeks — that firing him would be an unpopular choice in the locker room.

“Rex is the guy,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “He needs to be the guy.”

“This team is headed in a great direction,” offensive lineman Willie Colon said. “He’s our general. We love him. We bleed for him, and he bleeds for us.”

“We’re not making any bones about it,” the special-teams ace Nick Bellore said. “We’re playing for each other. We’re playing for Rex.”

Perhaps, but that notion is not easily quantified. It is not as if the Jets care any more (or less) about winning or executing the play calls in late December than they did last week, or the week before that, or the week before that, just because the issue that has loomed over the team since the day Idzik was hired is nearing resolution.

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Colon, one of the locker room sages, said that Ryan’s job security has become “distracting at times” but only because “I love the guy so much.” Ryan has, at least in public, never strayed from the message that he does not think — and has not thought — about his future. Speaking to the team the night before what could have been his last Jets home game, Ryan told his players that their final two games were “put-up or shut-up” for all of them, him included.

Ryan declined to discuss the content of his speech or a report Sunday morning from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, who, after directing his followers on Twitter to prepare for a “wild story” and “news on a wild motivational speech last night,” posted that Ryan had told the team that “word on street” was that he would be fired and to fight with him in these last two games. It was unclear whether that street was Jets Drive or Fleet Street; after all, it would not be unlike Ryan to use his uncertain status as a ploy to rile a team that has pledged its support. Some players refused to address Ryan’s talk, but those who did said they did not infer that he expected to be canned.

“No, I know I have a contract next year,” said Ryan, when asked whether he has been told if he will return in 2014. “What I do know, guys, is that I’m coaching this team. I’ve said this all season long: My job is to focus on the present and what’s right now.”

The present, for Ryan and the Jets, constitutes one week, nothing more. One week to prove that the elements that propelled them to victory on Sunday — thereby surpassing their win total from last year and ensuring they will not end the season on a three-game losing streak, as they did in 2011 and in 2012 — can reappear.

One week to prove that their offensive efficiency on Sunday — 12 of 18 on third down, a season-high 208 rushing yards and 3 touchdown drives of at least 80 yards — indicates progress and not an aberration. One week to prove that their defensive prowess — red-zone stinginess that included stopping Cleveland seven times from inside the 10, 3 points allowed in the final 36 minutes 47 seconds, a brilliant performance by the rookie cornerback Dee Milliner — is a primary reason that, as Ryan said, “this team’s on the climb, it’s on the rise.” One week to prove that their resiliency — 17 consecutive points after falling behind 10-0 — is evidence of a young team learning how to handle its struggles.

“Usually, if you look at our résumé during the year, if a team jumps us, we kind of go for that emotional ride, we don’t fight back,” Colon said. “These last two games, you see everybody come out fighting and standing tall.”

The cast of thousands that braved 69-degree weather to watch — rubberneck, perhaps — two eliminated teams at MetLife Stadium were treated to Smith’s best performance since Week 5 in Atlanta, completing 20 of 36 passes for 214 yards without committing a turnover or being sacked. He threw two touchdown passes, both to David Nelson, and ran for another, a 17-yard scamper with 3:19 left that provided the final margin of victory.

As is their tradition, the Jets filed into the stadium down a path lined by fans, and when Ryan came strolling by, he wore a wide smile and slapped fans’ hands to shouts of “Come on back, buddy!” and “We love you, Rex!” He greeted fans again five and a half hours later, inside the stadium, when flanked by several players he walked around the field shaking their hands and thanking them for their support.

He called it a victory lap. He hopes it was not a valedictory lap.

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ESPN NEW YORK

If Rex goes, then '13 was playoffs or bust (Rich Cimini)

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ESPN New York December 22, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/33557/if-rex-goes-then-13-was-playoffs-or-bust?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If Rex Ryan gets fired, it means his only chance of survival was to make the playoffs. It means his new boss, general manager John Idzik, never was interested in grading him on a curve.

Ryan has done enough with the New York Jets to justify a one-year contract extension. Seven wins in a rebuilding year is solid work, deserving of another chance. Clearly, the Jets are still playing hard for Ryan, evidenced by Sunday's 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium.

But that's the view from inside the vacuum. Unfortunately for Ryan, the law of the NFL jungle isn't as forgiving. When you've missed the playoffs for three straight years and the new general manager has his first chance to hire his own coach ... well, it usually means you're done.

The word around the organization is that owner Woody Johnson would like to keep Ryan, but Idzik is undecided. After the game, Ryan was aglow, chirping about the team's bright future.

"I told you this team is on the climb, on the rise," he said, stating his case after what may have been his final home game. "It was pretty clear, at least to me, that's what we saw today."

Ryan, who has one year left on his contract, said he hasn't received any word regarding his status, which will likely be revealed the day after the season -- Black Monday.

Sources confirmed that Ryan mentioned his uncertain status Saturday night in the team meeting, as Fox Sports reported, but it wasn't a "Win one for me" motivational tactic. He used it in the context of how everyone in the room faced a cloudy future, how they could be scattered across the league next year and how they should go down fighting for each other.

It would've been a cheap ploy if Ryan had made it all about himself, but he was said to be "pissed" by rumors that the organization could be looking for a replacement.

Ryan wouldn't address the report, and neither did his players, who were told to keep it in-house. Obviously, it's on Ryan's mind. Ditto, the players.

"Rex is The Guy, and he needs to be The Guy," said linebacker Calvin Pace, one of the many players who expressed strong support for the embattled coach. "I think everyone rallies around him."

Guard Willie Colon, one of Ryan's most ardent backers, said, "I think Rex needs to be back. This team is headed in a great direction. He's our general. We love him. We bleed for him and he bleeds for us."

Sunday was the ideal day for the Jets to hammer home the "right direction" narrative, considering the promising performances by quarterback Geno Smith and cornerback Dee Milliner, two of the most important rookies in Idzik's foundation.

Unfortunately for Ryan, he's probably developing this rookie class for the next coach -- unless Idzik pulls a surprise and opts for the status quo. If Ryan gets a pink slip, he can walk away knowing he did a credible job with a roster that included more holes than the FDR Drive.

"If he finishes 8-8, you could make a strong case to keep him," said an AFC personnel director, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "I thought they'd win three or four games."

Pace echoed that sentiment, saying, "To have seven wins after we were predicted to be the worst team in the NFL, it says a lot about our character and the way we rallied around Rex."

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But they didn't rally around him last month, when the Jets dropped three straight after the bye week. That, ultimately, could be what dooms him. They went from 5-4 to 6-8, rendering the final two games meaningless.

On Sunday, they rallied from a 10-0 deficit, showing heart. Colon noted that, in several previous games, there wasn't that fight-back mentality. Ryan used a colorful analogy, saying, "It kind of reminds me of that UFC fighter that's turning purple, he's choked out, but he still fought, found a way to get out and win."

It makes for a nice story and it speaks to Ryan's motivational skills (although, if the players were so fired up by his Saturday night speech, why did it take 23 minutes before they woke up?). But if Idzik is thinking the way most GMs do in his situation, he's not giving out medals for trying.

Idzik, joined with Ryan in a shotgun wedding, has spent almost a year evaluating the entire operation. It was a honeymoon year for the first-time GM, who must ask himself if he wants to be joined at the hip with Ryan. Firing Ryan wouldn't be a popular decision in the locker room, but we know Idzik isn't afraid of criticism. He traded Darrelle Revis, didn't he?

When it was over Sunday, Ryan made sure to milk the moment. He joined the players on a victory lap, exchanging high-fives with the fans. They did the same thing at the end of the 2009 season, when they clinched a wild-card berth by routing the Cincinnati Bengals.

"This was our AFC Championship Game," Pace said. "We play our Super Bowl [next week] in Miami."

But that isn't the Super Bowl that Ryan promised when he was hired.

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Angry Rex delivers fiery speech to team (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 22, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/33545/angry-rex-delivers-fiery-speech-to-team?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Jets coach Rex Ryan delivered a fiery speech Saturday night in a team meeting, mentioning his uncertain future with the team, sources confirmed.

It was described as a motivational speech in which he addressed the speculation about his job as part of a larger theme. He told the players that no one in the room had a secure future, and that they need to play for each other in the final two weeks.

But there was more to it than that. Ryan also was angry because he heard rumors that the organization already could be looking for his replacement, sources said.

Ryan declined to comment on the meeting or a pregame report by Fox Sports, which said the coach told the team he could be fired.

"Whether the report is accurate or not, I'm going to tell you this: Those things will stay in-house," Ryan said after the 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium.

The players, instructed not to comment on the meeting or the report, echoed Ryan's remarks.

Ryan was happy, but defiant after the game. He said the Jets, despite a 7-8 record, are "on the rise." He was in an "I told you so" mood when asked about oft-criticized rookie cornerback Dee Milliner, who made his first interception and played his best game. He also dared the media to criticize him for giving the players a Victory Monday.

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"You can rip me for that one if you want, that's fine and dandy," he said.

Ryan sidestepped questions about his future. The only thing he said was that he hasn't received any word from ownership on his job status for 2014.

"I know I have a contract for next year," he said. "What I do know, guys, is that I'm coaching this team. I've said this all season long: My job is to focus on the present and what's right now."

Several players expressed their support for Ryan, continuing a recent trend.

"I guarantee you, everybody loves playing for Rex," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "It's a blast coming to work every day. He motivates everybody and believes in everybody."

Wide receiver David Nelson, a former Buffalo Bill, said he enjoys playing for Ryan. He didn't like him as an opponent.

"From the outside looking in, to be blunt and honest with you, [I thought he was] arrogant and cocky. He's coming out and making those bold statements and brash comments. As an opposing player, you look at those and you think he's supposed to be politically correct. Now, getting to know him, he's honest. He's sincere. He truly believes in his players."

Guard Willie Colon, who has said on multiple occasions that the organization would take a step back if Ryan is fired, reiterated his belief in the coach. He admitted the speculation has been a distraction.

"Personally, it's hard to say it's not distracting at times because I love the guy so much," Colon said. "But, at the same time, it's a business."

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Nelson dedicates game to foster child (Matt Ehalt) ESPN New York December 22, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/33538/nelson-dedicates-game-to-foster-child?ex_cid=espnapi_public

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- As New York Jets receiver David Nelson toured New York City with Davion Only on Saturday, the 15-year-old foster boy had a simple request for Nelson.

"I asked him if there was anything to let him know he was in my heart," Nelson said. "I was playing for him today and he told me to point to the sky after my first catch."

With 1:18 left in the first half, Nelson finally tallied his first catch, finding an open spot in the back of the end zone to haul in a six-yard touchdown catch in the Jets' 24-13 victory against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Just as he promised, Nelson walked out of the back of the end zone and pointed up to the sky. A touching weekend became even more memorable for Nelson and Only.

In addition to hosting Only and a fellow orphan this weekend as part of his i'mME charity, Nelson scored two touchdowns to help the Jets to their win at MetLife Stadium. Only made headlines in October when he asked members of a St. Petersburg, Fla. church to adopt him.

"Inspiration," Nelson said. "Just talking to them and hearing their life story, what they've been through and all the obstacles and circumstances they've overcome to kind of be where they are now. This is a (15)-year-old kid who just wants a family. His mom passed away back in June and just to hear his perspective on life and the things he hoped to do in his heart truly inspired me."

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Nelson's i'mME organization attempts to help orphan children, and according to its website, it is looking to build an orphanage in Haiti. Saturday, he took the pair of orphans around New York City, showing them famous New York spots as they were tailed by the TODAY show. He told The Associated Press that the day on the town was supposed to be: "a crash course in Christmastime in the city."

Sunday, Nelson had the pair join him at the game, and he said he planned to celebrate with them after the Jets' win. Facing the team that released him in the preseason, Nelson caught a six-yard touchdown pass in the first half that sliced the deficit to 10-7, and he added a five-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter that put the Jets ahead for good, 17-10. He finished with four catches for 33 yards.

The touchdowns marked his first scores of the year, and his first in a regular season game since Nov. 27, 2011, when he was with Buffalo.

Those touchdowns, though, paled in comparison to what spending the weekend with Only meant to the receiver.

"I was truly humbled yesterday to have the chance to spend the day with [Only] and learn from him and just to be in his presence," Nelson said. "Today, it was a little different feeling. I was playing for him and I was loose and free and I'm extremely grateful I was able to play the way I was for him."

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets players say Rex Ryan never talking about getting fired (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 22, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/12/22/jets-players-say-rex-ryan-never-talking-about-getting-fired/

It wasn’t about their head coach, say the players in the locker room who heard — and felt — their head coach’s words Saturday night.

Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer reported prior to the Jets’ 24-13 win over the Browns on Sunday that head coach Rex Ryan told his team on Saturday night that the “word on the street” is he was going to be fired.

Perhaps it was a shrewd word choice, but it has led to rampant speculation Ryan is on his way out after five seasons with the Jets.

But the Jets players in that meeting Saturday say there was nothing of the sort.

“It wasn’t that way. [That’s] farthest from the truth,” one player told Metro on the condition of anonymity. “It wasn’t like that, not at all. He didn’t make it about him. And I didn’t hear him say once that there was a ‘word on the street’ about him going. Not at all.”

It could be the players protecting Ryan, but even if the comment was made, it didn’t seem to register within the context of the brewing media firestorm.

Tight end Kellen Winslow, when told of the report, said “we don’t know anything about that.”

Ryan, who drew criticism several weeks ago for canceling team meetings and taking his team to Dave & Busters in Buffalo, did engage in some group motivation on Saturday night. During the team meeting at their hotel near the stadium, Ryan dimmed the lights and showed a UFC fight featuring Matt Hughes.

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In the fight, Hughes was being choked out but he didn’t tap. He worked his way out of it and eventually choked out his opponent and won the fight. Right tackle Austin Howard said the message from Ryan was “we’re not down and out.”

The Jets seemed to respond to that message late in the second quarter, when they were down 10-0 and barely able to function on offense. The offense and the defense responded in the second half with a dominating two quarters of football.

“Overall what he said is that the only guarantee we had was today and next week’s game in Miami. We’re not going to [throw in] the towel,” Howard told Metro. “We’re going to fight for the guy next to us, we’re going to fight for the name on our chest, fight for the name on our back and fight for this organization, because no one is guaranteed anything. All you can do is fight for this week and next week and see how the chips fall.”

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Dee Milliner stands strong against Browns’ star Josh Gordon (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 22, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/12/22/dee-milliner-stands-strong-against-browns-star-josh-gordon/

Jets head coach Rex Ryan told Dee Milliner on Monday that he would be going up against Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who came into the game leading the league in receiving yards. The rookie first-round pick rose to the challenge in the Jets’ 24-13 win over the Browns.

Gordon still had six catches for 97 yards, but those numbers were down from the 114 yards per game he averaged coming into Week 16. He was also kept out of the end zone for the first time in five games. It was a tall task handed to Milliner, who has had his struggles this year, but he responded well against Gordon. He called it “an opportunity to get a lot of plays.”

“Coaches came to me and told me I was going to be on him so when he told me, I was going to do whatever he told me,” Milliner said. “I watched a lot of film, [and] worked hard in practice. Got the same thing from the scout team I saw today.”

It was a boost for Milliner, who a few weeks ago got an endorsement from his head coach. Ryan said by season’s end the former Alabama star would be the top cornerback to emerge from this past year’s NFL Draft. On Sunday, Ryan called Milliner a player who “is going to be outstanding.”

In terms of the scouting report, Milliner was told to play physically with Gordon and make sure to wrap him up on short passing routes. It was an effective strategy and one that Milliner put into action. For the early part of the year, he struggled with his press coverage but that has taken a turn for the better over the past few weeks, starting with a strong performance against the Raiders two weeks ago.

In the third quarter of what was beginning to look like a promising drive — the Browns had gone 50 yards on eight plays and were in Jets territory — Milliner got the inside position on wide receiver Greg Little. He read the eyes of quarterback Jason Campbell perfectly and jumped the route for his first career interception.

The ball sat on a shelf in Milliner’s locker after the game and he said it will go back to his home in Alabama to sit on a shelf with some other mementos.

“Coach gave us a call, he knew that they were going to give us an inside route,” Milliner said. “The play, everybody was in the spot they were supposed to be, [and] did their responsibility. When I looked up, I

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looked at the quarterback and I see he was getting to ready throw the ball in the zone. And I broke on where the receiver was at.”

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Jets score two touchdowns in fourth quarter to beat Browns (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 22, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/12/22/jets-score-two-touchdowns-in-fourth-quarter-to-beat-browns/

The Jets put on a spirited performance in a meaningless game, even if it took them nearly two quarters of football to find that moxie. The Jets stumbled early but improved to 7-8 on the year with a 24-13 win over the Browns on Sunday afternoon.

The Jets responded well from going down in the first half. Instead of hanging their heads, the Jets responded against a plucky opponent.

The Browns entered the game with five losses of eight points or less but they looked and played like a team on the ascent. Billy Cundiff kicked a first-quarter field goal and a 5-yard touchdown run by Edwin Baker gave the Browns a 10-0 lead by the midpoint of the second quarter.

After striking out on their first three drives, the Jets’ offense went 80 yards on 13 plays with a Geno Smith 6-yard dart to David Nelson over the middle to make it a 10-7 game with 1:18 before halftime. The defense forced the Browns into a three-and-out and behind a slicing and dicing 39-yard run by Bilal Powell, went 79 yards on five plays to set-up a 21-yard field goal by Nick Folk on the stroke of halftime.

A missed 49-yard field goal by Nick Folk in the third quarter, just his second miss of this season, was the only blip of the second half for the offense. On the next drive Smith found Nelson again for a 5-yard touchdown pass to cap a 14-play, 81-yard drive for a 17-10 Jets lead with 14:14 left in the game.

For Nelson, it was the first time in his career he has had multiple touchdowns in a game.

What went right …

1. Milliner’s milestone

It wasn’t a great all-around game from Dee Milliner — his performance two weeks ago against the Raiders was much better — but the rookie cornerback responded well. In the first half, he gave up a completion on a fourth down. He also completely lost Josh Gordon in the second quarter and got turned inside out on what was a 24-yard pass play. But he got better after that rough start, including his first career interception with 9:10 left in the third quarter. Also impressive was his physical play in press coverage after that rough start. He also showed good instincts late in the third quarter with a nice diving pass breakup.

2. Making stands

With an offense that could barely move the ball in the first half, the defense was given some pretty lousy field position but they responded twice to keep the team in the game. The biggest one came midway through the second quarter after it seemed that the defense had gotten a big stop on third down down at the goal line. But a questionable roughing the passer call on Sheldon Richardson gave the Browns four more cracks at the end zone. A fired-up defense forced a four-and-out to preserve the score at 3-0. A touchdown at that point in the game and the Jets may have packed it in. Instead, the defense got fired up and the crowd finally got into the game.

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3. Ivory powers on

Chris Ivory has the looks of a long-term answer for the Jets in the backfield, with some very strong and determined running in the second half of the season. After a solid performance a week ago at the Panthers, Ivory continued to plow his way through limited holes for some nice gains. Boosted by a 21-yard run late in the second quarter, Ivory finished with 20 carries for 109 yards. The hard running of Ivory also benefited fellow running back Powell, who added 54 rushing yards, including a 39-yard run right before halftime.

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NJ.COM

Jets players deny Rex Ryan told them he was getting fired (but Ryan doesn't) (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/jets_players_deny_that_rex_ryan_told_them_he_was_getting_fired.html

EAST RUTHERFORD -- Some Jets players wouldn't discuss exactly what was said. Those who did all more or less said the same thing. But not one confirmed the report outright.

This was that report, which came from Fox Sports's Jay Glazer a short time before the start of the Jets' 24-13 victory over the Browns on Sunday at MetLife Stadium: "Rex Ryan told his players in team meeting last night that word on street is that he's getting fired and asked players to fight w him these last 2 weeks.”

That "word on the street" could mean just about anything. Media speculation? Rumors? A random question from the Starbucks barista who poured Ryan's latte that morning?

It's also possible the report could have been planted by Ryan himself, as a way of taking the heat off the Jets' players by generating a distracting narrative for the media to chase.

Or a way to motivate his team for the final two games, which are meaningless in the standings.

Ryan, for his part, would neither confirm nor deny anything.

"What's said in a meeting or whatever will stay there," he said. "Whether that report is accurate or not, I'm going to tell you this: those things will stay in-house. I'm not going to report on something like that."

Naturally, the question was put to several players. Here's what they had to say about it.

Outside linebacker Quinton Coples: "Nah, he was telling us that we had to stay focused, that we had to make sure we get this win, this home win, and everything's going to take care of itself. He didn't explain none of that to us."

Right guard Willie Colon: "No. Like I said all along, Rex cares enough about the team to let the chips fall where they may, and he just wanted us to go out and put a good product on the field. (Colon then had Glazer's exact quote read to him.) No. He said to go out there and do what we should be doing."

Tight end Kellen Winslow: "Nah, he wasn't worried about that. He was worried about the game."

Left guard Brian Winters: "No, he just discussed that we've got to play within each other, play strong with each other. We had two games to show we're a family and continue to work. (Winters was then asked again if Rex said anything about getting fired.) No."

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Quarterback Geno Smith: "What's talked about in our team meetings, it stays in our team meetings. That's all that matters."

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie: "Man, that's a report. Whatever we talk about stays in our meeting rooms."

Cornerback Dee Milliner: "No. We know it's up in the air, but we're not worried about that. We can't control that. That's his business and the front office. So we're just going out there and fighting."

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Jets receiver David Nelson gets revenge against team that cut him (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/jets_receiver_david_nelson_gets_revenge_against_team_that_cut_him.html

EAST RUTHERFORD -- Both went for six yards, both were timing routes, and both were plays David Nelson said he and Geno Smith had been working on for several weeks.

"What you saw today was the product of six weeks of work," Nelson said. "I came in midseason. We just haven't been able to put it in the game plan yet. Coach felt comfortable with it this week, and it just happened to pay off."

Nelson, a receiver now in his fourth NFL season, only joined the Jets by signing as a free agent on Oct. 2. He caught his first two touchdown passes as a Jet in Sunday's 24-13 victory over the Browns, the team that released him after training camp. Nelson had spent his first three NFL seasons with the Bills.

His first TD was a quick slant over the middle with 1:18 left in the second quarter that cut the Browns' lead to 10-7. The other was a little corner route just 46 seconds into the third quarter that gave the Jets a lead they never relinquished.

It was a much different performance than the one Nelson had against his other former team—the Bills—last month, when he caught just one pass (on three targets) for 12 yards.

"I tried to play too hard, make too many things happen," said Nelson of the Bills game, a 37-14 Jets loss. "I feel like I didn't play very well and our team didn't play very well. So this week I tried to play it off but it was definitely an important week for me."

Nelson, who continues to be a primary target for Smith, the Jets' rookie quarterback, finished Sunday with four catches (on five targets) for 33 yards and those two TDs. He now has 17 catches for 146 yards in the Jets' last four games.

Feel good to get those two TDs against the Browns?

"You could say that," Brown said. "You could say that. At the same time, I don't hold any bad feelings toward them. I put myself in position to get cut. I didn't play very well in a preseason game that I played.

"I don't have any bad feelings. I have great memories and I respect that coaching staff and that organization. At the same time, anytime you get let go, it's never a good feeling, even if it's something you did wrong. But to play against guys who I'm familiar with, and against a coaching staff that I'm very familiar with, and to play the way I played today was definitely a good feeling."

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Jets receiver Santonio Holmes slammed by TV analysts after walking out on media (Dom Cosentino)

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NJ.com December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/santonio_holmes_walks_out_on_media_after_a_couple_of_questions.html

EAST RUTHERFORD -- The Jets' 24-13 victory over the Browns on Sunday was likely Santonio Holmes's last home game in green and white. So how did the Jets' wide receiver mark the occasion?

By walking away from reporters after they asked him three ordinary questions.

Holmes had said during the week that he'd be willing to take a pay cut to stay with the Jets—a nod toward magnanimity he has to know was a hollow gesture.

Sunday, he caught just two passes (on six targets) for 20 yards. He also dropped what would have been a touchdown pass in the second quarter.

With one game remaining in the third season of his five-year, $45 million contract—which includes $7.5 million in base pay for this season—Holmes has 20 catches for 415 yards, and one touchdown.

Just before SNY's post-game show cut to the locker room after the game, Holmes's stats were shown on the screen. Said analyst and former Jets great Joe Klecko, "Is that worth $8 million?"

SNY then cut to the Jets' locker room, where Holmes was about to be interviewed. He first got a question about the game.

Answer: "We played great as a team. We executed and got the job done."

Next was a question about quarterback Geno Smith's performance (20-for-36, 214 yards, 2 TDs; 10 rushes, 48 yards, 1 TD).

Answer: "We got the job done. We played good as a team. We executed and came away with a great team victory."

After that was a question about the report that Rex Ryan told the team last night that "word on the street" was that Ryan was going to be fired after the season.

Answer: "No comment."

And with that, Holmes, walked off into the night.

SNY threw it back to the studio, where analyst and former Jets quarterback Ray Lucas quickly spoke up.

"I’m so sick and tired of his antics," Lucas said. "It’s becoming ridiculous. You make all that money. You drop touchdowns today, you’ve been hurt all year. I just can’t wait for this guy to be back on a plane back to wherever the hell he lives at.

"It’s because of his attitude, Joe. And his play. It would be different if he was balling, catching touchdowns and moving the chains, I would take the attitude."

Klecko offered a rejoinder that was just as pointed.

"He is really the less of a teammate that anybody could ever want," the former Jets great said. "That proves it with him walking out. He knows he didn’t put forth an effort today. He thought he was just going to go out there and they would lay an egg. He didn't rally put the effort in. He had it all preconceived. He’s just not a good guy."

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Rex Ryan's support in Jets' locker room remains high (A.J. Perez) NJ.com December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/rex_ryan_remains_a_popular_figure_in_jets_locker_room.html

EAST RUTHERFORD -- New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and several players took a victory lap around MetLife Stadium after a 24-13 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Many of his players said they hope that wasn't the last time we'd see Ryan leading the Jets here.

"We want Rex to be here," Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. "That's the biggest thing. We are a tight-knit family."

Added offensive lineman Willie Colon (via SNY): "Rex needs to be back. He's our general."

Players were hesitant to address the FOX Sports report that Ryan told the team on Saturday that “word on the street” was that he’d be fired. Ryan does have one year left on his contract, although this is the third consecutive season the franchise has failed to make the playoffs.

“We know this is a business” Jets cornerback Dee Milliner said. “We are going to go out there and play for our coaches every week. We are just going to out there and continue to work. He’s our coach right now and hopefully he will continue to be.”

Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson said the team has a lot more to play for than Ryan’s job, even if their season will end next Sunday in Miami minus a playoff berth.

“We are playing for each other,” Wilkerson said. “We are playing for the organization. We are playing for our families. We have something to play for.”

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Rex Ryan on his future: 'I know I have a contract for next year' (A.J. Perez) NJ.com December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/rex_ryan_reacts_to_report_that_his_days_as_head_coach_are_numbered.html

EAST RUTHERFORD -- Maybe Jets coach Rex Ryan should have told his players that he's about to be fired before every game.

The Jets came together to post a 24-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, possibly the last home game with Ryan on the Jets' sidelines.

FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported before the game that Ryan addressed his future in a team gathering on Saturday.

"Rex Ryan told his players in team meeting last night that word on street is that he's getting fired and asked players to fight w him these last 2 weeks," Glazer wrote on Twitter.

After the game, Ryan did not deny that he made the plea.

"What's said in a meeting will stay there," Ryan said. "Whether that report is accurate or not, those things will stay in-house. I'm not going to report on that.

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"I know I have a contract for next year. I'm coaching this team. My job is to focus on the present. And the immediate thing is, we're going to enjoy this. Our guys will have a victory Monday, so they'll be out buying presents with their Jets gear on. Look for them. They'll be around town."

This is the third consecutive season that the Jets failed to post a winning record or earn a playoff berth. Still, Ryan and his players took a victory lap after the game, slapping hands with fans. Was Ryan saying goodbye or lobbying for their support?

"We're 9-2 at home, including the preseason," Ryan said. "I know nobody counts that. But our players will feed off our fans. We heard the ones who are here loud and clear. We were down 10-0 and we had to battle back. That football team we played is ranked eighth in the league and we put 422 yards on them. This team is on the climb, on the rise, and it's clear to me that's what we saw today. We did not turn it over and did not give up a sack.

"I just appreciate the fans. Obviously, it's the last (home) game of the year. Their support has been terrific. We wanted to show how much we appreciate them, give them a little sign of respect. Unfortunately, our season ended before we wanted it to."

Now the question is: Will Ryan's tenure as Jets coach?

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Jets quick hits and instant analysis: Winning one for Rex (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com December 22, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/jets_quick_hits_and_instant_analysis_tktk.html

EAST RUTHERFORD -- After a slow start, the Jets rebounded to beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-13, to improve to 7-8 heading into next week's season finale at Miami.

Should this turn out to be Rex Ryan's final home game as the Jets' coach, the team certainly turned in a number of memorable performances.

• Geno Smith was 20-for-36 for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and—most important—no interceptions. His passer rating was 91.7. He was particularly effective in the no-huddle, and there were a number of designed plays in which Smith got out of the pocket to work as a dual-threat. Smith also rushed seven times for 49 yards, including a 17-yard TD dash to put the game away.

• The running game also kept the Browns off-balance. Chris Ivory pounded out 109 yards on 20 carries, while Bilal Powell had 54 yards on just seven rushes.

• Jeremy Kerley, who played just 34 of 63 snaps last week at Carolina, caught five passes for 70 yards. David Nelson hauled in both of Smith's TD passes.

• After being penalized five times in the first half, the Jets were whistled for an infraction just once after halftime.

• Jason Campbell finished 18-for-40 for the Browns for 178 yards and two interceptions.

• The Jets tried a fake punt at the end of their opening possession. It was drawn up well, with up man Josh Bush tossing a pass toward wide open flanker Isaiah Trufant. And it would have worked had Bush not comically underthrown Trufant. The Browns took over at the Jets' 43 and marched 34 yards in 13 plays to get a field goal.

• The Jets had rookie cornerback Dee Milliner rather than Antonio Cromartie matched up against Josh Gordon, the Browns' terrific receiver. After missing a tackle early and allowing Gordon to turn him

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around on one of his catches, Milliner picked up his first interception of the season early in the second half. Gordon finished with six catches for 97 yards.

• Sheldon Richardson was flagged for a brutal roughing-the-passer call on Jason Campbell just as Campbell released a pass on third-and-goal. Yet even with a restart, the Browns still couldn't convert, in part because Josh Gordon dropped a touchdown pass on third down and juggled the ball as he landed out of bounds on fourth down. The Browns ran seven plays from inside the Jets' 10-yard-line on that drive. They came away with zero points.

• Richardson left the game and was taken to the locker room with a shoulder injury, but he returned before the first half was over and only missed one play.

• The Jets' offense couldn't get going for much of the first half, but then Geno Smith converted four third downs, including a 6-yard toss to David Nelson to cut the lead to 10-7.

• Left guard Brian Winters, who's had a rough rookie season, was whistled for holding in the second quarter, but he later made up for it with a big block to help spring Bilal Powell on a 39-yard run that set up Nick Folk's game-tying field goal just before halftime.

• Folk missed a field goal for just the second time all year, clanging a 49-yarder off the right upright on the Jets' first possession of the second half. Folk did make a 21-yard kick on the final play of the first half, so he's now 31-for-33 on the season.

SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press December 22, 2013

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Sunday-s-Sports-Transactions-5087092.php

HOCKEY National Hockey League WASHINGTON CAPITALS — Reassigned C Casey Wellman to Hershey (AHL). Central Hockey League St. CHARLES CHILL — Announced G Linus Lundin was reassigned to the team by Springfield (AHL). Signed D Brock Wilson. Waived G Kevin McFarland. COLLEGE NOTRE DAME — Announced senior men's basketball G Jerian Grant is no longer enrolled in the school because of an academic matter. TEXAS A&M — Dismissed sophomore basketball G J-Mychal Reese for violating athletic department rules and regulations. Suspended freshman LB Darian Claiborne after he was arrested on two drug possession charges.

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