NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

December 1, 2015

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Table of Contents

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

Jets' Marcus Williams has sprained knee ligament, day to day (Dennis Waszak) ..................................................... 2

Big win has Jets feeling good: 'We know we're still in it' (Dennis Waszak) ............................................................... 2

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

New York, New York's biggest rivalry week since 1988 (Neil Best) ........................................................................... 4

Victor Cruz's 99-yard touchdown doesn't haunt Antonio Cromartie (Anthony Rieber) ........................................... 5

Will Jets have Darrelle Revis and/or Marcus Williams? (Kimberley A. Martin) ......................................................... 6

Antonio Cromartie changes his 'Tone about Odell Beckham Jr. (Bob Gluaber) ........................................................ 7

Jets find their game just in time (Kimberley A. Martin) ............................................................................................ 8

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 9

Jets report card: vs. Miami (J.P. Pelzman) ................................................................................................................. 9

Art Stapleton: Must-win game for Giants, Jets (Art Stapleton)............................................................................... 10

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 12

Facing Giants, Jets Focus on Playoffs, Not Rivalry (Ben Shpigel) ............................................................................. 12

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 13

Jets' Darrelle Revis still in concussion protocol, with Odell Beckham looming (Rich Cimini) .................................. 13

Jets' Antonio Cromartie says Odell Beckham has 'a lot of room to grow' (Rich Cimini) ......................................... 14

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 15

Jets’ defensive shakeup offers playoff hope — or fool’s gold? (Brian Costello) ..................................................... 15

Giants-Jets is desperate must-win for both — even if it isn’t (Steve Serby) ........................................................... 16

Beckham vs. Revis? How Jets will shuffle if epic face-off fades (Brian Costello) ..................................................... 18

Jets’ Bowles comes to Pryor’s defense after ‘classless’ gripe (Brian Costello) ........................................................ 19

Jets’ play still doesn’t match their playoff-happy mouths (Mark Cannizzaro) ........................................................ 20

The Giants’ perfect CB and style to shut down Brandon Marshall (Bart Hubbuch) ................................................ 22

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 23

Odell Beckham Jr.: If Darrelle Revis can't play, do Jets have a prayer of covering Giants star? (Darryl Slater) ...... 23

Latest on injuries to Jets' Marcus Williams, Calvin Pace (Dom Cosentino) ............................................................. 24

Why Jets' Brandon Marshall torched Miami Dolphins' Brent Grimes again (Darryl Slater) .................................... 25

Jets' Sheldon Richardson: 'I'm not a butt patter' (Darryl Slater) ............................................................................. 26

Jets report card, as they stay in playoff hunt with win over Miami Dolphins (Darryl Slater) .................................. 27

Where are Jets in AFC playoff race after beating Miami Dolphins? (Dom Cosentino) ............................................ 28

Jets' Antonio Cromartie says Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. 'has a lot of room to grow' (Darryl Slater) ....................... 30

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Latest on Jets' Darrelle Revis' concussion as Odell Beckham, Giants loom (Dom Cosentino) ................................ 31

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 32

Jets have plenty to fix in December if they hope to make playoff push (Manish Mehta) ...................................... 32

Jets' Antonio Cromartie says he forgot all about Victor Cruz's 99-yard TD last time vs. Giants (Seth Walder) ...... 33

MONDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 34

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets' Marcus Williams has sprained knee ligament, day to day (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press November 30, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-marcus-williams-has-sprained-knee-ligament-day-day

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Jets cornerback Marcus Williams has a sprained knee ligament that could keep him out against the Giants next Sunday.

Coach Todd Bowles confirmed Monday during a conference call that Williams injured the medial collateral ligament in one of his knees and is "day to day."

"We'll see what kind of progress he makes during the week," said Bowles, who didn't rule out Williams being ready in time to play.

Williams started Sunday in the Jets' 38-20 win over Miami in place of Darrelle Revis, who is still going through the NFL's concussion protocol. Bowles says Revis has made "slight progress," but it's too early to tell if he'll be available.

Revis needs to be cleared for physical activities before he can practice or play.

"I thought he did a little bit today, but not sure how much, though," Bowles said.

If Revis can't play Sunday, it would eliminate a potential showdown with the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr., an elite cornerback-wide receiver matchup that fans have been waiting for since the schedule came out.

Williams would likely get the call, if healthy. But if neither can play, Bowles could be forced to use a combination of Buster Skrine, Darrin Walls, Dexter McDougle and Dee Milliner opposite Antonio Cromartie.

"We've got enough guys to fill in and play," Bowles said.

Williams was injured when he returned an interception, his team-leading fifth of the season, in the first quarter against the Dolphins.

Linebacker Calvin Pace has a strained abdominal muscle and Bowles said he's day to day.

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Big win has Jets feeling good: 'We know we're still in it' (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press November 30, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/big-win-has-jets-feeling-good-we-know-were-still-it

NEW YORK (AP) — The season was crumbling quickly for the New York Jets.

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Four losses in five games had them scrambling for answers and desperate for a win. The playoff hopes that seemed like such a realistic scenario a month ago were fading away with each loss.

Then, the Miami Dolphins came to town — and the Jets revived their postseason chances with a 38-20 romp Sunday.

"We know we're still in it," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said Monday. "We also know there's not a lot of room for error."

That's because the Jets are 6-5 and right on the edge of the playoff picture, currently sitting in seventh place in the AFC. They're behind Kansas City and Houston, and tied with Pittsburgh — all of whom are also 6-5, as is AFC South-leading Indianapolis,

Then there's Oakland and Buffalo, which are a game back at 5-6.

"There are so many teams that are lumped up right now, within a game of each other," Fitzpatrick said during a conference call, "that we just need to continue to stack wins."

Just getting one was a big enough task in itself.

The Jets' sluggish offense finally got going as Fitzpatrick had his best game with the team, throwing four touchdown passes, including two to Brandon Marshall, who also had his biggest performance with the team while finishing with nine catches for 131 yards.

The defense was downright stingy against the run, holding the Dolphins to a measly 12 yards — a franchise-low for New York — on nine rushes. Ryan Tannehill didn't do much in the passing game until late, when he threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, although Jarvis Landry had a career-best 13 catches for 165 yards and a score.

"We've still got to work on finishing," coach Todd Bowles said. "I thought we gave up a cheap one at the end even though we were playing softer defense. We still have to make sure we get off the field and keep continuing to improve until the clock runs out."

New York's maligned special teams unit chipped in, too, with Jeremy Kerley's 58-yard punt return setting up Eric Decker's touchdown catch that put the Jets up 21-0 early in the third quarter.

"I'm glad that we got back to playing our brand of football (Sunday)," Fitzpatrick said. "That had been lacking the last few weeks, but I don't think the confidence has wavered at all this year in terms of the team that we think that we have."

Now, the Jets need to go out and prove it. Their season depends on it.

Next up: the Giants (5-6), their MetLife Stadium "roommates" who are coming off a brutal loss at Washington and need a victory themselves to keep pace in the NFC East.

"Each one of these games," Fitzpatrick said, "as we continue to win, becomes more and more significant in terms of putting ourselves in a position to make the playoffs."

The Giants were in a similar situation four years ago when the teams matched up the last time. They were 7-7 on Dec. 24, 2011, and appeared to be heading into halftime down 7-3 — until Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz for a 99-yard touchdown.

The Giants ended up winning 29-14 and the Manning-Cruz play was pointed at as the moment their season turned around. New York beat Dallas the following week, made the playoffs and rolled all the way to a Super Bowl victory.

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Meanwhile, the Jets lost at Miami in the regular-season finale and Rex Ryan's bunch was forced to watch the postseason from home.

Predictably, these Jets had very little to say about what they remembered about that last meeting.

"Nothing, to be honest with you," said Cromartie, who was one of a few Jets who missed tackle attempts on the Cruz play. "We lost the game."

Center Nick Mangold had a similar response.

"That's so long ago and, shoot, I assume there are only a handful of guys left that actually played in that game," Mangold said. "It was so long ago that I don't think it has any bearing on this game. This is just the next step in our season here."

Anything stand out to Mangold, though?

"I remember it being cold," he said. "But other than that, it was a while ago."

It's been a while since the Jets put together back-to-back wins, too. Not since beating Washington on Oct. 18 following a win over Miami and a bye.

A victory Sunday could set the Jets up for truly meaningful games in December, something that hasn't happened in a few years.

"It's just another step for us to get ourselves in the right direction," Fitzpatrick said. "Get ourselves where we want to be."

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NEWSDAY

New York, New York's biggest rivalry week since 1988 (Neil Best) Newsday November 30, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/neil-best/new-york-new-york-s-biggest-rivalry-week-since-1988-1.11176524

If you remember the East Coast version of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry, well, congrats on reaching age 65 (at least)! And many happy returns.

For the rest of us, though, New York-area sports rivalries are a peculiar animal, one often lacking in pure hatred.

With the exception of sporadic Rangers-Islanders episodes -- notably in the middle-to-late 1970s -- pro teams' mutual dislike around here usually is limited by interstate geography or interleague/interconference separation or by one or both teams stinking at any given time.

"Rivalries" such as Giants-Jets and Mets-Yankees tend to be felt more by fans and the news media than by the participants, outside the occasional Subway Series moment.

That being said, this week will be unique in the annals of regular-season New York sports, a trio of intra-area matchups that has not occurred in such a short timespan since 1988 -- or ever, really, if you consider only teams based in the five boroughs.

Let's start at the end with the most important and compelling event, Sunday's once-every-four-years meeting between the Jets and Giants, this time with the Giants hosting at MetLife Stadium and, as in 2011, both teams in contention.

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Remember 2011? All that Christmas Eve game produced was one of the biggest regular-season plays in New York football history: Victor Cruz's 99-yard TD catch that helped send the Giants to a Super Bowl and the Jets to oblivion.

Cruz is on injured reserve now and then-Jets coach Rex Ryan is in Buffalo. But the rematch could well generate drama of its own, given the stakes for both teams. The loser will be in dire straits entering the final four weekends of the season; the winner still will have work to do.

It certainly is a timely week for the regular-season version of the annual preseason "Snoopy Bowl," what with ABC celebrating the 50th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on Monday night. (Not to mention Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wearing one Charlie Brown-themed shoe and one Snoopy-themed one during warmups Sunday.)

Before the football fun, the appetizer on Wednesday will be the Rangers' first regular-season visit to Brooklyn to face the Islanders, who now share a city with them rather than playing in the eastern suburbs.

The Islanders' attendance has been lackluster, but they are certain to attract a full house, just as they did when the Rangers visited Nassau Coliseum in olden times.

Everyone will be listening closely to hear just how much of Barclays Center is taken over by Rangers fans.

Next up, on Friday, the Manhattan Porzingises host the Nets in a rivalry that was supposed to heat up once the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012 but so far remains on a modest simmer. The Knicks and Nets currently have losing records, which doesn't help.

The last time those six teams matched up in one week was in mid-December 1988, at a time when the Nets still were in New Jersey and the Islanders still in Nassau County.

The Knicks beat the Nets, 121-100, at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13; the Rangers beat the Islanders, 2-1, at the Garden on Dec. 14, and the Jets beat the Giants, 27-21, at Giants Stadium on Dec. 18. One of those venues doesn't even exist anymore and one of them was remodeled in recent summers.

That Jets-Giants matchup -- the biggest regular-season one before the 2011 and 2015 games -- is recalled for Ken O'Brien's 5-yard touchdown pass to Al Toon with 37 seconds left.

It effectively knocked the Giants out of playoff contention. Despite a 10-6 record, they were eliminated that night when the Rams beat the 49ers, who had nothing to play for.

During the game Newsday's Peter King, acting as a pool reporter, called Giants quarterback Phil Simms, who famously lamented that he was "watching the 49ers lay down like dogs."

To this day Simms insists he did not realize he was being quoted publicly, but his sentiment was on target. The Rams won, 38-16. The 49ers went on to beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII in January.

But all that happened a long time ago, before John Tavares, Kristaps Porzingis and Odell Beckham Jr. were born.

New York is due for some new intramural memories. No time like the present.

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Victor Cruz's 99-yard touchdown doesn't haunt Antonio Cromartie (Anthony Rieber) Newsday November 30, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/victor-cruz-s-99-yard-touchdown-doesn-t-haunt-antonio-cromartie-1.11178440

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It's a play Giants fans see in their dreams: Victor Cruz takes a pass from Eli Manning at his team's 11-yard line, skirts two tacklers and scampers down the right sideline for a 99-yard touchdown against the Jets.

The play happened on Christmas Eve 2011 in the most recent regular-season game between the Giants and Jets entering Sunday's showdown at MetLife Stadium. It propelled the Giants to a 29-14 victory and helped make Cruz a salsa-dancing star en route to the Giants' Super Bowl championship.

One of the defensive backs who tried and failed to tackle Cruz after the catch was Antonio Cromartie, who will line up against the Giants again on Sunday. Cruz, though, has missed the entire season with a calf injury.

Former Jets coach Rex Ryan said earlier this season that the play still haunts him. Cromartie said Monday that he doesn't feel that way.

Why not?

"I wasn't covering him," he said. "That play won't ever stand out for me. It's a play that's over and done with and it's four years old. That won't stick with me at all."

Cruz was being covered by Kyle Wilson. Cromartie had fallen and was on his knees when Cruz sprinted past him on his way to the end zone.

"I was in the vicinity," Cromartie said. "I came off my guy to try to help Kyle Wilson on the tackle. I missed the tackle. He went 99 yards. For me to look at it as something for me to harp on, that's something I've never lost sleep over."

Asked what he remembered about that game, Cromartie said: "Nothing, to be honest with you. We lost the game."

On Sunday, Cromartie will have to contend with Odell Beckham Jr. The identity of the Jets' other starting cornerback is up in the air.

Coach Todd Bowles said Darrelle Revis has made "slight progress" but still is going through the NFL's concussion protocol after missing Sunday's 38-20 win over Miami.

Marcus Williams, who started Sunday and notched his fifth interception, suffered a sprained MCL and is day-to-day, according to Bowles. Buster Skrine or Darrin Walls likely would start in Williams' place.

"I think guys just stepped up and went out and had fun and played football," Cromartie said. "We have the depth -- something I felt like we haven't had in New York for a while."

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Will Jets have Darrelle Revis and/or Marcus Williams? (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday November 30, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/will-jets-have-darrelle-revis-and-or-marcus-williams-1.11178451

There's a chance the Jets will be down two cornerbacks when they face Giants playmaker Odell Beckham Jr.

Marcus Williams, who started in place of the injured Darrelle Revis on Sunday, suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in one of his knees during the Jets' 38-20 win over the Dolphins.

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Williams, who suffered the injury after making his fifth interception of the season, is "day-to-day," coach Todd Bowles said on a conference call Monday. That means he could miss the game against the Giants (5-6).

It's also possible the Jets (6-5) again will be without Revis, their star cornerback. He suffered a concussion in their Week 11 loss in Houston and was unable to practice last week. Revis still is in the concussion protocol and has made "slight progress," Bowles said, but it's unclear if he'll be able to suit up this week.

Bowles also said linebacker Calvin Pace (abdominal strain) is day-to-day.

Milestone for Fitz

Ryan Fitzpatrick had lost track, but his father was there to remind him about the 100th start of his 11-season NFL career.

The quarterback said his dad sent him this text message before Sunday's game: " 'Congrats on 100 today. Let's go get 'em.' Something like that. His text just made me aware that this was No. 100."

The 11-year veteran threw four touchdown passes in the rout of the Dolphins, and Fitzpatrick was intent on keeping the game ball for his trophy case.

"That's pretty significant to me," he said of the milestone. "Being a seventh-round pick, being a guy that wasn't really recruited. It's been a pretty cool ride."

Defending Pryor

The Jets came to the defense of safety Calvin Pryor, whom Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill called "classless'' for celebrating a hard hit on receiver Rishard Matthews.

"We were celebrating as a team, and as a unit, what kind of hit it was," cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. "We don't wish any injury on anybody."

According to an NFL.com report, Matthews suffered fractured ribs.

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Antonio Cromartie changes his 'Tone about Odell Beckham Jr. (Bob Gluaber) Newsday November 30, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/antonio-cromartie-changes-his-tone-about-odell-beckham-jr-1.11178346

Now that he's in position to experience just how good Odell Beckham Jr. really is, Antonio Cromartie is applying the technique that every cornerback learns at an early age: He's backpedaling as fast as he can.

You recall the incendiary comments Cromartie made while sitting in the ESPN studios in early October, when he referred to the Giants' phenom receiver as a "one-year wonder" and accused Beckham of "sucker-punching somebody" during a game against the Bills. "I'm just being honest," Cromartie said at the time. "It's just one year. I need to see it on an every-game basis."

But less than a week before Cromartie will see Beckham up close and in person -- and perhaps cover him in Sunday's Jets-Giants game at MetLife Stadium -- the cornerback has turned down the volume.

"Honestly, I haven't watched him at all this week. I don't know anything that's going on with him," Cromartie said on a conference call Monday, a day after the Jets' 38-20 win over the Dolphins. "Overall, I still feel like there's so much more for him to grow. He's a young athlete that can make catches."

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Cromartie added that Beckham "does have a lot of room to grow to be the guy that everyone knows he can be."

Evidently, the cornerback known for talking smack is dialing it down in the run-up to the game. Cromartie said he hadn't even seen Beckham's acrobatic touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of the Giants' 20-14 loss to Washington on Sunday.

"I haven't had a chance to look at film of what he's done," Cromartie said.

It remains to be seen how the Jets will defend Beckham, mostly because of the uncertainty surrounding Darrelle Revis, who remains in the NFL's concussion protocol.

Jets coach Todd Bowles said Revis is making some progress but that it's still too soon to know if he can play. Complicating matters: Revis' fill-in, Marcus Williams, is dealing with a knee sprain. In his absence, the Jets moved Buster Skrine to the outside and had Darrin Walls at nickel corner.

How the Jets defend Beckham could be the most important individual matchup of the game, although Giants quarterback Eli Manning cautions that other factors will be at work. If Revis does play, he likely will shadow Beckham.

"We'll have to see what routes we want him running and we'll put him in a position to win some one-on-one matchups," Manning said. "We'll see what their game plan is and see how it plays out. For me, it's not about Odell versus Revis, it's about our offense versus the Jets' defense."

If Revis can't go, Cromartie is confident the Jets can respond. "Honestly, the way coach Bowles and Kacy [Rodgers, the defensive coordinator] do it, there's nothing different ,'' he said. "Just go out and play football and have fun and make the plays we need to make."

Minus the trash talk, presumably. Bowles often reminds his players not to engage the opposition in a war of words, and it should be noted that Cromartie's earlier comments about Beckham came during the Jets' bye week. That said, the cornerback was more tempered in his assessment now that game time is fast approaching.

But it also might be because Beckham's dominance can't be refuted. In 12 games last year, he set franchise records with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 11 games this year, he has 72 catches for 1,005 yards and nine touchdowns.

Memo to Cromartie: Beckham is no one-year wonder, sir. He probably is the best receiver you'll face this season, so if there's any talking to be done this week, it's best to do it on the field.

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Jets find their game just in time (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday November 30, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-find-their-game-just-in-time-1.11178542

Meaningful games mean all the difference to the Jets.

Sunday's rout of Miami couldn't have come at a better time for a team teetering on the edge of potential elimination from playoff contention. And now, at 6-5, the Jets are hoping to turn a 38-20 victory over the defenseless Dolphins into a much-needed winning streak.

Despite being mired in a month-long slump, the playoffs still are in sight. And that's all they could hope for in December.

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"We know we're still in it," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said on a conference call Monday. "We also know that there's not a lot of room for error."

Fortunately for the Jets, there weren't too many errors on Sunday. Fitzpatrick had a breakout performance, throwing for 277 yards and four touchdowns to lead an impressive offensive attack that was equal parts explosive runs and red-zone strikes. Fitzpatrick, who ran for 21 yards on five carries, finished with a season-best 118.9 passer rating.

Brandon Marshall, who had been lost in a sea of double- and triple-teams in recent weeks, caught nine passes for a season-high 131 yards and two touchdowns. He now has more TD receptions (nine) than any other Jets wide receiver since Santana Moss caught 10 in 2003.

And Chris Ivory, who had been slowed by stacked boxes week after week, rushed for 87 yards on 21 carries. His tackle-breaking 31-yard TD was his longest scoring run of the season and his longest since Sept. 7, 2014, against Oakland (71 yards).

Everything came together for the Jets, who picked off Ryan Tannehill once, sacked him three times, set a franchise record by allowing 12 rushing yards on nine carries and limited the Dolphins to a 4-for-15 conversion rate on third down. But for the Jets to make a push toward the playoffs, they'll have to keep piling up wins -- starting this week against the in-stadium rival Giants (5-6).

"Each one of these games . . . they become more and more significant in terms of putting ourselves in position to make the playoffs," said Fitzpatrick, who became the first Jets quarterback since Chad Pennington in 2002 (against Green Bay) to throw four TD passes and no interceptions in a game.

"There's a huge focus on one game at a time, one game at a time, and not getting before ourselves and making sure that we're putting all of our energy and focus into the opponent each week, because all of these games are obviously extremely important to us. There's so many teams that are lumped up right now, within a game of each other, that we've just got to continue to stack wins."

The Jets currently are behind the Chiefs and Texans, both 6-5, in the wild-card hunt. Even though coach Todd Bowles isn't one for scoreboard-watching, he knows his players have postseason thoughts on their minds. And that's OK, he said.

"They're thinking about it, but they know you've got to take it one game at a time," Bowles said. "There's a lot of football left to play. It's good to be playing for something meaningful and have a chance to do something, but we're day-by-day, one game a time. And they understand that."

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THE RECORD

Jets report card: vs. Miami (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 1, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets-report-card-vs-miami-1.1465043

Run offense: B

A large chunk of the production came when the game was decided, but Chris Ivory's 31-yard fourth-quarter TD run was a thing of beauty for devotees of smash-mouth football. He broke five would-be tackles on his way to the end zone. Ivory had a respectable 87 yards on 21 carries, but still hasn't reached the 100-yard mark since Oct. 18 against Washington.

Pass offense: A+

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Ryan Fitzpatrick had his best game as a Jet, throwing for 277 yards and four TD passes with no turnovers. It was only his second full game this season without a turnover. (He threw only five passes at Oakland.) Brandon Marshall dominated Miami CB Brent Grimes, catching nine passes for 131 yards and two TDs on 11 targets. WR Eric Decker had five receptions, including a TD, and rookie Devin Smith broke out of his slump with a leaping 16-yard scoring grab. Fitzpatrick was sacked only once as the offensive line made Ndamukong Suh a non-factor.

Run defense: A+

Miami was held to only 12 yards rushing, the lowest-ever total by a Jets' opponent. Then again, the Dolphins had only nine attempts as they abandoned the run early, choosing not to challenge the Jets' strong defensive line. In two games against the Jets in 2015, Miami totaled 71 yards on the ground.

Pass defense: B+

Yes, Ryan Tannehill threw for 351 yards, but much of that came in garbage time when the Jets were trading completions and yards for clock. More important was the fact that when the game was scoreless and Miami was threatening, CB Marcus Williams made an interception that led to the Jets' first TD drive. The Jets also had three sacks of Tannehill, who was 33-for-58 and made numerous inaccurate throws.

Special teams: A-

Jeremy Kerley's longest punt return of the season, a 58-yarder, positioned the Jets for a 25-yard touchdown drive, and was one of the rare moments this season in which special teams set up a score. P Ryan Quigley had an average day, punting five times for a 37.4-yard net. K Randy Bullock made his only field goal attempt, a 41-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Coaching: A-

Coach Todd Bowles had some clock-management issues late in the first half, but a clock-stopping Miami injury gave the Jets barely enough time to score a TD. Otherwise, it was a great day for Bowles and his staff. Bowles' angry rants to his players, both after the Houston game and a day later, had the desired effect against a weak opponent. Miami canned offensive coordinator Bill Lazor on Monday morning, although maybe defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo should have been fired. Anarumo, promoted from DBs coach after the first loss to the Jets this season, rarely provided Grimes help against Marshall.

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Art Stapleton: Must-win game for Giants, Jets (Art Stapleton) The Record December 1, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/must-win-game-1.1465069

Most history lessons in advance of this Sunday’s Giants-Jets showdown will begin with Victor Cruz catching a football from Eli Manning and racing 99 yards for a touchdown, a Christmas Eve miracle just before halftime four years ago that shaped both franchises going forward.

The Giants rode the momentum to the NFC East title the following week on the way to a Super Bowl XLVI coronation with Manning’s second MVP award and the second Vince Lombardi Trophy for Tom Coughlin.

The Jets failed to reach the postseason after their 29-14 loss to the Giants, and they have not been to the playoffs since, a span that includes the final three seasons of Rex Ryan’s coaching tenure with Gang Green.

In a way, Todd Bowles’ Jets might never have been if not for Coughlin’s Giants.

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"There’s no question it sticks with you," Ryan, now the coach of the Bills, recalled earlier this season. "If you could point at one play that turned not just a game around but maybe a season around … Changed their fortune that season, and it certainly changed ours."

So here we are again, the Giants and Jets, ready to face off with far more at stake than the statue of Snoopy for which they play every August.

The winning team isn’t guaranteed a playoff berth.

The losing team won’t be eliminated, at least not mathematically.

But make no mistake: This essentially is a must-win for both.

Some of the faces have changed. Some have returned.

There is urgency and a bit of desperation. Well, there better be.

And for the two men who will lead their teams onto the field Sunday at 1 p.m., this undoubtedly will represent a big moment for the MetLife Stadium co-tenants as well as Bowles and Coughlin, the way it did for Ryan and Coughlin back in 2011, even though neither coach will admit it publicly.

"The fact that we’re in the same city and the same stadium makes it very interesting for the fan base," Bowles said Monday, hours after the Jets posted a much-needed triumph over the rival Dolphins to stay in the AFC wild-card hunt.

Coughlin had yet to start preparing for the Jets when he spoke with reporters via conference call, his team still smarting from Sunday’s 20-14 defeat to Washington during which it failed miserably to seize control of a divisional race in a maddeningly uninspired performance.

"They won [Sunday]," Coughlin said of the Jets (6-5). "They’re a good football team. We did play them in the preseason, which is a long time ago."

And that brings us back to the history lesson.

What many forget from the 2011 encounter: the Giants were 3-point underdogs.

They had lost five of their previous six coming in and their defense was a weak link, not the one that ended up overwhelming Tom Brady on the sport’s biggest stage six weeks later.

Like the current Giants (5-6), the Super Bowl XLVI champions were embarrassed by rival Washington the week before they played the Jets.

Their pride was questioned. Manning threw three interceptions. There was talk that Coughlin’s time on the sideline might be over.

Sound familiar?

The game that changed everything did not get out to a great start, either, with the Jets dominating much of the first half. The Giants ran 26 offensive plays and gained just 83 yards with as many first downs as three-and-outs (3) prior to Cruz’s heroics.

Ryan promised the Jets would no longer be the Giants’ little brothers and they looked every bit the part of the best team in town until, you know, they weren’t again.

And that brings us back to the present.

As understated as Bowles may appear to be, the fire burns inside when it has to.

Daily Clips Cont.

12 | P a g e

He lit into the Jets after their loss to Houston, and he sent a message last week by releasing former first-round pick Quinton Coples.

Bowles expressed his respect for Coughlin on Monday, saying: "I know he’s a hell of a coach and a hell of a guy."

While this is an opportunity for Bowles to author his first chapter in Giants-Jets lore, Coughlin finds himself in a familiar position with his back to the wall.

If the Giants are unable to defeat the Jets, questions about his future will emerge — again — and debate will rage about whether co-owner and team president John Mara has seen enough of the inconsistency to make a change.

Bowles won’t get another chance at making a first impression on the football landscape around here. Coughlin does not want his lasting impression on a probable road to Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame to lose any of that championship feel with a lackluster finish.

Two coaches, two teams and a lot for which to play as the Giants and Jets get together eyeing the same destination and same result.

History beckons Big Blue and Gang Green yet again.

Another crossroads is upon us.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Facing Giants, Jets Focus on Playoffs, Not Rivalry (Ben Shpigel) New York Times November 30, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/01/sports/football/facing-giants-jets-focus-on-playoffs-not-rivalry.html?ref=football&_r=0

Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick asked center Nick Mangold a crucial question on Monday. He wanted to know what a regular-season game against the Giants was like — if it felt different. So Mangold told him.

“It’s an away game for us, even though it’s at our own stadium,” Mangold said. “The tickets are like every other away team. They’re usually in the upper deck, and we park in the different parking lot.”

No mention of actual football or rivalry between the Jets and Giants. The teams play each other every four years, and no matter how many players shuffle in and out, they tend to view the game the same way. It is critical not because of any heightened intensity or deep, longstanding enmity but because it counts, unlike the annual preseason matchup.

They share a stadium and a city, but not a division or a conference. They are vying for playoff berths, but not with each other. Even when Rex Ryan was at his most mischievous, proclaiming before the Jets’ 29-14 loss four years ago how they would become the best team in the city and then the best in the league, his players did not voice the same sentiment. And under Coach Todd Bowles, they still don’t.

“The more games we win,” Fitzpatrick said in a teleconference Monday, “the more important the next one becomes.”

This next one is important to both teams, who reside on the periphery of the postseason race — the division race, in the Giants’ case — and run the risk of fading into extinction with a loss.

Daily Clips Cont.

13 | P a g e

As the Giants stumbled at Washington to drop to 5-6 and fall out of first place in the N.F.C. East, the Jets thrashed Miami to improve to 6-5 and set up a meaningful slate of December games.

The Jets pummeled the Dolphins so thoroughly, by 38-20 after leading by four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, that for the second time in eight weeks, Miami responded to a loss against the Jets by firing a coach. Instead of the head coach’s losing his job, as Joe Philbin did in October, it was the offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor, whose unit’s ineptitude prompted the interim coach, Dan Campbell, to use words afterward like “fragile” and “anemic.”

All week, Bowles promised a return to basics, but that applied on defense as much as offense. The Jets streamlined their game plan, deployed extra defensive backs to counter the pass and compensated for a decrease in blitzing by awarding more playing time to the edge rushers Mike Catapano and Lorenzo Mauldin, who each played more than half the defensive snaps.

Mauldin sacked Ryan Tannehill and recovered a fumble, while Catapano had a quarterback hit.

In stifling the Dolphins for the first three quarters, the Jets did not miss Darrelle Revis so much as wish he were healthy and available. He remained in the league’s concussion protocol eight days after absorbing a hit to the head in the loss in Houston, jeopardizing his availability for a potential date with the star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Bowles was uncertain whether Revis had begun physical activity.

“He’s making slight progress, but we’ll see how much progress he makes toward the end of the week,” Bowles said.

The Jets can hope with Revis, and they will. Much as they can hope that Fitzpatrick can replicate his performance against Miami the next five games — and, perhaps, beyond. Fitzpatrick played his best game since the last time he trimmed his beard, a six-touchdown masterpiece for the Texans last November.

He approached the Miami game with more patience, he said, and made throws that he was comfortable with. Four of those throws produced touchdowns, and none resulted in an interception.

It was Fitzpatrick’s 100th career start, his father reminded him in a text message Sunday morning, and he savored the significance of the achievement: seventh-round draft pick, barely recruited to play in college, who has endured six teams and 11 seasons. After all that, he has his best chance yet to appear in the playoffs.

“We know we’re still in it,” Fitzpatrick said. “We also know that there’s not a lot of room for error.”

EXTRA POINTS

Todd Bowles said cornerback Marcus Williams, who started for Darrelle Revis but left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, had sprained a medial collateral ligament but could still play against the Giants.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Jets' Darrelle Revis still in concussion protocol, with Odell Beckham looming (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York November 30, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/56614/darrelle-revis-still-in-concussion-protocol-with-odell-beckham-looming

The New York Jets could have an Odell Beckham Jr. problem this week.

Daily Clips Cont.

14 | P a g e

Eight days after suffering a head injury, star cornerback Darrelle Revis remains in the NFL's concussion protocol, making his status uncertain for Sunday's huge game against the New York Giants. Coach Todd Bowles didn't give an upbeat report on Revis.

"He's making slight progress, but we'll see how much progress he makes toward the end of the week," Bowles said Monday.

Asked if Revis has resumed physical activity, Bowles said, "Not yet. I thought he did a little bit (Monday), but I'm not sure how much, though."

It probably wasn't much, though. There was no practice, as the team was given a day off after beating the Miami Dolphins. Revis didn't practice last week. In fact, he didn't attend meetings. He was sent home each morning by the team doctor.

Marcus Williams, who started for Revis, is day-to-day with a sprained MCL. There's a chance he could play Sunday, but you have to figure he'd be at less than 100 percent. The next man up would be nickel back Buster Skrine or Darrin Walls. Bowles also mentioned Dexter McDougle and Dee Milliner as options, but they appear to be remote possibilities.

If Revis is healthy, he'd likely be assigned to cover Beckham, making one of the marquee matchups of the NFL season. Antonio Cromartie, the other starter, said it wouldn't be cause for panic if Revis misses a second straight game.

"I feel like we have the depth we haven't had in New York for a while," he said.

Against the Dolphins, the Jets allowed 351 passing yards and three touchdowns, although a good chunk of that was concession yardage in the fourth quarter.

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Jets' Antonio Cromartie says Odell Beckham has 'a lot of room to grow' (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York November 30, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/56623/jets-antonio-cromartie-says-odell-beckham-has-a-lot-of-room-to-grow

A couple of months ago, Antonio Cromartie made headlines by calling Odell Beckham Jr. a "one-year wonder." He wasn't trying to be critical; Cromartie was just saying he wanted to see more from the New York Giants' young wide receiver before proclaiming him The Next Great Thing.

Now here we are, the week of the big game, the Giants against the New York Jets. On Monday, Cromartie was reminded of his "one-year-wonder" quote. The veteran cornerback didn't back down from his original statement; he found a politically correct way of saying Beckham still has a ways to go.

"I still feel like there's still so much room for him to grow," Cromartie said. "He's a young, athletic guy that can go out and make plays, and make unbelievable catches. He's proven that over and over."

"He does have a lot of room to grow, because he's so young," he added. "He's only in his second year, so he only can evolve in that offense. Being around the guys, like Eli Manning, (can) make him evolve more. Yes, he has a lot of room to grow, to be the guy that everyone knows he can be."

Beckham has evolved rather nicely in a short time. Still only 23, he has 163 catches for 2,310 yards and 21 touchdowns in 23 career games. Room to grow? If he gets any better, they'll have to start his Hall of Fame bust.

Daily Clips Cont.

15 | P a g e

"He hasn't changed from last year," Jets coach Todd Bowles said. "He's a great receiver, he makes great catches, good route runner, quick off the ball, tough-minded. He's got everything you want in a receiver."

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NEW YORK POST

Jets’ defensive shakeup offers playoff hope — or fool’s gold? (Brian Costello) New York Post November 30, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/11/30/jets-defensive-shakeup-offers-playoff-hope-or-fools-gold/

The Jets played their best game in more than a month and beat up the Dolphins 38-20 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:

1. It’s amazing what one win can do for a team. The Jets’ postgame locker room was giddy, and there was talk about this being a playoff team. Though it is true they are in the thick of playoff contention because mediocrity rules the NFL, the Jets still have a lot to prove before January.

Beating up on the hapless Dolphins should not make anyone start booking hotel rooms for the playoffs. The Jets own the Dolphins this year, beating them by a combined score of 65-34 in the two matchups. The Dolphins fired offensive coordinator Bill Lazor on Monday after Miami ran for 12 yards against the Jets. They fired head coach Joe Philbin after the first game with the Jets in October. If you’re a Dolphins coach, you don’t want to even think about the Jets.

It was a positive step for the Jets, playing their best football since losing to the Patriots five weeks ago, but all of their problems are not solved. The offense still started off slow. It felt like the Jets should be winning by a lot more than 14-0 at halftime, but drives stalled and the team did not get off to the fast start offensively it had hoped for even as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Brandon Marshall returned to their early-season form.

Now the Jets need to maintain this level of play. That has been a challenge. The Jets have won consecutive games twice this season only to lose the third game. The franchise has not won three games in a row since 2011, and you have to go back to 2010 for the last four-game streak.

If this team really is going to make the playoffs, they need a December winning streak. You figure 4-1 gets them to 10-6 and that will be enough for a wild-card berth. But one win over a bad Miami team should not convince anyone the Jets are capable of winning four of their final five games.

2. There was a lot of attention given to Todd Bowles’ motivational speeches last week, but he also made some interesting strategic changes on defense. In an effort to get more speed on the field, Bowles put rookie Lorenzo Mauldin and newcomer Mike Catapano on the outside on passing downs, moving Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson inside. Bowles said he wanted to get faster on the outside when the team waived Quinton Coples last week. It worked pretty well. Mauldin had a sack and Catapano hit Ryan Tannehill once. Beyond the stats, though, the Jets looked like they had a decent pass rush for the first time in a while.

An edge rusher is going to be high on the priority list for general manager Mike Maccagnan this offseason, but it was good to see Bowles get creative trying to figure out a way to create one with the personnel he has.

Daily Clips Cont.

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One side effect of this move was a reduction in playing time for rookie Leonard Williams. He was off the field on passing downs. Williams has had a solid rookie season and even may win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he has not been the pass rusher the Jets expected. He only has a half-sack this season.

The other change on defense was a rotation at inside linebacker. Demario Davis has been playing nearly every snap on defense for the past three years. On Sunday, he played just 35 of 72 snaps (49 percent) as he and Erin Henderson rotated series. Davis, who is in a contract year, has struggled in coverage this season. Bowles said Henderson earned the playing time, but it is also a commentary on what the coaches think of Davis.

3. Dee Milliner did not play a defensive snap against the Dolphins, and has yet to play one since coming off the short-term IR list three weeks ago. Bowles was asked about Milliner’s lack of playing time and said there was no reason for it. Milliner was inactive last week against the Texans after missing two days of practice with an illness. That means the No. 9 overall pick in 2013 was active for two games, but did not play a snap and was inactive for the other. That is amazing.

Here is whom Milliner is behind on the depth chart: Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Marcus Williams, Darrin Walls and Dexter McDougle. He has missed a lot of time because of injuries, but if he was talented enough to be the No. 9 overall pick, how can he be this buried on the depth chart?

You might think Milliner will be cut this offseason, but his $2 million salary for 2016 is guaranteed, so the smart money says he will be back. The question then may be: Can Bowles get anything out of him?

4. It is not all bad news for Jets first-round picks. Calvin Pryor, the 2014 first-rounder, is continuing his breakout season. His hit on Rishard Matthews on the Dolphins’ first series energized the defense and sent a message to any receivers coming across the middle. He made a few other nice plays and has proven to be the Jets’ most sure tackler in the secondary.

Pryor took some lumps as a rookie, but he has shown the ability this season the Jets saw when they drafted him.

Revealing number: The Dolphins averaged 1.3 yards per rushing play. The Jets completely stopped the Miami run game and took them out of it. The Dolphins rushed for 12 yards on nine carries, a new franchise record low for the Jets.

Surprising snap count: Catapano was signed off the practice squad the day before the Texans game two weeks ago. He played a little against Houston, but on Sunday he played 41 snaps (57 percent) as the Jets tried to get faster on the outside. Catapano is from Long Island and played at Princeton. He has one career sack, coming in 2013 with the Chiefs.

Game ball: Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes is going to be seeing Brandon Marshall in his sleep. The Jets receiver abused Grimes to the tune of nine catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall played his best game as a Jet and showed what he can do when he gets single coverage.

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Giants-Jets is desperate must-win for both — even if it isn’t (Steve Serby) New York Post November 30, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/11/30/giants-jets-is-desperate-must-win-for-both-even-if-it-isnt/

There is only one way for the Giants and Jets to view the place where the stakes for both of them Sunday will be as high as Odell Beckham Jr. can fly, as high as Darrelle Revis’ accountants can count:

MetLife-And-Death Stadium.

Daily Clips Cont.

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The winner isn’t guaranteed a playoff berth. The loser isn’t guaranteed playoff elimination.

But neither team can afford to think like that now, as the calendar turns to December.

Must-win for the Giants.

Must-win for the Jets.

Because both owe their respective fan bases more than what they’ve given them lately. Both owe their respective fan bases better than another cruel tease.

The 5-6 Giants have missed the playoffs three years in a row.

The 6-5 Jets have missed the playoffs four years in a row.

The stakes couldn’t be higher unless this was the first New York-New York Super Bowl.

There is more at stake for the Giants here, even if the Jets have spent the last 46 years wandering through the desert of despair desperately seeking that second Super Bowl championship, because if they suffer another second-half collapse, the Tom Coughlin Era is likely doomed to come to a sad and regrettable conclusion.

It is no way for a Hall of Fame coach to go out, and if the Giants players care for him as much as they profess to, they will get their heads out of their Big Blue butts and rally around him and save him from the Grim Reaper while they save themselves and their season.

They should be ashamed of themselves if they can’t find a way to win this NFC Least, which is their only road to the postseason.

The Patriots are the roadblock that forces the Todd Bowles Jets to squeak in as a wild-card team, and the field is crowded.

Bowles may be a rookie head coach, and Mike Maccagnan may be a rookie GM, but this is a win-now team with a core of 30-somethings. And you only get one chance to make a first impression on the New York football landscape, and a loud statement that you are no one’s little brother.

-game season for the Jets includes a date with the 10-1 Patriots.

All the more reason for the Giants and Jets to approach this as a one-game season at MetLife-And-Death Stadium.

“I feel like when we’re on, we’re on, and when we’re off, we’re off,” Giants corner Prince Amukamara said.

This is not the time to be off.

“This is the next game, and it’s an important one, not just ’cause it’s Giants versus Jets, and both teams share a stadium in the same city and everything, but it’s important because of what it means for our playoff hunt,” Giants QB Eli Manning said.

This has been a season of turbulent thunderbolts for both teams: Jason Pierre-Paul on July 4 … Geno Smith getting knocked out of the starting job … Victor Cruz failing in his comeback bid … Sheldon Richardson serving his four-game suspension.

None of it matters now.

What matters now is now.

“We know we’re still in it, we also know there’s not a lot of room for error,” Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said.

Daily Clips Cont.

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Manning gives the Giants the edge at the most important position on the field. Beckham can break the game open the way Cruz did against Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie on Christmas Eve 2011. Revis was guaranteed $39 million to stop otherworldly young stars like Beckham, the biggest Jets guarantee since Broadway Joe’s before Super Bowl III, but he remains in the concussion protocol.

“He’s making slight progress,” Bowles said Monday.

If it’s Marcus Williams (knee) or Darrin Walls instead, we might as well call Manning’s offense Throwdell.

The stakes are high for the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick. He has never played in a playoff game.

“Already plenty of chatter around the community,” Fitzpatrick said, “and with different people that I know that are either Jets or Giants fans, it’s gonna be a great atmosphere that I’m looking forward to.”

They call the Giants-Jets preseason game the Snoopy Bowl.

This one is their Snooper Bowl.

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Beckham vs. Revis? How Jets will shuffle if epic face-off fades (Brian Costello) New York Post November 30, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/11/30/beckham-vs-revis-how-jets-will-shuffle-if-epic-face-off-fades/

The battle within the battle this week is Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis versus Giants’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but like many big-time boxing matches this one might not happen.

Revis remained in the concussion protocol Monday, eight days after suffering a concussion against the Texans. Coach Todd Bowles did not give a very sunny outlook when asked about Revis on a conference call Monday.

“He’s making slight progress, but we’ll see how much progress he makes toward the end of the week,” Bowles said.

Revis did do some physical activity, Bowles said, but he was unsure how much he was able to do.

If Revis cannot play Sunday, the Jets could have a major problem on their hands. Beckham made another acrobatic catch in Sunday’s loss to the Giants and has 72 catches for 1,005 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Making matters worse for the Jets, backup cornerback Marcus Williams, who started in place of Revis against the Dolphins, suffered a sprained MCL in one of his knees on Sunday and may miss the game.

“We’ve got enough guys to fill in and play,” Bowles said.

How does Darrin Walls versus Beckham move you?

The Jets could move No. 2 cornerback Antonio Cromartie onto Beckham, but that should give any Jets fan the chills after the type of season Cromartie has had.

Last month, Cromartie called Beckham a “one-year wonder” on ESPN. On Monday, Cromartie was asked if his opinion had changed.

“I think he has a lot of room to grow to be the guy that everybody knows that he can be,” Cromartie said.

That may sound like a slight, but it sounded like Cromartie was just saying Beckham has a ton of potential to get even better.

Daily Clips Cont.

19 | P a g e

“He’s a young, athletic guy that can go out and make plays and make unbelievable catches,” Cromartie said. “He’s proven that over and over. I think the biggest thing, for me, he does have a lot of room to grow because he’s so young, he’s only in his second year.”

Cromartie said he does not think the secondary will have a major drop-off if Revis does not play because of how deep the Jets are at cornerback. Buster Skrine, Dexter McDougle and Dee Milliner are other cornerbacks who could see action.

“It’s something I feel like we haven’t had in New York for a while,” Cromartie said. “We have the depth to go out and just play football, have fun and make the plays we need to go out and make.”

It would be a disappointment if Revis can’t play Sunday. Revis and Beckham faced off this summer in the preseason with Beckham catching five passes for 31 yards, not all against Revis. His best highlight was a one-handed grab over Revis that was ruled an incompletion because he was out of bounds.

“Everybody knows that or everyone should know that Odell’s athletic ability, playmaking ability is second to none in this league,” Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “Everyone knows that he’s one of the best and he’s a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare. But I think this is going to be a good matchup with him. We saw a little bit with him and Revis in the preseason. I don’t know if Revis played yesterday, but if he does, I’m sure Revis is going to shadow him and follow him around and it’s going to be a great matchup. Revis doesn’t look like he’s been slowing down any either.”

Apparently, Amukamara has not been checking Twitter. Revis’ last outing was a rough one with Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins catching a 61-yard touchdown against him, making many question whether Revis has lost a step. A matchup with Beckham would be a shot at redemption.

“I don’t know about their scheme, but I think there’s a chance Revis could follow Odell around the field and be matched up with him,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. “We’ll have to see what routes we want him running and we’ll put him in a position to win some one-on-one matchups. We’ll see what their game plan is and see how it plays out. For me, it’s not about Odell versus Revis, it’s about our offense versus the Jets’ defense, and us moving the ball, finding completions, and not trying to win individual battles.”

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Jets’ Bowles comes to Pryor’s defense after ‘classless’ gripe (Brian Costello) New York Post November 30, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/11/30/jets-bowles-comes-to-pryors-defense-after-classless-gripe/

Coach Todd Bowles stood up for safety Calvin Pryor on Monday.

Pryor drew the ire of Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill for celebrating a big hit on Miami wide receiver Rishard Matthews in Sunday’s first quarter. Matthews was injured on the play, and Tannehill called the celebration “classless.”

“It was the heat of the moment. Calvin wasn’t celebrating the injury,” Bowles said. “He was celebrating a big play. He didn’t know how bad the guy was hurt, didn’t think he was hurt and he was just celebrating. It was just a miscommunication.”

Matthews did not return to the game. He has broken ribs, according to an NFL Network report. Pryor fired back at Tannehill on Twitter Sunday night, blaming Tannehill for throwing a poor pass that led to the hit.

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Cornerback Antonio Cromartie said the Jets celebrated because of how big of a hit it was.

“I think the biggest thing we were celebrating as a team and as a unit because of what kind of hit it was. It was a big hit,” Cromartie said. “It kind of set the tone early on for the game. We don’t wish any injury on anybody.”

Sunday was the 100th start of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s career. The Jets quarterback was reminded of it before the game in a text from his father. Fitzpatrick said it was significant to him.

“That was cool for me. That’s a neat thing when my career is over with,” Fitzpatrick said. “I wanted to keep the ball at the end of the game and throw that one in the trophy case because being a seventh-round pick, being a guy who really wasn’t recruited to play college football, all that stuff, it’s been a pretty cool ride.”

Fitzpatrick made the day memorable with four touchdown passes.

Cromartie is one of the few Jets players who was on the team for the last regular-season meeting with the Giants. What does Cromartie remember about the 29-14 Jets loss on Christmas Eve in 2011?

“Nothing, to be honest with you. We lost the game,” he said Monday.

OK. How about the 99-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz?

“No because I wasn’t covering him,” he said. “That play won’t ever stand out for me. It’s a play that’s over and done with. It’s four years old. That won’t stick with me at all.”

But you were in the area to tackle Cruz?

“I came off my guy to try to help Kyle Wilson on the tackle,” Cromartie said. “I missed the tackle, he went 99 yards. For me to look at it as something to harp on, believe me that’s something I’ve never lost sleep over.”

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Jets’ play still doesn’t match their playoff-happy mouths (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post November 30, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/11/30/jets-play-still-doesnt-match-their-playoff-happy-mouths/

The mood inside the winning locker room was ebullient — as it should have been.

The Jets were basking in the glow of their 38-20 domination of the Dolphins Sunday at MetLife Stadium. And why shouldn’t they have been? They deserved an exhale moment of joy. They had lost their last two games and four of their previous five.

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21 | P a g e

It was not long after the win, though, that you started hearing the “P’’ word coming from some of the Jets players.

Playoffs.

The Jets believe they are a playoff team. Do you?

The Jets have now entered the “show-us’’ portion of their schedule.

Show us you’re a playoff team. Go beat the Giants on Sunday, win two games in a row, get to 7-5 and show us you truly are ready to make a run at a first playoff berth since 2010.

Show us that four-of-five slide was an aberration, a month-long blip in an otherwise successful season.

The 6-5 Jets, as they stand right now, are not in the playoffs. They are, however, in the thick of the wild-card mix, which is more of a statement to how mediocre the league is this year than it is to how good the Jets are at the moment.

But the win over the Dolphins did significantly change the outlook to the Jets’ season — at least outside of their Florham Park, N.J., facility, anyway.

The Jets were not being taken very seriously as a legitimate playoff threat entering the Miami game. They changed that perception — if ever so slightly — with the win over the Dolphins.

Not to be a downer, but to add perspective: The Jets have one win over a team with a winning record (the 6-5 Colts) and they just beat up on a Dolphins team they hammered almost two months ago in London. So we know the Jets are a lot better than the Dolphins.

But do we know they’re better than the Giants (5-6), Titans (2-9), Cowboys (3-8), Patriots (10-1) and Bills (5-6) — the opponents remaining on their schedule?

We know they’re not better than the Patriots. So scratch that. But the Jets had better be better than at least three of the other four teams otherwise that playoff talk emanating from their locker room will turn out to be an empty bag of hot air.

“I definitely think we’re a playoff team,’’ cornerback Buster Skrine said after the Miami game.

From across the room, receiver Brandon Marshall said: “I think we are a playoff team. It takes a lot of time, a lot of chemistry. So you’re seeing a lot of ups and downs, but we also know that we’re capable of getting the job done. The mission now is to maintain the momentum that we created today, and just be consistent.”

Show us.

Show us that the defensive effort that stymied the Miami offense so badly the Dolphins fired their offensive coordinator on the flight back to South Florida after the game, was not simply a decent defense taking advantage of a dysfunctional offense.

Keep Odell Beckham Jr. from beating you Sunday the way Victor Cruz did in 2011, the last time the Jets and Giants played each other in the regular season. The Jets were 8-6 and in the playoff chase entering that game, in which Cruz’s 99-yard catch-and-run touchdown put a dagger through the Jets’ hearts, effectively ending their playoff hopes.

For the Giants, the win propelled them to a Super Bowl title.

There are only nine players remaining on the current Jets roster who played in that game. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie is one of them, though he insisted on Monday he doesn’t have much recollection of that game.

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22 | P a g e

Asked what he remembers, Cromartie said, “Nothing, to be honest with you,’’ which did not sound like a very honest answer.

“We lost the game.’’

At least he remembered that.

The Jets cannot afford to lose more than another game, maybe two. Nothing worse than 9-7 is getting into the playoffs and 10-6 will likely be needed.

“We know we’re still in it,’’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said Monday. “We also know there’s not a lot of room for error. Each one of these games, as we continue to win, they become more and more significant in terms of putting ourselves in position to make the playoffs.

“I’m glad that we got back to playing our brand of football [Sunday], but I don’t think the confidence has wavered at all this year in terms of the team that we think that we have.’’

Show us.

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The Giants’ perfect CB and style to shut down Brandon Marshall (Bart Hubbuch) New York Post November 30, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/11/30/the-giants-perfect-cb-and-style-to-shut-down-brandon-marshall/

Each day this week, The Post will break down a key one-on-one battle in Sunday’s Jets-Giants showdown at MetLife Stadium.

The bios

Brandon Marshall

A five-time Pro Bowl selection and former first-team All-Pro selection, Marshall is the Jets’ No. 1 receiver and their most productive offseason acquisition. He leads the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, and Marshall’s 13.1-yard average per catch is his best since he averaged 15.0 yards with the Dolphins in 2011.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Like Marshall, Rodgers-Cromartie is well-traveled (the Giants are his fourth team in eight NFL seasons) but one of the league’s top talents at his position. Although he missed a game with a concussion, DRC has been the most reliable player in a secondary otherwise riddled by injury this season — his second as a member of Big Blue. He also is a cousin of Jets corner Antonio Cromartie.

The numbers

Marshall: 6-foot-4, 229 pounds, 31 years old, 10th NFL season

Rodgers-Cromartie: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds, 29 years old, eighth NFL season

2015 stats

Marshall: 11 games, 71 catches, 931 yards, 9 TDs

Rodgers-Cromartie: 10 games, 3 interceptions, 7 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 2 turnovers returned for a touchdown, 41 total tackles

The history

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Despite their careers overlapping for the past eight years, Marshall and Rodgers-Cromartie have only faced each other once in the regular season — a 26-10 victory by the Eagles over the Dolphins on Dec. 11, 2011. Marshall caught four passes for 27 yards and Miami’s only TD that day, while Rodgers-Cromartie was credited with three tackles.

The breakdown

When healthy and focused, Marshall is a nightmare matchup even for tall cornerbacks because of his long arms, excellent leaping skills and willingness to fight for the ball in traffic. He’s also very physical once he has the ball, resulting in 259 yards after the catch this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

But Marshall’s hands historically haven’t been the most reliable, as witnessed by his eight drops in 11 games this season and 29 drops the past three seasons combined. Marshall also has a tendency to disappear for long stretches or fall into mental funks when a game isn’t going well.

Rodgers-Cromartie isn’t as tall or as big as Marshall, but the Giants still have to like their chances of succeeding with this matchup because DRC is long, aggressive and athletic, so Marshall shouldn’t be able to simply out-muscle him.

DRC’s usual coverage style under Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been man-to-man but without pressing at the line of scrimmage — “off-man,” as it is known.

This style is ideally suited for playing big, physical receivers like Marshall because the receiver doesn’t have the chance to throw the corner off his game at the snap. Rodgers-Cromartie also has the quickness to jump short routes when opponents try to take advantage of “off” coverage at the line, as well as the speed and recovery skills to prevent receivers from simply blowing past him.

DRC has fared relatively well against big receivers like Marshall this season, particularly in the opener when he held Dez Bryant to five catches for 48 yards. Although the 49ers’ Anquan Boldin — another physical wideout — had eight receptions for 107 yards and a score in Week 5, those days have been rare for Rodgers-Cromartie this season.

Marshall could still end up having a big afternoon, but he will have to work for it.

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Odell Beckham Jr.: If Darrelle Revis can't play, do Jets have a prayer of covering Giants star? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/if_darrelle_revis_cant_play_do_jets_stand_any_chan.html#incart_river_index

EAST RUTHERFORD — The Jets' defense was disruptive again Sunday, in a 38-20 win over the Dolphins.

The Jets intercepted quarterback Ryan Tannehill once and had a strip sack. The Jets, now 6-5, are 6-0 when they have two or more takeaways this year, and 0-5 when they have one takeaway or fewer.

What does this all mean for next Sunday's game at the Giants?

Well, it won't mean a whole lot if the Jets can't cover Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants' star wide receiver.

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He made yet another absurd catch Sunday in Washington, 21 yards for a touchdown. He's averaging 120 receiving yards over his past four games, with five touchdown catches. He appears close to impossible to shut down right now.

Entering this season, Jets-Giants looked like a fascinating matchup between Beckham and Darrelle Revis, the Jets' top cornerback. But Revis might not be able to play next week, because of a concussion that sidelined him Sunday.

Revis got hurt a week earlier in Houston, and it's not yet clear if he'll be available to face the Giants. Against the Dolphins, Revis' replacement, Marcus Williams, sprained his knee — after making his fifth pick of the year — and didn't return.

So if Revis is out, how will Jets coach Todd Bowles try to cover Beckham? Perhaps by playing more zone coverage than normal? Or might Bowles let his other starting corner, Antonio Cromartie, take Beckham one-on-one?

"We'll see," Cromartie said. "If that's the plan that coach Todd brings in, then that's the plan."

Last month, Cromartie criticized Beckham as a "one-year wonder." In August, Revis raved about Beckham, who returned the compliments. Jets middle linebacker David Harris said back then that Beckham would have to deal with a significant increase in defensive attention this season, his second in the NFL.

These comments all happened leading up to Jets-Giants in the preseason, when Beckham made an insane catch over Revis that didn't count because he didn't land inbounds.

After Williams exited Sunday, Bowles moved slot cornerback Buster Skrine to the outside corner spot in the Jets' base defense. When the Jets went to their nickel package, with five defensive backs, Skrine played in the slot and Darrin Walls played outside.

If Revis and Williams can't play against the Giants, Skrine expects Bowles will "probably" use the same cornerback deployment, with him and Walls, that the coach opted for against the Dolphins after Williams got hurt.

"Beckham is a great receiver," Skrine said. "I give him all the credit, but at the same time, we're getting paid to cover him. I feel like everybody is getting paid, so everybody can do their job, to be able to cover him."

Though the Giants lost 20-14 at Washington on Sunday, to fall to 5-6, Beckham was fantastic again: nine catches (on 18 targets) for 142 yards and a touchdown. In his previous three games, he had 104, 105, and 130 yards, with four touchdowns. So he is playing his best football entering December.

Which could mean trouble for the Jets if Revis can't play Sunday.

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Latest on injuries to Jets' Marcus Williams, Calvin Pace (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/latest_on_injuries_to_jets_marcus_williams_calvin.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

EAST RUTHERFORD — The Jets sustained a pair of injuries during Sunday's 38-20 victory against the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium:

• Cornerback Marcus Williams, who started in place of the previously injured Darrelle Revis, left the game in the first quarter with a sprained knee.

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• Outside linebacker Calvin Pace sustained an abdominal strain.

Head coach Todd Bowles aid afterward that both Williams and Pace would be day to day.

Williams was injured just after he picked off Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the first quarter. It was his team-leading fifth interception of the season.

Williams is typically the Jets' dime corner, but he got the start because Revis was out with a concussion sustained in last week's loss at the Texans.

The Jets, who played a lot of nickel against the Dolphins, replaced Williams with Darrin Walls, though nickel corner Buster Skrine played on the outside in Williams' place when the Jets were in their base defense.

When the Jets played their dime package, which they did frequently on third down, cornerback Dexter McDougle was their extra defensive back. Dee Milliner, their 2013 first-round pick, did not play.

"No reason," was all head coach Todd Bowles would say about why Milliner did not play.

At outside linebacker, the Jets used Mike Catapano and rookie Lorenzo Mauldin on a number of third downs. Bowles said he did that to give the Jets some pass-rushing speed off the edge.

The Jets sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill three times and hit him on eight occasions.

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Why Jets' Brandon Marshall torched Miami Dolphins' Brent Grimes again (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media November 20, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/why_jets_brandon_marshall_torched_miami_dolphins_b.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

EAST RUTHERFORD — Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall had his biggest game, statistically, as a member of the organization Sunday.

Marshall, in his first season with the Jets, caught nine passes (on 11 targets) for 131 yards and two touchdowns, as the Jets beat the Dolphins 38-20.

It was Marshall's first multiple-touchdown game with the Jets. His yardage total was a season high, by 3 yards.

Once again, Marshall did significant damage against a cornerback he admires, the Dolphins' Brent Grimes. Opponents had successfully limited Marshall this season by rolling coverage toward him, but the Dolphins opted for Grimes in single coverage. It didn't work out.

"They did it last week," Marshall said of the Texans single covering him, in a Jets loss. "We just didn't take advantage of it. We just have to continue to do that, take advantage of the one-on-one matchups. It doesn't mean it just comes to me."

But, Marshall added, "I get paid a lot of money to make plays, and I feel like if I just do my job, it may be the difference."

In Houston, Marshall was targeted 10 times and had five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. But the Jets were able to exploit the Marshall vs. Grimes matchup often Sunday.

Marshall's first touchdown was a 17-yarder on which he ran past Grimes, in one-on-one coverage, out of the slot.

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26 | P a g e

Later, in the third quarter, the Dolphins again put Grimes in single coverage against Marshall. And again, Marshall made Miami pay, with a 47-yard deep ball catch, after he lined up on the outside, where he usually aligns.

Marshall's second touchdown grab, a 3-yarder in the fourth quarter, was a jump ball over Grimes, who is 5-foot-10 (six inches shorter than Marshall), and had no chance. Marshall had also lined up outside on this play, with Grimes in — you guessed it — one-on-one coverage.

Marshall abused Grimes in the first Jets-Dolphins game this season, in London, before Grimes left the game with a knee injury. In that game, the Jets targeted Marshall three times when Grimes covered him, according to Pro Football Focus. Marshall caught all three balls, for 89 yards, with a long of 58.

"Brent Grimes is a hell of a corner," Marshall said Sunday, after making Grimes look like anything but that. "I've been saying for the past couple of years, if I was a GM, the first corner I'm taking is Darrelle Revis and the second is Brent Grimes.

"I think highly of him. We just saw some things on film. I just ran things [so that] all my routes today looked the same. It was tough for anybody who was going to be out there, because we saw tendencies."

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Jets' Sheldon Richardson: 'I'm not a butt patter' (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/jets_sheldon_richardson_im_not_a_butt_patter.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

EAST RUTHERFORD — With 4:51 remaining in Sunday's game, Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill and stripped the ball out of his hands. Outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin recovered — an exclamation point on the Jets' 38-20 victory.

Richardson, who turned 25 on Sunday, was understandably excited about the play. It looked like he briefly said something to Tannehill after the sack, and might've given him a friendly pat on the butt.

A reporter, who might have remembered the moment incorrectly, mentioned this to Richardson after the game, in the context of a question about what he said to Tannehill. Richardson promptly corrected the reporter on two points.

One, Richardson actually said nothing to Tannehill after this particular play.

And two, well, let's just let Richardson explain.

"I don't think I patted him on the butt," Richardson said. "I'm not the butt patter. I might've helped him ... I didn't help him up, but I kind of walked off, and celebrated a little bit. Not too much."

An assembled group of reporters got a good laugh out of this Richardson line. Anyway, maybe it was Mauldin who did the butt patting?

"Probably was Zo," Richardson said. "It wasn't me. I'm not a butt patter. I'm more of a helmet smacker. Not a butt patter."

For the sake of accuracy, a video replay shows that neither player gave Tannehill a friendly pat on the butt. So there you have it.

The reporter (yours truly) had seemingly confused this with a moment earlier in the game. But the mixup did result in that amusing quote from Richardson.

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In terms of actual football stuff, the Jets blitzed the Dolphins less often Sunday than in the teams' first meeting, back in Week 4. The reason for that?

"I'm back," Richardson said. "I want to take some credit for that, hopefully."

Jets-Dolphins in Week 4 was the last week of Richardson's four-game marijuana suspension. The Jets' defense is certainly different with him on the field, even though there aren't any celebratory butt pats going around.

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Jets report card, as they stay in playoff hunt with win over Miami Dolphins (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/jets_report_card_as_they_stay_in_playoff_hunt_with.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

The Jets on Sunday snapped a two-game losing streak, and got out of a 1-4 slide, by beating the Dolphins in impressive fashion, 38-20.

With five games remaining, the Jets are 6-5, and very much in contention for one of the AFC's two wild card spots.

Let's grade how the Jets did against Miami. It was probably the Jets' most well-rounded victory of the season.

Offense: It's hard to imagine a more complete performance. And the Jets badly needed it. They scored five touchdowns, including four touchdown passes by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He didn't throw an interception, after having four in the previous two games combined. He passed for 277 yards. A marvelous game from Fitzpatrick, whose 118.9 rating was unsurprisingly his best of the season. All four of his touchdown passes came on red zone drives, as the Jets went 4 of 5 with scoring touchdowns in the red zone. The Jets entered Sunday with the NFL's top-ranked red zone offense. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall is a big reason for that. On Sunday, he had a season-best 131 yards and two touchdowns. Six of his nine touchdown catches this season have come in the red zone. That's why the Jets traded for him. The Jets on Sunday gained 411 yards, their third-most of the season. They scored a season-best 38 points. All this after they gained 267 and 290 yards in their previous two games. Those are their lowest yardage totals of the season. Oh, and Chris Ivory ran for 87 yards (4.1 per carry), and that bulldozing 31-yard touchdown run. Every part of the Jets' offense was clicking.

Grade: A

Defense: The Dolphins scored a couple late touchdowns, but the game was really over when the Jets went up 35-7 with 9:29 remaining. At that point, the Dolphins had gained just 187 yards. They wound up with 333. The Jets had two takeaways — an interception of Ryan Tannehill and a strip sack. Those led to 10 points. The Jets limited Miami to 12 rushing yards on nine carries. Never before in franchise history had the Jets allowed this few rushing yards. The Dolphins ran the ball just twice for 4 yards in the second half. In the first Jets-Dolphins game this season, the Dolphins went 0 for 12 on third downs. They started Sunday's game 0 for 8. Miami finished 4 for 15 on third downs. That's still better than the Jets' third-down defense from last week in Houston: 7 for 18.

Grade: A-

Special teams: No major mistakes, and the Jets actually had a big punt return. Imagine that. In the third quarter, Jeremy Kerley returned a punt 58 yards, to the Dolphins' 25-yard line, which led to a short

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touchdown drive that put the Jets up 21-0. That Kerley return was a large play in the game. And it probably stands up as the Jets' most positive special teams play of the season. Randy Bullock made his only field goal attempt Sunday, from 41 yards. He's now 3 for 3 with the Jets.

Grade: A-

Coaching: Credit to head coach Todd Bowles for keeping his team together amid a 1-4 slide. The Jets haven't clinched a playoff spot yet. Far from it. But they're still in the mix entering December because they didn't fold up and lose to a bad Dolphins team at home. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey did a nice job of exploiting Miami's consistent one-on-one coverage against Marshall. Defensively, Bowles didn't blitz the Dolphins nearly as much as he did in the teams' first meeting this season. Instead, Bowles decided to play more coverage. And it worked, as the Jets sacked Tannehill three times and picked him off once.

Grade: A-

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Where are Jets in AFC playoff race after beating Miami Dolphins? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/where_are_jets_in_afc_playoff_race_after_beating_m.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

The Jets, losers of four of five, bounced back—at least this week—with a 38-20 throttling of the Dolphins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

The victory snapped the Jets out of their midseason funk, but it also kept them firmly in the race for one of the AFC's two wild-card spots.

"I think we are a playoff team," wideout Brandon Marshall said after the game.

But as things now stand, after Week 12, with five games to play, the Jets are just barely on the outside looking in.

Five AFC teams—Colts, Chiefs, Texans, Jets, Steelers—are now 6-5. And here's how they all shake out as of Monday, Nov. 30:

• The Colts own the tiebreaker over the Texans for first place in the AFC South by virtue of their 27-20 victory in Week 5. The teams meet again in Week 15 in Indianapolis.

• Among the Chiefs, Texans, Jets, and Steelers, the Chiefs right now would win the tiebreaker for the first wild-card spot because of their 5-2 record within the conference.

• Among the Texans, Jets, and Steelers, the Texans would right now would have the second wild-card spot. Both the Texans (4-3) and the Jets (5-4) are one game above .500 against the AFC, which gives them the advantage over the Steelers (3-4). But the Texans would win out over the Jets because they beat them in Week 11.

The Jets, then, would be the first team out. But there are still five games to play. And the Jets need to keep winning, for more than obvious reasons. The two teams directly behind the Steelers in the wild-card standings are the 5-6 Raiders and Bills, and both would win head-to-head tiebreakers against the Jets because they've beaten them this season.

The good news for the Jets? The Chiefs and Raiders still have to play twice; the Texans' next three games are at the Bills, Patriots at home, and at the Colts; and the Steelers' next three are home to the Colts, at

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the Bengals, and home to the Broncos. The Jets also have a win in hand against the Colts, should they wind up in a two-team tiebreaker.

A look at the remaining schedules for the top contenders in the AFC wild-card hunt:

Colts (6-5)

Sunday: at Steelers (6-5)

Dec. 13: at Jaguars (4-7)

Dec. 20: Texans (6-5)

Dec. 27: at Dolphins (4-7)

Jan. 3: Titans (2-9)

Chiefs (6-5)

Sunday: at Raiders (5-6)

Dec. 13: Chargers (3-8)

Dec. 20: at Ravens (3-7)

Dec. 27: Browns (2-8)

Jan. 3: Raiders (5-6)

Texans (6-5)

Sunday: at Bills (5-6)

Dec. 13: Patriots (10-1)

Dec. 20: at Colts (6-5)

Dec. 27: at Titans (2-9)

Jan. 3: at Jaguars (4-7)

Jets (6-5)

Sunday: at Giants (5-6)

Dec. 13: Titans (2-9)

Dec. 19: at Cowboys (3-8)

Dec. 27: Patriots (10-1)

Jan. 3: at Bills (5-6)

Steelers (6-5)

Sunday: Colts (6-5)

Dec. 13: at Bengals (9-2)

Dec. 20: Broncos (9-2)

Dec. 27: at Ravens (3-7)

Jan. 3: at Browns (2-8)

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Raiders (5-6)

Sunday: Chiefs (6-5)

Dec. 13: at Broncos (9-2)

Dec. 20: Packers (7-4)

Dec. 24: Chargers (3-8)

Jan. 3: at Chiefs (6-5)

Bills (5-6)

Sunday: Texans (6-5)

Dec. 13: at Eagles (4-7)

Dec. 20: at Washington (5-6)

Dec. 27: Cowboys (3-8)

Jan. 3: Jets (6-5)

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Jets' Antonio Cromartie says Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. 'has a lot of room to grow' (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/antonio_cromartie_odell_beckham.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

About two months ago, in early October, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie knocked Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. pretty good.

Cromartie called Beckham "a one-year wonder." At the time Cromartie said this, Beckham had played 16 games in his season-plus NFL career, since the Giants drafted him 12th overall last year.

"It's just one year," Cromartie said. "I need to see it on an every-game basis."

Beckham has played seven games since Cromartie made those comments, which Beckham brushed off.

Beckham's receiving yardage totals in those games: 121, 61, 35, 130, 105, 104, and 142. He has seven touchdown catches over that span, including an insane grab in Sunday's loss at Washington. Not a bad stretch for Beckham.

This Sunday, the Jets — perhaps without star corner Darrelle Revis — will try to cover Beckham. It won't be an easy task, especially if Revis is absent, due to a concussion. Would Cromartie, a 10th-year veteran, be up to the challenge?

On Monday, Cromartie (sort of) stood by his comments about Beckham not yet having a full NFL body of work. But Cromartie also praised Beckham, who ranks sixth in the NFL with 91.4 receiving yards per game and tied for second with nine touchdown catches, behind only Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, who has 12.

"I still feel like there's still so much room for him to grow," Cromartie said of Beckham. "He's a young, athletic guy that can go out and make plays, and make unbelievable catches. He's proven that over and over.

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"He does have a lot of room to grow, because he's so young. He's only in his second year. So he only can evolve in that offense, and being around the guys, like Eli Manning, to make him evolve more. Yes, he has a lot of room to grow, to be the guy that everyone knows he can be."

Cromartie acknowledged that he hasn't watched Beckham "at all" this season, and had yet to see the touchdown catch he made Sunday in Washington. Cromartie said that for this entire season, he has only watched film of the Jets' upcoming opponent. He planned to begin studying Beckham on Monday evening.

"I don't know anything that's going on with him," Cromartie said Monday afternoon. "I don't know stats, nothing. I won't know anything until tonight when I start studying things, and tomorrow morning."

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Latest on Jets' Darrelle Revis' concussion as Odell Beckham, Giants loom (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media November 30, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/latest_on_darrelle_revis_concussion_as_odell_beckh.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

It's still too soon to say whether superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis will be healthy enough to play Sunday, when the Jets "visit" the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Jets-Giants has obvious playoff implications for both teams, but a major subplot will also be the possible matchup between Revis and Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants' superstar receiver (even if Giants quarterback Eli Manning tried to downplay the significance of that one-on-one battle).

But Revis has been out with a concussion since Nov. 22. His status depends on how he progresses according to the NFL's concussion protocol. That protocol calls for a progression of physical activity in conjunction with daily cognitive exams administered by an independent neurologist.

Head coach Todd Bowles gave the Jets the day off on Monday, one day after their 38-20 victory against the Dolphins. Bowles on Monday said Revis was "making slight progress" under the terms of the protocol, before adding, "We'll see how much progress he makes toward the end of the week."

Revis' backup, Marcus Williams, sprained an MCL in his knee against the Dolphins. Bowles said Williams would be day to day. If neither Revis nor Williams can play, the Jets could slide nickel corner Buster Skrine outside, or use some combination of Darrin Walls, Dexter McDougle, or Dee Milliner.

None are as skilled as Revis, obviously.

Revis and Beckham had squared off in August during the annual Jets-Giants preseason game. Beckham made a sensational one-handed catch over Revis that night, but it was out of bounds.

"It didn't count, man," Revis said afterward.

Concussions are tricky; one player's recovery timetable might be nothing like another's. Last week, Bowles said Revis had come to the facility each day for treatment before being sent home. Monday, Bowles couldn't say for certain how much physical activity—if any—Revis has yet been able to do.

"I thought he did a little bit [Monday]," Bowles said. "I'm not sure how much, though."

The Jets have their usual day off Tuesday, so more won't be known about Revis' condition until Wednesday.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Jets have plenty to fix in December if they hope to make playoff push (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News November 30, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-playoffs-plenty-fix-article-1.2451023

Now that Coach Biff and the most dysfunctional team in the league have left town, the Jets must take an honest look at the current state of affairs.

Todd Bowles & Co. should be pleased about slapping around the horrific Dolphins, who fired their offensive coordinator after Sunday’s 38-20 loss, but let’s not go Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs just yet.

The Jets still have significant hurdles to clear before breaking out into the happy dance. Six mediocre teams are within one game of each other in a wild-card race that will provide plenty of drama down the stretch.

“We know we’re still in it,” Ryan Fitzpatrick said Monday. “We also know there’s not a lot of room for error.”

Some even uttered the dreaded “P” word in the winning post-game locker room Sunday. Although the Jets are positioned to be relevant over the final five weeks, a postseason berth is hardly a given. The 6-5 Chiefs and Texans would be the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds, respectively, if the season ended today. Thankfully for the Jets, it doesn’t.

“They’re thinking about it, but they know... there’s a lot of football left to play,” Bowles said about his players talking playoffs. “It’s good to be playing for something meaningful and have a chance to do something, but we’re day-by-day.”

The Chiefs, winners of five in a row, have the easiest path on paper to make the playoffs. Kansas City’s five remaining opponents have a combined .404 winning percentage (19-28). None has a winning record. With the Chargers, Ravens and Browns left on the schedule, the smart money is that the Chiefs will win at least 10 games.

The Steelers have the toughest road on paper (30-25) among the four 6-5 teams, but they also appear to be the best of the middling bunch. The Texans, who must travel to Buffalo and Indianapolis and play the Patriots, have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jets.

The 5-6 Bills and Raiders, who have both also beaten the Jets, shouldn’t be dismissed.

The Jets might have crushed Miami twice, but let’s not sugarcoat it: Miami is a hot mess that has fired its head coach and both coordinators (all after losses to the Jets, by the way) in a rare triple play of ineptitude this season.

Interim head coach Dan Campbell is probably knocking on everyone’s forehead down there, asking, "Hello, McFly! Anybody home?!"

The Jets might have snapped their two-game losing streak, but there are still legitimate concerns in the run-up to their showdown with the Giants on Sunday. Bowles’ team preached the importance of getting back to basics after losing four of five, but did it actually accomplish that despite beating a putrid divisional rival?

The Jets’ rushing attack that anchored a 4-1 start was M.I.A. for much of Sunday. The trio of Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell and Stevan Ridley combined for 56 yards on 16 carries (3.5 yards per attempt) through three quarters before tacking on 60 yards after the game was out of reach in the final quarter.

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There’s value in grinding out the clock after building a lead, but let’s not pretend the Jets established anything on the ground on Sunday.

Ivory, the engine of the Jets’ early-season offensive success, gained 16 yards on his first carry against Miami. He had eight carries for 12 yards for the rest of the first half. He had gained only 40 yards on 15 carries (2.7 ypc) before a highlight-reel 31-yard touchdown run with about 9½ minutes left in a game the Jets were already leading by 21 points.

Fitzpatrick, who re-established his connection with Brandon Marshall, did a nice job getting into a rhythm in the short passing game, but there were too many first-half offensive hiccups to dismiss.

Bowles’ defense didn’t miss Darrelle Revis (concussion), but the freshly canned Bill Lazor won’t be calling plays against them anymore this season. The Dolphins’ run-pass split on Sunday was straight out of a Texas high school 7-on-7 state tournament.

The Patriots are the only team with a winning record remaining on the Jets’ schedule, but the Giants and Bills aren’t exactly pushovers. The Titans (2-9) and Cowboys (3-8) are must wins.

The Jets will have to string together at least a three-game winning streak to reach the magic 10-win mark. The last time the franchise won three in a row? 2011.

December will be rewarding or unforgiving. It definitely won’t be easy.

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Jets' Antonio Cromartie says he forgot all about Victor Cruz's 99-yard TD last time vs. Giants (Seth Walder) New York Daily News November 30, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/victor-cruz-td-distant-memory-jets-antonio-cromartie-article-1.2451059

Six days before the Jets and Giants square off in a critical game for both teams’ postseason hopes, Antonio Cromartie insisted he’s forgotten about the last time the two teams met in a similar situation four years ago. Like now, both teams entered the 2011 showdown for New York bragging rights fighting to make the postseason.

“Nothing, to be honest with you,” Cromartie said when asked what he remembered. “We lost the game.”

But for the rest of New York, it was pretty memorable. And especially because of a play Cromartie had a role in: the epic, 99-yard touchdown by Victor Cruz that changed both teams’ respective seasons. Though Kyle Wilson was covering Cruz, the receiver juked past Cromartie on the incredible score that fueled the Giants’ win.

“I wasn’t covering him,” Cromartie said Monday. “That play won’t ever stand out for me. The play is over and done with and four years old. That won’t stick with me at all.

“I was in the vicinity, I came off my guy to try to help Kyle Wilson on the tackle,” the corner said. “I missed the tackle, he went 99 yards. Believe me, that’s something I’ve never lost sleep over.”

Plenty of Jets fans did, though. The win helped vault the Giants to a playoff berth and, oh, a Super Bowl victory. The Jets missed the postseason.

Cromartie and the Jets will seek redemption for that loss on Sunday, when they face the Giants again. Though it isn’t as late in the year, it’s still a crucial matchup with major playoff implications for both teams.

Daily Clips Cont.

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The Jets improved to 6-5 and are tied for both wild-card spots after their 38-20 win over Miami on Sunday, but are on the outside looking in based on tiebreakers.

“We know we’re still in it,” Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “We also know there’s not a lot of room for error.”

The Giants are in a similar situation — virtually tied for the division lead with Washington, which has a tiebreaker advantage. And so once again, the two teams that share MetLife Stadium will square off in a game with high stakes.

“As we continue to win, they become more and more significant in terms of putting ourselves in a position to make the playoffs,” Fitzpatrick added.

Todd Bowles, however, cautioned that the team ought not look ahead.

Though the Jets are back on the winning side of .500, they still face a tough road to the playoffs.

“It’s good to be playing for something meaningful, have a chance to do something, but we’re day by day, one game at a time and they understand that,” Bowles said.

A win against the Giants would go a long way for the Jets’ chances.

Fitzpatrick said he actually discussed the Jets-Giants game with Nick Mangold to ask the veteran center what it was like. Though the teams aren’t traditional rivals because they only play once every four years, there’s no question that the game means a lot to fans.

“Already plenty of chatter, just around the community and with different people that I know that are either Jets or Giants fans,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

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MONDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

American League

CLEVELAND INDIANS — Assigned OF Michael Choice outright to Columbus (IL). Agreed to terms with C Anthony Recker on a minor league contract.

DETROIT TIGERS — Agreed to terms with RHP Jordan Zimmermann on a five-year contract.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Agreed to terms with LHP Tim Collins on a one-year contract.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Assigned LHP Fernando Abad and OF Craig Gentry outright to Nashville (PCL).

National League

ATLANTA BRAVES — Agreed to terms with RHP Jim Johnson on a one-year contract.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Claimed RHP Michael Mariot off waivers from Kansas City.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Agreed to terms with C Brayan Pena on a two-year contract.

BASKETBALL

LOS ANGELES LAKERS — G Kobe Bryant announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season.

NEW YORK KNICKS — Assigned F Cleananthony Early to Westchester (NBADL).

WASHINGTON WIZARDS — Waived F Martell Webster. Signed C Ryan Hollins.

FOOTBALL

Daily Clips Cont.

35 | P a g e

BUFFALO BILLS — Placed DT Alex Carrington on injured reserve. Released LB A.J. Tarpley.

CHICAGO BEARS — Signed C Cornelius Edison to the practice squad.

CINCINNATI BENGALS — Waived LB Sean Porter from the PUP list. Released G Dan France from the practice squad. Signed CB Asa Jackson to the practice squad.

DALLAS COWBOYS — Waived RB Trey Williams.

DETROIT LIONS — Placed CB Alex Carter on injured reserve.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Placed RB Ahmad Bradshaw on injured reserve. Signed RB Zurlon Tipton.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Fired offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Named Zac Taylor offensive coordinator.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released WR Chris Harper.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Released OL Julian Vandervelde. Signed OL Barrett Jones from Chicago’s practice squad and CB Mike Lee and LB Brandon Hepburn to the practice squad.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Placed TE Jimmy Graham on injured reserve. Signed DT A.J. Francis from the practice squad.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Waived S Kimario McFadden. Signed LB Adarius Glanton from Carolina’s practice squad.

TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed WR Rico Richardson to the practice squad.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Signed CB Jeremy Harris to the practice squad.

HOCKEY

DETROIT RED WINGS — Reassigned D Richard Nedomlel from Grand Rapids (AHL) to Toledo (ECHL).

NASHVILLE PREDATORS — Assigned D Victor Bartley to Milwaukee (AHL). Reassigned G Juuse Saros to Milwaukee.

NEW YORK RANGERS — Recalled F Jayson Megna from Hartford (AHL).

COLLEGE

BIG TEN CONFERENCE — Suspended Minnesota hockey player Nick Seeler one game for receiving a major penalty for contact to the head and a game misconduct against St. Cloud State on Nov. 29.

FRESNO STATE — Fired offensive coordinator Dave Schramm.

HAWAII — Named Nick Rolovich football coach.

MINNESOTA — Announced offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski will not return next season. Named Dan O’Brien co-special teams coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach.

SOUTHERN CAL — Named Clay Helton permanent football coach.

UTSA — Named Rodrigo da Silva men’s tennis coach.

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