NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

September 23, 2015

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Table of Contents

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

Jets soaring but far from satisfied with 2-0 start to season (Dennis Waszak)........................................................... 2

Jets' Decker has sprained knee, might be able to play Eagles (Dennis Waszak) ....................................................... 3

Jets trying to stay grounded after 20-7 win at Indianapolis (Michael Marot) ........................................................... 4

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 5

Jets coach Todd Bowles is the anti-Rex Ryan (Neil Best) .......................................................................................... 5

Jets: Eric Decker has sprained knee ligament (Kimberley A. Martin) ........................................................................ 7

Todd Bowles says Ryan Fitzpatrick is Jets' starter even when Geno Smith returns (Kimberley A. Martin) .............. 7

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

Jets report card: 'A' for the pass defense (J.P. Pelzman) ........................................................................................... 9

Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain starting QB (J.P. Pelzman) .................................................................................. 10

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 11

Ryan Fitzpatrick Gets Vote of Confidence From Jets Coach (Tom Pedulla) ............................................................ 11

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 12

Eric Decker avoids season-ending injury to left knee, MRI shows (Rich Cimini) ..................................................... 12

Todd Bowles reiterates Ryan Fitzpatrick to remain Jets' starting QB (Rich Cimini) ................................................ 13

Antonio Cromartie shows sprained knee no match for big heart (Rich Cimini) ...................................................... 14

Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker rip apart Colts' secondary (Rich Cimini) ................................................................. 15

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 16

Fitzpatrick by KO: Named Jets starter, even when Geno returns (Brian Costello) .................................................. 16

Jets’ Eric Decker gets good news; door may open for Kerley (Brian Costello) ........................................................ 17

Jets rewind: QB drama already over — ‘better without Geno’ (Brian Costello) ..................................................... 18

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 20

After big win at Indianapolis Colts, what are Jets' chances of making playoffs? (Darryl Slater) ............................. 20

Geno Smith has lost his job to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets' Todd Bowles says (Dom Cosentino) .................................... 21

Jets get good news about Eric Decker's knee injury, but Chris Owusu could be out 2 weeks (Darryl Slater) ......... 22

How was Jets' Antonio Cromartie able to play so soon after knee injury? (Dom Cosentino) ................................. 23

Here's why the Jets are now favored to beat the Eagles after initially being home underdogs (Matt Lombardo) 24

Jets' Brandon Marshall screamed at Ryan Fitzpatrick on Monday night ... and it helped (Darryl Slater) ............... 25

Ryan Fitzpatrick what Jets needed him to be vs. Indianapolis Colts | QB report card (Dom Cosentino) ............... 26

Jets' suffocating defense reminds Calvin Pace of the last time the team was any good (Darryl Slater) ................. 27

Darrelle Revis is back, and it's just like old times for the Jets (Steve Politi) ............................................................ 27

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 29

Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain Jets starting QB when Geno Smith returns, Todd Bowles says (Seth Walder) ........... 29

Jets are biggest threat to Patriots in AFC East (Manish Mehta) .............................................................................. 30

Jets say WR Eric Decker's knee injury just a sprain (Seth Walder) .......................................................................... 31

Todd Bowles let the Jets wear sweatpants on the flight home after beating Colts, and they were psyched about it (Bernie Augustine) ................................................................................................................................................ 32

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 32

Jets notebook: Fitzpatrick appears to be driving the Porsche (Kristian Dyer) ........................................................ 32

Eagles on Jets: These aren't the Jets you saw last year (Kristian Dyer) ................................................................... 33

Is Jets' Brandon Marshall next to show up the Eagles' secondary? (Evan Macy).................................................... 34

The Jets biggest opponent this week is not the Eagles, but themselves (Kristian Dyer) ......................................... 35

3 things we learned in the Jets' 20-7 win over the Colts (Kristian Dyer) ................................................................. 36

TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 37

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets soaring but far from satisfied with 2-0 start to season (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press September 22, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-soaring-far-satisfied-2-0-start-season

NEW YORK (AP) — Two games, two wins. Not too shabby for the New York Jets.

Coach Todd Bowles isn't exactly celebrating, though. And neither are his players.

"They know how long of a season it is and this just tells us we can be 2-14 right now," Bowles said Tuesday. "They understand that, too, but I'm not going to temper them from being excited."

Still, it's a strong start for a franchise that cleaned house in the offseason, from the general manager to the coach and throughout the roster.

"No, I'm not surprised," Bowles said when asked if the 2-0 start was unexpected. "I don't want to be 0-2. We've been working hard and we've been grinding and as the team comes together, it's a process to get to where we want to be."

Bowles' even-keeled personality is perhaps the biggest change for a team that had been used to Rex Ryan making headlines with a brash, confident approach after both wins and losses.

While the Jets have done a lot of things right in wins over Cleveland and Indianapolis to open the season, Bowles is low-key about it all.

"We're not there yet, but we're making great strides and nobody is going to be good coming right off the top," he said. "We're just going to keep building and keep going. That's what we're doing."

Boring? Maybe. But Bowles doesn't sugarcoat anything.

Take the Jets' quarterback situation, for instance. When asked if Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the starter even when Geno Smith is healthy enough to play after having his jaw broken last month by a then-teammate, Bowles added no fuel to any possible quarterback controversy.

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"Ryan is our starting quarterback right now," Bowles said. "We're doing well, we have good chemistry going and everything else and Geno understands that. And as we go, Ryan is our quarterback. We'll go forward from there."

Bowles was then asked if Smith was healthy enough to play this week if Fitzpatrick would still be the starter.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Ryan's the starter."

Bowles repeatedly said in the preseason that if Fitzpatrick was playing well and the Jets were winning, Smith would not automatically retain his starting job.

So far, Fitzpatrick has been solid, throwing for 423 yards and four touchdowns, along with two interceptions. The addition of Brandon Marshall has been huge, giving the Jets a strong, physical receiver to complement Eric Decker. Chris Ivory and the running game have also been solid.

Against the Colts, the Jets struggled a bit in the second half offensively, failing to put Indianapolis away. The Colts got within three points at 10-7 in the fourth, but then Fitzpatrick led the Jets down the field and connected with Marshall on a 15-yard TD that made it a two-score game with 6:20 left.

"We just have to be able to stay on the field," Fitzpatrick said. "I've got to get better at third downs. There's a lot of stuff. We'll try to get better. We're going to have to get better to continue to win games on offense."

For now, though, the defense has done the job.

After having a league-low 13 takeaways last season, the Jets already have 10 — including three by Darrelle Revis — in just two games, a team record. They've given up just 17 points, and that includes mostly shutting down Andrew Luck on Monday night.

"The coaches have been preaching (turnovers) ever since Day 1 and we were able to get some for the second week in a row," nose tackle Damon Harrison said. "Any time we can get turnovers, it greatly increases our chances of winning. First couple weeks of the season, it's true."

The Jets' solid start has them soaring in the minds of many media, some of whom didn't expect much more than a mediocre showing in Bowles' first season, figuring it to be a rebuilding or retooling year. New York leaped from 21st to a tie for No. 9 in the AP Pro32 power rankings Tuesday.

Still, Bowles remains unfazed. He's already focused on facing the 0-2 Philadelphia Eagles at home on Sunday — and improving.

"We're just going to keep progressing, getting better every week," Bowles said. "We saw a lot of good stuff, but we saw some bad stuff, too."

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Jets' Decker has sprained knee, might be able to play Eagles (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press September 22, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-decker-has-sprained-knee-might-be-able-play-eagles

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Jets received good news on Eric Decker's injured knee.

An MRI on Tuesday revealed the wide receiver has a sprain, but not structural or ligament damage, and coach Todd Bowles said Decker is "day to day."

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Decker said after the Jets' 20-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night that team doctors thought it was an injury to the posterior cruciate ligament. Decker had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the second half.

He has not been ruled out for the Jets' next game Sunday at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'll have to see how he's doing later in the week," Bowles said. "If he's not moving well, obviously he's not going to play. Time will tell. We have a little bit of time, so I'm hopeful, but it's not out of the realm that he won't play, either."

It's the second straight week the Jets avoided serious injuries after initially fearing the worst. Rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin was carted from the field last week with what was later diagnosed as a concussion. He remains sidelined while going through the NFL's concussion protocol.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie appeared to suffer a serious knee injury last week when he needed help walking off the field and was carted from the sideline to the locker room. An MRI last Monday showed he sprained his left knee and was back on the field Monday night.

Bowles added that backup wide receiver Chris Owusu injured one of his legs against the Colts.

"I don't know the severity of that one yet," Bowles said. "I'm still waiting for that one to come back."

Bowles said later on 98.7 ESPN New York radio that Owusu could miss a couple of weeks.

With the injuries at wide receiver, the Jets worked out several players at the position Tuesday, including Terrelle Pryor and Corey Washington. Pryor, the former quarterback-turned-receiver, had his workout with New York set up last week. The Jets also signed Titus Davis to the practice squad.

Running back Chris Ivory has a sore groin, an injury that limited him at practice a few days before the game. Ivory finished with 57 yards on 14 carries against the Colts.

"He took a lot of hits," Bowles said. "The way he runs, he's going to be sore after every game. So I don't know if it was soreness or if he's still feeling a little bit of pain. I'll have to see as the week goes forward."

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Jets trying to stay grounded after 20-7 win at Indianapolis (Michael Marot) Associated Press September 22, 2015

http://www.pro32.ap.org/article/jets-trying-stay-grounded-after-20-7-win-indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Todd Bowles is keeping the Jets grounded.

Sure, they're off to their first 2-0 start since 2011, the defense forced five more turnovers Monday night against Andrew Luck and, of course, the New York fans are already revving up for more after a 20-7 win at Indianapolis. Bowles knows there's still a lot of work to be done.

"It's a good win, but it's only win No. 2," the first-year Jets coach said after a 20-7 victory at Indianapolis. "We're not where we want to be, but we're on the way."

The defense might not be able to get much better.

New York already has five takeaways in the first two games and has scored 31 points off those miscues after producing only 20 points all of last season.

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The reason is that they've been able to relentlessly pressure quarterbacks and lock down outside receivers with their two veteran cornerbacks, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, who played Monday on a sore knee.

But there was plenty to critique about the Jets' offense, which struggled to seal the game until the closing minutes.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was 22 of 34 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in his first win at Lucas Oil Stadium, Brandon Marshall caught seven passes for 101 yards and one TD and Eric Decker caught eight passes for 97 yards and a TD before leaving with a knee injury.

"It wasn't a pretty win, but we'll take it," Marshall said. "We've got a long way to go."

So do the Colts who failed to score in the first half for the second straight week — something they last did in consecutive games in 1997.

Indy is 0-2 for second consecutive season, but this time seems a lot different. After going 21 of 37 for 250 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, Luck has now thrown five picks in the first two weeks. He also lost a fumble to the Jets.

And fans, who were so eager to see Robert Mathis return and Jeff Saturday inducted into the team's ring of honor, booed heartily as the problems mounted.

Fitzpatrick's 6-yard TD pass to Decker and a 35-yard field goal from Nick Folks made it 10-0 at halftime.

Luck finally answered with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief early in the fourth quarter, but Fitzpatrick threw a 15-yard TD pass to Marshall and Folk made a 46-yard field goal to close out the scoring.

Here are some other takeaways from Monday's game:

THE PENAL CODE: When the Jets' defense wasn't forcing miscues, the Colts were their own worst enemy. They were called for 11 penalties and the steady stream seemed to continually bring back big plays and stall drives. "I don't think we're a perfect, well-oiled machine right now. You're never that in the second week of the season," Luck said.

REVIS RULES: Revis has long been a thorn in the side of the Colts, and he was at it again Monday. The veteran cornerback recovered two fumbles including one in his own end zone to stop one Indy drive and picked off Luck once, too.

INJURY WATCH: Decker is expected to have an MRI on his injured knee Tuesday. But the injuries could be more problematic for Indy. The Colts started the game without cornerbacks Greg Toler (neck) and Darius Butler (hip) and finished the game without their top cornerback Vontae Davis (concussion). Tight end Dwayne Allen also did not return after injuring his ankle.

RUNNING IN PLACE: Both teams had trouble running. Chris Ivory led the Jets with 14 carries for 57 yards, but New York averaged just 3.7 yards on 27 carries against a defense that struggled to stop the Bills last week. Gore, meanwhile, started fast but finished with 15 carries for 57 yards and the fumble. Indy wound up with 24 carries for 93 yards.

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NEWSDAY

Jets coach Todd Bowles is the anti-Rex Ryan (Neil Best) Newsday September 22, 2015

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/neil-best/jets-coach-todd-bowles-is-the-anti-rex-ryan-1.10878658

This is going to take some getting used to for those of us who spent six years of our lives listening to a certain previous Jets coach -- players, fans and journalists alike.

You might recall Rex Ryan, who vowed to take his team on a post-Super Bowl visit to the White House a mere eight months before coaching his first game in 2009.

Then there is Todd Bowles, who after a huge, prime-time, statement-making road upset of the Colts Monday night seemed no more excited than if he had just come from watching a scouting combine workout in Indy in February.

How about the big victory and the 2-0 start, coach?

"It was a good win, but it's only win number two," he said after the game. "Again, we're not where we want to be, but we're on the way, and the trick is to win while you're doing it. We were fortunate enough to win two games."

Of course, most coaches would have gone down that path under the circumstances, even if Rex would have been urging fans to make Bay Area hotel reservations early for Super Bowl 50.

But in Bowles' case, the disingenuousness that usually comes with coach-speak seems to be absent. His stoicism is no act.

After playing through a knee sprain that a week earlier had everyone fearing he was lost for the season, cornerback Antonio Cromartie was asked about Bowles' postgame message.

"There really wasn't no message," he said. "Just get ready for Philly."

The questioner then correctly noted, "That's pretty boring."

Said Cro: "Call it boring, but that's how we do it. One week at a time."

Again, nothing revolutionary in that sentiment -- except for the fact it came out of the mouth of one of Rex's guys.

Said Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison: "It feels great any time you can get a win. But one week at a time, man. Coach Bowles has done an excellent job of not looking ahead, just on to the next week."

On a conference call Tuesday, Bowles was asked whether he has to temper the enthusiasm of his players, lest they get ahead of themselves.

"No, you don't temper enthusiasm," he said. "They know how long the season is . . . I'm not going to temper them from being excited."

OK, so call it keeping things in perspective rather than putting a damper on them. Bowles did mention Tuesday that all the Jets have guaranteed themselves is a record no worse than 2-14.

None of the above is meant to diss Ryan, who was great fun to have around and won plenty of big games in green.

But Jets fans should be comforted by the fact the guy now in charge seems nicely equipped to handle suddenly high expectations in Gotham.

And this only is the start. Reporters poked and prodded Tuesday with the inevitable questions about whether Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the quarterback when Geno Smith is healthy -- which will be soon -- and he didn't flinch.

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"Ryan's the starter," he said.

Bowles might be coaching the only NFL playoff contender in town by the time attention turns fully to football after the Mets and Yankees leave autumn's back pages.

So far there has been no hint he will not be able to handle it. Still, the guy has yet to lose his first regular-season game here. We shall see.

That is looking ahead, though. Something you and I are allowed to do but Bowles' Jets are not.

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Jets: Eric Decker has sprained knee ligament (Kimberley A. Martin) Newsday September 22, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-eric-decker-has-sprained-knee-ligament-1.10878358

Eric Decker's status for Sunday's game against the Eagles is in doubt, the Jets said, after an MRI Tuesday revealed that the receiver suffered a sprained ligament in his left knee during the Jets' win over the Colts on Monday night.

According to coach Todd Bowles, Decker is day-to-day, but it's unclear if he'll be able to play against the Eagles.

"I don't know. I have to see how he's doing later in the week," Bowles said on a conference call. "If he's not moving well, obviously he's not going to play. But time will tell. He's got a little bit of time. I'm hopeful. But it's not out of the realm [of possibility] that he won't play, either."

Decker's injury wasn't the only hit the Jets' receiving corps took Monday night. Bowles said Chris Owusu suffered a leg injury, but didn't know the severity. In a subsequent interview on ESPN 98.7 FM, Bowles said Owusu could be out two weeks.

Decker said Monday night that the injury occurred after Colts cornerback Jalil Brown fell on top of him on a deep-ball incompletion by Ryan Fitzpatrick with 14:20 left in the game. According to Decker, team doctors told him he had injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, but that they wouldn't know for sure until Tuesday's MRI results came back.

"I don't think it's surgical though, so I don't think it's too serious," said Decker, who had a huge first half against the Colts with eight catches for 97 yards.

"I actually came to the sideline and I didn't feel anything," he said Monday, adding that he didn't feel "a pop" or anything else that would have indicated a far more significant knee injury. "And then I tried to run and it just kind of hurt. I pulled myself out."

With a short week of preparation, it seems unlikely that Decker will be able to play. And with Owusu out, the Jets are particularly thin at wide receiver. Bowles said he's hopeful that Devin Smith, who suffered broken ribs in training camp, will play, but it depends on the rookie's conditioning, pain threshold and ability to absorb the playbook.

When asked during the ESPN interview if he's comfortable with Jeremy Kerley stepping up in the absence of Decker and Owusu, Bowles said: "If I need him. We have a lot of good players."

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Todd Bowles says Ryan Fitzpatrick is Jets' starter even when Geno Smith returns (Kimberley A. Martin)

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Newsday September 22, 2015

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/todd-bowles-says-ryan-fitzpatrick-is-jets-starter-even-when-geno-smith-returns-1.10878758

Todd Bowles isn't about to disrupt team chemistry -- not even for a healthy Geno Smith.

The Jets coach reiterated Tuesday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain his starting quarterback, even after Smith returns from injury.

Smith's jaw was broken in two places after he was cold cocked in the locker room Aug. 11 by then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali. Smith not only lost his starting job to Fitzpatrick, but he was given a six-to-10-week recovery timetable.

His return, however, is fast approaching. But that has little effect on Bowles, who put to rest the possibility of a quarterback controversy.

"Ryan is our starting quarterback right now," Bowles said on a conference call. "I mean, we're going good, we have good chemistry going and everything else. Geno understands that. And, as we go, Ryan's our quarterback. And we'll go forward from there."

The same day as the Smith-Enemkpali altercation, Bowles said he wouldn't go back to Smith if the offense was running smoothly with Fitzpatrick.

"If the other guy is playing well, and the boat is going right, and there are no waves . . . and we're 4, 5, 6, 7-0? Yeah, you're not coming back to start," Bowles said on Aug. 11.

on Tuesday, a day after his blitz-happy Jets defeated Andrew Luck and the Colts, 20-7, on Monday Night Football, Bowles left no doubt that Fitzpatrick is the guy.

"Ryan's the starter," he said.

Last week, during an exclusive interview with Newsday, Smith said he's set to have his final X-ray in "a week or so" to determine whether he's healthy enough to participate in team drills without restrictions, as well as live game action. And for the first time since the incident, Smith finally admitted he's still deeply upset by the punch.

"I'm extremely [angry]," he said. "But I have to keep my temper down. I can't exhibit that in the locker room, I can't exhibit that on a daily basis. I just feel for my family more because they enjoy seeing me out there."

If Fitzpatrick and the Jets (2-0) continue to impress, there's a chance Smith will be relegated to the sideline for much longer than he expected.

"He has to get reps in practice," Bowles said of the third-year quarterback. "He has to read defenses all over again. It's like the start of training camp. When you haven't read the defenses and set the fronts and called out blitz protections and everything like that, that takes a minute. So once he gets back into that flow, I think it'll start coming back to him pretty good."

But, again, Bowles made it clear that Smith's return won't impede Fitzpatrick's progress.

"Ryan will get all the first-team reps," Bowles said.

Smith expressed confidence in his ability to lead the offense but he also acknowledged, "I'm in a different position now, so you've got to be realistic about things. I'm not trying to sit here and say I'm demanding certain things. I'm just working to get healthy. And then, you've got to see the rest."

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Notes & quotes: The Jets signed WR Titus Davis to the practice squad and released DE Jordan Williams from the practice squad . . . Quarterback-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor and ex-Giants WR Corey Washington were among several players who worked out for the Jets on Tuesday . . . The Eagles said LB Kiko Alonso and DT Cedric Thornton won't play Sunday.

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THE RECORD

Jets report card: 'A' for the pass defense (J.P. Pelzman) The Record September 23, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets-report-card-a-for-the-pass-defense-1.1415819

Run offense: B-minus

Two chunk plays, a 23-yard run by backup Bilal Powell and a 19-yarder by starter Chris Ivory, accounted for nearly half of the Jets’ 101-yard output as the offensive line struggled to move the Indianapolis front seven. The Colts often stuffed the box, daring QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to throw. Ivory’s sore groin also might have been a factor in his inconsistent play, although his 16-yard fourth-quarter run was crucial to the Jets’ clinching TD drive.

Pass offense: B

Fitzpatrick and the receivers weren’t quite as productive as they should have been, given the fact that by the second half, the Colts were missing their top four CBs because of injury. WR Eric Decker had eight catches for 97 yards and a TD before departing because of a knee injury, and Brandon Marshall (seven for 101) scored the 15-yard TD that sealed the win. Fitzpatrick forced some throws, including a second-quarter deep ball that was tipped by CB Vontae Davis and intercepted by SS Mike Adams of Paterson. Marshall drew three defensive holding calls.

Run defense: B-plus

The Jets had a huge goal-line stand in the third quarter, stopping three consecutive runs after Indy had gained a first down at the 3-yard-line. On third down, RB Frank Gore coughed up the ball before he was hit and CB Darrelle Revis made his second fumble recovery of the night for a momentum-changing touchback. Revis also corralled an Andrew Luck fumble after LB David Harris stripped the ball while Luck was scrambling.

Pass defense: A

Luck wasn’t sacked, but he had a very subpar game by his standards, throwing three picks and finishing with a woeful 52.8 passer rating. The Jets blitzed him relentlessly and made him very uncomfortable in the pocket. CB Antonio Cromartie, a surprise starter despite a knee injury, was solid, but did allow Indy’s lone score, a 26-yard catch and run by Donte Moncrief. The Jets’ corners, including Revis, seemed to give plenty of cushion, especially to the speedier wideouts, including Moncrief, T.Y. Hilton and the mostly ineffective Phillip Dorsett.

Special teams: B-plus

P Ryan Quigley had a net average of only 34 yards, but placed punts at the Indianapolis 11, 9 and 6-yard lines, helping the Jets win the field-position battle. K Nick Folk was 2-for-3 on field-goal attempts, converting from 35 and 46 yards, but missing a 48-yarder that he normally would make indoors. The coverage units were solid.

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Coaching: B-plus

HC Todd Bowles and DC Kacy Rodgers dialed up a very good game plan for the second straight week, this time getting the smart and talented Luck way off his game. Some of OC Chan Gailey’s play calls were curious, considering the fact the Colts’ secondary was so decimated by injuries. Despite that, the Jets kept trying to pound the ball with the running game, although that also may have been a reflection of Bowles’ conservative approach.

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Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain starting QB (J.P. Pelzman) The Record September 23, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/fitzpatrick-will-remain-jets-starter-1.1415875

Geno Smith still isn’t ready to play as he continues to heal from a fractured jaw. But even when he’s healthy, Ryan Fitzpatrick will continue to get all the first-team reps in practice, Jets coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday on a conference call.

This isn’t a major surprise, considering Bowles made it clear after Smith was injured last month that the job was the veteran Fitzpatrick’s to lose, and that he likely wouldn’t make a change if the Jets were winning. Well, they’re 2-0 for the first time since 2011, and the Fitzpatrick-led offense is running efficiently, so why alter a thus far successful formula?

"Ryan’s our starting quarterback right now," Bowles said. "We’re doing good; we have good chemistry going. … Geno understands that. And as we go, Ryan’s our quarterback and we’ll go forward from there."

Bowles certainly would like things to stay the same with the defense, too. After nearly setting an NFL record for takeaway futility during a 4-12 season in 2014, the Jets have gone in the opposite direction.

They’ve collected five turnovers in each of the first two games, a feat not accomplished in the NFL since Pittsburgh did it in 1992, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Contrast that with last year, in which the Jets entered the next-to-last game of the season with only 11 takeaways, which would have tied the NFL record for fewest in a season. They finished with 13 after managing only 15 in 2013.

"They’ve come in bunches for us," Bowles said Tuesday. "We’ve been fortunate. Hopefully we can keep that up."

Although the Jets didn’t get any sacks of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the near-constant harassment from their blitzes forced him into mistakes. He threw three interceptions and lost a fumble on a scramble.

"Some of them [takeaways] fall in your lap. Some of them you cause," Bowles noted. "But I’m not going to say everything we got we earned."

The unforced error was a crucial one, when running back Frank Gore bobbled a handoff at the Jets’ 1 in the third quarter and cornerback Darrelle Revis recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Revis had two fumble recoveries and a pick.

"This whole off-season," linebacker David Harris said Monday after the game, "the emphasis was on creating turnovers, and so far, through two games, we have 10. That’s crazy."

He said having Revis back in the fold has made a difference. Revis re-signed with the Jets in March after playing for Tampa Bay and New England in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Revis also had a fumble recovery in the opening-day win over Cleveland.

"He changes a lot," Harris said. "He’s Revis Island for a reason."

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"He’s the best in the game at the corner position and he shows it every week," linebacker Calvin Pace said.

When asked why the Jets struggled to creat turnovers last season, Pace said, "We stressed it; we just couldn’t get them."

BRIEFS: Bowles indicated that an MRI on WR Eric Decker’s left knee Tuesday showed he suffered a sprain Monday night when Indianapolis CB Jalil Brown rolled on it after an incompletion. It’s possible he could play Sunday against Philadelphia. Bowles also said WR Chris Owusu suffered a leg injury Monday, and the coach later said on ESPN Radio that Owusu might miss the next two games. … Bowles said RB Chris Ivory was "real sore" Tuesday, but didn’t know whether that was due to his trademark bruising style or the nagging groin tweak he played through Monday night.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Ryan Fitzpatrick Gets Vote of Confidence From Jets Coach (Tom Pedulla) New York Times September 22, 2015

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/sports/football/ryan-fitzpatrick-gets-vote-of-confidence-from-jets-coach.html?ref=football&_r=0

The Jets’ surprising 2-0 start appears to be going a long way toward helping Ryan Fitzpatrick supplant Geno Smith as the starting quarterback.

“Ryan’s our starting quarterback right now,” Coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday during a conference call. “We’re going good. We have a good chemistry right now.”

Fitzpatrick, 32, was acquired during the off-season with the expectation that he would play a reserve role to Smith, who faced a pivotal third year after two disappointing, turnover-filled seasons. But Fitzpatrick gained an unexpected opportunity to start when Ikemefuna Enemkpali punched Smith in the locker room, breaking his jaw Aug. 11. The dispute angered the even-keeled Bowles; Enemkpali was promptly released.

Fitzpatrick is with his sixth team after being drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round in 2005 out of Harvard. He knows he has little room for error and is keeping to a minimum the costly turnovers that long plagued him. His relatively clean performance contributed significantly to the Jets’ 20-7 road victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night.

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Fitzpatrick converted 22 of 34 pass attempts for 244 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He outplayed Andrew Luck, his celebrated counterpart who took the Colts to the conference championship game last season. Luck finished 22 of 37 for 250 yards and one touchdown but was intercepted three times.

“He did a good job managing the ballgame,” Bowles said of Fitzpatrick. “Tough that he had a pick in the red zone down there. That we don’t want. He did a good job of commanding the offense. He understood what they were trying to do to him, and he made plays that kept their offense off the field.”

Fitzpatrick was equally efficient in a season-opening 31-10 rout of the Cleveland Browns at home. He went 15 of 24 for 179 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Although he has thrown 103 interceptions and 127 touchdowns in his career, he has so far avoided the ultra-aggressive approach of years past that prompted him to try to make plays that were not there and led to critical turnovers.

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The combination of Fitzpatrick’s ability to limit mistakes while the defense is creating turnovers in bunches has turned the Jets into compelling viewing in Bowles’s first season. The defense, constantly on the prowl for loose balls and interceptions, already has 10 takeaways, which have led to 31 points. The Jets scored 20 points off turnovers in 2014. They are 2-0 for the first time since 2011.

The Jets are not without problems as they turn their attention to a home game Sunday against the 0-2 Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets may be without wide receiver Eric Decker, who is day to day with a strained knee. Devin Smith, the team’s second-round selection from Ohio State, is gradually recovering from broken ribs sustained during training camp and may be ready for his debut. Bowles said that Chris Ivory, who has complemented Fitzpatrick with bruising runs, was “really sore.”

Bowles emphasized that Geno Smith still had much work ahead of him. Smith underwent surgery last month and is thought to be a few weeks away from a return.

“He has to get reps in practice, he has to read defenses all over again like the start of training camp,” Bowles said.

As well as Fitzpatrick is playing, it does not appear that preparing Smith will be among the team’s priorities.

“Ryan will get all the first-team reps,” Bowles said, indicating that will be the case for the foreseeable future.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Eric Decker avoids season-ending injury to left knee, MRI shows (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 22, 2015

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/13719524/eric-decker-new-york-jets-avoids-season-ending-injury-left-knee-mri-shows

New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker avoided a season-ending knee injury, an MRI confirmed, but his status for Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles is uncertain.

Decker is day-to-day with a sprained knee, coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday. About 16 hours earlier, in the Jets' locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium, Decker indicated the preliminary diagnosis was a PCL injury to his left knee.

An MRI on Eric Decker's left knee revealed no season-ending structural damage, but he is listed as uncertain for Sunday's game against the Eagles. Rich Kane/Icon Sportswire

It happened early in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 20-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Decker said postgame tests indicated he wouldn't require surgery. Bowles refused to tip his hand on whether he expects Decker to play this week.

"I don't know; I'm going to have to see how he's doing later in the week," Bowles said. "If he's not moving well, obviously he's not going to play. But time will tell. He's got a little bit of time. I'm hopeful, but it's not out of the realm of possibility he won't play."

Decker played one of his best games as a Jet, finishing with eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown -- all in the first half. He and Brandon Marshall have formed a formidable tandem, combining for four touchdowns in the Jets' 2-0 start.

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"I'm going to be smart about it this time," said Decker, who played through a serious hamstring injury last season. "I'm not going to rush myself. Obviously, I want to be out there as soon as possible, but we're going to take the proper steps."

Suddenly, the Jets are banged up at receiver, as No. 3 wideout Chris Owusu is battling an undisclosed leg injury. They could choose to activate rookie Devin Smith, who has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks. The second-round pick missed the preseason due to fractured ribs and a partially punctured lung. He could miss two weeks, Bowles told ESPN Radio.

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Todd Bowles reiterates Ryan Fitzpatrick to remain Jets' starting QB (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 22, 2015

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/13719238/todd-bowles-reiterates-ryan-fitzpatrick-remain-starting-qb-new-york-jets

New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick won't be returning to the bench anytime soon, if ever.

If there was any doubt about the Jets' immediate future at quarterback, it was erased Tuesday by Todd Bowles, who indicated that Fitzpatrick will remain the starter when Smith returns from his fractured jaw.

"Ryan is the starting quarterback right now," said the first-year coach, whose team is a surprising 2-0. "I mean, we're going good. We have good chemistry and everything else. Geno understands that. As we go, Ryan is our starting quarterback, and we'll go forward from there."

Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is eighth among quarterbacks in Total QBR (70.0), with four touchdown passes, two interceptions and a 64-percent completion rate. AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Essentially, Bowles reiterated what he said Aug. 11, the day Smith's jaw was broken by then-teammate IK Enemkpali. At the time, Bowles described it as Fitzpatrick's job to lose, saying it wouldn't make any sense to bench a hot quarterback.

Six weeks later, Bowles' words carry more weight. The Jets are off to their best start since 2011, and Fitzpatrick is a big reason for the success.

For now, it's a moot point because Smith still hasn't been cleared to practice on a full-time basis. He's expected to miss the next two games, based on the team's timetable. After that, there's a bye week, meaning the former starter should be healthy by Week 6.

That being said, nothing will change, according to Bowles.

"We'll get Geno ready, but Ryan is going to stay sharp and Ryan will be taking the first-team reps," Bowles said.

Fitzpatrick, 32 years old and starting for his sixth team, has managed the offense well. He's eighth among quarterbacks in Total QBR (70.0), with four touchdown passes, two interceptions and a 64-percent completion rate.

On Monday, Fitzpatrick helped the Jets to a 20-7 upset of the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 244 yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown to Brandon Marshall to seal the game. But the Jets also missed some chances; they could've done a better job of exploiting a secondary that was missing its three top corners for most of the game. Fitzpatrick also was guilty of an interception at the Colts' goal line.

"Offensively, we didn't play as well as we wanted to," Fitzpatrick said after the game. "That might be an understatement."

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Nevertheless, it was enough for Bowles, who said Fitzpatrick did a "good job of managing the game." He's also won the respect of his teammates with his heady leadership style and knowledge of Chan Gailey's offense.

In the meantime, Smith waits, perhaps wondering if he'll ever reclaim his old job. Bowles made it sound like Smith has a ways to go before he's ready, both mentally and physically.

"He has to get ready for practice," the coach said. "He has to read defenses all over again. It's like starting training camp when you haven't read defenses and set the fronts and called out blitz protections and everything like that. It takes a minute. Once he gets back to that flow, I think it'll start to come back to him pretty good."

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Antonio Cromartie shows sprained knee no match for big heart (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 22, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/54402/antonio-cromartie-shows-sprained-knee-no-match-for-big-heart

INDIANAPOLIS -- One week after the ACL injury that wasn't, cornerback Antonio Cromartie started and played virtually the entire game for the New York Jets.

Tough dude, Cromartie. He's also a physical freak.

Listed as questionable with a sprained knee, Cromartie ended up playing 61 of 64 defensive snaps in the 20-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. Eight days earlier, he was carted off the field, his head covered by a towel, thinking he had suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Despite limited practice, Cromartie told coach Todd Bowles on Sunday he felt well enough to play.

"He was running around better," Bowles said. "But we had a heart-to-heart and he was ready to play. So he played."

Cromartie maintained his quasi-Iron Man streak. In nine-plus seasons, he never has missed a game due to injury. It was hardly a flawless performance, as Cromartie allowed a long touchdown reception for the second straight week. This time, it was soft coverage on an over-the-middle pass to Donte Moncrief, who went 26 yards for a score.

But Cromartie also had a key pass break-up and he did a nice job on Andre Johnson, who was held to three catches for 27 yards.

The Jets were down one corner because Darrin Walls (hamstring) was inactive. As insurance, they dressed Dexter McDougle, but he was limited to special teams. It was his NFL debut.

There was a "first" on offense as well, as Quincy Enunwa recorded his first catch -- and it was a big one, a 27-yard reception that set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He also had two drops.

Enunwa played a lot because offensive coordinator Chan Gailey used a four-receiver package for nearly half of the offensive snaps. The plan was obvious: They wanted to exploit the Colts' injury-plagued secondary. They went into the game without their No. 2 and No. 3 corners, and they lost star corner Vontae Davis (concussion) in the first half. Basically, the Colts' secondary resembled the Jets' 2014 secondary -- a lot of second- and third-stringers.

A look at the Jets' snap counts:

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OFFENSE (Based on 69)

Quarterback: Ryan Fitzpatrick 69.

Running back: Bilal Powell 37, Chris Ivory 32, Tommy Bohanon 29.

Wide receiver: Brandon Marshall 69, Eric Decker 54, Chris Owusu 52, Enunwa 29, Jeremy Kerley 1.

Tight end: Jeff Cumberland 23, Kellen Davis 19.

Offensive line: D'Brickashaw Ferguson 69, James Carpenter 69, Nick Mangold 69, Willie Colon 69, Breno Giacomini 69.

DEFENSE (Based on 64)

Line: Muhammad Wilkerson 58, Leonard Williams 48, Leger Douzable 42, Damon Harrison 21, Stephen Bowen 11, T.J. Barnes 3.

Linebacker: David Harris 64, Demario Davis 64, Quinton Coples 39, Calvin Pace 36, Trevor Reilly 12, Jamari Lattimore 9, Erin Henderson 2.

Secondary: Marcus Gilchrist 62, Darrelle Revis 61, Cromartie 61, Calvin Pryor 53, Buster Skrine 46, Jaiquawn Jarrett 9, Marcus Williams 3.

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Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker rip apart Colts' secondary (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York September 22, 2015

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/54396/brandon-marshall-eric-decker-rip-apart-colts-secondary

INDIANAPOLIS -- Three stars and three duds from the New York Jets' 20-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts:

THREE STARS

1. Eric Decker/Brandon Marshall, wide receiver: They had their way with the Colts' undermanned secondary, combining for 15 receptions, 198 yards and two touchdowns. Decker was stunned the Colts stayed in their base defense against the Jets' three-receiver package, creating linebacker matchups for him. Ryan Fitzpatrick kept feeding Decker, resulting in an eight-catch, 97-yard first half. The Colts finally adjusted. By then, cornerback Vontae Davis (concussion) was out of the game, leaving them without their top three corners. Marshall couldn't be stopped. Not only did he have seven catches for 101 yards, but he drew four penalties. Todd Bowles said of Marshall, "He plays big-boy football." He carried two defenders into the end zone on his 15-yard touchdown. Cracked Willie Colon, "That's why he eats Wheaties and lifts those weights, so he can make plays like that."

2. Darrelle Revis, cornerback: He was involved in three of the five takeaways, with two fumble recoveries and an interception. Afterward, his teammates were buzzing about his performance and what he has meant to the team since re-signing. Calvin Pace said, "This is why we brought him back. It was sad to see him go for a couple of years. He's the best in the game at his position." For his part, Revis was pretty low key after the game, saying, "It's Monday Night Football, so it doesn't get better than this, the magnitude." Has he forgotten about that Super Bowl win already?

3. Buster Skrine, cornerback: Yes, another defensive back. Hey, the Jets' secondary was on fire. Skrine contributed to the first big play of the game, clobbering Andrew Luck on a slot blitz from the blind side. It

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forced an errant throw, which was deflected and intercepted by safety Calvin Pryor -- his first career interception. That set up the Jets' first touchdown, Fitzpatrick to Decker. Skrine also had a tackle for loss.

THREE DUDS

1. Quincy Enunwa, wide receiver: Trying to exploit the Colts' thin secondary, the Jets used a lot of four-receiver packages. That meant a significant role for Enunwa, who responded with two dropped passes. He made a clutch, 27-yard reception late in the game, but two drops are two drops. If he wants to maintain his position on the depth chart, ahead of Jeremy Kerley, he'll have to step it up. Decker's knee injury could mean more time for Enunwa and Chris Owusu.

2. Quinton Coples, linebacker: Coples is appearing here for the second straight week, and that's not a good thing. This time, it's because of a lack of discipline. He was flagged for two unnecessary-roughness penalties in the fourth quarter -- one on an extra point, the other a late hit on Luck. That latter call was questionable, but a penalty is a penalty. The Jets regressed in the penalty department, committing eight for 90 yards.

3. Nick Folk, placekicker: He returned to the scene of one of his greatest moments -- his game-winning field goal in a 2010 AFC wild-card game. On this night, he didn't have the same magic. He missed a 48-yard field goal attempt (hit the upright) and managed only one touchback on five kickoffs. We might be nit-picking a bit, but there weren't too many "dud" performances in the impressive win.

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NEW YORK POST

Fitzpatrick by KO: Named Jets starter, even when Geno returns (Brian Costello) New York Post September 22, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/22/fitzpatrick-by-ko-named-jets-starter-even-when-geno-returns/

Ryan Fitzpatrick wins in a knockout.

Jets coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Fitzpatrick will remain the starting quarterback when Geno Smith is healthy enough to play again.

“Ryan’s our starting quarterback right now,” Bowles said on a conference call with reporters. “We’re going good. We have good chemistry going and everything else. Geno understands that. As we go, Ryan’s our quarterback. We’ll go forward from there.”

The Jets are off to a 2-0 start with Fitzpatrick at the helm. He has not been flashy but has played solid enough for the Jets to win. His quarterback rating ranks 15th in the NFL right now. He has completed 63.8 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

In Monday’s win over the Colts, Fitzpatrick went 22 for 34 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

“I thought he did a good job managing the ball game,” Bowles said. “Obviously, he threw the pick in the red zone down there that we don’t want. He did a good job, had command of the offense. He understood what they were trying to do to him. We stuck with the run, just didn’t go ahead and air it out all over the place, which kept their offense off the field as well. I thought he did a good job.”

Smith was expected to be the starting quarterback for the third straight season until IK Enemkpali punched him on Aug. 11, altering the Jets’ season. Smith suffered a broken jaw that required surgery. The original timeline for his return was 6-10 weeks. Tuesday was six weeks from the injury.

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Bowles said at the time of the injury that if the team and Fitzpatrick were playing well, he would not make a change. He reiterated that Tuesday, saying when Smith is healthy he will be relegated to backing up Fitzpatrick.

“We’ll get Geno ready, but Ryan’s going to stay sharp and Ryan will be taking the first-team reps,” Bowles said.

Those around the NFL have noticed how well the Jets are playing with Fitzpatrick under center.

“The Jets are good, man,” one NFL coach wrote via text message during Monday night’s game. “They are better without Geno.”

Smith, to his credit, has handled the situation well. After Monday night’s win, Smith was cheering loudly and smiling broadly has he made his way to the Jets locker room, as fired up as anyone about the win.

Smith has been practicing on a limited basis for the past two weeks. Bowles said even when he is fully healthy, Smith is going to need time to get back into the swing of things.

“It’s like the start of training camp,” Bowles said. “When you haven’t read the defenses and set the fronts and called out blitz protections, that takes a minute. Once he gets back into that flow, I think it will start coming back to him pretty good.”

Fitzpatrick, 32, is in his 11th NFL season. The Jets are his fourth team in four years and sixth overall. He is the definition of a journeyman, but he has been perfect for the Jets, who acquired him in a March trade with the Texans.

With their punishing defense and strong running game, the Jets need a quarterback who will limit mistakes and manage the game. That is what Fitzpatrick has done. His interception Monday night was in the red zone, but did little damage to the Jets.

Fitzpatrick’s detractors will point to his 35-55-1 record as a starting quarterback, but he has been on some bad teams. This might be the best team he has ever been on. Fitzpatrick never has had receivers like Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker or a top defense to complement him.

The Jets and Fitzpatrick look like a perfect marriage, and Smith is left waiting at the altar.

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Jets’ Eric Decker gets good news; door may open for Kerley (Brian Costello) New York Post September 22, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/22/jets-eric-decker-gets-good-news-door-may-open-for-kerley/

The Jets continue to get good news on knee injuries.

An MRI exam confirmed wide receiver Eric Decker only suffered a sprained left knee in Monday night’s 20-7 win over the Colts and is “day-to-day.”

Coach Todd Bowles said he is unsure if Decker will play Sunday against the Eagles.

“I’m going to have to see how he’s doing later in the week,” Bowles said. “If he’s not moving well, obviously, he’s not going to play. Time will tell. He’s got a little bit of time. I’m hopeful, but it’s not out of the realm that he won’t play either.”

Decker had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown on Monday night before suffering the injury.

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The Jets could be thin at receiver. Chris Owusu also suffered a leg injury in the game. Bowles told ESPN Radio that Owusu may be out for two weeks. Owusu had a large ice wrap on his knee after the game.

Rookie Devin Smith has yet to play as he recovers from broken ribs, but may need to be active this week. Smith practiced fully last week, but the Jets opted to keep him inactive.

“We didn’t want to throw Devin in as soon as he got back ready to practice,” Bowles said. “He’s got to get used to his pads. He’s got to get in shape. He’s got to learn some plays. There’s a process to go through rather than just throwing a guy out there.”

This could be an opening for Jeremy Kerley to get more playing time, too. Kerley played just one offensive snap Monday night, the second straight week he only had one.

“He hasn’t done anything (wrong),” Bowles said. “There are guys who are playing better and he got hurt and guys had opportunities.”

The Jets addressed the depth at wide receiver by signing Titus Davis, an undrafted rookie from Central Michigan, to the practice squad. They cut defensive end Jordan Williams to clear the roster spot. They worked out a number of receivers — including former Brown Terrelle Pryor and former Giant Corey Washington, according to a source.

Football fans may be shocked the Jets are 2-0, but Bowles is not.

“I’m not surprised,” Bowles said. “I don’t want to be 0-2. I’m not surprised. We’ve been working hard. We’ve been grinding and as a team come together. It’s a process to get to where we want to be. We’re not there yet, but we’re making great strides. Nobody’s going to be good coming right off the top. We’re just going to keep building and keep going. That’s what we’re doing.”

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Jets rewind: QB drama already over — ‘better without Geno’ (Brian Costello) New York Post September 22, 2015

http://nypost.com/2015/09/22/jets-rewind-qb-drama-ends-before-it-starts-better-without-geno/

The Jets pulled off a stunning 20-7 victory over the Colts on Monday night to improve to 2-0. Here are a few of my thoughts after the big win:

1. Barring an injury to Ryan Fitzpatrick, I don’t think we’re going to see Geno Smith starting this season. I have shifted my view on this after watching Fitzpatrick the last two weeks. He is not flashy, but does just enough to complement the ferocious Jets defense. If the Jets continue to play like they did Monday night, they will be tough to beat. Why would Todd Bowles turn back to Smith?

During the game, I received a text from an NFL coach: “The Jets are good, man. They are better without Geno.”

I have a feeling many around the league share this sentiment. Fitzpatrick did throw an interception, but it was deep in Colts territory and did not hurt the Jets. Would you like to see the offense take advantage of more opportunities? Yes. But in the end, they did enough to win the game.

I don’t think there will be any quarterback controversy when Smith returns.

One other note on Smith: I was standing outside the Jets locker room when the game ended. One of the guys cheering the loudest and with the biggest smiles was Smith. He is not selfishly rooting for Fitzpatrick to struggle to regain his job.

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2. It’s hard to remember the last time there was this kind of optimism around the Jets. 2011? You could feel it in talking to the players after the game. The dark days of 2014 are over. The offensive linemen were laughing on one side of the room. Players were kidding each other. There were high fives and handshakes.

Owner Woody Johnson stood outside the locker room and shook hands with each player and coach. When he saw Todd Bowles, he could barely contain himself. Johnson walked toward him, hand extended. “Whoa, Coach, how about that?” he said. It has been a while since the Jets — and in turn, their fans — have had reason to feel good. They should enjoy it.

Of course, Bowles set the tone by reminding everyone this was just one game. The Rex Ryan culture of beating their chests after a big win is gone. The players were humble afterward and said they were turning their attention to this week’s opponent, the Eagles.

I saw GM Mike Maccagnan in a hallway heading to the bus after the game and congratulated him on the win. “Yeah, 14 more to go,” he said.

The message was clear: The Jets felt good about being 2-0, but no one was holding a celebration.

3. In a night of big performances, Muhammad Wilkerson’s night was a little lost. But Wilkerson had a huge game, further making his case he deserves to be paid big money. Wilkerson was in Luck’s face all night. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilkerson had two quarterback hits and six hurries. The website has him graded as their best 3-4 defensive end through two games, better than J.J. Watt. Wilkerson nearly had a blocked punt, too, and was so unblockable, he caused two holding penalties.

The Jets took a calculated risk by not signing Wilkerson before the season. If he keeps playing like this, the free agency price tag is going to continue to rise. They may be forced to apply the franchise tag to keep him. That would cost them around $16 million, a number that will really screw up their 2016 salary cap.

4. Here’s a scary thought: The Jets defense is playing lights out without one of its best players. Sheldon Richardson watched from home for the second straight week as he serves his four-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. Imagine what this defense will look like with Richardson added to the mix.

The question is when that might be. The NFL is expected to suspend Richardson further for his July arrest in Missouri. No one knows when that suspension will come, though. They could tack it on to these four games, wait until later in the year or even next year.

Wilkerson, Damon Harrison and Leonard Williams have looked good in the first two games. With Richardson, this defensive line could be unstoppable.

Revealing number: The Jets had four first downs by penalty, more than they had by rushing (three). The amazing thing about the penalties was the Jets were forcing them. The Colts were called for defensive holding four times because they could not cover the Jets wide receivers.

Game ball: Lots of great performances, but how could you not go with Darrelle Revis? The all-world cornerback had three takeaways on his own, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He also shut down T.Y. Hilton for most of the game. Revis looked worth the $39 million guaranteed Monday night.

Surprising snap count: Brandon Marshall played all 69 offensive snaps. That is crazy for a wide receiver. Usually they go in and out of a game in different packages, but Marshall was out there the entire game. He is a workhorse receiver, who provided the highlight of the night when he dragged three Colts into the end zone with him.

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

After big win at Indianapolis Colts, what are Jets' chances of making playoffs? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 23, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/after_big_win_at_indianapolis_colts_what_are_jets.html#incart_river

Entering the season, the Colts appeared to be one of the toughest opponents on the Jets' schedule, particularly since the Jets had to travel for the game.

But now that the Jets are home from 0-2 Indianapolis with a 20-7 win and their first 2-0 start since 2011, might they be a legit playoff contender?

Look, it's still early. It's almost absurd that we're even talking/writing about this. (But we will address it down below, of course.) The last time the Jets started 2-0, in 2011, they wound up 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Yes, the Jets have done well through two games. There's also a whole lot of season left. Still, Jets fans have good reasons to feel hopeful.

Now that their team has defeated Andrew Luck, there aren't many really good quarterbacks remaining on their schedule, besides Tom Brady (twice) and Tony Romo. Who else really stands out? Ryan Tannehill? Eli Manning?

Also, consider how rare it's been for the Jets to win back-to-back games recently. They never did it last season. They didn't do it in 2013 until the regular season's final two games. And they did it once in 2012, in Weeks 13-14.

How long has it been since the Jets won three straight games, something they'll try to do Sunday against the 0-2 Eagles?

They haven't done it since Weeks 12-14 in 2011. That was their second and final three-game winning streak of 2011. (That's right: The Jets had a two-game winning streak to begin that season, followed by a couple three-game winning streaks, and they still missed the playoffs.)

So, are they heading back there this season for the first time since 2010?

At 2-0, the Jets are playing smart and forcing turnovers. Todd Bowles has fixed the problems Rex Ryan couldn't.

Yes, that's a major leap ahead, with 14 games still remaining in the regular season, and the Patriots looking like they won't easily give up the AFC East crown.

But the fine folks at numberFire.com have already gone ahead and put a percentage on the Jets' chances of making the playoffs.

Right now, it's 65.6 percent. The website also has the Jets with a 35 percent chance to win the AFC East, though they haven't even played a division game yet, and won't until Week 4 against the Dolphins in London.

As for the Jets' chances of making the Super Bowl, they're at 11.8 percent. And the Jets' percentage chance of winning it all is at 5.7 percent. For what it's worth.

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The Jets have every reason to feel good about what they've accomplished so far, at this very early juncture. But anyone already pegging them as a playoff team ought to remember their last Monday night road game.

It came in 2013, in Atlanta. Like this season's Colts, the Falcons were supposed to be very good that season. The Jets beat them that Monday night, to improve to 3-2. It looked like a huge win. But the Jets wound up 8-8, the Falcons wound up 4-12, and neither team made the playoffs.

But he'd like to take the star — whose four-game suspension looms — under his wing and help steer Richardson in the right direction after a positive marijuana test and an incident in which he hit 143 miles per hour in car that smelled like the drug.

Scott, who joined his other "NFL Today" broadcasters at a Boomer Esiason Foundation event in midtown Manhattan at the Breitling Boutique on Monday night, told NJ Advance Media he and Richardson share mutual friends and that he'd "love" to find a way to pass on advice to the defensive lineman.

"I would just want talk to him about where he is and understanding big picture," Scott said. "Sometimes when you're young, it's hard to step back and get the full picture and the scope of where you are and what can lie ahead of you, good or bad. It's my job as a veteran to reach back into the fraternity and try and help a fellow brother."

So what, exactly, would he like to say to Richardson to steer him in the right direction? He'd use his former Baltimore Ravens teammate and friend Ray Rice as an example.

"Listen, let's not make a bad decision now that can affect your future," Scott said. "Sometimes when you're super successful early in the NFL, you take it for granted. You think football is a right, but it's a privilege. You're blessed to play it at a high level, but that can be all taken away from you. Look at Ray Rice. He had an outstanding, squeaky-clean record for seven years of his career. Five minutes of making a bad decision has taken all that away."

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Geno Smith has lost his job to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets' Todd Bowles says (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/geno_smith_pretty_much_lost_his_job_to_ryan_fitzpa.html#incart_river

On Aug. 11, just after Geno Smith took a punch in the locker room that broke his jaw, head coach Todd Bowles said Smith would not be guaranteed the Jets' starting quarterback's gig upon his return.

Smith's return is getting closer—he told NJ Advance Media last week he would have a final X-ray this week—but with Fitzpatrick as the Jets' efficient (if imperfect) signal caller, Smith won't be getting his job back whenever he is ready sometime in the weeks ahead.

"Ryan's our starting quarterback right now," Bowles said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, one day after the Jets' 20-7 dismantling of the Colts on "Monday Night Football."

"We're doing good. We have good chemistry going and everything else. Geno understands that. As we go, Ryan's our quarterback, and we'll go forward from there."

Bowles seemed to be speaking in the here and now, with Smith still not ready. But what happens when Smith can go?

"Ryan's the starter," Bowles said.

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How would Smith get ready to play once he is healthy enough to be active on game day?

"He has to get reps at practice," Bowles said. "He has to read defenses all over again. It's like the start of training camp. When you haven't read the defenses and set the fronts and called out blitz protections and everything like that, that takes a minute. So once he gets back into that flow, I think it'll start coming back to him pretty good."

But, again, Bowles said: "Ryan will get all the first-team reps."

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Jets get good news about Eric Decker's knee injury, but Chris Owusu could be out 2 weeks (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/jets_get_good_news_about_eric_deckers_knee_injury.html#incart_river

For the second straight week, an MRI delivered relieving news to the Jets about a knee injury sustained by a star player.

This time, the player was wide receiver Eric Decker, who hurt his knee in Monday night's win at the Colts. Decker said after the game that he didn't think the injury was serious, and doctors believe it is a posterior cruciate ligament injury.

Decker underwent an MRI on Tuesday, and Jets coach Todd Bowles said it revealed only a sprain. Bowles said Decker is day-to-day, and his status for Sunday's game against the Eagles is uncertain. But Bowles said he's "hopeful" Decker can play.

"I'm going to have to see how he's doing later in the week," Bowles said. "If he's not moving well, obviously he's not going to play. Time will tell. He's got a little bit of time. I'm hopeful, but it's not out of the realm [of possibility] that he won't play, either."

If Decker can't play against the Eagles, might that mean more action for rookie wide receiver Devin Smith? He missed the first two games while recovering from broken ribs. It's not a lock that Smith will play Sunday, Bowles said.

Even though Smith was back to full speed by Monday, Bowles said he didn't "want to throw Devin out [into a game] as soon as he got back ready to practice. He's got to get used to his pads. He's got to get in shape. He's got to learn some plays. There's a process to go through, rather than just throwing a guy out there."

Bowles said he's "hopeful" Smith can play against the Eagles, but, "he still has some things that he's got to do. We'll see him as the week progresses."

Moreover, receiver Chris Owusu hurt his leg on Monday. Bowles said in a conference call with reporters that he wasn't sure about the severity of the injury. He later told Michael Kay on ESPN New York radio that Owusu could miss two weeks.

Through the first two games, the Jets have played Owusu and Brandon Marshall outside, and Decker in the slot, when lining up in three-receiver sets. So Owusu's injury is not insignificant. He played 52 of 69 snaps against the Colts, after getting 40 of 61 against the Browns.

The Jets on Tuesday worked out ex-Giants receiver Corey Washington, as they try to determine how to deal with Monday's injuries to Decker and Owusu. Former Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, a converted quarterback, also had his previously scheduled workout with the Jets on Tuesday.

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Later Tuesday, the Jets wound up signing receiver Titus Davis to the practice squad, and releasing defensive end Jordan Williams from the squad to make room.

Decker on Monday made eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown (all in the first half) before exiting in the fourth quarter. He landed awkwardly on his knee while trying to catch a pass that was broken up by cornerback Jalil Brown, who fell onto Decker as they crashed to the turf.

Decker said after the game that even though he didn't think this injury was serious, he doesn't want to rush back from it. He did that last season with a hamstring injury, and it ended up lingering.

This is the second straight week of relatively good knee injury news for the Jets.

In their season-opening win over the Browns, cornerback Antonio Cromartie suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury. He was carted to the locker room — unlike Decker, who walked to the locker room without assistance.

But an MRI later showed Cromartie just had a sprain. He played 61 of the Jets' 64 defensive snaps in Monday's win at the Colts.

One other injury update from Bowles:

• RB Chris Ivory (groin): He is "real sore" coming out of Monday's game, after playing through the injury, which he sustained last week in practice. Bowles had downplayed the injury entering Jets-Colts. Ivory is a bruising runner, so "he's going to be sore after every game," Bowles said, adding that he's not sure how much of Ivory's current soreness is usual postgame stuff, as opposed to lingering pain in his groin. That'll become clearer as the week progresses, Bowles said.

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How was Jets' Antonio Cromartie able to play so soon after knee injury? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advanced Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/how_was_jets_antonio_cromartie_able_to_play_so_soo.html#incart_river

INDIANAPOLIS — Did Antonio Cromartie surprise himself that he was able to play Monday night in the Jets' 20-7 thrashing of the Colts?

"To be honest with you? Yeah," Cromartie said. "I'm not going to even lie to you."

Just eight days prior, Cromartie's left knee buckled on the MetLife Stadium turf. It looked scary. Cromartie later admitted he had expected the worst, that he felt a pop not unlike the torn ACL he suffered in the same knee 10 years ago.

And even an MRI the following day revealed there had been no structural damage, Cromartie sounded a lot like a guy who knew he wouldn't be ready to play. That he was "very limited" at practice Thursday and Friday made it seem all the more likely Cromartie would miss a game for the first time in his 10-year NFL career.

But there he was Monday night, active and in the starting lineup. Cromartie played 61 of 64 defensive snaps. He mostly shadowed wideouts Donte Moncrief and Andre Johnson. He was targeted four times and gave up three receptions for 71 yards, including Moncrief's 26-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.

It wasn't perfect, but it was something.

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"All last week he was in the training room—he was the first one here, last guy to leave," inside linebacker David Harris said of Cromartie. "He really wanted to play, and he showed a toughness out there."

Cromartie had been listed on the injury report—released Saturday—as questionable. He got to practice that said the knee "felt good," but that he wouldn't know whether he could play until he saw how he felt during pregame warmups.

More than two hours before kickoff, Cromartie was on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium doing his usual warmup routine.

Bowles said he and Cromartie had "a heart to heart" talk about whether Cromartie would be able to play on Sunday after the team arrived in Indianapolis.

"He just said if I didn't feel like I could go, 'Tell me,'" Cromartie said. "That's something I discussed with him. I felt like I was 100 percent.

"The biggest thing for me was just to go out, see how I felt. From that standpoint, it felt good. I felt that I could come out of my breaks and everything."

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Here's why the Jets are now favored to beat the Eagles after initially being home underdogs (Matt Lombardo) NJ Advanced Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/09/heres_why_the_jets_are_now_favored_to_beat_the_eag.html#incart_river

Don't look now, but there was a significant swing in the point spread for Sunday's Week 3 match up between the Eagles and Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Initially, the Eagles were favored to beat the Jet when the initial line for the game was released Sunday evening despite a loss to the Dallas Cowboys that head coach Chip Kelly deemed 'embarrassing.'

The Eagles opened as 2.5 point road favorites for Sunday's game before the line flipped the other way Tuesday morning. Following the Jets lopsided victory over the Indianapolis Colts 20-7 on the road Monday night, the odds-makers now have the Jets favored by 2.5 points.

"Typically if a team is playing on a Monday night the line for the next game isn't released on Tuesday," Joe Younes of Godfatherlocks.com told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday. "For some reason a line was posted as Eagles (-2.5) prior to the Jets playing the Colts.

"That's an anticipation of oddsmakers that we won't see the same Eagles team we've seen for the first two weeks."

What makes this such an interesting game is the fact that the Eagles are struggling to establish any semblance of an offense but will meet a Jets team coming off an impressive road victory with a short week to prepare.

Still, the question becomes what exactly drove Vegas to swing the line a full five points overnight?

"Once the Jets defeated the Colts and did it with fashion on the defensive side," Younes explained. "The odds-makers quickly moved the line with fear of money coming in on the Jets. Now that the Eagles are a 2.5 point dog, Vegas expects money to back New York on Sunday."

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Jets' Brandon Marshall screamed at Ryan Fitzpatrick on Monday night ... and it helped (Darryl Slater) NJ Advanced Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/jets_brandon_marshall_screamed_at_ryan_fitzpatrick.html#incart_river

INDIANAPOLIS — Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall screamed at quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick during Monday night's 20-7 win at the Colts.

But there's more to what happened — and Marshall's intent, and the result of his screaming — than just that one simple sentence.

This was the situation: The Jets led 10-7 after the Colts put together a 91-yard touchdown drive. The Jets had responded by driving the ball down to the Colts' 15-yard line on the ensuing possession. With 6:27 remaining in the game, the Jets had second-and-7 from the 15. They badly needed an insurance touchdown.

And they got one when Fitzpatrick hit Marshall for a 15-yard passing score. Marshall charged through defenders, into the end zone, for the final few yards.

"He's got that dog in him, for sure," right guard Willie Colon said of Marshall.

Marshall said afterward that the play was initially a run, but Fitzpatrick changed it to a pass at the line. Before the snap, Marshall noticed favorable coverage on his side of the field. The Colts' secondary was depleted, without star cornerback Vontae Davis, who exited in the first half with a concussion and did not return.

Once Marshall noticed the coverage against him, he started yelling at Fitzpatrick, before the snap, as the Jets were lining up. Marshall wanted to get Fitzpatrick's attention.

"I was screaming at Fitz, 'Come to me!'" Marshall said. "Because they finally gave me one high [coverage]. And I wanted to make sure he was going to throw it, because he had an option [to throw elsewhere]. I didn't want him to have that option. So I was like, 'Hey! Hey! Hey!' So he came to me, and I just made a play."

But couldn't Marshall's well-meaning, pre-snap histrionics have alerted the Colts' defenders that maybe, just maybe, Fitzpatrick was going to throw him the ball?

"Didn't matter," Marshall said. "I knew I was going to beat them. I just wanted to make sure I got the opportunity, because it was tough with them doubling and rolling coverage to my side most of the game."

Marshall still managed to finish with seven catches for 101 yards, while Eric Decker had eight catches for 97 yards, before he left with a knee injury. Both receivers caught a touchdown pass. The tandem is off to a nice start. In the Week 1 win over the Browns, Marshall had 62 receiving yards, Decker 37, and both guys caught a touchdown in that game, too.

From playing against cornerback Darrelle Revis in training camp practices, "I'm confident when I go into games now," Marshall said. "My confidence is at an all-time high."

But Marshall knows the Jets' offense could have done more on Monday night, when their defense had five takeaways, increasing the team's season total to 10 — the Jets' most ever through the opening two games.

"I think that collectively, we feel that we left a lot of meat on the bones, and we have to get better," Marshall said. "When we have a defense playing that well and giving us so many opportunities, we've got

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to take advantage of it. We've got to do a better job. We've got a long way to go before we can start crowning ourselves."

The Jets are 2-0 for the first time since 2011. They went 8-8 that year and missed the playoffs. Against the Eagles on Sunday, they will try to start 3-0 for the first time since 2009, coach Rex Ryan's first season. The Jets last started 4-0 in 2004, when they started 5-0.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick what Jets needed him to be vs. Indianapolis Colts | QB report card (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/ryan_fitzpatrick_what_jets_needed_him_to_be_vs_ind.html#incart_river

INDIANAPOLIS — A glance at the final stat sheet reveals that Ryan Fitzpatrick again had exactly the kind of game the Jets hope to get from their quarterback in Chan Gailey's offense this season.

Fitzpatrick was 22-for-34 passing for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception Monday night. The Jets smacked the Colts, 20-7, and no doubt caused more than a few neutral observers to take notice.

Fitzpatrick's Total QBR for the season is now 70.0, which stands eighth in the league after two games—the kind of ranking in an all-encompassing metric the Jets haven't seen from their quarterback in, well, forever.

The Colts stacked the line to stop the run, and their secondary came into the game minus three cornerbacks. The Colts then lost a fourth (and their best) corner when Vontae Davis left the game with a concussion in the second quarter. It made sense, then, for the Jets to throw it (34 times) more than they rain it (27), especially with running back Chris Ivory (14 carries, 57 yards) nursing what head coach Todd Bowles said was a "sore" hamstring.

This Jets took what the Colts gave them, and they came away with another win. But Fitzpatrick was far from perfect. Let's take a look under the hood.

What to like: Because the Colts sold out against the run, Fitzpatrick was barely pressured: Just eight times in 36 dropbacks, per Pro Football Focus. And Fitzpatrick only saw 12 blitzes. He was also finally sacked for the first time this season—and it only happened once. He spread the ball around by throwing to five different receivers, with Eric Decker (eight catches, 97 yards, one touchdown, all in the first half) making life easy for him by exploiting mismatches against a depleted Colts secondary that waited too long to put a nickel corner on him. Brandon Marshall, too, had a big game—seven catches, 101 yards, one TD. Once again, Fitzpatrick was especially effective with quick, underneath throws: On passes between 0 and 9 yards, he was 12-for-14 for 101 yards, per PFF. And between 10 and 19 yards, he was 5-for-8 for 109 yards, per PFF. And three of his passes were dropped. Fitzpatrick has just two turnovers through two games. That's not the worst. And his accuracy (73.5 percent, per PFF) was much improved from last week. Fitzpatrick averaged just 2.28 seconds to throw, per PFF, which is just what the Jets want. And he was 4-for-5 on that crucial touchdown drive after the Colts made it a 10-7 game in the fourth quarter.

What not to like: Some of Fitzpatrick's limitations were on display. He didn't see open receivers at times, such as a wide open Decker down the middle on one play. And his interception was a poor one—he never looked elsewhere and tried to force the ball to Marshall, who was being blanketed. The Jets only converted 4 of 12 third downs, and their 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter felt terribly precarious because Fitzpatrick couldn't seem to connect on a huge completion, at least until that fourth quarter TD drive. Fitzpatrick also seemed to struggle when throwing deep: Just 1-for-7 with an interception, per PFF, on

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throws of more than 19 yards (though that one was a giant 27-yard completion to Quincy Enunwa on the fourth-quarter TD drive). A better quarterback might have given the Jets plenty of breathing room earlier in the game by finding open receivers and making plays that were there. But the Jets don't have a better quarterback right now—though through two games, they haven't needed one.

Grade: B

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Jets' suffocating defense reminds Calvin Pace of the last time the team was any good (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/jets_colts_defense.html#incart_river

INDIANAPOLIS — It's been a long time since veteran outside linebacker Calvin Pace felt this good about the Jets' defense.

After the Jets on Monday night improved to 2-0 by beating the Colts 20-7, Pace said he hasn't felt like this since 2010.

"This is close to that type of feeling," Pace said after the Jets forced Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to turn the ball over four times, including three interceptions.

The 2010 season is the last time the Jets made the playoffs, as they reached their second consecutive AFC Championship Game. The Jets finished that season sixth in the NFL in fewest points allowed and third in fewest yards allowed. The Jets went 11-5 in 2010 — tied for their second-most wins in franchise history.

They haven't made the playoffs or enjoyed a winning season since.

Through two games, the Jets have gained 10 turnovers, three more than any other NFL team (the Broncos) right now, and one more than the Jets had ever previously gained through the opening two games.

The Jets' defense has gained nine of those 10 turnovers. On Monday night, the Jets gained five turnovers, all by their defense.

According to the NFL, the Jets are the league's first team with five-plus takeaways in each of its first two games since the Steelers in 1992, coach Bill Cowher's first year. That season, the Steelers gained 12 turnovers through the first two games — five against the Oilers, and seven against the Jets.

"We're getting them, man, at a crazy rate," said Pace, who is well aware of how much Todd Bowles' coaching staff emphasized takeaways this spring and summer during defensive meetings and practices.

So if the Jets' defense continues playing this well, how many games can this team win?

"Hopefully, 20," Pace said with a smile. "I mean, that's the goal, man."

(Finish the regular season 16-0, though, and a team only needs to win three games, not four, in the playoffs in order to capture the Super Bowl title.)

But the point remains: Optimism abounds among the Jets' defenders.

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Darrelle Revis is back, and it's just like old times for the Jets (Steve Politi) NJ Advance Media September 22, 2015

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/09/darrelle_revis_jets_colts_column_politi.html#incart_river

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INDIANAPOLIS — Darrelle Revis sat in the corner of the visiting locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium, listening as his fellow defensive backs laughed them silly about a statistic that defines the perfect start for this team.

The Jets had 13 turnovers all of last season, they were told. And they have 10 in just two games this season.

"Cro!" second-year safety Calvin Pryor said with amazement to teammate Antonio Cromartie. "We're going to beat that by the FOURTH GAME!"

They both howled, and the man most responsible for that allowed himself a wide smile and a chuckle, too. Revis has been around too long to get all that worked up about a 2-0 start, not when he remembers how some of the most promising of Jets seasons have gone up in flames.

But he allowed himself to admit this much: The Jets secondary wants to be the best in the league, and two weeks in the season, it's already making a very compelling case.

"We have high expectations on this DB unit," Revis said after the 20-7 victory over the Colts on Monday Night Football. "We have a lot of depth, and maybe most of all, a lot of interchangeable guys who can play different positions. We feel very confident."

They should, and it starts with Revis. These past two weeks served as a reminder of what was missing on the defense when Revis left town — one awful year in Tampa, one Super Bowl title in New England. He brings the swagger. He gives this team its identity.

He's back, and this Jets defense, which looked so good on paper before the season started, is looking every bit as good on the field. Andrew Luck found out just how good, turning the ball over four times against an imaginative Todd Bowles game plan designed to rattle him on every snap.

That's the biggest different between the Jets team that won four games all of last season and already has half that total in two weeks this season. When an opposing quarterback makes a mistake, there's somebody in the defensive backfield waiting to capitalize on it.

Somebody like Revis. He intercepted a Luck pass at the Jets 31 in the third quarter, picked up a Luck fumble to kill a drive at the end of the first half, and biggest of all, dove on a loose ball at the one-inch line when Colts running back Frank Gore fumbled on his way into the end zone.

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan spent $127 million on Revis, Cromartie and cornerback Buster Skrine, and so far, that seems like a bargain.

"That's why they're worth the big money, man," guard Willie Colon said. "Great players cost, and they showed up tonight. They cashed in, and we were kind of able to ride the defense today."

That's going to have to be the formula. The Jets offense was good enough on Monday, but it disappeared until a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown drive after the Colts (finally) put together a sustained touchdown drive.

If Ryan Fitzpatrick (22 of 34 passing for 244 yards and two touchdowns) can continue to give this team competent quarterback play, the Jets are going to be in a lot of games this season with this defense. And they're going to win their share, too.

Again: The Jets have 10 turnovers in two games after getting 13 in 16 games for Rex Ryan last season, an incredible turnaround. "We're about to crush that," Skrine said, and he wasn't boasting. It's true.

Luck and the Colts found out just how good this Jets defense is again, with a dominant defensive line, a restocked secondary and the best cornerback in the planet back in a green uniform.

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They found out just how hard it is to score on the Jets when Revis is having one of his vintage performances, shutting down Colts star T.Y. Hilton and coming up with three takeaways on his own.

"That's why we brought him back," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "Sad to see him go for those couple years, but that's why we brought him back. He is what he is, man. He's the best in the game at the corner position. He shows it every week."

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain Jets starting QB when Geno Smith returns, Todd Bowles says (Seth Walder) New York Daily News September 23, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/fitzpatrick-remain-jets-starting-qb-geno-returns-article-1.2370409

Geno Smith has been Wally Pipped.

With Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the Jets to a 2-0 start, Todd Bowles made it clear Tuesday that the veteran will remain the starting quarterback even when Smith returns to health. Smith entered training camp as the team’s starter but lost the job when IK Enemkpali broke the quarterback’s jaw in a locker room dispute in August.

Bowles had said previously that if Fitzpatrick and the team were playing well that he probably wouldn’t make a change at the quarterback position, so Tuesday’s news wasn’t shocking after the Jets beat up on the Colts, 20-7, on Monday.

“Ryan’s our starting quarterback right now,” Bowles said. “We’re doing good, we have good chemistry going and everything else. Geno understands that. And as we go, Ryan’s our quarterback and we’ll go forward from there.”

Smith originally was given a 6-10 week recovery timetable, which would put him back between Week 3 and Week 7. However, GM Mike Maccagnan has previously indicated that the team expected Smith to miss at least the first four games. Smith participated in some 7-on-7 drills in practice last week.

Once Smith is back in action, however, he won’t be splitting work in practice with Fitzpatrick.

Even when Smith is healthy, “Ryan will get all the first-team reps,” Bowles said.

Fitzpatrick has played well in his two starts en route to a 94.3 quarterback rating. It hasn’t been perfect — he threw a pick in each game — but with the type of defense Gang Green is playing (nine takeaways this year), the Jets don’t need Fitzpatrick to be Aaron Rodgers.

“Thought he did a good job managing the ballgame,” Bowles said of Fitzpatrick’s performance against the Colts. “Obviously he threw the pick in the red zone (midway through the second quarter) — that we don’t want. But he did a good job, had command of the offense, he understood what they were trying to do to him.”

Willie Colon, speaking on “Daily News Live” on SNY, said he agreed with Bowles’ decision to stick with Fitzpatrick.

“I do, I love Fitz,” Colon said. “The offense right now is simple. It’s flat-out go get ’em.”

By declaring Fitzpatrick the starter, Bowles will try to avoid potential drama over whether Smith would see the field once he is healthy. The team still wants Smith back as soon as possible, but as a backup. For

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all his faults, Smith is clearly a much more reliable option than rookie Bryce Petty. But Smith still has work to do before that happens.

“He has to get reps in practice. He has to read defenses all over again,” Bowles said. “It’s like the start of training camp. When you haven’t read the defenses and set the fronts and called out blitz protections and everything like that, that takes a minute. So once he gets back into that flow, I think it will start coming back to him pretty good.”

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Jets are biggest threat to Patriots in AFC East (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News September 22, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-biggest-threat-patriots-afc-east-article-1.2370675

There have been way too many WTF moments for scarred followers to think any of this is really real two weeks into the season, but here’s the picture slowly coming into focus in an AFC East dominated by two men for the past decade: The Jets are the best hope to topple the Patriots.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have heard it all before, so it’s unlikely that arguably the best head coach and quarterback in the history of the sport are quivering. The big-talking Buffalo Bills, after all, were supposed to tap them into submission before Brady and the Pats put up a 40-spot and 507 total yards with fully inflated footballs against Rex Ryan’s prized defense last week.

The Patriots are the cockroaches of the NFL: They never seem to die even when death appears imminent.

Brady has reversed the aging process. Belichick stays a step ahead. Cheaters to some, champions to others, they have won 11 of 12 AFC East titles, including six in a row.

You won’t hear it from Todd Bowles, whose team has morphed from brash to boring overnight, but the Jets will be a legitimate threat to end the Evil Empire’s rule.

“People got to understand that it’s a new team, new guys, new coaches and we’re still trying to bring it together,” wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. “We got a long way to go before we can start crowning ourselves.”

The Jets gave a sneak peek of what lies ahead in a dominating defensive performance against the Colts on Monday night. Bowles’ defense played with a nastiness that’s impossible to ignore.

Although Buffalo might have the best defensive line in the league, it’s hard to find a more complete unit than the Jets’ right now. The combination of a ferocious front seven and the best secondary this side of the Pacific Northwest is unmatched.

Andrew Luck was hit 13 times by eight different players and hurried 18 times, according to Pro Football Focus. Bowles dialed up 17 blitzes on 41 drop-backs to rattle one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Darrelle Revis is the headliner of a suffocating secondary that has helped force nine defensive turnovers in eight quarters, including three interceptions in the 20-7 victory in Indianapolis.

“Words can’t explain it,” nose tackle Damon Harrison said of the back end. “Those guys were everywhere. I believe every DB that played (Monday) probably recorded an interception. That’s what it seemed like, right?”

The Jets secondary separates Bowles’ team from the Bills and Dolphins. It’s hard to imagine Revis & Co. allowing Brady to throw for 466 yards like he did in Buffalo. More than half of Brady’s 59 pass attempts

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went to Julian Edelman (19) and Rob Gronkowski (13). That’s not going to happen against Bowles’ secondary when the teams face each other in Week 7.

Bowles hasn’t delivered an edict, but there’s been an unspoken understanding on One Jets Drive to refrain from uttering the “P” word that so often tumbled out of Ryan’s mouth. The rookie head coach is fully aware of which team has kicked this star-crossed franchise’s collective derriere for the better part of a decade, but there’s no need to single out anyone right now.

Everyone in green and white might be happy after winning on the national stage, but they felt far from perfect in prime time.

“I think we all feel like we left a lot of meat on the bone,” Marshall said, channeling his inner Joseph Randle. “Defensively, I heard guys talking about how disappointed they were on a few plays. Offensively, we’re going to enjoy it, but it’s nothing to hang our hats on.”

So, Bowles’ postgame message to his team in the winning locker room wasn’t some sort of self-congratulatory lovefest. He recognized the accomplishment and cut his guys a break by letting them wear sweats on the flight home.

“There really was no message,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “Call it boring … but that’s how we do it.”

There’s a real chance that the Patriots and Jets could both be 5-0 when they tangle in Foxborough next month. It’s premature to announce that the Patriots are finally going down, but Calvin Pace, the oldest player on a roster built to win now, admitted that the feeling is reminiscent of 2010, when he was on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance.

So, how many games can these Jets win playing this way?

“Hopefully 20,” Pace said with smile.

The Patriots shouldn’t easily dismiss them. The threat level is high.

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Jets say WR Eric Decker's knee injury just a sprain (Seth Walder) New York Daily News September 22, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-eric-decker-knee-injury-sprain-article-1.2370655

Todd Bowles confirmed Tuesday what Eric Decker had suspected and what Gang Green Nation hoped for: that Decker’s knee injury is not serious. It’s a sprain, according to Bowles, and Decker is day-to-day. Bowles wasn’t sure if the receiver, who caught eight passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Jets’ 20-7 victory over the Colts Monday, would be available to face the Eagles on Sunday.

“I’m going to have to see how he’s doing later in the week,” Bowles said. “I mean, if he’s not moving well obviously he’s not going to play, but time will tell. He’s got a little bit of time, so I’m hopeful, but you know out of the realm (of possibility) that he won’t play, either.”

Bowles also revealed that fellow wide receiver Chris Owusu suffered a leg injury. Bowles said on ESPN Radio that he thought Owusu, who played 52 snaps Monday but did not record a catch, might be out for two weeks.

The coach added he was “hopeful” that rookie WR Devin Smith (ribs) would be able to play against the Eagles.

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KERLEY PASSED UP

The curious sidelining of Jeremy Kerley continued against the Colts, as the fifth-year wideout again played just one offensive snap. Owusu and Quincy Enunwa, who had a big 27-yard reception in the fourth quarter but also two drops, played ahead of him again.

Bowles said Tuesday that there were no off-the-field matters that were affecting Kerley’s playing time.

“He hasn’t done anything,” Bowles said. “There are guys that are playing better and he got hurt and guys had opportunities so the (other) guys are playing.”

IVORY SORE

Chris Ivory battled a groin injury last week but was able to play against the Colts. Bowles said the running back is “real sore” following Monday’s game. ... Jets signed WR Titus Davis to the practice squad and released DE Jordan Williams from the practice squad. ... Jets worked out WR Terrelle Pryor and former Giants WR Corey Washington.

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Todd Bowles let the Jets wear sweatpants on the flight home after beating Colts, and they were psyched about it (Bernie Augustine) New York Daily News September 22, 2015

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-win-means-sweats-plane-gang-green-article-1.2369737

The secret to Todd Bowles’ motivational tactics is out: sweatpants.

The rookie Gang Green coach rewarded his squad with the news that they could wear sweatpants on the team flight home after Monday night’s 20-7 win over the Colts.

“Sweats on the plane,” Bowles said in the locker room after the win, an announcement that was greeted with cheers from his players.

Most teams have their players dress in business attire for road trips, and the Jets arrived in Indianapolis wearing suits. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took advantage of the change in dress code, leaving Lucas Oil Stadium for the team bus in shorts and a t-shirt with his suit folded in his bag. Darrelle Revis and Brandon Marshall, however, both stuck with the suit-and-tie.

“Guys, that’s a great job. On the road, believe me, that was a very good football team we just beat,” he told the 2-0 Jets. “Physical from beginning to end. Outstanding job.”

So Rex Ryan had “let’s go eat a goddamn snack” as a rallying cry and Bowles has “sweats on a plane.”

Hey, whatever works.

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets notebook: Fitzpatrick appears to be driving the Porsche (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York September 22, 2015

http://www.metro.us/sports/jets-notebook-fitzpatrick-appears-to-be-driving-the-porsche/zsJoiw---SeEG3T0k8bU/

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It appears that Ryan Fitzpatrick has done enough in two starts to gain the confidence of the New York Jets, with head coach Todd Bowles admitting on Tuesday that even if Geno Smith was available it would be the bearded one who would still get the start.

Off to a 2-0 start, the Jets have ridden a strong defense and an offense that can best be described as tidy and efficient to their winning ways. Fitzpatrick has proven to be a good fit in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's scheme, something not surprising given his previous relationship with the Jets assistant. That Smith is unable to start yet as he continues to recover from jaw surgery is one thing, but even if he was ready to start it is clear that the incumbent quarterback has lost his place with the team.

At least for now.

"I thought he did a good job managing the ball game. Obviously, he threw a pick in the red zone, down there, and that’s something we don’t want, but he did a good job. He had command of the offense, understood what they were trying to do to him and we stuck to the run and didn’t air out all over the place which kept their offense off the field as well. I thought he did a good job," head coach Todd Bowles said on Tuesday in a conference call.

"Ryan is our starting quarterback right now. We’re doing well, we have good chemistry going and everything else and Geno understands that and as we go, Ryan is our quarterback. We’ll go forward from there."

Later when asked if Fitzpatrick would hypothetically be the starter were Smith healthy, Bowles said "Yes, Ryan is the starter."

JETS NOTES

--> Injured in the second half of the Monday night win over the Indianapolis Colts, the wide receiver's knee is being called by Bowles as a "day-to-day" injury. He was uncertain of his star's status for this Sunday.

"I don’t know, I’ll have to see how he’s doing later in the week. If he’s not moving well obviously he’s not going to play," Bowles said. "Time will tell. We have a little bit of time, so I’m hopeful, but it’s not out of the realm that he won’t play either."

--> Injured in training camp, Devin Smith's ribs might be adequately healed to let him make his NFL debut.

"I’m hopeful he will be," Bowles said. "He still has some things that he has to do so, we’ll see how the week progresses."

Smith was inactive for Monday night's win. He did not play at all in preseason.

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Eagles on Jets: These aren't the Jets you saw last year (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York September 22, 2015

http://www.metro.us/sports/eagles-on-jets-these-aren-t-the-jets-you-saw-last-year/zsJoiv---QEANypHMrocQ/

Monday night's win by the New York Jets over the Indianapolis Colts may not have only opened the eyes of many fans across the country, it caught the attention of their Week 3 opponent as well.

The Philadelphia Eagles watched Monday's 20-7 win by the Jets and saw a team on the rise. They also saw a defense that created five turnovers and a performance by cornerback Darrelle Revis that included a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

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Not too shabby.

"They have Revis, [Antonio] Cromartie, I think Buster Skrine is very good. I really like their safeties too. I am good friends with Calvin Pryor, I know what he's like as a person, he's a hard worker, stays late and he will come in and hit you," wide receiver Jordan Matthews said. "They have a really good secondary, the guys in front of them do a good job too so it's a good opportunity to come out and show what we can do."

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck finished the game 21-for-37 for 237 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 52.8.

The Jets made Luck look rather ordinary, but on the other side of the ball wide receivers Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall pulled a Revis and caught the attention of the Eagles. Decker had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown; Marshall finished with seven receptions and a team-high 101 yards as well as a touchdown.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins took notice of the Jets threats in the passing attack.

"Last night they did a whole lot of empty formations with different personal. They have a really good back I am familiar with, Chris Ivory. I played with in New Orleans, he will punish defenders in the secondary and run by you," Jenkins said. "This isn't the Jets that you saw last year, this is a team that's well-coached. They have a plan and they execute well. We will have to have a game plan. They get into 10 personnel a lot, four wide receiver sets... In the preseason they ran the ball a lot. We don't know if they will stick to that plan or try and spread the field a little bit."

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Is Jets' Brandon Marshall next to show up the Eagles' secondary? (Evan Macy) Metro New York September 22, 2015

http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/is-jets-brandon-marshall-next-to-show-up-the-eagles-secondary/zsJoiv---pFU2IRxplwTo/

Remember no Dez no problem? Well, Terrance Williams gave $63 million man Byron Maxwell some problems in Sunday's loss to Dallas in the absence of Dez Bryant.

This one week after Julio Jones lit the entire secondary to the tune of nine catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

Next on the docket? The Jets and Brandon Marshall, fresh off his 101 yards against the Colts on Monday night.

"He's a big physical receiver, he has the speed to streak the field, he catches the ball well, and catches it well across the middle," Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "He will take those slants and turn the five-yard catch into 15 yards, and more than that if you miss a tackle. He's just really consistent."

Consistent is a word that would not describe the Eagles' secondary of late -- something the Jets and Marshall will surely try and exploit.

"You have to defend him the whole game," Jenkins said. "If you are not on him, if you're not in his face, if you don't disrupt his timing all day long he can change the game."

Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis is worried -- perhaps as he should be.

"They do a great job of moving him around a little bit," Davis said. "He's a big run‑after‑catch guy, more than you think. He’s such a big, strong guy. He muscles up and makes the catch, and then he's a tough

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tackle. He is absolutely the primary weapon in this offense in the passing game. They do a lot of empty sets and you've got to find him, and then kind of mix in the zone, the man and then the pressures."

But all of this can be avoided if the offense can finally get it's groove on. Keeping the Eagles defense off the field, where they have played well but have been hung out to dry, will be the best way to take Marshall out of the game.

And that starts with the mental game.

"It's all internal," Jordan Matthews, one of the only contributors to post respectable offensive numbers in the season's first two weeks, said. "If we go out there and do what were supposed to do I honestly believe we are always going to come out on the winning side. The teams we have played so far are great teams, we have another great team coming Sunday. We have to make sure we do the things on our side of the ball to help us win games."

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The Jets biggest opponent this week is not the Eagles, but themselves (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York September 22, 2015

http://www.metro.us/sports/dyer-the-jets-biggest-opponent-this-week-is-not-the-eagles-but-themselves/zsJoiv---f0HMKHMuaSLuo/

This week, the greatest challenge that faces New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles will not be the Philadelphia Eagles but rather his own team. Sometime after 4 p.m. this Sunday afternoon, we'll know exactly what type of head coach Bowles has the potential to be.

Can he manage expectations? Can he get a team that has tasted such little success over the past four years to not be drunk from the oh-so-heady experience of two wins to start the season?

The Jets are 2-0 for the first time since 2011, giving a jolt of enthusiasm – and hope – to a franchise that has suffered so much for so long. It is just two wins, but already you can hear Jets fans getting the ticker tape ready for the team's march down the 'Canyon of Heroes.' His own locker room hasn't experienced consecutive wins since the end of the 2013 season and with Monday night's 20-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts a measuring stick and a confidence booster, the Jets have every reason to be flying high.

That is precisely why this team must be careful not just of the Eagles on Sunday but themselves.

Now on paper, the Eagles don't seem like a real danger to the Jets, who have forced a league-high 10 turnovers in just two games. They're 0-2 and struggling to move the ball, their locker room is visibly splitting apart and their head coach might well be coaching Rutgers next year. But the Jets are on the opposite spectrum of the optimism scale and therein lies their vulnerability.

The Eagles will be desperate on Sunday, a team already in must-win mode. These suddenly surging Jets will have to guard against the antipode of those emotions emanating from Philadelphia. Complacency will be Bowles biggest opponent this week.

Can Bowles reign in a locker room, replete with confidence and perhaps even too much cockiness? They dominated their first game, sending their fans streaming out of MetLife Stadium early in the fourth quarter of a blowout win, something that hasn't happened around these parts much lately. And they went on the road into a tough atmosphere against a team one game removed from the Super Bowl and got a win. That win before a national audience showed that the Jets are closer to competing than rebuilding, but it also might build them up too much.

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Enter the team's first-year head coach. If there is anyone who can keep this team's mentality check, it is Bowles.

This was a man who grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a working class area with a rough reputation, bordering the even tougher streets of Newark. He was under-recruited in high school, ending up at a Temple program that was pretty bad at the time.

From there, he went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. What followed was a Super Bowl ring and eventually a coaching career that included early stops in places like Morehouse and Grambling before scratching and clawing his way into the league.

His teammates in college, in the NFL, will tell you that he was the consummate hard worker, that he took his playing career seriously. He was the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. He spent extra time studying film. As an assistant coach, his light was one of the last ones turned off in stops that included the Jets as well as the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, the Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals before being named the Jets head coach this offseason.

His NFL career, his Super Bowl ring and even his coaching career were born from doing the right thing, every day and always, always bringing his lunch pail to work. He never underestimated an opponent at any time, never took a moment off to enjoy the view.

The temptation will be there for this Jets team to look at the standings after Week 2, look-up the stats and see a top-rated defense and an offense that is top 10. They'll hear the sports radio talk yakking about their progress. Someone out there will say that "this Jets team is for real."

It will all seem so easy.

But this is where the team will need to sit in their lockers and listen to Bowles, quietly and warning of the dangers of overconfidence, telling them to simply keep their heads on their shoulders, their emotions at an even keel. Yet more than listen, his team will look at the career and the life of a man who never for one moment stopped to take a break, to wipe the sweat off his brow.

A lesson he will need to give out to 53 players ahead of Week 3. A lesson that Todd Bowles has lived.

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3 things we learned in the Jets' 20-7 win over the Colts (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York September 22, 2015

http://www.metro.us/kristian-dyer/3-things-we-learned-in-the-jets-20-7-win-over-the-colts/zsJoiv---gnCde7qBYlVSI/

The new look, revamped New York Jets are now 2-0, a 20-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night a measuring stick for where this team is at.

A big night from the Jets defense, which forced five turnovers against an offense that last year was the strength of a team just a game away from the Super Bowl, keyed the Jets to an ugly win. A strong defensive showing coupled with an offense that was overly conservative at times turned out to be the recipe for the team's first 2-0 start since 2011.

A touchdown pass to Eric Decker and then a Nick Folk field goal staked the Jets to a 10-0 lead at halftime but the story was on the other side of the ball for the visitors.

Two first half turnovers, an interception by Calvin Pryor and then a strip of Andrew Luck on third down late in the second quarter, led to just seven points for the Jets as Folk plunked a 48-yard effort on the

Daily Clips Cont.

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stroke of halftime off the post. But it was the zero points for the Colts through three quarters that kept the Jets in the game as the offense sputtered.

That trend would continue after halftime.

With the Colts driving on their first possession of the second half, Colts running back Frank Gore fumbled on the goal line and Darrelle Revis was there for his second fumble recovery of the game. The turnover ended an 18-play, 79-yard drive that ate up 9:39 off the clock. It also kept the Colts off the scoreboard.

On the Colts next drive, Revis then intercepted Luck on third down, the Colts fourth turnover of the night.

Luck would connect with Donte Moncrief in the fourth quarter to make it a 10-7 game but the Jets answered back, with Ryan Fitzpatrick hitting Brandon Marshall for a 15-yard touchdown, a tremendous physical play from the wide receiver to extend with the ball to get across the goal line.

Marshall finished with seven catches for 101 yards with a touchdown and Decker had eight catches for 97 yards and that first quarter touchdown.

Three Things We Learned in Week 2:

Darrelle Revis is the Game's Best Cornerback – An interception (he nearly had a second in the fourth quarter) and two fumbles (one he forced then recovered) capped off a tremendous showing by the game's best cornerback. Darrelle Revis came back to the Jets after two years away for moments like this. And on the national stage, Revis showed that he is still the best in the game.

Jets Offense Kinda Blah...But Kinda Effective- This game could have been much bigger of a lead for the Jets at halftime and truthfully, the offense seemed downright bland. Especially since the Colts were missing their top three cornerbacks by the second half of the game, one would think the Jets could have moved the ball more effectively. Making matters worse, one week after the Bills ran all over this defense, the Jets didn't do much on the ground till late in the game when Chris Ivory began to heat up. That coincided with the Jets much needed drive in the fourth quarter, seven plays and 80 yards in 3:47 to put the Jets up 17-7. The offense wasn't very pretty but it got the job done and limited mistakes.

Folk Is Strangely Human in September – Over the past four seasons, kicker Nick Folk has been impeccable in the season's first month, to the tune of 28-for-28 in September. His last miss in the ninth month of year came in Week 3 of 2010 in what was a win at the Miami Dolphins. Folk missed at the end of the second quarter, pushing a 48-yard effort that clanked off the upright. He would nail a 46-yard field goal late to ice the game.

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TUESDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

American League

MINNESOTA TWINS — Recalled OF-1B Max Kepler from Chattanooga (SL).

National League

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Signed manager Pete Mackanin to a contract extension through 2016.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

SAN ANTONIO SPURS — Named Jacque Vaughn pro scout.

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FOOTBALL

National Football League

CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed LB Cam Johnson to the practice squad. Released DL Kelcy Quarles from the practice squad.

DALLAS COWBOYS — Placed QB Tony Romo injured reserve-return. Placed DT Terrell McClain on injured reserve. Signed RB Gus Johnson to the practice squad.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Placed WR Rashad Greene on injured reserve-return. Re-signed WR Bryan Walters. Signed OT Tyrus Thompson and LB Jordan Tripp to the practice squad. Released OT Patrick Miller.

NEW YORK GIANTS — Released WR Preston Parker. Signed DT Kenrick Ellis.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Placed LB Martrell Spaight on injured reserve.

Canadian Football League

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS — Signed LB Ian Wild and WR Kevin Cone.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Released Fs Hayden McCool, Radovan Bondra and Roy Radke.

ECHL

READING ROYALS — Signed F Kevin Sundher. Signed G Tate Maris to a tryout agreement.

SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS — Signed D Nick D’Agostino.

TENNIS

Women’s Tennis Association

WTA — Announced the retirement of WTA Chair and CEO Stacey Allaster, effective Oct. 2.

COLLEGE

NEW JERSEY CITY — Named Tom Downes men’s and women’s cross country coach and men’s and women’s assistant indoor and outdoor track and field coach.

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