After 15 years in New York, the Jets have relieved general manager Mike Tannenbaum of his duties.  Head coach Rex Ryan will keep his job.

The team announced the decision in a statement from Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson:

Our 2012 season was a disappointment to all of us.  My goal every year as owner is to build a team that wins consistently.  This year, we failed to achieve that goal.

This morning, I informed Mike Tannenbaum that he will not return for the 2013 season.  Mike devoted 15 years of service to the Jets, and I want to thank him for his hard work and dedication.  Although he helped guide us to two consecutive AFC Championship games, we are not where we want to be, and a new General Manager will be critical to getting this team back on the right track.

Starting immediately, we will conduct a search for a new General Manager.  I’ve consulted with a number of football executives and I have also engaged the services of Korn/Ferry International, the same search firm that conducted the NFL Commissioner search in 2006.  Our process with Korn/Ferry will be led by Jed Hughes, who heads their sports practice and who previously led the General Manager search for the Seattle Seahawks, among others.  When we have updates on this process, we will provide them to our fans and the media.

Rex Ryan will remain the Head Coach of our football team.  I believe that he has the passion, the talent, and the drive to successfully lead our team.

Like all Jets fans, I am disappointed with this year’s results.  However, I am confident that this change will best position our team for greater success going forward.

Though many have expressed concern over Rex Ryan’s performance as head coach this season, it is Tannenbaum’s philosophy and direction of the team’s personnel, particularly on the offensive side of the ball and on draft day, that has hindered the team the most. The guy know as “trader Mike” helped construct a Jets offense that scored 10 points or fewer in seven games this season and finished the year averaging 17.6 points per game.

Also contributing to Tannenbaum’s demise was the construction of several bad contracts, namely the contract extension of quarterback Mark Sanchez, a financial hit that will likely cripple the team for the next two years.

Woody Johnson is currently at the Jets facility and more firings are expected to follow. He is not scheduled to address media on Tannenbaum firing or any other subsequent firings. Rex Ryan will also not speak with the media today — his 4 pm presser has been cancelled.

ESPN New York has already compiled a list of potential candidates on the team’s radar. You can check them out here.

UPDATE: Mike Tannenbaum has just released a statement, via Jets PR.

I want to thank Woody and his entire family for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime — serving as the General Manager of the New York Jets for seven years.

I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of rebuilding a winning tradition for Jets fans over the past 15 years. My days with Coach Parcells through my years as General Manager of the team that went to back-to-back AFC Championship games have been the fulfillment of a dream I have had since I was a little kid and I’ll always be grateful to Woody, the two head coaches, Rex and Eric, as well as all of the players, staff and the entire organization for this opportunity.

While of course it is disappointing to not achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship, I am incredibly proud of our overall winning record and success. I feel very fortunate to have been the general manager who drafted cornerstone players during a period that yielded four playoff victories and 22 Pro Bowl appearances.

I appreciate that it is rare for someone to stay with one organization with such a wide range of responsibilities for so many years. My time with the Jets will always be special to me and my family and it has prepared me well for whatever comes next.

There are champions on this team that haven’t been crowned yet. I am confident that the base we’ve established will allow the New York Jets to continue a winning tradition for years to come and I wish everyone in the organization the best of luck.

Mark Sanchez and Tony Sparano. (Photo from Usa Today Sports).

Congratulations, Jets fans. It’s over. We made it. This terrible train wreck of a season is over and tomorrow is a new day.

Hopefully.

Before into a deep discussion about the many changes coming this off-season, here are a few quick thoughts on this afternoon’s season finale, which of course, had to go down in as disappointing a fashion as possible.

• Running back Shonn Greene ran for 1,000 yards for his second straight-season in a row. Two seasons with 1,000+ yards should help the guy in the free agent market as I don’t see Greene returning as the Jets 1A back next year (at least, I hope not).
• Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley caught his 34th fair catch of the season with his first fair catch of the game, leading the league in fair catches and setting the all-time NFL record for fair catches. I guess congratulations are in order, but leading the league in fair catches isn’t an indictment of the Jets performance on the field this season, I don’t know what is.
• Mark Sanchez did very little to instill confidence in his ability to retain his job as the starting quarterback of this team in 2013. His throws were awful, his decision-making questionable and his body language off-putting, all against a very disappointing Bills defense. The struggling Sanchez threw his 18th interception in this game — his 25th turnover of the season.
• According to ESPN Stats and Information, Mark Sanchez ended the season with a 23.4 season Total QBR, the lowest of any qualifying QB in NFL.
• The play-calling in this game was especially craptastic, fitting considering that Sparano is expected to be fired tomorrow. I feel like a fool for ever thinking Sparano would bring “creativity” to this offense.
• Considering they gave up a whopping 11 sacks last weekend, the offensive line did perform better this in this game, albeit against..the Bills. What was highly disappointing was the fact that nearly every time the line would block in pass protection they would  get a holding call.
• Also re: run blocking: I don’t want to overhype the run blocking – though it has improved over the course of the season – but the Bills were statistically one, if not THE, worst vs. the run this year.
• The Brad Smith Wildcat touchdown play was salt in a  really painful wound and Rex cannot be happy. This is not the first time Rex has been out Wildcatted (is that a word? I don’t know but I am going to treat it like it is) — you may recall Colin Kaepernick and the KaepCat went wild on this defense earlier in the season, proof that the specialty offense is not “dead,” though the Jets apparently are incapable of running it.
• CJ Spiller broke off a 66-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick in this game. On the play, both safeties appeared to miff coverage on a very well constructed play from the Bills. This is a non-Jets note, but watching Spiller play today really allowed me sympathize with many Bills fans, who have grown increasingly frustrated at head coach Chan Gailey’s misuse of the running back. The Jets have no answer for a player of his type, and I shudder at the thought of a new Buffalo coach that knows how to better use the dangerous weapon.
• Jets fans should applaud Nick Folk , who quietly put together a fantastic season.

Today’s loss to the Bills is the Jets first loss to their rivals from Buffalo since 2009. The Jets end the season third place in the AFC East and will have the 9th pick in the 2013 draft.

A few other notes heading into Black Monday:

• Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano was escorted out of the facility by Jets PR staff, saying the OC didn’t want to speak to the media. Sparano’s silence comes on the heels of an ESPN report suggesting he will be fired tomorrow.
• As for Mike Tannenbaum, the GM normally addresses on the Monday following the close of the regular season. However, Tannenbaum is not currently on the team’s media itin for tomorrow. The reason? According to CBS Sports’ Lisa Zimmerman, Tannenbaum is also expected to be out as soon as Monday.

Photo c/o USA Today Sports

I used to hate when people used the word circus to describe the New York Jets, but let’s be honest — given the events of the past few weeks, there is simply is no other way to describe them.

Rex Ryan announced this morning that Greg McElroy, who made his first NFL start in last Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, has a concussion and will be unable to start on Sunday at Buffalo.

Mark Sanchez , not Tim Tebow, will start in his place.

McElroy, who was sacked 11 times on Sunday, acknowledged that he had suffered a mild ab strain yesterday that would not effect his availability for the season finale, but apparently the QB also suffered a head injury that did he did not disclose to the training staff until today.  McElroy went to Ryan’s office with John Melody, the team’s trainer, this morning to inform the team of the injury after a post concussion headache set in while he was lifting weights at the facility.

The latest chapter in the Jets quarterback carousel drama is an interesting one, though I smell a lot of BS here. Smells to me like the Jets wanted to find a way to get Sanchez back under center for the season finale, either to showcase him to potential trade partners or give him a confidence boost heading into next season, knowing they are tied to his contract extension and will be forced to keep him.

This story also presents serious questions about the Jets training staff, as they apparently were completely unaware their quarterback had suffered a head injury. I am not an expert on concussion protocol, but Ryan’s admission that the training staff had no prior knowledge of a head injury Greg had (as we have come to understand) been quietly dealing with all week also puts them in a difficult and unflattering position, especially when you recall the guy was sacked 11 (!) times. Moreover, it is also a sad commentary on just how far these players will go to  to avoid missing an opportunity because of a head injury — precisely the kind of the thing the league is trying to avoid.

Of course, all of this says nothing about the Tim Tebow situation, another epic chapter altogether. Whether or not you believe all, part or none of the reports regarding Tebow’s  sit down convo with Rex Ryan last week, you have to admit the obviously blatant attempt to prevent him from playing is absurd. In fact, Jeremy Kerley has been taking snaps out of the Wildcat all week in practice, more evidence that the Jets have no plans to let Tebow play a single snap in Buffalo. What happens is Mark suffers an injury that prevents him from finishing the game? Does Jeremy Kerley play QB? They gonna call Matty Simms? Cause Tebow ain’t playing.

More to come on this, I’m sure. Seems reasonable to expect an aother anonymous source article will be dropping soon.

Here we go.

A little more than 24 hours after the Jets’ announcement that third string quarterback Greg McElroy will start on Sunday at home vs. the San Diego Chargers, reports are already trickling in about the team’s plans to move on from Mark Sanchez as their franchise quarterback.

According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Jets plan to explore trading Sanchez this off-season, presumably to a team willing to absorb some portion of his guaranteed $8.25 million base salary (His cap figure for 2013 is a whopping $12.8 million). Mehta explains that any decision to look for trade partners does not necessarily mean that Sanchez will not return to New York next year and compete for the starting job, but it does seem to indicate that the Jets are in the beginning stages of moving on from “The Sanchize.”

Mehta also adds that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who is expected to be released in the off-season after losing his starting job to rookie QB Nick Foles, “would be amenable to coming to the Jets if Sanchez is out of the equation.” According to Mehta – who cites a team source – Rex Ryan has always had an “affinity” for Vick, and “loves” Vick. (You mean, like he loved Tebow? Too soon?)

It should come as no surprise that Mehta is the one to drop this story — he has made a habit out of dropping scandalous bombs on Jets Nation at curious times. I am not calling the validity of Manish’s report into question but I think it’s worth noting. All reporters have team sources and this report in particular does seem rather speculative, considering we have no idea whether or not Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan – the people supposedly making these trades and acquisitions – will even be back next season. But most of these speculative reports tend to have some truth in them, so it’s all worthy of consideration.

(FWIW, SNY and NFL.com’s Adam Schein has a source of his own on the Vick-t0-the-Jets rumor, and Schein’s source had a different take: ”There’s no chance…I’m laughing.” So, there is that).

It’s impossible to know exactly what is going on behind the scenes, but I can tell you that these Vick rumors will continue to circulate until he finds a new home in 2013. (Many analysts and reporters have suggested that Vick could be a good fit in New York, despite the fact that Michael appears has a turnover problem  equal to that of Mark Sanchez).

As for Sanchez, I am unconvinced that many NFL teams would be willing to offer the Jets much financial relief in order to acquire him as a backup (because let’s be real — no team is going to make him the starter after the show he put on this season), and the Jets may be up shit creek in this regard. But ultimately, a move is the best thing for both Sanchez and the Jets, and the team may ultimately be forced to eat the money from the ridiculous extension “cap genius” Mike Tannenbaum cooked up this spring.

It will certainly be interesting to watch this unfold, but before you get your panties in a bunch, sit tight — we have to see what happens with the general manger and head coach before we start making plans at the quarterback position.

Photo c/o Star Ledger

Because the life of Jets fans isn’t shitty dramatic enough, today we had to wake up to yet another edition of finger pointing with anonymous sources from the New York Daily News.

Daily News writer Manish Mehta’s latest article compiles quotes from several New York Jets and team sources, all anonymously piling on Tim Tebow. Guard Matt Slauson was the only player with the balls to attach his name to his words.

Here are few of the more interesting quotes from the article:

“He’s terrible,” a defensive starter told the Daily News.

Wonderful thing to say about your teammate. Classy.

“We have Greg . . . and we have an athlete,” (Matt) Slauson said.

At least Matt didn’t go the anonymous route. Matt has always been a Sanchez guy and his “athlete” comment seems to be a page out of Rex Ryan’s book.

“Now we’re depending on miracles?” a member of the organization said. “You can’t play that way.”

Really? Cause that what you need to make the playoffs.

“Look at some of the players he’s throwing to. It’s garbage.” (In reference to players around Mark).

That’s Mike Tannenbaum’s fault. Not Tim Tebow’s.

And my personal favorite:

“It would take extreme poor play. . . . like a five-interception game,” said a prominent member of the organization. “Something where it was just ridiculous. It would take Mark to totally just sh– the bed and become unglued (before there was a quarterback change).”

Not even gonna comment on that one. It would take Mark to totally just sh– the bed? What he did on Sunday wasn’t sh–ing the bed??

I would say something about the Daily News’ journalistic integrity, but we all know they lost that a long time ago. I’m not even going to blast Manish for this. This isn’t about him and this isn’t even about Tebow. This is about a locker room full of players – a culture – that just doesn’t get it.

Tim Tebow has never been a very good practice player and I will not argue that he isn’t one of the best quarterback’s in the National Football League. But this..this is disgusting. What kind of dudes say these things about their own teammate to the media? You can be pissed off about the state of your season and your team but you have to be better than this. This makes the entire team look like..well, sh–.

Nevermind that Tim Tebow has done everything he has been asked to do. If teammates have an issue with what he is or isn’t doing, then they should take it up with management. Or better yet, they should know their place and realize that what Tebow does or doesn’t do is not up to them.

And to make matters worse, Rex has the nerve to tell the fans and the media this team is unified? Makes me puke. Rex vowed that he would end this nonsense and this is already happening 11 games into the season. “Can’t wait” for the next two months to unfold.

FWIW, Adam Schein (Of SNY Postgame, Sirius XM Radio and NFL.com) tweeted this:

I’m sure Adam will be on it and get some more scoop in the coming hours.

• Erik Manassy of Jets Twit talked about the article on his daily podcast. As usual, Erik is spot on in his assessment of this situation and I highly recommend you give it a listen.
• Also, PFF did a really fantastic breakdown of Mark Sanchez today.  If you’re a Sanchez guy/gal, you might not like it. It’s pretty damming and it’s very well supported with cold hard facts. Check it out.

Photo credit: US Presswire

So, in case you hadn’t heard, the Jets lost 28-7 to the Seattle Seahawks today. While this loss doesn’t mathematically eliminate the Jets from the playoffs, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say this is not a playoff team. Agreed? Okay, moving on.

People are mad and they have a right to be. This loss, like so many Jets games this season, was a huge disappointment.

But I will be honest with you: I saw this coming. Not trying to be all “I told you so,” but the epic fail that has been this season started in free agency when the Jets decided not to do a damn thing outside of add two strong safeties to improve a team that was riddled with many glaring needs.

I am not in the mood to break down what happened in this game, mostly because I feel like a broken record. (Also Eric will be bringing you a proper recap tomorrow, so look out for it). Here are a few observations on today’s game and the current state of the Jets:

*It’s time to stop making excuses for Mark Sanchez. He has not played well this season and he did not play well today – He had a 22.0 QB rating in the first half! That’s awful.

I know , I know. The O line was bad, the ‘Hawks pass rush was in his face, receivers dropped balls and the play calling was pretty bizarre. But I am done making excuses. He looks ridiculously lost out there and the sack fumble in the fourth quarter was just the end for me.  I think he could actually have a future somewhere else, but not here — Not with this team, this coaching staff, this front office and this media market.

And before you bring Tebow into this, I am going to stop you, because this has nothing to do with Tebow. In fact, if anyone other than Tebow was the backup, I think the Jets would have thrown that backup quarterback into the game. But the Jets are so terrified of the media storm that will result in throwing Tebow into the game like a NORMAL backup, that they won’t do it. And they are hurting the team because of it.

And because I know you are probably wanting to bring it up, yes the “two quarterback system” messes with the offensive rhythm and hurts Sanchez. Yes. But guess what else? Sanchez played like this last year and Tebow wasn’t around. So there.

Most people think if you take Sanchez out of the game, it’s over for him in this town. I’m have been one those people. But I no longer care. You’ve gotta see what else you’ve got at the position so you know whether or not to move forward as an organization.

On the bright side, at least Sanchez took some responsibility for his poor performance, so there is that. » Continue reading “Jets Lose 28-7 in Seattle”

Jeremy Kerley is catching 63.8 of passes thrown his way this season.

The Jets visit the Seahawks on Sunday, fresh off their bye and prepared to make their Super Bowl run. Or something.

Here’s some a few little nuggets on the matchup before kickoff:

• The Jets run defense allowed 173 rushing yards per a game (4.9 per a carry) and 7 touchdowns in the first four games of the season. In the last four games? They have allowed 110 rushing yards per game, 3.8 YPC and two touchdowns. The Jets will need to stop Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who will play despite a wrist injury.
• The Jets certainly have struggled mightily in the red zone this season and their efficiency rating is currently at 48.15%. In the last three games? It’s 61.54%. Somewhat encouraging.
• The Seahawks defensive line and pass rush have been fantastic this season, but the somewhat underrated pass defense has been just as stout. The ‘Hawks boast two of the biggest corners in the league and the super physical secondary is currently ranked #3 vs #1 WRs and #1 vs. #2 WRs, according to Football Outsiders.
• Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson currently leads NFL rookies in touchdown passes, with 13. Andrew Luck is next, with 10.
• Mark Sanchez has thrown five interceptions and fumbled six times in the last five games. Awesome!
• Sparano told the media that Tim Tebow has a separate sheet of about 15 play calls per week. How many snaps will Tebow play this week? I’m going to guess 3, after the Jets fall behind and abandon any and all “trick” plays they thought they were going to get away with. (In other words, zzzzzz).
• Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine says that newly signed OLB Ricky Sapp will play a similar role to Aaron Maybin as a 3rd down rusher. With Thomas, Pace (2 sacks) Maybin not really getting it done, Sapp can’t hurt and may actually give the team some productivity at the position. I’m anxious to see what kind of an impact Sapp can have.
• Recently signed G Hayworth Hicks did not travel with the team to Seattle. So there is that.
• Running back Joe McKnight and DT Kenrick Ellis also did not travel with the team.

If you missed this week’s episode of “The Blue and Green Review” you can watch it here.

It’s been nearly ten days since Superstorm Sandy devastated the Tri-State area, killing more than 100 people and leaving more than 8 million homes and businesses without power. Many people in Staten Island, New Jersey and Long Island are still without power and now, like a horrifying scene out of a science fiction movie, another storm, Nor’eastern Athena (I guess we are naming these now?), is bringing heavy wet snow, blustery winds, freezing temps and sheets of ice to the already reeling region.

Mark Sanchez visited NJ with first responders.

The NFL and NFLPA  generously donated $1 million dollars to the American Red Cross for Sandy relief in the days following the storm, and many teams, their owners and even some players have followed suit.

Zygi Wolf, owner of the Minnesota Vikings (and a New Jersey native), donated $100,000 to the relief efforts, Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson donated $100,000 of his own money to assist families in the region and Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay pledged to match online donations up to $1 per fan at last Sunday’s Colts game against the Miami Dolphins (the donation was expected to exceed $65,000).

On Tuesday, the New York Giants, who were directly impacted by the storm, donated $500,000 to storm relief charities in addition to donating food and money for victims through an annual food drive at MetLife Stadium before Sunday’s game. Several Giants players volunteered time to distribute food in New Jersey while others worked at the New Jersey Food bank separating food items and making sandwiches for relief workers. Quarterback Eli Manning also lent a hand, assisting the American Red Cross in its efforts on Staten Island.

Today, the Miami Dolphins and their owner Stephen Ross donated $500,000 to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts (Ross is chairman of Related Companies, a real estate company in New York City). The team also announced that they will donate net proceeds from the sale of tickets for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans to the American Red Cross.

Many other franchises and individual athletes have done their part to help those in need, including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and the Baltimore Orioles.

But what about the Jets?

Good question.

» Continue reading “Hey New York Jets, Where’s the Sandy Relief?”

Sanchez was voted one of the least liked players in the NFL, while Tebow was voted one of the most overrated.

Forbes Magazine recently partnered with Nielsen and compiled a list of the Most and Least Liked Players in the NFL, and according to their survey, wide receiver Santonio Holmes and quarterback Mark Sanchez are among some of the most disliked players in the league.

The survey aimed to find out which NFL players resonated with fans as appealing, and which did not. According to Forbes, players’ appeal numbers are based on the percentage of those whose response was to “like” the player or “like him a lot.”

Holmes earned a 28% appeal rating and quarterback Mark Sanchez earned a 31% appeal rating.

Steelers safety Troy Polumalu was voted the most liked, while Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was voted the least liked.

Sports Illustrated also conducted a study polling 180 NFL players on the most overrated players in the league. Tim Tebow was voted most the overrated, coming in at 34 percent. Starting quarterback Mark Sanchez was tied for second with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo at 8 percent.

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick received 4 percent of the vote and Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis received 3 percent.

The exact same survey was conducted last season, and Tebow also came in first, with 22 percent of the vote.

So, it’s a really good day to be a New York Jets, guys. Congrats. You are well liked and your peers feel you are worth the hype.

Scene.//

Photo credit: Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger

The Jets obviously want me to die young. Today was proof. When they were shout out AT HOME by the 49ers a few weeks ago, I wasn’t even sad. I felt nothing. This one? This one hurts.

The Jets showed a lot of fight in their 29-26 overtime loss to the Patriots, but ultimately, they came up short. The Patriots now lead the AFC East at 4-3, and the Jets let a golden opportunity to take a lead over their bitter rivals from the north slip through their fingers.

While Twitter finger points and argues Team Sanchez or Team Tebow, allow me to offer some quick thoughts on the Jets loss:

• Moral victory? No. Because the way to the playoffs is through New England. You can’t go to the playoffs if you don’t win these games. I saw some encouraging stuff, but I won’t call it a moral victory.
• Jeremy Kerley, who set career bests in both receptions (7) and yards (120) and has his first 100-yard game, is the clear offensive MVP for the Jets seven games into the season. He has taken a huge step up from his play in the preseason and at a time when injuries have left the Jets thin at the position.
• Lex Hilliard is obviously a huge upgrade over John Conner at fullback.  I kill Tannenbaum for a lot of things, but I’ll give him credit for this one. (I also can’t help but think Sparano had more to do with it than anything else).
• Who is the guy in the #23 jersey and what has he done with Shonn Greene? No, but seriously, Greene is looking vastly improved in the past two games, and the Pats run defense is NOT the Colts run defense. Greene took a NASTY hit to the hit and miraculously was cleared to return (I call BS, but whatever), and we have to thank the football gods he wasn’t seriously hurt. The Jets need Greene to continue to run like this if they want to have success. » Continue reading “Quick Hits: Jets Lose 29-26 to Patriots in Overtime”