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.

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”

Photo: US PRESSWIRE

The Jets have announced the signings of running back John Griffin and linebacker D.J. Bryant to the practice squad.

Griffin (UMass) was with the team in the preseason, and by all accounts, performed very well, but he was unfortunately sidelined by a high ankle sprain that led to his release in early August. If you’re interested, here’s a quick scouting report on Griffin.

D.J. Bryant (James Madison) is an UDFA  that played four preseason games with the Houston Texans before he was waived in late August. Bryant spent time on the Bucs and the Colts practice squads this season and was released by the Colts in mid October.

To the best of my knowledge, there are still two spots available on the active roster, and according to Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider), who cites a league source, WR Tony Logan is set to work out for the Jets tomorrow.

Rex Ryan would not hint at any of the other adjustments planned for the team going forward (expanding Tebow’s role, shaking up offense), saying that he doesn’t want to tip his hat to the competition.

“We will be doing some different things,” Ryan told the media on Monday. “I don’t want to get into the specifics of it I hope you understand. If there’s an advantage to be gained, then I want to gain that advantage without letting our opponent know.”

The NFL trade deadline has passed and Tim Tebow is still a Jet.

Tebow has played in just 60 of the Jets’ 545 offensive snaps, contributing only 110 total yards of offense this season and prompting many to speculate that he would be dealt to another team in need of a quarterback, like the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Meanwhile, both the Jags front office and their fans insist they are fine with their current QB situation).

But Woody, Rex, Tony and the gang had other plans, and opted to not only keep Tim on the team, but to do absolutely nothing to upgrade the team the team this week outside of releasing two players. The Jets also insist that Tim is a valuable member of the team, opposing defenses spend all kinds of important time preparing for challenges he may or may not present, and the backup quarterback could see an expanded role in the coming weeks.

Haha. Okay. Sureeee.

In other Tebow news that basically broke the internet, Tebow and “actress” Camilla Belle are apparently a couple, according to TMZ.  Neither Belle or Tebow’s reps have confirmed the story, which surfaced after the pair was spotted bowling in Jacksonville a few days ago. You can find out more about this thrilling new development here, here or here.

Who is Camilla Belle you ask? Good question. She dated Joe Jonas after he cheated on Taylor Swift with her, according to Swift. (I really just wrote that. Gah). Oh yeah, she also was in a couple of movies, like 10,000 BC and When a Stranger Calls. The more you know. Or something.

Quick Hits

• LB Marcus Dowtin has been fined $15,750 by the league for his hit on Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore. The play resulted in a roughing passer penalty last week.
• FYI : Pro Bowl voting is underway. If you feel inclined to nominate a Jet into the Pro Bowl this year – and honestly, not too many of them have earned it – than get to the voting. Might I suggest Antonio Cromartie and Nick Folk? They are certainly deserving.
• If you missed this week’s episode of “The Blue and Green Review,” recapping the Jets loss to the Dolphins and previewing the Giants-Steelers showdown on Sunday, you can watch it here.
• You can also catch the latest edition of the Flight 5 Flightcast, featuring me, Bill and Frank debating the current state of the Jets and handing out mid-season grades.

Photo c/o Star Ledger

Given the Jets’ limited use of Tim Tebow this season, rumors have been floating around  for weeks that the team may be looking to deal the high-profile quarterback before the trade deadline, which was set to expire Tuesday. (Due to Frankenstorm/Hurricane Sandy, the trade deadline has been extended until Thursday).

According to Action News in Jacksonville (a local CBS affiliate), it appears that the Jacksonville Jaguars may be making a play to bring Tebow to Jacksonville before the trade deadline expires, returning the quarterback to his hometown.

Per Action News:

Action Sports is working to confirm the possibility that Tebow could be headed home. We’ve called Jags owner Shad Khan, who said publicly that he would’ve drafted Tebow. Action Sports also put a call into Jags General Manager Gene Smith, who made a play for Tebow in the offseason.

As I noted on Sunday evening, sources close to the Jets have suggested that the Jets do not have interest in dealing Tebow, but given Tebow’s not-so-secret desire to be a starting quarterback in this league, a move to Jacksonville certainly makes sense both for the Jets, the Jags and Tebow.

Stay tuned for more on this story as it develops. (If it develops).

**The Jets also waived running back Jonathan Grimes and defensive tackle Daniel Muir on Tuesday. Offensive tackle Dennis Landolt was also cut from the practice squad. The moves likely mean that  1. Joe McKnight will be healthy enough to play more running back after the bye, and 2. The health of defensive tackles Kenrick Ellis/Sione Po’uha is improving. (Po’uha finally returned to the action last Sun. vs. Miami).

The Jets currently have two spots open on the active roster and two spots on the practice squad.

Positive: WR Clyde Gates had a decent game.

Well that was fun, huh? Another brilliant gem of a game from your New York Jets, and with the team on a bye next week, we have not one but TWO fun-filled weeks ahead of us to analyze what we just saw.

I honestly have very little to say about what happened this afternoon, because outside of the failure that was Mike Westhoff’s Special Team’s Unit, none of it really shocks me.

With the Jets on a bye this week, in lieu of a post-game recap, I will instead offer some thoughts on the team going forward throughout the course of the few days. (Because who wants to re-live what we just watched?).

One thing I will NOT be writing about is the alleged “quarterback controversy,” because a controversy doesn’t exist. Rex Ryan already informed the media that he is NOT making a change at the quarterback position, so there is little need for to me to comment on this further. I remain frustrated and confused at the Jets’ use (and misuse) of Tim Tebow, but I’ve given up even trying to figure out what the hell they are doing.

Also worth noting that Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported this morning that the team has no plans to trade Tim Tebow to another team. So..we can stop that conversation before it even gets started. (Or can we?).

Just like the New York Jets, I will be taking Monday and Tuesday off because of Hurricane Sandy. Okay, not really, but I just wanted to end this post with something silly and stupid to hide the pain I feel inside.

**Check out The Green Room’s Sydney Kira’s debut post for The Jet Press, recapping the Jets loss to the Dolphins.

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.//

This guy.

Ever since Rex Ryan became the head coach of the New York Jets and vowed he wouldn’t kiss Bill Belichick’s rings, the bitter Jets – Patriots rivalry has stolen the spotlight, evolving into one of the top rivalries in the NFL.

Don’t believe me? Just google Jets-Patriots memes.

As if the fact it is Patriots week wasn’t enough to hype up Sunday’s game, the Jets now find themselves tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East at 3-3. To be fair, two divisional wins would technically put them in first, but let’s go with a tie for the narrative, okay? Then again, you could also say  they’re tied for last…whatever makes you sleep at night.

The tie – and the Patriots worst record through six games since 2005 – presents the Jets with the opportunity to overtake the Patriots and rise to the top of the division, and you can bet Rex Ryan plans to pull out all the stops  in order to walk away with the win.

The Patriots opened as 10.5 favorites over the Jets. Here are a few key points to consider as we look ahead to Sunday’s game:

*The Patriots can be beat deep: Opposing teams have attempted 36 passes of 21 yards or more downfield, allowing 44.4% completion percentage on those attempts (and tallied 4 interceptions, tied for most in the league). Coincidentally, Mark Sanchez has a passer rating around 100+ on throws greater than 25 yards.

Opposing quarterbacks have also thrown 15 touchdowns for a 100.9 passer rating against the Pats defense.

*Mark Sanchez remains the 2nd most pressured QB in the AFC behind Philip Rivers and the Jets’ offensive line could be in for a rough day against the Patriots first-round pick Chandler Jones, who currently leads NFL rookies with five sacks after getting two against Seattle last week.

*Unleash Tebow time? (*Skip Bayless voice*). Relax, I don’t mean he should be the starting quarterback, but I think the Jets have to let Tebow take a deep shot downfield in this game. I know we are hearing he could “possibly”play running back, but I’ll believe it when I see it. I’ll take the under on 10 snaps for the backup quarterback in this game, but they’d be wise to let him throw the ball at least once.

*For all the talk about Ground and Pound, the Patriots have actually had more success running the ball than the Jets. New England has gained more rushing 1st downs (37) in two wins over the Bills and the Broncos than Jets have all season (33).

*The Jets revamped the safety position this off-season to account for the play on the Patriots tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, but despite the makeover, the Jets are still ranked 26th vs. the tight end, according to Football Outsiders. Landry and Bell are going to have to earn their money tomorrow if the Jets are to have a chance.

The same goes for cornerback Kyle Wilson, who is expected to match-up against Wes Welker. I’ll refrain from expressing my opinion on this; I wouldn’t want to ruin your day.

*The Jets have allowed opponents to convert 18-of-41 (42%) on 3rd-and-6 or more this season, the worst percentage in the league.

*The Patriots rarely lose back-to-back games, especially at home, and they have also won their last nine games at home against division opponents. However, the Patriots have their worst record after six games since they were also 3-3 in 2005. (In a strange coincidence, the Patriots three losses have all come against opponents with birds as mascots — the Ravens, Cardinals and Seahawks. Perhaps they will have similar luck against a team that “flies?”).

*Rule 5, Section 2, Article 10. What the heck is that? Well, according to the rulebook, ““if a substitution is made by the offense, the offense shall not be permitted to snap the ball until the defense has been permitted to respond with its substitutions. . . . The offense is prohibited from rushing quickly to the line of scrimmage and snapping the ball in an obvious attempt to cause a defensive foul (i.e. — too many men on the field). . . . The umpire will stand over the ball until the Referee deems that the defense has had a reasonable time to complete its substitutions.”

The Jets will want to ensure they are given the appropriate time to make defensive subsitutions in this game, as it will allow them to adjust to the Patriots no-huddle offense. Keep a close on this throughout the game — I have a feeling it will be a discussion point on Monday.

Update: According to Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger, Sione Po’uha, Eric Smith, Bilal Powell and Kenrick Ellis did not traveling with the team to New England. Joe McKnight did make the trip, and will be a game time decision. McKnight told the media earlier in the week he WANTS to play.

**Joe and I talked recapped Sunday’s win over the Colts and previewed Jets-Patriots on this week’s episode of “The Blue and Green Review.”

Tebowing: to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.

Careful before you Tebow, it may cost you.

Yup, that’s right — Tim Tebow’s management group, XV Enterprises LLC, has officially acquired the trademark for  ”Tebowing,” the popular prayer pose that swept the country after the then Denver Broncos quarterback lead his team to a handful of fourth-quarter comeback victories last season.

According to ESPN New York’s Jane McManus, Tebow said he doesn’t plan to make any money off the “Tebowing” trademark, but rather, he wants to preserve the integrity of the stance and keep others from profiting off it.

“I know it was something that was cool for me in the past, but it’s not something I do as ‘Tebowing,’” Tebow said. “It’s something I do that’s prayer for me and then it got hyped up as Tebowing. So I think (it’s) just to control how it’s used as well. Make sure it’s used in the right way.”

Tebow applied for the trademark last year, after two other applicants – one, the man who started the website Tebowing.com, the other, the owner of Tebowinggear.com – filed paperwork with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Tebow’s representatives then filed on his behalf and the trademark was awarded after the paperwork went through last week, according to The Associated Press. (The other applicants were denied due to their “false connection[s] to a living individual.” Good call on that).

Tebow was unaware the trademark had officially been awarded when he was interviewed yesterday.

While the backup quarterback will not profit financially from the trademark at this time, in the event he does, all earnings will go to the Tim Tebow Foundation.

People have criticized Tebow for the move, calling him a  fraud, but from where I sit, it’s just smart. It’s also highly likely that the move was not only his decision — the kid has two agents, publicists, a manager, and a partridge in a pear tree. Furthermore, if he DOES profit off it and gives the money to his foundation, what’s the problem?

Go ahead, call me a Tebow apologist; I don’t care. But stop me if I am making something up.

Original Source: Nj.com.