NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

December 27, 2013

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Table of Contents

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

Jets' Cromartie 'definitely' open to redoing deal (Dennis Waszak) ........................................................................... 2

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Making the case for Rex Ryan to return as Jets coach in 2014 (Bob Glauber) .......................................................... 3

Jeremy Kerley, Calvin Pace say coaching turnover would impede Jets' progress (Kimberley Martin) ..................... 4

Antonio Cromartie says he's willing to restructure contract to stay with Jets (Kimberley Martin) .......................... 6

THE RECORD .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Antonio Cromartie wants to stay with Jets, but team might not want him (J.P. Pelzman)....................................... 6

Jets notes: Will Nick Folk be heading to Hawaii? (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................................... 8

STAR-LEDGER ......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Jets' Geno Smith hopes to eventually say 'I learned a lot from this season' (Darryl Slater) ..................................... 8

Sharp play-calling helped Jets outduel Browns on third down (Michael Fensom) ................................................. 10

Jets' Antonio Cromartie will see specialists during offseason to determine extent of hip injury (Michael Fensom) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Jets' Santonio Holmes does not think about 2011 benching in Miami (Darryl Slater) ............................................ 12

Jets' Calvin Pace on 'chaos' caused by coaching changes: 'As a player, it’s not ideal' (Darryl Slater) ..................... 13

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 14

Rex should offer to coach Jets in ’14 with no contract extension (Steve Serby) ..................................................... 14

Geno: Jay Z’s advice key to beating back criticism (Brian Costello) ........................................................................ 16

Geno likely to suffer if the Jets oust Rex Ryan: Herm Edwards (John DeMarzo) .................................................... 17

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Rex Ryan jokes fate with NY Jets is not like 'Survivor' (Seth Walder) ...................................................................... 18

Antonio Cromartie thinks NY Jets are better team than Dolphins (Seth Walder) ................................................... 19

Rex Ryan could have hard time finding job if NY Jets fire him (Gary Myers) .......................................................... 20

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 21

Geno's progress too little, too late for Rex? (Rich Cimini) ...................................................................................... 21

Cromartie: Jets better than Dolphins (Rich Cimini) ................................................................................................. 23

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 24

Source: Jets had E.J. Manuel rated higher than Geno Smith (Kristian Dyer) .......................................................... 24

NJ.COM ................................................................................................................................................................ 25

Antonio Cromartie on Jets: 'This is where I want to retire' (Dom Cosentino) ......................................................... 25

THURSDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................. 26

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets' Cromartie 'definitely' open to redoing deal (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 26, 2013

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

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Antonio Cromartie wants to stay right where he is.

For the rest of his career.

The cornerback will count nearly $15 million against the New York Jets' salary cap next season, so it's possible the team could be looking to cut Cromartie or have him rework his deal - something he's willing to do.

"Definitely," Cromartie said Thursday. "This is where I want to be. My family loves it here. I think the biggest thing, for me, is just to make sure that going into this last game, I'm playing to the best of my ability.

At the end of the day, no matter what you do, your last name is your resume. That's how I want to go about it. I'm here. My family wants to be here, and this is where I want to retire."

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, whose contract carries a high cap number next season, also recently said he'd be open to reworking his deal.

Cromartie, signed through next year, has restructured his contract before. He agreed this past offseason to drop his base salary from $7 million to about $840,000 - with an $8.5 million signing bonus spread out over two years.

Under the current construction of the deal, the Jets could potentially save about $9.5 million on their cap number for next season if they cut him.

Cromartie, 29, is in his fourth year with the Jets after playing his first four NFL seasons with the San Diego Chargers. He has assumed the role formerly held by Darrelle Revis as the team's No. 1 cornerback, taking on opponents' top receivers on a weekly basis.

But he also has been dealing with an ailing hip that has bothered him throughout the season. Cromartie has refused to use it as an excuse for a drop-off at times in his play, but acknowledged that it's an issue he'll deal with in the offseason.

Cromartie will see hip specialists to determine the cause of the problems and whether he'll need surgery. He thinks the issues are related to the broken right hip he suffered - and played through - during the 2008 season while with the Chargers.

"Hopefully, there's nothing too serious," Cromartie said. "Hopefully, I don't need to have surgery. If I do, hopefully it's just a cleanup job, easy to come back from."

Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman doesn't think there's been much difference in his performance from last season, when Cromartie was a Pro Bowl selection.

"He looks the same when he's out there on Sunday to me," Thurman said.

Cromartie is hoping to end this season on a good note, even with coach Rex Ryan's future uncertain. A win over the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday would end their AFC East rival's postseason hopes. It also would help exact a bit of revenge on a team that thoroughly outplayed them 23-3 four weeks ago.

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"This is our last game of the year," he said. "We want to make sure it's their last game, too."

The Jets (7-8) have a chance to finish .500 after outside expectations were a lot lower, and the play of quarterback Geno Smith and the rest of the offense have improved in the three games since the teams' last meeting.

"I felt like we were the better team then," Cromartie said. "Do I feel like we're a better team now? Yeah. We're running the ball better and we're playing the pass a whole lot better. I think the biggest thing for us is to put it all together and win a game on the road."

NOTES: Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg on the Jets' three-game skid earlier this season in which Smith and the offense struggled and were outscored 79-20: "That still bothers me. It'll bother me 'til I die." ... S Ed Reed (day off), DB Ellis Lankster (jaw) and TE Kellen Winslow Jr. (illness) didn't practice. Holmes (foot/hamstring), LB Quinton Coples (shoulder) and DL Sheldon Richardson (finger/shoulder) joined Cromartie as limited, but all are expected to play. ... Richardson tweeted he was fined $15,000 by the NFL for his hit last Sunday on Cleveland quarterback Jason Campbell that drew a roughing the passer penalty. He's appealing. ... LB Calvin Pace, who has a career-high 10 sacks, on how much Ryan being retained would play a role in him returning to the Jets next season: "If they want me back, I'd definitely come back. If Rex hopefully is here, then there's be a 1,000-percent chance that I'd definitely do that."

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NEWSDAY

Making the case for Rex Ryan to return as Jets coach in 2014 (Bob Glauber) Newsday December 26, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/making-the-case-for-rex-ryan-to-return-as-jets-coach-in-2014-1.6677902

Black Monday, the day that underperforming head coaches around the NFL find out their services no longer are wanted, is almost upon us. As always, the list figures to be long, what with owners' increasing impatience and fans' increasing demands to see a winner.

Rex Ryan should not be on this list. He should be back as the Jets' coach in 2014.

Ryan has done a credible job with this year's team, and getting rid of him when there have been so many promising developments in a rebuilding situation would be the wrong move.

Ryan is signed for 2014, and if he is not allowed to continue -- if owner Woody Johnson and first-year general manager John Idzik decide to cut ties with him -- it would be the wrong move at the wrong time by a team that is headed in the right direction and should be a playoff contender next season.

In fact, with a few breaks this season, the Jets might have gotten into the postseason. They were 5-4 with wins over the Patriots and Saints -- with a rookie quarterback, no less -- and they still were alive in the fourth quarter of a Week 15 game against the Panthers. Had they not given up a blocked punt that set up a touchdown, and had that rookie quarterback not thrown a pick-6, the Jets might be playing the Dolphins on Sunday with a playoff berth on the line.

Sure, you can woulda-coulda-shoulda just about any team. But this team? This team entered the season with zero expectations from anyone outside the locker room. None. Had you told someone that the Jets would be starting Geno Smith all season, would beat the Patriots and Saints, and would get to within a

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field goal in the fourth quarter on the road against a Panthers team that might be the most improved team in the league, you'd have been mocked.

The Jets were pegged for three or four wins, tops. Everywhere. Including this space. No way did I expect them to be in it for as long as they were. Especially with Smith going the entire way.

But Ryan took a revamped team featuring young players at almost every key spot and turned it into a solid unit that showed plenty of improvement. There's a chance to finish the season at 8-8, and a chance to go into next season with roster stability that figures to improve with another offseason for Idzik to add to the mix.

I've felt all along that Idzik would be a capable executive, that he'd provide just the right dynamic in the draft room and free agency. That is proving to be the case.

Idzik has been very good for Ryan, who held too much sway in the draft and free agency until now. Ryan has benefited from a GM who will more often than not side with a scouting department that spends the entire year on the draft and free-agency process, not a coaching staff that studies available college and pro players for a few weeks in the offseason.

Idzik wisely traded away Darrelle Revis and drafted Sheldon Richardson -- who likely will be the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year -- Dee Milliner and Smith, who has matured nicely this season. The Chris Ivory trade was terrific.

Up next: Finding a big-time receiver and potentially another quarterback if the GM has a conviction on one.

Idzik is providing the players and Ryan is coaching them up, just as the GM/coach dynamic is supposed to work. Blow it up now, and this year's rookie class essentially would be a rookie class all over again next year, having to learn new offensive and defensive systems under a new coach.

Ryan is one of the best defensive coaches around, and his moves to hire veteran assistants such as offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach David Lee have paid huge dividends. Ryan gets it now on offense and has the right coaches in place to build a lasting foundation.

Bring in a new coach and a new staff, and you're starting all over again. And tell me, what coach out there is better than the one the Jets have now?

The answer: There isn't one.

Ryan has the ear of his team, and his players swear by him. And when he says this is an ascending team, he's correct; it figures to get even better.

Remember, too, that Ryan embraces the New York market, which absolutely plays in his favor and is a factor in any new coach taking over. Ryan has calibrated his approach just right: No more over-the-top guarantees and no more circus atmosphere, but no loss of outward confidence, either.

And Johnson should know this better than anyone else: Since Ryan has been the coach, he has given the Jets something they've seldom had since the Joe Namath years: Relevancy.

Put it all together and it adds up to one inescapable conclusion:

Ryan should be back in 2014.

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Jeremy Kerley, Calvin Pace say coaching turnover would impede Jets' progress (Kimberley Martin) Newsday

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December 26, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jeremy-kerley-calvin-pace-say-coaching-turnover-would-impede-jets-progress-1.6678354

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The adjustment wasn't easy, but it was necessary.

Each year brought a new Jets offensive coordinator, and Jeremy Kerley had no choice but to adapt to all of them.

"Three years in a row, I had to change up what I was doing, and it was difficult,'' the slot receiver said earlier this week. "I hope, I pray that doesn't happen again.''

Brian Schottenheimer, Tony Sparano and Marty Mornhinweg have served as the Jets' offensive coordinator in the Rex Ryan Era. But after five years and three non-winning seasons, Ryan could be in his final days as the coach of the Jets, which means his entire coaching staff is vulnerable.

Ryan and his players say they're building something good here. That's why Calvin Pace thinks personnel changes would disrupt everything the Jets have been striving toward in 2013.

"Any time you make a change, you automatically have to reset,'' said the outside linebacker, who has a career-high 10 sacks in his 11th season. "You've got a new system; a guy might want to bring some of his people in. As a player, it's not ideal. It's not. It's chaos. 'Cause then you're seeing bodies, people getting cut and whatnot.

"Again, I think Rex is the guy for it. But they didn't ask me my opinion,'' added Pace, who said there's "a 1,000-percent chance'' he'll come back if the Jets (7-8) want him and Ryan is the coach.

Only owner Woody Johnson and first-year general manager John Idzik know what Ryan's fate will be. But if they decide to go in a different direction, Mornhinweg and the rest of the staff could be on their way out as well.

"It just seems like I had to change my playing style with each coordinator,'' said Kerley, who was drafted in the fifth round in 2011, Schottenheimer's final year with the team. "Each guy likes something different and wants you to bring something different. They let you play within yourself a little bit, but each guy has a different style of what they're looking for, so you've got to give that to them.''

On Monday, rookie quarterback Geno Smith credited Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach David Lee for his development, saying: "I know as long as David Lee is my coach and Marty is my coach, they won't allow me to take any breaks or take any shortcuts.''

On Thursday, Smith called Lee "one of the hardest coaches I've ever played under and it's made me better in so many ways.''

But Smith, like many of his teammates, insisted he's focused only on facing the Dolphins (8-7), not the job security of his coaches.

Naturally, Ryan and his staff are saying the same thing publicly. "Look, we're so busy trying to score points against Miami, really,'' Mornhinweg said before attempting to change the topic. "I have yet to read a New York paper. I don't know where to get one.''

When pressed about his desire to remain with the team, he said: "I love coaching. I love teaching. We all do. That's what we do. I think we have some really high-character players . . . We have some real winners on this football team.''

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Antonio Cromartie says he's willing to restructure contract to stay with Jets (Kimberley Martin) Newsday December 26, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/antonio-cromartie-says-he-s-willing-to-restructure-contract-to-stay-with-jets-1.6678219

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Antonio Cromartie wants to be a Jet for life -- so much so that the cornerback said Thursday that he's open to restructuring his contract.

"Definitely. This is where I want to be," said Cromartie, who carries a $14.98-million salary-cap charge in 2014.

Cromartie reiterated what he told Newsday last week: He'll see specialists in the offseason to determine whether he needs to undergo surgery on his right hip, which he fractured in 2008 with the Chargers.

His health, however, will be a big factor in the Jets' decision about keeping him. Cromartie, who agreed to lower his base salary to $840,000 this past offseason, is in the third year of a four-year, $32-million deal. The Jets could save $9.5 million by releasing the two-time Pro Bowler, who is due to earn a $5-million roster bonus in March.

Although his future with the franchise isn't his main focus, Cromartie wants to wear green and white for good. "The biggest thing for me is just to make sure that going into this last game, I play to the best of my ability," he said. "At the end of the day, no matter what you do, your last game is your resume. So that's how I go about it and I want to make sure that I'm here. My family wants to be here and this is where I want to retire."

Rex's Pro Bowl vote

Besides "usual suspects" Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Rex Ryan thinks Nick Folk, Muhammad Wilkerson, Calvin Pace and "maybe" Sheldon Richardson deserve Pro Bowl consideration. He said of Folk: "There are some guys who have had some great years, but it's hard for me to believe there have been any better than his."

Special-teams coordinator Ben Kotwica said Folk, who has connected on 31 of 33 field-goal attempts and is 3-for-3 from at least 50 yards, has a "tremendous" opportunity to go to the Pro Bowl. "If there's anybody that's kicked the ball better in the league than him, I really haven't seen it," he said.

Jet streams

Richardson reportedly plans to appeal his $15,000 fine for a roughing-the-passer penalty on Browns QB Jason Campbell. . . . Ellis Lankster (jaw), Ed Reed (non-injury) and Kellen Winslow Jr. (knee, illness) didn't practice.

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THE RECORD

Antonio Cromartie wants to stay with Jets, but team might not want him (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 27, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/237456941_Antonio_Cromartie_wants_to_stay_with_Jets__but_team_might_not_want_him_from_the_hip_about_Jets.html?page=all

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FLORHAM PARK – Antonio Cromartie has been a Rex Ryan fan and disciple since coming to the Jets in March 2010. But on Thursday, he broke ranks with his coach.

A little bit, anyway.

Ryan had said Tuesday the Jets wouldn’t derive more satisfaction from knocking Miami out of playoff contention with a win over the Dolphins on Sunday.

"We’ll get pleasure from winning, if that’s the case," the coach said.

But Cromartie made it clear he is motivated by potentially playing spoiler.

"This is our last game of the year," he said. "We want to make sure it’s their last game, too."

It also could be Cromartie’s last game as a Jet. He has one season left on a four-year, $32 million deal he signed before the 2011 campaign. However, the cornerback has battled a right hip problem all season, and he acknowledged Thursday he may need surgery during the off-season to fix it.

"Hopefully, there’s nothing too serious," said Cromartie, who believes it’s a recurrence of a problem he had with San Diego in 2008, when he fractured his right hip in the season opener and played through it the rest of the season. "Hopefully, I don’t need to have surgery. If I do, hopefully it’s just a cleanup job, [something] easy.

"I’d been maintaining [the hip] very well these past five years," Cromartie said, "up until this year. It just happened to reoccur and I tweaked it a little bit. … I fought through it then and I fought through it this year."

As he has throughout the season, defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said Cromartie "looks the same" on the field to him, yet the veteran cornerback’s performance hasn’t come close to matching his Pro Bowl season of 2012. Perhaps because of the nagging hip injury, Cromartie has been giving opposing receivers plenty of cushion, but that still has led to him allowing some long pass plays because he isn’t jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage. He also has had trouble changing directions, again possibly because of the hip.

Because of these health concerns and his age, it seems highly unlikely the Jets will retain the 30-year-old Cromartie at a salary-cap charge of $14.98 million in 2014. He said he would be willing to rework his deal. He already restructured his contract before the 2013 season, saving the Jets $4.2 million against the cap.

"Definitely, this is where I want to be," Cromartie said. "My family loves it here. … I want to make sure I’m here. My family wants to be here, and this is where I want to retire."

Cromartie, 30, a former star at Florida State, plans to attend the BCS title game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 6 to watch his alma mater take on Auburn. After that, he intends to see several hip specialists before deciding upon a course of treatment.

"I think the biggest thing is to just understand what we need to try to do," Cromartie said of his hip woes.

But first, there is Sunday’s game at Miami. The Jets were drubbed by the visiting Dolphins, 23-3, in East Rutherford on Dec. 1, and are 1-6 away from home this season.

"I felt like we were the better team then," Cromartie said. "Do I feel like we’re a better team now? Yeah, we’re running the ball better, and we’re playing the pass a whole lot better. I think the biggest thing for us is to put it all together and win a game on the road."

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Jets notes: Will Nick Folk be heading to Hawaii? (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 27, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/237456671_Jets_notes__Will_Nick_Folk_be_heading_to_Hawaii_.html

Folk to Hawaii?

Kicker Nick Folk, who has missed only two field-goal attempts this season, is one of the leading candidates to participate in the reconfigured Pro Bowl next month. The roster of players will be announced tonight at 9 on the NFL Network.

But Folk isn’t worried about it.

"It hasn’t crossed my mind one bit," he said when asked about it Thursday. "All I’m focused on right now is the Miami Dolphins," the Jets’ season-ending opponent Sunday.

However, he added, "It’s a big deal for my wife," likely because selection to the game would mean a trip to Hawaii for Folk and his family.

Still, Folk said, "It’s an individual thing and we’re playing a team sport and I want what’s best for this team. … If we can end the season on a two-game winning streak it would be a good launching pad for the off-season."

Special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica said, "If there’s anybody that’s kicked the ball better in the league than [Folk], I haven’t seen it." That success figures to bring Folk some lucrative offers after this season. The Jets have signed him to three consecutive one-year contracts, but some team could offer him a multi-year deal this time around. "It’s too far ahead for me to think about," Folk said.

Briefs

DT Sheldon Richardson tweeted he was fined $15,000 by the NFL for his hit on Cleveland QB Jason Campbell on Sunday. He will appeal. … OLB Calvin Pace, who is on a one-year contract, was asked about possibly returning to the Jets in 2014. "If they want me back, I’d definitely come back," he said. "If Rex hopefully is here, then there would be a 1,000 percent chance that I’d" come back. … Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Thursday he still rues the three-game losing streak in which the Jets scored only 20 points. "It will bother me until I die," he said.

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STAR-LEDGER

Jets' Geno Smith hopes to eventually say 'I learned a lot from this season' (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger December 26, 2013

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

Geno Smith, the Jets’ starting quarterback, grew up in a neighborhood of duplexes in Miami Gardens, Fla., about five minutes from the stadium where his uneven rookie season will end Sunday against the Dolphins.

As a kid, Smith played football in the streets of his neighborhood. Now, he owns an offseason home not far from where he was raised.

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Next summer, as he did this past summer, he plans to organize offseason workouts with several Jets wide receivers at a sports complex just down Northwest 199th Street from Sun Life Stadium.

But first, in his hometown, he gets one more chance to show the Jets he is their quarterback of the future. In the stands, his parents and five or six friends will watch, excited to see the progress Smith has made recently. The Jets’ first-year general manager, John Idzik, will study Smith even more intently as Idzik formulates the team’s offseason plans.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez is probably on his way out. So will the Jets draft a quarterback or acquire a veteran to challenge Smith? Can Smith build off his improved play from the past three games, since being benched for the second half on Dec. 1, when the Jets lost to Miami for their third straight defeat?

Neither question will be answered definitively Sunday, when Smith plays in Sun Life Stadium for the second time. Nearly two years ago, in the Orange Bowl after the 2011 season, Smith threw for 401 yards and six TDs in West Virginia’s 70-33 victory over Clemson.

If there is one thing Smith has learned this season, it’s that decision-making is magnified substantially in the NFL. Any young quarterback would gather that from throwing 21 interceptions (five returned for touchdowns), versus 12 touchdown passes — Smith’s lackluster stat line through 15 games.

Over the past three games, Smith has four touchdown passes and two picks, including two touchdowns and no interceptions in last week’s victory over Cleveland — just his third interception-free game this season. In the previous seven games, culminating with his benching against Miami, Smith had one touchdown and 11 picks.

"I learned that as long as I stay patient within the offense and the reads, I can pretty much make the throws and do the things that need to be done on the field," Smith said. "But the game is more mental now than ever."

For a quarterback in today’s NFL, the need to expedite learning has never been greater.

"Back in the day, it would take five or six years, and then you groom a quarterback," said Jets head coach Rex Ryan. "Well, that’s not the case, obviously, anymore."

Ryan called the quarterback position "a tough one to evaluate." It could be even more challenging to get a read on Smith if he has to play in a new offense next season. Ryan’s replacement — if the Jets decide to change coaches — almost certainly would not retain offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, whose West Coast system has required Smith to overhaul his footwork from the techniques he used at West Virginia.

Though the Jets’ three-game losing streak "will bother me until I die," Mornhinweg said, Smith’s response to it only solidified Mornhinweg’s conviction that Smith has an NFL future.

"I’m more certain now than I was earlier in the year," Mornhinweg said. "I was pretty certain back then."

But even Mornhinweg admitted that for all the times he believed Smith was ready to start at this level, "there were some times where things were hitting him in the face."

Lately, Mornhinweg has noticed Smith’s increased comfort level with pre-snap audibles. During the past two weeks, Smith told Mornhinweg something the offensive coordinator loved to hear: "I’m not even thinking about my footwork." Because of this, Mornhinweg is seeing Smith play more naturally and smoothly.

Another year with Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach David Lee certainly could benefit Smith. Yet Smith might not get that luxury. Mornhinweg said he hadn’t thought much about Smith’s big-picture development, and that he probably wouldn’t until Sunday’s plane ride back from Miami.

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Yet he might find himself having to look for a job after he lands. However the fate of Ryan and his staff shakes out, Smith will remain, and try to apply his hard-learned lessons from this season.

"Tremendously I’ve grown," he said. "Things are starting to slow down for me and I’m able to go out there and play aggressively and use my natural ability. Hopefully down the line, I’ll be able to say I learned a lot from this season."

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Sharp play-calling helped Jets outduel Browns on third down (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger December 26, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/sharp_play-calling_helped_jets_outduel_browns_on_third_down.html

David Nelson pointed out last Sunday after catching two touchdown passes against the Cleveland Browns that a level of comfort and timing with Geno Smith was at the highest point all season. It is no surprise, then, that the Jets offense had its second-best performance (measured by total yards gained) in the win over the Browns, and Smith recorded the second-highest passer rating of his rookie season.

A key aspect of the Jets responding to a 10-point deficit in the game was success on third down. Let's look at a play from the team's final scoring drive, which provided the Jets and 11-point lead.

The situation: 3rd and 10 at Jets' 20-yard line; 8:57 of fourth quarter

The result: Smith pass to Nelson for gain of 15

The play: Marty Mornhinweg should be credited for constructing a gameplan that carved apart a top 10 defense. The combination of good pass protection (Smith was not sacked) and open receivers was the simple recipe for success.

The Jets were especially good on third downs, converting 12 of 18. Nelson explained that the rhythm of the offense Sunday spread around the huddle.

"There was confidence," Nelson said Sunday. "No distance felt too far. There have been times this year when it’s been 3rd and 18 and you’re kinda like, ‘Ok, let’s get a few yards and get the punting game a solid situation.' Today just felt different."

Smith was decisive and constantly, it seemed, had open receivers across the field. David Garrard, Smith's backup and mentor, how the collective functioning of the unit boosts a quarterback.

"That’s how the game slows down: When your guys are so in tune and you’re in tune with what the defense is doing and you’re going to the right places," Garrard said.

On this play, Mornhinweg called a formation the Jets used in the second quarter on Nelson's first touchdown but added a modification.

Smith was in the shotgun with Jeff Cumberland split wide left and trips to the right on the wide side of the field. Jeremy Kerley was in the center of the three-receiver cluster and on the line of scrimmage. Santonio Holmes was inside of Kerley and Nelson was on the outside.

Before the snap, Bilal Powell, lined up left of Smith, motioned out wide right and was followed by Browns defensive back T.J. Ward. That signaled to Smith the Browns were in man coverage with one deep safety -- a "Cover 1" look.

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The Browns countered with an aggressive play call. They had three defensive linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs on the field. Coupled with the man-to-man coverage, they blitzed both of their linebackers -- D'Qwell Jackson and Jabaal Sheard. Jackson began the play standing over Jets left guard Brian Winters. Sheard was standing to the outside of left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. At the snap each of the Jets' offensive linemen was locked one-on-one against a Browns rusher. Nonetheless, the pocket is sturdy.

Within two seconds of the snap, Smith had released the ball, another key to avoiding the pressure of a blitz. Browns defensive backs Joe Haden, Buster Skrine and Jordan Poyer were in charge of covering the trips cluster. Even though they had seen the formation before in the game, the trio seemed uncertain of their man responsibilities on the play. Poyer, a rookie, is confused on who he must track and Skrine and Haden both align him just inside the hash mark about five yards off the line of scrimmage. Based on this pre-snap direction, it seems that the trio have been instructed to line up in a triangle and pick up receivers based on the direction they head.

One aspect of the Jets' formation is it gives receivers a free release off the line of scrimmage. Despite the blitz, the Browns' DBs gave cushion, with Haden nine yards off the line of scrimmage at the snap as the deepest point of a triangle formed with Skrine and Poyer.

When the play begins, Holmes and Kerley run straight down the field forcing the defensive backs to immediately back up. Nelson takes two steps then drags hard across the field into an area vacant of linebackers and defensive backs.

Haden is entirely too deep to react to Nelson's cut. Poyer, closed to Nelson, is focused on Kerley and Skrine has Holmes. Perhaps it is the rookie who misreads his assignment. Though it is also possible Skrine should have released Holmes to Haden and followed Nelson. Either way, Mornhinweg's call out-smarted the Browns. Nelson catches the ball at the 24-yard line then turns up the field to pick up 11 more yards before Poyer managed to tackle him.

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Jets' Antonio Cromartie will see specialists during offseason to determine extent of hip injury (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger December 26, 2013

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

Following Sunday’s season finale against the Miami Dolphins, Antonio Cromartie is among numerous members of the Jets organization venturing into an uncertain future.

Cromartie’s season has been derailed by a nagging injury to his right hip. The cornerback has said his speed has been compromised as a result. So has his status among the NFL’s top cornerbacks after Cromartie made the Pro Bowl in 2012. Despite leading the team with three interceptions, receivers have repeatedly beaten Cromartie this season, opening up an avenue to split apart the Jets’ defense.

Cromartie faces doubt on a couple of fronts. He said Thursday that he will visit hip specialists soon after the offseason begins. Cromartie’s inclination is that this year’s injury, which popped up during the Jets’ second preseason game in August, is related to a fracture of the same hip suffered in the first game of the 2007 season, when he played for the San Diego Chargers.

“I think there is probably just the wear and tear on it over the five years,” Cromartie said.

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Cromartie managed to play through that injury five years ago, and has not missed a game this season either. But he says he must work diligently throughout the year to sustain the fitness of the hip.

“I’ve been maintaining it very well these past five years up until this year and it happened to re-occur -- tweak it a little bit,” Cromartie said. “For me it’s understanding what we have to do from there and if there is surgery that needs to be done to the point of trying to clean it out then that’s something we have to do.”

Cromartie hopes that if a surgical procedure is required, it will be minor -- what the cornerback referred to as a “a clean-up job.”

Hip ailment aside, the Jets front office will face a decision regarding Cromartie’s contract this offseason (as NJ.com's Dom Cosentino astutely analyzes here). No player on the Jets roster currently will cost more to retain than Cromartie, who is owed $14.98 million in the final year of a deal signed before the 2011 season.

Cromartie said Thursday he hopes to retire as a member of the Jets, but will likely have to negotiate an extension and take a pay cut to do so. If the Jets void the final year of Cromartie’s current deal, they still must pay the cornerback the $5.48 million guaranteed sum remaining on the contract -- a figure which will also count against the team’s 2014 salary cap number.

Cromartie expressed willingness Thursday in discussing his contract status with the Jets this offseason. Prior to the 2013 season, Cromartie restructured his contract to free up $4.2 million against this year’s cap number.

“No matter what you do, your last name is your resume,” Cromartie said. “That’s how I go about it. I want to make sure I’m here, my family wants to be here and this is where I want to retire.”

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Jets' Santonio Holmes does not think about 2011 benching in Miami (Darryl Slater) Newsday December 26, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/12/jets_santonio_holmes_does_not_think_about_2011_benching_in_miami.html

The Jets conclude the season Sunday at Miami. It has not been all that long since they traveled to South Florida for a regular season finale. Of course, the last time they did it, in 2011, there was a slightly different vibe around the team than there is now, as uncertainty abounds about coach Rex Ryan’s future.

In 2011, the Jets were 8-7 and had lost two straight games when they headed to Miami. In order to make the playoffs, they needed to win and they also needed two other teams to lose. But they still had a chance – unlike this season, when they were eliminated from playoff contention with two games remaining.

The 2011 Jets could not even do their part in Miami, which beat them 19-17. In an ugly scene in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Santonio Holmes got into an argument with right tackle Wayne Hunter in the huddle, after teammates called out Holmes’ lackluster effort. Holmes, a team captain at the time, was benched for the remainder of the game.

As Holmes’ contract is currently constructed, it seems likely the Jets will cut him after this season, especially considering how injury prone and, thus, unproductive he has been the past two seasons. He has two years left on his deal. Next season, he is due to count $10.75 million against the salary cap. If

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the Jets cut him, he will count $2.5 million in "dead money," which means the Jets would save $8.25 million by getting rid of him.

This has been a frustrating season for Holmes, who the Steelers traded to the Jets in 2010. He missed six games because of a hamstring injury and has just 20 catches, the same number he had last season, when he was limited to four games by a serious foot fracture.

During what probably will be Holmes’ final midweek session with Jets reporters, he was asked if he ever thinks about that 2011 game in Miami. Holmes responded to the question by staring and shaking his head no.

Holmes had more to say about other topics, particularly the Jets’ season as a whole.

“It's been a tough ride for us this season,” he said. “It's not what we expected but definitely what we have to deal with. If we can end on a good note, it will be a good thing for our organization.”

So with uncertainty for Holmes’ future after this game, and his 30th birthday coming up in March, what is on his mind?

“Execution,” he said. “Have fun. Definitely end the season on a good note and look forward to the offseason.”

It will likely find the former Super Bowl MVP heading elsewhere to try to make something of his remaining time in the NFL.

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Jets' Calvin Pace on 'chaos' caused by coaching changes: 'As a player, it’s not ideal' (Darryl Slater) NJ.com December 26, 2013

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

Calvin Pace responded to being cut and having to take a pay cut after last season with perhaps the finest season of his 11-year career.

The Jets’ 33-year-old outside linebacker had a career-high 10 sacks this year, surpassing the eight he had in 2009, his second year with the team. This season, only defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson has more sacks than Pace. Wilkerson has 10½

Before the 2008 season, the Jets signed Pace to a six-year contract worth $42 million, including $22 million in guaranteed earnings — at the time, one of the most lucrative deals ever given to a linebacker.

This season was going to be that contract’s final year. But after Pace had just three sacks last season — his fewest since 2006 — the Jets cut him and let him test the free-agent market. Pace wound up re-signing with the Jets for a significantly reduced wage, by NFL standards — a one-year contract with a $940,000 base salary and $65,000 signing bonus.

He will turn 34 in October and believes he still has a year or two left. He would like to spend 2014 with the Jets, who conclude this season Sunday at Miami. But some of that might depend on whether coach Rex Ryan is brought back for a sixth season.

“I’ve said if they want me back, I definitely would come back,” Pace said. “If Rex hopefully is here, then it would be a thousand percent chance that I would definitely do that. I haven’t really thought about it too much.”

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Pace is one of several players who have publicly advocated for retaining Ryan.

“Any time you make a change, it’s automatic that you’ve got to reset,” Pace said of a potential coaching change. “You’ve got a new system. A guy might want to bring some of his people in. As a player, it’s not ideal. It’s just not. It’s chaos. You’ll see people just getting cut or whatnot. I think Rex is the guy, but they haven’t asked me my opinion.”

If the Jets beat Miami, they will finish 8-8, but still out of the playoffs for the third straight year.

“If you look at the record, some people would say we overachieved,” Pace said. “I think we’re moving in the right direction. I think he’s the right guy for the job.”

But the Dolphins still have a playoff berth to play for, and they smoked the Jets 23-3 on Dec. 1. So 8-8 will not come easily for these Jets.

“They dominated us,” Pace said. “We didn’t do anything well. For whatever reason, we just couldn’t get off the field.”

The Dolphins went 7 of 16 on third downs in the teams’ first meeting, while the Jets were just 2 of 12.

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NEW YORK POST

Rex should offer to coach Jets in ’14 with no contract extension (Steve Serby) New York Post December 26, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/26/rex-should-offer-to-coach-next-season-with-no-contract-extension/

Rex Ryan should make John Idzik and Woody Johnson an offer they cannot — and should not — refuse.

He should march into their respective offices and tell them he will coach the Jets in 2014 — the last year of his contract — without an extension.

It would make him a true lame duck, but it would show the owner and the general manager that he has enough confidence in himself and in his ability to continue to motivate his young team to be willing to put his money where his mouth used to be.

It would be a fiscal bonus for Johnson, keeping Ryan for $3 million instead of firing him and owing him the money, then shelling out big bucks to his successor.

Most importantly, it would preserve the continuity and stability that is critical to a young, growing team and young, growing quarterback.

“Anytime you make a change, automatically you got to reset … it’s chaos, because then you don’t know, you’re seeing bodies, people just getting cut or whatnot,” Calvin Pace said.

It would give Ryan one last chance, a one-year referendum rather than a one-game referendum Sunday in Miami, to prove his contention these Jets, torn to the foundation last offseason, are indeed on the rise.

It would sent a jolt of electricity through a locker room that doesn’t want to envision Life Without Rex, even if the inmates do not run the asylum.

Though I believe Idzik is tough enough not to cower to fan and media pressure, keeping Ryan for 2014 would silence conspiracy theorists who will charge the fix was in right from the day he was shotgun wedded, that nothing short of the playoffs could have saved Ryan.

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I asked Ryan, who loves this organization, this team and this job, if he has enough confidence in himself that he could coach this team next season without a contract extension.

“I don’t even think about it right now,” Ryan told The Post. “I can tell you this — I’m loaded with confidence going into this game.”

The players who have rallied ’round Rex are certain he could pull it off and coach under lame-duck conditions.

David Nelson was asked to give his most convincing argument to Idzik into a tape recorder.

“You just see how guys play for Rex, you see the intensity and the enthusiasm,” Nelson told The Post. “Obviously we didn’t execute, we made some crucial mistakes this year, but just … guys play hard. In my opinion, we have progressed throughout the season and have gotten better, and we’ll only continue to get better. We’ve had some bad circumstances this year, but at the same time, we’re at the end of the season, and we’re still playing pretty well. And so, hopefully, he can see that, that we’re moving in the right direction and we can use the foundation we’ve had this year to move forward for next year.”

“Whether it’s the last year of his contract or not, that’s not a guarantee that he’s gone, you know?” one Jet said.

Ryan was asked about the criticism he hasn’t developed a consistent offense. “Everybody’s got a right to their opinion … it’s not like the Survivor where I’m trying to get their vote or something like that,” Ryan said.

But he has earned the right to survive. He coached this season without his best player on defense (Darrelle Revis, traded) and he coached most of this season without his best player on offense (Santonio Holmes, injured). His starting safeties (LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell) from 2012 left via free agency. So did his tight end (Dustin Keller) and 1,000-yard rusher (Shonn Greene). So did defensive linemen Mike DeVito and Sione Pouha.

Receiver Stephen Hill, the 2012 second-round draft choice, has been a bust. He has a rookie cornerback (Dee Milliner) starting opposite Antonio Cromartie, who has played through hip problems, and a rookie left guard (Brian Winters) starting because Vlad Ducasse, another former second-round pick, never turned into John Hannah. And Geno Smith, the rookie quarterback, has been throwing to journeymen more often than not.

“We’re getting better,” defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said.

Ryan has over-achieved in a rebuilding season, case closed.

And is beloved enough to withstand lame-duck status.

“If he’s able to still run the ship, we’re going to respond like we respond to him always,” Willie Colon said. “I don’t think his situation is ever going to affect how we play or what we do on the field. … I feel like if he’s going to be our coach, which we want him to be our coach, it’s an opportunity for us to kind of answer the drum and help him out, so to speak.”

Ryan was reckless exposing Mark Sanchez in the fourth quarter of the prestigious Snoopy Bowl, but Smith, who has lobbied for Ryan’s return, who has gotten off the deck and finally begun to show progress, most likely would have supplanted Sanchez sooner rather than later.

“He didn’t blink at anything that has happened, up to date anyway,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.

Neither has Ryan.

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He should make Idzik and Johnson an offer they can’t — and shouldn’t — refuse.

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Geno: Jay Z’s advice key to beating back criticism (Brian Costello) New York Post December 26, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/26/geno-jay-zs-advice-key-to-beating-back-criticism/

Jay Z has not been so busy landing Robinson Cano his mammoth contract he has forgotten about his other clients. Jets quarterback Geno Smith said Thursday his agent gave him some advice during a recent three-game slump that helped him through it.

“I talk to Jay a lot,” Smith told The Post. “He gave me some good advice. He told me to not take [criticism] personally. It’s not that people don’t like me. It’s not at me. It’s the position that I’m in. Just realize the position that I’m in comes with a lot of scrutiny. You can’t take it personally. You just have to live your daily life.”

Smith hired Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports to represent him in the spring after firing his initial agents following the NFL Draft. Smith received criticism for the move, but he said Thursday it was the right move for him.

“It’s been great,” he said. “I think I made the absolute correct choice. Some of the best people I’ve met, great mentors from all areas. They treat me with so much class, my family and everyone. It was definitely a great move.”

Smith is the highest profile football player Roc Nation has. Cano put their baseball representation on the map with his 10-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners this month. Smith said there was a misconception he only chose Jay Z because he thought he would be more marketable with the superstar rapper as his agent.

“It’s not really about him helping me as far as marketing goes,” Smith said. “My play on the field gets me the things off the field.”

That play on the field has been better lately. After going through a three-game stretch in November and early December when the Jets lost three straight and Smith failed to throw a touchdown pass, had a completion percentage at or under 40 percent and threw six interceptions, Smith has rebounded. He has played much better over the last three games and hopes to close out his rookie season with a strong performance Sunday in Miami.

“He had to get better,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “You’ve got to hit every step. It’s not an elevator. You can’t just punch a button and get there. He just had to keep climbing step-by-step and we did as a team as well. I think he’s been up to that challenge and the results speak for themselves.”

Ryan praised how Smith has handled the New York market and what he has done on the field.

“I think as far as his play, he’s come a million miles,” Ryan said.

Smith played one of his best games last week against the Browns, rushing for a touchdown and throwing two more. It was his first game without a turnover since early November.

Jay Z was not the only person to give Smith some advice to get him through the bad spell. Linebacker Demario Davis told Smith to just accept he is a rookie and not try to do too much.

“I would say that I was definitely trying way too hard,” Smith said. “I was trying to be the Peyton Mannings and the Drew Breeses. That’s just my competitive spirit. The best advice I was given was just

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continue to be a rookie. Even Peyton and Drew had these same ups and downs. They had to learn from it. Those are the things I had to learn from as well.”

Smith, 23, now returns to South Florida where he grew up. He lived just a few miles from Sun Life Stadium and could see it from his house. He played there two years ago in college and led West Virginia to an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson. Smith had seven touchdowns that day (six passing, one running) in a 70-33 win.

“It was a good day,” Smith said. “It was pretty awesome.”

No one is expecting seven touchdowns on Sunday, but Smith could convince some of the doubters he has a chance to be the long-term answer at quarterback with a strong outing. The Jets’ first meeting with the Dolphins on Dec. 1 was the last game of Smith’s slump. He was benched at halftime that day. Since then, he has shown his teammates his resiliency.

“I just kept working at it,” Smith said. “I didn’t come in here with my head hung low or feeling sorry for myself. I think that showed my teammates that no matter what I was going to be the same guy. Eventually we started to play well and build that confidence, and we’re playing a little better now.”

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Geno likely to suffer if the Jets oust Rex Ryan: Herm Edwards (John DeMarzo) New York Post December 26, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/12/26/geno-likely-to-suffer-if-the-jets-oust-rex-ryan-herm-edwards/

For the first time since 2003, the Jets and Giants will enter Week 17 each having been eliminated from the playoff race.

Both teams have big questions to answer this offseason, but it’s the Jets who are faced with the most critical issue — deciding the fate of head coach Rex Ryan.

The Jets will miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season, but have overachieved and would finish at .500 with a win in Miami on Sunday.

“When the season started, most people thought that this team was in a rebuilding mode, especially on the offensive side — starting a rookie quarterback, a lot of injuries as far as receivers go,” said Herm Edwards, the former Jets coach and ESPN NFL analyst. “For the most part, Rex has done a really good job. [But] can Rex develop a quarterback? That’s going to be [a] critical part.”

Second-round pick Geno Smith has started every game this season, as he was thrown into the fire after Mark Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason “Snoopy Bowl” game against the Giants.

Smith has had his ups and downs, mixing flashes of effectiveness with stretches of turnover-prone football. He has thrown 21 interceptions against only 12 touchdowns, but has stabilized somewhat in recent weeks, throwing for four touchdowns and just two interceptions in his last two games.

Edwards said people who were expecting Smith to burst onto the scene and put up outstanding numbers were only fooling themselves.

“We got spoiled last year watching Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and Russell Wilson,” he explained. “You watched all these guys’ form and think that every quarterback that comes out is supposed to perform that way, and that’s simply not the truth.

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“You look at Cam Newton, and he struggled his first year. Geno Smith is going through a development phase. At times, he looks like ‘I’m the guy.’ You’re not going to know for three years, and then that’s the problem when you make a change.”

Edwards cautioned if the Jets fire Ryan, the new coach could possibly bring in a new offensive coordinator, which would stunt Smith’s development.

“If you say you’re going to make a change, then all of a sudden, the new guy changes offenses on this guy again,” he said. “Remember, that’s kind of what Mark Sanchez went through.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to quarterbacks, the Giants don’t have the same worries with Eli Manning, despite his league-high 26 interceptions against only 17 touchdowns.

Edwards believes the problems lie more with Manning’s supporting cast.

“When you win Super Bowls, you think that a guy is supposed to be playing at that level,” he said. “But [with] Eli, like so many other quarterbacks, it’s the people you build around him. The offensive line has struggled, the receivers have been hurt, no sign of a running game. [When they won], they ran the ball, their defense played well — they played complementary football. They’re not doing that now.

“They’ve got a philosophy built on defense, that they’re going to have a dominant front four, and they’ll have some athletic linebackers,” Edwards continued. “On the other side of the ball, they’re going to have two running backs — they’re going to pound you with that. We know they have a quarterback. They have an offensive line that can generally protect the quarterback, and it’s easier to protect when you can run it. They’re going to get back to that. That’s who they are — that’s who they’ve been. When they’re successful, they do those things very well.”

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Rex Ryan jokes fate with NY Jets is not like 'Survivor' (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 26, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-ryan-isn-survivor-article-1.1559233

Rex Ryan joked Thursday that the impending decision surrounding his future isn’t like the TV show “Survivor” in that he can't lobby for votes. That’s because the only two people who will decide if Ryan’s torch gets snuffed are owner Woody Johnson and general manager John Idzik.

Ryan would probably be better off if this were the reality show instead. His players are in his corner. There are certainly a lot of fans who seem to want him back. Even the media has been relatively friendly, considering Ryan could be on the brink of losing his job.

While many players have been open about their desire for Ryan to return, only a couple have discussed what they believe is the damage that will occur if the Jets coach is fired. Willie Colon has said he thought it would be a step back for the organization. Calvin Pace echoed that Thursday.

“Any time you make a change, automatically you’ve got to reset,” Pace said. “You’ve got a new system, (the) guy might want to bring some of his people in. As a player, it’s not ideal. It’s not. It's chaos.”

With Ryan mentioning several times that he believes the Jets are an ascending team, he’s probably trying to make the case that such a reset wouldn’t benefit them.

Pace said that he would like to return to the Jets “one thousand percent” if Ryan were retained.

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GENO IN REVIEW

There’s a good chance Geno Smith will have competition for the starting quarterback job next summer. The Jets have had 15 games to evaluate Smith, and Ryan recapped some of the challenges the rookie has faced. “I think as far as his play, he’s come a million miles,” Ryan said. “This is a guy that was in shotgun his whole time (at West Virginia). He had to learn how to take a snap. He had to set up, three-step, five-step, seven-step drops. ... The fact we’ve had a lot of different bodies in there at receiver, we weren’t exactly the healthiest during the year, so that I’m sure has been a challenge. But the young man never flinched.”

SHELDON HITS BACK

Sheldon Richardson said he will appeal his $15,000 fine he received for a roughing the passer penalty last week. ... Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Friday night, and Muhammad Wilkerson and Nick Folk figure to be candidates. Ryan said Pace (10 sacks) deserved recognition, too.

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Antonio Cromartie thinks NY Jets are better team than Dolphins (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 26, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/cro-logic-doesn-fly-jets-better-fish-article-1.1559228

The fact that Gang Green can’t make the playoffs doesn’t stop Antonio Cromartie from talking as if the Jets are atop the standings. The Jets were beaten, 23-3, by the Dolphins in Week 13, in MetLife Stadium, and yet Cromartie feels the Jets were actually superior to Miami that day.

“I felt we were the better team then,” Cromartie said Thursday. “Do I feel like we're a better team now? Yeah, we’re running the ball better. I think we’re playing the pass a whole lot better. I think the biggest thing for us is just to make sure we put it all together and just go out and try to win the game on the road.”

To the objective eye, there was nothing that would suggest that the Jets (7-8) were better than the Dolphins (8-7) on Dec. 1. The Jets completed their second straight game without a touchdown. They managed just 177 yards on offense. Geno Smith was benched at halftime, causing many to wonder if the rookie QB should remain the starter. Willie Colon certainly doesn’t agree with Cromartie when it comes to that game; the guard said Tuesday, “We got our butts handed to us.”

The Jets have gotten back on track, winning two of three games since that blowout in East Rutherford. There’s technically nothing for the Jets to play for Sunday in Miami, but they can eliminate the Dolphins from playoff contention with an upset.

“This is our last game of the year, so we want to make sure it’s their last, too,” Cromartie said. “The other thing is it would put us at 3-3 in the division and just finish on a high note with a two-game winning streak going into next season.”

Geno Smith called Sunday’s game the Jets’ “Super Bowl.” The rookie QB will be playing a mere five minutes away from where he grew up, he said.

It’s well-documented that Sunday’s game could be Rex Ryan’s last as Jets coach, but it could be Cromartie’s last as well. The cornerback’s status is unclear after a poor season and with an expensive salary due next season. His current contract requires a $14.98 million cap charge next year, according to overthecap.com, and the team would save $9.5 million against the cap by cutting him. So would Cromartie accept a restructuring of his current deal to remain with the Jets?

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“Definitely,” Cromartie said. “This is where I want to be. My family loves it here.”

This season, Cromartie hasn’t played nearly as well as he did in 2012, but part of that could be because of his balky hip. Cromartie will consult specialists after the season to decide if he should have surgery.

Though his play has suffered, the Jets could seek to bring Cromartie back at a reduced price.

“I want to make sure that I’m here,” said Cromartie, finishing his fourth year with the Jets after spending his first four seasons with San Diego. “My family wants to be here, and this is where I want to retire.”

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Rex Ryan could have hard time finding job if NY Jets fire him (Gary Myers) New York Daily News December 26, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/myers-rex-canned-coaching-limbo-article-1.1559224

Rex Ryan has done so much with so little this season that he shouldn’t be fired by the Jets, but if he is a Black Monday casualty, then he deserves to get another shot at being a head coach right away rather than having to work his way back up as a defensive coordinator or trying to be funny every week on some network pregame show.

If Ryan gets fired by Woody Johnson and John Idzik after squeezing seven or possibly eight victories out of a team with expansion-level talent on offense, he could turn out to be a relatively hot candidate. Coaches are often better after their first job — Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Pete Carroll for example — and Ryan will benefit by going up against a weak field of candidates. There is no Chip Kelly from last year or Jim Harbaugh from 2011 to provide competition.

“Who is out there that you know for sure is better?” one source said Wednesday.

I still think Ryan is going to get fired on Monday. This is how the Jets would likely explain it: They want a new face of the franchise after three straight years out of the playoffs — a coach who can get them to the next level — and Idzik wants his own guy who will determine his success as a GM after being forced to keep Ryan this season.

When the Jets were at 5-4 after beating the Patriots and Saints in between a loss to the Bengals, Ryan had an opportunity to put together a storybook run to the playoffs with an overachieving team and basically make it impossible for the Jets not to give him a contract extension.

Instead, the Jets lost three in a row and were outscored 79-20 by the Bills, Ravens and Dolphins. That was where the window opened for Johnson and Idzik to make a case to fire Ryan.

I figure there will be five openings that Ryan can pursue if the Jets dump him — the Redskins, Vikings, Bucs, Lions and Texans, who already fired Gary Kubiak. The Titans’ job could also open up. Even if Coughlin isn’t back, there’s no chance, of course, that Ryan will be a candidate. If Jerry Jones changes his mind and fires Jason Garrett if the Cowboys lose to the Eagles, Ryan won’t be a candidate in Dallas after Jones fired Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator following last season.

I asked a couple of sources with experience as general managers if they thought Ryan could get another head coaching job right away.

“It’s right on the border for me,” one source said. “The buffoonery has obviously slowed down, and that was a good move on his part. There is so much drama. From the outside-looking-in perspective, you say, ‘Do I want to deal with all of that?’ Are you ready for all that? I’m going to put up with that if it’s worth it

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for what I get. Do I see a great coach? Personally, I don’t. But I’d be the last one to say he is not going to get another job.”

A reunion with Darrelle Revis in Tampa could be the best fit. The Bucs need to create a buzz and sell tickets, and there’s no coach who sells tickets like Ryan, assuming he reverts to being a great quote. Still, the Tampa offense is so bad — Ryan’s downfall with the Jets is never developing anything close to an explosive offense — that the Bucs may be inclined to hire an offensive coach if Greg Schiano is fired.

Considering how the all the recent rule changes favor the offense, the trend has been to hire head coaches who call the plays and know how to put points on the board.

Last year, seven new head coaches were hired, and six of them were from the offensive side.

“Nobody wants to hire a defensive coach,” the second source said. “Rex is in that defensive boat. So many of the teams that are going to have openings have woeful offenses. What does Rex bring to that table? His offense has been atrocious.”

Even so, the source thought Ryan could get another job immediately. His image around the league improved when he dialed back the rhetoric, and his ability to get this team so close to the playoffs will keep him in play despite missing them again. If the Jets had gone 4-12 after last year’s 6-10, Ryan would be a tough sell in any market. Remember, Belichick worked five years as an assistant after he was fired by Cleveland and before he was hired in New England.

If Johnson and Idzik fire Ryan, it proves Idzik had his mind made up a long time ago. If he was going to judge Ryan based on what he did this season and how he transitioned from the most entertaining coach in the league to just another guy spitting out clichés — surely a mandate from the GM — and then Idzik still recommends to Johnson that Ryan be fired, then we know this whole thing was a charade and the Jets wasted the 2013 season keeping Ryan around.

“Do you think Idzik came in thinking Rex will be the guy long-term? I would say no,” the first source said. “Has Rex done enough to change that view? I would say no.

If you are going to beat the champion in boxing, you have to be better, it can’t be close. Is he that much different than John thought coming in?”

Ryan could soon be a hot free agent. Or he could get a contract extension. This is a close one.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Geno's progress too little, too late for Rex? (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 26, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/33801/genos-progress-too-little-too-late-for-rex?ex_cid=espnapi_public

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Geno Smith will finish his rookie season Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, only a few minutes from his old neighborhood. He grew up so close to Sun Life that, four years ago, he saw Super Bowl XLIV (Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees) on the stadium JumboTron from outside his house.

It makes for a nice story, especially with Smith playing better in recent weeks. It would be a better story for the New York Jets if the season finale against the Miami Dolphins actually meant something.

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Yes, the Jets are proud of Smith's late-season baby steps, but it could be a case of too little, too late for Rex Ryan, whose job is in jeopardy. They needed Smith to turn it on last month, when the stakes were high. They needed him during their three-game losing streak, when his completion totals resembled something from a triple-option offense.

If Ryan is fired next week, it'll be that three-game debacle -- the 23-3 loss to the Dolphins on Dec. 1, in particular -- that ruined him.

"That three-game period will bother me until I die," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Thursday.

Ryan & Co. deserve another shot after squeezing seven wins out of a roster with marginal talent, but a third straight non-playoff season may have provided general manager John Idzik with the convenient out he needs to hire his own coach.

Things looked good at 5-4, when Idzik referred to Ryan as "our leader," but the offense lost its way after the bye week. The Jets lost to the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Dolphins by a combined score of 79-20. That's where the playoff dream died, not on that Monday night miracle field goal by the Ravens' Justin Tucker to beat the Detroit Lions -- the mathematical end for the Jets.

No one is blaming Smith for the Jets' failure to make the playoffs. He was a victim of circumstances, having to learn on the job, surrounded by a mediocre supporting cast. It was the blind leading the bland, and it bottomed out for three, ill-fated games.

Smith was benched for the final two quarters of that 12-quarter stretch, a move that, in retrospect, certainly helped him from a mental standpoint. What if they benched him a week earlier? There are many what-ifs that could haunt Ryan and Mornhinweg.

Looking back, Mornhinweg said he was "probably playing too many guys" during that stretch, especially at wide receiver. If you remember, they had Greg Salas in the rotation, and they were trying to integrate Josh Cribbs with the Wildcat package. Santonio Holmes was coming back from an injury, and there too many moving parts.

"We almost had to re-start," Mornhinweg said.

They've scaled back the rotation, playing primarily with three receivers. You don't see as much wholesale substituting as you saw before. They've settled into their roles, and Smith seems more comfortable than before. In the last three games, two wins and a loss, his passer rating was a respectable 83.

They also convinced him to take advantage of his mobility, resulting in 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns over the same span. Why not sooner? It's all about trial and error, and it looks like they were too slow to adjust.

"I've been playing pretty well since [the halftime benching]," Smith said.

Smith has played well enough lately to show he belongs in the 2014 plans, competing in training camp against a veteran that isn't here yet or against another high draft pick. If he can close out the year by beating the team that tormented him earlier this month, nearly costing him his job, it would be the ideal springboard into the offseason.

"He's come a million miles," said Ryan, alluding to Smith's college background in a spread offense.

Smith had to learn the basics of the position -- three-, five- and seven-step drops -- while leading an entire offense. You think that's easy? A year ago, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson were well-versed in

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their respective offenses, having played those systems in college. That allowed them to thrive as rookies.

Smith has improved his footwork, his decision making and his grasp of the audible system. He showed his resilience by enduring extreme adversity, going back into huddle, day after day, knowing his teammates were looking for the slightest hint of doubt.

"The young man never flinched," Ryan said.

Save for that three-game slump, this coaching staff has done a nice job with him. The coaches speak highly of his future. The big question is: Will they will be part of it?

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Cromartie: Jets better than Dolphins (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 26, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/10197744/antonio-cromartie-says-new-york-jets-want-end-miami-dolphins-playoff-hopes?ex_cid=espnapi_public

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets are down, but not out of things to say.

Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, looking ahead to their rematch against the Miami Dolphins, said Thursday the Jets were a superior team than the Dolphins four weeks ago even though they were embarrassed, 23-3. And he doesn't feel like anything has changed.

The Dolphins (8-7) are one game ahead of the Jets and still have a chance to make the playoffs. The Jets were eliminated before last week's game.

"I felt like we were the better team then," Cromartie said. "Do I feel like we're a better team now? Yeah, we're running the ball better and we're playing the pass a whole lot better. I think the biggest thing for us is to put it all together and win a game on the road."

Cromartie also said he relishes the idea of crushing the Dolphins' playoff hopes.

"This is our last game of the year," he said. "We want to make sure it's their last game, too."

The Jets are closing out their third consecutive season out of the playoffs, a drought that could get coach Rex Ryan fired, but they're trying to create various forms of motivation. They can finish .500, they can win on the road for only the second time and they can wreck a divisional rival's season.

"It's pretty much our Super Bowl," quarterback Geno Smith said.

Smith hit his personal lowpoint in the Dec. 1 matchup against the Dolphins. He was benched at halftime after completing only four of 10 passes for 29 yards and an interception. The Jets were outgained by a mind-boggling margin, 453-177, in what was their third straight defeat.

"We didn't come to play," guard Willie Colon said.

Ryan, raising the stakes for the rematch, said Sunday will show how much the team has improved since the Miami meltdown. The outcome could be critical for Ryan -- if upper management hasn't made a decision on his fate.

"We're going to measure how much we've improved -- or have we improved?" Ryan said. "If we have, we'll all see it."

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Cromartie also addressed his future, saying he will see hip specialists in the offseason to determine whether he will need surgery to repair a season-long issue. He hasn't missed a game, but he has played through pain at times, falling short of his 2012 Pro Bowl form.

"Hopefully, there's nothing too serious," said Cromartie, who believes it's connected to a fracture he sustained five years ago. "Hopefully, I don't need to have surgery. If I do, hopefully it's just a clean-up job, easy to come back from."

Cromartie's contract also could be an issue. His cap charge next year, the final year of the deal, is $14.98 million. He said he'd be willing to re-work his contract, but it's complicated by the fact that only one year remains. They'd have to extend it, which may not be something the Jets want to do for a 30-year-old cornerback with a health concern.

"Definitely, this is where I want to be," he said. "No matter what you do, your last name is your resume. That's what I go by. I want to make sure I'm here. My family wants to be here and this is where I want to retire."

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METRO NEW YORK

Source: Jets had E.J. Manuel rated higher than Geno Smith (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 26, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/12/26/source-jets-had-e-j-manuel-rated-higher-than-geno-smith/

Geno Smith has one game left this season to prove the Jets were wrong in their assessment of him leading into the NFL Draft.

Sources tell Metro New York that Smith was second on the Jets’ board prior to the NFL Draft, behind Bills starting quarterback E.J. Manuel. The Bills seemed to concur with the Jets’ draft assessment as they made Manuel the top quarterback taken in the draft at No. 16 overall.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, tells Metro “the Jets had a late first-round grade on both Manuel and Smith, but they had Manuel higher.”

The Bills “reached” in their selection, according to another source, by taking Manuel where they did in the first round. The source went on to say the Jets would have been comfortable taking Manuel where they took Smith in the second round, or later in the first round if they had moved back.

Smith was the second quarterback taken in the NFL Draft at No. 39 overall.

Manuel has completed 58.8 percent of his passes this year for 1,972 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Taken 23 picks later, Smith is No. 37 in the league in QBR (seven slots behind Manuel) and he is second in the league with 21 interceptions. It appears that the Bills — and the Jets as well — were right in their initial assessment of the two rookies.

To his credit, Smith’s 2,856 passing yards were a team record for a rookie. Head coach Rex Ryan said of Smith on Thursday, “As far as his play, he’s come a million miles.”

According to the second source, “Manuel was the more polished quarterback with the higher ceiling,” which is why the Jets had him ranked above Smith.

Jets notes …

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» Head coach Rex Ryan said tight end Kellen Winslow was sent home from Thursday’s practice due to illness.

» Another Jets player who didn’t practice on Thursday was cornerback Ellis Lankster, who has a right jaw injury. During the bye week last month, Lankster had his wisdom teeth removed. But in Week 15, Lankster took a shot to his right jaw during a special teams play, on the same side where he had the teeth pulled. An infection set in, the dentist believes, “from the fingers of the doctors in my mouth.” He has since felt spasms extending from his right ear down the entirety of his jaw.

“I’m eating only yogurt and noodles,” Lankster told Metro. “Not even hard cereal.”

» Jets wide receiver David Nelson had two touchdown catches last Sunday, his first touchdowns of the season. Nelson has been a nice midseason addition to the Jets’ receiving corps and fans have been clamoring for him to re-sign next season.

Metro New York has learned Nelson signed a two-year contract with the team and is expected to be back next season.

» Last week, the Jets announced Isaiah Trufant was the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, as voted on by his teammates. The reason, Trufant said, “is overcoming my offseason surgeries.” Trufant is a special teams standout who is in the final year of his contract with the Jets.

“My knee feels great,” Trufant said. “I feel very fluid.”

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NJ.COM

Antonio Cromartie on Jets: 'This is where I want to retire' (Dom Cosentino) NJ.com December 26, 2013

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

FLORHAM PARK -- No Jets player will be more expensive to keep on the roster in 2014 under his current contract terms than cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Cromartie, who signed a four-year, $32 million contract before the 2011 season, is slated to earn approximately $9.5 million in '14, the final year of that deal, but he will count as $14.98 million against the salary cap. Thursday, he said he'd be willing to again restructure his agreement to remain with the team.

"Definitely," Cromartie said. "This is where I want to be. My family loves it here. I think the biggest thing, for me, is just to make sure that going into this last game I'm playing to the best of my ability.

"At the end of the day, no matter what you do, your last name is your resume. That's how I want to go about it. I'm here. My family wants to be here, and this is where I want to retire."

But how much do the Jets want him here beyond Sunday's season finale in Miami? The 2014 season with be Cromartie's ninth in the NFL. He's missed just three regular-season games since 2007, but for much of this year, Cromartie has been hampered by a nagging injury to his hip that dates back to when played through a hip fracture in 2008 (when he was with the Chargers).

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The hip ailment has affected Cromartie's play this season: Pro Football Focus gives him a cumulative grade of minus -9.7, just one year after he earned a grade of 10.0, which ranked him among the best cornerbacks in the league.

Cromartie did tell reporters Thursday that he intends to see a hip specialist after the season.

During this past offseason, Cromartie agreed to a contract restructure that reduced his 2013 base pay from $7 million to $840,000. He opted instead to take his $2.3 million roster bonus as a pro-rated $8.5 million signing bonus spread over this year and next.

By doing this, the Jets essentially freed up $4.2 million in cap savings for this year, instead pushing that cap hit into 2014. By releasing Cromartie, the Jets could save $9.5 million on their 2014 cap number, though he would still account for $5.48 million in so-called dead money—the balance of the remaining pro-rated bonus he's contractually due to receive from the team.

Joel Corry, a former sports agent and a salary cap expert for the National Football Post, explained that the Jets can't do anything about that $5.48 million cap hit, even if they were to release Cromartie before the start of the new league year in March. If the Jets want to keep him, Corry said, they could lower his cap number by cutting his pay or doing a restructure/extension.

"With a restructure/extension," Corry explained, "they could take a significant portion of his $9.5 million salary, convert it to signing bonus, add years to his contract, and prorate that amount over the life of his new deal (for a maximum of 5 years)."

The Jets likely would not want to absorb Cromartie's 2014 contract under its current terms. Would they be willing to do another restructure, perhaps by extending him beyond 2014? Or would they prefer to hit the reset button and eat that $5.48 million next year, when they figure to create plenty of cap space by releasing Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes? Just some more questions for general manager John Idzik to answer in the months ahead.

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THURSDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press December 26, 2013

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Thursday-s-Sports-Transactions-5095187.php

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association NBA — Fined Golden State F Draymond Green $15,000 for failing to leave the court in a timely manner upon his ejection during a Dec. 25 game against the Los Angeles Clippers. CHICAGO BULLS — Assigned G Marquis Teague to Iowa (NBADL). DETROIT PISTONS — Assigned G Tony Mitchell and G Peyton Siva to Fort Wayne (NBADL). PHILADELPHIA 76ERS — Assigned G Lorenzo Brown to Delaware (NBADL). FOOTBALL National Football League NFL — Fined Buffalo WR Roberts Woods $15,000 for punching Miami S Reshad Jones during a Dec. 22 game. CHICAGO BEARS — Signed WR Chris Williams from New Orleans' practice squad. Waived DT Christian Tupou.

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CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed DL Brian Sanford. Signed WR Conner Vernon to the practice squad. Released RB Jamaine Cook from the practice squad. DETROIT LIONS — Placed TE Dorin Dickerson on injured reserve. Signed TE Matt Veldman from the practice squad. Claimed WR Micheal Spurlock off waivers from Dallas. Signed WR Carlin Isles to the practice squad. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Signed DT Jeris Pendleton and CB Sheldon Price from the practice squad. Signed C Thomas Austin, DE Jake McDonough and RB Tauren Poole to the practice squad. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released CB Marquice Cole. HOCKEY National Hockey League COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS — Signed RW Oliver Bjorkstrand to a three-year, entry-level contract. EDMONTON OILERS — Recalled D Martin Marincin and F Roman Horak from Oklahoma City (AHL). WINNIPEG JETS — Recalled D Julian Melchiori from St. John's (AHL). Placed D Grant Clitsome on the injured reserve list, retroactive to Dec. 17. American Hockey League AHL — Suspended Lake Erie D Mikael Tam one game for a charging incident in a Dec. 20 game at Rochester. HARTFORD WOLF PACK — Signed D Sam Klassen to a professional tryout agreement. MANCHESTER MONARCHS — Recalled G Mathias Niederberger from Ontario (ECHL). Released G Aaron Dell from his professional tryout agreement. ECHL UTAH GRIZZLIES — Announced G Aaron Dell was returned to the team from Manchester (AHL). COLLEGE FLORIDA — Named Kurt Roper offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. MICHIGAN STATE — Suspended senior LB Max Bullough for violating team rules, making him ineligible to play in the Rose Bowl.

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