It's Unanimous: Belichick and the Pats take the crown for biggest cheaters

Enough said...

Not to mention that in the last three times Darrelle Revis faced off against Terrell Owens, Owens was held to a total of nine catches for 63 yards.

Still think he's "just an average corner" T.O.?

Bart barks back at Lion's head coach

After Sunday's overtime victory over the Detroit Lion's, Bart Scott was quoted saying that Detroit was the dirtiest team in the league and that he can't wait to play them again.

Lion's head coach Jim Schwartz then fired back, saying "consider the source."

Did Schwartz think Scott was going to keep his mouth shut after that?

“Listen, I don’t have to play Detroit for another four years,” Scott said Wednesday. “I couldn’t care less what that man has to say. Don’t even exist to me anymore. Does it really matter? I don’t have to see him ever again. Do I have to see him at the Super Bowl? Playoffs? Probably not …. In the parking lot?”

He then added, "He'll be watching TV in January."

Ouch.

Slauson returns to practice

Left guard Matt Slauson returned to practice on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's practice. He vows to be on the playing field on Sunday when the Jets face their former heir, Eric Mangini, and his Cleveland team.

Marquice Cole (hamstring) was the only Jet to miss practice while the rest of the team prepares for the Ryan/Mangini Bowl.

Just because Eric Mangini lost a lot of weight doesn't mean he's a good coach...

Sherman! Sherman! Sherman!

I'm happy for you, Mangini, for the fact that you found yourself a new job as head coach of the Browns - the only team in the NFL with no logo on their helmet - and the job suits you pretty well.

Your bland, uncharismatic coaching style matches that of the Browns plain, boring, orange helmets.

However, I'm always one to give credit when credit is due, so thank you Eric Mangini for Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards.

See you in the playoffs? Doubt it.

Rex dresses up as twin brother Rob, adds fuel to the Mangini/Ryan Bowl fire

Not only did Rex put on a show for reporters by dressing up as his twin brother Rob, defensive coordinator for the Browns, during his Wednesday news conference, but he also put a fake bounty on his brothers head.

"There's a rumor floating around that there's been a bounty placed on his head by me,'' said Rex. "Let's be honest, there is a bounty on his head, there's no question. But I'm a little concerned about our guys bouncing off of his belly."

What about your belly, Rex?

Aside from the brotherly love, four Jets sat out during Wednesday's practice. Matt Slauson (knee) and Marquice Cole (hamstring) both rode stationary bikes while the rest of the Jets continued to ready themselves for the 3-5 Browns - a team that is quietly winning games under the radar despite having the toughest schedule in the league.

In fact, their three wins have all come against defending division champions: the Saints, Patriots and Bengals. Their defense has allowed only 13 points in the first quarter of play combined (the Jets have allowed only 10) and in their last 12 games, dating back to last season, the Browns have a winning record of 7-5.

The same old Browns? I think not.

Ladanian Tomlinson and Tony Richardson also did not practice on Wednesday, but their reasons were not injury related.

Slauson, the Jets' fifth round draft pick two years ago and a surprise addition to the run game due to his production this season, could be the first starting offensive lineman to sit since the 2007-2008 season when Alan Faneca, now a Cardinal, was a starter.

Slauson has helped anchor the Jets offensive line alongside Nick Mangold, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Brandon Moore and Damien Woody. Without Slauson, the Jets running game - which has underproduced in the last three weeks - could find themselves dug deep into a hole this week.

Rob Turner would start in place of Slauson if he is a no-go come Sunday.

And the award for the best halloween costume of 2010 goes to...the New York Jets

Photo Credit: ESPN

Was it just me or on Sunday did the New York Jets give their season-best rendition of the "same old Jets?"

It was an ugly one out there, to say the least.

Mark Sanchez was running around like a chicken without a head. Not to sound corny or cliche, but really, if you dressed a chicken in a green No. 6 Jets jersey and cut its head off, you would really see some resemblance between the two. He just looked flat out terrible all game long. From the first quarter until the fourth quarter I couldn't stand to do anything but cringe every time I saw him drop back and NOT hand the ball off. A missed throw here, a dropped INT there - it was just ugly. So ugly that his stats alone back me up.

For instance, in games one through six, Sanchez converted on 50% of his passes when the defense rushed five or more players. Also during these games, Sanchez' touchdown-to-interception ratio was a favorable 7:1 with a passer rating of 96.6 to back it up.

On Sunday, game seven of the Jets' 2010 season, Sanchez had a 20% completion percentage while throwing one INT, boasting a dismal 14.2 passer rating. That's certainly not what the Jets' brass like to see out of their franchise quarterback midway through the season.

Aside from Sanchez' bad day, you have to look at the help, or lack of help, the rest of his offense provided.

For one, I thought that the Jets' receiving corps made a bad offensive game plan look even worse. Big drops by Cotchery all game long, lazy routes courtesy of Braylon Edwards, and a drop by Santonio Holmes on a drag route that could have easily led to a 40+ yard touchdown pass didn't help either.

Photo Credit: ESPN

"I never want to play on Halloween again," Cotchery said.

I don't blame you.

And if ragging on Sanchez and his receivers weren't enough, there's plenty more to say about the run-game, special teams and coaching, too.

Shonn Greene and Ladanian Tomlinson both averaged under four yards per carry, an unusual sight for both running backs. I can't even tell you how many times LT tripped emerging from the line of scrimmage. It was like somebody strung dental floss from one side of the field to the other at the line of scrimmage and LT tripped or stumbled over it every. single. time. Not to mention he fumbled late in the game as well and just so happened to be fortunate enough to end up on top of it. He also blew a blocking assignment that allowed an easy sack for Green Bay late in the game, too. Just an overall debacle from a rushing attack that before week 8 had been ranked second in the league and helped the Jets reach the AFC Championship last year.

I don't know what kind of offensive game plan the Jets were trying to get away with this week, but it didn't work in the first half, and, if tweaked, obviously didn't work in the second half either. Rex also used his challenge flag twice in the first half, a no-no for any coach, both of which resulted in unfavorable calls for the Jets.

Special teams was a disaster, too. Nick Folk, who was 13-of-15 (including a 56-yard boot) before Sunday's loss, missed a big field goal that would have tied the game late in the third quarter.

And if you were wondering why I have yet to mention Steve Weatherford in this blog, it's because I can't mutter his name without feeling my blood starting to boil. 4th-and-19 and you fake it? Come on Weatherford. When in doubt, PUNT.

So what does all of this mean?

Does it mean that Rex was wrong for giving the Jets a week off on their bye? Does it mean that the Jets are no longer a legit AFC contender? Or does it mean that in the first seven weeks of the season the Jets were just waiting to reveal their familiar "same old Jets" mantra?

No, no, and no.

All this means is that it's time for the Jets to head back to the drawing board and fix their offense, since this was the second game of the season where the Jets lost while allowing only 10-points or less on defense.

I actually considered driving three hours to scalp and watch this game from the New Meadowlands with a few buddies, but I'm happy to say now that I didn't.

Instead of having to wait two weeks to see a Gang Green touchdown, I now have to wait three (thanks Shotty).

The Jets can't get to the Super Bowl riding on hype alone - it's time to play some decent football again.

LT’s resurgence vaults Jets to No. 2 rushing attack, best record in football

At 5-1, the New York Jets are right where they want to be: leading the league in wins.

It would be impartial not to thank one of the Jets’ gambles, an offseason free agency acquisition of Ladanian Tomlinson, for the success the team has had thus far as teams approach the halfway mark of the 2010-2011 season.

In fact, the Jets are only one point away from being a perfect 6-0 football team.

Tomlinson and the Jets, along with RB Shonn Greene and the versatile Brad Smith, have boasted an impressive 159.2 rushing yards per game, second to only the Kansas City Chiefs and the workload of former Jets RB Thomas Jones.

Although LT(2) is not the leagues leading rusher, he has already shown the value the Jets believe he still had in only the first six games of the season. He is averaging 5.3 yards per carry in 92 rushing attempts with 490 total rushing yards and five touchdowns.

The league leader in rushing, the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw, has tallied similar numbers: 5.3 yards per carry on 134 rushing attempts while gaining just over 700 yards. Perhaps if Tomlinson’s number of carries were increased he’d be atop the league in rushing alone, but needless to say, the Jets have found themselves a potent rushing attack for the second straight year.

And it seems to be working.

Remember, the Jets No. 1 ranked rushing attack last year led them to an AFC Championship game appearance last January. Now, the Jets are hoping it leads them to somewhere they haven’t been in 40-plus years.

In order to get there, the Jets need Tomlinson to continue to produce with the same fire he has shown in the first six games of the season. Tomlinson needs only 20 rushing yards to reach the 13,000-yard milestone for his career. Six players have rushed for more yards in NFL history and it seems possible that Tomlinson could pass No. 6 Eric Dickerson and No. 5 Jerome Bettis come seasons end.

The resurgence of LT has not only appeared worthwhile on the field, but off the field as well. Tomlinson’s leadership ability, which was oft-criticized in San Diego, has caught the attention of fellow teammates and future Hall of Famer’s in the locker-room.

Fourteen-year veteran linebacker and surefire Hall of Fame inductee Jason Taylor, who is admittedly not one for rah-rah speeches, expressed that one of Tomlinson’s speeches in particular, one in which LT praised former Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi’s speech on “What it takes to be No. 1,” made him realize what he’s here for.

“We're trying to get a ring, and he wants it, and he wants it bad, and he let us know that," Taylor told Greg Garber of ESPN.

"He didn't just read it," Taylor said, "he almost acted it out. You can tell when something means something to somebody. When they deliver it with such passion, such conviction, it goes deeper. LT delivering it, to me, meant something. It hit home. It got your blood flowing."

Taylor, who came to the Jets for the same reason Tomlinson did, to win a Super Bowl for the first time in his career, now has a copy of Lombardi’s speech hanging in his office.

Perhaps the Jets need Tomlinson for more than they had originally thought.

Two men who have seemed to lose their power...

Nolan Ryan just looks plain deflated/flabbergasted/confused here. I guess that's how it feels when you sit front row and watch your beloved Rangers fall victim to the defending World Series champs after leading, 5-0. Hey Nolan, next time sit in the luxury suites atop that ginger ale soaked Arlington ballpark so you never have to deal with a picture of you like this surfacing ever again. And as for Bush, 'nuff said.

Did Ron Washington really think that taking C.J. Wilson out of the game would strengthen the Rangers' chances of winning? Are you kidding me? If you've watched the Yankees this season or last, at all, you would know that we are a 7th, 8th and 9th inning team. We beat up bullpens and the more bullpen pitchers you throw at us the more we're going to make the game look like a quick BP session.

Say what you want about the payroll and our starting lineup, but don't expect to shut the Yanks out, nor ever count them out of a game. You saw what the Yanks did last night: sit back and let the opposing pitcher work himself into trouble and trust the guy behind you. They aren't called the Bronx Bombers for nothing.

As for C.C., Carsten is still my homeboy. One rough outing shouldn't scare anyone except the Rangers' lineup should they face him again. Guaranteed that C.C. is out for blood come next start.

Also, Robbie Cano went BOOM! again. MVP? Maybe. Clutch? Definitely.

Prediction: Yankees in 5.