EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Jets starting quarterback ran into an offensive lineman?s ass with his face.
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And fumbled. And that fumble was returned for a touchdown. On national television. In prime time.
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And the Jets explanation, supplied by their head coach?
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?That?s probably the first mistake he?s made giving a handoff all season . . . Again, guys, it?s a one-in-a-zillion play. I?m not sure what happened on it, but that?s the reality of the play. In my opinion, it?s the first time that he?s made that mistake all season.?
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So the starting quarterback and former fifth overall pick was due to run face-first into an ass. He was on borrowed time. We all knew it was coming
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Well, I guess that?s owning it.
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This is where the Jets are. This is what they?ve become. A cornucopia of absurd. Given the tenor of the Rex Ryan Era in New York, we could have imagined his End of Days on the Jets sideline would be spectacular, but this was too, too much.
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A 49-19 loss to the Patriots in which the Patriots scored 35 second-quarter points and 21 points in 52 seconds.
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In less than a minute, the Jets did things the Patriots don?t do in five seasons. And if any one of those things happened on Bill Belichick?s watch, you can be pretty sure he wouldn?t be saying, ?Guys, we?ve all seen quarterbacks smash their faces off the guard?s hindquarters and drop the ball, haven?t we? What?s the big deal? Guys still are giving it every ounce. They?re bleeding for me. And I?m . . . I?m bleeding for them.?
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No. One thinks not.
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After this win that lifted the Patriots record to 8-3, I could have gone to hear what they had to say. But the Jets have an irresistible pull. Like a freak show. You know you?re going to feel bad looking at it, but something makes you want to see just how bizarre it really is.
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?Step right up, step inside, you won?t believe your ears or your eyes as the Amazing Shrinking Coach defines his quarterback?s night.?
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?Mark . . . he had a 94 quarterback rating,? said Ryan. ?I thought Mark threw the ball well.?
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Right into the arms of Patriots safety Steve Gregory in the first quarter to snuff a would-be Jets scoring drive. Just the sixth red-zone turnover of the season for Sanchez.
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Ryan defends Sanchez by saying he?s not the sole reason the Jets are 4-7. And he?s not. It?s the program. It?s the lip service offered week-in, week-out in which the Jets ?own? their mistakes, pledge to stop making them, promise to ?give it their all,? and then play rudderless football.
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On the Patriots? first touchdown, the Jets had three defenders in the end zone covering two Patriots receivers on a play that started at the New York 3-yard line. Two of the defenders went to one receiver, another covered air and Wes Welker scored without a defender in arm?s reach.
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On the Patriots? second touchdown, a pitch to the flat to Shane Vereen that turned into an 83-yard touchdown . . . we?ll let Antonio Cromartie explain it.
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?Some calls we got into, they knew what coverage we were in,? he explained. ?Like on the wheel route, our inside linebacker [Bart Scott] was supposed to take that but it?s hard for him to take that when he?s too far inside and the running back slides out. Some of the calls that we got into put a hardship on us. . . . We shoulda gone for another scheme and I shoulda put a safety on the wheel and put Bart on the inside guy on the curl route.?
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It was Cromartie, Eric Smith and Scott involved in that play. That?s 25 years of NFL experience between them.
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But, well, hindsight?s 20-20 and they?ll do better next time.
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There?s a big whiteboard in the hallway leading to the Jets locker room.
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On it were these words.
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Focus
Do Your Job ?Execute?
One Play At a Time
Definition
Details
Destruction
Domination
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The only two things satisfied on that list were the last two and they were applied by the Patriots.
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The Jets have been non-competitive in several games this season. 27-10 loss to the Steelers. 34-0 against the Niners. 30-9 against the Dolphins. 28-7 against the Seahawks. And Thursday night.
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?We?re about as wounded as we can possibly be, but we?re not dead,? said Ryan.
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(IT?S JUST A FLESH WOUND!)
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?I can tell you this: we will give everything we have, every ounce of energy we have to get this thing going. That?s from a coaching standpoint as well as the players. If not, then we?ll make adjustments.?
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It?s getting a little late for ?if, then.? At some point, someone?s going to pry Woody Johnson?s attention away from his yo-yo and point out that his billion-dollar investment is rotting.
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And then? One has to figure an uncomfortable housecleaning will ensue.
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I asked Ryan if he expects to be coaching the Jets in 2013.
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?I do,? he answered. ?I think our team will play a heck of a lot better and I don?t believe anybody will ask that question by the time the year?s over.?
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They may not be asking it because the answer may be very clear by then.
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