Go NYJ!!!

[SteelAbility]

If the NYJ win, that forces to CIN to win to get in as the #6.

If the NYJ lose, then CIN can get in with a loss if OAK loses OR DEN loses.

Fortunately OAK and DEN play at 4:00 along with CIN. I was a bit cheesed that the CIN game was moved to 4:00 after the NYJ and not simultaneous with the NYJ.

Also fortunate that both OAK and DEN are motivated while their opponents are eliminated.

[Shawn]

I would actually like to see the Bengals get in. 3 teams from the AFC north in the playoffs? I like it.

[Starlifter]

the bengals don't need any more motivation - it's all there for them as is. the only question is since this will be their only 'home' playoff game will it be the bengals or the bungles?

just sick that we have to worry about the game. damn you william gay!!!!.......... :(

[SteelAbility]

the bengals don't need any more motivation - it's all there for them as is. the only question is since this will be their only 'home' playoff game will it be the bengals or the bungles?

just sick that we have to worry about the game. damn you william gay!!!!.......... :(

I think it's damn you Ryan Clark. He could have defended the goal line. But Gay did commit a PI penalty so there would have been probably a couple more plays inside the 10.

Bengals are 6-2 at home against the Ravens under Marvin Lewis, 10-7 overall. The Ravens are 3-4 on the road this year. I like those odds.

What I am rooting for here is that the Bengals aren't gifted in as the #6 seed. If the NYJ lose and either DEN or OAK is down big, suddenly it makes no difference to the Bengals, win or lose, so they may as well rest starters and not risk anything. That's what we DON'T want here. We want them playing for dear life. That first round bye would be huge given Ben's ankle situation. It could make all the difference between one-and-done and a super-bowl-run. (that, or one-and-Ben's-anke-is-worse-due-to-having-to-play-too-soon)

[hawaiiansteel]

I would actually like to see the Bengals get in. 3 teams from the AFC north in the playoffs? I like it.


:Agree

[winwithd]

I too would blame Ryan Clark. I thought Gay had good coverage and it was really more an offensive PI than defensive but it was a terrible call by the ref. Watch a replay and you will see that Torrey Smith is blanketed until the 2 or 3 yard line at which point he suddenly gets 2 yards of separation at exactly the same time his arm extends, you can almost see Gay buckle a little from the push-off. I just saw a replay of it yesterday on the Rats website and it was an angle I had not seen before and it was also the most damning. On top of it Smith does not celebrate the TD when he sees the flag until he finds out it will be defensive interference because he knows he is guilty.

But none of that will matter in a few hours as I believe we will win the North today.

And even if we have to exterminate the Rats in their own house, it would hurt them even more. They think getting the home field is a magic charm but it won't matter.

[hawaiiansteel]

Updated: January 1, 2012

Jets likely to revamp offensive staff

ESPN.com news services


Barring a miraculous run through the AFC playoffs, the New York Jets will revamp their offensive coaching staff, despite an organizational philosophy of stability, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

While line coach Bill Callahan does not have a contract beyond this season, the drama will center around offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who this year signed a two-year, $3.2 million extension through 2013.

As coach Rex Ryan said last week, Scottenheimer may get a head coaching job, but if he doesn't, sources say the Jets will strongly consider Norv Turner and Josh McDaniels to replace him as coordinator if either is available.

If Schottenheimer doesn't land a head coaching job, the Jets would not necessarily fire him. They traditionally structure assistant coaches' contracts to allow the team to reassign duties.

Thus, Schottenheimer could face a demotion, but it would hinge on the team's ability to hire a capable replacement, such as Turner or McDaniels.

An option to replace Schottenheimer is Callahan, but that may not be a done deal. The Jets tried to sign Callahan to an extension, even recently, but he decided to keep his options open -- and now he could have leverage.

Former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano also could be in the mix as a replacement for Callahan, but Sparano has been linked to several top assistant jobs.

Schottenheimer insisted Thursday he's not worried about his job security and he doesn't think the final game will have any bearing on whether he returns as the offensive coordinator.

"I'm an excellent football coach," an upbeat Schottenheimer said. "Have we been inconsistent this year? Absolutely. I wish I could put a finger on it and say exactly what it was. There are things, clearly, I can do better. There are things, clearly, the unit can do better, but you don't have time to worry about it."

The Jets' offense has bottomed out the last two weeks, producing only 33 points in 31 possessions in losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. Schottenheimer was heavily criticized for his play calling in the Christmas Eve loss to the Giants, as quarterback Mark Sanchez attempted a career-high 59 passes.

"We lost the game, but Santa still came," said Schottenheimer, defending his play calling.

Publicly, Ryan has expressed lukewarm confidence in Schottenheimer, dodging questions about the future. Schottenheimer said he hasn't received any indication from the team about his future.

"I hate that people are pointing at Schotty and pointing at Mark," Ryan said. "It should be on my shoulders."

Schottenheimer, the son of former longtime coach Marty Schottenheimer, has been around football his entire life and he knows it's a cutthroat business. He saw his father get fired after a 14-2 season with the San Diego Chargers.

"This isn't the first time a Schottenheimer has been criticized," Ryan said. "I'm sure his dad was at some point. Those things happen."

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_ ... ources-say (http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7410299/new-york-jets-likely-revamp-offensive-staff-sources-say)

[fordfixer]

The Jets need to finish this year befor looking to next year

[hawaiiansteel]

Jets now down 13-10 in the 4th quarter...

[SteelCrazy]

Mark Sanchez n Rex Ryan need to retire from football.......idiots

[hawaiiansteel]

Mark Sanchez n Rex Ryan need to retire from football.......idiots


now 19-10 Dolphins

Rex Ryan needs to stop writing checks that his players are unable to cash.

[winwithd]

Sanchez is REALLY bad. Could Brunell be worse for them? No Holmes today either.

[JTP53609]

no, holmes is playing, he is just not playing and taking a temper fit in the closing minutes haha, how you like him now jets

[SteelAbility]

Well, I miscalculated. Since TEN won, CIN is faced with "win or out of the playoffs." So, we got what we wanted, just not through any help from the NYJ.

:lol:
:tt2

[hawaiiansteel]

no, holmes is playing, he is just not playing and taking a temper fit in the closing minutes haha, how you like him now jets


Jets teammate on Holmes: “He quit”

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on January 1, 2012

http://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/s-holmesbyhimself1.jpg?w=250

There were a lot of ugly moments during the Jets’ meltdown in Miami Sunday, but one stood above the rest.

Santonio Holmes, after barking at a teammate in the huddle, was pulled from the game late in the fourth quarter. He sat on the bench with his helmet off, not even paying attention as his team’s season ended.

After the game, one unnamed Jets teammate said Holmes “quit” on the team. And it didn’t start this week.

“He quit,” the player told Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger. “It’s happened for the past two to three weeks. It’s happened all season.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer apparently made the call to take Holmes out.

“I looked out there, and I was wondering why he wasn’t out there myself,” coach Rex Ryan said. “I didn’t bench Santonio. You’ll have to ask him.”

It looks like Ryan is in self-preservation mode, trying to maintain his relationship with Holmes. Multiple players told Vrentas that Holmes “moped” throughout the game and often ignored Mark Sanchez. One player already told Holmes to get off the field if he wasn’t going to help the team.

“I’ll tell you what, it’s tough for guys to follow a captain that kind of behaves in that manner,” LaDainian Tomlinson said. “When you’re a captain, guys are looking at you, you’ve got to lead by example. You’ve got to play your tail off until the last play. And when that don’t happen, you have guys looking at you in a way that captains shouldn’t be looked at.”

Tomlinson said that guys were unhappy with Holmes’ demeanor. That demeanor didn’t improve much after the game.

Holmes made it clear he wasn’t happy with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, saying it wasn’t his decision if Schottenheimer returned.

Holmes was then asked about his future with the team.

“Thank you guys,” Holmes said before abruptly ending his press conference.

It’s going to be fun offseason in New York.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... s-he-quit/ (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/01/jets-teammate-on-holmes-he-quit/)

[DukieBoy]

Inadequate development in the character department.

[DukieBoy]

The MMPI would be a better test to use than the Wonderlic. Would result in fewer team cancers being drafted early.

[hawaiiansteel]

Updated: January 2, 2012

Rex Ryan: No more captains for Jets

By Rich Cimini
ESPNNewYork.com


FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A day after watching his dysfunctional team implode, and after meeting individually with several players Monday, Rex Ryan offered a stunning mea culpa for someone who prides himself on being a player’s coach.

"Normally, I’m a guy that really has the pulse of this team, and I don’t think I had the pulse of the team the way I’ve done in the past," Ryan said at a news conference. "When I met with players, I think that became clear to me."

Only a few hours earlier, the New York Jets’ coach became so emotional in a team meeting that he cried while addressing the importance of unity, according to players.

It was a surreal day for the Jets, who cleaned out their lockers and admitted, almost to a man, their Super Bowl aspirations were undermined by poor team chemistry.

The lowpoint occurred Sunday in Miami, where Santonio Holmes was benched for the final two minutes after jawing with teammates who felt he had quit.

Several players, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Holmes poisoned the locker room throughout the season. Ryan backed offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s decision to bench Holmes, but he acknowledged there was ongoing turmoil and he vowed to restore harmony to the locker room.

Ryan admitted he made a "huge mistake" by naming six captains before the season -- Holmes was one of them -- because he believes it detracted from the team concept. He said there will be no captains in the future.

"It’s not a reflection of anybody in particular, but we’re not going to have those anymore," said Ryan, who was criticized for the decision to give a 'C' to Holmes.

It's been a bitterly disappointing season, and there's plenty of blame to go around. Who should stay and who should go? Vote Now!

Ryan said he expects Holmes to return in 2012. He signed a five-year, $45 million contract before the season.

The Jets (8-8) fell well short of their expectations, missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. There was a lack of harmony on offense, and it came to surface in October when Holmes called out the offensive line, sparking a war of words with guard Brandon Moore.

Just last week, Holmes clashed with quarterback Mark Sanchez in a meeting room, team sources told ESPNNewYork.com. It got really ugly in Miami, when Holmes had to be restrained from going after tackle Wayne Hunter in the huddle.

"For whatever reason, I don’t think we were as close as a football team as we were the first two years, and now we’re sitting on the outside looking in," said Ryan, who is 28-20 in three seasons. "We’re watching the other teams in playoff games, and we think we should be in. I think that’s painful. Beyond belief, that’s painful."

That pain poured out of Ryan in the team meeting. He didn’t mention Holmes by name, according to players, but he made it clear he was talking about the mercurial wide receiver when he discussed the importance of leadership and supporting teammates and playing through injuries.

"He started off calm ... and he got really emotional, and kind of put his heart out there, pleading with us, saying, 'We have to do a better job, we have to be a team if we’re going to win,'" guard Matt Slauson said.

"Yeah, he was crying, because he loves us," Slauson added. "He knows what we’re capable of, and we didn’t even come close to our goals and that was sad because we have the players in this room to be an amazing team. We weren’t even close. He was really disappointed with that."

Ryan confirmed that he choked up in the meeting.

"I’m Irish, so what do you want?" he said. "It’s hurtful, and I’m extremely prideful. I want to be the best. I want to win. Sometimes it comes out like that."

But it wasn’t just a Kleenex moment; Ryan also lashed into the team.

"It was a little bit harsher than most end-of-the-year meetings," Moore said. "Everything was spot on. Everybody is frustrated and disappointed."

Ryan wouldn'’t say which players he met with, and he wouldn'’t say if he met with Holmes. General manager Mike Tannenbaum, who appeared with Ryan at the news conference -- a likely show of unity -- said he met with more than a dozen players Monday in attempt to uncover answers.

"Clearly, there are a lot of things we all could’ve done better," said Tannenbaum, also refusing to say if he met with Holmes.

Holmes refused to speak with reporters. He walked to his locker, grabbed a cardboard box and exited quickly, escorted by a PR official while at least 30 reporters followed in their wake. One player watched the scene unfold, shook his head and said, "What a joke."

Several players dodged reporters. Some appeared shaken as they entered the locker room. Darrelle Revis, one of the most media-friendly players on team, bolted immediately. Bart Scott gave an obscene gesture to a photographer and snapped, "Get that f------- thing out of my face."

The players that stuck around spoke openly about the internal strife that fractured the locker room.

"We talked all year how talented we were," Jim Leonhard said. "It’s not talent. It’s obviously all the intangibles and things like that. I’m not going to point out one guy; it was a lot of different issues. Obviously, things need to change -- and will."

The Jets mortgaged character for talent, jettisoning well-respected veterans such as Jerricho Cotchery and Damien Woody and bringing in Derrick Mason (since traded) and Plaxico Burress to join Holmes in the receiving corps. Burress didn’t cause any friction, according to team sources, but they suspect it was because he was on a one-year contract.

"There are a lot of reasons why we didn’t have the season we wanted, and chemistry can go on the list for however many numbers go down the page," Moore said.

Now the healing process begins.

"We’ve got to find a way -- and I will find a way -- of pulling this team together," Ryan said. "That’s something I always think is a strength of mine."

Not this season.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_ ... pulse-team (http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7415765/new-york-jets-rex-ryan-says-think-had-pulse-team)