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Sounds Like Howard’s Ready for His Jets RT Debut

Austin Howard described what his pregame routine might sound before he takes those first reps under the Jets’ right tackle spotlight against Mario Williams and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.

“You get the music going and you start focusing on specific plays, different scenarios that may happen throughout the game,” said Howard, the 6’7″, 333-pound third-year man who’s been a Jets starter for all of three preseason games. “You just really get focused and zoned in on what you’ve got to do.”

What music might be on the Howard iPod? “I like hip-hop, sometimes I like slow music,” he said. “I like a wide variety. I couldn’t tell you that I have a favorite artist. I even like the old school artists, like Sam Cooke.”

Now Sam Cooke is someone from my generation. But what does that tell us about how Howard will fare under the blare of the opening-day playlist against the Bills’ vaunted rebuilt D-line? By about 4:15 Sunday afternoon, will it be a “Wonderful World” (No. 2 on the U.S. R&B charts in 1960) for him or will he have found himself on a “Lonely Island” (No. 10, 1958)?

We’ve seen any number of Jets offensive linemen come and go over the years. Some hold up quite well and settle in for long careers in green and white; others impersonate the turnstiles at the MetLife Stadium gates.

We’ll know soon enough how things will go for Howard, but from this week’s practice and his time before the reporters in the locker room, he seems to be warming to the task at hand, not just on Sunday but for a longer haul. His patter is generally on the safe side, but his jaw his set, his stare is steady, and he even has allowed a smile to flash across his serious demeanor the past three days.

He’s very much in the O-line group mindset, deflecting questions of Super Mario into how the Jets’ line will show up against Williams and Mark Anderson at the ends and Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus at the tackles.

“As a unit, we’ve been preparing our butts off. Our coaches have made sure we’re prepared in the classroom, on the field, run-blocking schemes, pass-blocking schemes. They’ve made sure to prepare us in every aspect of the game, so we’re really excited and really looking forward to this weekend.”

But how about when it’s M.Williams at left end vs. Howard at right tackle, no TE help, no backs chipping out of the backfield, mano a mano?

One means of comparison for Howard and for Jets fans is how he did against Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware in his only prior regular-season start, at left tackle in the final game of the 2010 season for the Eagles, who had locked up the NFC East title and were locked in at the No. 3 seed. How does he rate Ware vs. Williams?

“They both have good motors, a lot of different moves, a lot of things you have to prepare for,” he said. “You have to study them very intently, take every opportunity you can to learn their different moves.”

And how did he fare vs. Ware?

“I gave up a couple of sacks to DeMarcus,” he said, unflinchingly. “That was a game I learned from and I’ll always remember.”

Whether he’ll have good memories or bad from Sunday’s first RS start as a Jet remains to be seen. Howard is tipping his hand only a little as to what he thinks is ahead.

“Honestly, I have no expectations. I know I have to go out there and be prepared for anything and everything,” he said. “People are going to watch who they’re going to watch. My thing is I expect more out of myself than anybody else expects out of me.”

And if it all works out for the O-line, the offense and the Jets in general, Howard and friends will be “Having a Party” (No. 4, 1962) come Sunday night.

Friday I-Report

The Jets’ injury list has 16 players on it, with only two listed as out for the Bills: S Eric Smith (hip/knee) and T Dennis Landolt (knee).

Ryan adds Sione Po‘uha to his “Out” list, saying the NT “won’t play,” although Big Bo is listed as questionable on today’s report.

Rex said “everyone else should be up, ready to go.” That includes TE Dustin Keller (hamstring) and DT Mike DeVito (calf), both of whom were limited in today’s team drills and are listed as questionable. But Keller was upbeat Thursday about his availability, and DeVito today said several times, “The calf’s 100 percent.”

G Brandon Moore (hip) and LB Bryan Thomas (ankle) were limited today but are probable, and nine players were full-go at practice and are probable, including S LaRon Landry (heel, DNP on Thursday) and WRs Santonio Holmes (ribs), Chaz Schilens (ankle) and Stephen Hill (calf).

Buffalo’s short list had two interesting groin developments today: Brad Smith was a full participant in team drills and is probable, while No. 1 WR Stevie Johnson was limited and is questionable.

Ryan on ’12 Sked: The Good, the Bad, the Balance

Rex Ryan felt strongly both ways when he spoke about the Jets’ just revealed 2012 schedule on a conference call with beat reporters this evening.

On the one hand, the Jets coach said it was a good thing to get the dates and times of their 16 opponents just a day after the veterans first reported to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center to begin their voluntary strength and conditioning period.

“Yesterday I was really excited to finally have the team in our building, have a chance to talk to them,” Ryan said. “But I’m even more excited now. When that schedule comes out, now you start to visualize who you’re playing and it’s even more exciting. Now you realize the 2012 season is upon us.”

But Ryan was not seeing less challenging games on an easy schedule. They all looked tough.

Having the season opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. vs. the Buffalo Bills, 6-10 a year ago?

“Opening up at home is a good thing, but playing Buffalo, they’re a tough team,” Ryan said. “They’re much improved. They’ve got that big pass rusher [Mario Williams] coming in.”

Three consecutive home games from Games 4-6? Not bad, except …

“San Francisco [Sept. 30] and Houston [Oct. 8] back to back, they’re two of the more physical teams in the league,” Rex said. “That’s definitely a tough stretch.”

And a favorable second half with an opponents’ schedule strength of .453? That would be fine, too, but for the little matter of three of their last four games being on the road, at Jacksonville (Dec. 9), at Tennessee (Dec. 17) and at Buffalo in the regular-season finale (Dec. 30).

“Yeah, you see that little clump of games right there — whooo, that’s a tough December,” he said. “But you’re coming into some decent weather, Jacksonville and Tennessee, and I kind of like having San Diego come to our place in December.”

One other eye-catcher is anywhere New England appears on the schedule. The Jets will play the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 21, and then the teams will get back together on Thanksgiving night at MetLife on Nov. 22.

“Oh, man. That one’s going to be a beauty, there’s no doubt,” Rex said with a laugh about the Turkey Night affair with the defending AFC East champ and the conference’s Super Bowl representative. “It’s a late-night one and our fans will be ready to roll. I know New England’s obviously a tremendous team, so it’s going to be a great challenge for us.

“The last time we played on Thanksgiving, we had success,” Ryan added about the 2010 holiday night game at their new stadium, the 26-10 victory over the Bengals. “That’s good. Hopefully history will repeat itself … and I hope my wife’s got the green-bean casserole ready for after the game.”

Summing it all up, Ryan came to a standard coaching observation: “I think it’s a real balanced schedule. It looks good. We’ll see what happens.”