Blog

STS*: Purdum Back to Feeling Fine for This Big Ride

Tanner Purdum readily admits that “When you don’t hear my name, it’s a good day.” That is the fate of top-shelf long snappers such as Purdum and, before him on the Jets, James Dearth.

It was also a good week for the Jets’ specialists and coaches because they didn’t hear Purdum’s name on the team’s injury report, as they did the week before and two weeks earlier in the season. Purdum didn’t say he was close to not being able to snap any of those weeks, but all three weeks his low back issue was not a triviality for the Green & White.

“They do a great job in the training room, putting in, it’s got to be 80 man-hours on me in my three days in there,” Purdum calculated. “They do a good job of getting you right, and Coach Westhoff and Ben [Kotwica], they’re both good enough to realize, ‘Get through the practice because we need  you but we won’t kill you with reps.’ Even this week they tell me, ‘Take it easy. You might feel 100 percent but we don’t want it to relapse.’ “

Purdum’s injury is probably a common condition in the snappers’ upside-down world.

“It’s one of those things where you just get tight hips at my position, being bent over all the time,” he analyzed. “Most of my power is in the nips. Once those get too tight, your back flares up and slips out or, in my case, spasms. It just happens. This time I happened to be lifting. Last time it was at practice.”

Sounds like a job for your friendly chiropractor. And Tanner’s one of those people you’ll meet occasionally who recommends chiropractic for what ails you, because it’s helped what ails him over the years. In fact, his father-in-law is award-winning Dr. Mark Pick out of Dodge City, Kans., who has worked with the Chiefs and at the NFL combine.

“I’m pretty picky” when it comes to chiropractors, said Purdum, no pun intended. “He does a very, very good job, and when I’m in that area I always go to him. But here these guys step up and do the job right too. They know what they have to do to have me fixed before the game.”

Dr. Pick also has treated bull riders over the years, which prompted me to ask Tanner if he’s ever gotten on a bull back in his multifaceted Midwestern upbringing.

“I saddle-broke horses in high school and college,” he said. “He had bucking stock for a long time and I think he just sold them off this year. I’ve helped him with them a little when I was out there. I’ve gotten on a bull once or twice, and it’s not exactly the best time of your life. I lasted about three seconds, which is better than most, I guess.”

But he’s never survived an eight-second eternity, ridden a bull to the bell?

“Noooo,” he said. “That’s like putting an entire offensive line into one and then trying to ride their back.”

Doesn’t sound like an exciting prospect. But then again, who’s to say with a long snapper? His highlights often go unnoticed as he snaps one ball after another unerringly into the hands of holder Mark Brunell for a Nick Folk placement or into the hands of punter T.J. Conley.

But Purdum did enjoy this past Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, which was his only other NFL employer, a team that worked him through the 2009 preseason and then waived him, ultimately so he could sign with the Jets before last season.

“They cut me, fine,” he said without bitterness. “I wound up in a better place. I’m much happier here than I was there, so they did me a favor.”

This Sunday Purdum can do the Jets a major favor by keeping the ropes coming to give the Jets their best chance against dangerous Eagles punt returner DeSean Jackson (whose average nevertheless has slipped from 15.2 yards in 2009 to 11.6 last year to 6.7 so far this season).

“The Eagles come over the middle, mostly, a seven-man front,” he described Philadelphia’s punt block approach. “They like to rush the center, or at least to come across me to the guard. They like to stuff us up front so Jackson can get something going in the back. You’ve got a good returner, that’s what you want to do. You want to create a pile, a big cloud of dust up front so he has some room to run.”

It’ll be up to Purdum and his linemates to defeat the cloud of dust and get downfield quickly to keep Jackson at bay. And with his back back to some semblance of normal, it sounds just like the kind of ride he likes.

*Special Teams Saturday

STS*: Baker Ready to Provide Field Position If Called On

Field position is always so important on special teams, and Josh Baker contributed two chunks of yards to the Jets’ FP in Sunday’s conquest of the Redskins.

“What was that, my second kickoff return?” Baker asked me about his 29-yard runback to set the table around midfield for the first of the Jets’ three fourth-quarter touchdown drives. “I’m no longer a rookie. I’m a vet.”

Actually, it was his third. Baker, the undrafted free agent TE, has now touched the ball four times as a pro and positive yardage has always happened. Three of the touches have been kickoff returns. He took a pop-fly kickoff from the Dolphins 16 yards to the Jets 34 in his first appearance in the green and white. Two weeks later he ran a short kick by the Patriots 15 yards, also to the Jets 34.

Having gotten his feet wet, he was ready to put his stamp on the contest at FedEx.

“Going into the game, if they’ve shown that they’ve popped it up before, even one time throughout the season, then it’s brought to our attention and we will practice it,” Baker said. “There’ll be a rep or two just because we know they’ve done it before, and I believe the Redskins had done it before.”

Having just taken their last lead at 16-13, the ‘Skins were playing it safe, or so they thought, in keeping it away from Antonio Cromartie, who had dropped into the end zone in place of the sore-elbowed Joe McKnight for Graham Gano’s kick. The ball flew high and short to the Jets 20, where Shake-’n'-Bake was waiting for it.

“I think when you have a weapon like Joe McKnight or Cro back there deep, it does make teams think about doing different things,” head coach Rex Ryan said. “And obviously with Baker, if you kick it to the 20, we’re in business. Mike Westhoff and I had a plan, anticipating something like this, and when it happens, you have to make it happen and that’s exactly what Baker did.”

The only thing Baker didn’t make happen was a missed tackle by the kicker. Gano took him down by the Redskins bench at the Jets 49.

“I just saw the hole and hit it. I wish I’d have made a move on the kicker. It was near the sideline but I’ve got to make him miss.”

Did he get grief from his teammates over that tackle?

“Not as much as from my parents. My dad, I got a few comments from him. He’s my No. 1 hater,” Baker said, assuring that his father, Kevin, gave him the business in a loving way.

Above, we said Baker provided two chunks of yardage. The first one most people probably never saw because CBS’ long camera shot of T.J. Conley’s second-quarter punt swung immediately away from the line of scrimmage to Brandon Banks’ fair catch didn’t stay at the line of scrimmage. But you can see a quick view of the Jets’ right wingman on the punt protect team for some reason being thrown to the ground by Washington third-year LB Rob Jackson, in plain view of ref John Parry’s crew.

That wingman was Baker. Instead of the Redskins getting field position similar to the spot that Baker gave the Jets two quarters later, at their 49, they started at their 39.

Who’s to say if that was a big reason for the ‘Skins moving 8 yards and then punting, and then the Jets moving 57 yards to Nick Folk’s first field goal? But every yard helps.

And perhaps the Jets are forcing Sunday’s foe, the Chiefs at MetLife Stadium, to pick their poison. Last week Ryan Succop and the Chiefs faced Devin Hester and the Bears. On their two kickoffs in their 10-3 win, the Chiefs gave up a return to the CHI-34 and had a kickoff out of bounds.

If Baker is called on to provide a similar short field this week, he’s veteran-ready.

*Special Teams Saturday.

Defense’s Emphasis on PDs Paid Off at Washington

PDs can be Pretty Darn Slippery. Sometimes a team can get a lot of pass defenses in a game and get scorched through the air. Sometimes it can get only a couple and still shut down the other team’s passing game.

But for the Jets on Sunday, their unofficial total of 13 PDs actually was quite impressive and in keeping with the quality of their pass defense against the Redskins. And two of the cornerbacks who had a few of those PDs told me in the locker room today that the showing was no accident.

“We did a great job last week,” said Antonio Cromartie, who had one of his best games of the year. “We got a lot of tipped balls, even from our front line, and our linebackers were getting their hands on passes. Nothing’s really changed for us. It’s just being a lot more aggressive.”

“Overall, we’re really just playing our techniques. Coach [Mike Pettine] is calling the plays and we’re going out and executing to the best of our ability,” said Kyle Wilson, who came up with the late interception, the second pick of his career, off of Donald Strickland’s deflection. “When the ball’s in the air, we’re attacking it. That’s definitely been a point of emphasis the last few weeks and I think we’re doing a better job of it.”

How good? Just in terms of unofficial numbers, the Jets have had only one other game in the last 15 seasons in which they had as many as 13 PDs. That was in 1999, when they flew to pre-Tebow Denver off of a season-opening three-game losing streak and picked off Brian Griese and Bubby Brister five times in their 21-13 come-from-behind win. S Victor Green and LB Mo Lewis each had three PDs that day.

On Sunday, the Jets spread the wealth around, with Jim Leonhard, David Harris, Cromartie and Strickland each getting two defenses apiece. Sione Pouha and Muhammad Wilkerson each batted down a Rex Grossman pass behind the line.

Interestingly, Darrelle Revis had no PDs but that’s probably because Grossman was wary of the Island. Revis much of the game was covering WR Jabar Gaffney, who was targeted only three times by the ‘Skins QB and had no catches.

The Jets almost had a first-half interception when Brodney Pool snared a Grossman overthrow, but Strickland’s illegal contact on TE Fred Davis wiped it out. But the play seemed to underscore the renewed stress on the defense.

“We’re just trying to emphasize getting more and more turnovers,” Cro added, “to give our offense more opportunities to score.”

Wilson’s pick didn’t produce points, but the first second-half fumble recovery led to a Nick Folk field goal try (his only miss, from 40 yards out) and the second FR led two plays later to Shonn Greene’s second TD run of the game.

Even with the reminders from head coach Rex Ryan, Pettine and DBs coach Dennis Thurman, were coming off of three low-PD games — seven breakups and no picks combined in the New England-Denver-Buffalo stretch. So was Washington a one-off or the start of a trend? We’ll know more when first-year QB Tyler Palko, sore-fingered vet Kyle Orton and the Chiefs’ receivers pay a visit this Sunday.

Blackjacking the Redskins

That touchdown, by the way, was part of one of the quickest streaks to 21 points in franchise history. In a note that we first reported in our E-blast to season ticket holders and subscribers Wednesday, the Mark Sanchez-to-Santonio Holmes TD pass and Greene’s two TDs all came in a span of 3:02, which is the shortest amount of clock time the Jets have used to score three times since at least 1980.

The quickest had been the 3:29 span of the third quarter at Buffalo in Game 4 of the 2010 season, during which the Jets hung up 21 points on the Bills in their 38-14 victory. Quickest before that was 1985 Game 9 at Indianapolis (3:43).

Rex Cetera

Ryan’s take today on the Jets’ mentality heading into the Chiefs:

“There’s a sense of urgency, without question. But it’s just a purpose, a focus. That’s where we’re at. We know what’s at stake. We have to win this game. There’s all the scenarios in the world, three out of four might get us in, but there’s no scenarios where you can lose an AFC game. We have to win our two remaining AFC games and we’ll worry about all the other stuff later. We know we have to win this game. With that understanding, it’s dialed up our intensity and focus.”

Mike Westhoff said he isn’t ruling Jeremy Kerley out of returning punts Sunday, although he acknowledges along with Ryan that Jim Leonhard has the experience and sure-handedness the coaches like. Westhoff put much of the blame for that muff not on Kerley but on Washington’s Niles Paul getting through two Jets and blasting Kerley almost as soon as he touched the ball. … Westhoff said if Joe McKnight can’t return kickoffs due to his elbow, Antonio Cromartie is next up and Kerley behind Cro.

Injury Pictures

G Brandon Moore sat out his second practice of the week but Ryan is still not worried about his availability for the Chiefs. “No, I feel good about Brandon,” the coach said. “How many starts in a row does he have? It’s over 100, I know. He can probably miss a practice or two.”

DT Mike DeVito also sat out his second practice and is less certain to be ready for Kansas City. Safety Eric Smith (knee), DT Marcus Dixon (hip) and RB-KR Joe McKnight (elbow) were all limited for team drills at today’s practice. LB David Harris (ankle) and CB Ellis Lankster (low back), who weren’t full-go Wednesday, practiced full today.

The Chiefs’ slim report added a fourth body today when LB Jovan Belcher (shoulder) was listed as limited for team drills. QB Kyle Orton and C Casey Wiegmann also remained limited and LB Demorrio Williams probable.

STS*: Bellore, Teams Await Latest Westhoff Message

Rookie Nick Bellore has enjoyed playing under innovative Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff. He looks forward to the weekly speech Westhoff delivers to the unit the night before the game.

“He always tells a story and he’ll usually allude to history lessons,” Bellore said this week as he interacted with Jets Nation on a live chat. “He’ll be like, ‘Oh, there was this guy named Abraham Lincoln. He was a pretty good leader the last time I checked.’ It will be something like that, always a reference to some historical happening and he relates it somehow to football. We’re not always sure how, but he always manages to get it there.”

You wonder what the lesson will be tonight at a Washington area hotel as the Jets finalize their preparations for the Redskins. The Green & White have turned the ball over seven times the past three games and a trifecta have come on special teams.

“The turnovers are huge — we can’t do that,” Bellore said. “We also gave up a pretty big return against Denver that hurt us and that’s uncharacteristic of us. We’re looking forward to improve on that.”

“I think our guys have very good hands,” said Westhoff. “I’m used to going the whole season with no turnovers. We catch everything in practice.”

Joe McKnight was victimized by a punt fumble in the Week 10 loss to the Pats and then he lost the ball on a kick return in the Week 11 defeat to the Broncos. Last weekend Antonio Cromartie couldn’t handle a punt and the ball went the other way to the Bills.

While the Jets survived against Buffalo with a minus-2 turnover differential, they have won just four of 16 games under Rex Ryan in which they have lost the turnover battle. The Cromartie fumble overshadowed another solid effort from Westhoff’s crew.

“I thought we played a very, very good game but unfortunately it gets marred by such an error and it’s just dropping the football,” Westhoff said. “You can’t do that — you can’t do that on any level. It’s very frustrating.”

While Cromartie will still be available when called upon, McKnight is the team’s No. 1 kickoff returner and still leads the NFL with a 34.7-yard average. Jeremy Kerley, who missed the past two games with a knee injury, is expected to be in uniform Sunday and is expected to handle most if not all punt-return duties.

On the other side of the ball, the Jets will attempt to contain Redskins return man Brandon Banks. Bellore, who was the only unrestricted free agent to make the team out of training camp, leads the coverage units with 19 stops (14 solo).

“You just try to get down there as fast as possible. We have some guys that are really fast,” he said. “I think I’m pretty fast, so I just try to keep up with those guys. And once you get down there, keep your head on a swivel because there are always guys coming. So just try to break down and make the tackle.”

Bellore has made a lot of them so far and he wants to keep Westhoff happy.

“It’s huge learning from someone who has so much experience, has kind of seen it all and had a bunch of players. He knows what works and you know what he expects out of you,” said the Central Michigan product. “It’s a learning process every day. I remember the first day of camp I was a little nervous going in the meeting and you’re kind of nervous to mess up because he knows what he’s talking about and he knows what he wants to see. If you don’t do that, you can’t really be his guy.

“It’s kind of striving every day to do what he wants and please him. If you do that, he rewards you. And if not, you hear about it.”

*Special Teams Saturday

STS*: Kerley Injury, Turnovers Impact Returns

The Jets special teams have arguably been the most consistent unit all season. First-year returners Jeremy Kerley and Joe McKnight have enjoyed success as special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff draws up blocking schemes to spring the two loose in the open field.

Kerley’s numbers as a punt returner are not jaw-dropping. He’s averaging 9.4 yards per return. But he has proven to be a reliable option and has earned the trust and respect of Westhoff.

“I just have a feeling about him,” said Westhoff. “He’s a combination of sure-handed and explosive.”

With Kerley listed as questionable and a game-time decision for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, Westhoff may need to fill his spot. Kerley’s knee injury held him out last Thursday in Denver, leaving S Jim Leonhard to handle the punt-return duties.

In Week 10, the Jets used McKnight to return a punt in addition to Kerley and Leonhard. McKnight fumbled his only opportunity, leading to a New England field goal.

“Joe had been playing pretty well,” said Westhoff. “He came to me and said, ‘I can get this, give me a chance.’ We gave him a shot. I liked the enthusiasm, didn’t like the result.”

As a kickoff returner, McKnight leads the NFL by far with a 36.1-yard average. The temptation to use him as a punt returner in Kerley’s absence is natural, in the hope that his explosive running style will easily translate in returning punts. Still, Westhoff said McKnight likely won’t get another chance to return a punt this season.

“Probably not,” said Westhoff. “Jimmy is more sure-handed and Cro [Antonio Cromartie] wants to do everything. I would have loved to give Joe a whole offseason of practice. It doesn’t mean he’s not adept at it. It’s just not a role I’m comfortable with him in the meantime. I want him to be a kick returner, not a punt returner.”

McKnight put another ball on the ground in last week’s loss to the Broncos. Special teams fumbles are especially deflating, but Westhoff still puts his total support behind the young returner. McKnight’s confidence has increased exponentially since his rookie year, and it is translating into a potential Pro Bowl season.

“He’s trying, he’s really trying. If you want to be a kick returner, this is a good place to show up. Our guys block and they block. He works hard in practice and he’s leading the league,” Westhoff said. “I’m disappointed, frankly, that he doesn’t have more touchdowns.”

On Wednesday, Westhoff said Kerley would have to prove on Friday that he would be “ready to go” to return punts on Sunday. Kerley did not practice Friday, and his availability won’t be known until just before kickoff.

If there is no change in status between now and 11:30 a.m. Sunday, when the Jets’ inactives must be declared, Leonhard will return punts vs. the Bills. Still, Westhoff has seen head trainer John Mellody and his staff pull off miracles before, and he’s hopeful Kerley will be available.

“Jeremy is the guy we want,” he said.

*Special Teams Saturday                             

STS*: McKnight, Smith, Westhoff in the Spotlight

Kickoff returns and kickoff coverage will be under the Green & White microscope Sunday at Buffalo.

Joe McKnight, packing an NFL-leading 40.3-yard kickoff return average and coming off of Thursday’s announcement that he is the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October, will be trying to crack the Bills’ coverage unit, fourth in the league in opponents’ return average and sixth in opponents’ average start after return (20.1).

And when the Bills drop back for Nick Folk’s kickoffs, it’ll be Brad Smith in the end zone. Jets fans all know what Smitty can do, although the Buffalo approach to running kicks out of the end zone has been conservative and has led to Smith averaging 20.6 yards on only five returns. And he’ll be trying to slice through the Jets’ coverage, which is second in the NFL in opponents’ average drive start (19.5) with a league-high 14 inside-the-20 starts.

Can you say key matchup?

Jets ST coordinator Mike Westhoff said this week that at first, when McKnight replaced Antonio Cromartie for the final return at Oakland, he didn’t expect him to blossom into his latest monster returner.

“Now as I watched Joe develop and saw how hard he worked in practice, and you do see that speed and ability, then yes, then I believed he could do it,” Westhoff said. “He deserves the accolade but there’s a whole group of guys that when they go out they have a firm belief and they practice exceptionally hard. So I have a lot of confidence in them. To me it’s a singular award but it ends up showing what a whole group can get done.”

Many of those blockers also opened those seams for Smith to rip through last season, when he came in second in the NFL with his 28.6-yard average. And many of the Jets cover men haven’t had a chance to take a whack at Smith before as they may get to do Sunday.

“I talk to Eric [Smith] all the time and I thought I told him he’s not allowed to hit me,” Brad said about Eric’s offer to hit him on the opening kickoff. “I’m looking forward to seeing him. It’s going to be different. They’re football players that know what they’re capable of. Special teams is a really good unit and we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Smith said the philosophy of Buffalo and its ST guru, Bruce DeHaven, is different than Westhoff’s approach of “We run ‘em from the bleachers.” The Bills have taken touchbacks on 25 of the 31 kickoffs they’ve received, an 80.6 percent rate that’s highest in the NFL. And all TBs plus returns have given them an average drive start of their 19.2-yard line, next-to-last in the league.

“It’s tough, if I’m being honest with you, knowing we can make plays,” Smith said, “but at the same time it’s more about the team. There are times when you can take a chance and hit a couple but at the same time, you get tackled at the 10- or 15-yard line, that hurts the team. So we have to be smart back there. We’ll do our best.”

There’s no question all returners get to do their best under Westhoff, who head coach Rex Ryan touted for the assistant coaches’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

This prompted my good friend Rod Boone of Newsday to ask the coach if he’d rank those seven returners he’s had since 2002 who have run back at least one kickoff for a touchdown. “Someday maybe I’ll rank them,” said Westhoff. “I don’t want to do that right know. Each guy’s different.”

Yet while he put off the ranking, he still provided a skinny on most of those returners:

McKnight — “The thing that Joe’s done the best, that he’s doing right now very well, is he’s believing in his reads. As he hits it, he hits it really hard. … Unfortunately last week he didn’t believe in his second read [vs. San Diego]. They only had one guy who could’ve tackled him and he runs the other way. He could’ve [scored] easily. But that’s what he’s done well and he’s gotten better and better at it.”

Smith — “Brad would see things a little bit and then burst.”

Leon Washington — “Leon was just a real natural running back who had great running skills.”

Justin Miller — “He had incredible speed. He just exploded. Before you knew it, he was past you.”

One thing Westhoff took playful issue with Smith on was about Smith saying of Westhoff on his conference call with Jets reporters this week that “Sometimes he can be very harsh.”

“I was disappointed he said that, to tell you the truth,” the coach said. “I don’t think I’m harsh … I don’t know, maybe I am.”

Maybe “gruff” fits Westhoff better. Gruff but always with the ulterior motive of optimizing his players’ individual skills and his team’s ability to win a particular game. He used to guide Smith, who returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in his two years handling that job. Now on Sunday Smith will be the bad guy in white with blue and red trim that the Jets want to shut down, McKnight, the good guy in green they want to turn loose.

That’s the Westhoff way.

*Special Teams Saturday

STS*: Battle of the Nicks II Kicks Off Sunday

Updated, 4:11 p.m. ET

He never kicked in a regular season game for the Jets, but the Chargers’ Nick Novak has had a profound impact on the arc of the Green & White season thus far. Signed by the Jets in February, Novak was brought in to compete with incumbent K Nick Folk during training camp. A particularly competitive battle ensued, leading both to secure starting jobs.

“He was hitting the ball really well,” said Folk of what he saw from Novak in August. “I kicked with him a little bit in the offseason, and he was hitting it well then, too. I’m happy for him, and it will be fun to play against him on Sunday.”

The two went nearly kick-for-kick in camp, leaving hardly any separation between them as the weeks passed. In August, special teams coach Mike Westhoff called it a “good, solid competition” saying that he believed both would be successful NFL kickers.

The Jets chose to retain Folk after he made 30 of 39 field goal tries in 2010 and then had a consistently productive camp. Novak was released on the final day of cuts, but his unemployment was short-lived. Nate Kaeding, San Diego’s All-Pro K, left their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings with an ACL injury, and Novak was signed shortly thereafter.

Since joining the Chargers, Novak has not missed a single field goal, converting all 11 of his attempts.

“He’s been outstanding,” said Chargers head coach Norv Turner. “We had Nick in training camp [in 2009], and I felt he was good enough to kick in this league. I’m glad he’s with us.”

Although Novak has moved on to enjoy success on the West Coast, the Jets are reaping similar benefits from the foot of Folk. Entering Sunday, he is also kicking at 100 percent, having made all eight of his attempts. The eight consecutive field goals to start a season is the third-longest streak in Jets history, behind Pat Leahy in 1986 and Jay Feely in 2009, who both made 10 straight.

Although it may seem impossible to improve upon a 100 percent FG rate, Folk is still working hard.

“You can always get better at anything and everything,” he said. “I’m always working on field goal stuff. There’s always something you can improve on.”

The Battle of the Nicks was not the first time Folk won a training camp kicking competition. As a rookie, he beat out veteran Martin Gramatica to win the job in Dallas.

“That was a good competition there, too,” said Folk. “I can’t control how he kicks. I just tried to keep kicking well.”

While the two continued to go back and forth through August, it became more difficult to handicap the competition. As it turns out, both are now enjoying successful seasons, to the surprise of no one on the Jets staff.

During the battle, Novak assumed the role of soothsayer for a brief moment to describe just how well each candidate had performed. To this point, he has been right on the money.

“I feel like if he wins the job, he’ll have a Pro Bowl season,” said Novak. “If I win the job, I feel like I’ll have that type of season as well. That’s the truth.”

Saturday Transactions

This afternoon the Jets announced that they are placing WR Logan Payne (wrist) on injured reserve and they are signing DT Martin Tevaseu to the active roster from the practice squad. It’s been a roller-coaster week for “MTV,” who played on Monday night vs. Miami, was waived the next day, cleared waivers and was re-signed to the Jets’ practice squad.

*Special Teams Saturday

Beware the Chargers RBs Out of the Backfield

It was a busy short week in Florham Park, N.J., after the Jets’ Monday night triumph over the Dolphins. As we look ahead to Sunday’s critical game between the 3-3 Jets and the 4-1 Chargers, let’s empty out the notebook.

Bolts Backs Are Pass Game Threats

Since LaDainian Tomlinson arrived in New York, you’ve always been inclined to think about Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ vertical passing game first in regards to the SD offense. But Ryan Mathews, a second-year back out of Fresno State, is averaging an impressive 4.9 yards a carry and has scored three times on the ground in 2011. The Chargers are ranked ninth overall in rush yards per game at 122.8 per contest.

So the rush attack is solid, but Mathews and Mike Tolbert are paying dividends in the passing game as well. In fact, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote this week that the backfield pair are on pace for more combined yards (1,574) than any RB tandem in history and their pace of 154 receptions would put them only four fewer than the total that the Jets’ Richie Anderson and Curtis Martin combined for in 2000.

“They have a lot of weapons on their offense,” said ILB David Harris. “When they’re not throwing the ball downfield to Vincent Jackson and [Antonio] Gates, they have good running backs who come through the line and are checkdowns for Philip Rivers. He does a great job of finding the open receiver. Their two running backs are first [Tolbert: 28 catches, 231 yards, 2 TDs] and third [Mathews: 20-261] on the team in receptions, so they’re the main focus of their offense. We have to do a good job of keeping them in check.”

Third-Down Spotlight

While the Jets’ defensive struggles against perimeter runs have been noted time and time again, the Green & White quietly are tied for third in the NFL with 17 sacks and tied for second with 14 takeaways. Mike Pettine’s unit also leads the NFL in third-down defense (28.6 percent conversion rate by opponents) and they’ll be challenged by a Chargers offensive unit that also paces the NFL (56.5 percent).

“It’s a good matchup for both teams to try to stop each other,” said CB Darrelle Revis. “I think that’s the biggest thing. We’ve been great on third down and we’ll see on Sunday.”

Tomlinson’s Charge

If you’re at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, you would be well served to keep your eyes on LaDainian Tomlinson. Not only will he get the start against his former team but he could provide an emotional spark early for the Jets.

“I’m super excited,” said WR Santonio Holmes. “I hope he rushes for more than 200 yards on Sunday, and it will definitely be my duty to make sure I block those guys down the field so he can get his job done, just to show those guys that they let go a valuable aspect of their team, a leader, and a guy who’s a future Hall of Famer.”

While Tomlinson might not don a C on his jersey, make no mistake that he is one of this team’s most important leaders.

“I think his leadership carries around the locker room,” Holmes said. “It shows on Sundays before the game. Even the little things that he comes and talks to me about as far as running some routes and the way he has to run these specific routes that we run in practice. He comes and talks to me a little bit. We share a lot of information on how to be more of a leader on and off the field without having to do too much. I think that carries a long way around this team and everybody here respects him.”

Special Teams: Advantage, Westy

It has been overshadowed again this week, but perhaps the Jets’ biggest advantage headed into this AFC contest is on special teams.

The Jets are first in the NFL in average drive start after kickoff returns (28.0) while the ‘Bolts are 29th (24.4) in covering kicks. Conversely, the Green & White kick coverage unit ranks third (19.4 average drive start) while the Chargers returners are 21st (21.1).

“I’m expecting them not to kick it back there as much — just like last game,” said Joe McKnight, who is averaging a ridiculous 44.1 yards a kick return.

Percy Harvin of the Vikings got the Chargers season under way in ominous fashion, racing 103 yards for a score on their first play of the 2011 season. The Chargers have also been porous covering punts, but the problem is Norv Turner’s crew has only booted it away 12 times in five games. Mike Scifres, who has a decent average of 46.3 yards, has seen opponents average a whopping 18.8 yards on their six returns.

“Every team we’re going to play is going to come with their ‘A’ game. We just have to come with our ‘A’ game and expect anything,” McKnight said. “They’re probably going to come out and try to kick it different ways, try different things. You just have to be ready for it.”

STS*: Bellore Tackling the Pros with Relish

Updated, 2:40 p.m. ET

Nick Bellore bundled 472 tackles in his career as a Central Michigan linebacker, third-most in Chippewas history. It should be no surprise that he’s showing his tackling skills at the next level.

“I’m confident in my abilities,” the free agent rookie said this week about establishing himself on the Jets’ special teams. “I knew that no matter where I went after the lockout, I was going there to play. Obviously some things are out of your control, but the Jets have given me a great opportunity here and I’ve been able to make the best of it.”

Bellore has yet to display his LB skills in the regular season, but his tackling remains sharp. His 11 tackles on kick coverage, from the video breakdown by coaches Mike Westhoff and Ben Kotwica, lead the Jets heading into Monday’s very important return to MetLife Stadium to play the Dolphins.

He’s taken down other teams’ punt returners and kickoff returners, with the latter being in particular danger from a Bellore wrapup. His solo tackle in Game 2 started the Jaguars at their 15 after a Nick Folk kickoff, and an assist the next week at Oakland gave the Raiders the same starting spot. He’s been one of the main contributors to the kickoff coverage unit, which is second in the NFL in opponents’ return average (18.0) and third in opponents’ average drive start (19.5).

“Every week I learn something new, a few techniques, little stuff that you can’t necessarily get from reading the playbook, just by experience,” Bellore said. “I’ve got to be ready to play defense, but I’m going to be playing a lot of snaps on special teams, so just learning what the opponent does, what I have to do, how to best use my techniques. so it is a little different from college, but it’s something I’ve embraced and I really enjoy.”

Something he doesn’t enjoy as much is getting flagged, which is what happened when he shoved Wes Welker at the Patriots 41 on the boundary on a punt return at the top of the second quarter last Sunday. Unnecessary roughness, 15 yards.

The shame of it was that Bellore’s hit shouldn’t have been penalized. Welker was striding toward the Jets sideline but his left foot had not yet touched down when Bellore made contact. No. 83 was still inbounds.

Yet this was another one of those pro learning experiences for the young man from Whitefish Bay, Wis. There are no replay challenges on penalties. Welker is legendarily elusive but sure appeared to be heading out of bounds. Was the reward worth the risk?

“Things like that will happen when you’re trying to play fast and make a play,” Bellore said. “Obviously, I’ll learn as I get older. Some things you’ve just got to kind of let go and maybe don’t hit him there. It was a bang-bang play and you can’t be committing penalties like that, especially at that part of the field. … There’s really nothing gained in that, so I know now.”

Bellore’s postgraduate work continues. Next class: Monday night.

Saturday Injury Updates

With a Monday night game come Saturday injury reports. The Jets listed four players as out for the Dolphins: DT Ropati Pitoitua (knee), CB Isaiah Trufant (hamstring), CB Donald Strickland (concussion) and WR Logan Payne (wrist). Pitoitua and Trufant didn’t practice today, Strickland was limited. C Nick Mangold was also limited and is listed as questionable. The eight other Jets on the injury list were full participants in practice and are listed as probable.

For Miami, four players were limited at practice in South Florida and are questionable for the game: CB Nolan Carroll (hamstring), S Chris Clemons (hamstring), RB Daniel Thomas (hamstring) and TE Will Yeatman (shoulder). CB Vontae Davis (hamstring) practiced full and is probable. 

*Special Teams Saturday

STS*: Will McKnight Take Over KOR Duties?

Nobody’s issued a 100 percent ironclad official statement to the effect that sore-chested Antonio Cromartie will give his kickoff-return career a rest and focus on cornerback beginning Sunday night at Baltimore.

“I’m prepared to go a lot of ways,” special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said Thursday. And Rex Ryan offered his view of Cro continuing to return kicks with his bruised rib and lung: “No way … unless we need him.”

To all of that Joe McKnight said of Cromartie on returns, “I don’t think we need him. I’m good. I can do it.”

McKnight showed how ready he is with a 50-yard return with 2:37 to play that, under different circumstances, could have done for the Jets’ comeback effort at Oakland what Cromartie’s 47-yarder did for their wild-card comeback at Indianapolis last season.

“The ball bounced,” Westhoff said. “It was kind of hard to field. Joe was a little slow to get going because of the way the ball hit. But he did a real nice job. We blocked it very well but he ran it well.”

McKnight agreed with both premises.

“I’m trying to keep moving on, making progress off of every turn,” he said. “And I’ve got Westerman in front of me setting blocks, PT [Patrick Turner], I got Mully [Matt Mulligan] back there. They really make it easy for me.”

CBS’ end zone replay showed the beauty of how well the Jets blocked it and McKnight returned it. Nick Bellore, Mulligan and John Conner — the latter two linking hands as the Jets’ two-man wedge — mowed down three Raiders as McKnight veered right around them. Garrett McIntyre kicked his man out left and Westerman his guy right. McKnight angled back left through that gap and behind blocks from Kyle Wilson, Josh Mauga, Turner and Brodney Pool to get to the left sideline before he ran out of room.

The only player on the return team not in that shot was Marquice Cole, who was on the far right but also walled off his man off-camera.

Under Westhoff, of course, 50-yard-plus returns have become business as usual. But it is perhaps significant from a small sampling that since Brad Smith ran back the opening kickoff 97 yards at Pittsburgh in Week 15 last season, the Jets, except for two Cromartie 40-yarders, has been kind of average, with an average on the next 31 returns of 20.7 yards.

Then along came McKnight with the longest kickoff return of his pro career in any game, showing the Jets there is a direction they can go besides Cro.

McKnight still chuckles about his relationship with Westhoff, which started out rockily but has reached a stage of mutual respect.

“It’s tough, but he always wants you to be your best. That’s what I get out of it,” McKnight said. “It might make you mad, but he wants you to give your full effort. He wants your best from you.”

The 23-year-old second-year man from Southern Cal and River Ridge, La., wants the same from himself, it seems, because he’s eager but not anxious about getting his full NFL career, including a greater offensive role, off and running.

“I’m doing a way better job of everything, really,” he said. “I’ve just got to be patient and my time will come,” he said. “It’s still the beginning part of the season. We have a lot more games to play.”

As for the fourth game of the season at Baltimore’s loud and proud M&T Bank Stadium, it looks as if he’ll get his chance to expand on his kickoff curriculum vitae. The last word on the subject from Westhoff will have to suffice until tomorrow night.

“Joe’s taken almost all the reps in practice this week, and I’m probably more prepared to go that way,” the coach said. “But we’ll see Cro’s doing and go from there and make a decision.”

Heimerdinger Passes Away

Mike Heimerdinger, the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2005 as well as the coordinator for the Titans and Broncos, died Friday after a year-long battle with a rare form of cancer. He was 58. We offer our condolences to his immediate  family and to his NFL family.

*Special Teams Saturday