The season is over for two New York Jets.

Jesse Chatman and Erik Ainge went on injured reserve Tuesday. 

Chatman was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and saw limited action once he returned.  How limited was his playing time?  Here are his stats for the three games he was active: 5 carries for 8 yards; 2 receptions for 5 yards.  No touchdowns.

Yeah, not much of an impact.

Chatman injured his knee while blocking on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The injury drops the Jets to just Thomas Jones and Leon Washington in the backfield.  Oh sure, you could count fullback Tony Richardson, but he's touched the ball less than Chatman has this season.  Richardson has 1 reception for 4 yards on the year.  Look for the Jets to sign another tailback just for insurance purposes.

How Ainge wound up on IR is a mystery to me.  I was surprised that he made the team and was doubly surprised when Gang Green didn't put him on the practice squad.  Ainge, this season's fifth-round pick from Tennessee, somehow injured his right foot and will be "lost" for the year.

Just goes to show that an injury can occur at any moment to any player.

No matter how important or marginal.
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Also on the Network: √ Brandon Jennings Update [Stop Mike Lupica] √ Deja Vu It Is [Depressed Fan] √ Moose Calls It Quits...Or Does He? [Depressed Fan] √ Mussina Reportedly Calls it a Career [Green Pinstripes] √ You, Me and D. Lee [El Lefty Malo] √ General Stuff [C70 At The Bat] √ Catching up with the Pacers... [Arin It Out] √ Bulls, Bulls, Bulls [Tremendous Upside Potential]

A win is a win is a win.

Just remember that mantra when you hit the pillow tonight.

Leon Washington scored one touchdown on the ground and another through the air, Jerricho Cotchery racked up over 100 yards receiving and Laveranues Coles made a spectacular one-handed grab in the end zone with a minute remaining as the Jets rallied past the Chiefs 28-24 at the Meadowlands.

There were many moments in this game when I wanted to shake my fists at skies above, but I'm going to try and focus on the positives (there were some).  And remember, a win is a win is a win.

REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:

Leon Washington.  The little big man came up huge in this one.  Washington put Gang Green up early with a pretty 18-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.  Then with time running out in the first half, Washington blasted up the middle and raced 60 yards to the end zone to give the Jets a 14-7 advantage.  But No. 29's heroics weren't just on offense.  Washington piled up 102 kickoff yards and 71 yards on punt returns, including a key 37-yard punt return that set up the Jets final score.  In the end, Washington accounted for 274 total yards on the afternoon.  Here's the breakdown: 3 carries for 67 yards and 1 TD, 3 receptions for 34 yards and 1 TD, 4 kickoff returns for 102 yards and 3 punt returns for 71 yards.  And the Jets don't get him the ball more often, why?

LC and Cotchery.  So much for those injuries.  Both Coles and Cotchery were question marks heading into this one and heaven only knows what kind of game it would have been if either were out.  Cotchery was the grunt on offense, making key receptions and fighting for extra yards.  No. 89 finished with 9 catches for 102 yards.  LC was the hero as he made the tremendous snag in the end zone for what proved to be the winning touchdown.  No. 87 wrapped things up with 7 receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Sack exchange.  The Jets continued to pile on the sacks.  The pass rush wasn't nearly as ferocious as it should have been, but the Green and White still came away with four sacks.  Kerry Rhodes, David Bowens, Drew Coleman and old man Shaun Ellis all dropped Tyler Thigpen behind the line Sunday afternoon.  That gives the Gotham Green 24 sacks on the season.  The Jets had 29 total sacks last season.

Brett Favre.  It wasn't Favre's best game in Green and White (in fact, it would have been downright terrible if the team came away with the "L"), but he did engineer the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.  Favre started out hot and completed six of his first seven passes as he led the Jets to a 7-0 lead on their opening drive.  Things were never really the same after that and Favre took some shots during the game.  But nobody is ever going to question No. 4's heart.  Favre finished 28 of 40 for 290 yards, 2 TDs and 3 INTs.

REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:

Brett Favre.  Dear God, it's draining watching this guy!  Sure, Favre helped guide the Jets to the come-from-behind win, but he was a main reason why they had to come back.  The Jets allowed the Chiefs to hang around too long in this one (give KC credit, but this game shouldn't have been this close).  Still, the Jets had a chance to put things away early in the fourth quarter.  With 9:29 remaining in the game and the Jets up 21-17, the Gotham Green lined up for a 3rd-and-2 from the Chiefs 8-yard line.  Favre tried to hit Chasi Stuckey cutting across the middle, but Brandon Flowers had much better position and took the pass back 91 yards for a score to give the Chiefs a shocking 24-21 lead.  Flowers also picked off a pass late in the first quarter that set up Kansas City's first touchdwon.  Jarrad Page intercepted a Favre pass into double coverage in the second quarter.  And Favre and the Jets dodged a huge bullet when Derrick Johnson failed to hold onto an interception with the Jets driving late in the third quarter.  If Johnson was able to wrap up the ball he may have gone the distance and given the Chiefs a 24-14 lead.  Instead, Thomas Jones eventually scored on a 1-yard TD run to give the Jets a 21-17 lead.  It was the third week in a row the Jets coughed up the football three times and this time they were all on Favre.  I guess you have to take the good with the bad.  I guess.

Game planning.  The Chiefs came in with the worst rushing defense in the NFL and the Jets threw the ball 41 times (a razzle-dazzle play involving Brad Smith putting up the pigskin fell incomplete).  Eric Mangini and Brian Schottenheimer like to say that they game plan according to their opponent.  That sounds like terrific coachspeak, but it really sounds like you are allowing the opposing teams to dictate what type of game you are going to play.  But if that is the case, why not pound the football against a horrific rush defense?  The Jets did rush for 135 yards as a team on 24 carries (5.6 yards a clip), but there were numerous times that Gang Green faced third-and-short situations and the offense came out in shotgun formations.  Doesn't make much sense to me.

Thigpen or Montana?  The second-year Thigpen came in with one professional start under his belt (and it wasn't a good one.  He was 5 of 11 for 76 yards last week against the Titans), but he looked like a seasoned pro against the Jets.  Thigpen connected on his first 10 pass attempts and finished 25 of 36 for 280 yards and two touchdowns.  This came without Larry Johnson in the starting backfield and after losing running back Jamaal Charles to an injury late in the first half.  Unacceptable.

Jay Feely.  I just don't get this guy.  Feely nailed a 52 yarder last week against Oakland and followed that up by missing a 36-yard field goal against the Chiefs.  Somebody please explain what the deal is with Feely.

Yes, it was ugly.  Yes, it doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy.  But the Jets are 4-3 heading into next week's clash against the Bills in Buffalo.  The Jets trail the first-place Bills by just one game after the Dolphins bested Buffalo in Miami.  The New England Patriots took care of business against the St. Louis Rams (eventually) and are now tied with the Bills at 5-2 atop the AFC East.

A win next week and the Jets could (could) be in a three-way tie atop the division.

A win is a win is a win.
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We're at a crossroads here, people.

Which way are we going to go?

The Jets are 3-3 as they head into Sunday's tilt with the 1-5 Kansas City Chiefs.  If you're a glass-half-full kinda guy then you expect Gang Green to come out mad as hell and take out last week's ugly loss in Oakland on KC.  You'll anticipate the retribution to be swift and brutal and it'll make you feel a little better (a little) heading into next week's clash in Buffalo.

Or you could be the glass-half-empty guy and brood during the game with thoughts of what could have been if only the Gotham Green had taken care of business against the Raiders.
 
Call me crazy, but I'm going to go the optimistic route.

And a lot of it has to do with the Jets' opponent on Sunday.

The Green and White may still be searching for what kind of team they are going to be this season, but things are a mess in Kansas City.  The Jets couldn't have hand-picked a better squad to try and get things back in order.  The Chiefs will be going with their third-string quarterback in Tyler Thigpen and running back Larry Johnson will be riding the pine for the second straight game.  Things aren't much better on the defensive side.  Kansas City is ranked 31st in the NFL in total defense and dead-last in rushing defense, yielding an average of 207 yards a game.

If the Jets were a college or high school team, they would have scheduled this group for their homecoming game.

But things aren't that rosy in Jets Land.

Laveranues Coles and Eric Smith both suffered concussions in last week's game against the Silver and Black.  For Coles, it was his third concussion in almost two years.  For Smith, it was his second in the past three weeks.  Smith suffered a concussion in his collision with Anquan Boldin in Week 4 and sustained another during the fourth quarter against the Raiders.  They say you are prone to more concussions after you've had one and the league and players have become more aware of their long-term effects.  The Jets know first-hand about players who have suffered from post-concussion syndrome.  Al Toon and Wayne Chrebet were both forced to retire after too many blows to the head. 

Unfortunately, there isn't much the league can do to prevent these type of injuries.  Oh sure, they can change some rules and fine the players that break them, but football is a contact sport.  Unless the league decides to go to the two-hand touch format, concussions will continue to be part of the game.  Sad but true.

In other injury news, Jerricho Cotchery hurt his shoulder after his only reception last week.  Damien Woody is listed as questionable with a calf injury, as is Chris Baker with a back injury.  Bubba Franks is doubtful with a hip injury.

I think Coles, Cotchery, Baker and Woody will be in the starting lineup, but I'm not so sure about Smith.  Just a gut feeling.  Smith said there was a two-or-three day period that was "blank" to him after the violent collision with Boldin.  Take a step back, Eric. 

Having two starting wide outs banged up doesn't exactly bode well for an offense.  David Clowney, who has been inactive for the first seven weeks with a broken collarbone, may be activated on Sunday to pick up the slack.

So, expect the Jets to go with a heavy-duty case of Thomas Jones against the Chiefs horrendous run defense.  TJ piled up 159 yards in Oakland and the Chiefs allowed 332 yards on the ground last week against the Tennessee Titans.  In fact, the Titans had two rushers go over the century mark in Kansas City.  Chris Johnson went for 168 yards on 18 carries (9.3 average) and one touchdown.  Lendale White rushed for 149 yards on 17 carries (8.8 ypc) and three scores, including an 80-yard touchdown run. 

Here's a Chiefs fan's look at Sunday's contest.

And finally, a bit of the absurd.  I live in New Jersey and therefore I still read my hometown paper, The Star-Ledger.  Beat reporter Dave Hutchinson does a great job covering the Green and White.  But there was a REE-diculous non-story on NJ.com this past week.  Here's the headline: "Jets fans discuss starting Brett Ratliff this Sunday."

Yes, I'm serious.

Let me point out that it wasn't a Hutch story.  Actually, it wasn't much of a story at all, but rather something taken from a Jets fan forum.  Sometimes you just have to laugh.

This has been a down week for the Jets, but a win against the Chiefs could put the Gotham Green (and their fans) in a better mood.  There's a tendency for fans to look at the schedule and rattle off potential wins and loses (I'm guilty of that), but it can also work the other way.  Teams could win some games you don't expect them to win.

That's why they play the games.

So, don't lose faith.

Of course, this optimism goes right out the window if the Jets lose on Sunday.
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Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.

I guess Brett Favre isn't a big fan of Goodfellas.

Jay Glazer reports that No. 4 gave the Lions the inside dope on how to attack the Green Bay Packers offense before the two teams squared off in a Week 2 clash in Detroit.  There's also talk that Favre contacted other teams the Pack played this season with some inside tips.

Favre denies the reports.

I don't know what to believe.  Glazer is a good reporter and his stories are usually pretty accurate.  And Favre denied the story through his biggest cheerleader Peter King.

For argument's sake, let's say Favre gave the Lions some tips.

Big deal.  First of all, the Lions play the Packers twice a year, every year.  You're telling me they don't already know what Green Bay likes to do?  It's not like Favre was a mole in the Packer offensive meetings during that week.  Also, is this type of situation that much different from a player being cut from one team only to be picked up by a rival team?  The Jets and Patriots do this sort of thing all the time (well, maybe not all the time, but it's been done).  A guy will get cut from New England's practice squad and the Green and White will scoop him up and then discard him when he no longer serves a purpose.  I would cite some examples, but I'm lazy and feeling quite fatigued at the moment.

OK, I got my second wind.  These aren't perfect comparisons, but when Eric Mangini came over to the Jets from New England, one of the first things he did was show Chad Pennington what the Patriots scouting report had on him.  When Pennington landed in Miami he shared everything he knew about the Jets with the Dolphins.

Yeah, I know, Favre wasn't suiting up for the Lions, but the essence of what occurred (allegedly) is similar.  

But that isn't to say I'm defending Favre.  I wasn't a Favre fan when he was in Green Bay and he tends to frustrate the hell out of me now that he's playing for Gang Green.  If Favre wants to stick it to Packer GM Ted Thompson for being forced out of Green Bay, he's going about it the wrong way.  He should worry about playing to the best of his ability for the Jets. 

And for all those who feel that Favre is tarnishing his legacy with this sort of behavior -- get over it.  Favre wasn't a saint during his brief stint in Atlanta and didn't walk on water in Wisconsin (contrary to popular belief).  In fact, the only Legacy I want to hear about is by Testament.  Bust out your cigarette lighters.


We'll probably never really know if these allegations are true, but I hope this sort of vindictive nonsense ends quickly.  You're a Jet now Brett, forget about what's happening in Green Bay. 

And by the way, the Packers shelled the Lions 48-25 in that Week 2 match-up.

So much for that.
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There is no God.

Thomas Jones ran for 159 yards on 24 carries and Jay Feely booted a game-tying 52-yard field goal with :03 seconds left in regulation, but Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 57-yarder in overtime as the Raiders outlasted the Jets 16-13 in Oakland.

If your idea of a good football game includes inept offenses, tons of penalties and numerous punts, then this was the game for you.  I, myself, am not a big fan of that type of play, but I would have accepted it if the Jets would have come out on top.

Alas, no.

REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:

Thomas Jones.  I was watching this game with my brother and he was amazed (and a bit annoyed) that the Raiders could not stop the Jets running attack.  The Green and White love (love!) running counters and they must have run that play at least 100 times (OK, maybe not 100 times, but a lot).  Jones looked poised to break several runs all the way (unfortunately, he didn't), but he still rushed to the tune of 6.6 yards a pop, including a season-long 31-yard scamper.  TJ's big game helped Gang Green rush for 242 yards as a team.

Jay Feely.  If you were feeling confident in Feely's ability to hit a 52-yarder, please raise your hand.  Anyone?  Yeah, me neither.  But Oakland head coach Tom Cable may have given Feely a boost when he called a timeout just before the attempt.  Feely got the kick off and missed, hitting the left upright.  But it had the distance and gave me a reason to hope.  Maybe Feely felt the same because he connected on his second attempt and sent the game into sudden death.

REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:

Turnovers.  The Jets turned the ball over three times last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, but still came out on top.  I guess the Jets decided to see if they could pull that trick again on Sunday.  Not a good idea.  Leon Washington muffed a punt late in the first quarter and Sam Williams recovered at the Jets 16-yard line.  The Raiders converted that turnover into three points.  In the second quarter, the Jets lined up for a 3rd-and-goal from the Raider 8-yard line.  Brett Favre tried to stick a pass to Jerricho Cotchery, but Gibril Wilson came away with a pick.  Then late in the fourth, Favre and the Jets faced a 3rd-and-18 from their own 13-yard line.  Favre flung a pass deep down the right side that was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall and returned to the Jets 40-yard line.  I'm going to assume their was a miscommunication between No. 4 and Cotchery, because Hall was the only player in the area.  Coughing up the football six times in two games isn't a winning formula.

Brett Favre.  The broadcasting trio of Dick Enberg (Oh, my!), Randy Cross and Dan Fouts went out of their way to praise Favre on the Jets game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter (and give him credit for that), but No. 4 had an overall horrible game.  The Jets came out firing on their first possession of the game and Favre completed 5 of 7 passes as he drove the team to the Oakland 22-yard line.  Feely kicked a 40-yard field goal to give the Jets a quick 3-0 lead.  That was the best Favre would look all day.  Favre was banged around early in the game and it looked like he was shaken up at one point.  Maybe that contributed to his lackluster game.  Favre finished 21 of 38 for 197 yards, 0 TD and 2 INTs.

Vanilla offense.  The Jets rushed for almost 250 yards on the ground, but the play-calling was horrible.  Maybe the Jets receivers just weren't getting open (Laveranues Coles and Cotchery both left for a short time with injuries), but the offense seemed to take a step back against the Raiders.  Yes, Brad Smith ripped off some nice runs and Chansi Stuckey made two big catches, but it seemed like the Jets were playing things too close to the vest.  Again, it sounds almost ridiculous to complain about play-calling when the team rushes for a ton of yards, but the offense just seemed off to me.

Chris Baker.  Oh, what could have been.  Baker had a solid afternoon (5 catches for 42 yards, mostly on that game-opening drive), but he'll probably be kicking himself on the ride back to New Jersey tonight.  The Jets faced a 2nd-and-5 from their own 49-yard line on their first overtime possession and C-Bake found a soft spot in the Oakland defense.  Unfortunately, the turf monster bit him in the ankle, causing him to tumble to the ground.  Favre's pass fell incomplete and the Jets missed a golden opportunity to end things right there.  Baker took a spill at about the Raider 32-yard line and there wasn't a defender within 10 yards of him.  Heartbreaker.

Sunday's loss dropped the Jets to 0-2 on the Left Coast this season and 3-3 overall.  The Jets obviously didn't listen to my advice yesterday and did everything they could to give a struggling Raiders team hope.

The Jets will host the scrapping 1-5 Kansas City Chiefs next week.  That game was supposed to be the third in what was called the "soft" spot in their schedule.  But after Sunday's performance, the Green and White don't get the benefit of the doubt. 

In fact, they may be the ones other teams look at as soft.
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And I don't mean on the diamond.

Joba Chamberlain was arrested early Saturday morning in Nebraska for allegedly driving under the influence, speeding and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. 

I'm a pretty laid back kind of guy.  Not many things bother me.  But I have zero tolerance for drunk driving.  It's beyond stupid.  I just don't understand it. 

This isn't going to affect Chamberlain's status on the Yanks (at least I don't think so), but he should know better.  Yeah, it's easy to forget that he's still a "kid" (he just turned 23), but this type of thing is intolerable.  He's got the Big Apple in the palm of his hand and he's making these kinds of decisions.

Not the kind of Bomber news I wanted to hear early in this offseason.

Smarten up Joba.
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"It's a trap!"

The immortal words of Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi.

The rebel forces were able to repel the empire in Episode VI and if the Jets run defense continues to sparkle, they should be able to equal that feat against the Raiders in Oakland.

Gang Green has been stout against the rush through five games this year (they are third in the NFL in yards allowed per game) and they'll get a real test against the Raiders.  The Silver and Black are the league's No. 1 rushing team in the NFL, averaging 141 yards a game.  The trio of Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas have combined for 679 rushing yards and are all averaging over four yards a carry.  And that's with McFadden and Fargas battling through injuries.  But McFadden seems fully recovered from an injured toe he suffered in Week 2 at Kansas City and could see some time in the "wildcat" formation that's been sweeping the league.  Well, not really sweeping the league, but it has received a ton of attention since the Miami Dolphins used it to dismantle the Patriots in New England on Sept. 21.

The Raiders definitely boast three quality running backs, but that they are leading the league in rushing is shocking since they can't throw the football.  JaMarcus Russell put up decent numbers during their Opening Day thumping against the Denver Broncos (17 of 26 for 180 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT), but he's been up and down since.  Russell is completing just 50% of his passes this season and was dreadful in the Raiders 34-3 loss at the New Orleans Saints last week (13 of 35 for 159 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT).  Tight end Zach Miller leads the team with 14 catches and 5 of those came in a Week 4 loss to the San Diego Chargers.  And rookie wide receiver Chaz Schilens will make his first NFL start in place of the inconsistant Ronald Curry.

Those type of numbers should be just what the doctor ordered for the Jets secondary to get on track.

The Gotham Green are ranked 28th in the league in passing yards allowed a game, but those numbers are a bit skewed.  Teams are going to go to the air when they can't run the ball.  Still, the Jets allowed Kurt Warner to throw for 472 yards in Week 4 when everyone in the building knew he was going to pass.  Philip Rivers also looked comfortable as he tossed three touchdown passes against the Jets in Week 3.  Still, the secondary hasn't been as bad as the numbers indicate.  Darrelle Revis has been great and Dwight Lowery has done a solid job.  Kerry Rhodes hasn't been a game-changer yet, but he's still a force in the defensive backfield.  Rhodes got off to a slow start last season and turned it on later in the year.  I expect more of the same from No. 25.

And Eric Smith will be back at safety after serving his one-game suspension against the Cincinnati Bengals.  Smith wasn't happy with his suspension or fine and made a good point on how the NFL dishes out its punishments.  "I tried to tell them that my intention wasn't to hit him like that, but they told me intent wasn't looked at," Smith said.  "But if intent isn't involved, then why isn't every fine the same?"  Zing!

Justin Miller may take the field for the first time this season.  Miller has been inactive through the first five games due to a toe injury.  Miller will have a hard time unseating Lowery at corner and Leon Washington looks like he's set in the kickoff department.  But Miller is no slouch when it comes to kickoff returns, either (he's brought back three kickoffs for scores in his career).  It'll be interesting to see how and where Eric Mangini can fit Miller in.

Speaking of injuries, the Jets got a minor scare when Calvin Pace injured his toe during Thursday's practice (what is going on with all these toe injuries?).  But it looks like Pace will go on Sunday.  "I don't even want to call it an injury," Pace said. "Boo boo."

Here's a Raider fan's take on things this weekend.

And finally, this is the middle game of the Jets "soft" spot in the schedule.  They took care of business against the Bengals last week and should come out on top against a mentally drained Oakland squad.  The Jets are beginning to acquire a bit of a swagger (especially on defense), but they aren't good enough to take a team lightly.  If they go into the Black Hole with the idea that they can just show up and win, they are going to get beat.  Yeah, I'd rather play a team that's struggling as opposed to a team that's dominating, but things can change week to week in the NFL.  And if the Jets start out slowly, the Raiders and their crazy fans just might think they have a chance at their second win of the year.

This cannot happen.

The Jets just need to heed the words of the calamari commander.

And everything should be just fine.
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The following is a true story.

I saw Kris Jenkins at Stop & Shop last night.  Well, that's the story.  I guess I shouldn't call a sentence a story.

Anyway, Jenkins is massive.  At first glance I expected him to be bigger, but then he walked past me.  He could have stepped on me if he wanted to.  I guess that's one of the reasons why the Jets are much-improved in rush defense this season.

If Dave Hutchinson is to be believed (and he is), the Green and White are ranked third in the NFL against the run this season, giving up only 69 yards a game and 2.9 yards a rush.

"I think it's been a complete team effort," Jenkins said.  "A lot of people look at it like you came to New York and you stopped the run. I wish I could take all the credit, but it's 11 people out there. I'm just doing what I can to help out."

Thanks for helping out Kris and I'll catch you next time in the freezer section.
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The facelift has begun.

Bobby Meacham will not make baffling base-running decisions at third base for the Bombers in 2009.  The word "fired" is being thrown around, but I think you need a multi-year deal in order to be terminated, right?  Anyway, the Yanks parted ways with Meacham on Tuesday and speculation has already begun on his successor.  Willie Randolph?  Luis Sojo?  Larry Bowa?  Me?  No word yet on where the Bombers are leaning.

The Yankees also waved good-bye to special pitching instructor Rich Monteleone.  I wasn't sure what Monteleone's official title was after he was dismissed as the bullpen coach following the 2004 season.  Now I know.  Or knew, as it were.

It may not be splashy, but it's Yankee news.
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Never apologize for a win, no matter how sloppy or ugly.

Brett Favre threw for 189 yards and a touchdown, the defense allowed only 171 total yards and Thomas Jones scored three times as the Jets bested the Bengals 26-14 at the Meadowlands.  Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles both hauled in 8 catches for 85 yards and 61 yards, respectively, and Leon Washington gave the Blue and Gold excellent field position almost every time he touched the ball on special teams.

It wasn't the statement game I was hoping for, but the NFL is a tough league.  Just ask the Washington Redskins.  They became the first team to fall to the previously winless St. Louis Rams.  The Houston Texans also picked up their first victory of the season against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Yes, sir.  Wins are golden in the National Football League.

REASONS TO GET UP ON MONDAY:

D-fense.  It was shutdown city by the Jets.  The Bengals first first down came with 4:13 remaining in the second quarter.  Unfortunately, that drive resulted in a Cincinnati touchdown that cut the Jets lead to 17-14 at the half, but that would be all the Gotham Green would allow.  And that drive had a little controversy.  Ryan Fitzpatrick's 4-yard pass to Ben Utecht on a 3rd and 3 from the Jets 5-yard line resulted in a first down and the Cats scored two plays later.  It looked like Utecht didn't have control of the football and the play could (should) have been ruled incomplete.  But no replay.  It was inside of two minutes so the challenge had to come from the booth, but it didn't happen.  Anyway, the defense didn't allow the Bengals to sniff the goaline in the second half.  The Jets finished with 5 sacks, a fumble recovery and allowed only 43 yards on the ground.  Calvin Pace continues to show he was worth the huge contract (1 sack, 4 tackles and constant pressures) and Kris Jenkins is a game-changing man-mountain in the middle. 

Thomas Jones.  It wasn't a stellar day statistically for TJ (65 yards rushing, 3.8 yards per carry), but No. 20 hit paydirt not once, not twice, but thrice.  Jones helped the Jets knot the score at 7-7 with a 2-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter.  Jones helped the Gotham Green extend their lead to 17-7 with a 7-yard scamper in the second and then dropped the hammer with a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 2:22 left in the game.  The three touchdowns were a career high for Jones, who must have taken a bit of satisfaction doing it with former Chicago Bears teammate Cedric Benson (who rushed four times for six yards) watching on the Cincinnati sidelines.  The running game still hasn't clicked for the TJ and the Jets, but it was the first time since Opening Day the team scored a rushing touchdown.  Just a matter of time.  I hope.

Jay Feely.  I haven't been a big fan of Feely since he missed his first kick against the Patriots in Week 2, but he may have turned the corner for me with his two field goals on Sunday.  Oh, they weren't 50-yarders or anything (38 yards and 43 yards, respectively), but they proved vital in this contest.  Way to contribute, Jay.

REASONS TO SLEEP IN ON MONDAY:

Giving it all away.  For the second time in three games, the Jets gave up a touchdown on offense.  The Bengals jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead when Favre fumbled after being sacked by Antwan Odom.  Chinedum Ndukwe picked up the loose ball and rumbled 15 yards for the score.  Unacceptable.  The Jets lost the turnover battle 3 to 1 and still came out on top (this time), but better teams will make you pay for coughing up the ball.  Especially if they result in touchdowns.

No killer instinct.  Once again the Jets had a chance to step on the throat of an opponent and once again they couldn't do it.  Gang Green jumped out to a 17-7 lead after falling behind early and had complete control of the football game.  But a turnover here, a poor offensive series there and a defensive lapse late in the first half kept the Bengals in a ballgame they had no business being in.  There was no way the Jets should have needed a touchdown late in the game to seal the victory.

The Jets moved to 3-2 on the season and 3-1 "all-time" wearing the throwback Titans jerseys.  Up next, a trip to the West Coast to take on the struggling 1-4 Oakland Raiders.

Ah, facing a team with one victory. 

Kinda takes the pressure off, doesn't it?
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